Surviving Winter...

Greetings from one of the largest islands in the world. Well, at least one of the most populated. Things are going really well and we survived the coldest part of the winter (I hope!), which is unfortunately more than I can say for those in eastern Europe. We had about 3 inches of snow one weekend and we attempted to stay out of it as best we could. After it started melting when it got to 1 to 3 degrees Celsius it made for a difficult walk to school as it iced over during the night. Joziah is growing it seems daily and is crawling around and formulating funny sounds. We had a great visit with our friend Bridget who we worked with in Mozambique. She ran a medical clinic out in Mieze which is the village where I did prison outreach. She had some great stories to tell and caught us up on the happenings of Pemba. Janico has been making friends and hosted a women's night several weeks ago. Some of the other gals have been of great help as they have children and can give practical advice. One night one of them showed up with an electric-oil heater saying, 'your house is cold, here use this until it gets warmer.' What a blessing! Because our house is older and the rooms are bigger the heat does not work as well as it could. Moreover, it doesn't help that the radiators are right under the cold windows! Please pray for Janico as she reaches out to some of these gals. Hope group has been going well. We've had some new people join us which is great. Last week we watched 'Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher.' It was a fascinating documentary on one of the key influences of the Jesus People movement in the 60's and 70's. About twice a week I get on the bus full of wild teenagers on route to school to go to the local Church of England seminary to help out an ordinand take notes and do research. It has been quite a blessing as I get to sit in on lectures related to my research, get lunch and library access. More than that I feel I've made friends within a community of faith that are concerned about many similar issues. One of my friends who I sit next to is Nigerian and told a story about how he was shot and had to forgive the man who shot him. He was challenged when the Lord told him not to pursue legal matters surrounding the incident, though his brother in law wanted him to press charges. In the end he didn't press charges and felt great freedom. I have learned a lot about different denominations and how they operate. I have been working on several book reviews for some journals as well as papers for conferences related to my research. I am quite excited about attending the Society for the Study of Theology conference in York this March. One of the plenary speakers this year is Amos Yong of Regent University who has written extensively on the role of the Spirit in contemporary society. I will be giving a paper on spiritual discernment in the early church. I am in Greek and Latin almost every day of the week along with a course on the apostle Paul and the book of James in Greek. Our friend Travis has visited us this month and we are expecting more guests this month. We recently returned from a trip to Canterbury where our friend Sam got married in the Crypt of the Cathedral. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception. We made some great connections with people in London and Plymouth. The city had a really nice historical feeling about it and I hope to return for a visit sometime during out time here. Well, home group is about to start. Hope you're well! Much love, The Walkers

Happy New Year!

Greetings and Happy New year! In reflecting on last year we are truly grateful for the prayers and support we received from you. It has been quite a year of transition. It seems like yesterday that I was sitting in the prayer hut in Pemba listening to a sharing on Mary and birthing the promises of God which sparked our move to the UK. Then a few months later I learned that there was going to be a physical birth in our family which we were really excited about. Then things sped up and though he was late, Joziah was born within 10 hours and with only 10 minutes of pushing. Things fell into place with his passport and all of our visas to the UK. Our house, furniture and other appliances came together and I'm finally in a rhythm of family, studies and ministry. I'm surprised how often I've heard, 'it takes time to settle in' these past 4 months and I suppose its true. Part of my research involves conversion which is a complex and multifaceted topic. One common statement that people make is that they can see the hand of God on their life prior to their conversion. In our case we've been able to see His hand guiding us through this whole process, and for that I am thankful. There are times we often are groping in the dark wondering what God wants us to do. In these times it takes faith and perseverance to lay hold of the promises given to us. There are other times when we know in our 'knowers' what to do and where to go. These times are a real gift. I was shocked to learn that Mother Teresa was depressed for 30 years because she didn't know what God wanted from her. This was after she had answered the call to work with the dying in India. Similarly, Henri Nouwen spent majority of his life searching for his proper ministerial vocation which took him from the halls of Harvard, Latin America and finally to working with special needs people at the L'Arche community called Daybreak.

