The First Trip in Feb and March 2010. The snow was over a meter deep!

More snow than since 1914!

Over many years Sue and Alan have been active in the Healing Life's hurts ministry. Through that activity we met a number of people associated with Bergen in Norway. We never advertise and word of mouth is our only recommendation.

Some of those we have ministered to were so changed when they returned to Bergen that people asked what had happened to them. Well as a result we were invited to GO! So we went. Wow!!!!!

It was amazing, from the moment we made the decision to GO, God's blessing and favour seemed to be evident in every area of preparation, travel, provision, accommodation, the people we met and a full program of people to meet and pray with plus an opportunity for introducing people to and teaching about this very special and rewarding ministry God has drawn us into.

We saw God's favour and blessing on the lives of so many people. It is a truth that chains were broken, captives were set free, eyes were opened, hard hearts were softened, righteousness was being restored, the Kingdom of God was forcefully advancing, and the enemy was forced to retreat. Isaiah 61, Luke 4. It was for this reason that Jesus came. He knew we needed a savior in the eternal sense, but he also that we needed saving in the here and now sense. So many of us have been damaged by life's wounds and the enemy is always eager to pounce in on the back of our traumas, tragedy, problems, family difficulties, divorce, rejection, unbelief, un forgiveness, bitterness, anger, (lets call it like it is - sin!)..........

The GREAT NEWS IS JESUS HAS THE VICTORY!

And in Him we have the victory. When we come to him ready to humble ourselves and deal with our 'stuff' honestly according to His Word, we see the enemy loosing ground and forced to retreat from our lives. The 7 days in Bergen were wonderful, (one of which was a wonderful gift from God as well, a clear day when all appointments were cleared, and Sue and I were able to take in the wonders of this amazing area, freshly covered with an further 6 inches of snow, under a brilliant deep blue sky and radiant sunshine, we toured the area looking Grieg's house, found ourselves by the side of the frozen Fiord! Spectacular), we ministered to all who we had the privilege to meet. Amazing. We were left with a sense of unfinished business. We were aware that there were many men 20 to middle age who seemed lost and were struggling to keep the faith and live the life. We also were aware of a great need and hunger for something authentic, more relevant, a form of Spiritual life that had LIFE, and life in ALL it's fullness. We sense a call to us to pray for these area.

To God be the Glory. Thank you for the Promise of the Great Counsellor. Apart from Him we can do NOTHING!

It's all about Him!

Alan & Sue Vincent.

March 2010

Our Second Trip was in May and June 2010.

Again Healing Lives Hurts was a central theme.

From the moment our time started in Norway we knew the hand the blessing from God. We had been praying for many weeks since our last trip and sensed God was honing our focus. Firstly to seek his face concerning the many single men who were good and Godly guys, yet were struggling to maintain their desired Christian life style. There was a sense of being outside of the mainstream Church focus or activity. Also getting a very confused set of messages from church, home, state, and education!

We were also made aware of the effect on the Scandinavian people of the Law of Jante, and spend some time researching this so we would have a better understanding. In so doing we felt we recognise the trait of the Jante Law, in many of the problem ministry areas we had been involved.

Where to from here Lord?

I felt very strongly there was a need for the type of ministry of the Ransomed Hearts type here in Norway and we felt encouraged to see if there was any take up of this ministry as we talked with folk in Norway. We were helped to make contact with some guy who had already been in touch with Ransomed Hearts in Colorado Springs, and met him early in our trip. We had thought it might be good to encourage a group of men to come together as a "Band of Brothers," and to encourage them into fellowship, accountability and mentoring. The guy we met welcomed the opportunity and encouraged us to expand our thinking, and asked us to consider a min Boot Camp (in the Ransomed Hearts tradition) here in Norway, even Bergen? Wow! So we agreed we would investigate and push doors and see where God lead us. Well, every man we talked to about this thought it was a much needed and vital ministry for the young men of Norway, and they were excited to encourage and support us and work with us as we investigated and prayed.

Praise God. We will keep you informed.

As we prayed and talked and ministered to folk, God began to bring a number of areas into focus. Firstly many good and Godly people we met seemed to have become stuck, even disillusioned, and maybe isolated in their walk. There was a feeling that 'they' whoever they were, (usually leadership,) were the focus of something that needed to happen to break this cycle, and see a new and powerful move of God in this area. We were also aware that some areas were really growing and prospering in their ministry. Our feeling was to see if we could help those who were physically and Spiritually weary! Those who seemed to have lost their passion, even without vision.

In the area we were ministering in, there seem to have been a history of church splits, fellowship fragmentation, regrouping's, and failures of various types. The personal cost of these events was high and the struggle long for so many of these people. They were worn out, discouraged, depressed, disillusioned, lacking focus vision and empowerment. The personal wounds seemed deep. The pain, very real.

We felt two things were needed. 1. There was a real and present need to be honest with each other about the situation and what had gone on and where people were, leading to a general realisation of the need forgiveness, and turning away from the recriminations concerning all that had gone on, and the wounds and hurts that were still being nurtured and held. There needed to be a time of very real and deep honesty for altitudes, bitterness, blame, judgment, criticism, not only of each other but of leaders and elders. It is clear that there have been some very difficult situation that have been very hurtful, and I am not trivialising that. However in the body of Christ, there is no place for such division!

However painful, however difficult, however costly, however unwelcome, however much it feel like like letting people off, not holding them to account, not seeing justice done(!!!!), there is only one remedy in the Kingdom of God. Total complete, forgiveness, releasing of all bitterness, judgment, criticism is essential. (The enemy has a field day if these things are not dealt with in the body. They become like cancers that just consume and destroy. This is hard to face and even header to do. I don't just mean "O yes we have forgiven this or that...." I mean true, total, lasting, forgiveness, release of people and issues, never to be brought up again, treating those who have hurt us as thou they have never offended us at all, until there is truly "no debt outstanding between us, except the debt of love". You will need Christ to help you do this. He can do help you do what you cant do in your own strength. To see all those issue released and the captives set free. Those you/we have held in the bondage of unforgivness, judgment, bitterness, set free at last, totally. Then you will begin to see a new era dawn in your life. You will once again become a new creation! Those who have been forgive, the communities you are part of, and the region will all sense a shift in the Spiritual real as the enemy looses his control, and Jesus takes back the ground that has been stolen, even from the body. Please Lord, help your people do it.

2 Looking forward; As we prayed with folk we felt repeatedly God was bringing us back to Isaiah 61and Luke 4. A dawn of a new hope, rooted in the people receiving the commissioning of the Lord. We started to encourage and pray that people would not look to the institution or structure for the solution, but to God and seek him as to "What makes them come alive." Each one taking responsibility for his or her own situation, What has God put in you, one by one, that ignites your passion and fires your Spirit. May be to something new, may be to help someone else do what they have been called to. As this becomes clearer and you pray, if God is in it, and you feel he is encouraging and commissioning you in a particular area or work of service, take your thoughts to the elders and leaders as explain what God has birthed in you, and ask their views, if positive ask for their blessing and permission, seek their encouragement and support and GO(!), with their leaderships blessing. People will rally to you to help if you need them.

We felt that as people laid down the bitterness of the past experience, and focused on his calling on their lives as individuals, the zeal of the Lord would return to His people, and it would become like a contagion and sweep through the body of Chris, Church groups, and beyond.....

To God be the Glory.

Alan and Sue Vincent June 2010.

Watch this space!