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I can’t believe it’s over three months since the last update.
I did plan to write an interim report about my trip to South Africa but on
returning home I was busy with work and when things calmed down I was quite
ill for a time which led to me being hospitalised overnight as part of the
recovery process. It took me quite a while to get back to normal but thanks
to God’s grace and healing all is well
Sowerby Bridge Elim Church
After one week of meeting as a Church in Birmingham we had
our first outing to the Elim Church in Sowerby Bridge. I was asked to speak in
the absence of Pastor Duncan and Prophet Beverly Curry who were away on
holiday. The word the Lord gave me was ‘Spirit, Soul, Body’ teaching on how
we need to submit all things to the leading of the Spirit of God who lives in
us. After the word ministry was offered and God was gracious to move in
people’s lives with a particularly accurate prophecy being given by my son
Ben to a lady I knew well. She was really touched by God.
South African Trip
I had been looking forward to my trip to South Africa for
a while. God had provided me with a great price on the air fare which meant I
would be going first of all to minister in Pretoria then on to the Summit
meetings in Hermanus before finally ministering in Cape Town.
My trip was with Etihad Airways, the national airline of
Abu Dhabi. It was a pleasant enough flight, I actually watched three movies
on the way out which my family will testify is very unusual for me.
I arrived in Johannesburg airport early morning of 18th
September and was met by Nelson, the driver for Prophet Mimie De Jager. Mimie
has a large property in Pretoria which she uses to host ministries and is
planning to use as a Guest House from next year. I always enjoy my stay
there, the hospitality is second to none and I find it so easy to relax.
Due to Mimie and her family being away for a couple of
days at a family wedding I stayed with Theunis and Magda Fowlds the first
weekend. It was good to see God minister through our fellowship. They
testified that God did some things in their lives when I stayed with them.
 Magda and Theunis
took me on the Sunday morning to the church they attend which is Harvester
Reformational Church Centurion. This is led by Pastor Stephen-John Yeo. I met
Stephen-John on my first trip to Cape Town in July 2006 and we have been
friends ever since. This was the third time I have ministered in his church
but the first time since the church became a Harvester Church. My last time
in this church was the first time they had used a worship band to lead worship.
God has brought them on and He really moved through singing and dance. At one
point the guitarist stopped and said that his playing wasn’t necessary
because of the way the Spirit was moving, what humility. I spoke on Endurance
and was able to bring prophecies to several as the Lord led.
Sunday evening I was due to speak at a new venue. Apostle
Aje had asked another minister in Centurion to receive me. It’s always a bit
of an unknown as to how things will go down first time in a place you
minister in. The church is called Potters Church, Centurion and is led by
Senior Pastor Carel Marais. It is a vibrant young Body seeking to serve God
with everything they have. It was a privilege to minister. I spoke on ‘Being
a prophetic body’. God did great things in response to the word and many
received prophecy and impartation. If you’d like to see photographs of the
meeting you can visit the Potter’s House website by clicking here.
Monday 21st I was back at Mimie’s house and
enjoyed several days of fellowship and fun. I met for breakfast with Pastor
Stephen-John and next day I had an unexpected visit from Pastor Carel of the
Potter’s Church. He asked me many questions about the present move of God I
am involved with and I also listened to the journey of faith they have walked
as a Body. He ended up with saying that I must go to speak in his church any
time I was in Pretoria, he offered an open door.
Mimie treated me to a trip to a gold mine. It is part of a
theme park called ‘Gold Reef City’ and is in Johannesburg. I really enjoyed
my trip actually spending some time on an underground tour. Most of the
previous male generations of my family were miners, albeit coal not gold. I
felt I experienced something of what they would have known only I had the
benefit of not having to do any of the hard labour that would have been part
of their working day. When the guide starting the drill just for a few seconds
it made me realise the conditions they worked under for all of their working
life.
 As a special treat
the De Jagers, Mimie, her husband André and daughter Tabitha, had planned to
drive me from Pretoria to Cape Town via the Karoo, an area of semi-desert.
The trip was to last from 24th to 28th September. I
worked out that a similar journey from my home would take me deep into
eastern Europe! What a journey! We travelled from Gauteng province through
the Free State finally arriving in the Eastern Cape in a town called Graaf
Reinet. We stayed here for our first night. Next day we walked around the
town and visited the house of the missionary Andrew Murray. He was a Scot who
learned Dutch to go to spread the gospel amongst the settlers in the Eastern
Cape in the 1800’s. I began to get the feeling how difficult it was for the
early pioneers who settled this part of South Africa. This sense continued
and over the next few days we gradually made our way to Cape Town through the
Karoo and Garden Route. Miles and miles of beautiful yet desolate landscape
with vast mountain ranges. On route we stayed in Prince Albert, Montague and
Stellenbosch.
 On 28th
we finally arrived at Volmoed, the conference centre that was to host the Summit
meetings. We were a day ahead of the others so we agreed to use the following
day to visit Cape Aghulus, the southernmost tip of the African continent. It
had been an ambition of mine to go there. It is the place where the Indian
and Atlantic oceans meet. I had already dipped my toe in the Pacific on my
trip to Oregon in June so I decided to do the same in the Indian Ocean.
Unfortunately I misjudged the waves and ended up with a foot and half a leg
immersed. It was still a precious time as we prayed and prophesied over
Africa. It was our first time by the sea so we ended our visit with Fish and
Chips, a reminder of home.
