Messenger Navigator

January - March 2001

Nowra

Orient Point

Gnowangerup

Walgett

Matt and Jan's busy program has been in full swing now for some months with them involved in scripture in schools, distance education (via school of the air), church meetings, prayer meetings, Sunday school, occasional weddings, funerals, and counselling.  Amazingly they still manage to find time to be involved in community activities like sport etc. 

Geraldton

Glyne and Pam Cranwell are making progress with the setting up of the new facilities for the revived tape ministry.  Glyne is in the process of acquiring new equipment for the studio and becoming familiar with the demands of modern technology.  Progress on the issue of copy right is slow and involved.  All the old UAM Recordings must now be covered by copy right before they can be reproduced and sold.

Gnowangerup

Laurie and Eris Way continue to be available to the local aboriginal people and encourage them to attend the local Baptist church which is very supportive.  Laurie continues with his mid week bible study which is well attended.

Halls Creek

Jonathan and Kathleen Bates have been able to get away for a well deserved holiday starting from the Easter break into May.  They remained in Halls Creek right through the hot summer period and were glad to be able to go south to visit Jonathan's mother at Kalgoorlie.  They were then going to pick up their camper trailer at Esperance where it had been for some modifications.  Jonathan is keen to get back to visit some of the more isolated communities where there are reports of a work of God's spirit in peoples lives.

Nowra

Alicia continues her visitation activities and finds a continuing need for ministry to the significant aboriginal population of the Nowra area.  As she is working on her own and she does not drive she finds it difficult to organise activities and meetings.  She and Aunty Bell McLeod ,meet together for prayer and hold cottage meetings as they can.

Orient Point

Life at Orient point always seems to be idyllic but the difficulties of ministry provide a reality check.  The boys continue to enjoy the outdoor life with surfing high on the agenda.  Heather is studying with YWAM in Rooty Hill and the family were able to visit her at the end of April to do some needed catching up after being away from home for several months.  The local church has been helping Peter and Sue with a once a month outdoor outreach to attract adults and youth as well as more children.  Please pray that this will be effective.

Fitzroy Crossing

Charles and Wilma are settling in to life in Fitzroy Crossing and were able to attend the Bayulu Easter convention.  There will be a report on this convention in the next edition of the Messenger.  Charles and Wilma ask that you pray for the Christians in the outlying communities where there may be only one or two committed Christians and times of fellowship is infrequent.  Reports have been coming in from several of the outlying communities of a movement of God's spirit in the lives of people.  Please pray that this will spread and produce enduring results.

Melbourne Office

The Council continues to meet in Melbourne with conference phone calls to our field workers every second month.  This way we keep in touch and they are involved in the decisions of the council.  Currently Matt Mitchell, Glyne Cranwell and Jonathan Bates are members of the council executive.  These times prove to be a blessing and a time of prayer is included in our meeting.  Prayer meetings continue in Melbourne with Mrs Green's monthly meeting continuing with faithful prayers and the Williamstown Gospel Mission continuing a UAM prayer meeting each month.  This meeting began with the establishment of the WGM in 1916 and has continued to the present day, which at 85 years must be something of a record.