Min Y Don News and Prayer for March 2020

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Sixty years ago this year Min-Y-Don was bought by Tony Boot with the aim to share the good news of Jesus with men and women, boys and girls.


It opened as an Adventure Centre in April 1961. Over the years the world has changed so much and experienced so much with wars, famines, disease, and disasters. The Centre too has experienced times of difficulty with finances, personal grief, loss and struggle as well as much joy seeing lives changed, families building stronger relationships, confidence grown and faith deepened. Many have come to know Jesus as their personal Saviour here in this place and gone on to live amazing lives for Him.

One evening recently as I stood and looked at our climbing tower I knew as surely as I ever have that God is our Strong Tower. He has faithfully seen us through so much, loved us and used us despite our weaknesses and today we will faithfully declare that ‘He IS the same yesterday and forever’ and we will continue to commit ourselves and this place to Him to be used for His glory.

As we set off into March, we may have had some inkling, but could not have really foreseen where we would be now. We had a school and two youth groups come to stay which went well, and we were blessed to see the place full of children and young people. We waved off St Peter’s Youth Group from Liverpool on Sunday 15th March little knowing that they would be our last guests for quite a while.


We had a great couple of days of team building both spiritually and physically led by Ian and Jan Harrison. We were so blessed by their input and it couldn’t have been more well timed as things began to unfold in the world around us. We focused on Jesus, worshiped, prayed and broke bread together. Our hearts may have been a little troubled, but we were able to go to ‘The Rock that is Higher’ and find our confidence and hope in Him, ready for the road ahead.

Min-Y-Don has always been a family and we are now being a small family for a while. The onsite team all decided to stay here so we are appreciating the wide-open space around us during this period of staying at home. We can look after the grounds as well as staying active. We have been able to pray together and continue to learn together too.


We continue to look for ways to encourage our church family, our MYD family, and the young people we work with in the local area. The team have been making podcasts, preparing things to send out to the young people, filming sketches and talks to put on the website, and looking for all the ways we can to help wherever needed.

We have been encouraged by the many schools and families who have been keen to help us out financially as best they can, and we want to say a massive thank you for that. We keep looking for all the ways we can save money. We have furloughed some staff and will probably have to furlough most of the Team in the coming days, enabling us to claim salaries from the government. We have put on hold any projects that may have been done in these weeks and we are looking at all of the grants and savings offered to see what help we can get.



In the middle of the storm we can be thankful for all that has gone before, for what God has done in our lives and the lives of others. We remember the triumphs and the challenges and see how God showed up repeatedly. We are here for such a time as this: to worship our God who never changes. We recognise once again that all this is for Him. He is the one who built our ministry, the Rock upon which we can stand now. The adventure continues and as we stay at home, we will pray with faith for the day we can share Jesus with our guests once again.

• Thank God for all that He has done in the past, for always being there in the joys and sorrows.
• Pray for the government – that they will act with wisdom in the days ahead.
• Pray for our NHS, for safety and protection. Also, that Christians in the NHS will shine light into darkness.
• Pray for healing for those who get sick with the virus.
• Pray for all of our friends in Christian Outdoor Residential ministries, for God to provide all that is needed in the months ahead, and that they will be protected as well as being able to shine light into their own communities.
• Pray for our team, that they will turn their worries into prayer and that their faith will grow stronger.
• Pray for wisdom to make the right decisions in the coming weeks.
• Pray for financial provision for the Centre.
• Pray for the children, young people and families who will miss their residential's or holidays.
• Pray for a swift ending to the crisis – after all God can do all things and we should pray with faith but also with trust in His timing.