GOLDEN HATTED UKELELES!

Hi there, friends of i58!

Lots of God activity in our community with less than a week to go before the end of term. Our Hong Kong Mission team have been busy what with auctioning the students' services in the local churches, holding a Pizza Blessa in the local pizza restaurant, and busking on the streets in local Bowral, Moss Vale and Mittagong! The Golden Hatted Ukeleles, as they have become known, were photographed by the local newspaper with an article about our trip. The above photo is courtesy of the Southern Highlands Newspaper Group. There was also an interview given on the local radio about this group - they certainly are catching public attention AND letting people know of the wonderful work of God in this place.

All their efforts certainly show that the hand of God is with them as they only need a few more thousand dollars and the $20,000 target will have been met. We thank God for being so gracious and allowing us to have such fun times with the fundraising! We also thank all our supporters who have either donated or pledged to pray for us while we're away. This weekend we have some more auctions and our weekly SN@C is holding the Hong Kong Conga!!

We love to see our students taking steps of faith. It's as they put their faith into action that they realise how much they've learnt or how much they still need to rely on Christ for living this life.

This week our lecturer, Ken Legg, from the Gold Coast, was sharing on the Identity Driven Life. This certainly challenged the students to recognise, (once again), that whatever they find life throws at them, they are always secure in Christ. In an age when so many young people seek new experiences of a means of reaching a new 'high' its sobering to grasp that Christ - our greatest treasure - is with us always and is able to see us through anything so long as we keep our eyes on Him.

Ken had a great time interacting with staff and students and said that he thought that this group of students were most attentive and were like sponges soaking up the truth. How cool!

Well, that's all from me for now. I hope you all have a blessed week and see Christ at work in whatever you face from day to day.

STEVE aka WOODSEY

And now over to Colton...

Hello Everyone!

This past week, Paul Witt and I were missing one of our favorite board games: Settlers of Catan. So instead of buying it we decided to make our own, and it cost us nothing! Using anything that we could find (from beads to paint samples) we put together a working game. Take a look for yourself to see how it turned out.

Kevin musing on a move!

SN@C on Sunday was quite the scene! The team put together a homemade beach indoors. Complete with surfboards, a BBQ and even real sand! The focus was on forgiveness using the scripture of when Jesus reinstated Peter on the beach. I love how SN@C creates such an opportunity to touch the lives of the local community every week.

Well, that's all from me for this week!

Have a great week and see you next time!

Colton

NEW LOOK i58.com.au

Hi there friends of i58!

Today is the day that our youth outreach website i58.com.au has been re-published after our

latest make-over and we love it! The make over is still in progress as we have lots more information to put on there, but one thing's for sure, from now on things only get better! I'd like to congratulate Keith Walters, a graduate of our school, who lives and studies in USA for his outstanding commitment and work to make all this happen. We are so blessed by so many of our former students who choose to invest in the future of this ministry - THANK YOU!

This last weekend I drove down to Melbourne to attend the wedding of a former student from my first semester, Grant Chislett. It was an outside wedding, held along the Murray River - it couldn't have been more Australian. His new wife, Kath, who is the youth pastor in Shepparton will be joined by Grant who will be taking up responsibility for the young adults ministry. I'm excited for the fruit that will come from their new life together and ministry to young people.wedding of a former student from my first semester, Grant Chislett. It was an outside wedding, held along the Murray River - it couldn't have been more Australian. His new wife, Kath, who is the youth pastor in Shepparton will be joined by Grant who will be taking up responsibility for the young adults ministry. I'm excited for the fruit that will come from their new life together and ministry to young people.

All the students enjoyed their 'travel weekend' what with trips to the zoo, camping, shopping and enjoying the very best of Australian hospitality and the beach! How blessed! Enjoy the photos that I've included in this week's blog.

One last comment before handing over to Colton who is back this week. The fruit of last week's Quiet Day is that the students are hanging out with God much more. In life we all need a mountain top experience to encourage us but then it's back to the valley where we not only live but also where we grow. Spiritual growth is God's business and is usually slow. He may be able to produce a vegetable in three months but it takes him over a generation to grow an oak tree. We are His oaks of righteousness (Isaiah 61:3) and have the honour of displaying His glory.

And now over to Colton

Hello everyone!

As the day of the Hong Kong Missions trip grows nearer and nearer, all of the students are doing their part to help out. The other day a group of 5 decided to go busking to help raise support. Each one was armed with a ukulele and the people loved their swooning! They made more than 100 dollars in just over an hour.

Last Thursday night the guys had the privilege of going spotlighting at a friends farm. After about 20 minutes of driving we spotted two kangaroos on the horizon. As we drove over the hill hundreds seemed to appear out of nowhere! The guys were so excited some could barely speak! It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we couldn’t stop talking about for days afterwards.

