Reflections

It has been a while

2009-11-08T05:28:00.002-06:00

It has been quite a weird past few months. In addition to thousands of miles of travel these past few months ... Tomya and I took turns leading Retreats for Belmore Road in Melbourne. It seems like we have paid heaps of rent on a house that we don't hardly stay in.
But that hopes to change a bit for a couple of months. We will spend nearly all of November in Sydney. We are excited to get to host our 2nd annual American Thanksgiving on Friday November 27th. This works best with our schedule because it is NOT a holiday here so I will be in school on the 26th. It also means that we will be celebrating (ie Eating Turkey) about the same time you are finishing your leftovers. Last year Tomya was in the States and I hosted 16 ... This year the number (because the chief Chef is back in town) looks to be more like 40 or so. That will be exciting!
It seems the last time we wrote we were looking down the barrel of running out of money and having to return to the States back in June. After a few tough months things have turned around a bit. The current exchange rate is TERRIBLE so we never get the comfort of full confidence that the economics are fixed. But we are SO very thankful for all the time we have had ... and the extended time we are enjoying. We are also blessed by a few new partners who came on board in that time of need.
We are also applying for a New VISA. Our current one expires on December 21st of this year. A generous soul from Gosford Australia is paying our VISA solicitor (attorney) fees and the VISA reapplication fees. That saves us a couple thousand dollars! Awesome!
Almost 3 weeks ago I got to baptize my first Aussie. I have been in many studies but none would commit. The Lord guided this one through a series of congregations and resulted in a study in our living room a few days before he put Christ on in Baptism. Keep Greg Solway in your prayers. Satan is already making life tough on him!
So what can I say but ... Praise the Lord!

Thank you for your prayers and support. Thanks for taking time to read this.

Your Partner in Sydney Australia ... Craig Peters

One year and counting

2009-06-05T08:13:00.003-05:00

Wow ... It's hard to believe ... but we have been here for a year. It's been an exciting year. Dozens of classes taught ... hundreds of young people and church members ministered to ... Over ten video and written reports.

High points include: A new full time student ... and several new part time students. We have been blessed by visits by Dwight Whitsett and Chris Swinford, Mark & Kelli Samsill and their 3 great kids & Jerry and Connie Tallman. Each contributed dearly to our efforts.

Also ... although we lost several financial Partners ... we picked up a couple of new ones ... and several increased their contributions. One, who was scheduled to have completed their commitment to us ... actually renewed for at least another year.

Economic report: After a 5 month positive USA Dollar exchange ... that trend has all but reversed itself. And combine that with several Partners who have been hit hard by economic problems that have caused them to fall off on their support ... and annual auto licensing expenses of over $1400+ have made this all bad timing. But we know God will provide!!

On a good note, our former Mission's Deacon from Park Central accepted a ministry position as Preacher of another Port Arthur congregation!! He stepped down as Missions Deacon .. but before he did ... he sent 10 Boxes of US cereal!! Captain Crunch is the Man!

We ask that you continue your prayers for us ... Finances ... and Recruitment. I have a trip at the end of the month that I now have no funds for. God will provide ... no doubt! He has always been so good to us!!!

Love ... Craig and Tomya

We are Grandparents!!

2009-03-29T21:39:00.003-05:00

I was in the delivery room for the births of all our children. It was always exciting ... inspiring. The drama of the birth experience was tough on my wife ... for sure ... but it was exhausting for me too. I wiped her brow ... I chipped ice ... I massaged her aching back ... I was just happy to be there ... to witness this incredible birth/life experience.
I thought that was the most awesome experience in the world ... and in many ways it is. But I have to tell you, watching my facebook page from 1,300 miles away from the birth room of my grandson Caden was right up there! It was amazing how Elijah was putting updates on his Twitter ... that made it's way to my facebook. It was almost like being there. I literally refreshed my facebook page manually every minute or so .. hoping to catch any changes as immediately as being there. I started that at about 9 pm on Friday and he was born at 2:15 am on Saturday!
So ... welcome Caden Andrew Peters. You were welcomed in like no other child I have ever witnessed. Literally hundreds of people sat by their computers and refreshed their facebook and twitter pages as well. Lovely/encouraging comments popped up all night and all day. I was teary-eyed too many times to count.
And to those of you who posted those heart-warming comments ... Thank you! Thank you for loving my son and his wife ... Thank you for welcoming our grandson into the world. Thank you for leaving a permanent special mark on our hearts!
Grandpa ... sure has a great sound to it!

