It has been quite a weird past few months. In addition to thousands of miles of travel these past few months ... Tomya and I took turns leading Retreats for Belmore Road in Melbourne. It seems like we have paid heaps of rent on a house that we don't hardly stay in.
But that hopes to change a bit for a couple of months. We will spend nearly all of November in Sydney. We are excited to get to host our 2nd annual American Thanksgiving on Friday November 27th. This works best with our schedule because it is NOT a holiday here so I will be in school on the 26th. It also means that we will be celebrating (ie Eating Turkey) about the same time you are finishing your leftovers. Last year Tomya was in the States and I hosted 16 ... This year the number (because the chief Chef is back in town) looks to be more like 40 or so. That will be exciting!
It seems the last time we wrote we were looking down the barrel of running out of money and having to return to the States back in June. After a few tough months things have turned around a bit. The current exchange rate is TERRIBLE so we never get the comfort of full confidence that the economics are fixed. But we are SO very thankful for all the time we have had ... and the extended time we are enjoying. We are also blessed by a few new partners who came on board in that time of need.
We are also applying for a New VISA. Our current one expires on December 21st of this year. A generous soul from Gosford Australia is paying our VISA solicitor (attorney) fees and the VISA reapplication fees. That saves us a couple thousand dollars! Awesome!
Almost 3 weeks ago I got to baptize my first Aussie. I have been in many studies but none would commit. The Lord guided this one through a series of congregations and resulted in a study in our living room a few days before he put Christ on in Baptism. Keep Greg Solway in your prayers. Satan is already making life tough on him!
So what can I say but ... Praise the Lord!
Thank you for your prayers and support. Thanks for taking time to read this.
Your Partner in Sydney Australia ... Craig Peters
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
One year and counting
Wow ... It's hard to believe ... but we have been here for a year. It's been an exciting year. Dozens of classes taught ... hundreds of young people and church members ministered to ... Over ten video and written reports.
High points include: A new full time student ... and several new part time students. We have been blessed by visits by Dwight Whitsett and Chris Swinford, Mark & Kelli Samsill and their 3 great kids & Jerry and Connie Tallman. Each contributed dearly to our efforts.
Also ... although we lost several financial Partners ... we picked up a couple of new ones ... and several increased their contributions. One, who was scheduled to have completed their commitment to us ... actually renewed for at least another year.
Economic report: After a 5 month positive USA Dollar exchange ... that trend has all but reversed itself. And combine that with several Partners who have been hit hard by economic problems that have caused them to fall off on their support ... and annual auto licensing expenses of over $1400+ have made this all bad timing. But we know God will provide!!
On a good note, our former Mission's Deacon from Park Central accepted a ministry position as Preacher of another Port Arthur congregation!! He stepped down as Missions Deacon .. but before he did ... he sent 10 Boxes of US cereal!! Captain Crunch is the Man!
We ask that you continue your prayers for us ... Finances ... and Recruitment. I have a trip at the end of the month that I now have no funds for. God will provide ... no doubt! He has always been so good to us!!!
Love ... Craig and Tomya
High points include: A new full time student ... and several new part time students. We have been blessed by visits by Dwight Whitsett and Chris Swinford, Mark & Kelli Samsill and their 3 great kids & Jerry and Connie Tallman. Each contributed dearly to our efforts.
Also ... although we lost several financial Partners ... we picked up a couple of new ones ... and several increased their contributions. One, who was scheduled to have completed their commitment to us ... actually renewed for at least another year.
Economic report: After a 5 month positive USA Dollar exchange ... that trend has all but reversed itself. And combine that with several Partners who have been hit hard by economic problems that have caused them to fall off on their support ... and annual auto licensing expenses of over $1400+ have made this all bad timing. But we know God will provide!!
On a good note, our former Mission's Deacon from Park Central accepted a ministry position as Preacher of another Port Arthur congregation!! He stepped down as Missions Deacon .. but before he did ... he sent 10 Boxes of US cereal!! Captain Crunch is the Man!
We ask that you continue your prayers for us ... Finances ... and Recruitment. I have a trip at the end of the month that I now have no funds for. God will provide ... no doubt! He has always been so good to us!!!
Love ... Craig and Tomya
Sunday, March 29, 2009
We are Grandparents!!
I was in the delivery room for the births of all our children. It was always exciting ... inspiring. The drama of the birth experience was tough on my wife ... for sure ... but it was exhausting for me too. I wiped her brow ... I chipped ice ... I massaged her aching back ... I was just happy to be there ... to witness this incredible birth/life experience.
