Mum and Daughter

From July 10th to 28th Mary and Abigail are going to Chennai, South India on a Mother and Daughter Mission Trip!

Volunteering at the Children's home, Guduvancheri, near Chennai

They will be helping to look after needy children in one of 3 childrens homes, working with Lightforce International and  the Indian Gospel Mission. They will be staying at the girl’s Orphanage (35 girls from age 5yrs to 14yrs) in Guduvancheri, a small town, 45 minutes drive from Chennai.

Out of several options, both Abigail and Mary felt that God was saying that India was the right place to go! They will be helping the children in practical ways, with their studies,playtime and helping to teach English. The children are all orphans in some way, betrayed and/or suffering from family problems and poverty.

We are praying that we may be able to show them God’s love while we are there. We plan to share some kid’s worship songs, games and stories and also to bring gifts of clothing, picture books, colouring books and some teaching materials. We are asking God for prophetic words and are excited about God using us in healing.

This is our first trip to India although Mary has been to Nepal before.

• Please pray for good health, as Mary has had some problems with high blood pressure recently.
•  For safe travel and that we both adjust well to the hot, humid climate.
• That we will be a blessing to the children, knowing how to help in the best way possible.
• That it will be a good experience for us both in growing in faith and in our giftings!
• That we will not get annoyed with one another!
• That we will see God do some amazing miracles!
• Please also pray for Bob and rest of the family holding the fort at home!

I love the smiles!!

If you would like to support the trip financially as well as in prayer, that would be amazing! (Total costs for the trip are over £2000.)

The Welcome Network Bank details are below- please mark for India Trip!

We appreciate your interest and love for us and we would very much like to hear from you – your news and prayer needs, so we can also pray for you.

With our love in Jesus,

Mary and Abigail xxxx

129 Clockhouse Lane, Romford RM5 3QU, UK

            +44 1708 736156        landline                   +44 7881403172        cell

welcomenetwork.org

Welcome Network is affiliated to Churches in Communities International, a member of the Free Churches Group.

Giving information:    Welcome Network sortcode 401611 a/c 22141965

Healing on the Streets Training Weekend with Mark Marx in Harold Hill. This training event will help all interested in being involved in Healing on the Streets in Harold Hill. Those interested in Healing on The Streets for their own area are welcome. Lunch on Saturday and training materials are provided within the price.

Friday 13th April 7pm – 10 pm
Saturday 14th April 9am – 5 pm

Early Bird (ends 10th April) -£15 thereafter £20
Teens/Concessions – £10

BOB AND MARY BAIN CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER  December 2011Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus!

We do really enjoy living in the borough of Havering,right on the edge of London. It suits us fine,as both Mary and I like country walks and there are open fields and woods just five minutes away, in one direction, and built-up streets in the other. We get this great view from a hill nearby into Central London. You can see Canary Wharf, and in the middle you can even make out the London Eye ! God’s harvest field laid out before us. It’s especially wonderful with the fireworks on Bonfire night in November. There are rockets popping up and bursting into colour all over!

Family News.   Vicky and Abigail are now 14 and 15 respectively, and go to a local Christian School.  They are both involved in taking GCSE’s this year. Matthew aged 17 is at Sixth form College studying A levels in Maths Chemistry and Accounting. They are all doing well, academically, and walking with Jesus! Please pray for their future plans. Esther, about to hit 21, is a wonderful young lady working hard at Glasgow University, studying English and Drama. Joe is teacher training in Bristol, and this year, living in the same house as Dave. Jonathan and Dolly will be celebrating two years married this Christmas. They are living in Melbourne, Australia, Dolly’s home country. Dave is busying away with his art work in Bristol – see davebain.com for examples of his work. Recently we enjoyed seeing him painting a Mural on DIY SOS.

Ministry News.   Mary has been helping to establish a food bank in Rainham for families and individuals in crisis, and is also a trustee for another in Harold Hill which is about to open. This week was very exciting as they had their first client, after being open for two Mondays! The whole team were encouraged and thanking God!

 We are looking to launch  Healing on the Streets in another area this coming year. Mary has recently done the Healing Rooms training – you  may be familiar with this? The International Student work is continuing at UEL. We have helped set up a Student Union society and others now take the lead in this work. Our main focus this year in Welcome Network has been with churches rather than campus work. We counted up that we had worked with seventeen different individual churches over the last couple of years providing input and encouragement. We feel that God is using us to bring healthier ways of working together as churches. God’s heart is for every nation, tribe, people and language to feel a sense of welcome and belonging in this amazing thing called God’s family. Our team and partners has been growing this year, and the multicultural ministry networking day we held in November reflected this. We are joining with some of our partners to host a conference on Multicultural Issues next April (28^th). Locally, we have also been seeing greater participation in leadership fraternals and projects by black-led churches.

We continue to participate in several national forums and gatherings. It’s a real treat to go away with others to some big old house and let some one else do the cooking!

God is providing, and we want to thank especially those of you who have prayed for us, and financially supported our work this year. You have been a big blessing!

God is stirring up our hearts to be thirsty for Him. Keep pressing in to His wonderful love and warmth! There is nothing like a personal relationship with Jesus to blow away the religious cobwebs and empty vanity fairs of this age. His love is better than life!   We pray that you and your family will have a totally amazing Christmas and New year, that the love and joy of Jesus will surround you always.

