More children than saucepans

America and all that jazz

2006-01-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone

Like Scott exiting his tent in the Antartic or Hannibal with his elephants I'm about to embark on a mammoth journey, all in the name of 24-7prayer.....

Tomorrow I jump on a plane across the Atlantic and enter into an epic 2 weeks:

TOMORROW - Los Angeles, settling in and meeting friends in LA.

WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY - in Calgary, conducting the annual review of Calgary Boiler Room

SATURDAY TO MONDAY - in Vancouver, with Big Conversations, days with Jacobs Well

MONDAY TO SATURDAY - in Kansas City, blessing new Boiler Room, speaking, meeting stacks of people, US Transit etc

SATURDAY TO SUNDAY - in Bakersfield with Doug, Renee, Casey and Amy

MONDAY - in Ventura, meeting the publishers of Punk Monk, meeting my friend David and then flying home

Please pray..........
Especially for Karen and the kids whilst I'm away

Thanks

Andy

It's snowing in Dresden

2005-12-19T03:52:00.000-08:00

It's Monday morning in Dresden and things are going well.
I am visiting a wonderful community who are talking and planning about becoming a Boiler Room. Things have been going well and I'm really excited about what might emerge in Germany.

As I arrived yesterday in Leipzig (the airport was an ex Russian military airfield) I was surprised to see snow. In Dresden there is loads of thick crunchy snow - it looks so beautiful. Yesterday we visited the Christmas Market in Leipzig and today might get to see the famous market in Dresden. Also hoping to get a peak at the old city and the Church of our Lady which has recently re-opened.

Do pray for me if you have a moment. I am very tired - although these discussions are so exciting and I am amongst good friends I feel so low on energy, emotionally and physically. I am also worried about Karen and the kids. It is so tough on them when I go away. I am sure Karen would appreciate a visit or a call if you're close.

Andy

A great week

2005-12-17T12:06:00.000-08:00

This week I discovered my son Jonathan could sing, I mean really sing. On Tuesday night we attended the Highdown School concert, nervous with the anticipation of Jonathan singing a duet of 'A Whole New World'.

Moments before he looked terrifed .... but he was AMAZING

Perfect pitch, perfect timing, amazing performance, amazing voice. The reaction was amazing. He was incredible. Am so proud.

This weekend, is my last bit of work before the Christmas break. Tomorrow morning I fly to Germany to visit the emerging 247 community in Dresden. Do pray for me if you can.

Andy xx

Our weekend.....

2005-12-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend is the Mix (youth group at our church) are having a sleep over. Lucy and Jonathan are going and David, as one of the leaders is going.....and yes you've guess it, I'm being one of the leaders there too. No sleep then.

That's probably the biggest thing on this weekend.

Pray for us !

Our Christmas Review of the Year

2005-12-09T03:52:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone and happy Christmas.

It’s felt like this year has been an incredible whirlwind with some exciting developments and some massive challenges. Let me take you through some of the highlights of the year

FEBRUARY

Daniels 2^nd birthday was on 18^th. Daniel is growing so fast and becoming a little man who loves footie and cricket, star wars, the tweenies, playing, watching trains and generally having a laugh. He’s quite a handful but fun with it.

February was a busy time for 24-7 as it celebrated it’s 5^th Birthday. It’s amazing to think that in 5 years a little prayer room in Chichester has now grown to a movement in 60 countries.

In February we also began a long process of coming up with a document that clarifies and builds Boiler Rooms. There are now 6 worldwide in Reading, Staines, Wandsworth, the City of London, Calgary and Brighton with others now forming in Ibiza, Kansas City, Liverpool and Dresden. Other cities are planning them. It’s been a remarkable journey. Out of our meeting came the Boiler Room Rule, which you can check out at http://www.boiler-rooms.com/cm.

MARCH

I visited friends in the US and chatted to people interested in the Boiler Room concept. The highlight was 5 days with my friends Pete and Samie in Kansas City.

In the Spring, Karen helped with a parenting course at our church, New Hope. The church is going well and really is a community thing now, impacting the school, families and how life is lived in our little area. Karen is still a trustee of the charity and is involved in tons of things.

