Fenner Newsletter November 2020

Fenner Newsletter - November 2020

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Greetings as we approach the end of a rather trying and not so normal year. I hope you have known God’s presence over 2020 in the way that Janet and have done. I am writing this newsletter from London, where we are self isolating after our flight to Heathrow from Johannesburg. We have flown back to the UK due to some health concerns we have for Robin. The last year has seen some challenges arising for Robin physically, which began with tremors in his hands and loss of balance and co-ordination while he is walking. A few weeks back Robin collapsed in our kitchen at home in Barberton, South Africa and stopped breathing. Following resuscitation he experienced a seizure, which he has never had before. The doctors suspected that he had suffered a stroke, but the MRI scan did not show this but the signs of a degenerative Disease, affecting the motor function signals the brain sends to the body. Robin needs to be seen by a neurologist to have this completely diagnosed. He is now on medication which is helping to some extent. As the weeks have gone by, we have noticed Robin struggling more physically, and entered discussions with Iain Hesketh, our Missions Director, and Roy Johnston, the Irish Missions Director following which we heavy heartedly decided to leave the mission field permanently and return to the UK.

This has been a difficult transition, but we are acutely aware that this is a wise decision as we seek God to go before us in our future planning.

The last weeks we have been visiting as many of our District churches and projects as we were able to. The love and concern we have received from so many has been overwhelming and emotional at times, and yet in all this we have seen the Holy Spirit move in might as Robin has ministered andmany come to salvation. We were also able to distribute some more food parcels as we received funding from Elim.

The Final Curtain

We had the opportunity to minister in various place during the last weeks we served in South Africa.

composite1 The beginning of October we travelled two hours for our first church visit and preach since beginning of March. So good to minister and fellowship with Graskop Emmanuel.

Robin had the privilege of speaking at the Barberton Drug and Alcohol Recovery Centre. Special to see how God is restoring brokenness and bringing hope to so many.

We travelled two hours to a super special combined service with Steenbok and Ngwenyene Emmanuel Churches. This service was a Thanksgiving service for our ministry over the last six years. Emotional, blessed as we looked back, as people spoke, as we listened how the Spirit has moved, lives restored, healed and many who came to salvation over the years and praised God for those who came to salvation during the service.. We give God the glory for the undeserved honour we received, as it is all about Christ

Mozambique Leadership Program

Since the beginning of Covid 19, we have continued to facilitate the teaching of over fifty Mozambique Emmanuel Leaders online via Zoom conference. We thank God for the hunger for Gods Word our students have and their diligence in attending virtual classes. We are blessed in having John Cavill joining us in teaching on a Saturday morning. We will continue with this Leadership Training long term while living back in the UK.

The Future

“Just because the ship is shattered doesn't mean the mission is over.”

Out of the deepest places of despair, in the places where we feel complete void and nothingness, where nothing makes sense and our hearts are rolling a stormy sea of turmoil and grief, where our mind is blank because of the haze, where our tears roll to fill a bucket – this is where GOD MEETS US, where the DREAMS BREAK FORTH, where when we rest in His STILLNESS, His STILL VOICE whispers VISION and we realise everything is going to work out right, exactly as he has always ordained and PURPOSED.
When all feels dry and thirsty - We CHOOSE to PURSUE....We choose to Believe....We do not let go of the Calling.......