Alison’s Testimony

 

 

I met Pastor Joseph in the summer of 2005 at New Wine, a Christian conference in Somerset. He was sitting in the Big Top about three rows behind me, and God managed to get us together to talk. Pastor Joseph asked me if I would sponsor one of his orphans. I said “yes” and quickly prayed and selected a child called Bhavana. I wrote my details on the back of one of his forms, and that was it. A few weeks later I began to get emails from Pastor Joseph, and months later, I was very surprised to receive a beautiful Christmas card from India with a letter in, containing the following words “the Board and I are inviting you by the Holy Spirit to come and share the love of God and the Word of God with the Indian people”. I showed the letter to a couple of prayer partners, who didn’t, at the time feel it was from God. I however sensed it could be right and had a sense of scared excitement in my spirit. I had never preached a message before in my life!

 

Pastor Joseph and I continued to email each other prayer requests and encourage one another in the Lord. Then Pastor Joseph spent several months in the UK in autumn 2006. He travelled around the UK attending various conferences and meeting new people. Pastor Joseph returned to India having stayed with me and my family twice, which is always a great blessing.

 

Then I had a series of dreams showing me that I had to book my flight, get my visa, sort out my injections etc., so I did as I was told and arrived in Hyderabad in March 2007. I visited the slums in Hyderabad, and wept at the first one, as the conditions were so bad and there seemed such an air of hopelessness there. Joseph asked me to preach, so I sent up a quick arrow prayer (HELP), and spoke on the healing power of God from His Word. I anointed many of the people with oil and prayed for them, then a woman shuffled forward who had not walked for three years. As I prayed for her I hear the Holy Spirit say to me “Tell her, arise my daughter”, I nudged Joseph who then translated the message into Telegu, the local dialect. I took the woman’s hand and she got up and walked away unaided. We were all mightily encouraged by the Lord.

I visited another slum, gave out food and money, and had to learn about running to the safety of the car before the thin veneer of respectability with the slum people broke and I was mobbed. I visited Oaks Orphanage, and we gave out oranges to the children, they gave me a lovely welcome.

 

I spent the night in a hotel and the next day Joseph and flew to Rajahmundry, his home town, I was garlanded with flowers by some of the orphans when I arrived, a whole group had come in the WIAO minibus to welcome me. When we arrived at the orphanage there was a big banner welcoming me. I was whisked into a Pastors meeting where about 200 Pastors and Bible women were. I spoke a little about how I believed that the Church should be like the Church in the Book of Acts. God then spoke to me about calling a fast for the Healing and Revival meeting the following Saturday. Thousands fasted in India, many of my faithful friends in the UK and even my cat!

 

In a whirlwind week, I spoke at the slums, quarry,  a slum damaged by fire and quite a few Church congregations. Each time, the Lord was faithful and as I opened my mouth He “filled it”.