| Warehouse Newsletter Winter 2023 |
Hello and welcome to our update – All is well here in Devon with some occasional “bumps in the road”; and some very wet weather!
Here is what we have been up to: We hope you enjoy the read- Please forward it if you think it will bless others and do send us any prayer requests.
Blessings Jim and Mary.
House of Prayer – We are still leading The North Devon House of Prayer (NDHOP) and again our team has grown. We have a fresh team of Interns as well as a faithful group of worshippers. We have been blessed to send members of the team to pursue the Lords calling to areas including Spain and Northern Ireland. We are still open 5 days a week, hosting Street Pastors, Try Praying, and facilitating regional prayer.
We hosted a National House of Prayer gathering in May 2022 with the simple focus of “seeking Him”. We have visited some potential Houses of Prayer and helped cast vision and encourage them, as well as visiting a number of established Houses of Prayer partnering with them and helping where we can. They included: East Sussex, Coventry, Northern Ireland, Normandy, Shrewsbury, Wrekin and West Sussex.
Land and Animals –
Things on the land at home are ok. We have sadly lost several lambs recently to pneumonia but we now have a healthy flock of 15 sheep. Other animals on the farm include: Our 14 chickens, (plus 2 broody hens) 4 pigs, 5 ducks and 2 ponies. (Minka and-as of last August- Buddy See below)
The girls have been out riding with Jim about 3 times a week and earlier last year we were given a horsebox. Jim has taken the girls to Crow Point, (opposite end of Saunton Sands) a lovely UNESCO site with miles of golden beach and dunes to ride through – the girls (and Minka!) loved it!
Zoe (Now 10) had been praying about a Pony of her own for quite a while before we spotted a two-year-old Cob called Buddy for sale. We had £5 in the bank at the time but in faith felt that it was right to go and see him to see if Jesus was opening a door for us to own him.
When we visited, Buddy totally ignored Jim, Esther and the rest of the children and walked straight up to Zoe and just seemed to want to cuddle her! Esther didn’t hold back in pointing this fact out to Jim! On arrival home Zoe knelt down in her bedroom with Mary and asked Jesus for the figure she felt the Holy Spirit invited her to ask for. (This was at 8pm) 12 hours later we had an unexpected credit for exactly the figure Zoe had asked for. Two days later, we collected Buddy. He is 13.3 hands high, a Welsh Cob with plenty of personality! Esther and Zoe recently entered their first show jumping competition here in North Devon, which ended with Zoe and Buddy coming sixth and Esther and Minka coming in behind!
We have at times looked after some friends’ animals, which included pigs, geese sheep and goats. Therefore, it was very much a learning experience! Pigs particularly, though very intelligent do not like to be told what to do and on several occasions escaped from the allotment area and charged round the garden enjoying their newfound freedom! This gave us a clear allotment until the weeds came back in the spring while Jim was away. The Pigs we were looking after (Photo Right) went to a new home a while ago so last year we got some new pigs (again we went for two and came back with four!- The Lord seems to give us an abundance of animals!) We ended up having a family discussion over the names before we eventually opted for: Mable, Maple, Marmite, and, Matilda. We managed to teach them about the wonders of the electric fence so they are now safely enclosed! Esther is currently trying to persuade Mum to let her have piglets from some of them…Pork for Christmas anyone?
Home School – Continues to be fruitful, the children have been in the prayer room one day each week since lockdown ended and are leading worship very proficiently. They and friends led the first few songs at the national gathering in May last year and people were encouraged and blessed. Josh has completed his primary education while Apphia has just started hers. Mary is doing a great job teaching and building in creative projects while Jim does the animals and of course PE. Last winter PE included a week’s skiing on our own nursery slope outside the stables and skiing in the neighbour’s paddock! Mary and the children have been visiting museums across Devon, which has been a great source of entertainment and delight!
Mary Has also started a home schooled children’s worship session, which has grown to see more than 6 families attend and join the children’s worship team. The children are currently working on writing their own song using Psalm 25.
