Friday, January 21, 2011
WWH_02
In "walking with HIM" I would like to share with you ways that I and others have shared their faith with their family and or friends...in the everyday, special occasions, whenever, where ever....I ultimately want to encourage and inspire you to walk with HIM...Therefore, cheer each other and encourage one another in the faith...1 Thessalonians 5:11
Tonight I want to introduce to you a friend of mine from way back. We have recently reconnected via facebook after many years...JOAN...she has a been a inspiration to me in her faith...she lives in the remote far northern regions of Queensland...this is her story...enjoy...
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Hi there Good People,
My name is Joan, I am Seventh-day Adventist, let me share with you how I got this far as a Christian, “it’s easy.”
In the 70’s both my parents (of strict Roman Catholic up bringing) emigrated from Uruguay, Sth America to Sydney Australia, to start a new life. Thanks to 2 Seventh-day Adventists knocking on doors spreading the news of our one & only God of this earth, they were soon attending church with very young talented singers who later became “Endless Praise.” With the idea of needing to make changes from their upbringings my parents were baptised in the SDA church which is to be submerged entirely into the water. Read Romans 6:1-6, Colossians 2:12-13, Matthew 28:19-20
We grew up the East Coast of Australia always heading north from Sydney to the Gold Coast. I had visited 16 countries around the world by the time I turned 20. In my travels, no matter where I was, I would always ask people if there was a SDA church in the area. I would find the location mainly by foot, there always seemed to be one nearby where I was “I can only thank God for that”.
One time I was in Peru visiting the Incas, when I came across a Peruvian Adventist Family on the same bus tour. You would not believe it, but they knew the Chilean / Australian SDA Song group Endless Praise (from the church my parents first went to) and I stayed for a Sabbath lunch at their home as he was the pastor of that church.
Another time in a village west of Costa Rica I woke up one Sabbath morning to the most beautiful hymns sung by the locals at their church in the local Latin Language, “right next door”. At the time I didn’t ask if they had a church as it was only a small community and to hear those words in my ears up lifted me, I feel I can conquer another day in His light.
When I was old enough I got baptised in my Redcliffe Church in Brisbane, Australia.
I have never really liked suburbia so I soon found myself where I have always felt to be, in the outback. It is isolated but God is not ever away from me, “He loves me.”
We all share our times of ups & down, I am a person that seems to do everything wrong before ever getting anything right, believe me, but just with a pray at night before the day is through I go to sleep knowing that He loves me & it does not challenge Him to answer my prayers.
Thankfully, the Lord has given me a wonderful & respectable husband. We have two healthy children and we have been sharing Gods word with a SDA Torre strait family for almost 2 yrs now.
We get together most Sabbaths at each others places during the wet season & meet up at a sunny location during the dry. Altogether there are about 11 of us including children (numbers go up & down with Adventists families in our remote location due to the work). We sing together with an acoustic guitar. We are blessed that our sista Pele & her son Wapi can play the songs we sing to on the acoustic by ear. Pele has been flying in & out for her college studies in ministering for approximately a year now to Perth. We are always glad to see her for her pack of new studies / songs & what the ABC shop has in music, posters, latest Veggie Tales shows or whatever she can bring up to us.
“I love you Father for no matter when it is of where we are, you will always find us there and because you live I can face tomorrow.”
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Thanks Joan for your encouragement...We are never alone...He is always there no matter how remote or isolated we are...
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Happy Sabbath Shelli & Joan.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story! I know that it can be hard to worship when our surrounds are not traditional (in a church)... But the Lord is always with us and He reminds us in Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Be always of Good Courage Joan.. God Bless
Thank you SO much for 'leading' me to your blog.It's so hard to find SDA blogs, and you're living my 'dream'-living in a 'rural' community.i"ll be a regular reader from now on!And I loved reading your testimony too! God bless you and your family!
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing!
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