VOLUME III!

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 2!

ISSUE I

THE MOSHERS IN NEW ZEALAND

TA K I N G T H E S O U L - S AV I N G G O S P E L TO A L O S T A N D DY I N G WO R L D

NEW VOLUME, NEW DESIGNS. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THE NEW DESIGNS OF THE NEWSLETTER AND WEBSITE!

Greetings to you and yours from Porirua!

We send our greetings to you and yours from the lower North Island of New Zealand! We appreciate your love and support very much. Thank you for being a part of this work. We are thankful to report on another successful month in the work of the Lord in Porirua and Wellington.

Matt and Nicole

As you might have heard already, two new souls were added to the Lords body on the 10th of November. While at our house, Matthew, part of Wellingtons youth group, and I briey discussed baptism. It was a subject that

he and his sister, Nicole, had wanted to know much more about. That night, he, Nicole, and I scheduled a couple Bible studies over repentance and baptism. On the 10th of November, we completed our study on baptism, and soon afterwards, they confessed Christ, and put Him on in baptism at the

In This Issue:
1. MATT AND NICOLE 2. RADHIKA 3. NEW AND ONGOING STUDIES 4. BITTER GOODBY ES 5. HAPPENINGS AND UPDATES

MATTHEW GAWES BAPTISM

NICOLE GAWES BAPTISM

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Cor. 5:17)
Wellington church building. We had a youth group activity scheduled for that night, which quickly turned into a big birthday party for Matt and Nicole. Though they have been physical siblings all of Matts life (the younger of the two), Matt and Nicole Gawe are now spiritual siblings on their way to heaven together. Since their baptism, they have grown more every week. They have also been plugged into the New Christians Class that Carl Cumings and I have been organising. Be praying for Matthew and Nicole and their newness of life. reasons. Kristen and I have been studying with Radhika for about a month and a half, and we approached the subject of baptism the other day. After the study, she was completely convinced of what she needed to do, and she confessed Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Lord of her life and was baptised for the remission of her sins on the 4th of December. Radhika has been quite busy with her business and schooling. That, combined with lingering illness, she has not been able to be very active with the church lately. She looks forward to the new year, which will free up much of her time and allow her to worship and fellowship with her spiritual family and study Gods word much more freely. Be praying for Radhika and her newness of life. Gods new children can be reached and encouraged at: C / O PORIRUA CHURCH OF CHRIST P. O. BOX 50560 PORIRUA 5240 NEW ZEALAND NEW CHRISTIANS CLASS

Radhika
It is a blessing to announce another souls addition to the kingdom of God. During May 2012s Porirua campaign, Katarina was contacted. She quickly accepted the offer to study the Bible with Kevin Moore. Katarina invited her friend, Radhika Pearce, to sit in on one of the studies. Through that study, Kevin was able to set up a personal study with Radhika. Kevin, along with Wayne Scott, studied with Radhika for several weeks. When Wayne Scott travelled back to the States, Kevin invited me to be his study helper. As you know, Kevin has been preparing to move back to the USA, and I have been taking over his studies little by little, Radhikas studies being no exception. One of the last subjects that Kevin was able to study with Radhika was baptism. She had previously been immersed, but she seriously doubted her rst baptism, since she admits to not having known what she was doing at the time. Though she admitted that she probably should be truly baptised, she was not baptised right after that study for various

STUDY W/ JU NE & JAN NY

New and Ongoing Studies

When people ask me, Where do you see yourself as a missionary? I always respond, In peoples homes. I love teaching public Bible classes, and I have a passion for public preaching; however, as an evangelist, personal Bible studies fan my spiritual ame in a unique way. I have been blessed more and more lately by being invited in the homes of many to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Suguntha On the 18th of November, the Porirua church hosted our very rst Friends &

