E-BLAST - 4 OCTOBER 2015

Mark and Delma on 'Mission' in typical pose - Mark with camera in hand and Delma being beautiful. This photo was taken in Launceston last month when on their TAS Country Town Tour. Wherever they have travelled on mission, this is their persona, everyone loves Delma. 

ROCK SECURITY

Monty Gilmour came and secured the rock face of this retaining wall on the right front side of Timeout in the Tweed. We've been engaging in a number of maintenance tasks over these past 12 months. We replaced the posts around the building. We put up a fence around the back veranda. More to come.  

TIMEOUT IN TWEED ROCKS

Monty Gilmour established this wall at the very rear at Timeout in the Tweed - it was a rock fest and Delma was constantly weeding. This wall of rocks have all come from that small section and that area will now be regularly poisoned. Whether that area can be tiered is another issue.    

COMMISSIONED ART

Melbourne young writer Jeremy Dover has commissioned art from Mark over these years - and after the young writer conference sent Mark a commission to philosophically paint Daniel 4. This is the story of Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremy has the description of the art work and is thrilled with it. Mark paints under his historic French name 'Tronson du Coudray'. 

BASIL SELLERS HOUSE - MORUYA

Laguna Quays Respite missionary visitors from last year sent Mark and Email asking whether Timeout in Moruya - Basil Sellers House might be available. I contacted Kim Gillis and have now connected these missionaries to Kim. Quite possibly this may proport an occasional alternative respite facility as available.

FOOTPLATE PADRE ARTICLE

Four of the 16 railway book tiles of the Footplate Padre's railway books - train driver's anecdotes. Mark's column on Wednesday last week in Christian Today highlighted these books and how many readers communicated with Mark over those years developing his Footplate Padre ministry.   

E-BLAST - 27 SEPTEMBER 2015

Basil Sellers reading the Laguna Quays Respite "Welcome Book". The week before missionaries wrote in the Welcome Book what a blessing it was to them to have respite in the cottage, quoted a Psalm and thanked Basil Sellers for providing such an ongoing wonderful remarkable ministry. Basil Sellers thanked Will Pearce for putting in the front and back steps hand rails and the yellow OHS lines on all concrete areas. Basil Sellers and Mark visited for the annual Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize 'finalists lunch'.   

BASIL SELLERS SHOWN REAL ESTATE

Host Terry and Cathy McMullen (real estate) and friends of the Laguna Quays Respite cottage collected Basil Sellers and Mark at Proserpine airport and after a cuppa hosted by Cathy, Terry showed us as a courtesy what is on the market in the Midge Point area. This is Mark and Delma's favourite as a prospective 'manager's residence' to look after the busy respite ministry. Isaiah says that without a vision the people perish!  

BASIL SELLERS VIEWING THE FINALISTS ART

Basil Sellers viewing the finalists art works from the 2015 Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize at the annual finalists art prize lunch at The Point Tavern in Midge Point hosted by Mr Sellers. Initiated in 2013 this was the third year and Mr Sellers has doubled the art prize for 2016. Basil and Mark flew from Brisbane to Proserpine at 8.00am and caught the 3.55pm flight home. Gavin Lawrie picked Mark up at 4.40am for Varsity Lake Railway, trained it to Brisbane airport and John Grocott collected Mark at 7.22pm, home 7.45pm. A long day.

2015 / 2014 ART PRIZE WINNERS

Basil Sellers with the 2015 and 2014 winners of the Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize - on the left is Margaret Pearce 2015 winner, and on the right Gina Passfield the 2014 winner and 2015 runner up. The art prize was held on 25 July and the annual lunch hosted by Basil Sellers at The Point Tavern in Midge Point on Tuesday 22 September.

BASIL SELLERS MIDGE POINT ART FINALISTS

Finalists of the 2015 Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize Finalists after the luncheon held at The Point Tavern. Each year Basil Sellers and Mark fly to Proserpine and then driven to Midge Point for this annual luncheon for the finalists of the Basil Sellers Art Prize. After this photograph the finalists gathered with Basil Sellers to discuss the 2016 art prize - Basil Sellers had doubled it to $2000 and the arts community has broadened to include Calen and Kuttabul (three quarters to Mackay).  

