December 2000 Praise Report

This year started with the news that our Anglican ministry at the Wiggenhalls near King's Lynn was over. We had been there for four and a half years, looking after six villages and two old churches. One was seven hundred years old and the other was eight hundred years old. It had been good as a base for a wider need-oriented ministry of evangelism, healing, counseling and deliverance to clientele from far and wide. Thanks to Sue Lee of the King's Lynn City Council, we were looking forward to moving from the St Germans' vicarage into rented accommodation at Emneth, Wisbech. We had applied to the Charity Commission, and had started processing with a Board of Trustees the requirements for becoming a registered charitable organization. We have had, for many months now, a web site and indeed, Bill had visited South India last March in response to an invitation from an evangelist who read the write-up.

On the 13th of January, we moved into The Forge House at Emneth, Wisbech. Very quickly, with the help of a wonderful Christian sister, Kathy Mitchell, we started a House Fellowship in our new home. Still maintaining an open house, we counseled, taught, and continued to respond to invitations to minister in other churches across the denominational barriers and at Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International meetings. We associated with Plumbline Ministries and received a lot of encouragement from them at all times.

The International arm of our work was graciously blessed this year. In the Spring, we (Bridget and Bill) visited Chennai in Tamil Nadu State with a British brother-in-Christ, Derek Tripp, and many towns and villages in Andra Pradesh State in South India for two weeks in March, 2000. In early June, I visited Canouan Island in St Vincent and the Grenadines part of the Caribbean. I went preaching for Pastor Mike Wise who was there as a Missionary from St Andrew's Church in Oakington, Cambridge. That visit was also for a fortnight. In August, there was yet another visit to that part of the world. Rev. Ralph and Susan McIntosh, of the ACTS Foundation who had ministered in England earlier in the year, were hosts to me in a brilliant two weeks in Tampa, Florida.

Finally, in November, Bridget and I were privileged to spend a fortnight ministering in and around Nigeria. The Lord graciously started us off from Stansted Airport where we were 47kilos overweight, but were let off. The journey itself was uneventful, having been facilitated by Irene agreeing to ferry the children to and from school, and maintaining communications with all our prayer partners. Andy took us to the airport and brought us back when we returned. Kathy, Funmi and Uche took turns to look after the children. Kathy and Irene kept the House Fellowship going. Our main hosts, Brothers Dan and Pius, of the Witness Ministries, met us at the Lagos Airport. Also there to greet us were Ibukun, our daughter, and her husband, Femi. We spent the first morning, the 10th of November, seeing members of my extended family. We went directly into the first session of a three-day meeting in the Ibadan Assembly of Christ meeting place. It was well publicized, and many ministers came from far and wide. We met with many old friends and made new ones. On the third day, Sunday, in addition to worship services in the meeting place, there were ladies' meetings, which my wife coordinated, and review and prayer/prophetic meetings, which I held with our male hosts--Dan, Pius, Abiodun, Funso and Onaolapo. Mrs. Olulode convened the ladies' meetings and was general hostess. As an added treat, Bridget and I were able to relax a little as we swam and were feasted at the Morgans twice in that 3-day stretch.

On Monday the 13th of November, we traveled through Ile-Ife (where I had at one time retired from academic medical practice) and Benin to arrive in Sapele in the night. This is where I married my wife and where Bridget's mother still lives. Apart from spending time with her, we had two and a half days of ministry. Our hosts were the Divine Love Ministries under Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Obioma. They worked very hard to provide a wonderful milieu for effective ministry. Bridget also met up with three of her brothers, in addition to playing her full share in the ministry. We moved on to Warri on Thursday the 16th, where in addition to staying with Bridget's sister, we had some private ministrations. We left at 4pm on Friday for Port Harcourt. For the second time on our journey, we had a slight mishap with the car (a Peugeot 505 Saloon), but God took us through it. We were very well received. The Senior Pastor, Charles Omofoma (ably assisted by Pastor Nkechi) arranged the 2-day meetings in a beautiful setting in a large, American tent. The worship preceding the ministrations was, on each occasion, extremely uplifting and wonderfully coordinated. This, in many respects, was the climax of our whole visit, as the Lord backed up the preaching of His Word with miraculous signs.

