You know we have waited so long for some closure to this constant dealing with the consequence of the critical surgeries done in emergency situations to save my life; the continual battle to avoid system infection from an open wound more than 2-3 inches (6-8 cm) wide and over 8 ½ inches (22 cm) long, the risk of re-rupture or growing weakness

These past six months have also been an ongoing display of miracles. I am a walking, talking, singing, speaking miracle fresh from the regenerating hand of God. You who have helped us so much in both warm little ways and sometimes huge and generous gifts of encouragement and blessing; you have invested so much in our lives to make this passage so much kinder than it might otherwise have been, thank you. He has been so good to us, and often through the hearts and hands of His friends, been our benefactor.

We embark now on the final operation. As of last week, we met with the team who we believe is the one who is going to help us in this last stage of preparation for recovery.
From the beginning, I have had three criteria in mind for this last surgery that involves stitching back together the large fascia tissue that holds the muscle groups together to repair what amounts to a huge hernia running down my middle like a missing tissue tie.

The operation though not critical, and could be counted as cosmetic is not without risk. When piercing the outer shell of the body in any situation there is always the danger of admitting infection to the inner systems, and with any traumatic wound the possibility of a hematoma, or subsequent blood clots that can in turn bring on stroke, heat failure or lung embolism. Professor John Windsor the first surgeon who so generously made time for us to discuss in detail what was involved and also took the trouble to re-state simply what actually happened to me and the steps to save my life taken in Korea from the translated surgical notes they supplied said it best: “It’s not a haircut”.

In undertaking this, we are already aware of and reminded again of the risks by these great consultants we have had, but the alternative for me was hardly livable. To spend the rest of my useful life without the freedom to run, preach strongly, or even play tennis well, requiring constant extra care and clothing restraints is of course possible. I could still function and there would be no critical risks living like that. I, for one, am glad and thankful that through the prayers of the saints, the dedication and skill of those who first undertook to save me, and over it all, the grace of God, that I am still here. There are many who would perhaps be content of course, to just be alive. But I have never lived, nor ever wanted to live contented to be “just alive”. I want to be fully alive, as great as I can be for God and for His Kingdom with what He gives and graces, and until I see Him face to face, want to go to the very edge of what He wills. “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”

My Dads’ book finally came out a few weeks ago for national release here as one of the three cycling legends of our nation that span the key generations of championship competition in this world sport. Titled “Bill Pratney - Never Say Die” it is a wonderful compilation of some of the career highlights of this great and good man I had the privilege of living with and loving for more than sixty years. I have written sometimes about him, spoken often about him both in public and private and certainly missed him many times now since his death in 2001 aged ninety-two. We gave our lives to Jesus together, my Daddy and I, in a little Auckland street mission where I got in the same night a new Dad as well as new Father. He was more than a champion to me, more than a icon who was the first to be called the original “Iron Man” more than the man George Bernard Shaw on seeing him compete called him “one of the three greatest natural athletes of our time.” He also was my brother.

I never was or would be able to even come close to what he did on a bike, this man who would think nothing of getting up at 4:00 am and riding a hundred miles before breakfast on a daily training run, who won almost every major event in our nation in both speed and stamina, whose career nearly ended at 16 after a near-fatal road crash but who recovered from a coma and was still competing on an Olympic level at the Masters Games in Brisbane at 86. I probably never will, even if they have bike races in heaven.

But as I told the cyclists in attendance at the book launch, when I was in critical condition on Korea and all the major systems of my body begin to shut down and die, though I had nine tubes and thirteen drips in me to keep me alive, one thing kept on going – my heart. And I told them; “I got my heart from my Dad.”

As I mentioned in my previous blog I have thought about and prayed about what we would need for this completing surgery. I was looking to the Lord for three threads to come together for whoever might head up the surgical team. (1) A real Christian, a real child of God that genuinely knew Christ so that there would be more than one hand on the scalpel and the scissors; (2) someone who really knew their stuff, with a wide and deep knowledge of what they were doing (3) if at all possible, the operation performed as a public service instead of the somewhat costly ($8-10,000) private alternative. Both men we consulted with first met all these conditions for me; both John Windsor and Ian Bisset were part of the same team of specialists in Auckland Hospital, both with missionary backgrounds, both teaching professors, both willing to undertake this operation in the public or private sector. We learned so much from them both, and appreciated both their wisdom and personal interest in my situation.

I also had as I last mentioned, an unspoken wish; more like an unvoiced trust; that if it was really God, there would be no need to push for things, to attempt to manipulate or have to try to pull strings. While there must always be our own choices and personal responsibility for our actions, especially for those that affect our whole life and future, I believe as I have said before that living by faith is living without scheming. I believe, and have lived like this, that if it is really God, He will make it plain and put it all together for His children. He did after all say” “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” There is always the possibility of demonic and human resistance, but the life of faith does not require striving, but trusting. We fight from a place of utter rest.

