“Wow that was quick!”….  momentarily dominated all thinking, as the onset, and soon departure of the festive season came upon me. It really is true, isn’t it? –  the verse  (James 4:14) that reminds us that our lives are a Vapour ..

Looking back over the year, another Scripture stands out – Psalms 145:9 “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”  We have enjoyed the goodness of the LORD – directly, and through HIS children, and want to publicly Praise HIM for it, for HE is Worthy!

We also want to say a Big THANK YOU! to you, who have been a part of our lives and ministry over this past year, it has been a  privilege to share GOD’S Word with you,        and to enjoy HIS grace in all that has happened.

Our family health is improving, Serena has completed some very helpful studies, the boat project is well over the half way mark, with most of the materials in hand to complete the hull. We also have the motor back from the reconditioners, and opportunity to move on to the gearbox as soon as we are able. Also a BIG THANKS to those who have sacrificed time and finances to come and help “hands on” with the project.

Bro Hunter, and the Brethren in Alotau are standing firm, with some of the backslidden youth returning to their former faithfulness (Praise the LORD!,) and the visa situation is moving – albeit slowly.

The blessing of the LORD be rich upon you - during this season, and in the coming new year.

In CHRIST’S love

Bro Rob for the Booy Family

December 11th – December Children’s Service

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Herald of Hope audio now available for download. DVDs of the sessions available for free. Please contact us if you would like a set.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”   (James 4:14)

Greetings Brethren, in the name of our Great GOD and SAVIOUR – JESUS CHRIST, we trust this update finds you in the centre of GOD’S will – investing your “vapour” wisely!

I am Slowly making progress on the boat project in the time between weekend preaching / travelling, and  other commitments – the Hull is getting epoxy, the extra ribs are in, and a start has been made on the decking – thank you to those who have helped physically, and financially to keep the project “floating”.

Serena is now “officially” cancer free, and has also been accepted for a tropical medicines course through Flinders Uni in S.A – thanks to GOD, and the efforts of nurse Jane.    Simeon has an appointment with the infectious disease specialists in Brisbane this Monday to try and fix some of his recurring health issues – We are also planning further testing for the whole family, as soon as it can be organised.

The Visa situation:     we are looking to GOD for a positive outcome when I speak with Pastor Kamilus.

Things in Alotau are progressing well, but some of the youth are struggling in their walk – please pray for Frankie and Jason especially, and that my time with them will strengthen, and encourage.

We are now starting to collect Christian books / Bible School resources, clothing, and blankets for when we return early next year – please pray for wisdom in planning a time of rest and rebuilding, and scheduling the many things yet to be done.    …the night cometh, when no man can work…

Thanks again for your partnership in the Gospel – until HE comes…
In CHRIST’S love – Bro Rob for the Booy Family
Your extension of CHRIST’S love to the people of Milne Bay Province, PNG

Here at South West you will find a warm welcome from people that want to make you feel like part of our church family. Please feel free to contact us if there is anyway that our church can minister to you and your family.

We would love to have that chance to meet you this Sunday!

Herald of Hope
October 28-30th

3 Day Conference at South West Baptist Church
Friday 28th
7:30pm :: John Farr – What the Bible says about climate change

Saturday 29th
4:00pm :: Peter Jackson – Signs of the Last Days
5:00pm :: Come and share a basket tea
7:00pm :: John Farr – Will the church go through the Tribulation?

Sunday 30th
10:00am  ::  John Farr – The church, a challenge to replacement theology
6:00pm  ::  Peter Jackson – When Christ rules the world

World events clearly indicated we are in the Last Days.  Only the Bible has the answers.  We would love to have you come and visit us.  Please Contact Pastor Brenton Honeychurch for more information.

Also on Sunday 30th Oct

Church 4 You – 10:00am
3 Kirk Street, Elizabeth Park
Peter Jackson – The 2 Comings of Christ

Northside Baptist Church – 6:00pm
145 Nelson Road, Para Vista
John Farr – What were the days of Noah like?

Come and bring a friend!

CD or DVDs of the South West meetings should be available both for download from this site or for ordering via post or collection.   Stay tuned.

A quick update:

All is progressing well in Alotau, with Bro Amos now back with his family on Normanby island for a few weeks, and Preacher Hunter looking after Alotau Baptist Church. A man called Barty who we had opportunity to help spiritually (his wife was saved too) is back in the province and being strengthened by the ministry at ABC. His nephew Jason has been saved at ABC since Barty was last in Alotau, and he too is faithfully growing in CHRIST, both of these men have been through “the mill”, yet are still within the arms of their loving Heavenly Father.

I share this to encourage you to stay faithful in loving people as CHRIST does – whether they stay or leave you, because life is larger than the moment, and so is our GOD.

I am still away preaching most weekends, and Serena and the family are holding the fort back in Brisbane.

