Bernard Bowden ** Mike Harmsworth ** 0743 221 8932 ** Elizabeth Oxbury ** Ron Timms

www.thatchamfreechurch.org.uk Issue 46

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How are you getting

on with your

Christmas shopping?

Not even thought about it yet, or all

done ages ago? If you are anything like

me, you leave things right up to the last

minute and then panic! I must admit,

however, that I have improved a little

over the last few years. Perhaps

retirement has given me more time to

organise myself.

The most difficult thing about Christmas,

I always find, is deciding what to give

people as presents. It is a problem

finding that perfect thing, which fits

what a person needs, will enjoy,

and which they have not got

already, (although you can never

have too many ties or socks it

would seem). It can be a little

disheartening, though, when you give

someone something you having thought

long and hard about and then gone to

some trouble to find, but they show no

interest and lay your gift aside in the

pile marked “unwanted Christmas

presents”.

We can, therefore get an idea of how

God feels, when having presented us

with the most precious gift of all, we

simply take a look inside the packaging

and then lay it aside like an over-ornate

jumper we would never wear.

At Christmas, we celebrate the coming

of Jesus Christ into the world, a gift

from God to all humanity, the thing

which all of us most need to allow us to

become as God made us to be; a gift at

infinite cost because God gave himself to

become a man and to die on the cross,

taking upon himself our sins so that we

might be reconciled to him.

Sadly, many reject the gift, and thereby

condemn themselves to eternal

separation from God, never to fulfil

God’s purpose for them.

Those who receive the gift, fully

accepting Jesus Christ as Lord of their

lives, have something which no other

earthly present could give them: the

promise of salvation and eternal joy in

the presence of a loving and caring

Father God.

The other thing about this gift

which makes it so special is that

we are encouraged to share it to

the fullest with others:

‘As it is written: “How beautiful are

the feet of those who preach the

gospel of peace, who bring glad

tidings of good things!”’

(Romans 10:15)

No matter how many we share with,

we still have the full measure of what

God has given us. In fact, as we share,

the gift becomes stronger in us. Truly

this is the gift which just keeps on giving!

So, as we approach this most joyous

time of year, let us pray

that the Lord will give us

opportunities to share our

faith and the confidence

to stand up boldly for

what we believe.

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Dear Friends Since our last letter we have moved

house, back to our old haunt of Brudenell Road, Tooting Bec. Coming here was like a journey back in time, not only because of the depth of dust on the picture rails and lampshades and the prolific crop of bindweed and ivy in the garden! More poignantly, as we started to open boxes of children’s books which are now relevant to our grandchildren, we thought of the bunk beds we constructed in 1985, for the tiny bedroom, to accommodate Rachel and Reuben. We can only marvel at the Lord’s kindness to us over more than half our lives since we first set foot here.

Less than 2 weeks after moving, we set off on a European trip, visiting friends and supporters of the Mandritsara project, in Switzerland, Germany, France and Belgium. What a privilege and encouragement to be in prayer meetings where folk prayed for people and situations that they have remembered from recent or distant prayer letters.

A highlight was having tea at Lucie Volkmar’s house in Colmar. Lucie, now 90, was a pharmacist, when we first met her in 1985 and behind her pharmacy she had a flat where missionaries on furlough could stay. We were there with our 4 children for 4 months and the children attended a French school. What a joy to reminisce together and join in prayer for God’s work in Mandritsara.

It was encouraging to meet Ando, a Malagasy man who trained at the Baptist Seminary in Antsirabe and married a

Belgian midwife who was working in Mandritsara; they now live in Belgium. “Do you still remember how to speak Malagasy?” Ando asked. David was about to reply in Malagasy, but for a few seconds (it felt like a long time!) he could not think of a single Malagasy word! Then it was as if a door opened and all his Malagasy came back to him and to Jane, too.

It was a particular joy to spend a few days in the home of Thomas and Esther Beck in Thun, Switzerland. Thomas is a general practitioner and the couple will join the Mandritsara team long-term in February. There is a sense of Africa in their garden in Switzerland with bamboos and a banana tree growing! We think they will make something of any garden they have in Mandritsara! 100 people came to a 2 hour missionary meeting in their church on a Saturday morning, so you can see they are much loved in their home church!

