April Showers bring Feijoas & they are still here in May!

It's autumn in New Zealand... the leaves are turning, the wind is picking up - rain is forecast for the next week (with threats of flooding on both islands). But, my feijoa trees are STILL dropping fruit! Dozens and dozens of these little beauties are offering themselves as sacrifices for the many who would feast on them during their short season.

One month ago the first of the crops came in... and yes, I put about one dozen in a suitcase, flew to the USA, and cleared right through customs without ever having to give up my stash! Lest anyone think I broke the law - I claimed "fresh fruit" on my customs documentation. The nice man who cleared me didn't even blink.

So, what is a feijoa you ask? Some call it: (Feijoa sellowiana), also known as Pineapple Guava or Guavasteen, is an evergreen shrub or small tree, 1–7 metres (3.3–23 ft) in height, originating from the highlands of southern Brazil and parts of Colombia, Uruguay and northern Argentina. But HEAPS of them are found in NEW ZEALAND!

The latest news from Feijoa-land!
It's been a wonderful April & May. Praise reports include:

J2 Palmerston North is beginning to grow. God allowed the new leadership time to grow together in His Word and begin to learn how to serve together as a team. And a couple of weeks ago He began bringing new students to fellowship with us. We're still in the "framing" stages, building on the foundations laid in years past, but the ministry will take a new shape without losing the vision of J2 mission. Please pray for the leadership here in Palmerston North, that we will continue to be led by the Spirit and faithful to reach out to these students with sincere love and friendship, and that we will have great opportunity to share the gospel of Christ with them.

I am also thrilled to be moving forward on the ISMNZ DVD project. God brought us a professional who works for the local Christian TV station to help with expertise and production. Please pray for inspired storytelling, so that we can share with EVERYONE we can (via DVD and You-Tube) this awesome ministry of reaching the nations from our doorstep, as well as communicate how everyone with a heart for blessing these students can be involved. Pray I will be able to gather good material from staff and volunteers and students around New Zealand and also from returnees who are back in their home countries carrying on for Christ.

Another praise... the GINGRICH's are here. They are a couple from Ohio who, with their daughter Sarah, came to serve ISMNZ through the Nav's on a short term mission in 2005. As a result of their experience, they began to sense a leading from God that perhaps He was calling them into full time ministry with us in NZ. Mitch sold his law practice, Sarah graduated high school and came ahead of them in February (to study at Cantebury Uni), and Mitch & Beth have arrived in Christchurch to eventually serve as our Southern Region leaders. Please pray for them as they settle, that God would bless their home (already found one to rent across the street from campus!), their shipping and moving in, and the ministry that He has for them.

My home church, Grace City Church, has commissioned Pastor Kellis Byrne (Fiji) as our shepherd for the "English-speaking" international congregation. Whewhew! We've journeyed in the desert 3 1/2 years preparing for the Lord to provide two men to lead us into the promised 'land' (Palmy and the Nations)... first He brought Pastor Richard Tien (Singapore) in 2007 to take up the call of pastoring our Mandarin speaking congregation, as well as providing shepherding to the entire church. And now, Kellis has heard the call to leave the professional secular world and become our pastor. Praise God! "You've worked for men for 31 years, now it's time to work for Me". Please pray for Kellis and Dawn (and their girls, Brittany, Zarette and Giselle)... that God would protect and bless their family, and bring many encouragers and intercessors to support them.

Kellis and Dawn Byrne @ the commissioning in April!

The smiles on our faces (or are we laughing) demonstrate our joy!

Kellis and his girls! Zarette, Giselle, Dawn and Brittany

Will all the Fijian's please stand alongside Kellis and Dawn!
We enjoyed amazing worship with a Fijian choir...

There and Back Again: Across the SEA in Southern California
In late April I was blessed (by my brother) to be able to zip over to Southern California to be a part of my nephew's wonderful day! Sean Mills married his beautiful best friend and high school sweetie, Lisa! God really blessed the day - perfect weather (maybe even a little too warm, eh?), great friends and family, all of it. I am so thankful that I got to be there. Please pray for Sean & Lisa, that their first months will be filled with blessing and unity, and that they would be able to move into their new home (when all the Mills' men from three generations are finished with all the contruction projects they have planned for it) with joy!

My brother, Bruce with Lisa & Sean

What a good looking group! Lisa, Sean and his best man and brother TJ!
The speech RAAWKED!