I have just spent a week on the Boat project in Greenbank (Brisbane area) and am much encouraged!! We have seen the LORD provide most of materials needed to finish the hull (plywood, epoxies etc.) and now we are into the final cleaning before applying the new materials (exciting to at last be at this stage)

A big thank you to the team from Ballarat, what a great effort! – and also to Bro Darren Phinn from Coffs Harbour who has undertaken the task of the motor and gearbox restoration / replacement

Small groups of up to 4 people are still needed for “fiddly stuff” (cleaning between the grooves in the planking / sanding timber / sealing the plywood etc. – no experience needed) … contact us directly at

booyfamily@gmail.com

Thank you again for keeping us in your prayers during this furlough time – that we may be a blessing to others, and useful in the Masters hand.

In CHRIST’S love

Bro rob for the Booy family Jn 17:3

LORD willing by mid July, the boat will have been re-located to Browns Plains in Brisbane.

This will allow a lot easier (and cheaper) access for those who are interest in helping out.

Because of this change ALL PREVIOUS TEAM DATES ARE NOW CHANGED.

The good news is that it is a change for the better!

People who would like to participate can now basically choose a time that would suit their group, or the group they would like to be a part of – this allows for smaller time frames, and much more flexibility.

In CHRIST’S love

Bro Rob

booyfamily@gmail.com

An Inexpensive, practical, and much appreciated – Mini missions challenge…

What a blessing to be together as a family again!

A very big THANK YOU on behalf of our family for your genuine love and commitment to us, and to the saving of souls, and building up of the Saints in Milne Bay.

For the next few weeks we are at Southwest Baptist – our home Church in S.A, after which Brisbane will be our base for furlough travels, and recovery of health (central location and warmer climate!)

The Church in Alotau is still being looked after by Bro’s Hunter and Amos – please keep praying for these men to adjust to the town lifestyle, and lead the Church in a Holy revival, with many souls saved, and a great strengthening of the Saints. Both these preachers are growing in their leadership abilities, and knowlege of the Word of GOD.

Bro Bobby is doing a good job leading Eastern Sky Baptist at Normanby – he is GOD’S man for the hour. He showed incredible spiritual insight and strength during the death of his younger brother (run over by Bro Olan’s dinghy) – Bobby oversaw the whole event from searching for, and recovery of the body, preaching the funeral, diffusing the explosive revenge situation being worked up by the enemies of the Gospel, and cutting a clear line of Biblical truth through the confusion and superstition which surrounds any death in this country.

Bro Olan is now clear of all criminal charges, but the use of the dinghy is still prohibited until “official” clearance from the Alotau Police – LORD willing it will be soon.

In my absence our children, along with the Bola’s children have been hard at work to strip the “big boat” back to a skeleton to enable it’s drying out and the start of the rebuilding process – we are most grateful for the wonderful hospitality, and labour of love the Bola family has given to this project.

Because this is a rather large project, we are trying to put together a few teams to “attack” it in small manageable stages – if anyone is interested in a short term trip to Nth QLD to be part of a team, please pray about it, check with your Pastor – and then come and have some boat building fellowship! (Contact details below)

Family news:
Thank you for your prayers for Simeon, he has recovered well. As soon as we can settle as a family, we will resume schooling, start a anti-parastic diet, and address the health issues which are part and parcel of the field we are called to.

Furlough:
Computer “glitches” have afforded me the opportunity to re-confirm next years itinerary. (Pastors, and Church leaders; I will contact you shortly – thank you for your continued support and patience) We now have an Australian email address – the PNG one is no longer valid

Also thank you for praying for young Adriel – he is now well, and home with family.

prayer points

Wisdom in furlough planning, and safety in travel
Preparations for fruitful ministry in the Churches
The ministries in Milne Bay during our absence.
Recovery of health, and spiritual refreshing for our family.

In CHRIST’S love

Bro Rob for the Booy clan (Jn 17:3)

Mob: 0400 190 529
Email: booyfamily@bigpond.com
Post: 30 Kiah Crescent Sheidow Park S.A 5158

Greetings Brethren in Christ’s mighty name;

It has been some time since I updated you on the work here in Milne Bay – my apologies.

Serena and the children have been in Nth QLD to catch up on schooling, and allow a little break from the malarial challenges which have been an all too often part of life in Alotau.  I have been trying to finish off the projects back in Alotau which seem to be never ending!  Preachers Hunter and Amos have been easing into the leadership of the ministry in town, and preacher Bobby has been taking up responsibilities at Eastern Sky Baptist at Normanby. There have definitely been some “teething problems” in these transitions, and a steep learning curve for all!

A Sunday night visitation program at Alotau hospital has been a blessing, with souls saved every week so far.  There is encouragement from this, and also from the good attendance at the Sunday Church services.

I am currently visiting with Serena and the children and I am due to return to Alotau next Friday.  Hopefully this will be the last time I need to be there before commencing our “official” furlough.  Somehow the pre-furlough break seems to have been swallowed up by ??? everything?

