The Johnson's are moving!  After four years in the beautiful outback town of Newman, WA, we are heading to the inner city suburb of Redfern, NSW.  Matthew will be rector of St Saviour's Anglican Church.  We praise God for all that he has done in us and through us in Newman.  We thank God for bringing us to Newman.  He added two more babies to our family here.  We have learned and grown a lot.

We pray for the people here to continue to grow in their love and trust of Jesus.  We will miss the red dirt, water holes and wide open spaces!  We will miss the great little church and friends in the community.  We will miss the best deanery in the Anglican Communion, and the great (in more ways than one) diocese of the North West.

We are looking forward to the challenges of Redfern and making the most of what city life has to offer!  If we look a bit dazed as we walk around, please be gentle!  We leave in February 2010.

Thank you to our awesome supporters, link churches and friends.  Your prayers have held us up, your support has been so valuable and your care has been appreciated.  Please don't forget Newman Anglican church in this time of change.  Please pray also for BCA and Bishop David as they look for a new minister for Newman.

Matthew, Naomi, Ethan, Sienna, Liam and Rachel.

Oh boy!  Time flies when you have a newborn bub!  Is it really October already?  My apologies to everyone for the silence from Newman.  Thank you for still praying for us with out any information.  And thank you for all the well wishes, gifts and prayers that we have received.  It is lovely to know you are out there!

So, what has been happening?  What will be happening?

• Praise God for the safe arrival of Rachel Louise in June.  Please pray for her to grow up to love the Lord Jesus.  Thank God also that she has settled in well and that the other children adore her. (see story below)
• Praise God also for the safe arrival of Darius in September, son to Frenty and Chandra.
• Pray for Sonja and Francois, expecting bub number two in February.
• Praise God for the beginning of a new ministry to youth, led by Daniel and Nerissa. (see story below)
• Pray for the new mothers group begun by Myrna in July, called Mums n Bubs, on a Wednesday morning.  It is attracting a lot of mums from the community.  Pray for Myrna, and Birgit who assists her with toddler activities.  Naomi usually attends to provide support.
• Pray for our upcoming 'Denarius Day', on Sunday 4th Oct.  This is an annual church event where we ask people to give a days wage to a mission project(a denarius was a day's wage in biblical times).  In past years we have given to the local Indigenous minister and to Tear Fund for a village in Afganistan.  This year, in the absence of any Indigenous ministry, we are planning to use the money to provide a Christmas meal, ministry and support to the Martu people.  Pray that it will be a blessing to our congregation as well as to our Martu neighbours.
• We will be travelling to Perth on Sunday 4th October to be at the Diocesan Family Conference on Monday.  All the ministers from the NW will be there, as well as special guests Peter & Christine Jensen. 
• We will also be going on two weeks holiday afterwards.  And return in the last week of October.  Please pray for Brad, Francois, Warren and Daniel who will look after the church and preach in Matthew's absence.

And for those who would like an email reminder when the blog is updated, please send an email to us.  (the address is in the BCA prayer notes)  Our computer had some problems, so we have lost most of our email contacts.

Rachel Louise

born 11th June 09

weighing 2.95kg (or 6lbs, 6oz)

Rachel at 2 days old

All went wonderfully well with the caesarian birth.  Huge thanks to Dr Pardey, who looked after us.  It was by far the best birth of the four, and everything has gone smoothly the whole time.  She has always been settled, eating and sleeping well.  She is a peaceful, content little bub.  She is a little treasure.

Rachel at two weeks old (photo by Tahlia Sweeney)

Rachel's middle name, Louise, comes from Naomi's best friend of over 20 years, Louise, who was the midwife at her birth. 

Rachel at two months old.

We praise God so much for the wonderful ways he takes care of us, even to the smallest detail.  And we thank Him for our fourth healthy, beautiful baby.  We have so much for which to be thankful.

 On the Father's Day weekend in September, Newman Anglican Church went camping.  We went to Karijini National Park, about 2 1/2 hours from Newman, the closest and easiest (and also very nice) place to go for a church camp.

Our theme was Meeting God in the Wilderness.  It was a great weekend of fellowship, fun and worship.  Warren, Nicole and Cameron who organised everything, and Barry who organised the food, did a superb job.  The only facilities were bush toilets and gas bottles, so to cater for a large group like us, took a lot of planning. 