Guess who my date was for the wedding? NOZOMI!
Awesome as! No-chan joined me for the wedding & I kept her up WAY too late
talking too much (who, me? talk to much? heehee)

Please pray for Nozomi's visit home for the summer on her break from
Westminister. Pray for blessed reunions, rest of mind, and joyful worship.

Still conTagious!
Even though I've been travelling a lot, my heart has not been far from our Grace City Church student group. In mid-April, the youth initiated an "after Easter" outreach for students in the city. They had it on a Saturday night... smoke machine, lazers, lots of yummy food, and great celebration in song and dance. But, I think more 'old folks' were there that night jumping around than students. They invited Stephen McIvor (ISMNZ ministry intern grad from a few years back - married to my dear daughter from Inner Mongolia, Christina) to share a gospel message. It was fabulous.

Still, sometimes great expectations (expecting many more to join us) lead to collosal let downs (God has a way of humbling us). So, I suggested they do it again the next night since we still had the 'equipment'. That night God brought many students and some from our Chinese ministry leadership. The Lord gave me a message to share with them about "Living as a Citizen of Heaven: God doesn't allow for dual-citizenship"... if we belong to Christ we are resident aliens on this planet and need to learn to follow the King of kings and His righteousness.

Please pray for 'conTagious' as we head into June LEADING the church in mission's month! That's a long story, but they have done amazing work finding special needs to introduce to our church... locally and in some of the students' home countries and in Haiti. They chose them and introduced them in our Sunday night meeting. Now we will expand it to the church. Also, we will be starting "My First Steps"... a discipleship series from Omega Discipleship. Actually - this is a church-wide 20 week series we'll ALL begin in various small groups the first week of July. Pray for MANY to commit to this walk.

Whewhew! Look at the pretty lights.

Don't quit your day jobs guys... ballet is not for you! (Kenny, Masa and Ma)

We are from HIS kingdom!

Japan in Japan and New Zealand

J2 Combined (Auckland/Palmy) Camp Crowd! Good times!

All Nations Returnees Conference - Kids presentation
(I am sitting 1/3 of the way back... so this crowd is x3)

Mai-chan (J2 grad) meets Ayako-chan (future J2 member for Auckland)
together at All Nations Returnees Conference. Pray for Ayako as she
awaits word on being accepted for Bible College in NZ.

OHHHHH SAAAAA KAAAAA
These are also generations, who weren't all in J2 at the same time

but back in Japan are gathering often for Bible study and fellowship

and to spur one another on in love and good deeds.
The gal on the right is a NEW friend of J2 that we met briefly
in Auckland but who has become a wonderful part of the Osaka family.

TIME TO CATCH UP AGAIN... BEFORE I TRAVEL THOUSANDS MORE MILES AGAIN!

What day is it? What city am I in? What country am I in?

That’s pretty much what it’s been like since my return to New Zealand in early February. Beginning my time back in the country with a J2 retreat was DIVINE providence. It was like my Sabbath rest in Christ to prepare me for the “week” of weeks ahead.

Do you realise that while God rested on the seventh day after He created everything, the FIRST day He gave to man was a day of Sabbath rest. We are so used to thinking of Sunday as a recuperation day, that we fail to realise that God in His wisdom knew we needed to first abide in Him before we faced our next six days of labour. Pretty cool, eh?

If you have Facebook and see any of my posts, you’ll know that I’ve been travelling quite a bit. In New Zealand as well is to Japan and back. There are so many stories I could tell, but I’m not sure where to begin. It seems this year my focus has a lot to do with our Japanese ministry, including the five J2 ministry interns, my household, J2 in Palmerston North, returnees in Japan… I love how God is in control of the harvest field He asks us to labour in.

God has also been doing amazing things amongst the other international students in New Zealand, and as I’ve travelled the country and met with various interns and staff and been able to hang out with some of their ministries, one thing stands out – God is still changing hearts and lives and adding to our numbers daily those who are being saved.

Recently at a student Easter camp which included the Palmerston North OCF (Overseas Christian Fellowship) students and the “Odd Fellows” (Chinese university student ministry), eight students gave their lives to Christ! It was truly an Acts event… the main speaker was Dr. Palatasa Havea (Tonga). He’s on the ISMNZ board with me, and has been such a blessing to the Pasifik Islanders throughout NZ and many students in Palmy. Two of the students are from Malaysia, and six of students saved are from mainland China… and even though the messages were pretty deep and in English – they UNDERSTOOD the heart of God’s message to them and received His salvation! It was AWESOME!

