It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of the first whole month of 2023. My brain has yet to accept fully that we are in a new year! January is such a sleepy month in New Zealand, where it feels like massive portions of the country are on holiday. We have been busy though! I often say that it feels like we wake up on November 1 and go to sleep on January 4. It is a very busy couple of months. God has been faithful to provide, sustain, and even protect.
HERITAGE CAMP
Again this year, Beth and I took responsibility for the meals at the annual Heritage (AKA Family) Camp. While Beth is the mastermind and kitchen wizard, I get to play a support role and put all my muscles to work carrying all the groceries. Camp was a tremendous blessing again. Over 180 people from 15 different churches attended at various points in the week. We got to stay at a friend’s house (who was away) the weekend after camp. which was great for our physical and mental recovery. I was also blessed to have the chance to preach for Pastor Dan Fraser at Grace Independent Baptist Church in Tauranga. Dan is a longtime friend and a great encouragement to me.
CHURCH EVENTS
The Children’s Christmas Program was a great success! The biggest blessing was seeing unsaved relatives coming to church and hearing the Gospel not once, not twice, but three times. Please pray for fruit to come from these efforts. The final combined teen activity also went well. It is a blessing to see the young people opening up. Our church’s 26th anniversary saw us celebrating with a barbecue. We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day, and the blessing I took away from it was seeing the hearts of newer people to the church begin to be knit to the church as a whole.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Safety at Home
In November, we had two instances that rattled the sense of security in our neighbourhood. The first was a trespasser into our backyard while the children were playing there one evening. The latter was a home invasion near the end of the month. My mother was house sitting for us at the time. The man in question is apparently a very dangerous individual. Please pray for my mother Trish, as she is still suffering ongoing anxiety (possibly PTSD) from this event. We are working towards finishing home renovations, with a goal to move to a safer area of town. This means bank loans, house sales, and house purchases at a very uncertain economic time. Please pray for wisdom, patience, and God’s clear
leading.
Trip to the States
Beth and the kids are the only ones who will be travelling to the States. Please accept my apologies for not being able to come and update you in person. Please pray for their travel, especially for everyone to sleep well on the flights.
In Christ’s love,
Nick, Beth, Abby, and Zack Watt