End of exams

We have now finished classes and exams for term 3. Graduation will be
held this Wednesday and then students will head back to their islands.
Students are being encouraged to reflect on what they have learnt
during their time at Talua, and how it can affect their lives and
their ministry.

The final field experience weekend in Sarete went very well. The
Saturday women's bible study looked back over the studies they had
done during the year. It helped clarify basic Christian teaching for
many of the women. On Saturday night we showed a movie about the five
missionaries martyred in Ecuador and Joel gave a talk on God's
judgment. The Sunday service and farewell went well. Overall it was a
great weekend of teaching and fellowship, and we were encouraged to
see that we and the people in the village have grown a lot through the
year. Please give thanks for the work we were able to do in Sarete and
that the final weekend went well, and pray that God would provide good
teaching in the village in the future and help people keep growing.

Jiroe is a student who came from Sarete and has just finished 1st year
at Talua. He is planning a mission/crusade week in Sarete from
21st-25th December on the theme "Be ready to meet Jesus". He has
spoken to leaders from different churches in the village to get their
support and has organised some college staff and BMin students to
speak during the week. If it goes well he then wants to organise
leaders from Sarete to do similar work in other villages. Give thanks
with us for Jiroe's enthusiasm for people to know Jesus and pray that
the mission would go well.

Term 3, week 4

• Rachael's health is continuing to improve. She stills feels very
tired but has picked up a lot.

• We are in week 4 of term. Classes are going well. This week Glen is
looking at providence with 1st year diploma students and Hebrews 4-6
with 2nd & 3rd year diploma students. The Bible studies are continuing
each Sunday afternoon at Sarete.

• There has been confusion over some college dates and our programs
for the term. This is quite normal, but please pray that the program
will be sorted out and that students will be trained well.

• Glen is still doing the bursar's work until a full-time bursar is
found. Over the next two months he will be cutting back the bursar's
work to a minimum and being more restrictive on the hours people can
come to his office concerning financial matters. This is already
causing tension and many people will probably become angry at him.
Traditionally it has been understood that you can go and see the
bursar anytime about anything and he should do it straight away (for
those of you who know Talua, think about Ps Frank's old job!). This
perception has changed a little, but it will have to change a lot more
over the next two months and there may be anger and frustration.
Please pray that people will be understanding of why Glen needs to set
aside time for teaching and preparation and cannot do financial work
during these times.

• Our college accreditation expired last year and their may be a re-
accreditation visit in October. Please pray that this will go well and
that the college will be accredited.

Start of term 3

Term 3 begins tomorrow and students have been arriving back at College
yesterday and today.
• Please pray for safe travel for returning students and staff,
especially those coming by ship.
• Please pray for staff as they prepare and teach classes, and for
students to work hard at their studies and grow in knowledge, ministry
skills and godliness.

Rachael has been back from Australia one week. She still feels very
tired and is resting a lot, but is recovering well now.
• Please continue to pray for Rachael's improving health and that the
rest of the family will be helpful and cooperative during this time.

This term Glen will be teaching "Humanity and Sin" to 1st year
diploma, "Hebrews to Revelation" to 2nd & 4th year diploma, and Greek
to the BMin foundation year students.
• Please pray for all of Glen's preparation and teaching.
• Please also continue to pray for the Bible's studies at Sarete which
will recommence next Sunday.

Assembly was a great chance to meet up with many former students and
other pastors in the church and to find out what is happening in the
wider church. While there were many encouragements, it was also
difficult seeing the acceptance of liberalism in the church and the
almost total absence of the Good News of Jesus from the programs and
planning of the church.
• Please continue to pray that pastors throughout the the PCV will
read the Bible and understand clearly who Christ is and what he has
done, and that they will faithfully teach these things to people
throughout Vanuatu.
• Please pray that staff and students at Talua will be able to produce
more resources to help pastors in this work.

Finally, please pray for us as a family. The last two months have been
difficult because we haven't been able to follow our regular routines.
Glen's mother was with us for most of August and helped greatly and
the children have been very helpful and understanding. But we now need
to return to some regular patterns of life!

Rachael going back to Australia

Rachael has been unwell lately and is going to Sydney today (monday)
for treatment. It is not serious or long term, but we would appreciate
your prayers for safe travel, for good health, and for the family
while she is away. She is looking forward to the trip as it is always
encouraging meeting family & Christian friends in Australia. Glen's
mother is still here in Vanuatu and is helping with the children.

Glen will travel to Vila on Friday (21st) for Assembly. Rachael will
probably fly back from Sydney and join him in Vila, and then we will
return to Talua on 28th August.

Thank you for your prayers for the work in Sarete. We have been doing
Bible Studies on Galatians and are now half way through chapter 3.
There are about 10-15 who come along and they have clearly learnt a
lot from from the studies and are thinking carefully about what it
means for themselves and others in the village to believe in Christ
for salvation. Please keep praying for the people of Sarete and for
Glen and the students. (We will have a break for the next two weeks
for school holidays.)

No water!

