Walshes News & Prayer April 2022

“Everything is familiar, but everything is different”

It’s been almost 10 weeks since we left our beloved New Zealand and arrived back in the Uk, having not lived in the Uk for almost 25 years.

It has been a good transition but undoubtedly quite strange, in the last 25 years we have changed, and the Uk has changed, and everything is familiar but not quite. You think you can remember how to get to somewhere and you end up in a very different place or that there is no longer a road there.

In all we have achieved a great deal in the time we have been here but still feel like we should be advancing and developing things much faster, but that is transition

We really feel our role here is to fill gaps and really desire that the Lord would lead us into the places that He wants us to be.

Personal

• It has been a huge blessing to be able to live next door to my mum and just a great time with her for which we are deeply grateful.
• It is quite strange reconnecting into the fabric of the Uk, as we have been outside the Uk for 25 years, we don’t have a credit score even though we have had a Uk address and paid taxes throughout that period. We recently applied for credit cards and after much ado about nothing, we have credit cards with a limit of £50, so we can’t even fill-up the car with petrol, so it’s all part of the adjustment !
• It’s monstrously hard not being near our kids, we love them and are so proud of them, but we do really miss them, that is one very hard part of the transition. We would like to visit later in the year with a view to seeing them and attend to certain ministry needs in New Zealand with Ccbi we would also make the trip to Fiji to try and help with the next stage of the church’s development.

Ministry

• Poimen
  
  • A great deal of the ministry we are doing is under the ministry of Poimen Uk & Europe, a simple and focussed call to support senior leaders and their wives and in doing so, strengthen the church. A very simple yet a profound and wonderful premise.
  • Practically what does this look like, it ranges from weekly zoom calls with several pastors in Europe, talking through everything from how to better manage schedules, to arranging time to cover their pulpits so they can rest and pretty much everything in between.
  • I had the privilege and opportunity to spend 10 days in Hungary helping to support those who are spearheading calvary chapel’s response to the situation in Ukraine.
    • Helping with logistics and encouraging those who are ministering directly to the refugees. It was wonderful, chaotic, and emotionally destructive all at the same time.
    • I had the privilege of teaching at G11 th Calvary chapel in the 11th district of Budapest, led by pastored by Árpi.

• Locally, back in the Uk, it has meant talking opportunity to share with the students at CCBC York at their table talk, a lecture in ministry class and this Wednesday (April 27^th) Gwyn and I will join with their speaker’s week and share a couple of sessions for them.
  • It means plugging in with the local worship teams and leading worship for the church and different events as well as supporting the rest of the team when they lead.
  • I will be teaching the Sunday Service at Church on the way in Bradford from 1 Peter 3
  • For Gwyn, she is reconnecting with old friends and some very significant ministry relationships that have lasted throughout the entire time we have lived outside England.
    • She has been helping with Friday Morning studies with ladies and had the opportunity to connect with some of the other pastors’ wives recently at a retreat in Harrogate and last weekend in Birmingham, she will also be sharing one of the sessions at the Calvary Mansfield ladies Conference on May 7^th
  • We had the opportunity to connect with the leadership at Capernwray bible school in Carnforth and are looking how we can be available to support them in their ministry.
• We just spent a great time with Dave and Claire Toro at CC Birmingham and had the opportunity to see the church and be there on a baptism Sunday, a wonderful time of blessing.

• CCBI
  • Preparations for cultivate program winter retreat are one of the key points of focus for Jordan moving towards winter
  • We would appreciate your prayers:
    • For the ongoing church plant in the Hawkes Bay with Pastor Eric
    • For the ongoing work and church plant in CC Nasinu with Pastor Charles & Tina, Akuila and Luisi.

Prayer requests

• Please pray for the ongoing situation in Ukraine and those who are actively taking aid and supplies into Ukraine as well as those who are helping to manage and direct effort especially those based in Budapest, with Pastor George Markey and team.
• Ongoing adjustment in the Uk, practically dealing with taxes and national insurance. Credit scores and the absence there of…
  • We really need help and wisdom in the area to make sure we are doing the right things in the right way!
• The Lord to continue to give us favour and ministry opportunity and the wisdom how best to serve His people.
  • We are currently reaching out step by step and seeking to connect with and ultimately, visit all the pastors, their wives, and the churches we know in the Uk
• Specifically, for the Calvary Mansfield Ladies conference and Gwyn and the ladies as they prepare for that time May 7th
• The upcoming Scandinavian conference in July, please pray for wisdom in preparation as I will be teaching and leading the worship, for both Gwyn and I as we seek to be blessing to the brothers and sisters in Scandinavia.
• Financial provision for the necessary trips and travelling that we need to do in this type of ministry.
• For Jordan, as he prepares for the cultivate discipleship program and winter retreat in New Zealand as well as pastoring and leading Calvary Auckland.

We are deeply grateful and in need of your prayers, we once again wanted to thank you for your continues on going support love and care.

M & G