Close up and personal with a chameleon in MADAGASCAR

Our 7+ week visit to three African countries – South Africa (with Logos Hope), Madagascar and Zimbabwe – is over. Speaking in around 60 meetings and often living with locals brought us closer to the spiritual warfare that is a daily part of their lives. We appreciated again the vital importance of prayer and were humbled by the zeal of those who often have little materially but much to teach spiritually. After ministering next Sunday August 7 at the church of some supporters, Gareth flies to Greece to speak for Oak Hall where the OM country leader will share in one of the meetings.

Gareth ><> Malou Bolton

( www.amentrust.co.uk)

SCHEDULE

Aug 4-7          Dorset with Mum Bolton
Sun Aug 7      Cranleigh Community Church, Bournemouth
Aug 8-17       Oak Hall in GREECE (Gareth only)
Aug 20-27     Oak Hall in AUSTRIA (Gareth only)
Sun Aug 28  AM: Brownhill Rd Baptist, Catford
PM: Oak Hall Church, Caterham
Aug 29           Wedding, Royal Naval College Chapel, Greenwich

Hosting the Chief Imam (a delightful man) at the Official Opening of MV Logos Hope in Cape Town

At the beginning of the year, we had little idea we would be ministering for the first time in the African nations of Ethiopia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe. On this, the first day of the second half of the year, we are with Logos Hope in Cape Town, South Africa, where there is the opportunity, next week, to share a 15 minute devotional message in Parliament. There are times when we feel both overwhelmed and very privileged. Thank you for travelling the road with us in your thoughts and prayers.

Gareth ><> Malou Bolton

SCHEDULE

July 1-11      Logos Hope, Cape Town, RSA
July 12-17    Antananarivo, MADAGASCAR
July 19-24    Toamasina, MADAGASCAR
July 25-31    Harare, ZIMBABWE
July 31         Fly to UK (arrive Aug 1)

MV Logos Hope in AFRICA

While preparing recently to speak on the execution of John the Baptist (Mark 6), I was reminded again of the price some pay for keeping the faith and speaking the truth. Many around the world today face the similar challenges but rather than going into survival mode, they choose to continue to declare the bad news of sin and the good news of the gospel in hostile and dangerous situations. May we also be found faithful and courageous in whatever culture we live. Two weeks ago we returned from Ethiopia in NE Africa. In one week’s time, we will leave for a month on board MV Logos Hope in South Africa. Ministry will include speaking in churches, at conferences and at morning devotions.

May you who are reading this, be blessed and a blessing to others.

Gareth ><> Malou Bolton

FUTURE SCHEDULE

June 4             Cheam Baptist Men’s breakfast
Sun June 5     Cheam Baptist Church
June 6-8          OM SELF retreat, Otford Manor
June 9             Fly to SOUTH AFRICA
June 10-21      MV Logos Hope in Port Elizabeth
June 22            Sailing
June 23ff         MV Logos Hope in Cape Town

Ethiopian girl

Greetings from Ethiopia, a country which is four times larger than the UK and one of only two in Africa that has never been colonised. It also served as one of the earliest gateways for the gospel into Africa (Acts 8:26ff). Today, Sunday May 1, they celebrate Easter Day! Here in the capital Addis Ababa, Gareth is speaking to pastors, leaders and fellowships of the Evangelical Brethren Church while Malou is teaching a group of enthusiastic ladies some needlecraft skills. Many thanks to the dozens who responded to our account last month of the laptop robbery in India. Your words were very much appreciated. The AMEN 20th anniversary celebrations and meal were attended by a good number. It was particularly encouraging that some partners had been able to fly from India, the Philippines and Romania to take part. Many others also took part via videos that were shown. On a less positive note, we have just heard that one of our major AMEN donors is having to terminate his support following the collapse of BHS, a British retail company which owes him a large amount of money.
Thank you for your prayers for us, AMEN and the ministry – they are indispensable!

Gareth ><> Malou Bolton ( www.amentrust.co.uk)

FUTURE SCHEDULE

May 1-17          ETHIOPIA ministry
May 20           Oak Hall Summer Team Weekend
May 21            AMEN Sponsored Walk, Dartford
Sun May 22   West Kingsdown Baptist, Sevenoaks
Sun May 29   ChristChurch, Banstead, Surrey
May 29ff         Dorset with Mum Bolton

The puppets carried in our luggage from the UK proved to be a great success among the workers

While in India, in the early hours of March 29th sometime between 1.00-2.30am, thieves cut through the mosquito netting covering our bedroom window and then inserted a long stick through the external horizontal metal security bars. Hanging from the end of the stick were pieces of cloth doused in chloroform designed to render the inhabitants more comatose. They saw my laptop on a vacant bed underneath the window. They could not immediately reach it but by pulling the bed cover towards them managed to grasp it and slide it out between the narrow bars. I awoke after being bitten by mosquitos to discover the crime scene! After the Bible commentator Matthew Henry was robbed, he wrote: “Let me be thankful, first, because he never robbed me before; second, because although he took my purse, he did not take my life; third, because although he took all I possessed, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed”.

