October 1998


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 4:6

The News!

1) The big blessing this month was our Bring a Friend Sunday. We planned this special day around a baptism service and church dinner. God blessed with fifty people in attendance, eleven of them visitors. We saw several answers to prayer on that one day:

>> God blessed with an eleven year old boy named Joshua coming to Christ as Saviour!!!

>> Rowen, the unsaved husband of one of our ladies, came to church for only the second time in two years. He got an old-fashioned gospel message between the eyes but still refuses to get saved. Please keep praying for Rowen! (We have mentioned him in the past)

>> The Morgan family homeschools in our area and through this avenue we have gotten to know them. This family of six came along for the first time and since then several further doors have opened with these folks. They are active in their Anglican church and profess to be saved, but it was their son Joshua that was saved. They are a neat family in a dead church and need to come back - please pray for the Morgans.

>> We were also able to baptise two this month - both young people in our church.

2) We have been out letterboxing once again - we were able to cover all 9,000 homes in our city and received one tract back for salvation at the end of the month. Though I have not been able to catch the fellow at home yet, please pray for "Kevin" who has professed Christ as Saviour through a gospel tract!

3) Since we started Sunday School in September, we have seen the Lord really begin to work among our teen group. Of course having a contest doesn't hurt, but they have nonetheless been memorising heaps of verses and taking sermon notes. Many of them have started daily devotions for the first time and they have been consistently bringing visitors to Sunday School and to teen group. One Friday night this month we were playing soccer at a local park and managed to get a bunch of local kids involved - who of course got to hear the gospel at half time. The zeal of our young people is definitely getting the attention of the rest of the church - please pray for God to help this entire mission church to grow in his grace and knowledge. That spiritual maturity is vital if we are to leave the Marlborough Bible Baptist Church behind as a truly indigenous local church.

4) We are looking forward to Bro. Simon getting back from his six month tour of the USA in November. In speaking with him the other day he mentioned getting to lead a man to Christ on a Greyhound bus somewhere in Texas. Please pray for Bro. Simon - Lord willing the church here will be installing him as their Assistant Pastor upon his return and we are challenging the people to begin financially supporting him as well.

5) Summer (November through February) is the busiest time of the year here in New Zealand for our various outdoor, evangelistic outreaches. During November and early December we plan to hit several "Santa Parades" in the area with a specially written tract. Santa parades are a real Kiwi cultural thing that every city, town and little hamlet in this country annually holds. We have found it to be the only time of the year and only occasion thus far where people virtually beg for tracts - the rest of the year about the only way to get rid of tract is to stick a five dollar bill in it. Thus we are taking advantage of the opportunity and "tracting" the parade in our city and in five or six other cities and towns in the area. Please pray for this spreading forth of the gospel to be effective!

6) We mentioned last month that our landlord had put our house up for sale - well it sold and we are again on the look out for a place to live, supposedly by the end of January. We would appreciate your prayers for the Lord to open the doors for wherever he would have us to be.

7) We continue to appreciate your prayers for Deb's health. After things going fairly well for a while, October has seen some regression. Although things are not as bad as earlier in the year, Debby has had a pretty rough month. Our whole family would be really grateful if you would faithfully hold her health up before the Lord in prayer.

Just as our busiest time of the year for evangelism cranks into full gear, the devil seems to have dropped by for a visit. Between Deb not feeling well and having to hassle with moving house, the distractions are plenteous, but fortunately the power of God's Holy Spirit is greater! We continue to appreciate your specific prayers for our family and for the cause of Christ in New Zealand. God bless!

Only Because of His Grace,


Jeff, Debby, Caleb, Luke, Grace & Beth


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