November Update From Australia / New Zealand

-

 Here is a previous update from a couple that we hosted in our home when they visited our church in Ohio. Please remember to support them with your prayers.

Bob


                                                                                The Herald

    November 2022           

 

After 38 hours of travel, the sign said, 'Welcome to Brisbane, Australia.'


Thank you for your prayers for our safe travel.    We left Proctorville, OH on November 16 at 4:45 am EST in order to board our first flight from Charleston, WV.   We arrived in Brisbane, AU on November 18 at 7:30 am Queensland Australia time after our long third flight from San Francisco.  Other than a 40-minute delay to de-ice the airplane wings in Chicago, all went well.  Praise the Lord!


It is always very difficult for us to say goodbye to our family and friends.   We lived with John, Lauren, Thomas, and Tori for 4 of the 6 months we were in the U.S.A.  When I went into our 8-year-old grandson Thomas' bedroom to say good night for the final time, he said, 'my life will change when you and Poppy leave.'   

John had spent so much time with him doing what he loves to do; playing various ball games.  I regularly encouraged Thomas to continue reading his Bible every day and to put God first in his life.  I also scratched/rubbed his back while singing a Korean lullaby to put him to sleep many nights.  

Those were precious times.   Our 6-year-old granddaughter Tori, said that she wanted us to come back when she turns 7.  We will certainly treasure our memories with them.

We had a six-and-a-half-hour layover at the Chicago airport so we reconnected with an Appalachian Bible College classmate/friend who lives there.  Peter came to the airport to meet us and we were very happy to see him and catch up with him for a few hours.  We last saw Peter at our daughter's wedding over 13 years ago.

It has been difficult adjusting to our new time zone for the past few days.   We are worn out and John hasn't been feeling very well.  We are slowly getting back to normal.  It has been said that age is only a number, however, right now I am feeling every one of my numbers. :).

What a blessed and encouraging furlough ministry we have had!   Thank you all for your expressions of love and kind words of encouragement.  You have reenergized our hearts and souls.

Would you please pray that the Lord God would continue to guide and lead us in the ministry He has for us here? Our heart's desire is to glorify Him.


For all those who knew of and were concerned about me running out of my medicines, I was able to see my doctor the same day we arrived in Australia and was able to get my prescriptions refilled.  Thank you for praying for me.

What a privilege and honor to represent all those who pray for and support us as we serve the Lord here in Queensland, Australia.  We are very grateful!

We wish you a blessed Thanksgiving Day!

With grateful hearts,

J & M

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hymn Story of "Sunshine in My Soul Today"

-
Image
  Good afternoon.. I have a great hymn history to share with you today. One of the outstanding hymn writers was Eliza Hewitt. This hymn "Sunshine in My Soul Today" was written by Eliza after she suffered a serious injury. The lyrics and an excellent performance of the hymn are included. Psalm 92:1 “I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name,  O thou most High.” In 1851 Eliza Edmunds Hewitt was born, and grew to be valedictorian of her class and a school teacher in Pennsylvania.   At some point in her teaching career an unruly student struck her on the back with a piece of heavy slate.   This injury left Eliza in a heavy cast for months, confined to her room. During this time of painful confinement, Eliza was determined not to be bitter, and started writing hymns.   Many of them were praise hymns, such as:   Stepping in the Light, Singing I Go, Victory in Jesus and many more. When she was able to go outside for the first time on...
Read more

Elohim: the first name of God used in the Bible

-
I thought it might be helpful to look with you a bit regarding the very first name of God we encounter in the Bible. The Hebrew word translated "God" in Genesis 1 is "Elohim." Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Elohim is the English spelling of a Hebrew name of God.  You might ask, “When will I know when this name Elohim appears in the Old Testament?”  Our translators translated the Hebrew name Elohim as “God” 2,606 times in the plural form and “God” 245 times from its singular form.  Elohim or God appears 31 times in the first chapter of Genesis.  Why did God give us many different names for Himself?   God is an infinite being.  God is without limits.  Since He is a limitless God, He chose various Hebrew names to reveal certain facets of Himself to m...
Read more

Hymn Story of "Speak O Lord"

-
Image
Good morning... I have a hymn for all of your to rejoice in and enjoy. This beautiful hymn was written by Stuart Towned and Keith Getty in 2005. It represents a growing and pressing need for the people of God to return to solid Bible preaching and teaching as they turn away from that which does not satisfy our soul. The verses are inserted below along with a link to hear and sing it. I hope that this hymn brings joy and passion for Christ and His Word into our hearts. Bob The story behind "Speak O Lord" One of Christianity's distinctives is that we worship a God who has spoken - who is not silent. From God the Father, speaking the world into creation, to speaking through His Living word in Christ, to speaking by His Spirit through the written word. Throughout history the word of God has transformed the most proud leaders and the most hopeless victims, the greatest civilisations and the remotest of villages, in every age to every corner of the world...
Read more