Off to Africa.

So..Some of you know that I (Debbie) am off to Zambia soon and leaving Ffynnon in Roger’s capable hands. Lots of people have kindly donated money for my trip and asked to be kept up to date on how things are going. So please excuse me hijacking the FFynnon blog space to do just that.

Why Am I going?

Why am I going ? A question I get asked often, and the one I ask myself all the time!

https://www.onecollective.org/community/chibolya-zambia

Of course, it’s not about me. That’s the easy answer. It’s about them. Those that need our help, those that live in poverty and whose only hope is the kindness and compassion of others. More of that later, but in the meantime I will answer from my own perspective.

Well, actually I’ve always fancied doing something like this but there had never been the right time somehow. I’ve been involved in mission, but always on the “home” side. Several things resonated with me about this particular trip……

It’s Africa.

……….I have African friends and have always enjoyed their hospitality, stories and their cultural quirks! I just love these friends and, having helped one particular family, in my own small way, to integrate into UK society, I’m looking forward with interest as the tables are turned. I can just see Mami’s face now as I anticipate the blunders I might make!

…….My husband lived in Africa as a child and my in-laws always talk of their lives there. They were located in a place called Hippo Valley, Zimbabwe (when it was known as Rhodesia). I’ve seen photos, and heard stories of Hippos in the garden, Scorpions in the swimming pool, my hubby’s airplane ride to hospital to have his appendix out when he was just 4 years old! My father in law worked for Tate and Lyle and they opened a sugar refinery in Rhodesia. Sadly, they were advised to come home when the troubles broke out, but Africa has always been on their hearts, and this does become infectious, even to an in-law!

…….Chris and Renee were out there already, and the opportunity to travel with friends to see friends seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

However, I still struggled with the decision to go.

What if I was being ridiculous. People of my age just don’t do this sort of thing.

Where was the money going to come from? We moved to Abertysswg in faith to build a ministry. We don’t have much of an income. Surely, I was being selfish with our family finances?

What if I let the whole team down by being unable to cope?

So I Prayed, and I told the team leader, Anthony, that I would sleep on it and give him a final decision in the morning.

And Guess What ?

I went to bed and dreamt that I was there, in a classroom, teaching music.

Now, I don’t know whether I will teach music or not, but I got out of bed the next morning feeling really excited about going.

I also received a message from Anthony saying that he had put some airline tickets on hold for me and that I should ring up the travel agents and pay for them if I wanted to go.

I did, and I did!

More later………..

https://www.gofundme.com/f/pces8q-trip-to-zambia

Faith Hope Fostering.

Unlike last year, May 2019 has been a quiet month as far as Ffynnon goes. Maybe that’s because Jesus knew that we would have our lovely family members to look after ?

So now it’s June, and we’ve had an exciting start with the arrival of Katie Nicholson and Rich Seaman.

Katie is raising money for Hope House – a home she is buying, in faith, in order to rescue young people from life on the streets. Roger and I were so thrilled by the project that we invited her to come and speak at our church.

The event was very moving, and I think it fair to say that encouragement was mutual. Katie and Rich were blessed by the testimonies of Hope Church members and those who came along to listen received prayer for their own journeys.

We also raised £240.00 for this amazing project, with promises of more to come, so thank you so much Hope Church, Merthyr. What amazing generosity.

If you want to learn more about Hope House , here’s the link.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ey6uv-house

Alpha Day

We welcome Thornhill Church today as they explore the Holy Spirit on their Alpha Away Day. May they meet mightily with Him and leave Ffynnon changed, refreshed and on fire for Jesus.

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Freedom Day.

We love having day visitors, and hosting this lovely group from Woodville Baptist Church as they explored the “Freedom in Christ ” course was a delightful way to start 2019 at Ffynnon.

 

It turns out they quite enjoyed it too. Here’s what they said.

Dear Debbie and Roger,

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you both very much for your warm and generous hospitality yesterday – it was such a blessing to us to have a comfortable and dedicated space to delve deeper in to what our freedom in Christ truely means. The food you prepared for us was delightful, too!

News 2018

Hi All.

Well 2018 is nearly over and you may like to hear what we’ve been up to at Ffynnon  so here goes.