The whole program on the 18th and 19th of November was captioned Bethesda--The Healing Point and was held at the Royal Evangel Church, Port Harcourt. We left on Monday 20th for the Northern part of the country. We made a stopover at Gboko where we prayed with Pastor Gbile Akanni. After some private ministrations, we traveled through Jos, where Bridget was born, and where we met with friends to Bauchi. We arrived there in the evening of the 21st, and met with our daughter, Buki, her husband, Pastor Pius, and their family. We ministered that evening and the next at Pastor Isaac Crown's Peculiar People's Church.

We traveled to Kano, from where I had fled to England 8yrs ago (after thirteen and a half years of missionary work). We visited the village where we had worked and encouraged the converts from Islam and others whom we had left years before. We also touched base with many old friends, but could not stay, because that was the first day of Ramadan, and Kano was to become a Sharia State two days later. We slept quietly in the Missionary Guest House and went through the Friday Mosque crowds on the 24th to Kaduna. There again, we were warmly received by Dr. Sam Kudjiat, Pastor of the Rhema Living Bible Church and lodged in a nice hotel. We had wonderful ministry in that church, which had suffered three times from the hands of Muslim hordes. We were there from Friday to Sunday and met up with many old friends. We slept in the capital town, Abuja in the house if another sister of my wife. We had a time of sharing with Dr Solomon Lar and the Primate of the Anglican Church in Nigeria. We returned to Ibadan late in the evening of Monday 27th.

On Tuesday, we went to Ile-Ife again to do some bank business and see old friends, returning in the evening to minister at the Teaching Hospital where I had worked for eight years and where my ministry started. Wednesday 29th was the final hectic day of ministry by both of us. In addition, of course, my wife put our things together for the journey home on Thursday. The farewells were said and with a lot of very generous help, we got back safely. It had been good, and God had been incredibly faithful.

What about the larger family? Toyin (working in London as a doctor) with her husband Soji, working as a doctor in Wales, but hoping to move to London in January live very busy lives This is because they have four children -JJ (almost 15yrs),'Laolu (12yrs), Oyinlo (8yrs), and Ore (5yrs) to look after. Ayo (housewife in Syracuse, NY; USA, but hoping to start work soon as a doctor there) and her husband, Sanya(a psychiatrist in Syracuse) have three growing children to rear. Oyin (8yrs), Adun (5yrs) and Jimi (1yr) are quite a handful of joy. Ibukun, with her husband, Femi was with us recently in Lagos. Ibukun is still out of work as a lawyer, but Femi is a financier. We also saw Buki and her husband Pius in Bauchi with their two children. Buki is expecting a third soon. She teaches history and Pius is an engineer. Tunde is in London, doing postgraduate computer studies after graduating from a 2-yr School of Ministry Training with KT in London. Lami is doing well in business, but has a difficult marital problem with wife, Vanessa (they have a beautiful 1-yr old girl called Jessica). Edemi with his wife in Koln, Germany are happy. He goes back to college work early next year. Bode is in London doing a Masters in Chemical Engineering at University College, London.

Thank you for all your prayers. They are bearing fruit. Thank you for all your encouragement and support. We understand that the Charity Commission has agreed to register us--Healing Love of Christ Ministry-- as a Charity. Please thank the Lord for all He has done for us this year. Hopefully, once you read this, you will be in a position to pray along with us. We love you and depend on you.

Bill and Bridget Isaacs-Sodeye
The Forge House, Hungate Road
Emneth, Wisbech, Cambs PE14 8DE
Tel 01945-465428 (Inside the UK)
Tel 011441945-465428 (Outside the UK)
Note: Drop the initial 0 when phoning from outside the UK.