Following the visit of some of the team to the Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre near Rugby, we received the following comments from Sue Hardwick, the Lead Chaplain:
...." thank you so much for all you shared with our Trainees here at Rainsbrook. The Centre was buzzing with your visits, which both the Trainees and the staff thoroughly enjoyed. You gave everyone a great deal to think about and many of ther Trainees and staff have been asking me when you are coming to visit again.........."
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The following wonderful testimony of how God is working was received recently from The Gateway Community Church, Kettering: "We are so grateful for the Lord bringing you to Peterborough......The kids on our estate, which is the toughest in the area, were so excited that they were coming to see you and even more excited that you included them in what you did on stage. All the kids were unsaved but the three you picked out were all from the toughest families. We were astonished and blessed at the end of the night that all but two of the kids came up for prayer, 30+ in fact. With God all things are possible.......We have been working with these kids for nearly two years and were at a point where we were questioning whether or not to do anything else, but who knows the thoughts of God?"
These young people were those who gave their money towards Tough Talk and put it on a model weightlifter as shown in the "recent events" section of this site.
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One of the members of the team recently came into contact with a former prisoner in Lewes Prison who heard Tough Talk in prison. He was a heroin addict. He responded to the challenge to give his life to Jesus and as a result has been free from heroin and is being baptised. He is also going to give his testimony publically. Praise God! Amen!
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Steve Johnson recently met a young woman from Canning Town who told him that 5 years ago, she was suicidal, in total dispair and felt oppressed by evil. One night, members of the Tough Talk team prayed for her, she received Jesus as her Saviour and Lord and .......she is now happily married with children and is serving the Lord!! He gets the glory for this!!!
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PLEA FOR PRAYER FROM REMAND PRISONER
We have received a heartfelt plea for prayer from a young man on remand. He says in a letter to the Tough Talk team .........." I 've just finished reading the Tough Talk book and it has really made me think about my life and what I want to do with it......it made me realise that it Arthur, Ian and Steve can change their lives after all the stuff they have been through then so can I.............I do believe there is a God....but I've never been religious but after reading the book it made me realise that its not too late to change my way of life. I'm only 20 so I can still change can't I? I really want God to help me change my life......I don't want to come back to this kind of place. What I'm asking is that somebody in the Tough Talk group pray for me that God does the right thing by me to come out of this situation in a positive way and that he forgives me for all that I've done.........PLEASE can somebody pray.for me......
We have responded to his plea and ask that others join in and pray for him too.
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At a recent visit to HMP Highpoint, some of the team met an inmate who has a real gift in writing poetry. He has agreed for us to reproduce the following poem:
“ENLIGHTENMENT”
by Mark Tomlinson
"In my awakening
I am but a fledgling dancing in the sky
celebrating the realization of flight
I am riding on the back of a whale
lost in wonder at the scope of your being
In this newness I stumble like a child on uneven ground
but even as I fall my spirit feels your hands about me
and in the safety of that infinite love
my awareness of thy spirit within me overwhelms,
robbing me of my strength and will
as motionless and silent my remaining senses
absorb the wonders of your love".
Please pray for this man in his walk with the Lord.
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We have received a letter from an 18 year-old inmate in HMP/YOI Huntercombe that has greatly encouraged us. Here is an extract of what this young man said…
“ It’s not easy finding faith in prison but I have done it THANK GOD……..Thanks to you guys, I have learned that drugs and drug dealing don’t pay and I can say No to things I don’t want to do. I needed a good boot up the *** to see where I was going wrong in life and your book did that and helped me find God and Jesus too. ….Now I would like to help people like you helped me.
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MESSAGE FROM CHRISTIAN BROTHERS IN A MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON IN KABWE, ZAMBIA
We have been in correspondence with a group of Christians in a maximumum security prison in Zambia and have sent Bibles and New Testaments to them. We recently received this message:
"I am thanking the Lord for the Bibles you sent to us. Our TOUGH TALK PRAYER MEETING is growing bigger, the number has gone high. We are still requesting your spiritual help.....I am hoping to establish a church when I get out....I hope with your support nothing will hinder me.