I thought that was the most awesome experience in the world ... and in many ways it is. But I have to tell you, watching my facebook page from 1,300 miles away from the birth room of my grandson Caden was right up there! It was amazing how Elijah was putting updates on his Twitter ... that made it's way to my facebook. It was almost like being there. I literally refreshed my facebook page manually every minute or so .. hoping to catch any changes as immediately as being there. I started that at about 9 pm on Friday and he was born at 2:15 am on Saturday!
So ... welcome Caden Andrew Peters. You were welcomed in like no other child I have ever witnessed. Literally hundreds of people sat by their computers and refreshed their facebook and twitter pages as well. Lovely/encouraging comments popped up all night and all day. I was teary-eyed too many times to count.
And to those of you who posted those heart-warming comments ... Thank you! Thank you for loving my son and his wife ... Thank you for welcoming our grandson into the world. Thank you for leaving a permanent special mark on our hearts!
Grandpa ... sure has a great sound to it!
I thought that was the most awesome experience in the world ... and in many ways it is. But I have to tell you, watching my facebook page from 1,300 miles away from the birth room of my grandson Caden was right up there! It was amazing how Elijah was putting updates on his Twitter ... that made it's way to my facebook. It was almost like being there. I literally refreshed my facebook page manually every minute or so .. hoping to catch any changes as immediately as being there. I started that at about 9 pm on Friday and he was born at 2:15 am on Saturday!
So ... welcome Caden Andrew Peters. You were welcomed in like no other child I have ever witnessed. Literally hundreds of people sat by their computers and refreshed their facebook and twitter pages as well. Lovely/encouraging comments popped up all night and all day. I was teary-eyed too many times to count.
And to those of you who posted those heart-warming comments ... Thank you! Thank you for loving my son and his wife ... Thank you for welcoming our grandson into the world. Thank you for leaving a permanent special mark on our hearts!
Grandpa ... sure has a great sound to it!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Our New Apartment
So .. we look back at our blessings ...
19 months under someone else's roof. The blessings are immense! The fact that someone would be willing to open their homes and their hearts to us is awesome. In most cases these benefactors did so with an eye toward the Mission field of Australia: our love.
So .. now we have been in our new place for a month. I have paid for our next month. We have a landline and Internet now. We don't get much snailmail yet .. or even email ... but we are ready to get started.
The story behind our place is just another wonderful gift from God! There is a terrible housing shortage in Sydney. This explains the leap in Rental rates. From last year till today, the housing has increased in many cases $100 per week! When an apartment or house becomes available they will publish an open house date. And not only are you inspecting the premesis, they are inspecting you. They will look at your credit, your lifestyle and your purpose for wanting the place. And in recent months, they entertain bidding wars among those who come to the open house!
That said ... 2 weeks before we came we still did not have a place secured. As it would turn out, they will not rent a place to someone they have not met face to face or has not personally inspected their rental property. So when Peter and Claire Ticjner called to say that they have a neighbor 2 doors down from them and that the rental rate was ONLY $360 per week ... we jumped at it! The attached video is after 3+ weeks of Tomya's purchasing and "dumpster diving". She put her polish on the place quickly and it turned out great!
Our hope was to have a place of hospitality. As she mentions in the video it has already proven to be that. We will be ready for you when you come to visit. We already have plans for 20+ for Christmas!! That will be awesome ... especially since most of that will be our kids and my mother-in-law.
So ... Thank you Lord for blessing us beyond anything we could have hoped for. And thank you Judy and others who believed in the work and us ... and gave us a wonderful place to land for a while. To God be the Glory in all that we say or do! (Eph 3:21)
Love Craig, Tomya and Micah
Sunday, June 1, 2008
19 Months ... my only regrets
I really thought that it would take a couple of months ... three tops. But, the Lord had different plans ... a different calendar. The result was it took 9 months. 9 months! What was the deal with that? I worked hours and hours ... drove over 17,000 miles ... visited over a dozen churches ... spent hours on the phone ... and weeks and weeks waiting for answers. As was predicted, people I had no doubt would support their work ... didn't ... and in most cases ... strangers to us a few months ago ... jumped in with both feet!!
In the mean time ... I put in 5-6 days a week at Park Central. I taught Bible classes, preached occasionally, and even made a few visits to members. And as the date of our June 2nd Departure closed in, It dawned on me in a big way ... This church is more than a Sponsoring church now ... we are family! We have laughed together ... cried ... ate ... and visited. I was not a Missionary that they supported in Australia ... but as one of our Elders stated to well this morning ... "We are part of Park Central going to Australia!"
My only regret? As much as I have been blessed ... through all the disappointments and discouragements ... I wish that I had trusted God more. He had our work in mind. He knew what we needed as a church family. He knew that we would be blessed beyond anything we could have asked for ... or imagined.
