England and Wales: Fueling the Fire that Will Not Quit! [Missions News]

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Tom and Susan near the Tower Bridge in London in 2017.

By Tom Shanklin

Please pray for our upcoming mission to England and Wales. Susan and I will return there on March 29-April 15.

These are nations that hold a huge place in my heart. England has experienced great revivals that have touched the world, The Welsh Revival of 1904-5, led by Evan Roberts, literally changed the spiritual landscape of Christianity. And yet today, the Church is but a shadow of its former glory. The Gospel influence has waned through the deception of secular humanism. Many are bound up in confusion and some even witchcraft. It’s like the scripture says, “…and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. (Judges 2:10, KJV).

And yet in my spirit, I hear a cry arising from this part of the world. Men and women are crying out to God for restoration, healing, and revival. They are praying and working for the re-evangelism of Great Britain, and will not be denied. Recently, while visiting on the phone, I told a humble intercessor friend from England about this sense of a “cry” which I’m hearing in my heart from his nation, and he said, “Yes, we are desperate for a real move of God!”

The connections between the United States and Great Britain are strong. England has sent it’s preachers here and we have sent ours there. John Wesley’s Methodist Churches dotted the landscape in North America. George Whitfield spread the Gospel with flames of fire up and down the east coast during the First Great Awakening. Our prayer movements have jumped the sea to impact Britain. Dwight Moody and more recently Billy Graham were flaming torches in Britain.

This will be our third trip to this wonderful land. I believe that the Lord is building a bridge over the sea for our ministry through our relationships in the UK. We are going there, and they are coming here, and together we are fueling a fire which will not quit. Please pray for open hearts, and an anointing to bring encouragement and new life to the land of John Wesley and Evan Roberts.

Pray that the Lord will help us to build alliances that will be beneficial for the work of the Kingdom. We will be ministering in churches in Sommerset in the south of England, then traveling to North Wales to minister in churches and teach in a ministry school, and finally to the Midlands of England for an evangelism seminar and revival meetings with the Roma Gypsy people.

Facts on the United Kingdom, England, and Wales

United Kingdom—Last national awakening was in 1859-69; Non-religious now 34.5 percent; Evangelical 7.91 percent; 1,500 missionaries are there from America, Africa, and Asia.

England—Church attendance 6 percent; inner cities are becoming physical and spiritual wastelands.

Wales—Experienced revival in 1904-5; weekly church attendance now 7 percent; most churches are 25 or less.

-Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide for Every Nation

Tom and Susan with Pastor Brian and Michele Ruggles.

A Wonderful Time in Ankeny, Iowa

In February, Susan and I were at Word of Victory Church in Ankeny, Iowa, with Pastor Brian and Michele Ruggles. We taught on the first four lessons from our Believers School of Ministry on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, including Discovering New Life, Sharing Your Faith as a Lifestyle, and Building a Foundation for Faith. On Sunday, Susan taught on Nurturing New Believers, and encouraged the people in their walk with God and to be a witness to the people around them. People seemed to be very encouraged by the weekend, and we are believing that much good fruit will come forth in their lives and in those they reach.

Villagers rejoicing over new well in Benin.

Fresh Water is Flowing in Benin

If you get a chance, check out the videos from the new well which our ministry sponsored in Benin. I have seldom seen happier people than the folks from the village of Danzounmey in southern Benin when they received the fresh water from this well. The well was given to supply water for the Mt. Moriah Bible School and Retreat Center, but the dual benefit is that the people of the village will have a nearby free source of water, which will save them much labor in carrying water from distances. I believe that the Lord has given this well as a strategy to connect the people of the village to the ministry and the Bible School students who reside there. This area has been a great voodoo stronghold. It is my prayer that many will come for natural water, but end up receiving the Living Water, which only Jesus gives.

The water is flowing because of generous giving of our partners, who donated more than enough for our travel expenses to Benin. We are constantly amazed by your faithful support, which encourages us to keep going with the Gospel both in the United States and around the world. Be assured that you are in our prayers daily. We pray over every specific request that comes our way through the mail or over the internet. May the blessing of the Lord be upon you every day, and may you rejoice for every opportunity to spread His glory.

Thank you for being a part of the team!

Some Things Change, Other Things Not So Much

By Susan Shanklin

When Tom and I were in the long hair, free, hippie phase, we would just pick up and go anywhere, anytime we felt like it. It didn’t matter if we were just sitting around, Tom would say, “Let’s go.” Being the dutiful wife, I picked up a sleeping bag or blanket, grabbed a brush maybe for myself, seeing that Tom didn’t use either a brush or comb, and climbed into the old 1960 Ford F150 pickup we called the “Flying Z,” for the truck had a “Z” painted on one of it’s doors.

Free and without purpose. Dumb and lost.

Well, I’m still the dutiful wife, and Tom says more sweetly, “Let’s go,” or more tenderly “Come with me.”

I’m really FREE now and have purpose. Smarter and equipped.

Now, I bring a comb and hair dryer, dried milk and stainless steel tumblers, notebook and Bible.

“Let’s go to the England and Wales, Susan,” Tom says. “Let’s us go in May.” “OK,” me says.

Then he says, “Let’s go to the England and Wales in April, Susan.” My eyes get big.

The luggage we took to Africa still sits on our porch getting purged of any deadly bug or bacteria in sub-arctic temperatures here! I haven’t disinfected them yet.

I best get on that I guess, for we are going to go across the pond to dig and plant, stir and jab the saints in England and Wales in APRIL

I say to you, “Let’s go.”

“Come with us.” We shall dig and plant together. We shall stir and nudge each other.

“Cheerio, mates “