Our New Apartment

2008-07-11T19:54:00.002-05:00

So .. we look back at our blessings ...

19 months under someone else's roof. The blessings are immense! The fact that someone would be willing to open their homes and their hearts to us is awesome. In most cases these benefactors did so with an eye toward the Mission field of Australia: our love.

So .. now we have been in our new place for a month. I have paid for our next month. We have a landline and Internet now. We don't get much snailmail yet .. or even email ... but we are ready to get started.

The story behind our place is just another wonderful gift from God! There is a terrible housing shortage in Sydney. This explains the leap in Rental rates. From last year till today, the housing has increased in many cases $100 per week! When an apartment or house becomes available they will publish an open house date. And not only are you inspecting the premesis, they are inspecting you. They will look at your credit, your lifestyle and your purpose for wanting the place. And in recent months, they entertain bidding wars among those who come to the open house!

That said ... 2 weeks before we came we still did not have a place secured. As it would turn out, they will not rent a place to someone they have not met face to face or has not personally inspected their rental property. So when Peter and Claire Ticjner called to say that they have a neighbor 2 doors down from them and that the rental rate was ONLY $360 per week ... we jumped at it! The attached video is after 3+ weeks of Tomya's purchasing and "dumpster diving". She put her polish on the place quickly and it turned out great!

Our hope was to have a place of hospitality. As she mentions in the video it has already proven to be that. We will be ready for you when you come to visit. We already have plans for 20+ for Christmas!! That will be awesome ... especially since most of that will be our kids and my mother-in-law.

So ... Thank you Lord for blessing us beyond anything we could have hoped for. And thank you Judy and others who believed in the work and us ... and gave us a wonderful place to land for a while. To God be the Glory in all that we say or do! (Eph 3:21)

Love Craig, Tomya and Micah

19 Months ... my only regrets

2008-06-01T19:54:00.002-05:00

I really thought that it would take a couple of months ... three tops. But, the Lord had different plans ... a different calendar. The result was it took 9 months. 9 months! What was the deal with that? I worked hours and hours ... drove over 17,000 miles ... visited over a dozen churches ... spent hours on the phone ... and weeks and weeks waiting for answers. As was predicted, people I had no doubt would support their work ... didn't ... and in most cases ... strangers to us a few months ago ... jumped in with both feet!!

In the mean time ... I put in 5-6 days a week at Park Central. I taught Bible classes, preached occasionally, and even made a few visits to members. And as the date of our June 2nd Departure closed in, It dawned on me in a big way ... This church is more than a Sponsoring church now ... we are family! We have laughed together ... cried ... ate ... and visited. I was not a Missionary that they supported in Australia ... but as one of our Elders stated to well this morning ... "We are part of Park Central going to Australia!"

My only regret? As much as I have been blessed ... through all the disappointments and discouragements ... I wish that I had trusted God more. He had our work in mind. He knew what we needed as a church family. He knew that we would be blessed beyond anything we could have asked for ... or imagined.

Wait a minute ... that was the promise of our Theme verses ... Ephesians 3:20-21. He is able ... I just wish that I had always trusted Him!!

I hope that He finds you a little bit more trusting than He witnessed in me! Love ya ... We're leaving in the morning for Australia!!!

Blogger: Reflections - Manage Posts

2008-01-18T13:43:00.000-06:00

Blogger: Reflections - Manage Posts

March 1st - We're going home!

2008-01-17T17:53:00.000-06:00

In some ways it seems like we have been home for a few short weeks. Then I look at a Calendar ... actually I have to dig the old calendar out of the trash ... then I realized that we have been here for 4 months! 4 Months? We were supposed to be back in Australia after 30 days. The 90 day trip validated our calling. People in Australia were counting on our return. All we needed was a piece of paper (Australian Visa) and some money and we'd be back.

