I just arrived back (good Friday) from a 10 day preaching enagagement in Australia. Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a GREAT privilige and responsibility, but travelling to the other side of the world is tiring! Having left the previous Monday, it took me a day and a half to get there, sitting in a seat two sizes too small for 23hours. However I must say the Quantas / BA staff were very helpful and made a very long journey easier.
I first preached a wednesday night to Sunday morning revival for Pastor Darryl and Sister Carol Munckton in Wollongong, 1 hr south of Sydney. Pastor Darryl has been pastoring this Church for a number of years now and the congregation numbers around eighty saints who were very welcoming and hospitable to me. I've known Darryl and Carol now since 1996, when our uk impact team visited them in Armadale and it was good sharing humorous fellowship about the english beating the aussies at Cricket, Rugby and football ;-) Darryl kindly took me to Sydney harbour to see the world famous Opera House, Bridge and street performers ;-)
After the Sunday AM service I was driven 3hours to Canberra the capital of Australia to preach for Pastor Craig & Raelene Holford and their adorable four children. Craig was also very kind to take time off work to take me to the Australian War memorial, which i must admit was an eye opener. I have visted the Haulocast Museum in Israel, War museum in Poland and of course the British war museum, yet I was very impressed (and enlighhtened) by the role of the ANZACs in various conflicts around the world. On another day we visted the Telecoms tower and the very impressive (and expensive AUD1.1 billion) Parliment House, which in many ways is very similar to our own English parliment. The revival meetings went well and on the last night, they had their highest attendance for a while (praise be to God).
I must say after preaching two revivals back to back I was missing family, Church, home, etc and was actually looking forward to the trip home. on the flight I got to have great conversations with the Christian Stewardess sitting opposite me (emergency exits seats..... thank you Jesus), the atheist, Ghandi loving ex Christian (very nice guy) and the GAY young guy sitting next to me who was a Christian until about 20yrs old (God you have a sense of humour).
Please keep the Muncktons and the Holfords in your prayers
