Today is the start of two-week break and, 'YES!' is the cry from our students!! Weeks of hard work are now rewarded with a few weeks to recharge and refresh! And what better place to do it than in Australia! It is no surprise that most of our students are traveling north to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, beaches and opportunities of sharing their faith with fellow travellers. It's a whole new adventure! No more doing things because they are scheduled, but now its a question of the heart - and how their hearts have been growing to serve Jesus! I'm looking forward to hearing the stories when everyone gets back and I'll post a few to share with you.
Two of our students will be traveling overseas to Hong Kong. This is our second opportunity to go to New Boy House, (with St. Stephen's Society), to serve guys who are coming off drugs and looking for new life in Jesus. Thane and Thomas are going with Jordan from our community along with myself. We have spent many hours in training to be ready for a whole new adventure - different culture, different language, different food, different way of life BUT the same Jesus working through all of them! This is a ministry that transforms lives and as we serve with them we are transformed too. I will be very excited to tell you some of our stories in our next post too. Please help us by praying for a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ as that will help us with everything we do! You might like to know that with all the fund-raising that we did this year for St. Stephen's we will have given them just over HK$100,000 towards their building fund. We thank God for using us in this way.
In our school there are lots of other things going on while the students are away. We have the Women's REfresh Conference this weekend, followed by a group of people next weekend from an Indonesian church and they are followed by the Kairos Prison Ministry who will be serving the ladies in the local Berrima Jail. For the people who stay behind it is another whole new adventure! Life is never dull with Jesus!
So, with this news update I'll close. I will be posting some updates on the i58 facebook page for anyone who would like to follow our progress in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, have a great couple of weeks and I'll look forward to sharing those stories with you then.
GOD BLESS
STEVE aka WOODSEY
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
BENEFIT ALL ROUND
Hi Everyone!
Last weekend was amazing! We had the Benefit Night for Missions and Ministry on Saturday and our regular knockout SN@C programme on Sunday. Some of our fantastic supporters came to both events and had a most blessed time.
The students worked incredibly hard to transform the Conference Hall into the most inviting place with great decor, relaxing music along with coffee tables decorated with candles, chocolate money, snakes (sweet ones for the kids!) along with drink and dessert menus! All our guests were waited on by our wonderful students who served up home-made mouth watering cakes with a choice of fresh coffee, hot chocolate or flavoured tea. The guys had the best time presenting the cakes on large white plates that left lots of room for creative presentation!
While this was going on Mark and Sheree went around the tables talking to our guests and Mark also sold some handmade cards by Alyssa from last term, (thanks Alyssa!). We were all doing our bit!
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the 'goodies' and were ready for the entertainment to start soon after eight. Jordan Worner kicked us off by singing one of the songs from his new album DECIDED, then Christie sang a few songs accompanied by guitar while Prue and I played the Ashokan Farewell for two violins. And that's not all! Jon gave us the most incredible drum solo lasting over eight minutes and then we had Sheree and Jordan round things off with the song 'Lucky' - how awesome!!!
Then came the auction of our student's gifts and talents led by Michael Kime, a regular SN@C attendee. He looked the part in his white cowboy hat and what with his fast talking we weren't always sure whether our students were stocky men or beefy cows! Nonetheless, the bids just kept coming and we raised heaps of money!
Altogether, our Benefit Night was a huge success with lots of fun had by all and we raised a little short of our target of $2,000. A huge THANK YOU to all that came along with all the students, staff and friends who made it all possible!
And the following night we were out welcoming our guests once again, only this time for SN@C - and it was amazing, with a great presentation focusing on forgiveness.
What a weekend!! Lots of life and lots of love. We experience both a great deal here.
More news next week, which will be the last week of term. We'll have a break as I three guys and myself will be off to Hong Kong for our Mission trip to serve with St Stephen's Society.
Goodbye for now and I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!! GOD BLESS!
STEVE aka WOODSEY
Last weekend was amazing! We had the Benefit Night for Missions and Ministry on Saturday and our regular knockout SN@C programme on Sunday. Some of our fantastic supporters came to both events and had a most blessed time.
The students worked incredibly hard to transform the Conference Hall into the most inviting place with great decor, relaxing music along with coffee tables decorated with candles, chocolate money, snakes (sweet ones for the kids!) along with drink and dessert menus! All our guests were waited on by our wonderful students who served up home-made mouth watering cakes with a choice of fresh coffee, hot chocolate or flavoured tea. The guys had the best time presenting the cakes on large white plates that left lots of room for creative presentation!
While this was going on Mark and Sheree went around the tables talking to our guests and Mark also sold some handmade cards by Alyssa from last term, (thanks Alyssa!). We were all doing our bit!
