CMWDT Wellington : Encourager 108

( August 2005 )

This Wellington CFFD supplement welcomes contributions from YOU, its members. There will be editorial decisions made about submissions but we do value your input. Material for next supplement needs to be in the hands of Teresa Stuart by 14 October.

First things first -

God

Prayer needs
	Give thanks for the branch leadership : John, Kay, Lyn, Teresa, Tony, Sharon and Ron. Pray that God will grant each of them vision, energy, and good ideas.   Give thanks for God's provision of finances for the running of the branch. Praise Him, for He is the God who supplies all our needs.   Pray for Lesley and the OT equipment we support Philippines CFFD in. Pray that the money we send would be used effectively. Pray that Lesley would be all that God has called her to be.   Pray that people would be drawn to the Monthly meetings and Up-the-Ramp drop in; and that the branch would meet needs.
INTERPRETER NEEDED !
	Wellington CFFD would very much like to reach the deaf community. To start this process of outreach, we need volunteers who are able to sign and interpret at our monthly meetings. If you or anyone you know could offer these services for even a few hours on the 3rd Saturday of a month, We would love to hear from you. Phone Lyn.

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News from earth :

Our New Zealand For Waitangi Day ( To the music of The Days of Elijah ) This is our land of New Zealand Of which we can truly be proud; This is the land of Aotearoa The land of the long white cloud. God created the bush and mountains, The hot pools and geysers and Sounds, He made the kiwi and tuatara, So proclaim the work of our Lord ! Join with us, singing to our God; Praise our creator, for the things he's made. Thank him now, for the land he's given us, Spread the love of our amazing God ! Shirley Jamieson Up to the top
AN INTERVIEW WITH TERESA
	Who is the person behind the name Teresa Stuart at the end of our green Wellington supplement ? What is her story ? In this interview, Teresa tells how God has been working in her life.		This is Teresa. ( Click on the picture for a separate version, perhaps bigger. )
Shirley :	Teresa, have you been a Christian for a long time ?
Teresa :	About 16 years.
Shirley :	I can see you love Jesus. Can you give me an example of how God has given you fulfilment in your life ?
Teresa :	God has helped me grieve over and ultimately accept my disability. That's an ongoing thing. I'm still a work in progress ! ... but it has helped me look past myself, and be able to make a contribution.
Shirley :	In what way has God helped you to overcome difficulties ?
Teresa :	In letting Him and others in; I have a lot of independence and I tend to isolate myself in my struggles, which is not healthy.
Shirley :	Is taking on the Encourager Wellington Supplement a new venture for you, or have you done something like this before ?
Teresa :	I had a gradual introduction to the role, sharing responsibility for the supplement with Chris Lusk for a few years - thanks to Chris who has taken responsibility for and written reports on branch activities for many years, until recently. Now I'm trying to build a team of writers within the branch to help me put together the supplement every 3 months. But this is new for me, yes.		Teresa and Chris. ( Click on the picture for a separate version, perhaps bigger. )
Shirley :	In what way does God show He is there with you as you work preparing the Supplement ? Encourage you ?
Teresa :	God gives me ideas on who to shoulder-tap to write stuff - and gives me the ability to be new and creative. It certainly does encourage me, as I tend to stress a lot about filling 4 pages. ( How Hugh Willis copes with filling 35-40 pages I don't know ! ) But God is faithful and things come together well.
Shirley :	Thank you for sharing, Teresa. Up to the top
MAY MEETING
	Our May meeting was held at the Petone Baptist Church with guest speaker Peter Whaanga from Drug Arm in Wellington and also special singing by Lani and two of her friends. We commenced with worship led by Ron and Sharon Blackwood. followed by a Bible reading by Vicki McMillan. Peter's talk to us included a large number of overhead photos, which he used to go with his talk. Peter spoke to us of his own journey from a life of drugs and crime to one where Jesus Christ is his Lord. He talked about the commitment of himself and a group of volunteers from Drug Arm who regularly go out into the streets being with people who are lost and addicted to drugs. An important part of their ministry is providing food, clothing and support both emotionally and spiritually. His talk was an inspiration to us all - heartbreaking but also full of hope. Drug Arm continues to struggle with financial needs especially as more vans would enable them to expand their ministry. We thank Peter for joining with us and sharing his journey. Our meeting also included a very important time of praying together for some half a dozen people. It was great to see a few people at our meeting who had not attended for some time and we look forward to seeing them again. It was a real joy to listen to Lani and friends sing, especially as Lani left Wellington in July. We wish her well as she goes on to Bible school training. Up to the top
JULY MEETING
	Our July meeting was held at a new venue, Lifepoint Church in Wellington. Lots of things filled the programme for the day. Sharon and Ron Blackwood ably led us in worship. Shirley Jamieson gave the gospel message and talked about the different stages in her faith. Trev Margolin read the Bible to us. Kay McCullum introduced a new process for prayer support within the branch. John Hawkins gave a few thoughts on the verse in Hebrews; Without faith, it is impossible to please God. John talked of instances we have see God honour our faith in the Wellington branch, which is truly exciting. We all then got our thinking caps on for a Bible quiz. Our creative sides were stimulated by photos from Chris Lusk's trip to Alaska and paintings by Rhonda Swenson. All in all, signs that our branch is in good heart !

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