While we know we have been called to Nottingham at the moment, we're still searching out what we are 'to do.' After running quite hard in Mozambique it feels quite refreshing to step back for a bit and just 'be.' Be a father, a mother, a family. However, there is a certain passivity that comes with this kind of attitude which can lead to a spiritual apathy and atrophy. If we aren't about our Father's business, then whose business are we about? I certainly don't want this to happen. Part of our situation is understanding and recognizing what season we are in which we are still discerning. We have had some great ministry times at our house, but we are praying for wisdom and expansion in 2012. We just spent a week with Janico's family in south Wales and had a wonderful holiday on the coast. We were able to see some great chapels, castles and other historic sites. It was really great for them to meet Joziah for the first time. They had planned to meet him here shortly after his birth, but since he was 10 days overdue and we had to get his passports& visas we missed them unfortunately.

I'm learning a lot about the culture here. Despite the perception that people in the UK speak English and are probably quite like us, I was surprised to learn there are quite a few differences. The major one is driving on the opposite side of the roads and the roundabouts. I am used to driving on the other side of the road, but mastering the roundabouts poses a challenge. Flashbacks for Chevy Chase telling his kids, 'look kids, there's big ben!' in European Vacation muddle my mind at fretful times. The Brits say it keeps the traffic going, which is true, but unless you know where you want to go and which exit to get off at its best to avoid them. Unfortunately, I don't think GPS systems have a 'least round about' setting. Soccer isn't a gentleman's sport, but rugby is (some may beg to differ on this point). Christmas pudding, mince pies and Christmas cake are the top desserts served around the holidays. Somehow they all seem to be related---strange fruit and tons of sugar. Most of the social activities for people of all ages center around the pub which is also known for great food and conversation. The ethnic diversity, which I have written about before is quite broad, but so are the various accents within the UK. At the doctor the other day an elderly man struck up a conversation with another guy and I thought I might need a translator. What I gathered was they were talking about furniture from York, which is where one of the men was from. The rest of it was a strange mumbling which may have been due to the mans age or dentures, but I think it really had to do with his regional accent. The English like their tea which is a common stereotype, but due to different water types throughout the country the tea companies market different brands. For such a small country there is quite a lot of differences. I completed my first term at school and made some progress on my research. The British system is different than the US system in that there are no mandatory courses and I am allowed to sit in on anything I want provided the instructor approves. Next term I will be sitting in on a class on Paul and a history of the church in England during the 18th and 19th centuries. The department is quite collegial and I often spend time with my classmates outside of class and on the weekends. I am working on some papers for conferences and reviewing some books which is fun. Janico has been working hard taking care of Joziah. She has also been helping our friend Sara at Love Feast work on a UK evangelism tour for next summer. We have had some wonderful prayer meetings at our house the past several months and are excited to see what God has in store for us this year. My friend Ben and I have been discussing starting a regular meeting time. We had an unusual 'coincidence' a few Sundays back at church. After the service we spoke with the lady sitting next to me who was from either the Bahamas or Jamaica judging by her accent. She wanted to know about Joziah and we told her he was 4 months old. She said she know a baby in Florida named Josiah, Josiah Walker. I said, 'oh, that's his name." She was surprised and we carried on talking. Later she said, 'My Josiah's father's name is Brandon, Brandon Walker.' I said, 'Well that's funny, that's my name!' We were all surprised at that point and she asked Janico, 'is your name Jen?' She said no and we laughed and wondered what the odds are of that happening. That's all for now. Thanks for tuning in and hopefully we'll have something more exciting to share. Love and Blessings in Christ, The Walkers

Weekly gathering

HI there! If you're in the Nottingham area and want a place to engage in Spirit led fellowship, prayer and scripture reading you're welcome to join us. We meet weekly at our place in Beeston. Contact me

at brandon@gloryreignintl.org for more details.

UK update

Greetings from the UK! We're doing great & still settling in. Oddly enough, at times it felt a bit like Africa due to the pace of things and various complications. We weren't quite prepared for that. We landed in Birmingham and another student, Christoph, picked us up. When we arrived we didn't have a place of our own to move into so we stayed with another couple who has a 1 year old son. It was great seeing how other families interact with their kids. Due to space issues (the houses here are smaller than the US) we ended up moving in with Christoph and his family for a week. They have 3 kids and another guest and said that 3 more people wouldn't change anything. One Sunday they hosted a Kaffeetrinken with doughnuts afternoon and I got to meet the rest of the theology students.

