Un-digging the wells
Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham… and discovered a well of fresh water there.’ Genesis 26: 18-19
Settling in
Life for the Haigh’s in Northern Ireland is going pretty well. After a few hard months of transition - saying goodbye, missing friends and our old way of life, we seem to be settling in. There are still lots of challenges, but also lots to give thanks for.
We are so thankful for the way Samuel is enjoying college, studying a BTEC in Music. He has connected with a friend at college who goes to church in Ballymena and so has decided to go with his friend to that church. After a rocky first few weeks Erin seems to be settling in well at school. She has made a few friends and is doing well. We are still home schooling Eliza, but are praying for the door to open for her to go to the same school as Erin. The girls have connected well to the church we have been attending. They went to the church youth weekend away last week and are both enjoying getting connected with peers. Again, we are so thankful for this!
Alison and I are giving thanks for the worship and teaching at church too. We are slowly getting to know a few folks. It is quite unusual (and a blessing for now) for us to attend church in this way as we have been in church leadership roles for 20 years and so feels very different. Alison continues to visit her mum in a nearby nursing home, whose health is very challenging and we pray for God’s peace and light for her. Alison is exploring a part-time job that seems like the Lord’s provision. Nick is continuing to have very positive God conversations about the ministry of prayer and mission in and around Ballymena. As well as connecting with people he is spending time getting to know the history of God at work in this area.
We are so aware of how the Lord has gone before us in our stepping out in faith, prayer and mission. We give thanks for the many ways he has shown himself and we pray for breakthrough in the hard and challenging areas.
Digging wells is hard, but necessary…
Life can be hard wherever we live. Though Isaac lived in the land God had promised, the hardness of life came in the form of a famine. Isaac set out on a journey towards Egypt, however, God spoke to say to stay in the promised land. The Lord reiterated to Isaac the covenant he had made with his father, Abraham and so Isaac settled in the Valley of Gerar. Without the fresh water found in the wells that Abraham dug, the Philistines filled in and Isaac reopened, life here would not have been possible.1 These wells, offered not only fresh water, but also a means to survive.
‘For nomadic herdsmen, even great ones like Abraham and Isaac, water was life. In some seasons of the year, human or animal life could not be sustained without water from wells. These wells were not a luxury, but a necessity.’2
And the digging of wells like these was an expensive, difficult and time consuming business. It took faith, hard work and commitment to dig and un-dig these wells and the fruit was life for the tribe.
Three Wells
Our call to Northern Ireland was inspired by the work the Lord had previously accomplished in and around the island of Ireland, in particular, in Ballymena. These ‘wells’ of fresh, life-giving, living water took faith, hard work and commitment to dig.
In Luke’s gospel we read the story of the disciples asking Jesus to, ‘Teach us to pray.’ Another, now famous, follower of Jesus, celebrated throughout the world each March 17th by rivers being dyed green, funny hats being worn and lots of Guinness being drunk, who learnt how to pray whilst enslaved away from his homeland, was Patrick. Patrick, still a teenager, it is said, spent six lonely years as a shepherd slave on the lowlands of Slemish Mountain. In this hard environment the Lord Jesus taught Patrick to pray.
‘The legend goes that his own real conversion took place while on Slemish out in all weathers, communing with nature and praying continuously.’3
Patrick himself said,
‘The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same…I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain’4
The fruit of Patrick’s learning to pray through these hard times was a realisation that God was calling Patrick back to Ireland as an apostle (a sent one) who it is said brought many thousands to faith in Jesus Christ. The ‘well’ that Patrick dug on the lowlands of Slemish, bought transformation and change to the island of Ireland and beyond, and still does even today.
Fast forward 1200 years to 1759 when another ‘well’ dug in Ballymena was Gracehill Moravian Settlement. The story of Gracehill can be traced back to the prayers of a refugee people given a piece of land to live on by Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf in Germany. This land was called Herrnhut, translated in english - the Lord’s watch or Lord’s protection. The Lord gave protection to these refugees in these hard times. They were powerfully met by the Lord in what is known as the Moravian Pentecost, and this move of God birthed a 24/7 prayer watch that lasted over one hundred years and resulted in 300 missionaries being sent out around the world. Count Zinzendorf traveled to England to seek permission from King George II to travel to the Colonies. Through this, the Moravians also established work in England and subsequently in Ireland.
‘John Cennick was a prolific preacher who pioneered the Moravian work in the north of Ireland and laid the groundwork for the establishment of the first and only complete Moravian Settlement in Ireland at Ballykennedy, Co Antrim, subsequently called Gracehill in 1759.’5
Some describe John Cennick as the forgotten evangelist, or even an apostle to Ireland, who the Lord used powerfully to bring many to the Lord Jesus. Cennick,
‘…established fifteen chapels, over forty religious societies and over two hundred preaching places.’6
Gracehill was a significant ‘well’ that was dug through faith, hard work and commitment.