The presentations have been many. There are a lot of warm, wonderful brethren out there. We presented in Indianapolis, met with Missions members in Chicago, spoke to a congregation in Terre Haute, Shared our plan with a church in Jennings, brought our Mission to Seattle and Portland, updated our friends in Lake Charles, met with a Missions representative in Houston, met with an Eldership in Beaumont and presented the work to a Men's Meeting in Jennings. I have logged hundreds of hours on my cell phone, written dozens and dozens of support request letters, shipped dozens of packets to prospective congregations and individuals.

And then we received notice on December 26th .. when our Visa Solicitor fixed her email ... that we had been granted a Visa! We were officially ... Australian Missionaries! Between my age, and physicals and scary times where governments use a fine tooth comb to make these decisions, we considered this to be AMAZING! Thank you Lord Jesus!

That said ... I am laying my heart, my effort, my hope on the line and in the hands of my God and His generous people when I announce we have set a date to return to Australia ... March 1st.

The purpose of this Blog is to solicit your prayers and your support. When the dust settles in this effort, I will never be able to honestly say, "Looky at what I did!". Instead, I will only report what God and His gracious people accomplished.

So, I ask you ... humbly ... can you help? Will you help? If you need help seeing the potential of this work, I'd love to visit with you.

Why March 1st? Because the work deserves a date. It deserves my faith. And the people we are going to serve deserve our help.

Please make March 1st happen ... Join the team ... email me at craigp888@gmail.com or call me at 406-471-6112.

Ephesians 3:20-21 ... "Now to Him Who is able ... to Him be the Glory" through you!

Jumping

2008-01-11T21:42:00.000-06:00

My oldest daughter got a very interesting Christmas gift from her boy friend Matthew. He gave her a Skydiving experience. I struggled with what to call it ... "experience" ... "Thrill" ... "gift". For sure it is extreme ... so much so that you have to sign a waver that you know that your insurance won't pay a penny if you get hurt or die as a result of the "Experience".

Matthew loves excitement ... so I have to believe that he is sharing his love of life with the girl he loves. I'm sure he isn't thinking about the risk, but rather the risk to not live life to the fullest. The result is the two of them will step out of a perfectly good plane at 15,000 feet ... into nothing.

So what is the most exciting part of the "experience"? The first step? The drop at 80 + miles per hour? The pulling of the chute release cord? The sudden tug as the chute catches wind? The approach of the ground? The landing? Or looking up into the clouds afterwards and reliving the "experience"?

Truth is ... Matthew's right! What is life if you never "jump"? What kind of church never jumps? What kind of Preacher never jumps? What kind of husband ... or wife never jumps? What kind of life can you have that has no "jumping" in it?

As we enter a new year ... Make a plan and jump! Jump into a Life that Jumps into God's capable hands. Plan on a cutting edge faith this year ... Jump ... and jump again ... and again ...

The cool stuff of Christmas

2007-12-17T11:29:00.000-06:00

When I was boy, being one of five kids made Christmas a bit uncertain. We knew our parents had a finite fund to help us get all of our dream gifts. And this meant that we would never get all of our dream gifts. So, we learned to prioritize. Of course, underwear and handkerchiefs were way down the list. (OK ... they were not on my list ...) And through the years, I managed to get a few racetracks and models and boy things. And looking back ... Life was pretty good.

Have children of my own, started a whole new chapter in my Christmas Book. I started thinking of how to bless my kids with wonderful gifts. I forced them to prioritize ... and we bought them underwear and stuff that wasn't on their list ... because that's what parents do. I also managed to buy a few Video games and a bicycle or two. The whole occasion took on a new meaning. It became more than gifts. It was now about the food ... and a few Peters Family traditions that we developed. For instance, when we lived in Seattle, we took all the kids, bundled up, to the mountains to play in the snow ... on Christmas day!

Then ... not long ago, the kids started growing up. And "up" often meant that they had lives of their own. They would go off to college and have a finite time to be home. Christmas suddenly had plane tickets involved. But the whole event was so cool ... to see each child ... even out on their own ... join us for Christmas ... and oh what a blessing.