Rachel and Kip are expecting their third child, a brother or sister for Elijah and Ezra. At least we do not expect him/her to have the name “Born in a blizzard” which is Ezra’s middle name. We appreciate your prayers for our 12th grandchild.

Thank you so much for your prayers for the Lord’s work and His people in Mandritsara.

With our love David & Jane

STOP PRESS: Susanna Apphia (8lb 1oz) was born at 03.37 on 28th November.

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This year our puzzles are all about connections, inspired by BBC Two’s Only Connect. We hope you enjoy them.

The connecting wall contains 16 clues which must be sorted into four connecting

groups of four. You may find that some of the clues fall into more than one

category but there is only one complete perfect solution. Can you solve the wall and

find the connections? There are some clues to each group below.

Raven Manna Frogs Hen

Lost

Sheep Darkness Locusts Dove

Honey Gnats Mustard

Seed

Loaves &

Fishes

Flies Sheep &

Goats Sparrow Quail

Way And God Restoreth

Am For The Faith

My I Now Loved

Soul So Abideth He

Matthew Silas Rahab Paul

Isaac Barnabas Peter Timothy

Aristarchus Abraham John Sarah

Mark Luke Joseph Jacob

Clues Wall 1: A) Raven, B) Manna, C) Darkness, D) Mustard Seed. Clues Wall 2: A) For, B) And,

C) He, D) I. Clues Wall 3: A) Jacob, B) John, C) Joseph, D) Aristarchus

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This time, we’ll tell you the connections and you must work out

the clues. We have taken out all the vowels from these words or

phrases and re-spaced the words. For example the Christmas

carol Away in a Manger becomes:

WY N MNGR == WYNM NGR

Christmas Carols

1. CMLL YF THFL

2. NCNRY LD VDS CTY

3. LTTLTWNFBTHLHM

4. WH LSHP HRDSW TCHDT

HRFLC KSB YNG HT

Christmas Pairs

1. ZCH RHN DLZ BTH

2. MR YNDJS PH

3. N NN DS MN

4. JS SNDJ HNT HB PTST

More Christmas Characters

1. THNG LGB RL

2. THS HPH RDS

3. WSM NFR MT HST

4. KN GHRD

Messianic Prophecies from Isaiah (New King James Version)

1. THPPL WHW LKD NDRK NS SHV SNGR TLG HT

2. FRN TSC HL DSBR NNTS SNSG VN

3. BHL DTHV RGN SHLLC NCVND BRSN NDSHLLCL LHSNM MMNL

4. THRS HLLC MFRT HRDF RMT HSTMFJSS

Places in the Christmas Story

1. NZ RTH NGLL

2. BTHL HMT HCT FDVD

3. JRS LM

4. GYP T

It was a cold and misty Christmas morning in the very depth of winter after a heavy fall of snow and only one farmer and the minister managed to

arrive at the church for the morning service. ‘Well,’ said the clergyman ‘I guess there’s no point in having a service today.’ ‘Well that’s not how I see it’ said the farmer. ‘If only one cow turns up at feeding time, I still feed it.’

Good King Wenceslas ordered a pizza. He was asked ‘Do you want your usual? Deep pan, crisp and even?’

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I summoned up courage and again

went to see the doctor at the

Mission. He said, ‘My dear young

man, you are a very hard case, but I

am more and more convinced that

the Lord will have the victory, but it

is a fearful thing to fight against

God.’ He was careful not to mention

the name of Jesus just then.

I went back to the convalescent

home and again apologised to the

matron. When she saw me she

burst into tears, and said

she felt sure the hand of

God was upon me in

bringing me back and not

letting me alone. There

and then she asked me to

kneel down (I could not

help doing it) and she prayed

earnestly for my salvation. I felt

greatly subdued, and was still very

troubled about my sins. The

missionary seemed to take more

interest in me than in any of the

other patients and again he tried to

convince me that Jesus Christ is

the Messiah.