 We had gazebos set up to give some shade, as it was hot during the day.  Here we did crafts together and bible hunts, and had church on the Sunday morning.  As well as eating together.

And it's becoming a bit of a habit, that I can't resist including a photo of my cute little boy, Liam at a church event!

Here he is, looking like he's been having fun at the camp!  You can imagine what the rest of him looked like (all weekend)!

Daniel is in the thick of it!

We are really excited to see the beginning of a new ministry to young teenagers.  Daniel and Nerissa have begun a group for 11-14 year olds.  Due to Daniels rotating shift, they can only manage it once every three weeks, on a Friday night, but it is proving popular!

A dozen kids came the first night, and two dozen the second, with 10 year olds and 15 year olds begging to come too!  Daniel and Nerissa have decided to stick to the age group for the moment, and expand when they feel able to. 

It is a well organised, fun loaded, bible based night and from the rectory it certainly sounds like a great night!

Please pray for Daniel and Nerissa, and for all the kids who come along.

Nerissa & Daniel

 Before

After

After getting a 'Newman prices' quote for a badly needed kitchen renovation, Matt got creative.  He ordered a flat pack from Perth, and invited three mates from Sydney & Brisbane who are tradesmen to come over and install it. 

Glenn, Aaron and Matt arrived a week after Naomi went to Sydney to wait for the baby, and over 3 days they installed our lovely new kitchen.  Even including three airfares from the east, and upgraded materials, more cupboards and a nice benchtop, the total price was $12 000 LESS than the local quote!

Naomi is really enjoying opening cupboards without them falling off, and having lots of cupboard space!

Thanks to all who made it possible.

We finally got our new sign erected a few months ago.  The old sign was placed on one side, and the changeable letter sign on the other.  Each side faces up or down the road.

The sign was kindly made by friends, Ian & Judy from Kincumber, and delivery paid for by se@k - Kincumber's evening service.

It has already helped with our presence in the community.  People have come to church saying 'I read your sign and thought I'd come along', and a young mum came to our new Mums n Bubs group after it was advertised on the sign.  We even told the community when we had 'church in the gorge' (at Karijini National Park), and I was stopped many times at the shops by community members telling me it was a great idea.

So people are reading it, and finding out all the things we are up to, and even coming along.

• Praise God for the richness of serving Him with people from all over the globe.  The only continent not represented in our church is Europe!
• Praise God for the birth of Lillian in April, daughter to Michelle and Hermann, sister to Xander.  She suffered a broken collarbone and arm during the birth (ouch!), but is healing well.  The family is home in Newman now.
• Pray for Martelize and Keith as they wait in Brisbane for the birth of their first child.  Any day now... Skye Mikayla arrived safe and sound!  Mum and bub doing well.  Praise the Lord! 
• Pray for Myrna and Graeme, their new baby Emilia and their toddler Imogen.
• Praise God for Naomi's safe pregnancy so far.  Naomi, Sienna and Liam leave on 5th May for Sydney, while Ethan stays in Newman with Matt until end of May.  Pray for our time apart, for safety in pregnancy and travel, and for our time in Sydney.
• Pray for Frenty and Candra, the couple who are expecting their first baby, and whose names I couldn't reveal last time!  They have just returned to Newman after visiting their family in Indonesia.  Praise God for a healthy and safe pregnancy so far.  Frenty is now 22 weeks.
• Pray for Les and Lorraine from NSW, who will be looking after the church while we are away.  We pray that their time in Newman will be as much a blessing to them, as they themselves will be for the church.
• Pray for the times of deputation that Matthew will do while in Sydney.   If you are nearby, please come along and hear about God's work in Newman.   These are the churches that BCA have organised for us.  Our apologies to those churches we cannot visit this time.  We truly appreciate your continued support and would love to be able to go everywhere!

                14th June    Glenbrook Anglican Church, NSW      morning service

                21st June    Redfern Anglican Church, NSW       morning service

                                      Willoughby Anglican Church, NSW      evening service

                26th June    Buladelah / Tea Gardens Anglican Church, NSW     mission dinner

                28th June    Camden Haven Anglican Church, NSW      morning and evening services.

