Uni starts soon

Heavenly Father, you are the giver of all good gifts. Help us to be thankful for the big things and the small; physical provisions and character improvements. Thank you for the Word of life, given for us, through whom we have grace and peace. Please use us to sow the seed of the word. We ask that many at JCU Cairns and beyond will hear the word, receiving it with joy and bear fruit. We ask that people will be captured by Christ such that the pleasures of the world or the times of testing will not cause them to fall away. Develop in us boldness and joy in the gospel.

Amen

Below is the sporadic newsletter for your info and further prayer. Above is an example of the short, but more frequently posted prayers that I put on this site. Feel free to check in every now and again to echo what I am praying.

O-week at JCU starts this week, the market day happens on Wednesday. Here, loads of new students will come through the campus buzzing with anticipation of what the years ahead will hold. Then again, some will come through daunted and uncertain. Uni is a defining time for a lot of students and we hope to be there as a group of people on campus obviously defined by the gospel of Jesus. We’ll be having a stall, giving out free stuff and signing up students just like all the other groups but please pray with us that we will stand out as a group that clearly has something different – a something that is centred on the person of Jesus. Throughout the first semester we’ll be holding Bible studies through the week and work towards becoming an official club on campus. I personally feel like I’m bumbling along as our family settles in and as I get a feel for the uni and the students that are here this year. Pray for wisdom as we start out the year, that we might proclaim Christ boldly to all, and that we might give him glory in all our efforts.

Since the last official newsletter we’ve driven the 1800km from Brisbane to Cairns. We spent a lovely Christmas in Bundaberg/GinGin with family before continuing the rest of the way over a few days. Bryn met a peacock in Bowen and promptly declared it part of our family along with the moon. Erin loved playing at the water parks, beaches and creeks on the way up and now has a decent tan. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing though, our patience has been tested (and often found wanting) with several in car/ in playground/ in shop tantrums. Keep praying for patience.

In terms of financial support, I’m now at 50% and very thankful for that. We’re working towards full time though, so still have a way to go. This kind of ministry work has certainly been curbing my independent streak which is a good outcome for my character. Please pray for the regular financial support that we need. Please pray also that I might know how to best implement the days that I am working out at uni.

We have found a few places around town to have some fun. The indoor trampoline place gave us a good cardio workout. Wendy dredged up a backflip from her childhood gymnastics days. I conquered my fears and did a forward roll.

We’re very thankful to have secured a house to rent. It has felt like a long process, though much of that was the uncertainty of knowing whether our application for a house was even being considered. We were just wondering whether we might have to keep applying for places for half a year yet when we were approved for the house I thought we had no chance of getting. It is IDEAL to say the least so please thank God with us for our new place to call home. Pray that we might use it well to serve not only ourselves but others also. Brynley and Erin are enjoying having a space to call home (especially the swing in the mango tree out the back and the sandpit).

Thanks again for teaming up with me in proclaiming Christ at uni in Cairns!