Colin Garnett preaching to the
women at Uman Prison
Following my release from prison in 1993 I rested in a quiet conviction that The Lord wanted me to rest in Him for 2 years before I would be taken to the next stage of my development, and sure enough, in 1995 I was approached by a guy who asked me: “Do you know Vic Jackopson”? “Nope”, said I. He went on to challenge me, “Vic heads up Hope Now, he is taking a missionary team to Prison 62 in Ukraine this year, why don’t you contact him”? The next day I went to one of my Elders and told him: “I’m going to Ukraine”, and then I wrote to Vic. Three trips to Ukraine later in 1997, I was very politely told by Vic: “Colin there are some rough edges which need to come off if you are ever to reach the up-n-outs. I think you should consider going to Bible College”. With no family wealth to fall back on and zero pounds in the bank, I thought, ‘I’m in, but we are going to need a miracle’. That year, Hope Now undertook a sponsorship programme which took me from my comfort zone to a 4-year BA Degree course at Moorlands College. The (our) plan was for me to head up the Hope Now Prison Department as an Evangelist after college. During a College placement I went to visit the Pollsmoor Prison Ministry and as I entered the prison I felt a deep stir within me that this was not The Lord’s heart for me. Emotionally I felt trapped, after all that had been done in raising support. Thousands of pounds had been poured in to educate me, and some wonderful friendships had developed between us, so now I felt as if I was about to betray my friends. I rang Moorlands College from South Africa and told them “I cannot do this prison thing”. They left me in no doubt; the placement had been agreed, the documentation was in place in line with the BA Degree, it could not be changed! But while there I went to visit a dirty, very smelly, little hovel in a drug infested area of Cape Town, which was occupied by 10 flea ridden outcasts of society. As I looked into that den, I remember thinking; ‘Lord, I don’t want to go in there’, and then thinking; ‘which is probably how The Holy Spirit felt just before He came I into my heart’ … so in I went. “Somehow”, Moorlands supported my change from Pollsmoor Prison to Beth Rapha drug rehab, which was great. However, working with addicts was not part of the plan for Hope Now. Where confusion tried to creep in, Grace prevailed! Hope Now agreed to release me after college to allow me to return to South Africa – and I believe it is right there that Hope Now made the difference. You were prepared to sponsor me without desire to control me. The call of God was more important to you than that which would only be fair after all you had done. The arrest of the lost and the implantation of The Good News of Jesus Christ into broken hearts proved more rewarding to you than ‘our’ plan for which we had all sincerely striven. During my year away from Hope Now, my sponsoring Church, in Cape Town, insisted on controlling how we ran the ministry and it nearly died and my relationship with them was constantly tense. Hope Now made the difference for me and showed me how to respond.
Colin and son
The Beth Rapha Ministry survived and is still running. It has given birth to two other Addiction Treatment Facilities in South Africa and an Addiction Referral Agency. It became the Blue Print for The Bethesda Recovery Homes, where Deanna, my wife, and I now take both the down and the up-n-outs and minister in Grace and in Truth. Our team know that if they should ever want to minister elsewhere, they would have our complete support, as long as Jesus, The Son of God is lifted up. Hundreds of families are back together as a result of Hope Now’s efforts into my life. The ministry of The Bethesda Recovery Homes spreads by the month into townships and into palaces. I had to seek God about not baptising people because I would have spent too much time in the river and would be all dimply by now. Now when we see people converted we introduce them to the nearest Church suitable for them on their return home. Hope Now? Did it make a difference? No … Hope Now made THE difference. Thank you, from the bottom of hundreds of hearts of hundreds of mums and dads and brothers and sisters and sons and daughters, who once were lost but now are safe, were blind but now see The Way. ) 2 Corinthians 5:18. Colin Garnett, Bethesda Recovery Homes. (www.stormsriverrehab.com)
On the 7th January, Christians from all over Cherkassy gathered at the Palace of Culture to celebrate the Ukrainian Christmas Day and to hear evangelist Stanislav Gruntkovsky, who will preach on the 6/7th June at the Cherkassy Football Stadium.
