Grubb Mission Report - April 2015 

 

 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
A Work of the Chestnut Mountain Church of Christ, Chestnut Mountain, Georgia USA
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PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
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New Zealand Trip – For the First Time – March 11-April 8

 

      As I begin the first of four overseas mission trips this year, I will be making my 55th trip since 1985. This was my first trip to New Zealand. In 1997 I transited through Auckland on my way to Australia. This time I went through Australia to go to New Zealand. It was the first time I actually was able to meet and work with the brethren there in the country.

 

      The trip started out with a “glitch.” There was a miscommunication about my arrival date. Because of this, I missed the flight from Auckland to New Plymouth. Therefore, when I final arrived, I stayed the night in Auckland with Trevor and Chris Majors and was able to meet with some of the brethren from the South Auckland congregation.

 

     On Saturday, instead of Friday, I flew down to New Plymouth from Auckland. During the time I was in New Plymouth, I enjoyed the hospitality and fellowship of the Herd family.

 

      While in New Plymouth, I had the privilege to teach three lessons on Sunday, two in the morning and one in the evening. On Monday, I spent the day with the Herd family then had dinner with one of the families here in New Plymouth. Tuesday night, we had a Bible class at the Herd’s house. There were eighteen people who attended that night, including a husband and wife who are searching for the truth. On Wednesday night, I presented another lesson at the church building.

 

      On Thursday, Chris Herd transported me down to Porirua to begin an effort with the church there and in Wellington. Lance and Kristen Mosher and John and Erin Jones are working together in these two congregations. I had the privilege to stay with Lance, Kristen, and Silas Mosher.

 

      There had already been a great deal of preparation for the upcoming Chinese gospel meeting by the local brethren. On Friday and Saturday, Lance and I went around and visiting and inviting Chinese people to attend the upcoming gospel meeting. Friday was in Porirua and Saturday was in Porirua and Wellington. We also had the opportunity on Friday night to have dinner with John Jones’ parents and one of the Chinese families here in Porirua.

 

      Sunday was a busy day. We started with Bible study and worship in Wellington. Then Sunday afternoon English worship in Porirua. The Chinese gospel meeting began on Sunday evening. There were two lessons on Sunday and two more lessons on Monday evening. I used the bi-lingual PowerPoint so those who did not speak Chinese could follow along in the lesson. There were several who benefited from that.

 

      On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to do some sightseeing, eat lunch with the Wellington brethren, and have a part in the leadership meeting in Porirua that night.

 

      On Wednesday, the Mosher’s took me to Palmerston North for a few days efforts. I had the opportunity to go around and look for some Chinese people and try to make contacts with them. I also had the opportunity to accompany the local brethren in Bible studies. On Wednesday night, I went to Foxton to teach the midweek Bible class. On Thursday, there was the first baptism as a result of the recent campaign in Palmerston North. David Pamata obeyed the gospel on Thursday. On Thursday, I spoke at the Palmerston North midweek class.

 

      On Saturday, I flew from Palmerston North through Auckland to Hamilton. The flight was delayed then cancelled. I took a later flight to Auckland, but the last flight of the day for Hamilton had already departed. So they provided a free shuttle to Hamilton – 90 minutes away. I was impressed. James Cammock, the preacher in Hamilton (a graduate of Southwest School of Bible Studies) picked me up at the airport. I had the privilege to stay with the Neville and Lily Whittaker while I was in Hamilton. James and Emily have a new baby, Simon, and Emily’s mother, Imelda is staying with them to help out for a while. I delivered five lessons in three days in the gospel meeting there. In the reverse way, I used bi-lingual PowerPoint in Hamilton, speaking in English but having the Chinese on the screen for a Chinese family who attends. The wife, Helen, is a member, but her husband is not, and he speaks almost no English, so it was helpful to him. On Monday night, we had four Chinese speaking people in attendance on both Monday and Tuesday nights. 

 

      On the first day of April, I headed back to New Plymouth to spend my last week in New Zealand. On Wednesday night, I presented another lesson in the Bible class at New Plymouth. I am thankful for the hospitality of the Herd family while staying in New Plymouth.

 

      The lectureship/camp began on Friday, April 3rd. This was the 25th anniversary of the camp. I spoke five times during the lectureship along with the other main speaker, Mike Vestal. We had almost two hundred in attendance for Sunday morning worship and Bible study. We were thrilled to have two baptisms during the camp. The fiancée of one of the Christians obeyed the gospel on Sunday. The husband of another Christian obeyed the gospel on Monday. We are thankful to have had a part in these results.

 

      While in New Zealand, we were able to distribute several copies of William Chen’s DVD lesson on “What Must I Do to Go to Heaven.” I was amazed at the number of Chinese people living in New Zealand and having the opportunity to reach them with the gospel of Christ.

 

      I was able to get back into a pretty good routine of walking while on the trip. There were only a few days I was not able to get my regular exercise.

 

      I am thankful for all the prayers on my behalf during this initial trip to New Zealand. I hope to be able to make another trip in years to come and will spend more time in getting ready for the Chinese population living there.

 

      Please continue to remember all of our brethren in New Zealand who are striving to help spread the gospel in that country. Also, remember the workers who travel from other countries to New Zealand to assist in their work.

 

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).

 

JMG

 

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Materials Available

 

       There are sixty Chinese lessons currently posted on YouTube. You can access them at: http://m.youtube.com/user/TheCoJC. I update my Facebook page all the time. Be sure to check my Facebook wall for pictures and news about my trips and activities. Be sure to check out my website: www.grubbchinese.org. http://grubbmissionwork.blogspot.com is my blog address. I post my monthly report there too.

 

      I continue to work with World Video Bible School to help produce the Chinese version of the Searching for Truth booklet and DVD. Please continue to pray for all those who are working on this project. I will be visiting with the brethren at WVBS in early May to discuss future projects there. Please remember these good brethren in the great work they are doing.

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In the May Issue:

 

      I will talk about my upcoming trip to Malaysia and some of the traveling I did during the rest of the month of April. Thanks for your prayers for this work. Thanks also to all of those who help to make this work possible. We are very grateful to all of you. JMG.

 

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SPEAKING SCHEDULE

 

2015

 

May 19 – June 15 – Malaysia  

   22-24 Kuala Lumpur  

   28 – 30 May Kampar Gospel Meeting  

   31 May AM Ipoh PM Kampar  

   June 4-6 Chinese Asian Bible Lectures  

   June 6-7 Section 17  

   June 12-14 Subang Jaya Bi-Lingual

June 21 – MSOP Graduation

September 9-29 – Taiwan

October 17 – Mission Forum – Forest Park, GA

November 2-28 – China

 

2018

 

Apr. 22-25 Gospel Meeting – Collinsville, IL

 

– John M. Grubb