As much as our world appears to be in turmoil, bless God, His work continues unabated. Besides being delighted to be back on the field of Devonport, Tasmania, it has been so encouraging to return and see that church members have remained faithful in going door to door to get the Gospel out to surrounding neighbourhoods. Even more encouraging was to be back here not quite two weeks and see four of our church members make the decision to go forward and get baptized.

On a more somber note, it was a shock to be home for just two weeks and learn of the unexpected Homegoing of an Australian missionary. Only two days previously, Alan and Margaret had returned from what they guessed would be their last missions trip to the Philippines, visiting churches and pastors whom they had ministered to for so many years previously but had not seen for several years.

For multiple decades, with the help of their children, Alan and his wife had organized shipping containers of Bibles, Gospel tracts, basic medical supplies, and other ministry resource materials from their own property in Brisbane, Queensland, to be shipped to the Philippines before eventually moving down here to Tasmania to semi-retire. At one stage, the whole family served as missionaries in the Philippines, where Alan even got to learn the basics of two Filipino languages. There was nothing that he could not do, and it was all to the glory of God.

At one stage, Alan was invited to two medical conferences in Europe, which he attended. For a short period, a group of Christian doctors in the city of Melbourne to our north here in Australia even got Alan to help oversee the delivery of medical supplies to people in countries like the Philippines. Alan, of course, maintained a heart for reaching the lost. It was his desire that any such efforts were to be linked to reaching more lost folks with the Gospel.

In the midst of teaching and preaching multiple services soon after my return, the family asked if I would preach a memorial service in honor of Alan’s life. It was a privilege and a first for me personally. The service was live-streamed. My wife and I had endeared our hearts to this couple soon after I was called back here to Tasmania at the end of 2012, within just weeks of their own move here.

Please pray:

1. For the continued salvation of souls and that Coastline Baptist Church would continue to grow accordingly
2. That more of our members will be encouraged to go forward in believer’s baptism
3. That even more of our church folk will be inspired to decide to serve God when seeing examples of others from within Australia, the United States, and elsewhere who’ve already done so

As Paul addressed Timothy, urging him to remain faithful in II Timothy 4:7, he said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Let us all hold to the same determination. Thank you again for your continued faithful support.

In His great love and mercy,

Bro. Andrew L. Steers