Written by KATY SPAKMAN – 27/11/2019
The days have felt long, hot, dry and dusty in Alice Springs these last weeks.
In addition to volunteering for Iris, most of our team are working night shifts in medical positions or in teaching, also homeschooling and in other roles.
Day after day, week after week we are faced with cycles of physical, emotional and spiritual poverty, sickness, disability, desperation, child neglect, extreme domestic violence, crime, addiction etc. sometimes we wonder ‘are we making a difference here?’
We press forward seeking Jesus, aware that apart from Him we can do nothing, continuing feeding people, visiting the sick, bible studies, prayer, love, support, worship and church services, relationship building, discipling, hospital and camp visits, practical mercy ministries, hosting visitors…
Recently a car load of women and children arrived early for a bible study we run on Wednesday’s.
They excitedly explained: “we’ve been in town for just two weeks. When we first came to town from our remote community we arrived and we were really down. We came to church for two weeks and now the Lord has lifted us up… We wanted to come to the bible study tonight to see how you mob do it so we can go back to our communities and start meeting like this. If you would help us with a microphone, the three of us are ready to go home and to start our own church”
This was extremely encouraging to us! It was as though the fire had began again in their hearts-like the dead had been raised to life! Now three hungry for Jesus women are on their way home to their remote community to start a church pursuing Jesus and the lost!
As we sat with them, they remembered with such affection their own testimonies of Jesus revealing Himself to them and they so long to see others in their community who are lost come to know Him. We can’t imagine what’s ahead for them, but will you join with us in praying for them?! We will endeavour to support them practically as we can and to visit.