AWA May 2010

Hi Welcome to my new format prayer letter. As Scripture Union New Zealand has changed some of the colour scheme on our Brand logo I thought it a good time to change the format of my email prayer letter in keeping with those changes. I have also made it more interactive. If you click on almost any picture in the email it will take you to a website that relates to that topic. If you want to know where your click might take you hold your mouse pointer over the picture for a few seconds and it will tell you. if you have any suggestion as to how I may improve this please let me know. Please read on and enjoy.

E100

I was very excited to be invited to promote the E100 Bible Challenge at Royal Oak Baptist Church. The first time was a week after the church had started the challenge by being interviewed in their Sunday service. Then two weeks later I ran two sessions at their church camp. The really exciting part was that of the 250 people coming to camp 50 of them were not people who attended church. In two one hour sessions I took people through the Bible - Genesis to Revelation - using fun activities like: collecting pegs to represent the manna that the Israelites collected each day while wandering in the Sinai desert, making balloon horns to represent the horns blown when the walls of Jericho fell, making letters out of large rubber bands to remind us of the many letters that Paul wrote. And all of this with 250 people of all ages.

Centurion

I went to Geoff’s Emporium to get a pirate outfit and 45 minutes later emerged with a centurion’s outfit. I have used it 4 times in the last month: at a Bible in schools assembly, in my Bible in Schools class, at the Starship Hospital children’s church, all to tell the Easter story. And finally at children’s programme at a mission event where we looked at how the Christians kept the stories of Jesus alive during the reign of the Roman Caesar Nero. It was a great teaching tool as most children had never seen a Roman soldier in person. I was hoping to use it at another Bible in Schools assembly but the story I was asked to tell did not have a Roman soldier in it. The aim of the teaching was to show that many Roman soldiers’ lives were changed by what they saw of Jesus in the lives of Christians, to show that that same Jesus can change lives today.

WAY2GO

This year 650 people from more than 150 churches attended in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. This is what some of the people who attended said: A very special time in which we were reminded of the importance of working with children. It was awesome. Meeting so many new people from all walks of life was fulfilling. Praise the Lord! The Spirit was moving. Amazing key note speakers. Practical advice with a supportive atmosphere. Really targeted to my needs. Loads of ideas to take back to my church. Every moment has been a blessing. I will definitely come again.     As we debriefed the 3 event it was encouraging to know that once again children’s lives around New Zealand would be transformed because of what leaders had experienced at WAY2GO.

Time Travel Camp - Prayer

SUPAkidz camp was the usual hive of fun and activities, night games and air rifle shooting being the highlights for most of the children. Many also enjoyed seeing the story of Joseph being told using the brick testament. This uses pictures of Bible scenes made using Lego building blocks.     It was awesome having the three interns from the UK on camp as leaders. They brought a very international flavour to camp. We also had two staff workers at camp observing how we do things at SUPAkidz camp, ideas that may be used as part of the youth camp ministry.     The highlight for me, and for the team, was having individuals from the local church praying for us for the week at camp. As a team we attended the local church, Causeway, to worship on the Sunday before camp. During the service the pastor called us all up so that they could pray for us. Then he asked 13 people to stand who would commit to praying for an individual leader for the week that we were at camp. It was so encouraging to know that an individual person was praying for me, and each leader. We also bumped into two of those individuals on our walk away from camp and were encouraged as they shared how they had been praying for us.     We know that four children's lives were transformed by camp as they sat down with a leader and joined Jesus’s team.

Please give thanks for the leaders who served on the SUPAkidz camp team. Please pray for children whose lives where changed through the activities at camp and the friendships made at camp. Please pray for the Bible in schools team I am part of as we teach classes each Friday morning. Please pray for the SUPAkidz camp working group as we plan camps for the next 6 months and beyond. Thursday 10 June Starship Hospital Children's Church. I will be telling the story of the Good Shepherd. Saturday 12 June Prayer Breakfast. See details below. Thursday 29 June Staff day. Pray that as we gather as an Auckland staff we would be encouraged and inspired by Keith Vaughan our Scripture Union President who will share with us that day. Friday 2 to Monday 5 July SUPAkidz camp leaders preparation and training weekend. Pray for new leaders and that the team will bond and prepare well. Monday 5 to Friday 9 July Camp Newspaper SUPAkidz camp. The Bible theme is looking at the life of Jesus through the eyes of some newspaper reporters. Please pray for Ruth and Kelvin as they plan for leading the team.

The Boys

E Camp     I went to my first camp with my church. We went to E Camp over Easter. I had an awesome time - learned new things, made new friends and tried out new activities.     I had my eleventh birthday party on Friday. Mum and Dad organised an amazing race party. We raced around the neighbourhood doing various activities. Then back home for homemade pizzas and a movie. James 11

Hat Trick     I bowled a hat trick in my last cricket game and got a prize for equalling a club record. I want to play cricket again.     On Saturday I celebrated my eighth birthday with a party at the local BMX track. We had lots of fun including a few spills. We then cycled back to our house for a movie and a sleepover.     I have just finished reading Captain Underpants, which I got as a present. I like reading. Chris 8

School     I am now five. I had a beach party with a Lego cake to celebrate.     I started school today and I loved it. I can read. The book I brought home for homework I read more than 20 times, including twice over the internet to my grandparents in South Africa. I do like school! Thomas 5

Home

We have moved into a new phase of life in the Ramsbottom home as all three boys are now at school and all loving it. We also have a bread maker so the days of purchasing bread are over. It is wonderful to wake in the morning or come home to the smell of freshly baked bread.     The boys are now a year older having celebrated their birthdays with lots of fun activities.     We spent a few days away at Leigh over Easter. We attended the local Anglican church in Leigh on Easter Sunday and were most impressed with the way the vicar involved the children in the service. Besides getting to hand out chocolate eggs to people the boys also got to sprinkle adults with holy water. Chris did it with particular gusto.