• Praise God for the complete kitchen renovation taking place in the Rectory while Naomi is away!  This is a long overdue project and thanks to the generosity of various people we are now able to complete the kitchen for about half the price we originally expected.   Four of Matt's friends from 'way back' who are tradesmen (well three of them are, and the other is moral support!) are flying in to do the renovation 'blitz' style.  Look out for before and after photos in future blog updates!
• Please pray for marriages and families in our church.  The pressures of this town remain strong.  Pray for God's strength to say 'No' to worldly desires, and 'yes' to following His ways (Titus 2:11-14). 
• Pray for the possibility of resuming the church mother's group.  With such an influx of new babies, it seems like a good idea.  However, Naomi is stretched with family, homeschooling and other church commitments.  Pray that the Lord will make it clear to us how to proceed if it is his will.
• Continue to pray for the two ladies Naomi started bible study with.  One lady pulled out due to being pregnant, and working full time  - too tired!  The other lady is still interested and is definitely beginning to understand the gospel.  We will continue to meet when we get back to town.
• There is a planned family quiz fun night in June, while we are away.  Pray for its organisation.  Events like this are important for the well being of the church, to foster the growth in relationships amongst people who are very different in many ways. 

Our multicultural mission dinner was a great fun night on Fri 1st May.  Our church has people from every tribe and nation (it seems!) represented, so we didn't have to go far for inspiration.  We asked everyone to come dressed in traditional / typical clothes, and provide some food from their homeland.   It was a colourful night, with a lot of laughter.  And the plates of food we ate had everything from a typical Aussie lamb roast to fish cooked with coconut (PNG), hot fried noodles from Malaysia, polenta and vegetables from Zimbabwe, a spicy rice dish from Peru, and many other yummy things.

Members of the church also presented information on their own country and the state of the church there.  After each presentation, we prayed for that country.  So Daniel shared about Kenya, and sang us a song in Swahili.  He told us of its rich heritage, and great influence in the country.  We prayed for the increasing division based on tribes, and for the church to remain true to the gospel of Jesus. 

Sonja, Andre and Hermina shared about South Africa.  They talked of the huge crime statistics and the struggles against poverty and AIDS.  We prayed for a lady known by Hermina who runs an orphanage where they praise God if the children can have 4 meals a week. 

Jacqui shared about Zimbabwe, which faces similar problems to South Africa. She said that Zimbabwe is facing a massive 'brain drain' as anyone with qualifications leaves.  She shared the struggles of those left behind, like her father who was seriously ill and had to be hospitalised.  Fortunately for him he has a daughter who lives out of the country and can afford to pay for his medical expenses, for most people in his situation would have to just die at home.

And Kiki shared about Papua New Guinea.  His opinion was that PNG needed good Christian leaders who stand by God's truth, both in the church and in government  because of the rise in corruption.  The PNG contingent also sang some songs for us.

It was a special night, of celebrating our differences as well as our unity in Jesus.  It truly was a foretaste of the heavenly banquet awaiting us and the joy of praising our Lord with brothers and sisters from all over the world.

We took a photo at the end of the night.  There are South Africans, Kenyans, Zimbaweans, Malaysians, Kiwi's, and Papua New Guineans.  And we have a challenge for you.  There are only a total of six adult Aussies in this photo.  Can you pick them?

The latest babe to arrive in Newman Anglican Church was baptised on April 26th.  Emilia arrived in February and is the 2nd child of Myrna & Graeme, and little sister to Imogen.  She had a severe chest infection at only 6 weeks old, and was taken by RFDS to Port Hedland for treatment.  It was a difficult time for the family, but they testify of God's goodness, and Emilia is a happy and healthy baby again.

Please pray for Emilia, Imogen and their parents Myrna & Graeme. 

