Seed Sower Reports

John 3:16 in Every Home

For your prayerful interest.

Rugby, England

15th-17th March 2024

with Chester Street Gospel Hall

“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!’ And God granted him that which he requested.” [1st Chronicles 4 v 9-10]

This was the first Seed Sowers event of 2024 working with the saints at Chester Street Gospel Hall, Rugby. A good number came on the Friday evening from the surrounding area and further afield. After the welcome and introduction, we had a time of prayer, a devotion, hymn singing and fellowship. Following this we packed the yellow bags with Seed Sowers texts and invites to gospel meetings to be taken by Andy Mullan from 17-19 March inclusive as well as the offer of a free Bible. The aim of the weekend was to distribute 20,000 texts with invites. On the Saturday we met at 0930 to finalise teams as more friends had turned up to help with the distribution, and for a time of prayer. We had morning and afternoon distribution totalling around 4½ to 5 hours, and were blessed with good weather. In the evening after tea (meals provided by assembly) we had a time of ministry from John Salisbury (Northampton) on the verses quoted above. On Sunday morning we broke bread at the Gospel Hall in the morning and following lunch, we then proceeded to do further distribution for a couple of hours in areas nearer to the hall. There was an extra invite in with these texts inviting folks to a planned Easter meeting & tea (31st March). At 5 pm Andy Mullan took the Gospel meeting. It was very encouraging to see 5 unsaved in the hall as a direct result of the distribution – 2 men who had asked for a Bible, and a mother and 2 daughters. Two other men, believers, also came in on further days. One, Mr.J, continued coming for a while, showing interest, but personal circumstances hindered. The friends in Rugby were very grateful for all the help they received during the weekend from those in assemblies nearby and from those who had travelled a distance to help. It was truly a wonderful weekend. God has promised to bless the seed sown and only eternity will reveal the results of our labour.

Prayer points

• Pray for salvation in those that heard the Gospel. The mother mentioned above said her own mum keeps telling her "she needs Jesus". Pray she finds Him.

• Pray that Mr.J's personal circumstances will improve.

• In April, Andy had a lovely encounter with a Zimbabwean believer from Rugby on a plane to Belfast. He had received the text and was encouraged by the work.

• More recently, a young man Mr.L and his mother asked for a Bible (the seed sown does not always produce fruit right away) & they have started to attend.

• 19 Bibles have been delivered to homes. Pray that God’s word will be read and that souls will be saved.

Sevilla, Espana

September 2023

with Asamblea Biblica, Sevilla

Thirteen adults (and 3 children) formed the team that was organised and led by Clifford Law. The team members were from America, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland and spent between 5 and 7 nights in Seville. Clifford and a friend had been in Seville a few days prior to the team arriving however and they had packed almost 4000 John 3 v 16 texts along with an offer to receive a free Bible and an invitation to attend gospel meetings. Our accommodation was in a hotel on a B&B basis. Other meals were provided at the Gospel Hall, or we ate out. To get us around we had a minibus for the few days. The team were to be helping and encouraging the small assembly in Seville (Asamblea Biblica) where Carl & Ruth Knott have laboured for the Lord since 2002. (See CMML web site). They have however served the Lord in Spain for 37 years having worked in the Northern part of the country prior to this. The hotel had allocated us a room where we could have daily devotions, prayer, fellowship, and pack texts. We had around 20,000 texts left to pack and therefore we had packing sessions from 10-1 and 5.30-7.30 pm on a couple of days and at other opportunities. The distribution proved to be a great experience and very different to the UK. In Seville most of the population live in apartment blocks and therefore the challenge was to get into each set of apartments with some blocks having many flats and others less. It was a case of pressing bells to the various numbered apartments and relying on somebody to let us into each block! Once in, it simply involved putting the texts/invites into the rows of individual mailboxes which were usually located just behind the entry door or gate. We were very blessed to have some help in the distribution from two or three believers in the Seville meeting and also a number who travelled from other parts of Spain to give us a hand which was special. They were able to speak Spanish fluently of course. Distribution was between 10-1 and 5.30-7.30/8 pm on the Friday and Saturday. Approximately 20,000 texts/invites had been letter boxed over the time we were there. In the afternoons we had free time due to the hot climate! On the Sunday we had the breaking of bread followed by ministry from Andy Mullan with Carl translating. At night we had the gospel meeting with Adrian Moore (Northern Ireland) speaking and Carl translating into Spanish, followed by Gregory (Spanish brother) with no translation into English! There were one or two who had received texts who came into the meeting which was great to see. It was a very happy and encouraging few days and we look to the Lord to bless the seed sown.

Updates

As of 9th November 2023, there had been 27 Bible requests and 2 people having attended a meeting as a result of receiving a text and invitation, were given a Bible.

1) One of these requests for a Bible was sent to Carl by someone who lived in a town 30 km away, heading towards Portugal. They were in Seville and noticed a text lying on the street, someone having thrown it away. They picked it up, took it back to their village and wrote asking Carl if he would send them a Bible! PTL!

2) On 20th April 2024 we received a message from Carl that a young Venezuelan woman had professed faith in the Lord recently, and this is obviously very encouraging. Attendance has been slowly increasing at the prayer meeting and gospel meeting.

Ayr, Scotland

10th June 2023

with God Loves Ayrshire