Enjoy the picture of me with a koala while at Taronga Zoo last weekend

Have a great week!

God bless!

STEVE aka WOODSEY and COLTON

STEPPING OUT IN FAITH

Hello there!

Week six of our semester and the work of God is certainly evident. Our team heading off to Hong Kong for two week break stepped out in faith to raise the funds and money is steadily coming in - we praise God that He provides for the work that He calls us to do.

On Tuesday we had Quiet Day - a day of simply enjoying God with no distractions. Again, lots of our students took a step of faith by trying something new in talking to God. One enjoyed trampolining with God, others enjoyed taking walks with God and one had a coffee with God and literally talked with Him for what he said was the best hour and a half he's spent here at Capernwray!

We are all unique and God meets us where we are - He is the perfect Father! We saw a lot of our uniqueness last week when we had Talent Night. A mixture of singing, jokes, funny stories, and musical items which included our beginner guitarists and beginner violinists. We all felt very relaxed as Dustin and Nykkie took us through the programme - awesome job everyone!


After church on Sundays we often get invited out to lunch, so there's not too many of us back here at Capernwray. Last week a very kind and generous family invited the sixteen students who attend Fresh Hope. Lunch included the typical Aussie barbie along with a swim in the pool. Our students returned feeling very spoilt and quite full!! When we leave our families for the sake of the gospel God blesses us many times over (Mark 10:29).

This weekend all the students are free to travel around this wonderful country to enjoy what we call Travel Weekend. It's a time to relax and enjoy all that God has to offer. Again, our students have been spoilt by the kindness and generous acts of our Australian friends who have extended hospitality for them to stay with them or at their beach houses. We are very thankful for the way God provides and takes care of us.

Just one last thing - I spoke to Keith this week and looked at the new i58.com.au website. It truly is having a wonderful make-over and will be published VERY soon. A huge thanks to Keith for combining his passion for Jesus with his passion of web design to make this all happen.

Lots happening, as usual, and lots of growth in our students for which we are very grateful. None of this would be possible without the help of our kind and loving heavenly Father.

If you know of anyone who is looking to grow in their faith walk with Jesus please put them in touch with us. I for one would love to speak to them about the wonderful opportunities they would find here of God at work in the lives of the students. Please leave a message on the i58 page of facebook or at the end of this blog.

I pray that your week will be filled with lots of steps of faith and fine rewards from our Father in heaven.

HAVE A VERY BLESSED WEEK!

STEVE aka WOODSEY

More from Colton next week!!

AMAZING MINISTRY FROM ONE WEEK TO THE NEXT

Hi there, friends of i58!

Wow! What a week of ministry!! Last Friday evening more than half our students were out serving our community either in one of the five local youth groups or at Street-Meet, which feeds and talks all those leaving pubs from 9.30 pm - 1.00am. - this is run by Fresh Hope one of our local churches. Also another group went into Sidney to help the Salvation Army (lovingly known in Australia as the Salvos) with their Street Level Church. This church is for the poor and begins with a hearty meal and moves into a time of worship and teaching from the leaders and also a share time from the members. The people are so real about their need for Christ - we go to encourage them and get so blessed in return.

On Saturday evening virtually the entire student body hopped on two big buses and went to Hillsong Church in the hills. Again, yet another awesome experience. Many of our students know of Hillsong church because of its praise and worship music but this was the first time they could experience the church live. The welcome was very warm and friendly and when the pastor spoke to the congregation he even asked who was the big group that came on the buses. One of our students shouted out 'Canada' and he laughed that the bus had come from such a long way! We all left on a spiritual high and made our way to Mackers before heading home!

The team going to Hong Kong has officially began it's fundraising and we are all trusting that Jesus will be more than generous in providing for our trip. With the recent testimony of how amazingly He provided for our new guitar our faith levels are running on high. We'll keep you posted how things progress!

The new Gretch guitar made it's debut last Sunday at SN@C and Kevin made an excellent job playing rhythm and leading in the band. We are very grateful to God in providing us with such a beautiful guitar.

As the term progresses the students rely more on God - He becomes so much more real to them. After her Quiet Time this morning Nicole said to me, "I can't start my day any other way now!' Comments such as these are evidence of the living God working through the lives of our students.

If anyone is interested in coming for a Taste and See week here at school, just get in touch, we'd love to have you join us for a week - only $120. You can always call the school on 02 4868 1516 to hear about the teaching schedule.

Colton is busy working on the property today, so I hope we'll hear from him next week.

Meanwhile, HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

STEVE aka WOODSEY