BASIL SELLERS AND MARK

Art has provided Mark many outreach possibilities. The Basil Sellers Art Centre was opened in 2003 and Basil Sellers initiated the 2004 Basil Sellers $10,000 Moruya Art Prize in 2004. It was such a success that the following year the Eurobodalla Shire took it over and a year later extended the reach to the five surrounding regional Shires with an increase to $15,000. The Basil Sellers Tweed Heads Art Studio was opened in 2007 and the Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize in 2013.   

E-BLAST - 20 SEPTEMBER 2015

Hobart Young writer Thomas Devenish and his bride Laura with Delma at the Hobart young writer dinner as part of our TAS Country Town Tour. Married eight months they went to Vanuatu for their honeymoon. Laura works in finance and Thomas is a  high tech guy in Tasmania Television. Thomas has been in the top echelon of young writers by the Panellists for the past three years. Please take a look at Thomas' high tech skills on his web site, very impressive:

http://thomasdevenish.weebly.com/

KEES AND SHEELAGH WEGMAN - HOBART

Sheelagh Wegman is the editor of the Tasmanian Anglican and a key operator for the 2012 ARPA conference held in Hobart. We kind of knew of Kees and Sheelagh on two counts - one was that Kees and my elder brother knew each other at university (long time ago) and Sheelagh received the daily PSI. On our visits to Hobart we visit Kees and Sheelagh. Many things in common.      

GLADYS DOBSOM 96 - PRAYIMG LADY

Gladys Dobson 96 has been one of our 5 Praying Ladies for 30 years or more. I first met Gladys on a sports chaplaincy mission way back in the 1980s when Gladys was assigned to the Cathedral and we held a Heads of Churches gathering with me as the speaker. We learned from Gladys she had served as a missionary in Eritrea. Gladys was known as a wonderful prayer warrior and so gladly became one of our 5 praying ladies. We have called in a visited Gladys on our Tasmanian visits. We took Gladys out for lunch.     

OATLANDS TASMANIA

Tasmanian Country Town Tour - Oatlands is about half way between Launceston and Hobart and we visited there for lunch on our drive through to Hobart on Friday 11 Sept. Oatlands was established in 1821 and their windmill has been recently refurbished. We had a thorough look around. It was used for crushing grain. We spoke with numerous tourists such as ourselves with the usual conversations but more, and many were fascinated by our missionary endeavours.

HARDWOOD LOG - CAMPBELL TOWN - TAS

Hardwood Log Campbell Town Tasmania illustrates an era past and from which many of the tourist timber creations we saw on our Tasmanian Country Town Tours. Campbell Town is about 45 minutes south of Launceston on the highway to Hobart. 

PICNIC TABLE - HARDWOOD

Hardwood picnic table Oatlands - these were on display in so many locations in the Tasmanian Oatlands township as a reflection of an era past. I for one wouldn't mind such a picnic table at Timeout in the Tweed or the Laguna Quays Respite cottage.  

E-BLAST - 13 SEPTEMBER 2015

Launceston Young Writers Dinner - Tahnee March a new young writer from Worldview Bible College, Ann and Blaine Packer (Blaine been's writing for 4 years) and Steve Suba the Well-Being Australia Tasmanian co-ordinator. Blaine and Ann were married seven months ago. Blaine is in IT and Ann is a tour guide for Tree Top Adventures.

LAUNCESTON YOUTH GROUP

Tasmanian Country Town Tour ministry - Mark spoke at the Gateway Baptist Tuesday evening youth group with young people from Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bolivia and elsewhere ... Mark foolishly played a game and strained his lower back hobbled around for three days.     