In 1859, one hundred years later, revival came to Ulster after an English lady, by the name of Mrs Colville, came to Ballymena in 1856 from Gateshead because she had,
‘time and money to spend for God’
While doing house to house visitations she met James McQuilkin who soon after, came to a knowledge of Christ as saviour. James’ life underwent huge transformation and he began to meet with friends in Connor to pray and seek the Lord to help them serve well. They later moved to Kells where others joined them and slowly people began coming to Christ. The move of God jumped to Ahogill when James Campbell witnessed to this brother about the work of God in his life.
On 14 March, 1859 at the thanksgiving service at the close of the spring communion in First Presbyterian Church, Ahoghill, there was a significant outpouring of God’s Spirit and many came to a saving faith in Christ.7
This marvellous work of God’s Spirit – the work of revival – was beginning to spread throughout North Antrim. It is difficult for us living in the day of the internet and the mobile phone to imagine how slow communications were in 1859 and it is almost breathtaking for us to realise that the awakening which had begun in Connor in 1858 and had spread to Ahoghill in 1859 was still largely unknown in Ballymena, the major town in the county. But that was all about to change. This movement of God’s Spirit was destined to affect not just a small corner of North Antrim, but very soon Ballymena and beyond would witness remarkable scenes – scenes of amazing spiritual blessing which still stir us in our own souls today.8
This third ‘well’ took faith, hard work and commitment to dig. So many offered prayers in seeking the fresh water of the Holy Spirit being poured out to bring transformation and change to so many. It is said that 100,000 came to know the saving power of Jesus in this revival. God was clearly at work through this well and each one of the three ‘wells’ described.
As we step out in this journey of faith in Ballymena and discover more of the rich history of the ‘wells’ that have been dug in this part of the the island of Ireland we are encouraged that,
The spiritual resources that sustained previous generations are available for us today, if we will seek them with faith, work, and commitment.9
Our prayer is that God might use us in some small way to bring transformation and change to this beautiful place that our family are beginning to love and call home.
‘…we might say that the wells of peace, of power, of grace, of wisdom, of transformation are all available for the believer today as they were for previous generations. The question is whether a present generation will have the faith, the work, and the commitment to dig the wells again.’10
Prayers - Would you join us in praying?
‘When I pray, coincidences happen. When I don't, they don't.’11
We give thanks for the ways God has clearly gone before us in this venture of faith.
We give thanks for the ways the Lord has provided for us over the these first months.
We give thanks for the ways God has gone before S, E & E as they settle into life with new friends and community.
We give thanks for the many ‘God incidences’ we are having.
We give thanks for our continued journeying with the Tobar Network.
We pray for continued provision including finances and a school place for Eliza.
We pray for friendships to begin the flourish as we settle.
We pray for clarity as we take next steps for our part in un-digging the wells of all that God has done here in the past.
We continue to pray for our connections with Ballymena House of Prayer and the vision for a 24/7 Prayer Community.
Pounds - Would you give financially towards the ministry God has called us to?
We have been hugely blessed by a few people choosing to give monthly and others who have blessed us with a one off gift to enable us to start out on this journey.
We ask that you would consider being an answer to our prayers for God’s provision for this journey?
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People - Would you like to join us for a catch up call?
On Sunday Nov 17th from 7.30-8.30pm (ish) we would love to invite you to join us for a video call to catch up and pray together. Please use the message button below so we can send you a link.
Thank you so much for your love and support.
N,A,S,E & E
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Genesis 26
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/genesis-26/
https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/slemish-mountain-p673471
Confessions of St Patrick
https://gracehillvillage.org/gracehill-a-historic-moravian-settlement-in-ireland-legacy-of-faith-tolerance-and-education/
https://www.newroombristol.org.uk/product/john-cennick-the-forgotten-evangelist/#:~:text=He%20travelled%20extensively%20across%20parts,over%20two%20hundred%20preaching%20places.
https://banneroftruth.org/uk/resources/articles/2009/the-beginning-of-the-1859-revival-in-ulster/
https://banneroftruth.org/uk/resources/articles/2009/the-beginning-of-the-1859-revival-in-ulster/
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/genesis-26/
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/genesis-26/
Archbishop William Temple
Lovely to receive the update on your news. Wonderful to read about the Spiritual history of Ballymena and that there is no reason why God can't do it again! Bless you guys.