Praises:

A good house-sitter and friends who are helping us out with travel to the airport.

Continued opportunities to talk with people about Jesus. Even during all of the packing and errands, we had a great time to discuss Jesus with a young lady yesterday. Pray for her and her family.

Prayer requests:

Van: A van while we are in Iowa (13 August – 5 November) We have to turn our rental in on arrival from the East Coast.

Funds for our travels across US:
Four of us will be on the road from 10-13 August. Funds can be sent to ABWE  marked ‘furlough’. Furlough has cost quite a bit more than we planned. Any help in this area would be appreciated.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support. We look forward to seeing how the Lord will provide for these requests and seeing our friends & family in the US.

The adventure continues…
Russ & Cathy Matthews

Praises:
We had a generous gift given to the girls for their special request. Thank you!

Our passports all arrived. We are officially dual citizens. (Funny, the accent did not come in the envelope, all that money and no Aussie accent.)

Prayer requests:

Van:  A van while we are in Iowa (13 August – 5 November) We have to turn our rental in on arrival from the East Coast.

Funds for our travels across US:
Four of us will be on the road from 10-13 August. Funds can be sent to ABWE (for tax benefits) marked ‘furlough’.

Traveling mercies:
We will be flying from Sydney to LA (15+ hours), laid over for 8 hours and then flying overnight to Baltimore. Pray all of the family will do well in this wild flying experience. We are grateful for some great friends in LA who will be there to greet us on the West Coast. We will be driving to ABWE & churches on the East Coast then traveling across the US to the Heartland, Iowa.

Cultural experience: I have been spending quite a bit of time explaining US geography this month. No one knows where Iowa is, but they know where Radar O’Riley & Capt. James T Kirk grew up. You have got to love pop culture sometimes.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support. We look forward to seeing how the Lord will provide for these requests and seeing our friends & family in the US.

The adventure continues…
Russ Matthews

Question 1: Are you Canadian?
Cathy & I grew up in Maryland & Iowa and we do have a ‘softer accent’ than our friends from other areas of the US, but that is not where the question is based. Most Australians experience this,when asking someone from the North America about their accent. Canadians get quite offended if asked if they are from the US and Americans do not get offended either way. Americans just tend to be louder and verbose in their clarification of their country of origin. So, the safe call for most Australians is to ask ‘Are you from Canada?’

Question 2: What are you doing here?

Ah, the beauty of the accent. We are able to get into a gospel conversation without even having to ask any questions ourselves. We do not call ourselves missionaries here (sounds too Mormon-like), but as ‘ministry workers’ we get to share the reason for living here and the work we do in Sydney. We are able to share the name of Jesus and the work He can have in the lives of the people we come in contact with in the city. What a gift this silly accent provides for us to share the Gospel. God has a plan.

Question 3: Which country do you like more?

A very wise woman gave us advice on how to steer this potentially loaded question out of dangerous waters. The standard and genuine answer to this question would be, “Which do I like more? How do you choose? It is like picking which of our children I love more. I love all of our children equally for their unique qualities and unconditionally.” The same could be said about Australia & the US. We love them both equally.

Question 4: When are you leaving?

Finally, the answer to the question of our citizenship. Depending on how people respond to the first three questions, we could take this question in different ways. Generally, it is in reference that Americans do not immigrate. Americans represent the smallest immigrant population in Australia. Most Aussies are used to their American friends moving back to the US eventually. Our answer can now be, we are citizens. We are ‘all in’ and committed to being here as long as the Lord wants us to be here. If you study James’ epistle, it is foolish to commit beyond the will of God. So, if he wants us here for the rest of our days, we are  committed to being here. Also, it does communicate commitment to our friends in Australia. We love this country and look forward to seeing how the Lord will use us here, even to the end of our days.

Question 5: How do you like our football?

Australia is a sport crazy nation and it has four codes of football. Rugby, Rugby League, Australian Rules Football & Soccer. This question is another potential challenge, depending on the state you are living. First pitfall for most Americans is to rave about NFL. There are pockets of people who like grid iron, but generally the only time people care about NFL is around Super Bowl time. Our response comes from a love for two of the codes, they are more exciting and faster than NFL. We started as Rugby League fans (Rabbitohs are my team – I will tell you that story someday) which is a NSW and Queensland code. Then Josh started playing AFL two years ago and we all have become hooked. So, we cheer for Josh’s team, the Southwest Tigers and for the professional team, the Sydney Swans. Like food, sport is a great way to reach into the hearts of people and see what they are most passionate about, then we can begin to share about the passion in our lives, Jesus Christ. Also, it is great fun to watch the various codes of footy. Go Rabbitohs, So Swans, Go God. Not necessarily in that order.

