Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Week Four Team Australia Update
By: Chris Kingston
December 11, 2006
God and has been showing his mercy and grace to each of us each day we are here serving and teaching in Australia. God has blessed our whole team with getting together each morning at 7 am to pray as a team with Pastor Des Daniels prior to our teaching and service projects beginning each day. God’s provision in our lives is so evident. Jesus has continued to mode and heal our hearts from each of our pasts. God continues to teach me and the team what it means to truly sacrifice our lives to follow Jesus Christ.
In this past week, our HSE team has blessed with teaching and speaking to over 850 teenagers between the grades 7 to 11th grade. We teach about Jesus Christ’s love, the impact the gospel, and the good news it brings in our lives and how it can impact their lives to each and everyday. We have also been teaching from the books of Daniel and Ephesians. God is moving mightily through these public high schools. The youth are seeking for a greater meaning in life and we are getting the opportunity to share its Jesus and a personal relationship that they are missing in their lives.
Multiple kids accepted the Lord into their lives this past week. John and Diana both had opportunities and the blessing to help youth with the most exciting decision they can make in their own lives. Also, a woman named Helen who we have been praying for accepted Christ into her life on Sunday. Helen’s story of conversion is a special one.
Our team was able to also do various service projects for several of the Calvary Chapel members. One project that we worked on this week was to assist with painting the inside of a house to help with the selling process. God was really touching the families heart that we were blessed to help. God has a way of softening people’s heart’s when they let down their own pride and ask for help. Part of Horizon, School of Evangelism that has some of the largest impact is when our team and others help people in need and share the love of Christ. Our team has really started to notice a strong change and love within the Calvary Chapel Church.
For this past weekend, out team took the youth group bowling on Friday night. This was good fun with the kids and a blessing to hang out with them away from the church. You should have seen Tanya with her natural bowling style, I think on her second game she scored a 132. Pretty good!
Saturday was a special day for everyone in the church. We were able to go to a local Nursing Home and sing Christmas Carol’s and share the love and news of Jesus Christ with many people who don’t get family coming into visit. We had over 30 people come and be apart of this blessing and it was truly one of the more special times for me personally while on this missions trip. We sang many songs and them spoke and prayed with probably 60 beautiful people. Our prayers for this relationship to grow into a full time ministry opportunity that people from Calvary Chapel can continue and watch the Lord move through the nursing home.
Later that day, Daniel and I (Chris) went and played a serious game of cricket with the men from the church. We had 14 very athletic men that we really into this sport. It was heaps (a lot) of fun and we learned the game that is equivalent to baseball in America. Daniel was a natural batsman and I wasn’t bad at pitching or as the Aussie call it (bowling). Don’t ask us why they call it that? Just think of David Wells when I’m pitching (bowling). The rest of the team went out to dinner with some of the church for a gift exchange. This was a good opportunity to fellowship and build stronger relationships with members of Calvary.
On Sunday, Pastor Des gave a wonderful sermon on Mark 5. It really spoke to many people in church. After the service, the whole team were invited back to Pastor Des’s home for a real, authentic Barbie. Throw some shrimp on the Barbie, Mate! We ate and ate and it was a special time to reflect on what God has been doing for us all and in the church since our arrival of 30 days ago.
Thank you all for your continued prayers for us, the church, and for the youth of Australia. We know your all praying for us and we thank you for team.
Please pray for the following:
December 11, 2006
God and has been showing his mercy and grace to each of us each day we are here serving and teaching in Australia. God has blessed our whole team with getting together each morning at 7 am to pray as a team with Pastor Des Daniels prior to our teaching and service projects beginning each day. God’s provision in our lives is so evident. Jesus has continued to mode and heal our hearts from each of our pasts. God continues to teach me and the team what it means to truly sacrifice our lives to follow Jesus Christ.
In this past week, our HSE team has blessed with teaching and speaking to over 850 teenagers between the grades 7 to 11th grade. We teach about Jesus Christ’s love, the impact the gospel, and the good news it brings in our lives and how it can impact their lives to each and everyday. We have also been teaching from the books of Daniel and Ephesians. God is moving mightily through these public high schools. The youth are seeking for a greater meaning in life and we are getting the opportunity to share its Jesus and a personal relationship that they are missing in their lives.
Multiple kids accepted the Lord into their lives this past week. John and Diana both had opportunities and the blessing to help youth with the most exciting decision they can make in their own lives. Also, a woman named Helen who we have been praying for accepted Christ into her life on Sunday. Helen’s story of conversion is a special one.
Our team was able to also do various service projects for several of the Calvary Chapel members. One project that we worked on this week was to assist with painting the inside of a house to help with the selling process. God was really touching the families heart that we were blessed to help. God has a way of softening people’s heart’s when they let down their own pride and ask for help. Part of Horizon, School of Evangelism that has some of the largest impact is when our team and others help people in need and share the love of Christ. Our team has really started to notice a strong change and love within the Calvary Chapel Church.
For this past weekend, out team took the youth group bowling on Friday night. This was good fun with the kids and a blessing to hang out with them away from the church. You should have seen Tanya with her natural bowling style, I think on her second game she scored a 132. Pretty good!
Saturday was a special day for everyone in the church. We were able to go to a local Nursing Home and sing Christmas Carol’s and share the love and news of Jesus Christ with many people who don’t get family coming into visit. We had over 30 people come and be apart of this blessing and it was truly one of the more special times for me personally while on this missions trip. We sang many songs and them spoke and prayed with probably 60 beautiful people. Our prayers for this relationship to grow into a full time ministry opportunity that people from Calvary Chapel can continue and watch the Lord move through the nursing home.
Later that day, Daniel and I (Chris) went and played a serious game of cricket with the men from the church. We had 14 very athletic men that we really into this sport. It was heaps (a lot) of fun and we learned the game that is equivalent to baseball in America. Daniel was a natural batsman and I wasn’t bad at pitching or as the Aussie call it (bowling). Don’t ask us why they call it that? Just think of David Wells when I’m pitching (bowling). The rest of the team went out to dinner with some of the church for a gift exchange. This was a good opportunity to fellowship and build stronger relationships with members of Calvary.
On Sunday, Pastor Des gave a wonderful sermon on Mark 5. It really spoke to many people in church. After the service, the whole team were invited back to Pastor Des’s home for a real, authentic Barbie. Throw some shrimp on the Barbie, Mate! We ate and ate and it was a special time to reflect on what God has been doing for us all and in the church since our arrival of 30 days ago.
Thank you all for your continued prayers for us, the church, and for the youth of Australia. We know your all praying for us and we thank you for team.
Please pray for the following:
- God will bless our last week here in the schools and withsouls being saved
- The Church will continue to seek after God and all his provision with unity
- Our team will continue to be lead by the Holy Spirit in everything we do
- Safety and smoothness with our travel back to the US on Dec. 15th