Ffynnon

Not a great busy year for guests but those that came tell us that they were very blessed, and they were indeed a blessing to us. We started in January with 2 couples who were having a reunion after being on missions in Africa. It was so lovely to have them with us and to witness their obvious delight in being together again. Other guests included single people who just needed a break, and a lovely group of Methodist church leaders, who have since introduced us to more groups, one of which has booked a day conference here in January 2019.

EVENTS.

In February we held a Pancake day and had and the whole place rocked… Literally! It was that day that there a a small earthquake in the area. Not what we were expecting but it added a few minutes of excitement

In March we held a prayer day and asked the Lord to provide finances for making the front door steps safer and more accessible. A week later we were given a very large sum of money and have not only had the steps done but have had a patio built and some much needed repairs to our shed roof (currently being put to the test by Welsh weather!)

In the summer we had a great time hosting a Ffynnon Fun day. As some of you know, our garden has a large slope and so we turned it into a giant water slide. What fun the kids had.

FAMILY NEWS

Roger invested in a training course to be a driving instructor and has passed all of his exams so far. He should qualify and start teaching in January, so watch this space. He loves taking Freya for long walks and is always finding new beauty spots in and around the Valleys.

Debbie is working as a piano teacher and supply librarian for Caerphilly Council which makes day to day life very interesting. She lives time off to create new pieces of furniture for the house and will paint anything that doesn’t move, so beware!

We have recently joined a charity called Safe Families for Children and how to be able to host families in need soon. We are currently supporting a young mum whose second baby was born 11 weeks premature. It’s such a privilege and we both look forward to seeing this side of the ministry grow. There is a lot of need in the Valleys area, and day by day Jesus is showing us more opportunities to shed His light here. Please pray as we get involved  and particularly for a local family who we have been involved with recently. I won’t name them here but their needs are great.

Some of you will remember Hannah Boom who lived with us in Loughton for a while. You will then be delighted to hear that she got married in May. We were so privileged to be invited to the wedding and also to stay with a very dear friend of ours from years ago. So we went off to Canada for 2 weeks and had an amazing time. We met lots of new friends, since all Hannah’s family decided to adopt us. We were mightily blessed and would love to return there sometime

Hannah has since had a beautiful baby girl and is thriving on motherhood. Please pray for her hubby Julian, as he is looking for a new job and Hannah’s mum would love him to find one in her neighbourhood!

Grace is at home with us now while she looks for work. She is taking driving lessons and hopefully will be on the road soon. She will be 21 in January! Gulp!

Abi is thoroughly enjoying working as a midwife in Newport, and has bought her first home, in Cardiff.

Roger’s mum has made an amazing recovery after major health problems last year. We look forward to seeing her and Dad for Christmas, along with Debbie’s mum.

That just leaves us to say Happy Christmas and we hope you all have a blessed year in 2019. Do stay in touch, we miss you all.

Love, Debbie and Roger. X

 

Day Conferences

In June last year, we were incredibly privileged to be able to host Hope Church Alpha day at Ffynnon.

Why not give us a call and arrange your Alpha day at Ffynnon?

Also available for all sorts of gatherings of up to 30 people.

So here we were, waiting for people to arrive for breakfast and wondering how it would all go. 

Everyone seemed to settle down ok…..

Not sure what Matt was trying out here?

Or how much notice the others were taking….

Whilst guests were being fed spiritually, Roger and Debbie made sure there was plenty of food for breaks…

And lunch….

Heed The Rhythm within you

This word from “Loop” ( jennifer@gatherministries.com) really spoke to me this morning. We have been asking the Lord why we having been inundated with guests this year, keen as we are to rush along and get stuck in.

 Can we just pause . . . for just a moment?

There is a rhythm to our days together—a rhythm within you that I ask you to not ignore. I am looking at you. Right here.

You are the one I have chosen. You are the one I dreamt of.

From the beginning, when I made you, there has been a rhythm. There is a pace I set for you, a pace where you feel most at home.

Trust that. Trust that it can be discovered—trust that we do things together where you don’t have to race to keep up. If you are racing, it is outside of the rhythm I have placed within your heart.

