Thursday 31st May 2012

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your prayers.

Today 7 people attended Bible study, This did not include a regular who arrived early and setup for me but left before we began. Another guy who comes every now and then really only came for lunch but we also prayed for him and welcomed him too. He did not attend the study either.

Praise God that a guy I met on Tuesday night who remembered me form Edward Eager Lodge about 7 years ago, attended today and enjoyed himself. He said that he wants to attend regularly. Please pray for him that life’s distractions do not prevent him from attending.

Roxan from the Church I attend provided a great lunch and Derek and Ann were there to also help out.

Thanks for your support everyone. Michael

May SHUM Team 2012

May SHUM Team,

Thanks for participating in SHUM in the the month of May. I hope you found it a challenging and learning experience. I also hope that I will see some of you again in the not too distant future.

Thanks Fletcher and Alistair for co-ordinating things on your side and for participating

Need Prayer and Wisdom 24th May 2012

Hi all,

Thanks for your prayers.

Today was a strange day with 8 people attending Bible study and another person, whom I knew, I grabbed on the street to bring in, stayed for lunch but had to leave for a solicitors appointment.

As it was raining I rang one lady to see if she needed a lift. She was angry at me saying that we ignored her on Tuesday night. She said everyone else there was important but not me. I disagreed with her and said why would I be ringing you for a lift if I did not consider you to be important. I apologised to her profusely and she changed her mind and decided to come and I picked her up.

Another lady also attended who had not been for 2 months. She said she has been unwell physically and mentally and was glad to be back.

A new lady also attended who had neither been before nor had I met her before. She was advised to come through someone else. She says she believes, pray she will return.

The person I chased after on Crown St thought that she might not be welcome anymore. This was due to our last phone conversation where she was very angry and hung up on me. I reassured her she is always welcome despite anything that transpires in between. She came in and immediately apologised to a lady for an incident that occurred a couple of weeks ago. Praise God. The apology was grudgingly accepted.

Bible study went well I think with most people participating. Helpers today were Derek, Ann and my wife Lisa.

I would ask that you pray for wisdom for me for two familes related to each other and living next door to each other in Surry Hills. They are having experiencing many problems. Anyway I visited them both after Bible group today. Pray that I might be a good witness to them and be able to have wisdom in my conversation to them. I met them door knocking a few years ago and have been visiting and praying with them ever since.

Thanks Michael

Sunday 21st May 2012

3 people attended Bible Study on Sunday. 1 guy had to leave early. However he actually came to service early Sunday morning English service. This is encouraging as two that come to Bible study have started to attend Sunday service intermittently.

The third person attends the Mandarin service every week.

Pray that they will continue to grow in God and continue to learn about him.

Michael

Thursday 18th May 2012

Hi all,

8 people attended Bible discussion yesterday. Although 1 regular had to leave before we started but came very early and spent an hour with me before he left. He even helped me prepare lunch. Another lady who came has only been once before a few months ago, decided to attend. Unfortunately she and got into a heated argument during Bible discussion with another lady. Ironically it was over this passage

^{1Pe 3:8} Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

^{1Pe 3:9} Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Please pray for the lady who argued with Margaret. Pray that God will work in her heart and return when God wills this.

After we cleaned and packed up I had a meeting just a block away with the some of the youth leaders of the Church I attend. Whilst walking to the meeting a met another guy who sometimes attends Thursdays. He has severe mental illness so I just encouraged and reminded him about our meetings. Hopefully God will work in his mind to bring Him. I know that God has this under control as I certainly do not.

Whilst I was at the meeting 2 other people came to Church to talk to me, God was gracious as Derek the student in training at our Church was still at Church and spent time with them.

Please continue to pray that God will work in the lives of these people and bring them to a knowledge of Him.

Thanks Michael

Thursday 10th May 2012

Hi everyone,

On Thursday numbers have dropped slightly as we have two regulars overseas and a couple of others being sick. Despite this 7 people showed up for Bible discussion not including one person a regular coming late, so late we were packing up. But that’s fine we prayed and chatted for a while. Bible discussion went fine with people participating.

God is truly gracious as two new people attended the group. One person whom I know from Tuesday night had never been before. He was encouraged to come by one of our regulars whom he met. Another lady apparently who attended wandered into Church on Sunday was invited to attend Thursdays group and left.

Its clear God will bring whom he wants there. On the same Sunday I spent quite a bit of time with another woman, homeless, who wandered into Church she would not even let me pray for her, invited her to Thursdays and Bible study that morning but she did not show.

Please continue to pray for the people who attend and pray that the 2 new people may return, Lord willing.

Thanks Michael

Thankful Sunday 5th May 2012

Today 3 people attended Bible discussion and all participated It was an enjoyable time. I was extremely thankful for one guy who attended the service and Bible study today as I think he left early on Thursday because of someone else's behaviour which made him feel uneasy. Praise God that he returned. Please also pray for one person I talked to this morning and also invited her to Thursday's group. She walked into our Church I offered her morning tea and invited her to the bible study as well. She was very polite had some morning tea and left. She said she may be there on Thursday

Thanks Michael

A Strange Week Thursday 3 May 2012

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your prayers

The previous Tuesday night people were mentally on edge or strung this generally means some sort of follow on to Thursday. Don’t know why but this is generally the pattern.

Its almost like some sort of bio rhythm or clock for people.

Numbers were down a bit for Thursday 6 people stayed and attended Bible study and participated well. Praise God the lady with Alzheirmer’s was in a good frame of mind.

However one guy who comes regularly came early, 12.00pm. He stayed tell about 1.00pm which is when we start. He left because another guy who comes semi regularly was in a really bad frame of mind. He was angry and yelling and shouting. I tried to calm him down but he was inconsolable. I tried to get through to a number he wanted to call but they were not available and that made him even more angry

Unfortunately he left in this state of mind. Please pray for him and the guy who left as he is a sensitive person.

In spite of this God was still gracious and the people who were there, participated well in the Bible discussion.

One of the regular attendees rang me and said she could not come as her leg was sore and she was going to rest it. She believes this is from Tuesday nights events.

Another semi regular also contacted me and said she could not make it as she would be at the solicitors.

Please pray that those who were in a mentally bad state this week will calm down and feel comfortable enough to return to Tuesday night and Thursdays.

Thanks Michael

May SHUM Team 2012

God is gracious!

Last night a new SHUM Team for May began.

It was a strange night with people at Central being a little mentally on edge. Two people who come regularly to Tuesdays and Thursdays had a misunderstanding which ended up with tea being spilt on one of them both left angry and dismayed.

However this morning one of the involved rang me and wanted to apologise to the other and for me to pass this on. I then contacted the other party who did not realise it was an accident and not done out of any malice to the other person. Both were sorry for the situation. God is gracious.

Please continue to pray for the people I minister to.

Michael