REBEKAH MADDEN - LAUNCESTON

Rebekah and Robert Madden were a bit lost as to what to turn their hand to. They discovered this milkbar cafe was up for sale and took the punt and grabbed in both arms and after 18 months are making a fist of it. These are today's young people - spirited, enthusiastic, keen, willing. Rebekah and Wesley were at the same year at Bedford Business College in Sydney.

STEVE AND DEBBIE SUBA

Steve and Debbie Suba were out hosts in Launceston, our Well-Being Australia Tasmanian co-ordinator. This photograph was taken in the Launceston Mall. We have been close friends for 30 years. Steve is the senior engineer for Virgin Australia in Tasmania.

ROSEVEARS - TO BEACONSFIELD

The waterways to Bass Straight north of Launceston on the way to Beaconsfield (mine disaster). Hosts Steve and Debbie Suba took us to Rosevears Art Galley for afternoon tea on the Thursday prior to the young writers dinner.  

FOOTPLATE PADRE - LAUNCESTON

Frank Richards was one of the hobbyists at the Gateway Hobby night at Launceston where people bring in their craft and hobby items and work on them and listen to someone speak. This time it was Mark as the Footplate Padre. Frank engineers from scratch steam tractors and locomotives and displays them regularly.

E-BLAST - 6 SEPTEMBER 2015

ARPA - Australasian Religious Press Association annual awards gala evening saw PSI young writer Casey Murray win the GOLD for Category 10 for the best Column or Blog of 2014. To receive the award was PSI young writer editor Sophia Sinclair from ARPA President Peter Bentley. See Mark's article Monday. Meanwhile Sophia has become the ARPA Executive minutes secretary and admin helper and one of three elected to meet with the Executive in February in future directions.  

ARPA - MEETING AND GREETING

ARPA is largely about meeting and greeting - people in the same ministry you see only once a year - here in this photograph we see Judy Adamson Sydney Anglican Media, Rosie Schefe The Lutheran Adelaide and Sophia Sinclair Press Service International Sydney. Mark and Sophia are what's known as ARPA junkies as this is a great time to connect with many across the nation and NZ. It was through these initial links PSI connected with Kiwi young writers.

ARPA - MARK FOWLER AND PRO NICK ARONEY

Mark Fowler lawyer an ARPA regular speaker and Prof Nick Aroney Australian Research Council Future Fellow spoke on the contemporary issues in freedom of religion. 
Mark's article last Tuesday detailed this session. Nick Aroney took us through history looking at religion and civil powers. Mark Fowler looked at discrimination, vilification and same sex marriage legal issues. This was a terrific session. 

ARPA - TIM KROENERT WITH DELMA

Tim Kroenert worships with the Salvation Army whereas his paid employment is with Eureka Street (well known Catholic on-line journal) chatting with Delma. This illustrates ARPA and the religious press. The practical workshops were very helpful - speakers included Dr John Harrison (Qld Uni Journalism), Di Tunningtom (Heritage Films), Editorial independence Rohan Salmond and Penny Mulvey, and then Ros Marsden on the flood of information.

ARPA - SOPHIA SINCLAIR CHAIRS SESSION

Sophia Sinclair chaired ARPA's 2nd morning session Sat 29 Aug. Sophia introduced the 
speakers Wendy Francis (Qld Australian Christian Lobby) and Casey O'Brien Machado (Salvation Army Social Justice - who spent 3 years at the United Nations. Introducing the session Sophia spoke of her role editing 85 young writers for Press Service International many of whom write in the same vein as our speakers.

ARPA - BOB THOMAS - NEW LIFE

Bob Thomas of Melbourne long time editor of New Life had dinner with Delma and me at ARPA. New Life was initiated in 1936 as Australia's weekly evangelical newspaper (now fortnightly and on-line). It was a New Life 'poll' of evangelical leaders that elected me in 2005 as one of Australia's top 25 evangelicals. Bob said at ARPA that the first edition in 1936 - 'lead article' - highlighted the plight of the Jews in Nazi Germany. Bob and I are discussing an evangelical one-day get-together of missionary publication editors and evangelical bloggers.