Last week I received this email from Ross & Lyndal Webb, some of our mission partners, who work with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Vanuatu. The email is to all of our church.

“Dear friends at HBC,

Please pass on our thanks to all in the congregations for encouraging us as 2012 gets underway with your generous gift.

We know you have many demands on your money and that your ministry in your local area is very important and bearing fruit. But thank you for branching out and including us across the ocean as another part of your ministry.

We have many things lined up for this year - a course for local translators starting next week, the national conference for local translators, a celebration of 30 years of SIL’s work here, and a New Testament dedication in May for starters. Thanks for your contribution to all these events and for helping ni-Vanuatu have a chance to know God more through His Word.

We really enjoyed visiting with many of you at the end of last year - that seems a long time ago now. Thanks for your welcome and interest in our work.

God bless you richly,

In Him,

Lyndal and Ross“

Ever find yourself wanting to pray for our missionaries, but not really sure what to pray? Check out their profiles under the ‘who we support’ section here and you can see what they’ve asked us to pray for, and pray!

Big Questions is starting this week at Women’s Bible Study. There’s still time to invite your friends!

What would be your response if you heard of someone offering a miracle cure for something which countless of your countrymen had died from? Check out Mike and Katie Taylor’s latest newsletter here to hear of their response to this current situation in Tanzania…

photo credit: NatUlrich

What are your plans for the Sept/Oct school holidays this year? Sitting at home watching reruns of Gilmore Girls?? Doing some renovations?? Or working?? Well why not do something fun? Come on the Bus Trip with a difference… From Sept 23 to Oct 8, we’ll be taking a bus load of HBCers out to visit AIM missionaries working in indigenous communities in central Australia. But places are limited!

If you’re keen, you can email Kelly for more info at kelly@hunterbiblechurch.org. Or you can download both the ‘expectations’ file and the ‘application form’. Please hand application forms to Kelly Landrigan, or email them to her at the above address, or post them attention Kelly to the church office: 50 Hudson St Hamilton.

Have you checked out our “who we support” page lately? It’s been updated… Why don’t you take a look here and check out who we support as a church…

I just received the email below from Kate Wick’s as it’s O-day on Curtin Uni campus. Why don’t you stop and pray for the ministry of Curtin Christian Union now?

Dear friends at HBC,

We are very thankful for your very generous gift to us last month. We continue to appreciate your support so much and recognise the degree of generosity you are showing - it’s no small amount that you send our way. Thank you!

We would appreciate your prayers as we are trying to work extra hard to fit in the Irumu audio editing now. We have touched it here and there up till now but realise we have to get into it in a big way to get it finished. Makes the days long!! We are thankful for several people who have helped us by editing out the obvious mistakes which leaves us, who know the language to make the finer adjustments. The list of normal jobs doesn’t seem to get any less!

Today Serah (our ni-Vanuatu secretary) and I met together to decide on the programme for a 3 day ladies’ workshop planned for 8th - 11th March. It will be on Tanna island, for wives of local translators from 4 different languages where we have translation projects happening. Please pray for our continued preparations and that those who have to travel across the island to attend will be willing to and be able to find transport to do so.

Ray and Glenda Leach have joined us to do Finance and Maintenance. You could pray that they settle in well and that we all work really well together.

Thanks for your support in this way too,

Sincerely Lyndal

I’ve just been uploading some of the newsletters from our missionary family. You can read some updates from the Boxes here and the Alley’s news here including some exciting news…

Are you a woman who’s been around churches a bit but you’re not really sure what Christians believe? Or do you have a friend who’s interested in finding out what Christianity is all about?

If so, then we’re going to be running Simply Christianity at Women’s Bible Study again this year. Simply Christianity is a 5 week course, starting on March 3, looking at the basic message of Christianity. If you’d like to come along yourself or bring a friend, we’d love to see you there! If you’d like any more info please give me a call or email me.