Home!

Home!:) Never once got homesick on our trip, but home is great. A huge thanks to all who helped us get there, prayed for us around the world, and those who hosted us and shared with us in Tasmania:)

Cool Wednesday:)

Yesterday we had a fabulous day singing, sharing, and doing crafts at the Adult Day Care. It was a beautiful time meeting up with these familiar faces again. Last night, both services went well-- as one team shared with Gateway Baptist's Youth group--filled with youth from all over the world. Caitlyn, Chris, and Lillian shared with the students and aided as they acted out the night's scripture.
Our other group shared a Bible Study and worship time (led by honorary Texan, Ben:)). Ben is a local who gave his heart to the Lord during our first visit here and has received great training both from the church here and through a ministry group called Fusion. Neat to hear him lead the study tonight for the first time. We ended the evening by symbolically nailing our sins and burdens to a cross. It was a great reminder of God's power over sin and capability of bearing all of our burdens.
This morning, I (Heather) will be speaking at a Women's Tea about Celebrating Life and Legacy. All of our Texas ladies will be enjoying some great time chatting and learning about the lives of the ladies present, as well as sharing the truth of Jesus.
This evening, Chris will be speaking at the Men's Barbecue. Please be praying the message of Christ will be clear and that the men will be encouraged. Pray for the men to come to a deeper understanding about having a life-changing personal relationship with Christ.
Lastly, on a personal note please pray for my (Heather's) uncle. He has a very serious health problem and desperately needs your prayers. Thanks for remembering him and his family today before the Father.

God's Presence Here

WE are so thankful for a beautiful evening of wroship and study last night-- despite the crazy wind, blustery rain, and lightning and thunder (which are very rare in Tassie winter). Despite it all, God's message was clear as Chris shared about God's plan to prepare when troubles come...and they will. Chris shared Jesus' words about The Wise Builder and The Foolish Builder. We all shared in music, as well-- along with some of the church members. We ended it with a surprise for the Texans--The Star Spangled Banner and a beautiful July 4th cake:)
God has begun to orchestrate opportunity to pray with people, help prepare folks for ministry, and have had the opportunity to see Christ accepted. God has been at work for Tasmania, and we are grateful to be witnesses of His might. Continue to pray for new christians and those God is calling to serve him with their talents. May we see even more workers from this Beauty Point/ Beaconsfield area continue the work.
Today, we will be sharing at the Adult Day Care Center, at a worship service in town with a very special emphasis, and at a youth night in anothre town.
Prayer Points-- Chris, Lillian, and Caitlyn as they share at Youth Night.
Heather, Dempsey, and Jace as we share at The Point Christian Fellowship.
Ben-- a young man who accepted Christ on our first trip here, who will be preaching tonight at The Point Christian Fellowship:) God is amazing!
Pray for the numerous opportunities we are having to share our faith and pray with people in the area. Pray for wisdom and that we would be able to both encourage and spur on!
Pray for our strength and endurance. It has been a wonderful experience!

Quick Update- Monday

Lots of great relationship building and many seeds have been planted. It has been wonderful to share the truth of Jesus with so many. Pray that God would continue to bring a clarity to the message as people hear. We have also had the opportunities to pray with many for their needs. We won't stop praying.
Tonight, Chris will be teaching about what to do when troubles come. He will be teaching from Jesus' words about the wise and foolish builders. Pray that believers would be encouraged and that those who do not know Christ, would see him clearly tonight. Also, pray as we share in music and share with chilren throughout the week.
Thanks for praying! There is lots of sickness in the area. See you soon!

Tasmania Saturday!

It is hard to believe we have already been serving in Tasmania for a full week. It is wonderful to reconnect with the church here and to be able to encourage the body of believers. Their servant hearts have encouraged us, as well. We are seeing clearly that our work here is also very much to help continue the discipleship process that was begun in the past few visits, as well as encourage Christians to continue to take a firm stand in their faith. Watching growing Christians begin to take on the ministry is very exciting!

Make no mistake, God is working in us, teaching us so much, and working to refine us, as well. We are learning much about patience, seeing others with God's eyes, and about the importance of total reliance on the Holy Spirit for all things.

