E-BLAST - 29 April 2012

"Turning Point" is one of Mark's recent art works. There are many occasions in our lives where there are turning points.

Recently we had two missionary bookings for May at the Laguna Quays Respite cottage, the first from 30 April through to 8 May with CMS missionaries. The second 21-28 May Gospel Recordings.

This past week we received a third booking between those dates, 9-20 from a pastor requesting respite and rest. How wonderful that the entire month of May 'respite' has such a bountiful offering as from the Lord.

ART: should you wish to 'commission' an art work from Mark, please contact him.

E-BLAST - 22 April 2012

Mark and Delma were guests of Kevin and Tracey Marshall for lunch at their Hydeaway Bay home after church last Sunday during their period of respite at Laguna Quays.

After the lunch was a beach walk and on the way back to the Laguna Quays Respite cottage they visited Dingo Beach. Hydeaway Bay is 40 minutes drive north of Proserpine while Laguna Quays is 20 minutes south.

Meanwhile Mark has written three ANZAC articles for Christian Today for this week - Monday 23 April, Tuesday 24 April and Wednesday 25 April.  

LAGUNA QUAYS RESPITE GRILL

Delma at the grill cooking tea of the Laguna Quays Respite cottage. We spent 11 days of rest and recuperation after two heavy months in ministry.

While there we received bookings from CMS missionaries in Slovenia and bible college mission family from Townsville.

May we have CMS mission people from southern Africa and towards the end of the month Gospel Recording mission people.

E-BLAST - 15 APRIL 2012

Michael Kent (photo) took Mark and Delma for a fascinating guided tour of the entire Laguna Quays Resort complex with its 9 kilomtres of golf buggy paths, which closed last month (and other Whitsundays Island Resorts).

Opened 1991 with its hey days to the late 90s with a top notch golf course (two others planned), five villages with multiple elite semi-detached villas, several swimming pools, restaurants, the Resort itself with 60 motel rooms, a conference centre, multiple offices and meeting rooms, a Beach Club with a general store, a Marina and well over 150 building blocks available for purchase.

The Laguna Quays Respite house is on Marine Pde which backs onto the Laguna Quays Resort.

DELMA'S BIRTHDAY "TOP"

Delma - birthday dinner at the Midge Point Tavern Friday night with Mark and also Sean and Sue Spencer our Laguna Quays Respite co-ordinators. Delma is wearing the "top" she purchased with some gifted money from the family when shopping at Cannonvale (Airlie Beach) on Thursday.

(..... an appropriate good story is a good story .... in 1963 President Kennedy addressing Dallas business leaders with Vice President Lyndon Johnson in attendance, when Jacque Kennedy made a late entrance with charming elegance, stated to much applause and good humour: "No one comments on what Lyndon and I wear!"

FORTUNES OF WAR

'Fortunes of War' was Mark's Christmas gift, a BBC 1987 series on DVD starring Kenneth Branagh (as Professor Guy Pringle) and Emma Thompson (his wife Harriet). In 1939 they found themselves in Romania teaching English, they escaped the Iron Guard Nazi's to Greece, escaped again to Egypt.

Mark enjoyed watching this DVD series while at the Laguna Quays Respite house on Wednesday. Back in Tweed Heads end of this week, 22nd

Photo - The lounge room with the television showing Professor Guy and Harriet Pringle.

E-BLAST - 8 APRIL 2012

Lay Witnesses for Christ International (LWFCI) Dr Sam and Sharon Mings and their planning team from the US and UK for the London Olympic Outreach met in Dallas last week. LWFCI: Chaplains to the World's Olympians.

This will be Dr Ming's LWFCI 8th Olympiad in ministry. There is a huge program organised including numerous Olympian evangelism rallies.

Mark's major role is writing Salvation media stories for the international media and interviewing Olympic athletes and mission people for the Australian Missionary News IPTV.

AUSTRALIAN MISSIONARY NEWS IPTV - LONDON

Bridging the Gap London 2012 - the name given to the 'Lay Witnesses for Christ International' (LWFCI) London Olympic mission.

One of Mark's role is interviewing for the Australian Missionary News IPTV. He'll have his video camera with him capturing interviews with Olympic athlete and mission people.

Our April monthly "1 min" video features a selection of people interviewed to date: http://www.bushorchestra.com/video/News_video/news.html