CHURCH PLANTING IN AUSTRALIA
February, 2002
Dear Prayer Partners,
1 Corinthians 1:2-3
"to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all
that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and
ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus
Christ."
We
trust this letter finds each of you well and rejoicing in the goodness of our Saviour.
Before we go too far we want to remind you our 2002 FURLOUGH HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
David is working on our schedule for next year, 2003 and hopefully will have it
to you by the middle of this year. The early part of January saw Abel Morgan in
Dubbo Base hospital for evaluation and adjustment to his medication for what the
psychiatrists say is schizophrenia. He was dismissed just one week before Pastor
Alan Brown, his wife, and his parents visited January 19 & 20. Pastor Brown
is from a supporting church in Parsippany, New Jersey and his father is a
retired seminary professor. We had invited two unsaved people hoping they would
come and hear Pastor Brown preach the gospel. One of those invited was Nathan
who works at McDonald's. He said he would be there but didn't show up. Monday
David saw Nathan and he apologized for not being there but said his sister had
gone into labour and he felt he had to be with her. The other person was Robyn.
She didn't make any promise and therefore no promise was broken when she didn't
attend but we were disappointed.
Brother
Alan preached from Hebrews that morning 20 January in Dubbo.
The folk from Gilgandra were invited so we had a chicken dinner after the ginal
men who died perhaps thousands of years ago in the western plains of NSW. He was
participating in a 'smoking ceremony', where the remains, unearthed by a farmer
near Trangie two years ago while mining sand, were committed once more to the
earth. As he sealed them in a bark casing and placed them into the ground, a
nearby fire sent up smoke, representing cleansing. April Blair, an Aboriginal
Heritage Officer with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, said that
Aboriginal occupation of this part of Australia went back at least 60,000 years.
'To have the remains back connects our people to their ancestral land and also
frees that person's spirit so that person can go and fulfil his spiritual need,'
she said." Did you note the spiritual aspect of this event? Two days later
Lois phoned David concerning what she believed were strange events in her home.
The night after the bone burial she felt a strange presence around her and
throughout her house. She said she read Scripture and prayed which bAlso in
January we received an email from a young man (Adam) who was saved and baptized
when we ministered in St. Clair. Adam attended Jonathan's wedding last October
which brought back fond memories to us. Adam wrote "Presently I'm sending
resumes to country news stations as I've been voice training as a news reader.
I'm sending tapes off to all areas (even Dubbo). so with a little persistence,
another St. Clairian will leave for life in the country." Guess how we are
praying?!
Again
if you have email please send us your address so we can put you on our email
prayer letter list.
The savings via email as compared to snail mail is considerable. Also if you do
not desire to receive this hard copy please take the time to inform Calvary
Baptist Church, 1625 Penrose Street, Grinnell, Iowa 50112 or at cbcgrinnell@yahoo.com.
We do thank the Lord for your faithful prayers and financial gifts. Psalm 118:29
"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for
ever."
Your servants for the Lord Jesus
Christ,
David and Pam Bennett