There were some strange catch 22's regarding bank accounts and living arrangements. In order to get a bank account you need a letter stating you reside in the UK. In order to put money down or to pay for your rent you need money in a bank account. So it took several weeks to resolve this, meanwhile we were trying to get into a place to live and out of our hosts quickly. We ended up taking an unfurnished 3 bedroom place about a mile away from campus and the street next to our friends. There was another offer on it, but the owners chose us.

We've been keeping a record of all of the blessings and provision God has given us thus far. Aside from not having to live in a hotel and paying a ton of money, the Lord has provided us with great relationships. In my new student orientation I got to meet all of the new masters and doctoral students in the theology department. We gave introductions and stated our research topics. I was surprised when one of the students said he was working on spiritual warfare. I thought, "what kind of department is this allowing for students to work on such a topic?" Later the professor running the program mentioned that I had worked in Mozambique for the last several years. At the end of our meeting the student working on spiritual warfare came up to me and asked if I knew the Bakers. I said yes, that's who we worked with and we struck up a friendship from there. Christoph and Staci's neighbor works in a nursing home and told us one day that a lady she knows has a sleeper couch and arm chair to give away. When we went to pick it up it was in mint condition and mint green. We also got a kitchen table, chairs, pots, plates and silverware from Janico's aunt and uncle who drove up to visit us one day. Another student gave us a double bed. Someone from a church was giving away a bookshelf along with a swivel chair, desk and printer for my office. We made friends with a woman at the local YMCA charity shop who gives us discounts on some items as well as some free baby clothing. Every time we stop by there she loves holding Joziah and telling him how great he is and how he is going to do great things in the world. Because we did not have health insurance and ended up having the baby in the hospital we had the huge burden of a gigantic hospital bill. We applied for emergency medicaid which would cover the birth and delivery. But in the end, the hospital forgave the entire bill! Over $20,000! That was a huge blessing! Ministry-wise there is a lot to get involved with and we've been seeking areas to serve. Every Saturday along High street is a ministry that prays for people on the street that we're getting involved with. They also serve breakfast to the homeless. On Friday and Saturday night in downtown nottingham called Street pastors which serve the party crowd all evening. There's globe cafe which is mainly an outreach to foreign students. We're helping a friend with an evangelism event in London sometime next summer. I recall in my undergraduate orientation hearing the director of multicultural affairs talk about the university being a microcosm of the world. In the middle of Virginia that was hardly the case, although that could have changed now. In Ohio it was pretty much the same. Not a lot of ethnic diversity. The student population here seems to be 50% foreign. Whenever I walk down the street I hear at least 4 different languages and different English accents. A friend of mine said at a baptismal service at his church 10 of the 12 people baptized were international. To me, this indicates 1) a general hunger for God; 2) a great harvest among students is to be had. In Nottingham and probably most major UK cities the world is flat. With regard to my studies things are going OK, although with all the time getting settled I haven't had as much time to devote as I would like. I have Latin 4 days a week, German once a week, Methodology in studying the historical Jesus and history of the Eucharist. My one advisor is working on a trans-empirical approach to history & the study of the New Testament. My other advisor is working on a historical theology of the Lord's supper. I find all of my classes interesting and am looking forward to next term. Janico has been working hard taking care of Joziah and trying to get our house in order. We have been pursuing hospitality (Rom 12:13) and have had quite a number of guests visit or stay with us. I'm happy to say I think they rested well here regardless of Joziah's nightly noises. I've been praying Psalm 84 and Revelation 21:3 that the presence of God would dwell in our house. A friend of mine back in the US confirmed my prayers by telling me he felt our house would be a place of healing and deliverance for both the saved and unsaved. We're looking to start a weekly home group, so please pray everything falls into place. Much love, Brandon, Janico & Joziah

