Phil Eagling Newsletter   December 2005

Volume 6, Issue 4 December 2005

G’day from down under. I pray that you are all well. We thank God for your continued prayer and support.

We have prayed for you all since seeing the pictures of Katrina and the other storms. I recently have conducted a series of sermons on the subject of how we deal with the unexpected. That there are times that certain trials happen to us or people we know, that just don’t seem to make much sense at the time, but we know that we can truly rely upon God to work out everything for His glory.

We have seen some new life in the church. We have had five young people make decisions in the last two months. Four of them are going to be baptized. Please pray for Tina as she comes from a Roman Catholic background and her mother does not want her to be baptized as she believes she does not need it. Also please pray for young Sean as he comes from a similar background.

Sean’s story is a great one. He was with young Mitchell the day I asked them to come over from the Skate park and have a hotdog. He started to come to church at that stage but his mother stopped him from coming because she thought we were a “cult”. She was obviously misinformed. So please pray for Sean as he started to come back about four months ago, and now God has pierced his heart.

Please also pray for young James and Tamira, their step mum is from the States, and their dad is not yet a believer but we believe he will be soon. They are planning to go to Nashville to live in 2006. So please pray for them. I believe it is no coincidence that they came when we had a group from Franklin come and visit with us last year. They plan to go to that church when they move there. Isn’t it a small world. The great story about that family is that I just happened to hear the accent of Leanne and started talking to her and got around to asking her and her family to come to church. Praise God that I opened my mouth and invited. I guess we sometimes don’t do that because we are afraid of rejection, but what are they rejecting really when they don’t respond, not you or I.

Please also pray for our trip to you all next year, beginning in May. We do have some needs that we need your help with. We do need to borrow a car. We need someone who has a spare car that we could borrow for at least 9 to 10 weeks from May 2006.

We also need you to come up with some dates for us to speak with you. Thus far we are booked for the 7th of May. June the 2nd, 11th, & July the 9th. Please can you come up with at least two possible times for us to come and speak and send those times to our forwarding agent and he will contact us about those times and then we will confirm with you the exact time.

Also we would like to see anyone who would be interested in coming over here to work with us in the Youth Ministry field. We have such a great opportunity for a young couple to come and work with us. The youth mission field is wide open but the workers are few. Please consider praying about this now and make a time for us to talk with you when we come over next year. I am a team ministry person, a firm believer in the process of working with as many people to get the message of Christ out. So please consider coming over here. You would have to find your own support, but if God intends for this to happen, it will.

Also please consider coming over and seeing what we are about over here. As I said before the very first team that came out in 2004 saw what we were trying to do first hand, and they also helped us paint the church and encourage our people just by being here with us. Also we had a visiting preacher and people responded to the messages.

After all that is what ministry is all about, all of us doing our part. You may not be a preacher, but God has used you to bring people to church and they have been won. That is the whole purpose. Winning souls for Christ together.

Also please pray for me as I have had ongoing back and hip problems.

Please continue to pray us.

God bless,
Phil

Sharon's Desk

Hi again, I pray that you are all well. We have had some health problems of late.

Philip has had some back and hip problems and I have had some back problems as well. So please pray for us in the specific area of our health.

Savannah thus far is going alright. Savannah is growing up and so wants to grow up fast, but we keep telling her to just be a child and enjoy being one. As you all know as we get older we tend to think at times about our youth.

I am not sure if I have told any of you but this past year, 2005, I have began studying to become a librarian. I worked in the library at Johnson Bible College while Philip studied there and found it most enjoyable. So at the beginning of this year I began my studies. I have enjoyed this course. I am planning to study next year as well, I am still waiting on word from the place of study if I was successful in gaining entry. I believe there will be no problem as I have had discussion with my present teacher as to my possible place in the class. As I have worked hard this year, I see that it will not be a problem. Please pray for me as I continue to study.

Of course with the possibility of study next year this may change our plans to all come over with you all next year. Philip is still planning to bring Savannah with him if I make it into this course. We just ask that you pray that God will show us exactly what He wants in the new year.

The women’s group needs prayer as we are planning to change the format for next year. There are some women who can make the through the day meeting and there are some who cannot. This means some miss out. So we are planning to change our meeting time for a night meeting. Those who can make the through the day meeting are doing fine, we want to be able to help more those who have not been able to attend. So the plan is to modify our women’s group. Please pray for us have wisdom to know how to improve this much needed ministry.

On a more personal note, Philip has said that his family sure needs your prayers. His parents have struggled some within their relationship, and they need to remember what it means to be in a loving relationship and what their marriage vows were. I said the same thing they did when they got married, that I would love Philip in sickness and in health, for better or for worse. I guess unfortunately at times we forget what we vowed to do. Please pray for Philip’s parents.

Well another three months have flown by, and we are looking forward, God willing to next year, bye for now,

love,
Sharon.

Savannah's Learning Page

Savannah’s learning page

Hello my American friends. I just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you and praying for you as you all have had some bad storms.

My dad said that there were a lot of people who had no homes and that there were some children who had lost their pets and toys and beds and everything, and that we needed to be praying for those families. So I have been doing that.

It is always good to know that someone who lives on the other side of the world is praying for me. So I know that God will answer the prayers that go out to those who have suffered.

My mummy said that we are making plans to come over and see you all next year. I am so stoked (happy) about that. My dad said that we are going to go to see where I was born in Knoxville TN. He said that the last time we were with you all that I was not old enough to understand what it meant to be born in a particular place, but now I will be able to remember. So anyone who was born in Knoxville we are like family in a way.

My dad said that I probably should support the TN Vols, but I guess some of you might not think that is right. I guess it is like this, those of you who support the TN Vols you are more my family, and those of you who don’t you are an acquaintance. I don’t understand what I just said, but I guess those of you who do, you can have a laugh.

My mummy said that maybe we might be able to go to some kind of game while we were over there, because both mummy and daddy never got a chance to see any kind of game at a huge arena. I don’t know what that means but they said you would.

Hey kids my dad said that you are all back in school now. I am too, but in 8 weeks I am on a 6 weeks holiday. This is the Christmas break.

My dad said that I should tell you what we are planning to do, we are planning to go to the beach for a holiday after Christmas. I know that sounds funny for you as you would all be rugged up, but we will be swimming and making sand castles and everything that has to do with outside. Dad said that he might take me camping, just dad and I. Mum won’t come camping as she does not like camping in a tent, but I want to because my daddy said that he used to do that growing up with his family. They used to go camping all the time. I guess mummy does not like the thought of sleeping where snakes and creepy crawlies live. My dad said that the natives of Australia, the aboriginal people used to eat a grub, known as the witchtygrub. I don’t think that will be on the menu when we go camping.

I need to go now, I have a lot to do. I am reading now and have some homework.

your little Aussie mate,
Savannah

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