NEWLYWEDS CLASS

F R I E N D S & FA M I LY DAY

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Cor. 5:18)
Family Day (see below for more info). Among our many visitors was Suguntha and her son, Natish, the guests of Danny and Meri Arulandu. She was very positive, and was convinced that her invitation to Friends & Family Day was an answer to her prayers. She enthusiastically agreed to a Bible study. Kristen and I have studied with Suguntha three times now, having a new study scheduled every week. She learns more every time, and she and her husband have both seen a dramatically good change in her life since she has been seeking the peace of God through devotion and Bible study. We certainly look forward to our study with Suguntha every week, as well as her consistent visits to worship services. Nicole Nicole, a Wellington teenager, was also contacted by Danny and Meri Arulandu when they befriended her parents. She has been coming to Wellington youth events for quite some time now, though beyond that, she has been relatively inactive with the church. When Nicole and I were randomly put on a team during a youth group event, I had a chance to talk to her. She then said what I wish every soul on earth would say: Im just looking to learn more of what the Bible says, and I want to apply it to my life. I couldnt let an opportunity like that pass. When I told her about the personal Bible studies that I teach, she was quick to accept the offer of one. The next week, Kristen and I studied with her over the authority that Scripture must have in our lives. Nicole has been quite busy with her schooling, since it is the end of the term, so we have been unable to study every week, but she assures us that starting next week, she will be very exible, and she is still excited about the upcoming Bible studies. We are scheduled to study with her again on the 12th of December. June and Janny Kristen and I continue to visit June Ramekas home on a weekly basis, where she and Janny Knopert as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word (1Pet. 2:2). We have been going through the book of 1Peter, and we are about halfway through at this point. June and Janny prove to be good Bible students, always ready to learn from Gods word. Kerisitiano I mentioned last month that our new sister in Christ, Kerisitiano Peterson, underwent kidney transplant surgery. The surgery was successful, and the recovery is slow but sure. Since her surgery, we have not been able to hold our weekly studies with her, but we have been able to visit on occasion. She hopes to get back to normal very soon. Katarina As mentioned earlier, Katarina was contacted through the May campaign. Last month, I transitioned into her Bible teacher as Kevin had to ease out due to his move. Unfortunately, studies with Katarina have been less than consistent, though the studies we have been able to keep have been positive. Katarina knows that Gods word is calling her to make big changes in her life that she is not completely ready for. She is still eager to learn from the Bible, and as long as that will is there, we will keep visiting Katarina. She has, however, admitted to being very busy in life, and she is unable to commit to a consistent schedule. We do not know what will come of all of this, but we pray that her heart is good soil, and we will be given the opportunity to water the seed of Gods word that Kevin has planted (1Cor. 3:6). New Christians Class The New Christians Class has met eleven times now, and in my opinion, it is going quite well. Carl Cumings and I have been sharing the teaching- apart from last week. During last weeks class, Carl made the new Christians teach class. He put them into a situation where they only had a few minutes to prepare to teach Carl and me about what the Bible says concerning becoming a Christian and what is expected of a person after he or she makes the commitment. I commend Carl for a great idea. This class brought out skills that all Christians should try to sharpen. What if you were in that situation? How would you perform for our Lord? Newlyweds Class In our fortnightly meetings with the Newlyweds Class, we have been going through the Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage DVD series (thanks, Jeanette!). I believe all members of the class have gained some great insight into the lifelong commitment of marriage, and we are all the better for it. The most recent class was hosted at our house.

Bitter Goodbyes
As you know, Kevin and Lynne Moore, with their two daughters, Loren and

God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (2 Cor. 5:19)
Kaitlyn, moved to Porirua, New Zealand, in January 2011. They came here on a two-year commitment to plant the church. This month marks the end of their two years. Kristen and I both met Kevin in the classroom at Freed-Hardeman University, oblivious to the future relationship we would all share. We have grown closer and closer with the Moores over the past couple years, especially over the last six months that we have worked together for the same cause in such close proximity. On the 8th of December, the Wellington church is hosting a farewell Kiwiana dinner for the Moore family. On Wednesday, the 12th of December, the Moore family will depart their home to go home (the paradox of a missionarys life). I have always considered that their departure will leave the Porirua work in our hands; however, as we have gotten to know the saints in the lower North Island of New Zealand, we know that we are not the only workers in Porirua. The church in Porirua, which did not even exist two years ago, has grown into a strong body of believers, always ready to work for our Lord. We will certainly miss our coworkers, but we are condent they are leaving behind a work that will continue to grow and even reproduce itself in the future. We are thankful for the wisdom and leadership of Kevin and the companionship his family has offered the entire church in New Zealand. the Moores home before we went out in the community and distributed 1,000 copies of House to House Heart to Heart. It was a blessing to work for the Lord on such a beautiful day. Thanks to Matt Wallin at HTH for making this material attainable and affordable for us. We have received a shipment of the next issue, and we are planning to distribute them next month. Friends & Family Day As mentioned already, on the 18th of November, the Porirua church hosted our rst Friends & Family Day. Blank business-card-sized invitations were given to each member of the church, and each member was encouraged to ll them in and hand them out to their friends and family members.