I'm not sure when it happened ... but my Christmas "cool" shifted again. I didn't need anything ... that you could buy at a store. I just cherish having my kids home. Perhaps this Christmas is special in a few ways. First ... we won't all be together this year ... for the first time! Second, with our Mission work taking off ... we are on a Missionary's budget ... and schedule. And this will likely be the last "even close to" normal Christmas we may ever have.

So, what have I discovered is Cool about Christmas .. in 46 years? Family ... the laughter ... the hugs ... the Faith ... and an awesome God Who has personalized my every Christmas ... and I'm sure He always will!

25 Skills every Christian should have

2007-10-30T16:15:00.000-05:00

Recently, while staying with my Aunt and Uncle in Law, I browsed an article in a Popular Mechanic magazine with the title "25 Skills every man should possess". I read the article to see how many of those skills I actually possessed. I would have to say, many of those skills would be quite handy to have. But, sadly I do not have them all. To be honest, there were several things I had never even seen done. Perhaps if I were a man who subscribed to such periodicals such as Popular Mechanics, everything would be different.

Well, I got to thinking ... "If this heathen magazine could quantify what all men should be qualified to do ... why not look to see what every Christian should be able to do?" So I started a list. Like the one in Popular Mechanics, you may not agree with each skill set ... so you can substitute some things you think are a bit more important.

The following is my list: I think every Christian should ...

1. Be able to accurately and effectively share the Gospel with at least a typical American/Middle class person.

2. Everyone should know all of the words to "Our God He is alive"

3. Everyone should know the Books of the Bible ... or at least know where the Book of Hezekiah is.
4. Everyone should know what the qualifications of an Elder are

5. And what the qualifications of a Deacon

6. And the qualification of an Elder's or Deacon's wife (hint: It's in the same passage)

7. Everyone should know what the elements of the Lord's Supper are and what they mean

8. Additionally, they should be able to help someone who doesn't think it's important to take it weekly and/or be prepared to partake in a "worthy manner".

9. Everyone should know what to buy for a Communion service away from the building

10. Everyone should know where to find the Congregational Prayer list

11. Everyone should know why we sing the way that we do

12. Everyone should know why Baptism is so important

13. Everyone should know how to clean the auditorium

14. And how to clean the bathrooms

15. And how to clean the kitchen

16. Every Christian should be able to teach some level of Sunday school class (especially since 21st Century Christian did all of the hard part)

17. Every Christian should know the names of all of our Senior Saints

18. Everyone should know the names of all of this year's New Born's and their parents

19. Everyone should know the cutoff date for the Bulletin

20. Everyone should know the directions to the building (so they can effectively invite people to a service)

21. Everyone should know how many steps it is to the front row during the Invitation song

22. Everyone should have access to the Birthday dates of the whole church

23. Everyone should know what Missionaries the church supports ... and where they serve.

24. Everyone should know what time Bible Class begins

25. Everyone should make sure everyone in the family knows how to Pray comfortably

Now, as I said, your list might vary a little ... but these are things that are basic skills that would change our congregations dramatically! And yet, not one requires a degree in Bible to be effective at. Popular Mechanics believed that every male of the species should be able to frame in a wall. WOW! I wouldn't know where to start!

My whole point is simple. We tend to rise to the level of the expectations of others. No expectation and no achievement. Perhaps that would help explain why our congregations are not flourishing. We need to be reminded that we are a part of an Organism called the Body of Christ ... not just an Organization called the church of Christ. Each part is designed to be effective in its service of our Head: Christ Jesus.

See how many of these skills you have mastered!

We have a Field ... we need your help

2007-10-12T21:54:00.000-05:00

We have settled back into our Home congregation in Port Arthur. They have been so very good to us. Our House "Mom" is awesome and so very supportive. She claims she isn't trying to get rid of us, but she keeps finding me congregations to contact about supporting our work.

But probably the best thing she has done is join us in believing that this is not just a mission field, but that it is likely in the early stages of being a key player in World Evangelism. For that ... Judy ... Thank you!

We are hoping to raise necessary funds to return to our work by late November or early December. I realise that this is Holiday season, but this is also an optimal opportunity to recruit our next year's student body. Plus, we just look so forward to returning to the work.

So ... Judy needs help. She can't be the only resourse of congregations looking at additional Mission works at Budget time. So ... email me with any contact information you have. You can reach me at craigp888@gmail.com. Give me as much detail as possible about who I can communicate with.