This morning I received a call from Bro Hunter to ask for urgent prayer.  Bro Olan (who is a pivotal logistics man) was returning back to Normanby late on Saturday, due to motor problems.  He ran over a canoe which he could not see due to darkness, and weather conditions in his (my) dinghy.  The man in the canoe was not found for three days.  When he eventually washed up dead, big trouble started brewing.

On Sunday morning after the accident, the men went up the mountain to pray over the tragedy.  When Eli Lenard (Olan’s relative who is a United Church elder, and an enemy of the Gospel), organised a mob, who started yelling abuse and throwing rocks at them as they prayed.

We would appreciate greatly your prayers on our, Olan’s, and the Brethren’s behalf, as this could easily escalate, and become an even bigger problem than we could imagine.  Just the fact that I am the owner of the dinghy is enough to generate compensation issues which can get out of hand.  Bro Olan is also vital in the ministry as he provides the transport for the preachers, and brings their supplies etc. into town for them.  At the moment Preacher Amos is with Bro Olan at Soisoi, which leaves Preacher Hunter shouldering the ministry workload in town until I get back.

There are many other fronts upon which the evil one is assaulting and resisting us at every hand, nevertheless God is faithful, and keeps His word.

We are going forward, it just don’t feel like it!  Since when was success in God’s marvellous work based on feelings!?

Thanks to all who prayed for young Adriel, he seems to be making a marvellous recovery.

Thank you again for your fellowship in this ministry.

In CHRIST’S love

Bro Rob for the Booy family

Please Note: our new email address is:

dimdiminoz@bigpond.com

Greetings Brethren, in Christ’s saving name,

What exciting times we live in!  The Bible’s end time prophecies are being unfolded before our eyes, the evil one is doing all he can to destroy God-honouring families as nations descend into moral bankruptcy and substitute God given conscience for the rule of law.  Against this gloomy backdrop of reality, we see the steady hand of God holding forth the truth of the gospel to whosoever will, through the faithful Saints who inhabit the ‘Great South Land’.

Praise God for giving you this faithful Spirit, Brethren, it encourages us immensely to know the home fires are burning brightly.

As for us, I hope this brief update will encourage you likewise:

Alotau Baptist Church is slowly growing, we are definitely in the battle, and there are discouragements, but God who is faithful, has allowed us to see souls saved, and the saints grow.  Before I went down to organise the boat project, we averaged 40 in the adult Sunday school class.  Then came the heavy rains and washed down the numbers a bit, we are used to this phenomenon, and are still looking to God for expansion not extinction.   The two children’s Sunday school classes are also slowly growing; the youth are doing a fine job looking after them.  We are also to baptise six or so in the next few weeks.

I haven’t been able to get to Normanby for a while now because of the expansion work at the town Church, but am in regular contact

with the preachers, and have been equipping them with ‘tools of the trade’, Bro Amos being the latest to get a ‘preachers pack’.  We have also had Bro John from ABC looking after

the preaching here in town in my absence.  There are still reports coming in of fruit from our time at Sehulea, and the expectancy of those in the area awaiting our next series of meetings, which also needs to happen before I leave, if possible.

The boat project: I have purchased an 11metre timber boat which needs a total refurbishment. We opted for this path because every “good boat” we looked at either had hidden problems, had been “done up for sale”, or cost more than we had good conscience to spend.  I know it is more work to achieve our goals this way, but at least we will know the boat is genuinely seaworthy, and will need no further work, costs, or anything other than routine maintenance for a few years. The vessel is currently in Tully Nth Qld at the farm property of the Bola family, to whom we must give thanks unto God for their sacrificial labour, Christian hospitality, and firm stand for the things of Christ.  We hope to get together a team of willing souls for the project as the LORD leads. This again will be another learning curve! (I turned 45 yesterday, and praise GOD, am still enrolled in life’s School!)

Furlough: Our plan is to be at the NBF, and from there take some rebuilding health and family time until the end of the year, I am still receiving replies from our supporting Churches, as to when they would like us to be with them, our desire is fit in as much as is practically possible with the calendar of the local churches we visit.  We still have much to do here, and would appreciate your prayers!

Family: Stephen is currently staying with the Bola family until Serena is down south with Levi and Chloe early next month. Both Serena and Chloe have been malaria free for 22 days now, a big thank you to nurse Jane for her telling us about Malarone!  Simeon will stay on here with me for a few weeks to tidy up the last things.  Our Visa saga continues – I am currently waiting for paperwork from Bro Crowe.

It has been over seven years since we visited the Churches on deputation, we look forward to hearing of the wonderful things our God has done in, and through His people since we last fellowshipped together in the house of the Lord.

We love you, and greatly appreciate your prayers and practical care for us and this ministry to the souls of Milne Bay.

In Christ,

Brother Rob for the Booy clan