Karen continues to struggle with her diabetes but if anything the last few months have been better. She really is an incredible person, who overcomes much and is bringing lots to many people’s lives – most of all to us and to me.

MAY

May was a busy month. It was Karen’s birthday, she’s 21 again. It was SAT’s exams for David, Lucy and Jess – they all did very well and I’m so proud of what they’re achieving.

David’s also taken initial GSCE papers this year (sooo early) and is doing really well academically as well as growing as a person. He plays Cricket for his school and is getting into Hockey this term.

Jess has done brilliantly at school and in now in Year 3. She has an artistic gift and is very good at being very friendly and caring. She has some great new friends too.

Jonathan missed out on all these SAT exams as he was completing his first year at Highdown. Unsurprisingly he has thrived. Jonny loves to chat to his mates on MSN, gets involved a lot at church and loves watching sport and listening to music.

In May I had to do lots of travelling to Stockholm, to the Jesus Freaks gathering in Germany and to Ireland with Carla to help lead a retreat for Irish Methodist Youthworkers.

JULY

July was a busy month again for 24-7 with our Transmission missions gathering at the YWAM base at Harpendon. A few hundred gathered to share and be trained and then about half went off round the whole on mission teams. These teams are now beginning to bring about ideas and dreams of long term communities. Very very exciting.

In July, Jess turned 7, Lucy 11 and me 36 !

In July we also held our first Boiler Room Leaders Retreat at the beautiful Turvey Abbey. It was two days of sharing, praying and agreeing the final stages of the Boiler Room Rule. We’ll be doing this again.

AUGUST

We enjoyed a lovely holiday in the Yorkshire Dales. A glorious week, with mostly beautiful weather and great time to hang out. We then went for a few days with my Mum and Dad in Kent.

In August I was also hard at work on the book I have been asked to write. Punk Monk is now nearly complete and has been taken on by publishers in the UK and Europe and in the US. Watch this space.

SEPTEMBER

Was an amazing month. Lucy started at Highdown School. She has done really well (my kids are amazing !) and has joined about every club going. Maybe her highlight came this week when she ran 6 miles in a sponsored event for a kid who has leukaemia. The event was to raise money for his treatment. Lucy has become quite a runner, and a hockey player etc etc

England won the Ashes. I was there on the last day of the final game and then at the victory party afterwards.

In September our Transit training scheme started. 15 people giving a year to learn, experience and grow as leaders. I have been heavily involved in this and still am – it’s been an honour to see people growing and to be involved in that.

In September we held our Round Table in Hernhutt Germany and then after that our International Leaders Gathering in Dresden. People gathered, stories were shared, the movement is ever expanding and making a profound impact – it really does become overwhelming sometimes.

In Hernhutt our Boiler Room Rule was approved and is now being implemented.

OCTOBER

On October 22^nd Karen and I celebrated being married for 17 years.

In October I started helping to lead JCA, a lovely little 11-14’s cell group at my church. I am loving it and really enjoying some face to face time with the group, which includes Lucy and Jonathan.

In October, we commissioned the Brighton Boiler Room, partnering with YWAM. Lots was going on with Boilers that month. On 17^th we held a special evening to commission Lorraine Joslin as Abbess of Reading Boiler Room. Handing over responsibilities had been one of my big tasks of the year but it was wonderful to see Lorraine formally take things on. I am still involved here in Reading, but Lorraine is bringing her considerable gifts to guiding the thing forward.

DECEMBER

Brings us to here. Hope you have a good Christmas and New Year.

Andy and Karen and the family

59 Addison Road, Reading RG1 8EN

Tel 0118 9500 980

Email andy.freeman@24-7prayer.com

New mobile 07834593138

Welcome to our new Blog

2005-12-09T03:48:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone .... the Freeman Family have moved to this new site. Partly because it's cheaper, partly because I wanted to have a specific site for us and family news and put all those rants I come out with somewhere else.

So if you're wanting news, stay here.

If you want to keep up with wants stretching my mind, bugging me or making me joyous try out isthisbiblical

Thanks for reading