April 2009
Fellowship
Baptist Church
It has been a while since our
last entry not because there was nothing to write but because we had
been so busy. Fellowship Baptist Church here in Jerrabomberra NSW
Australia has seen its ups and downs this past year. Two of our most
faithful members, Tracey and Tan, had to move back to Sydney to pursue
college and career opportunities. We deeply miss their enthusiasm and
energy. Then just recently one of our faithful founding members,
Elizabeth, moved to Melbourne to be able to spend more time with her
husband whose company is based there. It was so sad to tell her goodbye
but we are so happy for her. On a brighter note, we have had several new
families join us this year. Our attendance is up and our children’s
church class has grown. We have had over 25 people on our higher
attendance days and now average over 40 people at most of our outreach
events. We are beginning to develop some close relationships with our
neighbours as well.
Some of the highlights of the past year are the visits we received from
family and friends back home. Dr. David Powers came to see us last
October. He was definitely an encouragement to us and our people. He
spoke at our men’s breakfast and one of our services. He and Dwayne took
a trip up to the Great Snowy Mountains and climbed Australia’s highest
peak, Mt. Kosciusko. A month later, Dwayne’s parents arrived just in
time for Thanksgiving. They stayed with us for two months and enjoyed
spoiling their grandson a little. We even got in a family camping
vacation down to the beach while they were here. They were thrilled to
see kangaroos roaming the park freely and got some great close up
pictures. It was so wonderful that they were able to see first hand the
ministry here and experience the busy-ness of our Christmas season with
a kid’s party, church party, craft nights, counseling, prayer meetings,
discipleship, school performances, and church services.
Both Dwayne and Valerie have gotten very involved in the community this
year. Dwayne has been working on a malicious damage strategy prevention
team in the community that assists with finding ways to prevent
malicious damage in the area such as graffiti and breaking glass lights.
Dwayne attends some of the local resident’s association meetings and has
started up a ministry called BREAK ministries, Bringing Relief,
Encouragement and Kindness. This ministry seeks out individuals or
families who need a much-needed break. We have also involved local
businesses in the outreach. We have already ministered to one elderly
lady, providing her with a relaxing and fun day out complete with a
pedicure, nice meal, and fellowship. She is facing a dim prognosis as
her kidneys are starting to fail along with other serious medical
issues. Dwayne has also started up several counseling sessions in the
past year with couples and individuals. Through these sessions several
people have also come to know the Lord. Please pray as he continues to
work with these couples and individuals. In addition to his regular
preparation for Sunday’s service, Dwayne leads a men’s discipleship
class on Thursday and a Thursday night prayer night. He also volunteered
as the softball coach of Austin’s softball team as another way to get
out and reach the families in our community.
Valerie has had an extremely busy year as well. She trained over twenty
public school six grade children to do a dramatic presentation using
dowel rods and music. Last year they performed an Easter program for the
school’s Easter assembly and the local Autumn Fair and later in the year
did a Christmas performance for the school’s Christmas Assembly and
performed at the local Carols by Candlelight. This year she is training
a new group of seventeen sixth-graders, including our son, Austin, with
another exciting and unique Easter performance. They have already
performed at the local Autumn Fair and will be performing for the
school’s Easter Assembly next week. Valerie plans to also work on a
Christmas program with the kids later this year. The group is called
“The Fantastix” and have been very well-received by the hundreds of
students in the school, their parents and teachers and the local
community. They have even made the local papers on several occasions. We
are so thankful that we can be presenting the Gospel in such an
innovative and unique way and pray that those who see the performances
take the message to heart. A special thanks to Salt and Light Ministries
in Richmond, Virginia for choreographing the routines. We are also
thankful for the opportunity for Valerie to go into the local public
school and help teach Scripture classes three times each term to 250
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 children. We know that many of these
children are hearing the Gospel for the very first time and most will go
back home to a family who does not know the Lord. It is such a wonderful
opportunity. We are now beginning to run into children while we are out
in the community who remember Valerie helping teach the class. If this
wasn’t keeping Valerie busy enough, she also hosts a monthly craft night
for the ladies called “Unwind and Design.” We have been averaging 10 –
12 women each month who gather at our home for an evening of food, fun
and fellowship. We have grown too big for our house so we now have to
meet in the garage. Valerie comes up with a very practical and beautiful
craft each month and gives a short devotion related to the theme of the
night. You may see these crafts on Val’s craft link on this site and
read some of her devotions. We have several ladies coming who do not
attend our church but we are praying that this is bridging the gap so
they may one day receive the Lord as Saviour.
In the coming months we are praying for more ways to build relationships
with the people here. We are praying about starting a men’s and ladies’
bible study related to marriage since we see so many marriages in
trouble here. Pray with us that our people will be interested and
marriages will be strengthened and even saved. We had a great turnout at
the local Rotary’s Club’s Autumn Fair just two weeks ago. We passed out
a lot of brochures about our ministry and made several of the wordless
Gospel bracelets for the kids. Please pray that those people who
expressed an interest in our ministry will come and visit us soon. Here
in this area it takes years sometimes to get relationships to the point
where they will trust you and listen to what you have to say. We thank
you so very much for your prayers and support. We would love to hear
from you sometime.
Dwayne, Valerie and Austin Keefe
Phil. 1:3