....we do pray for you and all your members since we knew you..."
Please pray for these new believers as they meet together.
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After the team visited Ripon we received an encouraging email from the organising church, Holy Trinity, Ripon, who said that ..... "we've seen a real hunger for God amongst teenagers since - one particular friend gave her life to God that night - and we have had to start a 'God-Slot' on a Weds night in one of our churches because about 20 kids - all skallies - want to hear about God. They are tough kids - several have been 'inside' and one is currently tagged. Thanks for coming and God bless you in your mission.
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The Tough Talk books, available from the office, are being very well used to bring people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a testimony we received recently:
Firstly I'd like to say your books are AMAZING!! I have been a Christian for 18 years, since I was 4 years old. Last year, I fell in love with a 23 year-old doorman in the north of Scotland who was definitely not Christian! After 9 months of dating, praying, reading your books and the Bible he became a Christian in February and we got engaged last weekend......
Things are going so SO well...
He is now looking to set up a mini gym within our chuch for other doorman and the rest who are into bodybuilding.......
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Here is testimony from a prisoner who heard Tough Talk present the gospel of Jesus Christ in his prison..........
" My life turned around when I first saw your group at High Down prison and Jesus came into my life that day and it has been amazing.
I am currently doing the Alpha course and Bible studies and want a couple of the books with your stories to pass on to a couple of friends that I am helping accept Jesus into their life..........I will remain indebted to you all and God bless your group and your families."
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Here is yet another testimony of how the Lord is using the Tough Talk team:
Dear members of Tough Talk,
By the age of 30, I had been involved in dealing in three different
countries including Thailand, a country as I am sure you know carries the
death penalty, had been arrested 10-12 times in 2 different countries, and
had a raging addiction to crack. I felt like there was no escape and no end
to what I was going through.
I went to hear tough talk in 2003 , where I met Ian, Arthur, Steve and Marcus. You all prayed for me and I gave my life to Jesus. It was not a smooth ride for the next two years, but about a month ago Ian was talking in Brighton, at this point I had reached a bad stage again in my life and hearing your story again and you praying for me gave me a boost to come back to church.
Two weeks after this I met Paul Jones, who like the rest of your team has
blessed me. He was kind enough to check on me from day to day, knowing
what I was going through he really did help me keep my faith, he led me in
discipleship towards my baptism and I was baptised last Sunday. I went
on holiday on the Wednesday and on my way to the airport, I was praying and
worshiping and I heard a voice tell me "this is what Jesus has done for
you, he has set you free"
I am clear of my past and am set free of an addiction of ten years to crack.
This was all made possible by Jesus who called out to me in your seminar and has eventually set me free of my addiction. I still cannot
believe this has happened to me, it is the best feeling in the world, not to
be constantly thinking of something so heavy.
I felt I needed to tell you this as I gave my life after hearing your
testimonies and I just wanted you to know how valuable your work is.May
God bless you all for the time and effort you take to help people like me. I
know the victory is Jesus' but through you all he reached me as I am sure he
has reached so many others.
It has been a long walk but I have reached such heights of peace, love, joy
and where my mind was 100 mph it is just full of peace, to the extent that
I sometimes forget what the feeling to be a slave is like.
Thank you all for your prayers and may God bless you all the same as
he has blessed me.
God bless,
Andy,
Brighton
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Here is a message we received following a Tough Talk meeting in Ipswich
"
We had a great evening with Ian and Paul, and we knew we would as soon as we heard that they were stuck in traffic and struggling with injuries..., we knew Satan didn't want this to happen. I put the word out, and knew that in minutes dozens of Christians were praying for the guys to arrive, and it was great to see them arrive, and in the end actually on time too!
