Hello Everyone.  

After a manic couple of months I am very happy to be able to write to you all and tell you some of the recent highlights, and revel in all the incredible things of our Awesome God.  

God has recently been taking me on a journey of a fresh revelation of complete and utter awe of who my God is and how His name alone deserves my total praise, despite circumstances or feelings. He deserves my heart-felt devotion and I hunger to seek Him earnestly.   Psalm 24:8-10: Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!   

I have been in Izmir now for almost 9 months and am feeling very happy and settled here.  I praise the Lord for His care for me, how He holds me each day and points my face to His.   My summer ended with our Church’s Camp.  Many thanks to all your prayers for this; it was a really great time together.  Together we enjoyed meetings, and fun on site and on the beach.  Five new believers were also baptised at the camp, Praise God!  I really felt by the end of the camp I was truly part of the family here in the church.  Please pray for protection over these new believers and that the unity we experienced at the camp would grow stronger, especially as we grow larger.  

In September the FP team and a few others went to Bulgaria.  It was a great trip.  As a team we grew closer, and shared lots of fun and God moments together.  We went into poor Turkish areas, sang some songs, shared the Good News of Jesus and then prayed for them; people were hungry for the Lord.  It was amazing that scenes I’d dreamt of, to be ministering and people responding, became reality.  I was humbled and my faith levels were massively raised, and I became more expectant for the Lord to move.  I was privileged enough to see a few people give their lives to Christ - why ? Because they tasted the Lord was good and received in joy.  Please pray for these new brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Going to Bulgaria I still had comfort in my heart, but God stripped me of this and opened my eyes to see what in life was important above any comfort; I am here to serve my King.  I saw great poverty on this trip and the Lord broke my heart for the poor -  I felt the Lord’s compassion rise up in my heart.  They had so little yet were so generous to us; one day I was given a jumper and handbag from a lady I met on the street after we shared Jesus with her.  Please pray for Bulgaria and all those we met, that the seed that was sown would blossom into a strong tree for the Lord. 

One of my highlights from the trip was one day when we went into the village we were staying at.  We sang some songs and a crowd formed, then we formed two group, ladies and men.  As I prayed for the ladies the Holy Spirit gave me a word of knowledge.  I saw a lady in a room by herself crying.  The word was translated and we asked if this was anybody.  A small old lady standing next to me said it was her and just moments before she had been crying in her house and then she looked out the window, saw us and came out.  I prayed for her and said I felt the Lord wanted to comfort her and for her to know that He is with her; she was greatly touched, and had tears in her eyes as she hugged me and decided I was now her daughter !  Praise the Lord for how He speaks so personally into our hearts, and also for this lady, she would seek our true living God.

By the end of the trip I really could understand what the Beatitudes truly mean, Matthew 5:3-5: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.   Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth'.  

The day after returning from Bulgaria I went to the New Frontiers Conference for those working in the nations.  It was an awesome week in which I felt the Lord really built deeper on the lessons He had shown me in Bulgaria. In Bulgaria my faith levels were raised by what I had experienced.  At the conference I understood that my faith levels should stay raised as I stand on the Word and believe God for who He says He is and what He commissioned us to do.  I was flat on my face before the Lord at this, Praise God!   I also had the privilege of speaking at the women’s seminar during the conference.  I was asked to give testimony about stepping out into what God had called me to do and being single here in Turkey.  Thank you for all your prayers regarding this, I really felt such peace when I got up to speak as I knew the Lord was with me.  When I spoke I felt a different authority speaking, I knew the Holy Spirit was speaking through me -  it was incredible.  

In October, just after the conference, all the English Speakers of our Church had a retreat together. Thank you for those praying for this - the Lord really moved in this time prophetically and we all came away feeling a lot closer.  In this retreat a big prophecy was spoken over me of being a mighty deliverer and discerner for the Lord, a Deborah, (Judges 4 &5).  Please pray as I seek the Lord in response of this, that I have an open heart of obedience to Him and all He has called me to.  

After all these many trips I am enjoying getting back into the normal routine of life here in Izmir.  Please pray for language as we have just a few weeks left of this course.  Also I am very excited that my Mother is coming on Saturday; please pray for a really blessed time together.   I have just over 6 weeks here in Turkey before I head back to England for Christmas.  I will be in England for 6 weeks, so look forward to seeing many of you.  I am also hoping in this time I will be able to put into place enough financial support for next year in Turkey.  Please pray for this and do get in touch if you’d be willing to support me in any way.  

Thank you so much for your continual prayers, love and support.  

Much Love to you all

Rachel.