Why no more posts?

For privacy reasons prayer points are no longer posted on this page.

This is partly because internet access is improving in Vanuatu and we do not wish to cause any offence to local people by anything we write. We have always tried to be sensitive about the way we say things and to avoid unnecessary offence, but at this stage we think it is better to no longer publish the prayer points on the internet.

We do continue to send weekly prayer points. Please email us if you wish to receive them, or contact us through our web page www.talua.org

Thanks,
Glen & Rachael

Connor weekly prayer points

Hello,

Thank you for your prayers last weekend. Although the students did not do anything on Sunday, they had many opportunities to speak with people and lead Bible studies on Friday and Saturday. And now we have more opportunities this weekend. Glen will preach at Talua (2 Thes 1:3-10) and Sam will preach at Tata School (Luke 12:49-53); the other students in the mentoring group will help in the services. We have also been asked to preach and teach in several nearby villages over the next month – a real answer to our prayers as we try to encourage and train the students!

It is often difficult preaching at Talua. Staff are meant to be a model to the students, who meet in groups each Tuesday to discuss the sermon.  Pray that this Sunday Glen will faithfully teach the Scriptures for God's glory and not his own. Pray that students and staff will be reminded that Christ is coming to punish those who do not know him, and that they will trust fully in Christ for salvation, persevere even through hard times, and grow in their desire to proclaim Christ where he is not yet known. 

Yours in Christ,

Glen, Rachael, Sophie, Bethany, Matthew & Lachlan

Connor weekly prayer points

Brief prayer point: Pray that God will give Glen and the students opportunities to evangelise, teach and preach on field this weekend, despite difficulties in communication with the village.

Greetings,

We are thankful that we just had two lighter weeks during college holidays which gave us time for rest and preparation. Our planned trip to the island of Malekula for one week fell through, so we went to Ipayato village for one night instead. We can see that this was for the best and are now more refreshed.

Over the next week:

• Pray for Glen as he leads college devotions on Ascension Day (Thursday 17th). Pray that students and staff will realise that Jesus has power over every ruler and authority, both physical and spiritual.

• Pray for field this weekend (18th-20th). Glen has prepared two talks and Sam and John should also have teaching prepared, but communication with the village has been poor and this often means people go to their gardens and programs cannot go ahead. Pray that God will give us opportunities to evangelise, teach and encourage people this weekend, either in Avunumbulu or elsewhere.

• We are in the first week of a new term. Pray for safe travel for students still traveling, and for staff to prepare and teach faithfully this term.

• We have just appointed a new Sunday School committee. Pray that students will see the importance of teaching our children and will have fresh enthusiasm and faithfulness in this work. Pray that children at Talua will know what God has done for them through Christ and will have fellowship with him. Pray for wisdom for the committee as they plan lessons for this term. Pray that Glen will be able to encourage and train the committee and Sunday School teachers.

Thanks again for your prayers,
Yours in Christ,
Glen, Rachael, Sophie, Bethany, Matthew & Lachlan Connor

Final field experience trip

Thank you for your prayers. The translation course went well. Classes are going well. We have also had great conversations with students and staff recently about how we can proclaim Christ more faithfully in Vanuatu.

This weekend (21st-23rd) is our final field experience in Avunatari, the largest village on Malo. We will lead studies on grace and justification by faith (not using those words!). Then Api will preach on Sunday on Romans 6, showing how we died with Christ and now live new lives in him. Please pray that we will teach clearly and faithfully. Pray that God will work powerfully by his Spirit so that people may appreciate the wonderful salvation we have by his grace and will give themselves wholeheartedly in obedience to him.

We then have two more weeks of class. Glen will be teaching:
– diploma students about judgement, heaven and hell.
– foundation year students on prayer.
– BMin students on New Testament letters, especially Galatians.

Please continue to pray for both of us as we teach and for the students in these last few weeks before exams.

SIL course

Each year SIL workers come to Talua to lead a 1 or 2 week training workshop on Bible translation. It teaches students the importance of people having God's Word in their own language and leads some students to Bible translation work after college. Please pray for the workshop next week.

Give thanks that the reconciliation ceremony went well on Wednesday. There seemed to be genuine repentance at wrongdoing and a desire for forgiveness and moving forward. Pray that there will be forgiveness and unity in Christ within the Talua community.

Please continue to pray for our regular teaching and as we prepare for our final field experience on 21st-23rd October.

Connor weekly prayer points (Wednesday 28th September)

Prayer brief: Pray for Rachael who is teaching the women to write and lead Bible studies, a very new idea for most of them.

Hello everyone,

It is a normal week this week – nothing special. Please keep praying for our preparation and teaching, and for mentoring each week.

We give thanks that the staff member on strike has now resumed teaching. The meeting to discuss the issue is tomorrow (Thursday 29th) so please keep praying if you receive this email in time.

Glen was a little sick and didn't go on field. We haven't heard how it went, but will let you know next week.