Trust my pace for you. Pause to find it so you can find it and walk into it: my whisper, to the right, to the left.

I show the way, and I set the pace.

Deep breath, my love.

My gaze is on you. Pause to see Me seeing you. That’s the pace, a deep breath, a pause, a watching Me for the pace . . . And when you find Me, the pace becomes a part of you . . . and you see Me . . .  and you see how I never turn away.

Pause to see Me seeing you. That’s the pace, a deep breath, a pause, a watching Me for the pace . . . And when you find Me, the pace becomes a part of you . . . and you see Me . . .  and you see how I never turn away.

That’s the pace, a deep breath, a pause, a watching Me for the pace . . . And when you find Me, the pace becomes a part of you . . . and you see Me . . .  and you see how I never turn away.

And when you find Me, the pace becomes a part of you . . . and you see Me . . .  and you see how I never turn away.

For the full version of this and more like it, you may like to go to

https://www.gatherministries.com/

A Worthy Woman.

I believe there is a yearning in peoples’ hearts to do the right thing; to be part of a society that cares and nurtures, and therefore makes it a better place for all of us.  And so, in true “blogging” style, I am throwing a few thoughts your way and would love to receive some feedback.

I am using an illustration from the Bible because it helped me to formulate my thoughts.  However,  the sentiments are true for anyone, regardless of what your faith may be, or even if you have no belief in any god.

This verse was thought to be written by Solomon, a wise king in Old Testament times.

It comes from Proverbs 31.

She is like the merchant ships, loaded with treasures.

She brings her household’s food from a far country. 

Most Bible scholars agree that, in this passage, Soloman is thought to be musing on the qualities of a worthy woman. However, I have used the passage here to illustrate that all of us can be worthy women ( and men, of course), each of us carrying our own treasures.

So who is “She”?

“She” is the Mother (or Father)  who shows kindness, patience, self-control, acceptance, unconditional love….

“She” is the daughter (or son) who, once dependent on parents for everything, now finds that the tables are turned.

“She” is the sibling who, despite many differences, stands side by side with family through thick and thin.

“She” is the carer who strives for the good of the weak.

“She” is a friend………

“She” is a neighbour…..

“She” is a member of a society, amongst people she does not even know.

So, my questions are

Who do we identify with in the list above?

What treasures are we carrying?

Do we distribute our treasures fairly?

Parents. For most parents ( but sadly not all) it is relatively easy to give our children what they need. It may be hard work at times, but we find the strength. We are, generally speaking, selfless.

For most parents ( but sadly not all) it is relatively easy to give our children what they need. It may be hard work at times, but we find the strength. We are, generally speaking, selfless.

Siblings.

My siblings and I sometimes have rivalries of one sort or another, but heaven help anyone wh0 tries to come between us! However, for some, the giving away of kindness, acceptance, forgiveness etc is exceptionally hard.

Children. Even adults are still someone’s child. How easy is it for us to bring love, respect, forgiveness, kindness, honour?

Even adults are still someone’s child.  We have grown up and formulated our own ideas and ethics (which may or may not be a long way off theirs) and yet our parents still deserve our love, respect, forgiveness, kindness and honour.

Caring for your own parent is a sad and stressful time for both parties. At times like this, there is a need for a thorough search, to find the really treasured cargo – hope, discipline, respect, gratitude-  to name a few.

Friends.

Friends are great people to have around us. They don’t judge and they help us to be ourselves. We find it quite natural to give them encouragement, laughter, a listening ear. Unfortunately, some have struggled with friendships that have been spoiled over the years, but we do have a rich cargo of forgiveness on board, so maybe now is the time to seek it out and give it away?

Neighbours.

What of our neighbours? Do we even know them, or their needs?

Maybe it’s time for kindness, good works, and wisdom too.  I have recently moved to a new neighbourhood, and have been very touched by those who have offered me friendship. It’s not that hard. I dare you to try it!

Strangers. 

