Welcome to the Autumn NEWSLETTER, for 2008.

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AUTUMN NEWSLETTER, 2008

“GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST”!
(Luke 2:14.)

Warmest Greetings to you all!

As we write this letter to you, the 2008 olympics has just finished, and already, there has been a good deal of reporting and reaction by the media.

But, how do we as Christians reflect on the goings-on in China?

On the one hand, we watched and listened to the prowess of young people seeking to be the best for their country: striving with might and main for nothing less than the golden ultimate: silver and bronze being enemies of the best.

Political China, too, was doing its best in order to mask excesses of a different kind: the persecution, imprisonment and even torture of Christians, and people of other faiths and political persuasion.

In our home, we coined another name for the Olympics: egofest. The participants were there to get glory for themselves and for their nation. They strove for the glory, even agonized for it, asking of their bodies more than was reasonable.

So, in church yesterday, I marked the difference in what we were about to do: namely, not to get glory, but to give it to the only One who is worthy: the One who achieved the highest and the best at infinite cost to Himself: for us!

Fanny Crosbie sang: “To God be the glory,
Great things He has done”!

Elisha Hofman put it this way:

“… For I feel like giving Him the glory
For His wondrous love to me!”

And listen to the humility expressed by O. W. Holmes:

“Before thy ever-blazing throne
We ask no lustre of our own.”

It’s not that one is opposed to the Olympics in particular, nor sport in general, but there must be a balance of some kind somewhere, and we know that, in Paris in 1924, Eric Liddell found that balance.

Why does everyone connected with the Olympics remember him? Surely it’s because, like Abraham, he pitched his tent, but built his altar!

As you all know, we want our newsletter to be treated by you as something personal to you, not just as any old circular!

Each one of you means a great deal to us in all your prayer and practical support of us in the work of the gospel. We firmly believe that God keeps us in health and strength as a result of your mentioning us before the throne of grace. Not only our health, but also the protection our Father provides for us in all the miles of travel undertaken by road, rail and air. The fact that a number of you write to us, telling of your prayers, and enclosing gifts is a real source of encouragement. We thank you all in Jesus’ name.

In this connection, we want to mention a very dear friend who was living in Dublin, and who was a great support to us until he went to be with his Lord and ours earlier this year. Mr. Gilbert Livingston attended a Methodist church as organist, and appreciated gospel music and was, in every way, a tremendous encouragement to us. He is now at the very source of answered prayer. We will never forget his generosity and kindness to us.

From time to time in our newsletters, we have mentioned Torch Fellowship Groups of which there are somewhere in the region of 140 in the U.K. Each group is a means of reaching blind and visually impaired people in order to bring them into fellowship with their sighted contemporaries.

The groups meet on a monthly basis informally, and the gospel is presented in a non-threatening atmosphere.

All this preamble is to tell you that we’re about to have the inaugural meeting of the Ammanford Torch Fellowship Group on 6th September, and thereafter on each first Saturday of the month.

It was last February when we shared the vision with our church, and we were utterly amazed when fourteen people came to our home to meet Clive Leakey from Northamptonshire who inspired us all with his enthusiasm.

We were so encouraged at such a response, that we began a monthly prayer-and-planning group from which – in seemingly no time at all – a team was formed, and we’re all very excited at the prospect before us. Up to date, some sixteen blind and visually impaired people have been located in our area, and have indicated their interest.

We would like to see many more such groups forming throughout the British Isles, and we would encourage those of you who have access to the Internet to click on to: www.torch-foursight.org

For others of you who don’t have access to the web, Torch Trust would be so glad to have a phone call from you at: 01858 438260.

Feedback from our last newsletter:-

Hazel from Bristol writes:

I always keep your newsletters with my Bible, along with letters from various missionary friends so that I can go through your diary dates during my quiet times.

From Dennis in the West Midlands:

What you have said about books is so true.  All the Godly folk I know have
been avid readers of   THE  BOOK.   i shall give a copy of your letter to
"My Word"  Bookroom in Sutton Coldfield.  I must be one of their regular
customers for they have given me a discount ticket which notes every
£10 worth of books I buy and then after 10 of them I get a free £10 voucher
so that I can buy more books!

Margaret Proved that you can’t expect to get anything out of life, unless you’re prepared to put something in:-

During this particular evening service, attended by about a dozen elderly folk, the offering was taken. Margaret subscribed the only £5 note.

Just as we were leaving, the treasurer gave us an envelope containing … you’ve guessed it: a five pound note!

I said to her, “If you had put more in, you might have got more out!”

For all of you, like Hazel in Bristol, who follow our diary with your prayers, you will see that the autumn especially is very busy. As well as the West Midlands, Guernsey, Sheffield, Worcester, Cumbria, Northern Ireland, and other places nearer home, we look forward to spending Christmas with the Torch Trust houseparty in High Lea Conference Centre in Hertfordshire.

There are still some dates available in 2009, and these will be marked in the diary.

Finally, we want to express our gratitude to God for all the backing we’ve received from our church here in Ammanford.

The way that they responded to the call for a Torch Fellowship Group was most heartening.

What a lovely thing it is to be able to speak well of God’s people!

Once again, may we thank you all for your constant support, and welcome others who have recently joined to be Partners-in-Ministry with us.

May God bless you all.

Yours in our
Soon-coming Saviour:
MARGARET & PETER.

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