PRAY FOR

THE ELWOOD'S IN ENGLAND

                                                                                                      December 2001- January 2002

Dear Pastor's and Brethren in Christ,

                                                                                                        THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

      Every Christmas here has been a great opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the open sir. This year we preached in Carlisle, Workington, and Whitehaven. On occasion in Carlisle, Benjam and I had no less than six adult Christians come by and let us know they had been encouraged. During the week before Christmas, we had a larger meeting with three adults, and our sons Ben and Jesse. I enjoyed hearing a young man by the name of David preach. David is from Switzerland. You should have seen the look on every one's face as this young man preached with a German accent. You would have thought the war was still on. Christmas shoppers never moved so fast. The Lord is opening hearts and minds in and around the market at Whitehaven. While handing out tracts in town, David, a market vender, stopped and shook my hand, thanking me for a tract I had given him three weeks before. The tract was entitled "THIS COULD BE YOUR LAST FIVE MINUTES ALIVE!" This week, January twenty-fourth, David asked many questions in front of his stall. I will be taking a Bible to him soon. I ask for your prayers concerning his salvation.

                                                                                                              WITCHCRAFT

        The Greek word for Witchcraft is Pharmacia, hence, the English word for drugs is Pharmacy. Drugs and Witchcraft cannot be separated. In our town, with a population of twelve thousand, the drug problem is running rampant. Last Saturday at 3:00 P.M. our sons were attacked by teenagers who were as high as a kite. Charles caught a four inch rock on the side of his head and John our eleven year old was slapped so hard in the face he had a red mark which remained two hours. At the time this attack took place, I was in Bristol preaching with three other men in front of the biggest drug house in southwest England. There is no doubt in my mind that these incidents were related. The powers that be in this country are doing all they can to legalize Cannabis, and they have even spoken of selling Heroine at the Police Station in order to slow ILLEGAL SALES. As we say in England "Just try getting your head around that information". The government's method for getting people off Heroine is to give them another drug called Methadone. Methadone is twice as hard to kick as Heroine. Pray as we meet with neighbors to organize a neighborhood watch, and also explain to these folk that THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME! It doesn't have to be theirs either. Pray for our children as the must deal with taunts and threats almost every week. Police have very little authority over children the age of seventeen. Pray that God gives me wisdom in how to deal with this situation.

                                                                                                                  PRISON WORK

         The Lord has opened the door to preach at the prison in the area. This work is presently headed up by English couple who are eighty-one. This dear couple started working in the prisons when they were sixty-nine years old. I trust this will be an encouragement to the Senior Saints in America to "FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT"! My battery was charged just by meeting this couple.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     FAMILY

       As most of you know, Sharlene is expecting on the 15th of March. We do appreciate your prayers toward a safe delivery and healthy child. Nadine came into my study two weeks ago sobbing and with tears in her eyes to tell me she had gotten saved. What a joy to see the change in her life!!!! AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET THE SOUND!!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

In Christ,

The Elwood's In England