We arrived back at the conference centre mid-afternoon and
I began to re-acquaint myself with familiar friends that I have made over the
three years of visiting. A special treat was meeting up with my English
compatriots Pastor Duncan and Prophet Beverly Curry who were attending from
Sowerby Bridge Elim in Yorkshire. For them the Summit and subsequent visit to
Harvester in Cape Town proved to be a life-changing experience
The Summit is compared to the experience of climbing
Everest. You begin at base camp and travel together to reach a new height
(Summit) of revelation and experience that you have not known before. A
special treat was to have present  Mike Wood and his wife
Mary from Australia. Mike is a philosopher and was a great inspiration and
challenge to us all. He is an anointed thinker who stretched our faith and
intellect with new definitions and concepts. I admit that my brain hurt after
a while but I have since realised how much was downloaded into my spirit. The
Summit was due to last for three days with two nights’ accommodation. Into
the second day a suggestion was made that we needed an extra day, for some
who had work or flight commitments this would be impossible but the majority
changed their plans and a fourth day was added. It was needed and many of us
who had not prepared to speak were asked to share without notice and the Lord
richly added to the meetings because of this. The photo shows the
international guests who attended.
The final event was a fun evening which lasted until the
early hours. Many of us were in tears of laughter as various people shared
funny stories, songs and skits. The laughter was infectious and a fitting end
to a great Summit
After the Summit I went on with the party returning to
Cape Town for my final weekend in South Africa. I hadn’t realised until I arrived at the
Summit that I was due to speak at the evening service on the Sunday. I have
learned to relax and rely on the Holy Spirit in such circumstances knowing He
knows the plan all along.
I was staying with a couple from the church called Morné
and Adele Van Wijk. They had spent time in the UK helping to run a family
estate agent business rotating with other family members for several months
of the year. This had now ended due to the slump in the property market and
they are now based back in Cape Town. I have ministered in some meetings in
Oxford which Morné organised in 2008 and spent some time in London staying
with him at the end of last year during a visit of André’s. It was great to
share their home, I felt part of the family immediately.
Sunday turned out to be an international day. Pastor
Duncan spoke in the 8AM meeting, Mike Wood the 10AM and I spoke in the
evening. The day ended with the whole church receiving prophetic ministry as
we allowed the Body of Christ to flow in this gift. A great time of
encouragement and blessing.
My final Monday turned out to be Pastor Duncan’s birthday
so I took his and Beverly for lunch in one of my favourite locations
overlooking Big Bay and Table Mountain. We later had a special birthday meal
with the Pelsers and international guests to celebrate with Duncan. It was my
last supper before my trip back the next day.
I really enjoyed my trip to South Africa, learned new
things, saw God work through me and made new friends. My journey back took 33
hours, I arrived back tired but blessed and looking forward to my next trip
in 2010, God willing
Church Meetings in Birmingham
In
September 2008 I received two visions whilst in South Africa. One was of a
church in Birmingham and the other was off a twinning between Birmingham and
Cape Town. I felt these confirmed the need for a Reformational Church to be
planted in the UK. I weighed and waited for the timing of God. Eventually,
with prompting from other members of the family, we agreed on 6th
September 11 AM as the first meeting date. During the week leading up to the
meeting the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, ‘at last I will be able to add
to the Body in Birmingham’.
First
meeting felt a little strange but that soon ended and we flowed in prophetic
worship. God’s presence was with us and has been felt ever since. There were
eight at the first gathering and that has settled down to seven people who
are committed and attend regularly. I have been absent for several meetings
but my son Ben has ably stepped in and brought the word. The worship is led
by George Gwynn using his guitar. We just ask the Holy Spirit for His words
and sing what He gives. Our time of worship is never forced or dull and we
receive so much from God in those times.
In
addition to Sundays we meet every Wednesday for bible study and I also am
leading a Foundation Course with some young people on a Tuesday.
In 2010 we
are planning a trip to France, something we feel God has asked us to do.
We are
trusting that God will bring those He wants to add as we seek to see His Body
develop and form.
Finally
We are not far from the beginning of a new year. For us as
a family it will mean a lot of changes.
Our daughter Jenny leaves for Cape Town to attend Miracle
Bible College for a year. She has been working hard to earn money and is also
receiving sponsorship from individuals. If you’d like to help with a one off
donation or regular sponsorship please e-mail me and I will tell you how. We
know God will provide and bless her as she steps out to do His will.
Ben is in his final year at University. He is planning a
round the world trip after he graduates and is praying about attending MBC
from 2011 onwards.
My wife Annie has been in her new job for almost twelve
months. It has been a challenge but I
know she has learned much and brought a lot of new ideas to her new school. I
am sure this is a period of preparation for something else which we trust God
will reveal in His time.
I will be travelling less this coming year. I feel it is
right to bring a consistency to the Body forming in Birmingham so much of what
I do will be related to that. Annie and I plan to visit Jenny in South
Africa, probably in August after the world cup. I also have a possible trip
to Portland in June but am waiting on God for direction on that.
We are also hoping to host Apostle Aje and Chantal Pelser
and family in June and July. We look forward to serving them as they serve
others.
In all of these things we rely on your prayers and
support. Last year we did much that without you would have been impossible.
We are so thankful to His Church, the Body of Christ. It is His genius in the
earth.
We pray that you may know the constant reality of His
presence and prosper in all that you do. We pray blessing over your lives and
those of your families as you seek to serve Him.
Graham, Annie, Ben and Jenny Unsworth
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