SIM Spiritual Life Conference

Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds..."

The SIM Spiritual Life Conference was held at Sahel Academy this week. We had missionaries from all over Niger, and the world, come into Niger for this time. It was a great time of getting to know more people who live and work in the country but don't make it into the city often, and to spend time with friends.
We heard from teams working at Maradi, Danja, Zinder, Tahoua and the different ministries here in the city.
We had Pastor Terry Ribble come from America to talk to us about the 'keys to inner peace'.

"How to get along while working at it"
"The battle for the Christian is in the mind"
"When there is not peace there is conflict somewhere else"
"God tells us not to worry. Therefore when we worry we are sinning'
"Peace is the absence of conflict"
"When we want to change a way we act have to first change the way that we think"
"The 5 keys of inner peace: Unity, Attitude, Prayer, Thoughts, Obedience."


Along with teaching we had some fantastic worship, food, and fellowship.

There was a settlers tournament, I didn't do very well, a second and third place in my games! but was lots of fun. We had a prayer breakfast with the women and a fun night with some very funny skits and jokes.

So now it is time to get back to reality and everything that that entails. School begins again next week and we have an education conference happening. So I had better get some work done. After a great break of visiting family, shopping and relaxing it's time to back into it.

A cold Christmas

Christmas in England, the first for 13 years since leaving England for Australia.

After 6 months of hot temperatures I was looking forward to some nice cold weather, and England delivered. I had 2 weeks with grandparents, aunts,uncles and cousins.

Christmas eve was spent with Mums sister Ruth and her husband, David at the midnight service at their church. Ruth was hosting her first Christmas in her own home, having just moved in weeks before. Christmas morning was spent experimenting with folding napkins and chopping carrots. There was another 1st this Christmas which was that both sets of Grandparents were going to be present, a combined Burt/Masterson Christmas. I went to pick up Dads parents and Mums parents arrived with Grandpas brother, Uncle Bob. We managed to squish around the table and enjoyed a fantastic dinner prepared by Ruth and David.


Ruth and David, Around the table, Nana and Grandad with Ruth and David

Christmas night was spent at Nana and Grandads as we were going to Auntie Liz's for another Christmas Lunch on Boxing Day. The cousins, Bianca, Sean and Matthew were all there. With fun antics and a hungry dog my cousins reminded me of the kind of things my brothers would get up to (like playing with the wrapping of your Christmas presents). So for the first Christmas away from Mum and Dad it was nice to be surrounded by so much family, no matter how strange some of them are!!

Sean, Bianca and Grandad, Sean, Paul and Matthew

Murray also had some family time while in England. He had all of cousins come to visit, and his adopted brother Englebert the Echidna. They came all the way from Australia to see Murray. They had fun playing in the wintry trees and trying not to get stuck to the frosty ground.