I had an email from a friend who asked me if I had deleted their name from my prayer-letter list as they had not heard from me. In fact, my last communication was in March before my trip to Portugal for David da Silva’s wedding. My plan was to stay with our three families there, but I had to get out of Portugal after 2 weeks and I got the last flight back to the U.K. before the airport closed due to lock-down.

I have been getting around (on Zoom). I was told a couple of days ago that I am on Mike Cole’s radio station every day at 4.00 pm. Next Tuesday I will be on the radio live, how exciting is that! Four mornings a week I am in Exmouth and every morning with Gareth and Beth who are conducting a month of prayer via face-book at RRCC. On Sundays I get to visit Exmouth, Cowbridge, Warrington and Birmingham, so I am well-travelled, – last Sunday I was so exhausted with travelling that I fell asleep and missed Warrington!

On Sunday I will be at Cowbridge at 11.00 am and I will be following Mary Seaton who spoke last week on "Rahab the harlot" – who became wife to the prince of the tribe of Judah. I have been asked to speak about Ruth, - I jumped at the invitation because of the amazing woman I get to speak about!

"Ruth the Moabitess" - she stands at the dividing of the ways; she is faced with a choice of either returning to her people or travelling to a strange new land with Naomi who has urged her to go back to Moab. Suddenly, she opens her mouth and with raised voice she proclaims to the world her undying love for Naomi and her allegiance to her God, the God of Israel,

"Entreat me not to leave you,Or to turn back from following after you;For wherever you go, I will go;And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;Your people shall be my people,And your God, my God.Where you die, I will die,And there will I be buried.The Lord do so to me, and more also,If anything but death parts you and me" (Ruth 1:16-17).

There are no more wonderful words than these to be found in the entire Bible, unless we recall the words of another equally amazing woman called Mary the virgin, who was carrying in her womb the unborn Christ, the Son of God. In response to her cousin Elizabeth’s greeting, Mary suddenly burst out in joyful singing, carried by the Holy Spirit into spontaneous and prophetic worship of the Lord her saviour (Lk. 1:46-).

I am sending you a link to my little book on Ruth; it has lots of pictures! After the paintings of the nativity and the holy family, and the cross where Jesus died, I think Ruth comes next in the list of subjects artists paint.

Thank you for your fellowship, your love and your prayers,

Blessings to you in the Lord Jesus, Derrick.

Derrick Harrison