August News – Late August News !!!!

Time seems to fly – (whether you are having fun or not !!!- unless of course it is a statistics class , and time seems so much longer )

So sorry for taking a while to update everything , but hopefully this will give you some encouragement, news and some things to pray for too!

We are now in to our third month in New Zealand , and it truly has been NEW in so many

ways. Certainly it has been a challenge to our faith and still is a significant challenge to our faith, but as one wise man said

“faith is not a statement, it is a step”.

These are true words.

The Lord is teaching us to continue to step , but for me as well there is something else too. Pausl words of Philipians 4:11 have been echoing around in my heart and my mind.

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content” Phil 4:11

The thing that has struck me here in relation to these words, is that contentment is not natural to me , it is something that has to be learned. Honestly, I was quite shocked by the idea, that it is necessary and needs to be learned. In fact, Paul here uses a word for learning that is akin to the word for disciple used in the New Testament. That is the challenge that part of being a disciple is learning to be content. Absolute surrender to God in the midst of circumstances and challenges, that is learning to be content, for me at least.

Some of the New things

As promised a picture of Becky sporting her very red school Uniform

The Lord has been good, Becky seems to have fit in to school life well, and for that we praise the Lord.She is learning Maori and spanish (Spain is very far away go figure!) and she is learning spanish from a maori !

Winter is winter, cold and wet , often quite stunning an beautiful but still strange for it to be August and winter.

Church Ministry in Hamilton and Rotorua

I am continuing to teach through the book of Nehemiah in teh CC Rotorua Wednesday study, leading worship with Gwyn too. i am working with the worship teams here an for the first time in 20 years of denial I have become the local sound technician , which is really quite scary.

During mid August along with the Pastor here Scott Clifford, we will be starting a serise of leadership studies with some of the key men in the church, so please keep that in prayer.

Gwyn is heavily involved in the ladies studies both, here and in Hamilton and will be speaking ata special event for ladies her in Rotorua on the 6th September. Please pray for her as she prepares, that the Lord’s anointing and direction would be upon that night.

CCBI

I have begun to travel a little and to share the vison of the Bibel school here in New Zealand. I recently shared at CC Hamilton for their Sunday Morning service. I will be sharing at CC Wellington on October 18th before headng up the New Zealand Pastors Conference. Our intention is to have all the information about the school out on web page by early October watch this space www.ccbi.ac.nz

Things that are not New

We are still looking for a permanent place to live , this is part of the on going contentment

issues, we have been mobile since 21 May and living out of the same two suitcases each, so a place to call home would be great- In His time as He wills.

Jordy remains a great inspiration , his faith is admirable and we are blessed to be his parents, he is doing well though definitely missing his friends in Hungary, getting ready to start learning to drive !!!!!

God remains faithful and unchanging, therein lies our hope, His light dispels darkness always.

We covet your love care fellowship and above all your prayers, there are so many things to pray and praise for that we have lisited them in a separate post under Prayer & Praise for August.

Thanks for all the love and care

In HIm

M&G