We enjoyed some great fellowship last night at youth night. Caitlyn shared a great passage from Isaiah. We also began to distribute the bracelets that share the story of Christ. (Please pray that the bracelets will make the message of Christ plain and will be a long lasting evangelism tool,long after we have left).

Yesterday, Dempsey taught our Bible lesson at Kid's Club and Lillian led some fantastic games and crafts. As always, the kids had a blast with the music! Please pray for our final day of Kids' Club today, as we share the message of Christ.

Please pray for the concert tonight, where the children will perform songs and perform with the hand bells. Also, pray for Chris and Caitlyn as they share the truth of Christ. Pray that God would draw many people of all ages to The Point Christian Fellowship tonight and that some word in a song would be a tool that God uses to touch hearts.

Tomorrow we will continue to build upon connections we are making, meeting in a prayer meeting, and helping build strong ministries--through encouraging those who are here to use their talents and ministry gifts to to lead out with us in services. We will be having a home prayer meeting at 11 AM , as well as an evening worship service at the church. (We will continue our evening services throughout the week, sharing truths from God's word and the message of Jesus through scripture, preaching, and music).

God has a heart and passion for people--the Tamar River area is filled with people. God loves them so much! Pray with us as we serve, share, and equip in this Phase 3 of our partnership here.

Busy Thursday:)

Yesterday we had several visitors to Kids' Club and the kids made some amazing prayer journals. Bible Stories, Snacks, Music..AMAZING!
Beauty Beyond The Bling Night was amazing for the ladies. Around twenty ladies got together to enjoy a chocolate fountain and goodies, some great music, laughter, and some real talk about beauty and our value to God. Tons of great connections and reconnections were made. Pray for even more fruit from this evening, as the ladies in attendance strive to see themselves as God sees them:)
Please pray for today's upcoming events--
Music , Crafts, and Sharing about Texas at the Adult Day Care at 11ish--- just a couple of hours away
Kids Club:)
Spiritual Formations Night ( Chris will teach on Discipleship to the Leaders in the coomunity and we will share some music)

WE are all well and working hard. Keep praying. God is moving in hearts!--H

Texans' Kids Club Begins!

After a great Bush Walk (dodging leeches, blazing trails, and forging creeks in an amazing area) and a fantastic Bonfire last night, we had a great night of worship. Caitlyn shared about relationship versus religion and Chris shared about the change God makes in hearts. We closed with "How Great is Our God" under the Australian stars--which is actually a different view from this side of the planet. **Please continue to pray for connections made with the youth, children , and adults at the Bonfire and BBQ Night. PS The weather was beautiful!

The radio interview on The Way FM was a success and we pray that the publicity will draw people out to the Kids Club and events in the area. We are told Chris will do another live interview by phone later in the visit as a follow up. We are prayerful about these awesome opportunities.

Today begins our Texans' Kids Club after school. The club will run from 4-6 PM Tuesday-Friday afternoons, and will meet again on Saturday. Chris and the kids will lead out in wild/crazy, God-centered music. Lillian and the gang will be teaching from God's Word in creative ways, as well as teaching hand bells. I (Heather) will be registering kids and meeting their families, hoping to get to know them better and share with them. These are exciting busy days!

Please continue to pray for the prayer requests that have been previously listed, as well as for the Kids' Club. Tomorrow we would ask that you pray for our Wednesday Morning Ladies' Bible Study where I (Heather) will speak and sing, as well as the Adult Day Care Center where the remainder of the group will be singing and sharing. Tomorrow night, I (Heather) will be speaking on "Beauty Beyond The Bling" at a ladies' dessert night. Lillian will be giving chair massages, as well. We are hopeful that the ladies will enjoy the humorous talk and the music, but will also be open to what God has to say to their hearts about their value to Him.

Thank you for praying with us. It has already been an amazing time as God lays the foundations for the weeks. We are challenging folks here to read through the book of John during our visit, even if they are not believers in Jesus. Won't you read along with us?--Hugs from Here-- Heather for the Team

Off and Running!

