MAHU MONTHLY JUNE 2022
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NEWS ABOUT MAHU CHURCH AND MAHU VISION TRUST
WHAT'S NEW MPP Minister Visits Us New Policy & Procedure Writer
HIGHLIGHTS Alpha Retreat Building Update
OUR PEOPLE Faces of Mahu Church Notices
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JUNE 2022
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MPP MINISTER VISITS US Honor Aupito William Sio who is the Minister for Pacific Peoples and Minister for Courts has made an honorary visit to see the various works that Mahu Vision Trust has been doing with the Pacific peoples in the Mahurangi area. Mahu Vision Trust had the opportunity to showcase the work largely in 2 parts, A) supporting Pacific-led programmes and services, B) Providing social support services: A) Supporting Pacific-led programmes and services 1. Cultural growth and preservation 2. Pacific community leadership 3. Pacific future initiative B) Providing social support services 1. COVID-19 Response 2. Women in self-employment 3. Other services including educational opportunities The Minister had the opportunity to explore the new building site guided by Nick, Roger and Kevin. He then was invited into the Wilson Hall to see displayed examples of work supported and initiated by Mahu Vision Trust. That evening, the community also gathered at the auditorium of Mahurangi College. Some dance performances as well as a large feast that included fish and a large roast pig sourced from a local butcher was prepared for everyone to enjoy. Q&A session was also held where Pacific Youth college students were able to pose some questions directly to the Minister.
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JUNE 2022
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MPP MINISTER VISITS US (CONT'D) The Minister didn't realise the extent of work Mahu Vision Trust has been involved with in the community, and it was a fantastic opportunity for him to witness and hear directly from MVT and the associated people. So much so that he has already planned to return to the area in August for another Youth event. The Minister emphasised the importance of parents engaging with and supporting the youth for them to instill Pacific values and inspire them to pursue the children's dreams. For the Youth to directly engage with the Minister and voice their own opinions was a valuable experience. This opportunity also inspired to helped to set expectations for the Youth to prepare for the event in August. Many thanks are extended out to Etitara, Arney, Moe and Aronna for putting everything together in such a short time especially while Rosanna was having to self-isolate in South Island...! Gratitude is also expressed towards Robyn Fisher and Martha Farmer who also helped in organising and arranging the catering.
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NEW POLICY & PROCEDURE WRITER! She LOVES chocolate and would eat any type of chocolate, but her absolute favorite is Lindts chocolate!
Hannah Reddell is a mother of Taylor and Jacob, and wife of Logan Reddell. She is also a new member working for Mahu Vision Trust as a contractor. Hannah has experience in developing the Health and Safety procedures for her husband's earth removal business (Red Dell Ltd.), and enjoys administrative and organisational role. She will be involved in setting up the overarching policies that will entail areas of Health and Safety, Staffing, policy vetting, governance, quality improvement, child protection etc. mainly for the future of Mahu Vision Trust. She hopes Mahu Vision Trust will obtain level 2 accreditation by the Ministry of Social Development so that the Trust will have access to funding that will be consistent. While she is busy managing her son's hockey team as well as coaching her daughter's hockey team, she enjoys reading, gardening and planting native plants to regenerate the native environment. She looks forward to being able to contribute and serve by facilitating work for others by using her strong administrative skills in certain areas.
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JUNE 2022
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YOUTH CAMP-ALPHA RETREAT Youth Camp took place from the 10th to the 12th of June. Twenty-five youthies travelled to the Pyles farm, and enjoyed a relaxed yet occasionally competitive weekend. A team went down early to set up tents and turn on the hot water, and the rest of the group drove up to One Tree Point on the Friday afternoon. With a fantastic culinary team of Lara, Ange, Michelle, with help from Phil and Brett on the barbeque, the camp was full of nutrition and joy at every meal. Saturday saw a beach walk, the waterslide, and the epic event of Capture the Flag. Board games were played, alluding connect four manipulation was experienced, and sand Castles were built and judged by special guest Nick McLennan. That night ended with shepherd's pie and apple crumble and (eventually) a good night's sleep, but not before the boys having a heated debate about whether or not Colonel Sanders was actually a colonel. Ange’s caramilk bounty bars kept the leaders going through various levels of sleep deprivation. One E tu Tangata session and two Alpha sessions were held over the weekend, with discussion groups following. This provided a safe space for youth to ask questions and explore ideas around their faith. After a quick and efficient pack-up on Sunday, the troup returned home. Leaders are already looking forward to planning next year’s camp.