Yours in Christ,
Glen, Rachael, Sophie, Bethany, Matthew & Lachlan

Pastor's retreat on the decline of the Presbyterian Church

We had a very encouraging field experience last weekend at Malo. It was our first time visiting the village, and we found the people to be full of praise and thanksgiving to God through Christ. The students worked hard and we are all very thankful to God for the weekend.

Tomorrow (Friday) the director of the Ministry Training Program in Australia will be visiting Talua. Please pray that Ben will say many helpful things to the students and staff, and that it will help us to see the importance of training people in ministry and give us ideas for how to do this better.

Next week (29th August - 2nd September) many pastors and elders will meet in Luganville to address the problem of the decline in the Presbyterian church. Ps Tony Wan will lead some of the sessions and call people back to preaching, teaching and discipleship. This is a wonderful opportunity. Please pray that those attending will see the importance of focusing on the Gospel of Christ and be filled with greater passion to preach Christ and teach the Word of God.

The following week is the Presbyterian Church Assembly. There are many administrative matters to deal with, but please pray that in all that we discuss we will remember Christ and be making decisions that help people throughout the nation know him and grow to maturity.

There are many exciting things happening and also many challenges. Thank you again for your prayers.

Connor prayer points for 5th August

Hello everyone,

We hope this email finds you standing firm and growing in the Lord. There was a lot of tiredness and minor sickness in our family last month, but we are all back to full health now. Students at Talua have been studying this week and will sit their exams on Monday and Tuesday. This has been less demanding on us and Glen has been doing more marking and preparation. We also had very helpful staff inservice training for two mornings.

The calendar is very different this year because of the date of the church Assembly. Students will have 5 days rest after exams and then term 3 will begin on 15th August. This will be very demanding on staff and students.

• Give thanks for good health, for the encouragement from recent visitors, and for the training Talua staff received.
• Pray that staff will work together, united in a common desire to see Christ proclaimed and glorified through our lives and work and through the students we are training.
• Pray for students doing exams next week, especially those who have little formal schooling and are very nervous.
• Pray that God will give strength to both staff and students as we begin term 3 after a very short break.
• Give thanks for Emily's time with us, and pray for her safe return to Australia in about two weeks time.
• Give thanks that Talua has decided to increase mentoring time to one hour each week beginning next term, a wonderful answer to prayer!

Yours in Christ,
Glen, Rachael, Sophie, Bethany, Matthew & Lachlan

Connor prayer points

Hello everyone,

Last Sunday we had a visiting Korean missionary come to Talua and preach on the importance of the preaching of the Word and prayer. He showed very clearly that the Presbyterian church of Vanuatu is in decline and that we need urgent change. We need to stop being distracted by administration and money, and start focusing on preaching and discipleship. Many people were challenged by what he said and the Principal asked students to meet in Presbytery groups to discuss how we need to change.

We have had the same burden for a long time but have found it hard to put clear preaching and prayer on the agenda. God has been clearly working here over the last week to call the church back to its true foundation. Please pray for what is happening.

This week (11th-15th April) Campus Crusade will run an evangelistic training week for the whole college. This is wonderful timing in God's plan and could lead many people back to building on the only foundation, which is Christ.

Please pray that there will be deep change at Talua, so that we will focus on praying and preaching Christ and his Word. Pray for our family as we try to encourage this change. Pray that we will take initiative to take up opportunities to preach and teach, and that we will provide resources and support for others. And give thanks to God!

(The landline phones were repaired this week (+678 37005) and we have also been reconnected to the internet. This will make it much easier for us to keep in touch with you again.)

Yours in Christ,
Glen, Rachael, Sophie, Bethany, Matthew & Lachlan

Many things to give thanks for...

There are many things to give thanks for:

• Field experience in March went very well. The students took the initiative to plan the weekend and review all the activities afterwards. I have been very impressed with their maturity and seriousness and their growing focus on teaching the Bible well and telling people about Christ.

• The Easter weekend was more focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus than we have seen previously. Rachael led a children's program that went very well and overall it was a great weekend.

• I spoke a couple of weeks ago with Jiroy, a D2 student from Sarete (6km from Talua), about the crusade he and some other students ran in Sarete just before Christmas. They said it went really, really well. Many hundreds of people came from all the surrounding villages and about 50 people made commitments (although it is sometimes hard to work out what this means). Villagers said that the week before Christmas is normally a time of drunkenness and trouble but this year it was quiet and people were worshipping God. One of the elders said that it needs to happen again and asked the students to help organise a crusade in Vunavus (8km from Talua) from 5th-9th May. Thank you for your prayers last year about this event and praise God! Please continue to pray for the follow up of those who were converted, for Jiroy and others as they plan the next crusade, and for regular faithful teaching of God's Word in the churches here.

Some prayer points:
• We have two more teaching weeks until the end of term 1. Please continue to pray for our teaching.
• This Friday we will meet with our mentoring group and then we will go to Weilapa again on 16th-18th April.
• We still have no bursar and the principal is still on leave, so the administration here is quite a mess. Please pray that this will be resolved quickly.

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