It has been a quieter week this week. Students are preparing for exams
and we are catching up on marking, administration, tidying etc. Glen's
mother is visiting for 5 weeks and will look after the children when
Glen and Rachael go to Assembly later this month.

Some points for prayer:
• Glen will preach tomorrow at Talua and then lead a Bible Study in
the afternoon at Sarete.
• Students will sit their exams next week.
• The coop store had a break in two weeks ago and cash was stolen, and
this week someone cut the main water pipes bringing water to Talua so
we had no water (rainwater for drinking was unaffected). Please pray
for peace in the community and a resolution of problems if people are
upset with Talua.

Approaching the end of term 2

We are now approaching the end of term 2. Next week is the last week
of lectures, followed by study week and exams. The students are
feeling weary after a long term and quite a few visitors during July.
(Yes, we are feeling weary too, although we had a little more rest
over the last week.) Please pray that students will have the strength
and discipline to continue studying over the next few weeks.

Thank you for your prayers for Open Day. Two of the volleyball teams
from Sarete stayed at our house for 3 nights during Open Day and it
was a great chance to get to know them a lot better. A lot of barriers
have been broken down and our visits to the village have become easier.

Students will go on field experience again this weekend. Rachael and
Lignes will be leading a women's Bible study on Saturday afternoon and
Glen will probably be leading a Bible study on Sunday afternoon. The
students will be involved in various other activities. Please pray for
the whole college field experience program as there are many problems.
The college is till trying to work out what to do with the program.

There was trouble in Luganville last week because of a murder and
about 50-100 people were forced to leave town by the police. It has
been resolved, but please pray for peace during Independence Day
celebrations this week.

Sarete and Open Day

We are going to Sarete for field experience this weekend. Please pray
for all the activities, but especially:
- Saturday morning devotions and training with the elders & deacons
(Glen leading)
- Saturday afternoon women's Bible study (Rachael) and children's
Bible story time (John)
- Sunday afternoon Bible study.
Please also pray for our conversations and visitation.

On Sunday there is a combined communion service for the surrounding
villages and so the students will not lead or preach.

Talua is now preparing for "Open Day" which is a four day soccer &
volleyball competition followed by one day music festival, to be held
from 1st-5th July. It is a big event and a lot of work for the
students. In the past we have been concerned that there is no
teaching, evangelism etc during the whole of the soccer & football
competition. It takes all of our energy for quite a few weeks and many
people come, but we don't give them anything except entertainment and
food. Some students are concerned about this and are trying to do
more. Please pray that the event will be run in a way that brings
glory to Christ and that there will be many opportunities to tell of
who he is and what he has done.

Sarete field experience

We have just finished the fourth week of term and life is in a more
regular pattern now. Schooling with the girls is going well even
though it is very tiring, and Glen is enjoying his classes this term.

The students went to Sarete last weekend for field experience and Glen
has continued to go each Sunday to lead a Bible Study. There is a
small core who are very committed and we are now beginning to think
about how that group and the students can start to reach out to others
in the village. The students will go again for field experience next
weekend (19th-21st June). Billy will be preaching on Sunday morning
and we will also hold separate devotions or Bible Studies for the
women, children, church leaders, and the whole community.

There has been some serious tension with one staff member and the
issue will be dealt with by the Church executive during the coming
week. The tension is quite serious and we would appreciate your prayers.

We have been waiting quite a number of months for different equipment
to arrive at Talua, including the new college truck, a satellite
internet dish and solar panels for the English' teachers house. None
of these are essential, but they make life a lot simpler and we would
appreciate your prayers for the logistics.

Thanks again for your prayers. Above all else please continue to pray
that Christ will be the centre of our College life at Talua and of all
that we say and do personally. It is still very rare that we hear a
sermon or devotion proclaiming clearly what Christ has done for us,
and when that is missing then something else always takes its place as
the focus.

Holiday at Turtle Bay

Greetings,

We have just returned from a five day break on the east coast of Santo
and are feeling very refreshed. During this next week Talua is still
on holidays and Glen will work on preparation for term 2 (teaching
"John's Gospel," "the last things" and Greek). Rachael will have
school with the girls.

Glen will be preaching tomorrow morning at Talua on 1 John 1:1-4 and
lead a Bible Study at Sarete in the afternoon, but otherwise there is
very little planned for this week.

Thanks for your prayers,
Glen, Rachael, Sophie, Bethany & Matthew

Teaching in Sarete

Hello everyone,

Field experience went well last weekend, although Rachael and the
children weren't able to go because Rachael sprained her ankle on
Wednesday night.

Even though there has been very little bible teaching in the village
and many people are struggling spiritually, they are still keen to
learn from the Bible. Most weekends this year there was no sunday
service in Sarete itself and none was planned for last weekend, but
the elders were keen to meet when we suggested it as they are aware
that the lack of time together for community worship and teaching is a
problem. Also, the elders have agreed for us to come each Sunday
afternoon to teach the Bible. This Sunday we will begin to read and
discuss 1 John with anyone who wants to come. Sunday School also had
not been planned, but on Saturday night and Sunday morning Joel led a
time of singing and Bible stories with the children.