After a great trip (and a very long one) to Tasmania, we are finally in the Tamar River area of Tasmania. All the members of our team are excited and ready to begin the work ahead.
We had a beautiful time of prayer this morning with some of the faith-filled Christians here. Tonight, we had the opportunity to share the "You Are More" drama, lead worship, share special music, teach children's lessons, and Chris praeched on Joshua at Ai. God is using each member of our tema in diverse ways, as he stretches us and grows us into His likeness.
Tomorrow, we may possibly have the opportunity to share with students about Texas, lead worship and build relationships at a youth bush walk and bonfire night (weather permiting), visit some homebound adults, and do a radio interview.
Please be in prayer that each connection that is made will somehow draw hearts closer to God. Pray that our words are clear and that we would have wisdom as we speak. Also, please continue for God's harvest that He has been planting over time to be cultivated within the hearts of the people here.
We appreciate your prayers as we seek to be servants. We are being treated so well by the church family here, and we hope to encourage them to not "grow weary in doing good".

7 Days Till Departure

Whether you are just joining us or you have been praying with us for the past three years, we want to thank you. Our mission team departs in just 7 days. We are so excited that you, through your prayers, are partnering with us! God is preparing our hearts and is preparing the hearts of those to whom we will minister.

Friends, we would like to ask you to join us in praying that we would be humble and serve others, as Christ served. This is our hearts' cry as we begin this trip. We want to serve the church members and Christians in the community. We want to serve those who do not yet know Christ. We want to hear clearly from God about the ways we can best serve Him by serving others and show a picture of Jesus' servant's heart.


Specific Prayer Needs:
Pray for safe travel, good health, and stamina for team members as we make final preparations for this exciting adventure.

Pray for strength and endurance for the Christians in Beauty Point and Beaconsfield , Tasmania who are continuing God's work and preparing for our arrival.

Pray specifically as we share God's truth in fun ways in the after school clubs.

Pray that God will use the "More" skit, and that people would clearly see a picture of God's grace and forgiveness through Jesus.

Pray for connections to be made with men and women in the community who may be hurting or lonely. Pray that our Women's and Men's nights would be clear and understood.

Pray that God would build upon the foundation He has already laid through connections over the past two trips.

Pray specifically for youth nights and the concert, as we ask God to reveal His love and power.

Pray that we will be an encouragement to all believers we encounter while we are traveling and those in Tasmania. We ask that God make us a "refreshing breeze" to each one.

Pray for a unity of spirit in our teams on both sides of the ocean. We each bring unique talents, viewpoints, and gifts. We are excited go watch God bring them together.

Partnership Tasmania -Phase 3 Begins---Pray!:)

It is hard to believe that a year has past since the Horton family last partnered in missions/ministry with The Point Christian Fellowship in Beauty Point, Tasmania, last summer. Now, we are on the brink of a fresh trip June 23rd, and we need your prayers as we finalize our preparations.

The Details...
Our team consists of: Lillian White, Caitlyn Burns, Dempsey Horton, Jace Horton, Chris Horton, and Heather Horton.
Our trip dates : June 23-July 9, 2011.

Specific Prayer Needs:
Pray for safe travel, good health, and stamina for team members as we make final preparations for this exciting adventure.

Pray for strength and endurance for the christians in Beauty Point and Beaconsfield , Tasmania who are continuing God's work and preparing for our arrival.

Pray specifically as we share God's truth in fun ways in the after school clubs.

Pray that God will use the "More" skit, and that people would clearly see a picture of God's grace and forgiveness through Jesus.

Pray for connections to be made with men and women in the commmunity who may be hurting or lonely. Pray that our Women's and Men's nights would be clear and understood.

Pray that God would build upon the foundation He has alraedy laid through connections over the past two trips.

Pray specifically for youth nights and the concert, as we ask God to reveal His love and power.

Pray that we will be an encouragement to all believers we encounter while we are travelling and those in Tasmania. We ask that God make us a "refreshing breeze" to each one.

Pray for a unity of spirit in our teams on both sides of the ocean. We each bring unique talents, viewpoints, and gifts. We are excited go watch God bring them together.

Please follow us as we prepare and we invite you to pray earnestly with us. We will updating this blog frequetly as we prepare for the trip and while are in Tasmania, as well. We know that you are laboring with us through prayer and tears. May we fully trust in God alone!
---Heather for the Team