Thank you so much for your prayers for us – they are clearly vital!

Gareth ><> Malou Bolton

(www.amentrust.co.uk)

FUTURE SCHEDULE

Sun Apr 3         AM: Lighthouse Church, Kandy, SRI LANKA
PM: Christian Fellowship Church, Colombo, SRI LANKA
Apr 5                  Fly to UK
Apr 9                 Cousin Andrew’s wedding in Aberystwyth, WALES
Sun Apr 10      11.00am & 6.00pm: Dunvant CF, Swansea
Apr 12              ‘The Mirror of Truth’ Islamic Debate, Newham, East London
Apr 13               ‘AMEN’ presentation, Dartford Community Church (Home church)
Apr 16               AMEN’s 20th anniversary celebration and meal, Wilmington CF, Kent
Sun Apr 17       AM: Cliffe Mission, Kent; PM: Oak Hall Church, Caterham, Surrey
Apr 23ff             ETHIOPIA Visit

Beautiful Batanes, the remote island of Malou’s birth

In a few hours’ time we return to the UK having ministered on four islands of the Philippines plus at a weekend in the UAE. Having spoken in one church 8 times in less than 48 hours to many hundreds of people, it was an exhilarating and exhausting experience. After 10 days at home, we are on the road again to India and Sri Lanka. Don’t forget our special AMEN 20th anniversary celebration and meal near Dartford, Kent on Sat April 16. Tickets are limited and going fast. Email janet@amentrust.co.uk for details.

God bless you as you serve Him,

Gareth ><> Malou Bolton

(www.amentrust.co.uk)

How can I be sure of heaven?

We recently arrived in the Philippines  where we have gone from experiencing -8° in Macedonia to +32° in Manila! We plan to visit and minister on 4 of the 7000 islands. As we approach the 20th anniversary of our charity AMEN , it was encouraging to visit Southville yesterday where funds have been given to enclose the gap between two houses to create a church building. The pastor, whose small house has been crowded each Sunday, is delighted. We also met with the community leader who was friendly & supportive. All this is being undertaken as a result of our long-term partnership with ‘Companion with the Poor’, an indigenous holistic Filipino organisation with 60 missionaries church planting amongst the urban poor.

We thank God for your friendship too.

Gareth ><> Malou Bolton

SCHEDULE in PHILIPPINES and UAE

Feb 3-10            Island of Batanes visit/ministry
Feb 12-17          Island of Palawan ministry visit
Feb 19-22          Island of Cebu church weekend
Feb 25-26          Meetings in Abu Dhabi
Feb 27-Mar 1     Meeting + dentist, Dubai
Wed Mar 2         Fly from Abu Dhabi to UK

Open Air Mission: preaching in Lincoln near the annual Christmas Market

I rarely recall hearing a talk about this guy and have only ever discovered one (rather obscure) song that includes him. He never appears in any nativity play and never features on any Christmas card. Yet what he had to say about Jesus was arguably more profound than anything the shepherds and the wise men had to say. Significantly, while the shepherds and wise men had to travel to find Jesus, Jesus travelled to where he was! For me he is the forgotten Christmas hero. His name is Simeon. He famously declared, ‘my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people’ (Luke 2:30-31). He realised the baby he held was the Saviour for the world. So the message is one of salvation that all need to hear. His simple mission statement still needs to be heard and followed today.

SCHEDULE for January 2016
Jan 1-4  Dorset with Mum Bolton
Sun Jan 3  STEPS Community Church, Sherborne, Dorset
Jan 9  AMEN Trustees Meeting, Yorkshire
Sun Jan 10  Elmstead Lane Baptist Church, Chislehurst, London
Mon Jan 11  Fly to Belgrade, SERBIA
Jan 12-21  Teaching a missions module (Gareth) and creative evangelism (Malou) at HUB.
Jan 26  Fly to UK
Jan 28  Fly to PHILIPPINES
Sun Jan 31  Diliman Bible Church, Manila (Missions Sunday)

Happy New Year.

Gareth ><> Malou Bolton

(www.amentrust.co.uk)

October saw our first visit to Colombia, S America’s fourth largest country. We experienced first-hand some of the recent church growth after finding that two of the churches we ministered in were only a few months old. There was a vibrancy and serious interest in missions that was most encouraging. We saw again how Latin America has become one of the new heartlands of the church over the last 50 years.

Friends, thank you for enabling us to serve through your giving, praying and encouragement.

Gareth ><> Malou

Click for a short video of our Colombia visit

(www.amentrust.co.uk)

 Future Schedule
Nov 2-5        Dorset with Mum Bolton
Sun Nov 8   Good News Church, Nis, SERBIA (NFI)
Nov 9-23     HUB, Belgrade, SERBIA (Teaching 1 & 2 Kings & Ezekiel)
Nov 27-29   Oak Hall Winter Team Weekend