• As I write, I am listening to beautiful steady rain, that is threatening to spill over our doorways, and is creating rivers through our carpark and down the roads.  It will probably cut the road off to Perth, so the supermarket will get a bit bare.  But the cockatoos are white (instead of red) and the breeze is cool, and the kids have the time of their lives running around outside in it!  It has been raining all night and all day, thanks to a Tropical Low, and we love every bit of it! 
• Thank God for the positive start our congregation has made in 2009.  We are growing in faith and in love for each other.  We look forward to how God will grow us individually and as a church.
• Pray that we will indeed love one another, pray that we will endure hardship with joy, pray that we will be God's community in Newman.
• Pray for our new Parish Council, with a few 'fresh' faces!  This is either the first or second year on parish council for over half of them.  So pray that their contribution will be wise and thoughtful,  pray for unity and that Matthew will lead them in godliness.
• Thank God for the return of Barry to Newman.  He has spent the last year travelling, but has now resettled in Newman with his son and daughter in law, Brad & Wendy.  He has also graciously  agreed to once again be Matthew's warden.  His wisdom and maturity are much appreciated by Matthew.
• Pray for our vision for 2009.  Children's ministry was highlighted as an area of focus.  Our after school kids club never got going since Esther (the children's worker) left.  We also have the possibility of going into one of the primary schools with a SUPA club.  As with everything else, it all depends on the manpower!  We pray that people will consider sacrificing time or work to fill these needs. 
• Pray for our family.  Pray for God's protection on us, and for each of us to put our trust in Jesus day by day.
• Pray for two ladies who have begun bible study with Naomi, investigating Christianity.
• Continue to pray for all the pregnant women in Newman and in our church.  We have had a new lady, Michelle, join us who is due in April.  There is Martelize, also due in April, and Naomi in June.  There is also another lady, who's name I can't reveal, who is in the early stages of pregnancy.  She has recently suffered a miscarriage and has some medical problems, so please keep her in your prayers.  I heard the story of a lady who has recently come to Newman from Africa with her husband and young child.  She is 7 months pregnant, and has to face the prospect of going to Perth on her own to have her baby.  Imagine being in a new country, new language, new town, new hospital system, and then finding out you have to go 1200kms on your own to have your new baby.  (There are no facilities to give birth in Newman).

Life in the Pilbara is dramatic!  Everything about it is extreme.

Take last weekend.

On Friday afternoon, a massive dust storm rolled over Newman.  We were shrouded in red dust.  It looked like a big red thunderstorm coming in.  (I'm glad I didn't have any washing out!).  We raced up Radio Hill to grab a photo, but it came in so quickly that it was already on top of us.  Here's a photo of what it looked like:

Our backyard was a river, flowing out to the church carpark.  The kid's play area out the back of church was a wading pool, and the roads around town were rivers.  Kids were out with boogie boards riding the 'waves'! 

The Forescue River, just out of town is normally a bone dry river bed.  We have been known to have picnics right out in the middle of it.  Here's an old photo of what it normally looks like:

This is what it looked like on Sunday afternoon:

Andrew is a geology and zoology student from Adelaide.  He arrived in Newman in December to do vacation work as a mine geologist with BHP.  Andrew was searching for answers.  He'd had a rough childhood and a bumpy life, and wanted to know who God really is.  So he came to church with us and he and Matt got together every week to read and discuss the bible. 

He said 'The simplicity of what it means to be a Christian became very clear.  All I had to do was accept that God is all loving and was willing to die for all mankind.'

In the first week of February, that is exactly what he did.  One night he prayed to Jesus, and thanked him for his 'unparalleled act of love'.   How wonderful!

Andrew was baptised on Sunday 15th February, his last week in Newman before heading back to uni in Adelaide.  He told the excited congregation how God had worked in his life and brought him to this point, and that he was ready to move forward with Jesus. 

Please pray for Andrew.  Pray for his growth and protection.  Pray that he will find a church in Adelaide that will nurture his faith.  Pray that God will provide for him, in work and in relationships. 

Also, praise God for bringing Andrew to Newman!  It is a joy for us and the church here to have the encouragement of someone coming to faith.  Praise God for the opportunity for Matthew.  It is an awesome privilege to be alongside someone as Jesus reaches into their lives.  Praise God for the work of kingdom building that we do here in Newman.  We constantly see people come, and then go, but we aim that they will be better equiped to love and serve God and his people wherever they do go.

• Happy New Year!  We hope January was a joyful month for you!  We enjoyed scorching temperatures, looking at our backyard through the window, and copious amounts of swimming lessons!  Now we are settled into the year ahead.  Thank you in advance for your prayers.
• Pray for those who have lost jobs in the economic downturn.  Newman has not suffered too much because it appears BHP are pressing on with production.  But we do know of some contractors who no longer have work.  It has made people a little jittery though.  The boom was thought to be unstoppable, and job security was assumed, but those attitudes have shifted.
• Pray for our church for 2009.  We did not suffer the same rate of turnover that we normally do at the end of the year, which means we can move forward with plans and vision a little quicker than usual.  We are in a month of vision planning for 2009.  Each Sunday, Matt is preaching on an aspect of our mission, and then the congregation gets into discussion groups.  At the end of the month, we will have our AGM and formulate our vision.  We have quite a number of people who have joined us from the Baptist Church, so pray that they will settle in well. 
  