Society! People we see daily but know nothing about at all. And there’s so many of them! Challenging isn’t it? Because if we are a great merchant ship, stuffed to the gills with great things, don’t we have a responsibility to deliver to all members of society? After all, it’s easy to give to those who are closest, those we love more. But what of the unloved, the homeless or just the complete stranger? If we only give to those we know and love, and everyone lived by this principle, society would break down irrevocably. Maybe that’s why one of our greatest sayings is “treat others as you would like to be treated.” In my view, this is the most challenging.

She is like the merchant ships, loaded with treasure.

Look inside yourself. What treasure do you have?

She brings her household’s food from a far country.

Who is “your household”?

Who will you give your treasure away to?

 

written by Debbie Anne Winn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter News from Ffynnon

Roger and Debbie would like to wish all our supporters a very blessed Easter.

Spring has arrived in Abertysswg and it is refreshing to see so much beauty all around us, particularly delightful is this field full of sheep with their newborn lambs…

 

We have had lots of guests over the school holidays.Here are some of their holiday snaps….

Although this waterfall walk is 16 miles away from our home, it is well worth the drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cardiff offers lots of things to do, or just sit and take in the sunshine….

 

 

 

 

 

Nearer to home there are some beautiful walks……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And quite random “happenings” …. 

 

 

 

Animals are becoming more of a feature in our lives. Not just our lovely dog, who befriends visitors quite readily

 

but also we have spent a few days looking after our neighbour’s smallholding…hens, cockerel, pony and dalmatian!  The fresh eggs each day were very much appreciated.

 

If you would like to visit,  or know someone who would benefit from a short break here, please let us know.Book early if you are considering a break during school holidays.email  ffynnonministries@gmail.com

Ring 01685 842072

mob. 07905 899771

Projects like Ffynnon rely on the support of others.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

• Please follow this blog and pass it on to other Christian organisations.
•  Come and stay. We do not make a charge but ask that you consider a voluntary donation.
• Families in financial need are not asked to make a donation at all, but we ask that supporting organisations consider doing so. We never turn anyone away due to lack of finance.
• Come and help. There is a lot to do here where maintenance is concerned. If you have a skill you can offer, in return we are happy to provide full board and Ffynnon hospitality.
• If you would like to support our ministry financially, our BACs details are

Sort code 60 01 38

Account number 26123800

Mr and Mrs RDF Winn

Every donation, no matter how small, helps provide breaks for families on low incomes.

 

 

 

 

Easter Poem. Next morning

In February this year we were very privileged to have Ros Bayes stay with us while she was writing her new book. She has written a wonderful Easter poem and has kindly given us permission to reproduce it on our blog.

Next morning

Posted on 10/04/2017

It was the dullest of mornings,
the flat nothing of a dawn
after the world’s end.
A watery sun
rising to the plangent cries of kites
circling aimlessly
above a colourless landscape
where nothing breathed that mattered any more.

The rocks beneath my feet were no less dead
than the stone in my chest,
the hills of Judah no heavier
than the load on my shoulders,
the waters of Galilee no more turbulent
than the raw nausea in my throat.

I thought of the boulder
sequestering Him from all tenderness,
from my tenderness;
and wondered how to breach its intransigence.
Yet when I found it gone
and myself facing
a black chasm, infinitely deep,
vanishing into the rock,
nothing seemed more natural.

What did I think to find,
on this morning
after the world’s end,
but a bottomless abyss?

Turning away, afraid to fall
Into the infinite fissure,
the insipid world a grey-brown smudge
through the blur seeping across my vision,
I idly wondered why I cared.

But when I heard my name,
Mary,
spoken in that particular way,
there dawned the first of all mornings
where the very breath of God
breathed into the planet
and it became a living soul.

Something wholly new
yet well-remembered
lived in that one word,
Mary.
Something never before seen
and deeply familiar
came to birth.

A new universe,
founded on an ancient, timeless love.

Here also is Ros’ Review. We look forward to seeing her again.

To any other writers in search of a peaceful place that will nurture your creativity, I can only say, look no further! I received such a warm welcome here and such loving hospitality, it made my week both productive and also an oasis of refreshment. The bedroom was luxurious and the space set aside for me to write had stunning views that changed with the changing weather and was a real stimulus to the imagination. The food was superb and so was the company. I will certainly be back.