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JUNE 2022
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MATAKANA ALPHA-ALPHA RETREAT Alpha Retreat (the Holy Spirit Weekend) was also held with the Matakana Alpha group. Matakana Alpha group stemmed off the 'St. Andrews pastoral group', and it had been held regularly at the Lane's house led by Neville and Barbara. Participants were a diverse mix from various faith backgrounds, but all connected well, and fostered a great camaraderie within the community. Alpha Retreat took place at St. Andrews Church on a Saturday, and Esther Elmore helped with singing on the weekend of Alpha Retreat which added a special touch to the event. The bond formed has been special and the group looks to seek ways to continue the friendship together.
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JUNE 2022
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BUILDING UPDATE Mahurangi Presbyterian Church has been a part of the Warkworth community for over 160 years. The first full-time Minister, Rev. Robert McKinney, began his tenure in 1856 and it continued for another 49 years. Rev McKinney was a strong presence in the Mahurangi region – as well as championing the gospel throughout the area, he was also a driving force for positive change within the community. He founded the library, started the first school in the area, as well as being involved in a number of other community activities. The church has always had a strong family ethos and continues to have a presence in the local community with a congregation of over 550 people and regular Sunday attendances of 200-250. Today we are a church drawn from different cultural backgrounds, different generations, and different walks of life.
Building Update The windows delivered last month have been installed in the gymnasium, ablution block and auditorium areas. A couple of builders have joined the project to prepare the wall partitioning in the ablution block. Scaffolding has been moved to the second half of the building, this will enable work to begin on the roof, while also providing further edge protection for workers. Roof structure has been completed, and due to a generous four hour period of good weather panels were loaded into the roof in preparation for laying later this week. A safety net has been hung across the areas that the roof is being applied, to add another level of safety for workers. The team is hoping to have the building watertight within the next couple of weeks.
PHOTOS BY JONATHAN LANE
DONATION If you would like to make a financial contribution, you can donate to: MAHU PRES CAPITAL FUNDRAISING ACCOUNT 12-3105-0003156-02 In the reference, please include your name for a tax deductible receipt.
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JUNE 2022
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KNOWING GOD’S LEADING & FAITHFULNESS BY DAVID & ELIZABETH PAGE
Elizabeth gave her heart to the Lord at a small country Bible Chapel in 1951 in Surrey, England. At 16 and a half, she had hoped to be a nurse serving the Lord in Africa; however, while training she contracted TB. That was the end of that dream – or so she thought! David was sent to a Brethren Sunday school (also in Surrey) at an early age which gave him a grounding of the books and stories in the Bible, but drifted away from all that, till meeting with Elizabeth at evening classes studying maths! This had to be the Lord’s doing. In Sept. 1968 they were married, moved away west near Guildford and had 3 children – Nicolas, Kezia and Simon. One day in 1972, Elizabeth distinctly heard the voice of God as He spoke to Abram in Gen. 12 v 1 “Leave your country, your people … go to the land that I will show you.” What could be further than NZ she thought? In 1974, they emigrated to NZ, bringing the three children all under the age of 5! They had little knowledge of NZ, but Elizabeth had worked with a Kiwi matron who told her a bit about the country. She remembers asking her “do they have roads in NZ?” They arrived in Auckland. The first church was at Kohimarama at the same time a new pastor arrived – Lester & Rae Simpson, who had 3 children the same age as theirs. Great friends to welcome them to this new land. They had a new house built in Manurewa and ‘put down their roots’ by being involved with the Play Centre and the new Manurewa Baptist Church where they got involved with Sunday school and Boys Brigade. David was baptized here in 1975. In spite of going through some challenging times, they knew that this is where God wanted them to be. There would be no turning back, as a number of local ‘Poms’ did at great expense. David worked as a Civil Engineer with the Papakura Council till 1977 when they moved to Birkenhead and were welcomed into the Northcote Baptist fellowship. Elizabeth got involved initially with Sunday school and then leading a team teaching people with intellectual disability – which she found to be most rewarding. ‘Gift Group’ had 33 attending each week, with some staying on to the main service at 10.15am. David was attending an Adult Bible Class (ABC), running at the same time before ‘church’.