If you have been following our ministry then you know how dedicated we are to this work blessing all of the participants. I truly believe this will bless us all!

Thank you for your love and support. Please keep this work in your prayers ... Love Craig, Tomya and Micah

Reflections of my Dream trip

2007-09-20T22:27:00.000-05:00

It seems like we just got to Australia. I remember the scary feelings. It actually dawned on me as we walked through the Sydney airport that we didn't know a single person here! I saw a picture of my coworker. But I had no relationships. Was I nuts? (OK ... not a safe question to ask of anyone who really knows me)
But ... someone once said, "God knows the difference between Faith and Stupidity". Was this stupid? If it was ... God blessed us anyhow. Our time with the Aussies would turn out to be one of my favorite times in life. My Baptism was #1 ... Marrying the most beautiful woman in the world was #2 ... having 5 great kids was #3 ... Coming to Australia would slide in somewhere around #4 or 5!
As it would turn out ... I would end up really liking my coworker, Ted Paull. It was impossible to miss two of his most endearing qualities: He has a weird sense of humor ... and He loves the Lord! I became blessed with some very good friends: Peter Tickner at Macquarie not only sees the Lost around him ... but he does something about it. David Darmali would let me into his world and blessed me over and over again.
I believe with all of my heart that one of the most exciting works on the face of the Earth is in Australia. Almost 1/2 of the World's population is within about an 8 hour flight! The Great Wall of China is starting to crumble and the Gospel is oozing in! India, Indonesia, Pakistan ... All of Australiasia is opening up to the Gospel. And the Lord's church in Australia and New Zealand is there at the doorstep!
In a perfect world ... we would be back in Australia in a few weeks. I ask that you pray for Supporters to come our way. The work and its potential is what I want them to consider.
Some people never get a perfect moment. Some never meet the perfect spouse. Many never have the perfect job. Reflecting on this trip: I have had it all!

"Praise the Lord for He is Good. His love endures forever!"

Life Doesn't get any Better

2007-08-09T23:11:00.000-05:00

Traffic in Sydney can be kind of hectic any given morning. I take a back way to avoid much of the traffic. It also happens to be a cool route. I pass 2 schools along the way. I also get to see the kids trudging off to school. Here, they wear school uniforms. They all look so sharply dressed. Many times I see the children being walked to school by one of their parents. I'm not certain if this is to make sure they actually "get there" or to make sure they arrive safely.

A couple of days ago, the traffic was as busy as usual. I manuvered through the school zones. Stopped for the crossing guards ... and gave way to the pedestrians making their way to the shopping centre. (that's how they spell it here) My home stretch to my office is a short jog across a 6 lane street. Thankfully there is a light but it can be a slow process. That morning, I was entertained by a young Chinese mother walking her 2-3 year old daughter across this busy street.

The Pedestrian light had expired long before her safe arrival on my side. I decided to enjoy the moment instead of being impatient (this is NOT easy for me). In watching this toddler I noticed she had a simple cloth dolly that dangled from her tiny hand. Her face was lit up like a christmas tree. I could only guess ... She was having special time with her mommy. She had her dolly ... and apparently was heading in the direction of the centre to do some shopping.

What a simple life. There was nothing in her appearance that would suggest that she was the most blessed girl in the world ... but her face made that absolutely unmistakeable! Her daggling friend was not fine china or the talking type of dolly. It was made of cloth ... showed obvious signs of fading and had no hair. Yet ... she was Blessed. She was doing everything her little heart could hope for.

Then a tear formed in my eye. I dawned on me that I had everything I could have ever wanted as well. I have such a gorgeous wife. I have 5 beautiful children ... all faithful to God. And here I was sitting at an intersection in Sydney, AUS ... on my way to my Dream Job.

I just hope someone looked over at me at that moment and thought ... That old man in that old car sure seems to be blessed ... I wonder why?

Life ... can it get any better? Craig

What a small world!

2007-08-03T08:19:00.000-05:00

OK ... so I published my monthly Newsletter. It was a busier month than the one before. There were so many events I had to leave many of them out. I hit a few high points and made sure I mentioned Micah this time.