Bob and Mary xxxx

129 Clockhouse Lane, Romford RM5 3QU, UK

+44 1708 736156  landline       +44 7988564299   cell

welcomenetwork.org

Welcome Network is affiliated to Churches in Communities International, a member of the Free Churches Group.

Giving information:    Welcome Network sortcode 401611 a/c 22141965

Team Photo in front of Fountains, Tirana

Bob and Mary, together with a friend Frances, have just returned from a Welcome Network mission trip to Albania.

We spent 10 days in Albania being based in Fushe-Kruje, but also visiting and ministering in other towns and villages.

Our main contact was a tall Norwegian called Dag who has been living and preaching the gospel in Albania for over 12 years.

Most of our time was spent with Dag and the members of his church “Bashkesia e Jezusit” in Fushe- Kruje.

On three days we were given the privilege of also teaching English in a small Language school run by a Christian called Berti in the nearby town of Kruje. We used material we had developed for our previous mission to Tahiti, focusing on Vision and using Life , Character and Friendship Topics to explore something about the nature of God and His plan for our lives. We taught small groups of 4 to 11 pupils ranging in age from 7yrs to late twenties, at Elementary, Pre -Intermediate and Upper Intermediate levels.

Bob with Upper Intermediate Students

Kruje is a towm where the majority of people are of a Muslim background. It was exciting to relate with the children and young people in the language school, and at the end of our time we all felt that we had got to know them and had been able to share something of the love of Jesus as well as praying with each group when we said Goodbye.

In prayer for Albania, before we arrived, Bob had a vision of a large Fountain-( in fact the Emperor’s Fountain at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire!!) There was a flow of water coming straight down some wide steps into the fountain, and then the water was shooting upwards into the sky to a very great height. This was an encouragement to the believers that there would be a greater capacity and flow of God’s Presence in us and through us expressing hope,  forgiveness and healing.

Prophetic paintings

Children painting Prophetic pictures

Bob and Mary both felt they had come with a “Fathering” anointing- we enjoyed meeting so many young mums with their babies!! We led a Marriage and Parenting Seminar on Sunday evening, and contributed both Saturdays in the Children’s Bible Club. We were also able to minister and pray for several couples and families over the week. We were all privileged to pray for and receive prophetic words for individuals during our time, and received back in abundance in the loving care and spiritual input from the co-workers in Bashkesia e Jezusit.

Dhurata, her mother Junia and special baby Amelia

We visited several homes in Ferras, a country village area where Frances, Mary and Bob were all able to give specific words and prophetic gifts to the families. It was a very special time with the highlight of hearing Fatmir’s amazing testimony of how he changed from a very violent man who wanted to kill Christians to the strong caring Christian leader he is today.

Generally we felt that God had used usin a small way  to minister acceptance and love to a nation that has experienced a lot of rejection, poverty and abuse. We particularly felt that the Albanian women were all in need of really knowing the Father’s Love and a lot of hugs!!!

Lots of hugs!!!!!

Please pray for Albania- for the families, the marriages, for employment for the many out of work, for the Love of the Father to reach many and for righteousness in the government.

WELCOME NETWORK
‘reaching out and welcoming one another in the love of God’
Romans 15:7 (the Message)

The Welcome Network is about showing God’s welcoming love to people from every nation and cultural background. We invite you personally to be a really great welcome place !

WHAT WE DO
MINISTRY We provide ministry which shows God’s unqualified love for everyone and network with churches and ministries doing this.

TEACHING We teach from our experience of establishing and developing multicultural congregations over many years. We provide talks, workshops and seminars on leadership development, worship, marriage and family relationships, outreach and other topics from a multicultural point of view.

EQUIPPING We advise on the range of resources available which present the gospel in a multicultural setting ( eg Multicultural Alpha, Christianity Explored for internationals) giving ideas on how best to use them and practical assistance in getting going. We provide links with other organisations working in this way.

WELCOME PLACES – ENGLISH CONVERSATION FRIENDSHIP GROUPS
Welcome Places share friendship and hospitality with others, and offer practical help to those entering into a strange culture. Activities include Baking scones, country walks, boat trips, picnics and excursions. English conversation practice is done over a wide range of topics and a presentation of the gospel is given.

THE VISION COURSE We can teach a four session English course on the things that really matter in life. Important life themes are explored at three levels, Elementary, Pre-intermediate and Upper Intermediate.

OPPORTUNITIES Volunteers join us in working with churches in the UK and on mission elsewhere. eg Tahiti mission 2008.

Bob and Mary Bain
Directors – Welcome Network

'praise the Lord all the nations, extol him all you peoples' Psalm 117

I believe God has a great dream – you can find it in Revelation 7:9,10.
Every tribe, nation, people, language worshipping God together.
As it is in Heaven so on the earth. There are no segregated churches there and when we worship together what a rich orchestra we become and our unity and love according to John 13:35 and John 17:23 bring the world to know Him.
So Isa 56 tells us – a House of Prayer for all Nations where the alien belongs and the eunuch is fruitful.

Website training with Tom

We are mastering the management of our website, with the help of our good friend Tom from America!

He is here for a short time with his lovely wife, Amy.

This is a Big Year in all sorts of ways for Welcome Network.

One thing Mary and I are up to this year is the Big Year Leadership training which we are taking part in over River Church, Maidenhead, UK.  This has been a great place for learning and very encouraging as we’ve related with other leaders engaged in ministry across London.