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    Canter News                              January 2006

Revival in West Kilbride ???

   Well, we haven’t seen it yet, however there is such a growing sense among many people in our village that God is preparing us for a great outpouring of His Spirit – and I (Lance) truly believe with all my heart that we will see a genuine revival in the days to come.  As you know, I have had a burden to see God establish His Kingdom in this village from the day we first moved here, and that burden is continuing to grow stronger and stronger. 

 We have already seen several clear answers to specific prayers that we have been praying.  Let me note that we are not only praying that people would get saved and that the Church would grow (although we are certainly praying for that), but we are praying in a much broader sense that God’s Kingdom would be manifest in West Kilbride and that it would literally affect every sphere of society represented in the village.  We are praying that the character of God and the principles of His Kingdom would find full expression in every aspect of village life – from the businesses, to the school, to families, marriages, the youth, the churches, and even the village itself.  For example, I have always been bothered that the Main Street in the village is very drab and gloomy, and so I began praying that God would bring some color to the village.  Well, when we returned from the States this summer I was very pleased to see that 5 different shops had repainted their storefronts in bright cheerful colors.  This may sound like a vain prayer; however I truly believe that it will lift the spirits of the people who live here. 

 For some time now, several of us with YWAM have been praying together for the village and asking God what and how we should be praying.  One of the Scriptures that He led us to was Jeremiah 29:7 “Also seek the peace and prosperity of the city that I have carried you to.…”  So we began praying this for the village.  Well, at the end of October I was given a note by the local Councilor (Mayor) thanking for my help with a project that they have set up to raise money for village improvements.  A couple of years ago the village took over an old church that had been shut down and began using it to sell used furniture to raise money.  They open the church for sales on Saturday afternoons for about 5-6 hours from April through October.  So, it’s not really open that much.  Anyway, this year they made over £20,000 from the sales – far more than they had ever expected.  Well, the point of the story is that I believe that God is beginning to prosper our village in response to our prayers. 

 Ok, one last thing about the village.  We really believe that West Kilbride is in a pivotal time concerning the life of the Church.  Right now there are only 2 churches and both are very traditional Church of Scotland.  Although they are both Evangelical (which over here means they’re genuinely Christian), the style of worship is largely irrelevant to anyone who hasn’t grown up in the church.  In other words, neither church is seeing much growth at all, nor are they having much influence in the village. 

 Interestingly, both pastors are up for retirement in the next year.  As well, YWAM Scotland has begun to feel that God is leading us to begin planting new churches and new expressions of church across Scotland .  In light of this, we believe that God may be leading us (Heather and I) to  consider starting some form of house church in the village.  We can see how God has been knitting us into the life of the community for the last few years, and we feel that He is now saying that it is time to take the next step.  Nothing is definite at this point, but please be praying for us along these lines. 

Fruitful Memories

 After a year of getting my scrapbooking business up and running, I am thrilled to share with you what God has done. 

 My intentions for starting the business were twofold.  First of all, I desperately needed an outlet for my creativity and something to do socially.  I also wanted to build friendships with the local women and to be able to get to know them at a deeper level than I had previously experienced. 

 I’m glad to say that both desires have been fulfilled thus far and things have really begun to take off.  I am having so much fun scrapbooking again and sharing my passion for it with others.  My weekly workshops are now full and it really does seem to be a great place for women to come together and share their lives with one another.  I have definitely gotten to know so many new people through my business and friendships seem to be budding. 

 I also recently had a note from one of the women who attends regularly.  Here is an excerpt from her letter which to me is a testimony of how my business has also become a ministry.

 “I am delighted that you introduced me to scrapbooking.  It is a wonderful hobby and I feel that I have made lovely new friends.

 Scrapbooking has taught me quite a lot about myself - I didn't realize that I was such a perfectionist!  Taking photos of everything I do, and journaling about it, has also shown me how lucky I am and what a good life I have.  I think scrapbooking has made me a much more positive person.”

 Please pray that God will continue to use this hobby as a ministry and that He will open even more doors for relationships to develop.

Wishing you all a very blessed and prosperous 2006!  Love, The Canters  

How to Contact Us

The Canters
12 Glenside Grove
West Kilbridge
Scotland
KA23 9AB

email address: thecanters@ecosse.net

To send Financial support, please make checks payable to Lance or Heather Canter and send to:
R J Chester 470 Hill Street, Atlanta, GA 30601

 ________________________________________________________________________________________

  AN UPDATE FROM THE CANTERS

 Hi Guys,

 I’m sure that you are probably shocked to open your email and get yet another update from us.  However, some more good things are happening in our village and we wanted to keep you all posted on the progress.  I told you a couple of months ago that, at the beginning of the year, I felt the Lord say that this was going to be a ‘year of acceleration’ for things happening in the village.  Well, it certainly has!  Here is the most recent development.  I was talking to the Elizabeth McLardy, village counsellor, the other day and she pulled me aside very excited and said, ‘Lance, you’ve got to hear this one’. 

 As I have said in some of our previous newsletters, when we first moved to the village many of the shops were very run down and boarded up.  Well, in spite of all the developments that have taken place, there have been a handful of people who, for reasons beyond me, are aggressively opposed to the village regeneration.  Unfortunately, a couple of them are the ones who own some of the few remaining boarded up shops.  One of these men in particular happens to own 3 adjoining shops and some land that are a total eyesore and are in a very prominent location in the village.  They have been sitting there derelict for the past 30 years, and he refuses to do anything with them.  Obviously, they would be ideal shops to be fixed up and used as craft shops.  Well, Elizabeth said that he has continually refused to release them and at one point even angrily told her, ‘You’ll never get your hands on these!’  Well, just a few days ago, a wealthy woman from the village was able to purchase them and then told Elizabeth that she was going to have them completely renovated and expanded and then donated to the village free of charge to be used as craft shops!  Isn’t that cool? 

 Well, here is the really cool part of it.  As you can imagine, I have been praying for these shops for the past few years.  However, I wouldn’t say that they have been my main prayer targets, but rather ones that I would pray for on occasion as I passed by.  Anyway, in a recent meeting with some other YWAM people, I told them what was happening with these shops.  Well, one of the ladies perked up and got really excited and said that her flat was directly across from those shops and that she had been praying over them every day!  She said that after she started hearing me talk about praying for the village and seeing things happen, that she decided that she would try it too.  Obviously, she was really encouraged (especially because she would never see herself as being an intercessor).  She is the accounts manager for all of YWAM Scotland.  Anyway, she now says that she is going to turn her sights in another direction and start praying for the shop that is just outside her living room window; a shop that is in a similar condition.  Pretty cool huh!

So, what about the old pub that I asked you to pray for?  Some of you have been asking us about it.  Keep praying!!!  I asked Elizabeth about it a couple of days ago, and she kind of threw her hands up in disgust.  She said that it is owned by some guys in Glasgow who don’t give a hoot about the village.  She said that they only want to make money.  However, since it too has set empty and derelict for the past several years, she is quite sure that they are holding on to it for

      

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