That night I was more troubled

than ever about my sins; I felt my

health had gone, and if I died where

should I go? If I accepted Christ

as my Saviour, what about my

nation; and my father and mother

would disinherit me. I could not

sleep and at about 2 am I got out of

bed and took hold of my Bible. I

turned to the Psalms, thinking I

might find comfort. As I opened

the Book my eyes fell upon that

verse in Psalm 27: ‘When my father

and mother forsake me, then the

Lord will take me up.’ I was very

touched with that verse, but my

sins came before me in such a

galling way that there and then I

knelt down and gave my

heart to the Saviour, and

I slept quite peacefully

until the morning.

After breakfast the next

morning, I stood up and

said; ‘Jesus Christ is my Saviour.’

The matron was so overcome that

she burst into tears, and of course

she praised the Lord.

The Jewish inmates, however,

cursed me loudly and some of them

behaved so outrageously that they

had to be expelled from the home.

The matron at once wired to the

doctor that Reiner was converted.

I was asked to stay another month

at the home, which I gladly did.

PART EIGHT

TO BE CONTINUED

“If I accepted Christ

as Saviour, my father

and mother would

disinherit me.”

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“Pray for each other, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

TFC - Please pray for all those

who come to the church, or help

us in any way and for the other

organisations which we support:

SUNDAY: Anne, Barbara,

Bernard, our speakers.

MONDAY : Beryl, Dinah,

Elizabeth, our Church Council.

TUESDAY: George, Hilary,

Joyce, The Bus of Hope.

WEDNESDAY: Karen, Kate,

Kathryn, London City Mission.

THURSDAY: Lydia, Margaret,

Mary, Samaritan’s Purse.

FRIDAY: May, Mike, Ron, West

Berks Foodbank.

SATURDAY: Our musicians,

David & Phil; cleaner, Pat and

friends, Violet & Reka.

Pray particularly for any

struggling with ill health,

family problems, loneliness or

sorrow.

TFC Pastor - Pray for wisdom and

guidance in this matter.

COINS - Pray for refreshment for

all the team after presenting The Christmas Gift, and may the

children remember what they learnt

as they celebrate Christmas.

Mandritsara - Pray for the nursing

students who are on a two month

placement in Tana. Dr M has

recently joined the hospital. Having

braved the day-long bush taxi

journey, she has shown herself to be

a great addition to the team, quickly

adapting to the challenges of

medical work Madagascar style.

Messianic Testimony - As the

Russian winter gets colder pray for

R in St Petersburg. S has offered

to help d istr ibute Hebrew

Scriptures to the Jewish community

—a vast undertaking. He and R are

reading Mark’s Gospel, pray he will

see that Jesus is his Messiah.

Open Doors - Pray for the swift and

safe release of Christians who are in

prison and that prisoners in Iran will

be treated with respect and dignity.

Yeldall Manor - SC (ex-resident)

gives thanks that he has been clean

for 11 years, but SP, who is back in

treatment after a relapse, asks;

‘Pray for my ongoing recovery in my

future and to stay in good health.’

This month we wish a very happy birthday to:

Ron Timms

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Thursday 4th December 19.30 Bible Study & Prayer Meeting Mike Harmsworth Characters in the Bible—Part 6: Thomas Friday 5th December 19.00 Christmas Lights Switch On (from 17.30)

Sunday 7th December 10.45 Morning Worship & Communion Peter Munday Being Friends of God Tuesday 9th December 14.15 Ladies’ Fellowship Fellowship Tea with Julia Greenfield

Thursday 11th December 19.30 Bible Study & Prayer Meeting Elizabeth Oxbury Characters in the Bible—Part 7: Abigail Sunday 14th December 10.45 Morning Worship David Long Possibly the Most Important Paragraph Ever Written

Thursday 18th December 19.30 Bible Study & Prayer Meeting Mike Harmsworth Christmas Character—Who Started It? Sunday 21st December 10.15 Carols & Mince Pies

Mike Harmsworth Join us at 10.15 for coffee & mince pies

before the service! Thursday 25th December 19.30 THERE WILL BE NO SERVICE TODAY

Sunday 28th December 10.45 Morning Worship Mike Harmsworth

What Lasts, What Doesn’t

Thursday 1st January 19.30 NO MEETING Sunday 4th January 10.45 Morning Worship & Communion

Ron Timms Behold, I Will Do a New Thing