Our UK Transition

August-September Well, it seems that our season of waiting has come to a rapid close. On August 24 Joziah Tenison Walker entered the world with a big yawn, stretch and some urination on the nurse. While things did not go as we had initially planned, it all ended well and we're overjoyed with the results! Joziah has been a true joy and a real trooper on some of our recent adventures. The day before Joziah arrived we were told to head to the hospital by the nurse at the check up for induction. We didn't quite obey orders in their time frame though we did call the hospital and inform them we would be coming in later. Our midwife gave us some recommendations for natural induction which seemed to work. By 7pm Janico's water broke and contractions had started. We did not want to go to the hospital mainly due to cost and drug pushers, but due to Janico's fluctuating blood pressure our midwife said it would be wise to. So we went around 11:30 at night and by 10:34am after 10 minutes of pushing Joziah made his way out of the longest shortest trip he'll ever make. Prior to his arrival I shared at Harvest Assembly one Sunday evening on growing in grace. This is an issue I am pursuing and I made some pretty cool discoveries when preparing for it. Like many theological concepts and ideas, grace is a large concept with varied definitions, even within the Bible. Because of our transition to the UK we had to get Joziah's birth certificate and passport in short order. It took 2 days for his birth certificate to be processed in Richmond and a trip up there to get a copy the same day. Then we had to get his passport which proved a bit more difficult. Apparently, the post office processes all of the passport applications, but in Virginia you need an appointment. After calling and calling with no response at the local post office a friend suggested getting a letter from our congressman and head up to DC. This proved to be quite successful as we went into the special VIP area for diplomats and government employees. We got Joziah's passport the same day. For the next 5 years he is stuck with this photo:

From here we had to get all of our visas for the UK. If we were going for tourism we would not have any problems. But, since I will be studying the UK border agency (hereafter UKBA) wants money out of the deal. I worked on our visa applications for about 2 days. The UKBA doesn't just want copies of documents, they want the originals plus copies. So we packed up all of our most valuable documents-passports, marriage & birth certificates, green card, diplomas, dental records and DNA samples and shipped them off and paid a little extra for expedited service. After a brief rest I woke up and remembered that neither Janico or Joziah had signed their visa applications! I called the UPS store and asked if they had been sent yet. They said no and Janico and I raced up there to sign them. In the book of John, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance all things. I'm thankful for this remembrance as it would have been tough having to reapply! The next day we received confirmation that our visas were issued and we celebrated! Another blessing occurred when I scoured the internet for cheap airfare. If you have ever tried to book airfare on short notice you know how pricey it can get. Most of the prices I saw on major "discount" travel sites were more than we were willing to pay. Several days prior I saw an advertised price that was a bit more within our budget. I went to that airlines website and found a really cheap flight and got to the last page in booking and clicked "Pay". After a few seconds a screen popped up and said, your card has not been charged and this flight is no longer available. Tenacious as I am I called the airline and they quoted me a fare similar to the discount price. So I kept searching online. I came across a site that had several flights within the original price range but I had to call and speak with a real human. So I did and got the cheapest flight on the airline I was at before but traveling a day earlier! After wrapping up things to ship, making sure Joziah has adequate grandma and grandpa time and spending as much time with friends as possible, we landed in the UK after a 20+ hour journey. Fortunately, we were able to make connections with the other students and their wives prior to arriving and had a place to stay upon arrival. I am going house hunting for the next several days. We are excited about the next leg of our journey together. We are anxious to see how God will use us in the UK and while we have some ideas, He always seems to go above and beyond our expectations. As a student of Church History, I know some of the rich spiritual history of the UK and the past moves of God that occurred here. I (Brandon) am looking forward to reaching out the students at school and impacting this nation for His glory and honor. Janico is looking forward to being settled for a while and investing in our family as well as those the Lord brings across our path. Outreach in a industrialized post-Christian culture will look different than driving hours on end on a dirt road, setting up a sound system, preaching, praying for the sick, sleeping in a tent and eating goat. In some ways outreach in the developing areas is easier than in the West and our task as missionaries takes on new challenges. We are not faced with one or two systems of faith (Traditional African Religion and Islam) but a pluralistic and relativistic one where it seems anything goes. Most of the people I have met in Africa do not have the intellectual hang ups or objections that some in the West do. I can understand a bit better why the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthains, My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God. The same power to redeem, heal and liberate works in the West as it does in developing nations. Despite the differences in location and outreach, the same God and same gospel is at work in post-Christian nations such as the UK as it is in developing countries. God still demonstrates his love through acts of love, service and power and it is for this reason we are breaking new ground in the UK. Thank you for all your prayers, support and encouragement.

