Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSCITY ON A HILLA tractor hurtled towards us and screeched to a halt. Pete‘Valiant’ edged our minibus past it up the drive at New CreationFarm and waved at Steve ‘Stalwart’, who was straighteningout the railings from a previous encounter! A few sheepturned their heads as Pete changed gear. Passing the gooseberrybushes and apple trees on the right, he parked outsidethe farm shop.‘Right! Everybody out!’ said Pete.‘Hello there!’ A lean beekeeper sauntered by and lifted thenet from off his face. It was Dave Lants. ‘Welcome to the farm.You will have to excuse the smell of pigs!’As we chatted, an older man stepped out of the farmhouse,dressed in a tatty sports jacket and cap. He beamed benignlyand slapped me on the shoulders, ‘Bless you, “Overcomer”!All right?’ But before I could answer he had gone.‘Who’s that?’ enquired Henk, ‘The farm manager?’‘Yes,’ I said, ‘he’s also our senior pastor!’‘Really?’ said Henk, as we walked into the pig shed.‘Yes,’ I shouted above the squeal of piglets, ‘I don’t knowhow he does it all.’“Ow do!’ the pig-man nodded, sipping tea from a tin mug.‘Ian “Honest”!’ I said. Tell us a bit about these pigs.’ Ian stoodchatting to us all for a while, and Anneke, a town girl, wasfascinated.‘Hey chaps!’ said Pete, ‘let’s keep moving! There’s lots tosee’.‘Mind the puddle, bro!’ he said, as we walked past the muckheaptowards the chicken huts. After visiting the egg-gradingshed and the honey room, we walked through the orchardand then piled back into the minibus.229