Yet again, Close to the Heart, has had a very successful tour of the England and raised a significant sum of money toward the development needs at Kompas Park and the Mission Fund.
Once a notorious gangster and drug baron, South Africa’s public enemy number one, Solomon Staggie was ministered to by Vic Jackopson in Pollsmoor Prison.
01.02.2012 Pray for Alla, Lena, Ksenya and the team presently working in Calcutta for another two weeks with Tear Fund projects
02.02.2012 Pray that the Mission Fund, which undergirds all that is done both here and in Ukraine, will have the finances to meet all our obligations
03.02.2012 Pray for all the older people that came to our Christmas party in Cherkiassy, that the Lord will bless them whatever their situation or background
04.02.2012 Pray for those who had a well installed last year, that as they share their water they will get opportunities to share their faith also
05.02.2012 Pray for all those who are attending the Bible School that they can give adequate time to studying, working and being with their families
06.02.2012 For all the foster parents of children supported by Hope Now, that they will have patience as they have to deal with problems that occur from time to time
07.02.2012 Our auditors visit the Southampton offices today to audit our accounts – pray that all will be in order as figures are checked
08.02.2012 Give thanks for all the volunteers that come into the office and give of their time so sacrificially, doing jobs at times without even being asked
09.02.2012 Pray for Frank and Lin as they plan for the summer at Kompas Park, and visit churches to speak about the varying areas of service possible
10.02.2012 Pray for Misha and all the staff at the Ukraine office as they consider all the requests from those asking for help
11.02.2012 Pray that all the plans for the Annual Weekend Away next month will come together well, and that people will register early while rooms are still available
12.02.2012 Pray for Alla Kostyunina, Director of Kompas Park, that she will be given wisdom in her decisions and management of the Park
13.02.2012 Give thanks that the young people in South Africa are doing well with their education, and pray for wisdom for Margaret Ferguson as she guides and directs them
14.02.2012 On this St Valentine’s Day, pray for the students we support who are in relationships, that they will be sensible and keep up their studies
15.02.2012 Pray for David and Valerie Reddaway as they oversee the Bible School, and the Church planting and twinning programme
16.02.2012 Pray for Jon as he attends a Men Meet meeting in Milford on Sea this evening
17.02.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Buckinghamshire to attend the Vetinerary Christian Conference this weekend
18.02.2012 Pray for Maria Shevchuki of Kuchkivka village as she celebrates her 86th birthday today
19.02.2012 Pray for the Directors and Staff of Orphanages we are involved with, that they will look after their children with love and dedication
20.02.2012 Pray for the young girls in Swindon House, and boys in Cornah House as they learn new skills which will prepare them for their futures
21.02.2012 Pray for Jon in his many responsibilities, that he will have wisdom in each decision that he has to make
22.02.2012 Pray for Lidia Savelieva and her vision of a sheltered home for older people to be realised, and pray for finances to come in for this project
23.02.2012 For Larisa Vovk in her work of overseeing the work being done with children in the orphanages and cottage homes
24.02.2012 Pray for Jon and Ali as they travel to Carlisle for the Northern Vet’s Christian Conference
25.02.2012 Pray for Cyndee and Darrell Knight and the work they do in the American Office for Kompas Park
26.02.2012 Pray for the Food Programme in Ukraine, especially through this winter time, that all those in need will receive help and no-one will be overlooked
27.02.2012 Pray for Vitaly and Ludmila Sidenko in their work with the African Students at 2nd Baptist Church, and Ludmila’s work with the deaf community at the same church
28.02.2012 Pray that we may be able to assemble a team of dentists and nurses to treat the children in the internats
29.02.2012 Give thanks for all our supporters who pray regularly for the work of Hope Now, and give sacrificially month upon month – pray the Lord will bless them as they bless the people of Ukraine