Growing in grace

Last Sunday I had the privilege of sharing at Harvest Assembly's evening Awakening service. I shared on 2 Peter 3:18 which exhorts the readers or hearers to "grow in grace." This was interesting to me for several reasons. 1) I've been told I need to extend more grace; 2) It seems that some branches of the church think that grace is given at salvation and that is it. This verse as well as 2 Pet 1:2 makes it clear that grace can increase. This led me to think about what grace is and how can one grow in grace.
I won't go into all the details of it, but you can download the podcast here:
http://www.harvestva.org/online-sermons.asp

Theology of waiting...

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance.”
-Rom 8:25

Greetings from the heat and humidity of Virginia! We’ve had some great times catching up with friends and family since we’ve been back. We’ve also had some great times of ministry.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the next several months and years coming up. But thought without action is pointless, just like faith without works, as James said. I have also had some time to reflect on our time in Africa and wondered if there can be a “theology of waiting.” Having heard a lot of teaching in Mozambique on rest and entering into the rest of God one can get the idea that nothing will get done in the church. Honestly, I don't think Africa needs that kind of teaching. Most of the men and women I met have no problem sitting around, waiting and enjoying each others company. I don't think they don't feel the pressure to perform like us Westerners.
But waiting is never a purely passive event. I’ve thought about all the saints who waited things out: Noah who sat in the ark for forty days and forty nights (not so much fun in a zoo!); Abraham and Sarah waited to inherit the promise of a son and further promises (Heb 6:15, 11:9); Elijah and Israel waited for rain and the disciples waited in the upper room in Jerusalem as their Master instructed them.

In many ways Africa has prepared us for this time as waiting is something most Africans can relate to. I recall asking a man from Kenya what he did when his bus broke down on the way to Mozambique. He responded, “I waited for several days for the next bus.” In my western amazement, I asked, “Yes, but what did you do?” His reply, “Nothing, what could I do but wait?” Transitioning from that kind of event oriented culture to the western time oriented culture hasn’t been easy.
I imagine that the saints of old kept themselves busy during their waiting time.

Either through prayer or deepening relationships, I think the characters in Scripture were diligent in what was set before them, whether it be grooming animals on a boat or shepherding sheep. I gather it was a completely different lifestyle than our western culture, which emphasizes time, numbers and efficiency. An acquaintance once told me that the best way to wait things out is with your sails up ready for the wind to take you to the next place. This is fine as long as your sail doesn't have holes in it!
We’ve been gearing up for the arrival of our son and taking care of the various immigration and visa issues we’ve encountered. Fortunately, some of the UK visa requirements for US citizens have been eliminated, which relieved us of a huge burden.

The author of Hebrews once wrote, “so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.” In an effort to pursue the promises Janico and I have kept quite busy despite what the nurse at the ultrasound clinic said, “rest”. A week ago I was able to sit in on an advanced research methods course at a local Christian university. It was really helpful to be in an academic environment after being in Africa where issues of narrative discourse and textual criticism a far from every day conversations. The following week I sat in on a course on the miraculous in the biblical tradition, which was insightful. I also felt I had something to contribute academically and spiritually as I had been privy to quite a few wondrous events in Africa. Both courses helped me get a jumpstart on my research as well. I’ve been meeting with a friend to go over Greek on a regular basis and I’ve been reviewing German and French.

Janico and I have had various medical appointments and I imagine they will increase as we arrive closer to the due date. There seems to be no consensus on the due date among the nurses and doctors. Only 5% of babies arrive on their prescribed date, so we’re not too worried. I guess the more concerning factor is where the baby will be born. The hospital that we are scheduled to deliver at is moving its maternity ward to another location as of August 1. With the uncertainty of the due date and the uncertainty of the transition happening on August 1, we’re not quite sure where to go. It would be a bummer to go to one hospital only to have them turn us away to the other. So, we’ll see. Onward and upward we go for Jesus!
Thanks for all your prayers and support during this time as we hurry up and wait.

Much love,
The Walkers