Wait a minute ... that was the promise of our Theme verses ... Ephesians 3:20-21. He is able ... I just wish that I had always trusted Him!!
I hope that He finds you a little bit more trusting than He witnessed in me! Love ya ... We're leaving in the morning for Australia!!!
In the mean time ... I put in 5-6 days a week at Park Central. I taught Bible classes, preached occasionally, and even made a few visits to members. And as the date of our June 2nd Departure closed in, It dawned on me in a big way ... This church is more than a Sponsoring church now ... we are family! We have laughed together ... cried ... ate ... and visited. I was not a Missionary that they supported in Australia ... but as one of our Elders stated to well this morning ... "We are part of Park Central going to Australia!"
My only regret? As much as I have been blessed ... through all the disappointments and discouragements ... I wish that I had trusted God more. He had our work in mind. He knew what we needed as a church family. He knew that we would be blessed beyond anything we could have asked for ... or imagined.
Wait a minute ... that was the promise of our Theme verses ... Ephesians 3:20-21. He is able ... I just wish that I had always trusted Him!!
I hope that He finds you a little bit more trusting than He witnessed in me! Love ya ... We're leaving in the morning for Australia!!!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
March 1st - We're going home!
In some ways it seems like we have been home for a few short weeks. Then I look at a Calendar ... actually I have to dig the old calendar out of the trash ... then I realized that we have been here for 4 months! 4 Months? We were supposed to be back in Australia after 30 days. The 90 day trip validated our calling. People in Australia were counting on our return. All we needed was a piece of paper (Australian Visa) and some money and we'd be back.
The presentations have been many. There are a lot of warm, wonderful brethren out there. We presented in Indianapolis, met with Missions members in Chicago, spoke to a congregation in Terre Haute, Shared our plan with a church in Jennings, brought our Mission to Seattle and Portland, updated our friends in Lake Charles, met with a Missions representative in Houston, met with an Eldership in Beaumont and presented the work to a Men's Meeting in Jennings. I have logged hundreds of hours on my cell phone, written dozens and dozens of support request letters, shipped dozens of packets to prospective congregations and individuals.
And then we received notice on December 26th .. when our Visa Solicitor fixed her email ... that we had been granted a Visa! We were officially ... Australian Missionaries! Between my age, and physicals and scary times where governments use a fine tooth comb to make these decisions, we considered this to be AMAZING! Thank you Lord Jesus!
That said ... I am laying my heart, my effort, my hope on the line and in the hands of my God and His generous people when I announce we have set a date to return to Australia ... March 1st.
The purpose of this Blog is to solicit your prayers and your support. When the dust settles in this effort, I will never be able to honestly say, "Looky at what I did!". Instead, I will only report what God and His gracious people accomplished.
So, I ask you ... humbly ... can you help? Will you help? If you need help seeing the potential of this work, I'd love to visit with you.
Why March 1st? Because the work deserves a date. It deserves my faith. And the people we are going to serve deserve our help.
Please make March 1st happen ... Join the team ... email me at craigp888@gmail.com or call me at 406-471-6112.
Ephesians 3:20-21 ... "Now to Him Who is able ... to Him be the Glory" through you!
The presentations have been many. There are a lot of warm, wonderful brethren out there. We presented in Indianapolis, met with Missions members in Chicago, spoke to a congregation in Terre Haute, Shared our plan with a church in Jennings, brought our Mission to Seattle and Portland, updated our friends in Lake Charles, met with a Missions representative in Houston, met with an Eldership in Beaumont and presented the work to a Men's Meeting in Jennings. I have logged hundreds of hours on my cell phone, written dozens and dozens of support request letters, shipped dozens of packets to prospective congregations and individuals.
And then we received notice on December 26th .. when our Visa Solicitor fixed her email ... that we had been granted a Visa! We were officially ... Australian Missionaries! Between my age, and physicals and scary times where governments use a fine tooth comb to make these decisions, we considered this to be AMAZING! Thank you Lord Jesus!
That said ... I am laying my heart, my effort, my hope on the line and in the hands of my God and His generous people when I announce we have set a date to return to Australia ... March 1st.
The purpose of this Blog is to solicit your prayers and your support. When the dust settles in this effort, I will never be able to honestly say, "Looky at what I did!". Instead, I will only report what God and His gracious people accomplished.
So, I ask you ... humbly ... can you help? Will you help? If you need help seeing the potential of this work, I'd love to visit with you.
Why March 1st? Because the work deserves a date. It deserves my faith. And the people we are going to serve deserve our help.
Please make March 1st happen ... Join the team ... email me at craigp888@gmail.com or call me at 406-471-6112.
Ephesians 3:20-21 ... "Now to Him Who is able ... to Him be the Glory" through you!
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