Dear Supporters
Wow another year draws near to a close and 2025 is around the corner. Sally and I want to send you all Christmas greetings and blessings. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us not get overtaken by the hubbub of life, spend a few moments remembering why Jesus came as a baby. We recently spent some time looking at The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Each one of the trinity looks to each other and works for the good of each other never ruling over but enhancing the qualities of each part. It is the perfect example of how we should work together. We all have a place and a role, yes babies as well. When we work together to enhance others we see the glory of God shine out.
It has been good to learn more about the Trinity. As we lead the Canal Ministries team it is right for us to help other members of that team flourish and see the glory of God shine out.
For us the year has been full with trips by car, train and boat. Life is always full and we thank God for that. We have managed to spend some time in December walking the towpath around Ellesmere meeting some of the boaters who spend the winter in this area. We have invited them to the local community carol service and pray they will attend. Having spent the past 19 months in the area we are recognised and people are happy to talk. We pray for various individuals needs and always ask God to open eyes to see his glory. We also keep in touch with a couple we become good friends with in Aylesbury. They are going through difficult times currently and we are praying for healing from oesophagus cancer.
For the coming year, we will be getting the roof of the boat repainted, the hull and water tank also need painting. This will be a mad 2 weeks of hard work at the end of March. We then hope to travel North to Liverpool, Manchester, Macclesfield, The Peak Forrest and then South to see if we can have some little ones on the boat with us in the holidays. These are hopes rather than plans as we know that God leads and guides us on our journeys and sometimes things change last minute. Our hope is always that God will open our eyes to opportunities to show the love of God where ever we go.
Canal Ministries now have an up to date website at canalministries.org.uk. Please take a look we try to keep information current and relevant so there should be new articles on there at least every 3 months.
This year Ten Thousand Reasons on the Leeds and Liverpool has been busy, serving soup, giving trips and sharing the Gospel through the work it is involved in. Paul and Sue who own this boat face trials at times but keep looking to God through these. Sue is disabled but currently manages to make and serve over 30 soups a week from the boat.
Litania Has been busy on the K&A around Devices and Bradford on Avon. It has been used to deliver food parcels, logs and coal. It has also been used as a vaccine centre for boaters by the health service. Sadly it has come time now that Rob and Trish, who own and run it, need to let it go. We value prayer that Gods will will be done and whatever is best will happen to Litania. There have been ideas but time and resources are needed, if God wants it to continue as a boat used to glorify the name of God some way of doing this will become apparent over the coming few weeks.
