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Pray for Emily Johnston at Living Waters Village
in Borneo. Pray for Sonya Trevaskis with the Leprosy Mission in
Thailand. Pray for health, a God-given love for the people, sensitivity
to the leading of God’s Spirit and joy in service.
Opportunity to share in a work party comes up from time to
time. Have you ever thought of joining one? There is usually one once a
year to an orphanage in Russia through OMS. Christian Leaders Training
College in Banz, Papua New Guinea is having a working party next February
March and looking for people with skills especially electricians and
plumbers. Often there are work parties where the skills of painting and
basic maintenance are needed. This is another way of using our time to
help in the Lord’s service.
Ajay’s Big Day (Samaritan Purse)
‘You could feel the excitement in the air! Visiting an Operation
Christmas Child shoe box distribution in Fiji last Christmas, Judy, a
Samaritan’s Purse Australia volunteer, found herself in the middle of a
church filled with hundreds of young children – all eagerly awaiting
their own shoe box.
It was quite a scene as each child ripped open their box to discover
the treasures inside. That is, each child except a little boy named Ajay,
who sat at the end of one pew with his head down and his hands in his
lap. Judy soon learned that Ajay was almost blind and not only that, his
mum had recently died. Ajay had a lot to be sad about.
When Judy sat down beside Ajay and helped him open his box, tears
filled her eyes. Right on the top was a magnifying glass. Judy knew that
God had guided the gift-giver when they packed their box months before.
Judy took the magnifying glass out of the box and held it up in front
of The Greatest Gift booklet that was in the shoe box. A smile crept
across Ajay’s face as he saw through the magnifying glass the colourful
pages of the book in front of him. Ajay was delighted, and when the shoe
box distribution was over, said a gentle goodbye, squeezing Judy’s hand.
It was a simple but profound expression of thanks from a child whose
whole world was opened up through the power of a simple gift sent with
love from a stranger who cared.’
Pray for those receiving the Christmas boxes this year.
Barry and Fiona have been in Cambodia serving with Global
Interaction for 11 years. They have now left to return to Australia with
very mixed emotions. Barry was instrumental in setting up Peace Bridges.
Barry wrote,”It’s so exciting to be saying goodbye to Peace Bridges,
knowing they are being headed up by a national director doing a brilliant
job managing and inspiring 19 staff and 130 volunteers who are
passionately committed to supporting Christians and those of other faiths
to deal with conflict in a way that considers the needs of all.” (Last
year we supported Peace Bridges training of Pastors in conflict
resolution).
Fiona has worked in rehabilitation. (In past years we have helped with
money for rehabilitation). Fiona’s final job has been to set up a website
for KPF – Disabled Children’s Foundation so they can attract funding. She
wrote, “It has been fantastic to see how May Mission Month donations to
the community based rehab has been used this year. Our partners
Disability Development Services Pursat have been able to branch out into
27 new rural villages, while the National Centre for Disabled Persons are
now facilitating Community Disability Committees in 322 communes across
Cambodia. Thanks God.”
Pray for Barry, Fiona, Visarl and Narin as they settle back in
Australia and make many adjustments.
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