Honestly, the evening was fantastic! Big, big, big thanks to Ian and Paul, they did so well in less-than-ideal circumstances, but we know that so much good was done in Jesus' name. We've had an immediate response with attendance on Sunday mornings from a few, but we know that the real value of what this night has provided will take years to become clear.
There were a handful of kids in on the two Sundays since, and they're different, I'm not imagining it and I'm not the only one to say it, I've had emails about it, these tearaways are different, we know why but it's still hard to explain...!
The local beat bobby sat at the back, he's emailed too, to say how refreshing and encouraging it was to see the local Church doing this sort of thing for the community, he said that only good could come from it and was so encouraged...
I spoke to guys from the footy team I started. Guys who've always said there is no God are now saying they think there could be after all! Another, aged 18, right there, so wants to take the leap of faith... Another, aged 24, always dead against the church though his wife believes, he put his hand up (his wife told me), but he's not opened up to us just yet, but we know it's all going on inside of him. There's lots like this... So much to build on, and we will.
Tough Talk allowed the word to be spoken to a hundred or more in an accessible, non-churchy way, and has allowed us further access.
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We were very enouraged to receive this letter from someone who was at a Tough Talk meeting several years ago.......
" After seeing you about 5 years ago in Dereham, Norwich, my life has really changed. I was in rehab after being an alcoholic and drug addict for 28 years of my life. I lost 7 children because of my addiction and 3 partners died from addiction.
I'm always watching your two videos you sent me every day...an inspiration for me. It would be nice to see you again given the chance.
Prayer is daily for me now, where ever I am or what ever I'm doing. I'm now clean and sober.........God bless...
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Please pray for this young man who is in prison serving a 4 year sentence:
" I have just finished reading the Tough Talk book and that book really hit me....its one of the best, no sorry the best book that I have read. So please, please, please help me. I really really really do want to find God, Lord, Jesus and I really do want to change...I relly want to find what Arthur White, Steve Johnson and ian McDowall found and thats God, Lord, Jesus....so please please help me........
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We recently received a couple of emails from a man in Dubai who had read the Tough Talk book. He has given his permission for us to share these two emails here:
First email:
Dear Tough Talk
I have recently read your book "Tough Talk", after I was given it by a
friend of mine.
The story of Steve Johnson is the story that really got me thinking and
really quite confused. I can related to his problems of drinking and more
importantly his initial thoughts and opinions of Jesus Christ and the bible.
I turned to a friend and asked her opinion on God. She told me that a friend of hers is a born-again christian and put me in touch with her. As it turns out, she goes to
church here in Dubai, and she had already met my parents. This to me seems far to unbelievable to just be coincidence and I'm starting to believe that Jesus is giving me signs.
I am going to church for the first time today. I am still in the confused
stage, and not 100% sure that I believe, but I want to, and someone
somewhere is talking to me.
My life in the past has been that of drugs, drink and not holding down a
job. I have moved to Dubai to be with my parents and see a psyciatrist, due
to self-harm and attempted suicide.
I believe that God is trying to come into my life now, but i don't want to
enter the church for the wrong motives.
Second email:
I am sure you will be pleased to hear that I decided to go to church on
Friday (Friday is the Holy day in Dubai, everyone has to work on Sundays).
I felt that i was being drawn there…..
The service was amazing! The Worship band was incredible and although I
went in there with just an open mind, the music, the words, and the entire
atmosphere gave me an overwhelming feeling which nearly took me to tears. I
was closing my eyes and could see Jesus on the cross and although it was a
daunting sight, I had a feeling of appreciation. Then the preaching, after
the worship, a few of the people I had met previously said that a lot was
aimed at me, I felt this also. The feeling of worthlessness, was mentioned
twice, and that was undoubtedly aim at me, as I have felt that way for
years.
I sat down, after the service, with one of the elders and had a chat about
my believing. After my feelings throughout the service and what he said to
me, decided to give myself to God and was led in the prayer.
I have to thank the Tough Talk team, as if it wasn't for your book I would
probably never of found God.
Thank You
Philip Gamwell
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