CONGRATULATIONS SUE!

Twenty years ago this month, Sue took a 'leap of faith' and stepped out of a secure position on church staff in her home town of Boise, Idaho. She moved to Seattle and launched an ininerant ministry working with churches in reaching children and training and equipping children's workers. The early years were a test of faith but as Sue puts it: "The safest place for you to be is in the centre of God's will for your life". And over the years this has proven true. CCM (Carpenter's Cross Ministries) has travelled to many countries including India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, China and more, training national workers and inspiring people everywhere with passion for kids. Congrats Sue - seen here cutting her cake and talking to Larry (AKA Carolyn). Coincidentally Larry chalks up 10 years and Carolyn 15 as part of the CCM team.

Watery thoughts!

There is something about water - the ocean, a bay, river, even a small splashing stream - that refreshes the weary and smooths away the stresses of daily life. We were able to snatch four days away a week or so ago in the midst of an incredibly busy schedule and head to a little spot near the start of the Great Ocean Road in southern Victoria. Airey's Inlet is marked by a lighthouse, a few stores and not much else - but it is rich in atmosphere, peace, tranquility and a sense of time standing still. Which was just what we needed to regroup and prepare for the rest of Sue's time in Australia. The wonder of God's creation never leaves me - rockpools, anenomes, shells, the wheeling gulls and the endless rolling of the waves. I can never get enough of that. Which makes me wonder - does God feel the same about His final creation....about us? I suspect He does especially when we respond to His love or His correction or simply His presence. It's His presence that we need daily - spiritual water - whether in worship or prayer or as we open His Word and invite Him to speak to us.

How Far Would You Go For a Krispy Kreme????

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all our Irish friends (and who isn't?) It seems that Sue and I have Irish ancestry in common - on her mother's side but on both my parent's sides (along with a good mix of Scottish and English and whatever else). SO what did we do when we found ourselves down at Knox City Mall today? The Irish Pub was in full swing (emphasis on "full") with green beer and Irish dancers. But it was at Krisy Kreme we found our true Irish roots. We stopped to look at the GREEN donuts....and then read the fine-print. "Show us your best Irish jig and receive one FREE Irish donut". Now who could resist? I launched into a great jig, hands steadfastly to the sides...to the amazement of the barely-out-of-school lads behind the counter. I am sure they had NEVER seen an overweight woman of my age do anything this crazy before. Then it was Sue's turn - although she had looked a bit surprised at my spontaneous performance - and she too launched into a frenzy of fancy footwork and turns! We both exited munching our freebies...green and all!

T-Shirt Truths

Cambodia always impacts us - the kids, the passion of the workers, the transformed lives of the local church members - it's a great place to stop and takc stock of the important things in life. One of the young men was wearing a tshirt with the slogan: "You'll never know Jesus is all you need 'till all you have IS Jesus". Thoughtprovoking? We thought so. Many of the people here have so little - get past the western style facade that Phom Penh is hastily erecting and you find yourself in villages that have changed little. Subsistence farming, poor water supply (if any), shacks of palm leaves and bamboo, malnutrition in the children, disease and the still present danger of land mines. In some of the larger towns there is progress and many NGO's (Non Government Organisations) are doing valuable work improving living standards, equipping schools, building infrastructure. So what make the difference? How can the kids' pastor Vimean (pictured) look so happy? His office is under the corrugated iron roof of the church building - in the consistently hot climate of Cambodia the heat regularly 'melts' the computer systems in the church. But he doesn't complain. His smile says it all "I have Jesus and if I can introduce him to the kids in my city...my province...my nation I will give them the source of ALL they need." It's a challenge to me - I look at what I think I need......and all those things start to fade. As the old song says: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his glorious face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his goodness and grace."

By the way: Sue and I support Children in Crisis in Cambodia by selling woven cotton bracelets which come complete with photo card and brief history of kids being helped through this program. Each bracelet sells for US1 or $2 Australian. Let us know if you want some.

Cambodia's Children

This little boy is waiting for Joy Club to begin on the rooftop of a building in Phnom Penh. This photo touches my heart as I see him peeping from behind the 'bars' and I think of the unseen bars for the many children like him in Cambodia. Bars of starvation, of hopelessness, lack of a home or family stability. The children who attend New Life Centre's Joy Club are from the poorest of the poor and many simply sleep on the streets. The workers at Joy Club wash them, tend to their sores, replace clothing and shoes, and send them out with a bag of food, shampoo and soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste. The fortified Soy milk has made a difference, but it is still not enough for their weekly nutritional requirements. Perhaps the greatest thing that the Joy Club team gives is love, respect, affirmation and words of hope from God's Word. When we return home we want to feature these kids in our website - please check it out in a couple of weeks time and see how you can help! www.carpenters-cross.org

A Man of Faith

Richard Holland has been a spiritual father, mentor and friend over many years. His daughter Hilary and I go way back, and he was the founder of my home church, CityLife Church in Melbourne, Australia. When Richard started the church 40 yrs back this year, it was called Waverley Mission, then Waverley Christian Fellowship and now City Life. As you see from the photo, Sue Carpenter is back in town as of yesterday, and the first person she wants to see is Richard. A tremendous man of faith, Richard has seen many thousands of miracles, healings and lives changed and renewed by the power of God. He is also a man of great vision - when my father (who served as an elder in the church) found the land that the current church in on, Richard immediately saw it all: the church built in several stages, a school, community centre and a retirement village. In 1981 when the land was purchased there were 350 in the church but now almost all of that vision has come to pass - a church of more than 6000 in attendance every week, a school with over 1000 students, a community care centre with qualified counsellors, medical services, social workers and more. Only the retirement village did not eventuate [many of us older members of the church may regret that!] We thank the Lord for the "fathers" in the church today - godly men who can be trusted to walk the way they talk! We love you Richard!

NIGHT BEAUTY

Some years back I was walking through the botanical gardens in Singapore late at night, enjoying the cooler air after a hot and steamy day. Pausing by a pond, I admired the water lilies which seemed to float on the water. Some were competely open while others were in various stages of opening. Now the majority of flowering plants open wider in the sunlight, but there are some that are at their best in times of darkness. These particular water lilies were such plants. Makes me think - dark times [grief, disappointment, rejection, the challenges of illness or a broken relationship, all the struggles of life] can bring out the best in us. As a Christian I know that there are resources I have not always drawn on [how often I try to solve problems in my own strength). Resources such as pressing into God's presence as never before, asking Him for direction, for strength, searching His word for insights and sometimes just comfort. And all these are there - they are always there because HE is always there. I love they way David puts it in Psalm 116 "I love the Lord because He has heard my voice..." Jeremiah puts it this way (God says) "Call on me and I will answer you."
But the onus is on us to call....not half-hearted but with desperation, truly wanting God to respond and willing to listen to the way in which He chooses to respond. I sat beside one water-lily waiting for that last petal to open...it was like watching the hour hand on a clock - you CAN see it move if you look intently enough - and after about 40 minutes there it was...the last petal fully extended completing the perfect flower just the way it was created to be.