• Pray for those who have left the Baptist Church, but not come across to the Anglican.  If there is any town where it is difficult to be a Christian without the support of Christian fellowship, this is it. 
  
• Pray for Andrew (35), a geology student, in Newman for student work placement with BHP.  He came along to church wanting to know more about God.  Matthew got together with him to do bible study once a week.  He put his trust in Jesus last week.  Praise the Lord!  He wants to be baptised before leaving Newman to return to Adelaide at the end of February.  Please pray for him, and that he will find a church to disciple him in the faith at home.
• Pray for Matthew as High School Chaplain.  The new principal seems to have in mind some changes to Matthew's role.  Pray that it will be negotiated well and to God's glory.
• We also have two new Christian teachers in town this year.  Pray for them.
• Pray for the three pregnant women in our congregation.  Myrna has gone to Perth to await the birth of bub #2, Martelize is due in April with her first baby.  She will be going to Brisbane to give birth, and Naomi.  Please pray for the safety of all the pregnant women in Newman.  Martelize has had a few scares, and was sent by the Flying Doctors to Perth for a week recently.  Update:  Myrna & Graeme are the proud parents of a little girl, Emilia Francis, born 11th Feb.  Mother & Bub doing well.  Praise the Lord.
  

• Praise God for another baby in the Johnson family.  Number Four is coming soon!  Please pray for safety for mother and bub particularly while in Newman. (Baby Jay is making itself known quite strongly - I am feeling quite sick!)
  
• Praise God for our time in Tasmania at the BCA conference and on holiday.
• Pray for the Mother and Daughter Gingerbread House night, THIS FRIDAY 21st Nov.  (The BCA prayer notes say we did it on the 7th, but the date was changed).  We've had some delivery problems with not all our houses arriving.  Pray that it will turn out well, and pray for the EVANGELISTIC talk Myrna will be giving on 'Treasures on Earth' from Matthew 6.  We had 50 tickets, and 35 of those have gone to women from the community.  It is a great opportunity for the gospel.  Pray that the mothers will hear about the precious treasure Jesus gives, and will want to find out more. LATE NEWS: DATE POSTPONED UNTIL 28TH NOV.
  
• Pray for the community Christmas Carols at the oval on the 7th Dec.  Being the only church in town with a full time minister, the organising has fallen to us again.  Pray that it will be an event that glorifies Jesus, and helps the people of Newman to understand his kingship.
• Pray for all our Christmas services.
• Praise God for Joel and Shinta who have announced their engagement.  Pray for them as they prepare for their marriage.  They were intending a June wedding until we told them about our impending arrival!  Not sure if it will be earlier or later, but it will be here in Newman.
  
• Pray for the number of people in our congregation who have moved away from Newman.  We lost Colin and Hilary who did a lot of work around the church, and were a mature influence and example.  We have lost others as well.  Pray that more people will join, and participate and serve in the church.
• Praise God for the three babies expected in our church at the moment.  There is us, Myrna and Martelize.  Pray for mothers and babies.
  
• Pray for Christians in Newman.  It is hard to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, when everyone else is unashamedly chasing money, work, material things, and alcohol.  Christians can find the pressure very hard to resist, and often slip in their commitment to church.  Christians often feel isolated as well.  Even if they come to church, they might have trouble connecting with others (the factors being a wide range of denominational affiliation, and ethnic backgrounds, and the transcience).  It can be a time of real testing of their faith.  Pray that we will identify and nurture those who need support, and keep on feeding the sheep.
• I recently wrote an article for the blog on the excessive drinking culture of Newman.  While this blog is intended for people who pray for us, and our link churches, it made its way into the hands of BHP, the Shire, the local member, the schools and the police.  It has caused a bit of a fuss.  Apparently they are unhappy about such a 'negative' article on Newman having been 'published' in NSW (as far as I can tell, that is only in church bulletins).  While I stand by everything that I wrote, I have taken it off the blog temporarily until it calms down.  Please pray that it will do some good for this town, and make people think.  And pray that Matthew's ministry will not be hindered by it.
  
• Praise God for the tremendous progress the kids have made with school. 
  

• Praise God for Ethan.  He turns 7 on the 30th Nov.  He loves Jesus, and is a wonderful boy.  Praise God for Liam, who turned 2 on 13th Nov.  He continues to delight.