The students had opportunity to speak with people around the village
and are focusing on helping people clearly understand the Gospel and
respond appropriately. We also met someone from the Praise & Worship
church who has a DVD player and shows religious movies or singing or
teaching almost every night. We gave him a DVD of John's Gospel and
about 40 or 50 people watched chapters 1-14 on Friday night. He asked
us to bring more material that he can show people.

Please pray:
• that there will be more regular services on Sundays, with faithful
Bible teaching.
• that people will come to the Bible Study on Sunday, and that we will
learn from God's Word and grow together.
• that we will have more opportunities to teach the children in the
village, and to encourage parents and others in the village to teach
them, and that these children will grow up to know and trust our Lord
Jesus Christ.
• that as students share the Gospel around the village, God will work
by his Spirit to bring more people to know him.
• giving thanks for the man from the Praise & Worship church who is
using his DVD player to help and encourage people in the village.
• that we will be able to encourage and support him in this ministry
and that it will bring the message of Christ and good Bible teaching
to many people in the village.
• that the tension between the villages of Hasavaea and Vimele, and
that the field experience group in Hasavaea will be able to continue
their work.
• for students doing their exams next week

Trip to Sarete

We're just heading out to Sarete for field experience for the weekend.
(Glen, Billy & John with our familes, and Joel and Kalmara who are
single.)
We will visit different people and meet with the church leaders and
people involved in different ministries.

On Sunday there is a very large combined service for all the villages
in the local area. Joel will be preaching on the judgment of God from
the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.

There is also a Langham preaching conference on next week. This will
be held in Vila and includes pastors from all over Vanuatu.

Please pray for us and these events.

End of the first week of classes

We are all well and enjoying the many blessings of life at Talua.

Philip attended his Father's funeral in Ambrym and has now returned to
Talua to continue the BTh program. Thank you for your prayers for him.
There are some students in the Diploma and Mission program who haven't
arrived yet. Transport is difficult here and some people are waiting
on ships. Please pray that everyone will be able to arrive quickly and
safely.

This week fourth year diploma students will be looking at the death of
Christ with Glen over 8 class hours. Please pray that we will also see
more clearly God's love and mercy and justice and just how much he has
done for us. Pray also that we will respond to this teaching with
renewed trust in God and thankfulness to him and desire to share with
others how wonderful our God is.

Some other events coming up:
20th Feb - Rachael is leading devotions on John 4:7-42
27th Feb - First field experience weekend with Billy, John, Joel &
Kalmara, at a nearby village called Sarete.
1st March - Glen will be leading a prayer night with the College
community

Term 1 begins for Diploma students

This week is the first week of lectures for term 1. Glen will be
teaching "God's solution to sin" and "Biblical Interpretation" to
final year Diploma students as well as Greek with the BTh students.
These are all subjects he greatly enjoys, although it has been hard
getting enough preparation time. Please pray for Glen's preparation,
and that he would be able to show the students the benefits of
studying these subjects so that they will work hard. Pray especially
for the final year students, that these subjects will help them to be
focused on our Lord Jesus Christ and paying careful attention to God's
Word.

Philip Joses is one of the degree students. His father passed away
last week and he has gone back to his home island of Ambrym. Please
pray for God's comfort during this time, and for Philip as he has a
lot of responsibilities to carry out in his village at this time.
Please pray also that he would be able to come back to Talua soon and
continue his studies.

There are a lot of activities in the last half of February. We'll try
to give you more information next week, but the phones have been quite
problematic and we wanted to get this email out quickly while we can.

BTh foundation year begins!

Hello everyone,

We have returned to Talua again for 2009 and we look forward to your
prayer support again. Our Father delights in the prayers of his
children! Here are some ideas to guide your prayers.

• The BTh program began in January with a 3 week Greek intensive, and
this week is now week 1 of term. Please pray that the students will
work hard at their Greek and their other subjects and not find it
overwhelming. Give thanks that most students have enjoyed their
studies so far and have kept up with the Greek. Three students (Ps
Kalotap, Fr Boe & Fr Tari) arrived late and are behind on their Greek.
Please pray that they will be able to catch up. Please pray that all
the students will grow in knowledge and godliness as they train for
future ministry.

• This week is orientation week for the other programs, with bible
studies on obedience. Please pray that these studies will challenge
and encourage students from God's Word and that the students and staff
will be serious about out personal growth during this year. (Glen will
lead the Tuesday morning study.)

• Pray for staff as they prepare lessons ready for classes next week.

• We are short on married accommodation this year and some families
are having to share one house. Please pray for patience in this
difficult situation and the families involved will be able to rejoice
even in this difficulty. Pray that the families will be able to get on
well, especially those with young children, and that God would use
this situation to bring great blessing to the families involved.

• Please pray for Rachael as she teaches Sophie (yr 1) & Bethany
(kindy) at home. Especially pray for her patience with the children
and that she would be a loving and godly example to the children as
she teaches them.

Thanks for your prayers,
Glen, Rachael, Sophie, Bethany and Matthew