Rob and Beth visited us last year in Perth from The Crowded House, Sheffield. We lived on the same street as them in Sheffield and they have been both leaders of a household congregation for a number of years, and leaders of a gospel community linked to a church building congregation of TCH. They are great friends and are always looking for opportunities to serve other people in all their work.
When we first went to the UK the possibility was raised that one day they might come to Perth and work alongside us doing church planting for a couple of years. That was put on the backburner for the year we were in Sheffield, however after visiting us last August for two weeks holidays (and scoping the joint) they went back to England to share their desire to come to Perth with the rest of the UK crew and have them pray about it. The bottom line was that Steve Timmis and the other leaders were happy for them to come, even though it leaves quite a dent in the leadership over there. Thank you Sheffield!
They are due to arrive in Perth on Oct 22 this year for two years. They are both excited and daunted by it. They are under no illusions, though plenty of people in the UK are when they hear they are moving to Perth. Mission in Perth? Isn’t that just a junket? Well, as the most secular city in one of the most secular countries anyone who has done or attempted church planting in Perth will tell you that the soil here is pretty barren physically and spiritually. Add in a scorching sun that bleaches and enervates everything for six months of the year and for a fair skinned Welsh lady like Beth this will be no holiday! Not that they have ever looked at it as a holiday. They love their life and community in Sheffield and are aware that what we have so far over here is pretty basic and ill-equipped compared with something like TCH Sheffield. Rob did point out though, that with another couple, Samuel and Fiona, about to leave The Crowded House for mission and work in Northern Iraq, raising support for Perth, Western Australia, seems a little cheeky.
Please pray for them as they arrive, find a place to live (probably in the Midland area), find work part-time, and sit down with us to plan what might be a way forward for us here in Perth in 2010. We’re looking forward to seeing them again just for the sheer delight of having friends with us who journeyed alongside us during a very important year of our lives in 2007.
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