What is interesting with these godly men, is that when we first asked for some contact with those recommended to us by friends who visited me in Korea, we were unable to reach them for various reasons. Two of them were actually out of the country. The first contact was eventually made by one of these surgeons himself to us by phone, and all subsequent connections were then done on a personal and relational level. The Kingdom of God is built on friendships. We have found these men who invested time and concern in us not only to be of the highest medical standards, but with genuine personal commitment and convictions wrapped in a wisdom that transcends mere practice and professionalism. They really cared, and we are truly grateful for their help and advice.

The surgeon who will head up my operation on the 6th of November is the culmination of all these consultations and recommendations. Like his fellow-surgeons, he also has a missionary background with three years in Africa. He is likewise an experienced teaching professor who heads up his division of the surgical department. The hospital (Manukau Counties) is not only one of the newest in the country with top equipment and facilities, it is literally ten minutes away from our home, making it the closest hospital to us. And because of its location, I qualify for a public operation there, not needing a private undertaking. And because it is in a public hospital, there is at-hand an entire backup in case of complications, rather than the smaller assembled team of a private surgery.

We had our preliminary meeting last Tuesday. On that day he scheduled the surgery, another small miracle when there can be a waiting list for public surgery sometimes literally longer than a year or more. Yesterday we spent a couple of hours of preliminary operation preparations, in discussions, asked and answered questions with nice nurses and doctors. I had my height measured (no doubt in case I shrunk from this commitment) was weighed (in the balances and hopefully, not found wanting). I had my blood pressure measured (good), blood taken for tests from a highly trained phlebotamist (you ask? –from the veins), my lungs listened to (still breathing)

And oh yes – I also had an EKG. The verdict? My heart is also still good.

Thanks Dad..

We value your prayers. Surgery is scheduled the morning of November 6th Manukau Counties Hospital. Lord willing, I will spend only 3-4 days in the hospital for initial post-op recovery, and then be free to return home for the longer task of healing all over again. Remember us now, that all the time, love and gifts invested us over these past six months will be brought to a great close in this. As Dad also said “Son, its not how you begin the race that matters. It’s how you finish that counts.”

Blessings in the Beloved –

Winkie and Fae




Posted by Israel Anderson

Well here we are again on another new adventure with God! These past three weeks have been simply a blur of great blessing. We have seen overwhelming generosity from the saints in this nation in helping us with everything from broken household items to major projects on our property. It seems as if heaven opened up on us from different avenues in wholly unexpected ways and we are deeply grateful to the Lord for what He is doing.

Early in August, we were made honored guests of a great local church I had spoken in briefly before leaving for Korea that fateful March. Fae’s parents have already been recipients of their kindness for some time now, in their providing a ride for them to church every Sunday. This blessing was set up for them over a year ago by our friends Duane and Jenny Newport, when Dad Rees-Thomas became legally blind and could no longer drive. Although the church has since had a major change of leadership, the new team likewise continued this kindness and now have committed themselaves to helping us also.

This one work has been so wonderful with their time and expertise, sending out a small resource team to see how they could help us. From their investment in our lives we have a new clothes dryer, a friend from thirty years in the past who has given us time every two weeks to bring our jungle into the Divine order called a garden, a man from a Wellington team of professionals who donate time and materials to repair and fix things for a ministry who came out to help us with our leaky conservatory roof. As I look out our side window, there is now a beautiful concrete driveway stretched all the way to the footpath instead of two muddy ruts carved out by cars.

They asked Fae and I if we would like to attend a major conference they hold each year as their guests, and were accommodated by them at a beautiful new hotel overlooking the bay for the week-long duration of the ministry.

We had opportunity to meet with three of their guest speakers, Don Thomas, a worship leader from Atlanta, Ian Green, a friend of mine from Whales formerly with Youth Alive! in England, and now active in planting many churches in Eastern Europe. The third ministry guest was Bill Johnston, the revival pastor from Redding California where the Lord has been doing so many great things in their city and through his ministry. Though this was the longest time I have ever been in meetings since the surgeries in Korea, the Lord sustained me and we deeply enjoyed the ministry and fellowship of that week. To cap it off, we were signally honored by a special offering taken up for us from the convention towards providing support for us during these many months of restricted travel and sharing until I am fit and well enough again for battle. This was the largest single gift we have ever had in our ministry, taken up from among the over 200 pastors there and both national and international attendees to honor us for the many years of ministry we have spent in His service both home and abroad. Thank you so much Martin Steel, pastor of Harborside Church, as well as those attending Manifest Presence who so marvelously gave of your love, prayers and precious substance to help us so deeply in keeping our calling. We are so touched.

Following the convention, we hosted some of the speakers and international visitors at our home over the next two weeks, showing them some of the other part of the Revival Library in my New Zealand study. There are some gems of historical greatness in God on these shelves, some books more than three hundred years old and sets that show in every generation He has raised up those who listen to His voice and do what He bids.