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the 'goodies' and were ready for the entertainment to start soon after eight. Jordan Worner kicked us off by singing one of the songs from his new album DECIDED, then Christie sang a few songs accompanied by guitar while Prue and I played the Ashokan Farewell for two violins. And that's not all! Jon gave us the most incredible drum solo lasting over eight minutes and then we had Sheree and Jordan round things off with the song 'Lucky' - how awesome!!!
Then came the auction of our student's gifts and talents led by Michael Kime, a regular SN@C attendee. He looked the part in his white cowboy hat and what with his fast talking we weren't always sure whether our students were stocky men or beefy cows! Nonetheless, the bids just kept coming and we raised heaps of money!
Altogether, our Benefit Night was a huge success with lots of fun had by all and we raised a little short of our target of $2,000. A huge THANK YOU to all that came along with all the students, staff and friends who made it all possible!
And the following night we were out welcoming our guests once again, only this time for SN@C - and it was amazing, with a great presentation focusing on forgiveness.
What a weekend!! Lots of life and lots of love. We experience both a great deal here.
More news next week, which will be the last week of term. We'll have a break as I three guys and myself will be off to Hong Kong for our Mission trip to serve with St Stephen's Society.
Goodbye for now and I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!! GOD BLESS!
STEVE aka WOODSEY
Thursday, September 3, 2009
WE ARE BACK IN ACTION!
It's been a few weeks since I last posted a blog - apologies to our regular readers. Hope you will like the new-look i58 now that it has 'flash' technology! Thank you all for your patience!
I'm on the road at the moment as Torchbearers Australia is looking to set up a Mission Trip in an Aboriginal community for next Easter. This is an exciting time! We are looking to God to show us where He would like us to be. I am traveling with Tony, a student from last semester, and we are visiting various churches who have great connections with their indigenous communities. We've been to Port Macquarie, Tweed Heads, Moree and tomorrow we will go to Dubbo. So far we've seen some GREAT work going on and I think we'll have to pray and use lots of discernment to know where God would like us to serve. More news about this will follow once we get back and report to Dave and Neil. I just have to say that the hospitality that has been extended to us has been outstanding! People have been SO kind to us. And while we have been traveling we have enjoyed some new sights - we took some photos and the best of these I'll put on our facebook page.
Other news from our school is that there is a lot of baking going on right now!! We are holding a Benefit Night on 12th September for Missions and Ministry which will support our mission trip to Hong Kong on 28th and also help students who need help with their school fees. The evening includes desert and drinks plus entertainment and the main attraction will be the auction of the special gifts and talents of all our students! Most of the talents involve a fair bit of muscle, (gardening, cleaning, farm work etc) but others include help with IT, speaking German and baby sitting! How great is that! We hope to raise $2,000. I am impressed to hear from the students, (even though I'm on the road), that my flat now resembles a bakery!!
Lots of good stuff is happening at school - all part of a 'normal' week; GREAT teaching from our director, Dave, on the first book of Peter, GREAT family nights with trips to two local bowling allies and GREAT Guys and Girls nights with great bonding and praying.
I'm looking forward to sharing more news of life at our Bible School next week. Meanwhile, HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
STEVE aka WOODSEY
I'm on the road at the moment as Torchbearers Australia is looking to set up a Mission Trip in an Aboriginal community for next Easter. This is an exciting time! We are looking to God to show us where He would like us to be. I am traveling with Tony, a student from last semester, and we are visiting various churches who have great connections with their indigenous communities. We've been to Port Macquarie, Tweed Heads, Moree and tomorrow we will go to Dubbo. So far we've seen some GREAT work going on and I think we'll have to pray and use lots of discernment to know where God would like us to serve. More news about this will follow once we get back and report to Dave and Neil. I just have to say that the hospitality that has been extended to us has been outstanding! People have been SO kind to us. And while we have been traveling we have enjoyed some new sights - we took some photos and the best of these I'll put on our facebook page.
Other news from our school is that there is a lot of baking going on right now!! We are holding a Benefit Night on 12th September for Missions and Ministry which will support our mission trip to Hong Kong on 28th and also help students who need help with their school fees. The evening includes desert and drinks plus entertainment and the main attraction will be the auction of the special gifts and talents of all our students! Most of the talents involve a fair bit of muscle, (gardening, cleaning, farm work etc) but others include help with IT, speaking German and baby sitting! How great is that! We hope to raise $2,000. I am impressed to hear from the students, (even though I'm on the road), that my flat now resembles a bakery!!
Lots of good stuff is happening at school - all part of a 'normal' week; GREAT teaching from our director, Dave, on the first book of Peter, GREAT family nights with trips to two local bowling allies and GREAT Guys and Girls nights with great bonding and praying.
I'm looking forward to sharing more news of life at our Bible School next week. Meanwhile, HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
STEVE aka WOODSEY
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