There are more things to share, but I will leave that to another day.

Hope this answers the questions about our citizenship in Australia & a fun cultural education.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oi,Oi, Oi! (If you do not understand the cheer, ask us about it when we come to a church near you.)

The ‘Aussie’ adventure continues…

Russ, Cathy, Becca, Hope, Joshua & Caroline

Thanks for the prayers and questions…
Russ

Praises: We had a generous gift given to us to pay for a van to travel across from Maryland to Iowa. Thanks!

We will be sworn in as Australian Citizens on 29 June.

Prayer requests:
A van while we are in Iowa (13 August – 5 November)

Australian Passports get processed prior to leaving

Funds for our travels across US.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support. We are looking forward to seeing our friends & family in the US.

The adventure continues…
Russ Matthews

Psst…secret request. The girls (Hope & Becca) are trying to raise $350 for plane tickets for them to go and surprise a very special friend in August. They are working hard on this on their own initiative, so don’t tell them I told you! But if anyone would be willing to help them raise the money, I will keep it a secret! If you want to help, send them an e-mail, please not on FACEBOOK! Any amount would help. Don’t tell them I told you! A secret request from a loving dad.

I will be sending along an update about all of the activities from April and May soon. Here are a few prayer points for things for the immediate future:

1. Winning the City Dinner – Vision setting & Fundraising for city ministries
2. Youth Leader – We need a youth leader for our youth group at Glorious Hope Baptist. (Praise: The Youth had a great time at a recent event in the Blue Mountains, KYCK)
3. Preaching opportunities: Inner West Baptist, Youth group in Bankstown and a young adults retreat on the 15 May
4. City Bible Forum Weekend Away: An evangelistic weekend away in the Southern Highlands. We are praying for 50 people to come away on the weekend.
5. Pamper Day: An evangelistic event for the women of o the community around Glorious Hope Baptist
6. Continued growth and salvations at City Bible Forum, Sydney. Al Stewart’s series in Ecclesiastes and Ian Powell’s continuing series in John.
7. Planning and financial preparations for US ministry trip: we need a van during our time in Iowa, a house-sitter for our Australian home and the necessary finances for the travel in the US.

Thanks for all of your faithful support and prayers. We look forward to seeing you soon.

The adventure continues…
Russ & Cathy Matthews

Citizenship: For all who have sent questions on our citizenship application. We did receive the letter of acceptance for dual citizenship in Australia. Quite an exciting day. We will be attending a swearing in ceremony soon and it will all be official. To clarify, we will be dual citizens in Australia and the US.

Sending lots of joy your way during this incredible celebration season,

The adventure continues…
Russ, Cathy, Bec, Hope, Josh & Caroline

Cherrypickin’

^{Romans 1: 19-20}

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

We have been trying to get together with a couple in our church for months, the wife is a Christian and the husband is not. We had a bbq and had a few friends over to enjoy the beautiful day in Sydney. Conversation was on Christmas, New Year’s and the summer months. Inevitably the conversation moved to the Bible. The topic started with evolution and creation. One of the blokes there turned to our non-Christian friend and asked, “What are your thoughts on this, mate.” Everyone was expecting disagreement or even antagonism, but we all were surprised. My friend stated, “I believe that God created the world.” After a surprised pause, the guys started to ask clarifying questions and even sat down for a definition of what his views were on God. It started out encouraging and then spiraled into a fascinating, twisted, postmodern answer that had us going on for three hours on theological things. My friend went on to explain that he believed in God, respected Jesus, saw the world as God’s working hand through the tool of evolution, there is an ever after that exists for all and there is no hell,  and that mankind eventually moves to a point of awareness, eventually we become gods to share in God’s existence. From that clear definition, the group had a go sharing what the Bible and what God’s word states about these points. Then he did it, he started quoting scripture. My non-Bible believing friend started coming up against their arguments with Bible passages. The passages were out of context and misapplied, but beautifully placed and it had its effect. Confusion and backpedaling by the well intentioned Christians, it quieted some of his detractors. Yet, just as Jesus did in the desert, when his word is clarified and utilised properly it is the light for the conversation.

Respectfully, it was asked of him, “Within all you have to say, what do you do with Jesus’ statement No one comes to the Father except through me.”  He stated, I do not believe that portion. When asked what does he measure all of these things on, what was the standard, the measuring stick? Without any hesitation he said, “Myself and my personal study.” Things continued on for a while longer. Eventually the conversation was interrupted by darkness and exhaustion. All began to leave; my postmodern friend shook my hand and stated he had a great evening. He even text me the next day to thank us for having his family along.