I am so filled with praise for what God is doing here in NZ and in Japan, it’s ridiculous. Truly wild. Thanks to the Navigator students at Cal State Long Beach, I was able to travel to Japan to attend the “All Nations Returnees Conference” in March (http://www.allnations.jp/an10/index.php?lang=en)

There were many highlights for me. The best part of course was having me dear Mai-chan there for most of it. It was exciting to see God give her the desire of her heart by connecting her with young women in her area who are meeting weekly for a women’s Bible study. Two of the gals live one train station away from her station! Another highlight was worship with hundreds of Japanese Christians, most of whom are still in their 20’s. Vibrant growing believers who believe with all their heart that their homeland is their mission field! WOW! And yet another highlight was being able to lead the New Zealand returnees reunion (about 30) in a short devotion, then have small group discussion. My group was awesome, and full of vision about the future of the gospel reaching their generation in Japan. I could go on and on, but if you click on the link I gave above you can get some idea.

My time outside of the conference with returnees was just as wonderful. Staying with Mai was like old times here at Cardiff. She has been blessed with an awesome job and she and Daniel are growing as husband & wife, ministry partners and friends. They head to Thailand and Bangladesh in May to experience mission amongst the poor and hurting in those areas.
Osaka was great as well, spending time with my Sakai Eiko church family, staying with Nozomi’s mum and dad, as well as reconnecting with Shoko and Kayako Morimoto for a few nights. Then, meeting up with the Osaka returnees… generations of them.

People often ask me why I’m still doing this and what keeps me going despite the decrease in funding, and all I can say is THE FRUIT. Seeing these awesome fresh international followers of Jesus continue to grow and continuing in their faith. Knowing that God ordained that I get to have a tiny role in that for the short time they are in New Zealand… it is a privilege and these beautiful kids from around the world are my heartbeat. I can’t THANK GOD and THANK YOU enough for your prayers and encouragement and support in allowing me to be here.

This post is getting WAY too long… so I’ll sign off with this final praise report… In addition to our wonderful pastor, Richard Tien (from Singapore), God has affirmed in KELLIS BYRNE’s heart that he’s the man to shepherd our English speaking congregation. Since late 2006 we’ve all believed Kellis was ‘the one’. But, God had to take our people through the desert to teach us and discipline us and make us strong in Him, and now Kellis had heard from God’s own Spirit that he is to be our pastor. WOWIE! A Singaporean and a Fijian! GREAT STUFF!

This is how we know what love is... (1 John 3:16)

I like to read action stories before I sleep at night. My recent indulgences have been Randy Alcorn and Joel Rosenberg series... both which have intrigue, action, mystery and a lot about how now impacts eternity and what awaits between now and then. I've read their books three times in two years.

But, most recently I put the books down and for 40 minutes each night have watched 'Jericho' - a TV series that aired in 2007 and after cancellation, came back for six more episodes to make a bunch of 'nutty' fans happy.

I realised there is a pattern to my viewing and reading... that on the surface seems rediculously violent and focussed on doom and tragedy. But that's not the case.

In all these stories I am moved and amazed at the unity of those who love their neighbours. Even in the midst of absolute disaster, of pain and suffering, of fear and doubt - those who rise above the circumstance to lay down their lives and put aside 'self' for the sake of not just those they love, but strangers, neighbours, and in some cases even enemies... the hope that arises is stunning.

From 10-14 of February, I was blessed to be the logistics and transportation coordinator for the J2 Palmerston North crew summer's end retreat. For those five days, we focussed on the entire book of 1st John. Not an easy read, even for the most seasoned of Christians.

1John 3:16 says this: "This is how we know what love is - Jesus laid down His life for us. So, we also ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters". This same Jesus taught us to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, to do good to those who hate us. He reminded us that of most importance is that we love God and love our neighbour as we love ourself. And how do I love myself? Well, I'm fed, clothed, sheltered and do what I can to stay healthy and fit.

I don't know if I'm ready to face the trial of calamity yet. I don't know if I've taken to heart our Lord's commands as deeply and in action as I possibly can. But, as I read the headlines, and read between the lines and compare things to the word of God - I know I need to prepare to love others in a miraculous and major way. Because as we face enemies, as we face disaster, as we face unemployment and economic collapse... we are going to be tested.

Will we be found wanting, or will we be found loving?