On the day of the event, we had 55 in attendance, which is 24 more than the A Kiwi Thanksgiving previous two Sundays. Kevins sermon This past Thanksgiving was my third was Jesus the Family Man (which has Thanksgiving to spend outside of the been uploaded to the Porirua church USA (Kristens second). Concerning homesickness, people have told us that website). After worship, we shared in fellowship and a potluck meal, which all the holidays will probably be the the visitors stayed to enjoy. Overall, it hardest time for us. If there is any group was an encouragingly successful event, of people who can offset the effects of and plans are being made for another homesickness, it is the New Zealand one in the future. Christians. Since there are many American Christians spread around in The Hobbit Premiere the church throughout New Zealand, it Wellington, New Zealand, has recently is impossible to prevent the American enjoyed much global attention. Sir Peter culture from seeping into the lives of Jackson, lmmaker best known for his the Kiwi Christians. successful Lord of the Rings lm trilogy On the 17th of November, we headed north to Foxton to a celebration of Thanksgiving as the family of God, hosted by the brethren in that area. We had all the xins of a hearty Thanksgiving meal, and after the meal, we all stood in a circle voicing what we are all thankful for. It was a blessed time with a good Kiwi-American mixture of about 60 or 70 souls present. One American who has been in New Zealand for decades said, This is the closest thing to Thanksgiving I have ever had in New Zealand. Thanks to the generous and hardworking Christians who put this event on. and King Kong lm, began production of The Hobbit trilogy in 2011 in his Wellington studio. On the afternoon of the 28th of November, Jackson and The Hobbit movie cast made their way down the red carpet that stretched over Courtenay Place in the middle of Wellington (recently nicknamed The Middle of Middle-Earth), leading to the Embassy Theatre for the world Premiere of the rst lm of the series, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Kristen and I, accompanied by Jeanette Raine, were able to drive into town a bit early and catch much of the excitement before we joined the Wellington church for Wednesday

Happenings and Updates

Letterboxing On the 10th of November, many of us got together for a potluck breakfast at

We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christs behalf, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:20)
evening Bible study. It was a lot of fun, and we look forward to the next two releases, which are rumoured to also take place in Wellington in December 2013 and July 2014. Family News I learned last month that my dear aunt in Tennessee has been diagnosed with cancer. Since then, she has been able to undergo tests and surgery. We do not know much at this point, but the doctors do seem hopeful that the surgery was successful. Her recovery has been going well so far. Kristen learned earlier this week that her uncle in Texas has also been diagnosed with cancer. The family does not know how to react beyond the initial shock yet, since this is still fairly new news. He has received much emotional and spiritual support since the diagnosis. Kristen and I both ask for prayers on our families behalf. summer. It was quite a shock for me the rst time I saw summer toys and pool supplies sold next to Christmas decorations. Red and green have always induced a wintery sensation, but that is all being challenged now. Though many would see all of this as a threat to the joy associated with family, I nd it quite fun.Yes, we deeply miss our families in the States, but we also have enjoyed plugging into our extended spiritual family in New Zealand, and we look forward to the rest of the season of summer weather.

Since our arrival in New Zealand, we have enjoyed learning more and more about and participating in the culture of New Zealand. So far (for me, at least), one of the most interesting changes we are experiencing is going through the holiday season during spring and

Conclusion
Much has happened in the past month, all of which we are very thankful for. December marks a new volume for this newsletter, hence, the new look of both the newsletter and website. We hope the new look is attractive and not distracting. We would love your feedback on these things. If we are giving too much or not enough information, please inform us (we do not expect the following issues to be so long). We appreciate all of those who have been praying for us, sending us encouragement via snail and electronic mail, and have been nancially supporting us. We love you all, and we consider it a privilege to labour next to you in the elds of the Lord. Lance and Kristen Mosher Porirua, New Zealand 731-215-7191 themoshersinnewzealand@gmail.com themoshersinnewzealand.yolasite.com poriruachurch.com topicalbiblestudies.com

THE HARVEST TRULY IS GREAT, BUT THE LABORERS ARE FEW; THEREFORE PRAY THE LORD OF THE HARVEST TO SEND OUT LABORERS INTO HIS HARVEST. (LUKE 10:2).
Keep serving Him,

The elders of the church of Christ in Chalmette, LA, USA, oversee this work. We are continually thankful for their spiritual leadership. P.O. Box 1165 Chalmette, LA 70044 United States of America chalmettecoc.org Correspondent: Mark Lance, 504-250-8492, gospelpr@cox.net

SEE THE NEXT PAGE FOR SOME PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS.

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SPRING 2012
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3 5
1.THE MOORES AND MOSHERS 2.OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD (ASCOT PARK) 3.RADHIKA PEARCES BAPTISM 4.ONE OF THE MANY HOBBIT ADVERTISEMENTS IN WELLINGTON CITY 5.THANKSGIVING WITH NEW ZEALAND AND AMERICAN BRETHREN