jmw

JULY 2006

Last month was our wedding anniversary. Thirty-five years. We remember it like yesterday. This has also been a season for other celebrations and thanksgiving. We went away for a long weekend.

Meanwhile you rightfully deserve to feel a part of this thankful, thoughtful time – so we hope this update puts you in the picture:

EVIE

Joel and Danielle live in Birmingham and work with Agapé there. Their daughter (and our grand-daughter) was born on 1^st March (15 days overdue by anybody’s reckoning – except her own). She is Evie Oona Wilson. Mother and baby (and father and grandmother and grandfather) are doing well.

FILM STAR

Just now Evie is in the US visiting her other grand-parents, aunt and other relatives. This is a good thing since at the beginning of her life they all missed her on account of her arriving after they left (except for Danielle's mother). Seán came to see Evie during her first week and made a little film of her.

Serendipity

Andy & Tiffany Atkins

ANDY AND TIFFANY ATKINS

On 9^th April at Nottingham University we had the happy occasion of handing over the work of leading Agapé in the UK to Andy and Tiffany Atkins. We were surrounded by many friends, well-wishers, ex-staff, staff from overseas (like Rod Powell, who gave a encouraging message) and friends from other organisations (like George Verwer who brought fraternal greeting from Operation Mobilisation). Most welcome of all was a surprise appearance by David’s sister Ruth, her husband John McNeill and two of their daughters – from Namibia. We have every confidence that the Atkins are going to do a great job – and lead the UK movement further than we could.

EUROPE – PLATFORM OF OPPORTUNITY

There are growing indications that we may be standing on top of an oil-well of resources for the fulfilment of the Great Commission in the 21^st century. Europe is that oil-well. The student summer project to Salerno in Italy has just finished. The team met 305 students, had 133 gospel conversations and saw 34 Italian students decide to trust Christ after a rigorous explanation of the gospel. This week 69 UK students are meeting for a briefing prior to going out to six summer project locations across the world accompanied by 25 staff. The other day at the London staff prayer meeting one of our Korean staff prayed, “O Lord, help us to reverse the flow of church history”. What a good prayer!

THE THREE AMIGOS

Agapé in Europe has a new director, Javier García (from Spain - in the middle of the picture), and two new associate directors - Hans Pruis (from the Netherlands) and me. With our wives we make up a team of six who help guide the movement in Western Europe. Pam and I have the particular responsibility of overseeing work amongst students, among leaders and in cities. Geographically we also aim to help the work in Britain and Ireland.

David, Javier and Hans

Karin and Clemens Schweiger

The Danube flowing through Budapest

THE BIBLE AND EUROPE

In April Pam and I had the privilege of visiting the national leaders in the other part of Europe (East) gathered in Budapest. I was asked to give the Bible readings, about “Reading the Royal Obituaries” from II Chronicles 10-36. It’s instructive to consider cases as diverse as Jehoram who “passed away to no-one’s regret” (!) and Jehoida (maybe my favourite) who “was buried with the kings in the City of David”, which sounds pretty normal until you realise that he wasn’t a king at all and was accorded this tribute “because of the good he had done for God and his temple”. During his life Jehoida fought like a she-wolf to defend God’s honour in an unholy environment.

GERMAN HANDOVER

Last Saturday was another happy occasion of handing over leadership in yet another country (Germany) to yet another new leadership couple. After 14 years of distinguished service Duane and Martha Conrad handed over the leading of the German work to Clemens and Karin Schweiger (pictured). The Schweigers have invited another two couples to join them as associate leaders and the team call themselves “the Six-Pack”. Now why didn’t we think of that?

SHE’S A JEM

It’s no exaggeration to say that we couldn’t take on this level of responsibility without your help – and without the help of our niece Jem McNeill who has joined us in London for a year to work as my assistant. We are a team together – you, us, the Amigos - and Jem..

Jem McNeill