Within his own definition, my friend represents a group of people, Cherry pickers. A definition that comes from the machine used to lift you to high places, usually to move where a person desires to be and to let them pick the things they desire. Cherry picking can used when considering the things of God, too. Apparatuses that lift them to heights to choose the portions of theology they like and leave the other portions to the side. If it does not fit into his basket, they throw it away.

It is fascinating that people chose to do this with God, but we would never do this with other portions of our lives. Driving: Only driving a car with the parts of the engine they prefer. Career: only do the parts of their jobs that they liked. Health: only utilise the advice of a doctor that we like for the sake of our physical existence.

If you choose to cherry pick in these portions of life, you either end up broken down on the side of the road, without a job or simply dead.

Why do people choose to do this with God? In this postmodern, western landscape, this is the mindset we see all the time. Pray that we would be able to continue with our friend and others that we come in contact with to clarify the Bible. Also, explaining that the choosing of these eternal things are not based on our own choosing, but God’s. We need to be thankful for this gift of God setting the standard.

The freed captive

Psalm 146: 7-8

The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

The next night one of our Urban Fight Club members brought a mate over for coffee. His friend had just been baptised and has only been a Christian for eleven months. He was excited about everything that had to do with God. The answers could not come fast enough to all of the questions. He had come from a life of hard living and the Lord had brought him to this point in his life. He loved the people of his church (not one our family works with, but we do know the church) and he looked forward to sharing all about his new life in Christ. The enthusiasm and desire of new Christians can be described as “just not able to get enough of God.” Then the conversation shifted to frustration, he was being mentored and was in the Bible consistently. Why was he frustrated? He loved his growth in Christ, but in the process he was being told that there was only one translation of the Bible that he should be reading. He loved this new life, but why the limitation on God’s Word? He had become a freed captive, moving into freedom in Christ, but a potential captive of legalism.

We went on to describe a recent encounter on this very subject. We had the privilege to hear a Christian archeologist speak a few years back and someone in the audience asked, “Which translation of the Bible do you read?” He smiled with a knowing look of a potential trap and stated, “The original Greek and Hebrew.” But, he did not leave the crowd hanging on that answer. He went on to say, “Read the Bible you are reading, as long as you are reading the Bible. You need to be in the God’s Word. That is the important part.”

This is the same advice we gave our new young Christian. He has just been set free in a new life in Christ. Why would we want to make him a captive again? Just getting someone to read the Bible is a huge barrier to overcome. We would hope to not put up unnecessary barriers to keep someone from growing in their love for God and His Word.

Tale of two friends…

Please be praying for our friends, one to be set free from the bondage of sin and the other to grow in his new freedom found in his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Also, for our work in the varying spiritual landscape of Sydney.

Thanks for your prayers in the journey…

Russ & Cathy Matthews

Finances in Sydney: It has been an amazing year of ups and downs. The GFC, flux in the exchange rate, new supporters, losing supporters, increase in ABWE administrative fees, increase in the cost of living in Sydney and general cost of living in the largest city in Australia. We are thankful and amazed how God has continued to provide for our needs. One unique opportunity was presented to us this year. We have an Australian group that is willing to support us. So, we have been able to gain additional support from those we work with in the country we are serving. This is an encouraging confirmation of our work here in Australia. Also, due to many of our faithful supporters, we have been able to maintain our support levels throughout 2009.

We have been informed by one of our churches in the US and two of our individual supporters that our support will be changing in 2010. Thankfully it was not due to damaged relationships, but financial challenges in the lives of our churches and supporters. Our support for the coming year is currently at 97% of our monthly support levels. This means we are under-supported by $158 (US) on a monthly basis.

We would appreciate your prayerful consideration in making up this difference in our support. Please consider taking up a portion or all of this support need. Besides the work we are doing in Sydney, we commit to pray for you regularly.

To give go to the ABWE link provided for the easy to follow instructions:  www.abwe.org/give/

To give you perspective of what this support would be going toward here is a list of our 2010 ministry needs.

Ministry opportunities in 2010:
• Application for citizenship (February)
• Working towards a church plant in the city in 2011
• Exciting programme at City Bible Forum (new speakers, new evangelistic outreaches, new courses)
• Growth and planning for Urban Fight Club (Men’s ministry)

• Active role at Glorious Hope Baptist Church (Preaching, evangelism and teaching)

• Furlough (Appointments set w/ all churches and a supporters dinner in October) Anyone who would be willing to assist in some of the financial costs of flying to the US would be appreciated.
• General expenses of living

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to seeing you in 2010. We hope to see you at one of our supporting churches or at the supporters dinner we are planning at the end of October. More details will be coming for this event in the next month.

The adventure continues…
Russ & Cathy Matthews