April 2005 Monthly Newsletter - POPE DIES, WARATAHS LOSE ? LIFE GOES ON

Welcome to April. That title has nothing to do with this update and I want to stack a lot into these two pages. But up front I want to say thank you for reading and thank you for praying.

March went by fast and was packed full of activity. I worked a lot at Pacific Hills Christian School and I preached at church (sermons can be heard on line).

Last week I drove with a friend, Richard Telfer, to Bourke to visit my long time friends the Amos family. We had quite an adventure missing a kangaroo by the smallest of margins and catching it on video. While I was there I shared about Gods work in Ukraine at Koinonia Christian School and Pera Bore Christian School. We then travelled back to Bathurst and stayed with friends Catherine and Luke Beckett and got acquainted with their daughter Olivia. I was challenged while having a shower at their place. Stuck on the other side of the glass of the shower recess was a weekly prayer list with a list of different things to pray for each day. I thought what a great idea! How often do we take advantage of those everyday activities to speak with God? Plus it's a great excuse for a long shower!!

Please pray for my VISA. I have sent my Application form to the Embassy in Canberra but with only copies of the Letter of Invitation and not the originals. It seems the originals have got lost in the mail. Please pray that God will overrule and I will be sent this VISA with no problems.

Jeff and I visited a church on Sunday to talk about Super Heroes. As is usually the case Jeff got things totally mixed up and then got heckled from the crowd by some kids calling out that he was not real. Kids can be so cruel, Jeff felt very hurt. But we went on to learn the lesson that the greatest hero is Jesus, and we can be great too because we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

The holidays are coming up soon. I have a few days in Rockhampton visiting friends, and then 9 days in New Zealand for a family reunion. In May I will have the first two weeks in Sydney, then two weeks in Brisbane and then I fly out from Brisbane on May 30th arriving in Kyiv on the 31st. God willing I plan my next trip to Australia and NZ at the end of 2007 beginning of 2008.

I will let you know in the next update, but I am planning an open house so I can say goodbye and catchup with as many of you as possible in one go (probably May 15).

Thanks to those who visited my website. It contains my updates and RPDs, extra photos and from time to time extra articles that I write. It also has links to other web sites and a new poll every month or so. Thanks to those who voted for me to have a blue Mohawk! I have curly hair and it didn�t work but I can say that I tried. Click to see the picture.
A new poll has been created - check the right sidebar and vote.

I have managed to play a small amount of rugby with Beecroft rugby club. I love the rugby and even managed to score a try on Saturday. More than that it�s been great to continue the mateship with the guys in the club. I had a great talk with a couple of guys late on Saturday night. Among various topics we talked about guilt. Mick was convinced that Christians do what they do because they are motivated by guilt. It got me thinking. Then on Sunday night two songs at church had the following lines:

"No guilt in life, no fear in death"
"In Christ I am absolved from sin and fear, from guilt and shame"

If as a Christian I allow guilt to be a guiding factor, then I am not living the life that Christ offers me. He died not only to forgive my sin but to free me from the guilt of my sin. I must choose to live forgiven and guilt free. It is liberating. Don't hold onto guilt. Jesus has already paid for it. Let it go.

UKRAINE UPDATE
Last month Ben talked about Zhenya who fell and hurt his ankle. There is more to the story. Ben writes:

"A Broken Ankle Breaks A Spirit

About three weeks ago Jenya slipped as he ran across the indoor soccer field at our Friday night youth group. There is a leak in the roof and as the ice melted it was dripping on the floor. We had put a tyre over the spot but it was getting in the road so the soccer players moved it. Jenya arrived late, and not to play soccer. He does weights and talks. Well he did... He is a big guy and as he dashed across the field he hit the water and fell. We thought he had just sprained the ankle cause it didn't change colour. Gresha and Andrйa helped him home. He was worried cause he was meant to go and help his granny who was going to have shoulder surgery.

History: Jenya has been on the fringe of our congregation since the beginning. His mother and Grandmother are Baptist believers. Jenya has a history of alcohol abuse, his friends and he "drink, smoke, and mess around with girls". He has repented many times but always ends up drinking again.

I had been especially praying for him 'cause just before we left for Turkey he told me he was scared of becoming an alcoholic. He said that he was waking up and wanting to drink. It was scaring him and he asked for prayer and help.
Since his "fall" he has been in bed for three weeks. His ankle was actually broken. Local medical wisdom says he shouldn't walk at all, so he sits and lies in his bed. And what does he do?

Well he has been devouring the word of God. And praying, and memorizing scripture. He has had to rely on God in ways that he has never had to before and the people who have visited him and shown interest in him and God's people. God has given him a new spirit. He looks different! And he has a gentleness that I haven't seen in him before.

On Thursday he was telling me how he and a few of the guys are really wanting our church to be a family, not just a club. Strange, for many months Jenya only came because we have a billiard table. Now that he has seen the light he knows that the guys who come just to play are missing the goodness that God has for them.

Pray that Jenya will continue to walk with God, that the desire for his friends salvation will burn in him, and that God will draw our church close like a family."

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