Vehicle Testimony – Many of you know that in February 2021 our vans engine blew up. Well to get the facts accurate, it actually started knocking… I took it to a local garage and left it with them to have a look at – you know when things are bad when your mechanic comes to visit you on a Sunday morning!- He’d taken the van for a drive and the engine had totally gone bang and seized up… He could not fix it so it went to the next garage who said they would look at it but it would be a 6-month wait! We then went to the local Mercedes dealer they stripped some parts and found they couldn’t fix it so they passed it to an engine rebuild specialist, he took some more parts off and found he couldn’t fix it either so put the engine in a crate. At this point, we did not know what to do. We had an engine in pieces and a forecasted bill of £13,000.00 so we carried on praying and were unsure of which way to go. Then on Facebook Mary spotted a guy who rebuilds Mercedes engines in Manchester so I made contact and figured we’d been offered £800 for a van without an engine (Seemed a bit harsh) so taking an £800 pound risk seemed ok, particularly as he said “Don’t pay until it’s running and your happy.” So, I shipped the engine in the crate to Manchester and then the van followed. Each step we had no money to pay each bill, then the Lord would miraculously provide. Even 24 hours before collection we were £1400 short. Jim had been away ministering in the West of Ireland, and while driving back to Belfast we received a gift of £1000! Then on the morning of collecting the van, we turned up and they said it wasn’t ready yet so Jim went for a coffee when he came back he realised the further £430.00 had since arrived in the bank and he could pay for the vehicle repair in full. The whole season was pretty testing overall because as a family we were unable to travel anywhere without borrowing vehicles. On one occasion, we were on our way to Barnstaple and the car I had borrowed had brake failure going down our very large hill… anyway all ended ok but plenty of trials and tribulations!
Miracles at the Farm
Due to having no transport we started having church at home as a family, this had been going really well with lodgers and visitors joining us. So, we started a House of Prayer a Community gathering on a Sunday afternoon once a month from 2pm till 4pm. We had a good number of people coming (all ages) One of our community Sundays Jim had asked Holy Spirit what He wanted him to say. He said “Tell them I am still real and willing to move” Jim then followed this up with a testimony when he visited Lee Abbey where He had gone deaf in his left ear while driving there and then gave the word in the meeting he was leading and a young guy got healed.
Then after Jim had shared this testimony, a young man followed him into the home schoolroom and asked for prayer. Jim asked him what the story was and he said he was deaf in his left ear! So they prayed. Holy Spirit told Jim this had happed at birth (which the man confirmed) He said his left ear had been fused to his left shoulder and had been dealt with by surgery but his ear didn’t work. Holy Spirit then told Jim to click next to his left ear as Jim did his ear popped open and he could hear in stereo! God had given him a whole new ear and his world is now in stereo. Praise Jesus!
Mobile Home at the Farm- Need a break?
We have had a number of visitors in the mobile home over the last year or so with some coming to help on the farm and others coming just for a break. It’s been lovely to provide as space where people can have a rest and get some support as well as be healed! If you need a break or know friends or family who do we have a static caravan available for a donation towards the upkeep and running costs. If interested please get in touch – Details below. If you want to sponsor the cost of a family using this facility that would otherwise not be able to afford a holiday, please get in touch with us.
Summer
In May (The 15th to be exact) 2022 Jim started his mammoth Prayer ride across the UK from Lands’ End to John O’ Groats via The Outer Hebrides. This was not a fundraiser – it was solely a prayer assignment. He kept a daily blog and also posted videos, which you can see and read here: http://www.pedalandpray.co.uk. Jim had the opportunity to speak to many people about Jesus and observed, “the fields are clearly white unto harvest.” (Matt 9:37) In all the conversations, people were wide open to receive the Gospel.
Jim rode 1248 miles in total and he was very blessed by the unexpected divine appointments and chances he had to share the gospel.
We left the prayer room in the capable hands of Jon Moles and he didn’t disappoint! People had grown on return… so good to see!
Jim is back in training and will be starting his return leg of Pedal and Pray down the east coast from John O Groats this Autumn. Keep an eye on the NDHOP Facebook page or follow daily tracker @ www.pedalandpray.co.uk
The Prayer Room
We continue in the prayer room praying, waiting, worshipping and ensuring God is ministered to. Then the community transformation follows.