In 1983, the church planned a 3 week Mission trip to the Western Highlands of PNG to work on an extension to a Baptist Clinic. There was mention of some work required on an airstrip. David immediately thought this was just the type of work that interested him, and so put his name down to be part of a team of 13. However, there was no further mention of the airstrip work which troubled him. But he was convinced that the Lord would have him go, just the same. It was not until he got out of the aircraft at Telefomin when a pastor came up to him and asked “Who is the one that knows something about airstrips?” David virtually burst into tears and praised God for his faithfulness. This whole experience gave him a new perspective on life. In 1985, he joined another team headed by another mission agency to spend 2.5 weeks in the city of Manila, Philippines. This was to be assisting local church groups in evangelistic crusades, which proved not to be David’s scene; but the experience still proved life changing. Back at Northcote, the ABC ran a session on how to have a Quiet Time with the Lord. A retreat was held at Eastern Beach and D returned home really enthused and was up at 4.00am the next morning putting into practice all that had been taught. This is his practice each day – though not so early in the morning! One Sunday morning at the Adult Bible Class in 1983, they were introduced to Edgar Sathuluri – a budding Evangelist from India, brought here to train under Campus Crusade for Christ. He shared his God given vision to take the gospel to ALL the villages in India. David and Elizabeth became NZ Board Members, and from that time became the Administrator and producer of bi-monthly newsletters to supporters in NZ and Board members in Australia, the UK, USA and Italy. David has taken various teams since that time to India to assist in practical ways as well as in ministry. (This is a ministry that this church supports through the Overseas Mission Team, and Edgar has visited this church 3 times). David’s worst ever experience, was being asked during his first visit to India, to give a message to a house church with less than 20 minutes notice!! He was unprepared for this and so upset. However, what he did say was well ‘padded out’ by the pastor who did the translation! From that time on, he has always been prepared.
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JUNE 2022
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KNOWING GOD’S LEADING & FAITHFULNESS At home came the time that all the children had left home and David was looking for an alternative work opportunity after 25 years here in Northcote, but where would it be and what work could he do? It was then that the Lord put in his mind that 2003 would be the year of change for them. In the October of 2002 a whole lot of ‘events/circumstances’ took place that was so clearly being the Lord’s leading, through to the November, that the Lord was clearly leading them to move to Warkworth. This culminated in June 2003 by them moving to a new home here, and finding a spiritual home at Mahu that was so welcoming, and inviting for them to be involved in their various ministries. Proverbs 3 v 6: ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct thy paths’. On the home front; Elizabeth’s early desire of being an overseas missionary, came on their doorstep in 1983 in the form of helping a Vietnamese Political refugee and his family to integrate into our community at Northcote. While David was in PNG (in 1986), Elizabeth arranged to take in 2 Indonesian students attending the local college. This proved to be a real challenge – as did a young Malaysian man who followed. He was a devout Muslim, and Elizabeth’s attempts to share the gospel with him proved to be up against a brick wall! In 1990, a lady with her daughter and baby boy, who had been living in a tormented marriage with a Tongan man – his mother was a sorceress and had impacted him to dominate his wife’s life to the point that he wanted her to die. The home group David & Elizabeth were part of arranged for her and the two young children to come and live with them in their rumpus room. Her husband never found out where his wife had gone. Elizabeth had to teach her ’how to live and shop’ and look after herself. She was with them for about 6 months. We praise the Lord that a legal separation was granted and she went on to marry a lovely Christian man. In 1993 after their joint first trip to India, a Fiji Indian pastor working for Baptist NZ churches, asked them if they could assist him in the growing ministry amongst Indians in Auckland. He was running a home group for them in their area. They attended the group for a couple of weeks, after which he up and left them to it! In time they had people of various nationalities attending and held the group together for 11 years until they came to Warkworth.
This story continues with different people and cultures coming to stay in their ‘safe house’ for a few months or several years in some cases, and being overshadowed by the Word of God. On one occasion they had a refugee lady from Burundi who had seen her mother and father killed by Hutu tribesmen. Then a Sri Lankan young lady being abused by her cousin, came and stayed with us for 2.5 years, just as a family member. (They had their front door smashed in by this fellow trying to get access, which was followed up with a police protection order being issued). An Iranian couple and two children came looking in the church window one Sunday, wondering what went on in a Christian fellowship. (They were from a nominal Muslim background). They became their dearest friends as we lead them to accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and went on to meet with them weekly doing Bible studies. Later, a Thai Buddhist monk Elizabeth found living in his car at the Northcote shopping area, was befriended and came to stay for a number of months. Then when David & Elizabeth moved to Warkworth in 2003, they had an Arab from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with his nephew staying with them for a few weeks while the nephew was learning English locally. Great conversations with him. Finally, in 2012, their house was open to Israeli travellers touring NZ after their period of duty with the Israeli Defence Force, through the HIT programme. As a result of this, their house has always been a place of refuge and respite; but as the years go by, it has become more difficult for them, but is open to family, which they need to concentrate on now – and friends of course. They have been truly rewarded by our Great Lord and Saviour throughout their lives together.