As I mentioned it was a busy day. I taught "The Life of Christ" from 9:30 - noon and had a meeting scheduled for that afternoon ... but due to a small emergency, I had to cancel that. We rushed around ... met with friends that evening and Wednesday was nothing but a blur.

I didn't even have time to come home before evening services. I heard my daughter;s voice in the courtyard of the church just prior to our monthly potluck. And when I exited my office, a screaming girl met me and hugged me. It was a dear friend of Micah's (Josephine). I had mentioned her name in our newsletter ... less than 24 hours before. And in that short time, her name travelled back across the Pacific to people who knew her and who then passed it on to her. She even had a copy of our newsletter!

That may not seem like a big deal to you. But I don't write newsletters for the Australians we minister to. I write with a mind's eye toward my kids, my parents, my supporters and a few prospective partners. I was shocked to have this little girl waving this 4 page document in front of my face.

What did I learn? I learned that somebody knows somebody, who knows somebody ... who knows me! I learned I must be multi culturally sensitive. For instance, just yesterday (3 days after my newsletter was emailed around the world) I was advised by an Elder in Gosford, NSW Australia that "They don't drive on the WRONG side of the road" (As stated in that same Newsletter) ... just a different side"! We laughed ... but I truly meant no harm. I learned that more people care about the work here that I ever imagined. And I learned that Good News travels fast ... I wonder how fast Bad News travels?

Please keep the work here in your prayers. We miss our family and friends ... but apparently we are not as far away as I thought! Love Craig

It was Big ... but God did Bigger!

2007-07-08T20:10:00.000-05:00

Well ... the 4th of July was just a work day here. I was blessed in that I got a lot done, but still .. I missed the fireworks and the BBQ in the backyard. I consider myself to not only like the windowdressing of such a holiday, but fancy myself to be a bit of a Patriot as well. A recent book reading of "1776" brought the blessing of our nation home to me once again.

But, we serve an awesome God!! I really mean that! I was feeling a bit disconnected from the USA experience and I got word that the USS Kityhawk had just pulled into Sydney Harbor! The city celebrated the 7,000 some odd spenders who had arrived aboard the ship. I thought of "Freedom".

It took another 3 days to get a chance to go to the city (we are in Sydney, but downtown is called the city) ... Sunday was to be the big day. And then it rained on Sunday after our morning service. It was looking doubtful that we could go. But then a new couple we had just met invited us to have lunch in the City. And to deepen the blessing, they drove us to Lunch and then took us by the ship. It was huge!

But then our host reminded me of the flag ship of the Lord's Fleet ... the SS ARK! It's still hard to conceive that without technology ... without air nailers ... with the crudest of tools ... this massive ship was constructed by Faith ... Faith that it would Rain ... Faith that it would flood ... Faith that God would send the animals ... faith that the pitch would hold ... faith that it would save his family!

God does Big! He does Faithful!! He comforts ... encourages ... corrects ... rebuilds ... recreates ... better than anyone or anything we will ever know!

He's so big ... yet He let's me call Him Father!

16 amazing days and our first Blog

2007-07-01T07:35:00.000-05:00

I still can't believe we are here ...

As many of you have heard, this dream began some 40 years ago. It was a Sunday evening. My mother allowed us to stay up past 7 pm on Sundays so we could watch "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom". (This was long before Cable and Satellite brought intimate details about the world around us) This shows was like a window to the world ... and when I was about 5 or 6 they traveled to Australia. They showed Kangaroos and took us on a Kangarro round up of sorts. The men on horse back were "Kangaroo cowboys" and all I could think about was how to get to Australia and join the ranks.
It would be in 1985, as a Freshman in the Sunset School of Preaching (now SIBI) that I would discover a Spiritual application of that early interest. I could be a Missionary to Australia. The dream was cast ... and now all I needed was an opportunity. Little did I know it would take another 22 years for that Dream to have a reality.
And so this morning as I greeted the precious brothers in sisters of the Macquarie congregation, I counted my very real Blessing.
Side note .... 16 days in Sydney and I haven't seen a cowboy or a kangaroo. You will be the first to know when I have met either!

Welcome to our Australian Odyssey