Jim also continues to be part of and lead a number of key national prayer gatherings while Mary, (upon the Lord’s invitation) has been drawing women internationally to pray at 4am UK time…Somewhat ironic when Mary considered herself not to be a morning person !!!
Prayer Room Renovations
Earlier this year we received confirmation that the planning permission we applied for had been accepted! We are excited to see what God will do as we transform the prayer room. The plan is to put in a new floor in the upper room upstairs for offices and with lift access, we will then move the prayer room upstairs and the downstairs will then be a coffee shop, restaurant and training centre. We are hoping work can begin later this year. We are currently praying for the funds to make this a reality. If you would like to financially support this project monthly or by one off donation, you can use the following link. Thank you for giving this consideration.
Gift – Sign In Options (stewardship.org.uk)
Additional Updates
The year has rolled on since I should have sent this. So, here are a few additions. We now have 6 orphan lambs we prayed before we went to the local farm who had them where I(Jim) felt to get four, Mary wanted two so we compromised and got 6 ! They are growing well and the children (and any visiting friends) had been bottle-feeding them day and night before (Finally!) they could have grass.
A few months ago, we went across to Hastings and met the team from HOPES (House of Prayer East Sussex) we had a great time helping them establish rhythms of prayer and did some outreach. Jon Moles and his sister Beth (Both on our leadership team) took a team out to Amsterdam to be a part of One Eleven Global – a ministry that helps establish and encourage Houses of prayer. They had a great time and came back very enthused. Jim also took a team of interns out to France in early June to assist another new expression of a House of Prayer with good friends Ryan and Karen Hall.
Family News Update
Many of you may have heard that August last year Mary’s Dad was unexpectedly diagnosed with Cancer. He went to be with Jesus over the Easter weekend. However, for the prior seven months, Mary was driving down to Okehampton often twice a week giving great support to her parents. Do pray for Heather, Mary’s mum as she adjusts and processes all that has happened and for Mary, her sisters and brother too. Thank you for all those who messaged and supported us throughout this journey it is greatly appreciated.
We have had a few different people living with us over the past year as they have felt called to the area and in need of accommodation or the Lord has sent them to us for a short period. One lady which came to stay was helping Mary with the children’s school as well as spending time in the prayer room. During her stay, we had the privilege of spontaneously baptising her at the Beach in Combe Martin it was glorious!
We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in April this year. We were able to get away for a night to South Devon, which Jim arranged as a complete surprise for Mary. Mary has a tendency to spoil surprises by guessing beforehand! Thank you to all who made this happen by taking care of the children and animals!
Holiday
As the season with Mary’s Dad death began to settle, we generously received a gift for a holiday in France!
We booked a last minute trip with Eurocamp to the Vendee area in France. (A province on the Atlantic Coast) We had a lovely time at a quiet holiday park, where we spent lots of time in a lovely swimming pool (Complete with a flume!). Later in the week, we were able to take the children to the largest high ropes course in France, which just happened to be next to our campsite! We went zip lining there for over 7 hours over big lakes! The Lord blessed us in many ways whilst we were away; We were asked to play an open air concert on the campsite for half an hour one evening after the entertainment co-ordinator overheard Jim playing his guitar! During these 30 minutes, we worshipped together and gave God our offering of praise whilst the holidaymakers sat and ate their meals and listened. We had so many conversations afterwards and were so encouraged. We returned home to the farm and prayer room feeling really relaxed and refreshed! Thanks to everyone who cared for our animals, farm and the prayer room while we were away.
Support
We don’t publicise our personal need of finance and we don’t receive a stipend from NDHOP but are often asked “How can we support you financially?” We have a Stewardship account or people can pay an amount through normal BACS into our personal bank account. If you would like these details please see below, or you can email or message us directly.
Thank you for walking with us. We would love to hear your stories too. Please do forward any prayer requests or encouragement.
Every blessing from the Wares!
Jim’s Bike ride website: http://www.pedalandpray.co.uk
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