Other internationals followed, friends and fellow-ministries coming by to see us and to encourage us together. First was a small team from the Philippines, where Fae and I originally sent 200 copies of the first Youth Aflame manual in the sixties that were able to help disciple and train three generations of young Christians. They in turn have been used of the Lord to win thousands of people to Jesus and raised up hundreds of new churches both there and abroad. I never fail to marvel at the power of the Word of God when it is put in the hands of the hungry, and what He can do when their hearts are set on a holy life-long romance with Jesus. Kelvin and Ribena Burton came from Lindale Texas for a three week stay here making our home their first port of call and bringing us a suitcase full of Texas goodies.

Last week our good friend Che Ahn from Pasadena specially altered his international ticket to spend a day with us on his way to Australia and then on to Korea. He has been a friend of many years starting from our first time with him when he was 19 and being able to help direct him to the work and ministries of some of the great saints of the past who saw revival in their time. God has signally honored Che and his friend Lou Engle in not only launching the Call prayer movement that has involved literally millions of young people in a “nameless, faceless” call to seek God for their nations, but also to raise up a wonderful church both in Harvest Rock and the H.I.M network across the globe now involving more than 2,000 churches.

Looking at him again last week I remembered how much of a risk he and his young family took in laying down a previous work they founded to pursue God 24/7. They dared believe that He could bring literally hundreds of thousands of young people together without advertised bands or speakers, just to seek His face and pray. Undaunted by the best paid financial advice they were given to not do this, that all the odds were against them, that they were wholly unknowns and unless some 80,000 kids could come to support such an event that was “just prayer” they would probably lose both their homes and church in trying to pay off such a massive undertaking as renting the Washington Mall for it. Heart in mouth, Che and Lou sought the Lord yet again, heard His clear word to “Just do it” and went ahead in faith to see one of the two largest gatherings of young people in the history of America, where more than 400,000 youth stood together hour after hour even in the rain. to worship God and seek Him.

Last week we caught up also with David McCracken and his wife Margaret, who I first met in my little office decades ago, where he as a young pastor with great dreams shared something of his passion with me. Surviving the loss of his church and Christian school where our son Billy once attended during his time in New Zealand and a major life-threatening heart attack, David has not only been a survivor, but has since been used of the Lord to encourage hundreds of churches both in Australia and other parts of the world. The Kingdom of God is built on friendship. In these and so many other wonderful weavings of love, I see the truth of the Scripture that calls us to cast our bread upon many waters, to see it come back to us having touched so many lives.

Reflecting again with gratitude on the unbelievable volume of prayer launched on our behalf during the crisis, I was reminded of how great a legacy God has given us in permitting the technologies of the time to link us instantly. We know a true revival affects our neighbors. Love restored to Christ will call also on those within reach of our influence. But the neighbor of the new Millennium is no longer just the person geophysically next door to you. We are rather, as my friend John Dawson says, linked by “lateral villages of relational communication” so that which happens to us can instantly be shared with hundreds, even thousands of “neighbors”.

Yesterday morning, I went again early to the airport to see off yet another friend returning to Australia who I have known since his teenage years. He now has a wonderful ministry helping other churches join together to bless the marketplaces of the city with righteous renovations, and is doing a new book :”Where Does God Go On Mondays?” Danny told me that when I was critically ill, our dear friend Dennis Slape of Adelaide called him immediately on his cell – and he was in Sweden in a conference with 200 pastors! He immediately called them also to prayer and did the same in the next conference with some 2,000 pastors. Scores of others simultaneously did the same thing. Thus, in just a few days, an exponentially expanding torrent of prayer was released for me, where we estimate that there must have been literally tens of thousands of people holding my fragile life up to the throne. No wonder I was spared for another round. By God’s grace, you can call my movie Winkie Balboa.

So where are we physically with this operation? The wound has finally healed. I have been discharged from the weekly visits of the District Nurse checking it, and on our last visit with Dr. Ian Bisset he pronounced me good to go. It seems as if the final operation will be done by his friend Andrew in our district and we will meet with him to discuss a date when he returns from his three weeks away from our newest hospital – Manukau Counties Hospital, the “Super-Clinic”.

Andrew seems to ably fulfill my three expectations from God on this final surgery – (1) a genuine Christian, so that more than one hand will be on the knife (he was a missionary in Africa for three years before taking up this post) – (2) a highly-trained professional who really knows what he is doing (a teaching professor, whose specialty is this sort of operation) so I don’t have someone who is just a “practicing” surgeon and (3) a public, rather than a private operation, saving some $8.000-10,000 of Kingdom funds.

It also is a fulfillment of an unspoken wish that has guided most of my faith life – that the final selection would not have to be somehow manipulated, pushed or prodded from our end but become in itself a testimony to the flowing faithfulness and care of God. I believe that living by faith is living without scheming. Scary, but always great. We trust Him with our lives, and rest on His promises that He that feeds the sparrows can even more wonderfully take care of His children. (Matt. 6:33)

Blessings, dear ones. Your continued prayer is a life-line for us to His throne.

You are loved and deeply appreciated. We are thankful for all you have done for me and our little family. We look to see the story of His love grow wider.

Winkie and Fae



Posted by Israel Anderson