Prayer Points

Up and coming teams going to the Philippines
Funding to finish the building in Davao
Openings for deputa-tion and presentation meetings

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Our best wishes to you for a very Happy New Year. I tried my best to get Christmas greetings out to many people but I still have piles of Christmas cards yet to send so have decided to keep them for next Christmas! We got a little sidetracked this time, as you will see from the rest of this letter.

Erik and Rebecca

Our apologies for the more personal nature of this letter, especially to those who receive this letter believing that they will only hear of deaf ministry news but we can’t keep our mouths shut! Yes, we had two boys become engaged within a few days of each other much to our shock but also our pleasure. We kind of expected some thing from David but Erik really threw us a spinner as we thought that we had a few years to go before his announcement. It was not only the speed of the engagement but now the speed of the wedding that is keeping us occupied. February 27th the bells will ring but before that is an engagement party on January 26th. Our Erik takes after his father who loves the parties and the crowds. He is to marry Rebecca Hughes a minister’s daughter whom he met at Monash University Christian Union.

David will marry Ruthie Benedict an American girl he met when we were living in Japan. Her parents are missionaries in Japan but Ruthie is in the US where she hopes to graduate from University this coming May. They will be married in Japan in early July in Nojiri in Nagano ken.

David and Ruthie

Mission Business

Thank you to those who responded with extra gifts at the end of last year. We are still not sure whether we can make up the shortfall yet for last year but this year we will have an all out effort to increase the necessary support for this work as the needs of the ministry have out grown the financial resources. Our US board is seeking to double the income from the US as is our Japan board. Norway who give most for the ministry have agreed to another 5% increase. In Australia we are looking for about $150,000 for the year, apart from special projects such as the Davao building and other special needs. We are looking at encouraging bequeaths and loans as well as other projects and of course direct deputation and presentation of the work.

New Overseas Support Bases

A new “home” office is being established in Canada. More about that later.

The New Zealand office is about to be revived. Following our Davao conference a New Zealand base was established but it died a natural death. It is currently being rejuvenated.

Coming Activities

Berwick Church of Christ will be sending a work party to Ligao in the Philippines for practical service at our school. They have sent quite a few teams in the past and have had a very effective ministry to the school and staff in particular. Barry Cutchie, one of the ministers at Berwick will lead the team.

I will be taking a small group to the Philippines from March 24th until early April to lead two camps for our deaf kids at that time. Every year we have a camp in the Bicol area and one in Mindanao. This is the highlight of the year for our kids who look forward to these camps with great expectation. A baptismal service at the end of each camp is usually a fantastic finale to our school year. We will also be speakers at graduation ceremonies and services during that time.

Mobile Mission Maintenance is sending yet another team from Australia in April, this time to Davao to complete the building now under construction. It is hoped that all the basic construction will be completed by then and they will do all the finishing touches to the building. We still do not have money to pay for all of this so please pray. MMM is an organization that sends teams of volunteer builders and skilled people to churches and mission areas to help with construction projects and the like.

Lill will be in Norway from March 9th until early April for a board meeting and deputation meetings in churches there. She will escort her mum back who decided to stay longer with us here in Melbourne because of Erik’s wedding.

As always your prayerful support is so much valued. Thank you for your interest and help.

God Bless,

Neville, Lill and Family