Hope October 2013

The last three months have been busy ones for our team with a range of activities happening both locally and overseas.

Perhaps the most difficult event, has been to make the decision to close down our wellness centre in Tuncurry after nearly 3 ½ years of ministry and now also our bookstore. Largely these two decisions were made due to significant increases in rent. Add in some other factors and overall it seemed to be an indicator it was time to celebrate our ministry, release our team and wait for other opportunities to minister to our local communities. At this stage, we are praying and waiting for some guidance before embarking on anything new but we have a vision for a combined centre with all our services and offices under one roof. This would clearly need some BIG open doors and increased support to make this achievable, so for now we simply wait on God.

While closing the cottage and wellness centre has been a low point, a real highlight has been the recent work which has unfolded in Tanna, Vanuatu. For two weeks the TRANSFORM team ministered across the island, often in remote villages. The team ran outdoor crusades, organised games & bible stories at schools, visited and prayed for people, held youth events, presented drama workshops, preached, ran bible studies and held a relationship seminar.The team had many note worthy times, but two events stood out. One was the relationship & sexuality seminar in a local high school. This was a powerful event as at the conclusion, students were given an opportunity to be prayed for and to make a commitment to Jesus. On this day, many responded to the Gospel. Another significant event, was being asked to participate and witness in a reconciliation process between two villages over the accidental death of a small child. This incredibly emotional event moved all of us, as we experienced first hand the true meaning of forgiveness.
 

Aside from the trip to Tanna, another exciting time has been planning TRANSFORM trips for 2014. At this stage we planning to take teams to Cambodia, Vanuata and Uganda. This is an opportunity to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. These kind of experiences tend to open your eyes to a big, wide world and an awe inspiring God. While it is a long way off we are also making plans to take a team to Israel in early 2015 to build peoples understanding of the Bible and deepen their faith through two weeks of a location specific spiritual retreat. Ben & Helen Betz aim to lead this team as they have a passion for teaching, retreats and creating opportunities for God to connect with people and encourage them.

Finally, we have just had a wonderful fundraiser with a Spring Affair Fashion Parade. Some people from the community in Tuncurry put together a wonderful afternoon filled with the latest fashion, a scrumptous afternoon tea and some lovely give away prizes. The day was supported by a few local businesses, especially Emily's Discount Fashion who supplied all the clothing, bags and hats for the models to wear. The funds raised will go to our continuing work in Uganda as part of our commitment to improved health & education.
 

Prayer Points: As always we value your support through prayer. Please find below a number of praise and prayer points.
Praise: * Celebrate over 3 years of ministry in our wellness center and for lives healed and changed. * Give thanks for lives who have surrendered to Jesus, especially those recently in Tanna
Prayer: * For wisdom and direction for new opportunities locally within Australia. * For our team to grow particularly with those gifted in business, administration and accounting. * For ongoing growth and opportunities in the countries we have been called to minister in.