Highlight
Praise God for some great gospel conversations with high school friends (Teij, Gordon, Abraham, Enoch). It was a great time being able to catch up with them over the school break and they were interested in what I was up to during the week. I also have the privilege of reading Mark with a visitor to 5pm Pasindu and his friend Tim and have been really enjoying time with Anil who has come to Explore (a Nepalese man who called up our office because he wanted to learn about Jesus!). God has been really kind in presenting these opportunities and I have been really thankful to Him in the midst of all the busyness. Please pray that God would show them His mercies and save them!
Challenges
Upon reflection of my first term of MTS, April was quite an introspective month with time to reflect in the school holidays. I realised that I had continued to place unrealistic and perfectionistic expectations of myself in a moral, relational and ministry sense which was unhelpful for me personally in my headspace. Whilst there was a strong desire to strive and do my best, there was this unnecessary pressure that was placed upon myself to perform perfectly in ministry and be able to fight sin perfectly in my life.
Prayer
Please pray that God would help me to be patient with myself, set realistic expectations by fixing my eyes on the perfect One, Christ and also to turn to Him in my failings. With the challenges of Winter Study Hall, it has felt disappointing being rejected multiple times or ignored when reaching out to many of the local high schools in the Parramatta region. Whilst it is okay to feel disappointed when these things happen, I was reminded that God still remained sovereign over all things and has a good plan for His name to be glorified, whether or not this Winter Study Hall worked out. I was also reminded by something we learnt at the G8 conference which was ‘We fail when we stop trying to reach the lost’. However, there has been good news with Arthur Phillip wanting to mention it at their assembly and leave flyers in their Year 12 study space so praise God for that! Please pray that God would bring many youth to come to this Study Hall but also to hear about Jesus!
The Marsden Fund 