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JUNE 2022
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT CHALLENGE! -QUICK AND EASY WAYS TO COOK BROCCOLISTEAM BOIL METHOD
MICROWAVE METHOD
1. Wash and chop Wash a broccoli and chop it into florets. Keep the stem and chop into bite size as it's also nutritious! Put in a pot or a pan. 2. Add water and salt Put in only about 3-4 Tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt. (Don't fill up the pot!) 3. Cover and steam Cover with a lid and turn the element on high to boil. It will only take 3 to 4 minutes for water to boil and the broccoli to cook.
1. Wash, chop and add water Wash a broccoli and chop it into florets. Keep the stem and chop into bite size as it's also nutritious. Put in a microwavable bowl. Add about 3-4 Tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt. 2. Cover and Microwave Cover with a plate or a plastic wrap and put in a microwave for 2-4 minutes on high. 3. Serve and enjoy Careful as the steam will be hot! Enjoy.
4. Serve and enjoy Broccoli won't be too soggy, plus you would have saved some water and power in the cooking process!
Share your go to EASY & BASIC recipes with us! We are asking you to share some of your easy recipes using just very basic ingredients! Our aim is to share some of our easy go-to-recipes in the food parcels we give out to the community to help them provide some ideas around cooking basic meals, easy baking or preserving food. Please bear in mind that some people may not have a proper cooking facility. Please email your recipe to: media@mahu.org.nz
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JUNE 2022
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COMING UP! Fri, 8 July <Live Cluedo - Quiz Night for all> 7pm @ Church Hall Everyone is welcome to join. Find out who the culprit is! Join to have fun with young people from the community! Sat, 9-Sun, 24 July <School Holidays> <Mahurangi Festival of Lights> Sat, 9 July Parade of Lights Sat, 23 July Laser Show Sun, 10-Sat, 16 July <Kiribati Language Week>
CELEBRATING LIFE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Jun-01 Kezia Burridge Jun-05 Rosanna Ball Jun-05 David Trotter Jun-06 Debbie Hall Jun-08 Bernie McClean Jun-13 James Trotter Jun-15 Kenji Mori-Robertson Jun-22 Robyn Hambleton Jun-24 Juliet Gilmore Jun-24 Trismarie Peo Jun-24 Moses Fine
COMMEMORATION OF DEPARTURE
Jul-01 Jul-02 Jul-03 Jul-04 Jul-04 Jul-07 Jul-07 Jul-09 Jul-14 Jul-20 Jul-22 Jul-24 Jul-25 Jul-27 Jul-28
Alison Heckler June 9 Heather Lomas Eria Teteti June 18 Robin Finlay Tycey Feleti Dawn Cory Helen Dalziell Saloni Fine Pale Vaotangi Anthony Macleod Tireta Biremon Rudy Saleupolu Taylor Reddell Peter Tunnicliffe Tunoa Feleti John Lewington Beeba Tebau-Amuera
If we missed your birthday, or you want to announce happy news, make some prayer requests or simply want to give us some feedback on the newsletter, please email Hana (hana@mahu.org.nz).
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JUNE 2022
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NOTICES Bye for now to Alisha McLennan It is with great sadness to announce that Alisha (Pastor Nick's daughter) who has contributed hugely in writing great articles for Mahu Monthly will be going back to Wellington in July to pursue her studies again. Thank you so much for all you have done, and we will all miss your seemingly quiet but cheeky sense of humour and your great talent of writing. May God continue to bless you as you enter a new chapter in your life!
Thank you from Delys Finlay Delys Finlay would like to profoundly thank all those in our church family who volunteered to help at Robin's funeral on Friday, 24th June. An amazing example of God's love and peace. I know God will bless you.
Volunteers needed for Heartbeat Christian Store! Heartbeat Christian Store is looking for more volunteers to join this amazing ministry into our community! If you have a few hours spare a week or a month to join our team, Janine would love to hear from you! Text or call Janine on 0274483986
Online Prayer Room Online Prayer Room is for anyone who would like someone to pray with personally and confidentially with them about any matter at all. Contact prayer@mahu.org.nz or ring Barbara at 021 255 0274.
Donation of items to Church As we have slowly started the process of decluttering in preparation of moving to our new building, please contact the church regarding donation goods before bringing items to site.
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