Apologies

Sorry for the delay of putting a post up, i have been busy with a number of different things and haven't had the time to keep you all informed.
Since I last posted on the blog I have....saw my first cow.....Preached in the greek service(not in greek) i was being translated by Adam Mastris.....been keeping up my one on one bible studies.....gave the youth club a northern ireland barn party....been to egypt, Matt Jess had two days off for thanksgiving so we got cheap flights to egypt for the weekend so we went and saw all the sights including the pyramids, cruise down the nile and a camel ride.

First cow

My friends from Nigeria

Our 5Euro a night hostel.

The river nile

Our late night cruise

The video is a sofie dance that our tour guide took us to.

I am now into my last 2 weeks here, the time has just flown in but I have really really enjoyed it. I will continue to enjoy the warm weather till i return home. This past November has been the driest on record. I am quite busy this week have 3 bible studies to prepare and i am speaking on friday evening at youth club and preaching on Sabbath day at TCCF.

A number of prayer points
Give thanks for the opportunity to go to Egypt and the blessing that was.
Give thanks for continued safety and health.
Pray for my last two weeks here on this island, that i will keep focused and God will continue to use me.
Pray for me as I speak on friday evening at youth club
Pray for me as I speak on Sabbath day at TCCF.


Hope you enjoy the photos.


In Christ
Steven

Salamis

Greetings to all who read this.
The LORD is continuing to be very good to me while I am here. While in Cyprus I wanted to visit the areas of Cyprus that are mention in the Bible. One of which is Salamis.
Acts 13 v 4+5 'The two of the (Barnabas + Saul) sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleicia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.'
Pastor Philip was here with me when I went, we needed to cross the border to the north.

Pastor Philip found himself a pet.

Thank you for your prayers, I really appreicate them.
A couple of prayer points:
Give thanks for the Bible study on Sabbath afternoon, most of the guys have been once and about 6 out of 10 come in the afternoon, its really good, we are looking through 1 Peter and getting a lot out of it.
Give thanks for the willingness of people to meet up and talk about spiritual issues
Pray that the devil will be kept away.
Pray for a 17 yr old called Alexis I meet with, we are studying Philippians together, this is his first one on one study and he seems to be enjoying it. I have got him learning the books of the Bible in order as he didn't know them.
Pray for the minister Bill Sterrett as his preaches and pastors the people.

 

Where's Wally?

Church Lunch

Hello.
Once a month at TCCF we share the LORD's supper together and afterwards we have church lunch. With worship starting at 9.30 and over for 11am, people then go home and make lunch and we gather back again at the church hall at 1pm. So the food is warm and tasty and no soup. With there being a few nationalities in the congregation I have grown to expect all different kinds of food, some looking nicer than others but try everything and all is very tasty. 

The minister- Bill Sterret and his wife Kalli

A very small plate

The LORD is being very good. Meeting a lot of people.
Can you please pray for a 16 year old called Thomas. It is proving difficult to meet up with him, so please pray for opportunities.
Thanks

Steven

Maths Tutoring and Learning Greek

Hello.
Things are going well here. It did cool down for a week or so, only reached about 25 degrees during the day but it is back up again to near 30.
I tutor a young guy called Maleesh Maths on and Monday eveing and he teaches me Greek. He is 13 years old and we are developing a good friendship which is really good. He is from Sri Lanki and he has one sister called Alesha. His parents are really nice and his mum is a great cook!
Some pictures of us working really hard.

Despair

Enjoy.

Steven.

Locals Cheer

Is it because of the rain or because Philip Moffet has come out?

Philip came out on the 30th September for two weeks till the 14th October. He is staying with me in the flat, there is a camp bed in the flat, so i pulled out all the stops! He is known here as Pastor Philip and everyone calls him 'Pastor Philip'. All the people here are glad to see him and comment on how he has changed physically. As he came for a holiday he has been asked to speak only three times. He spoke on friday evening at youth club, then he preached at TCCF on Sabbath morning and spoke at the American Academy at the Scripture Union on Monday afternoon.

Philip speaking at youth club

 With Philip being here, it is like having a personal tour guide here. So if our free time we tried to see as much of the island as possible. On friday 1st October it was a public holiday in Cyprus, for independance from Brition in 1972. So off school, we went back to Sea caves as this was one of Philip's favourite spots while he was in Cyprus.

Phil and I also went to Salamis, this is where Paul came on his missionary journey. Acts 13 vs 4+5.
The attraction there was a set of ruins.

Now for some update on the work.
Mondays - Go to Nicosia to the American academy and sit in on the R.E classes and take the P.E classes.       School starts at 7.30 and finishes at 1.40 so gives you the rest of the day to do stuff.
In the evening I meet with Maleesh he is 13 years old and from Sri Lanka. I tutoring him Maths and he tutors me Greek. 
After that I try to meet with Adam Matris, but so far we haven't had time due to a number of reasons.

Tuesdays - Meet Bill Sterret in the morning for prayer
Meet a 17 yr old for bible study called Alexis.              
In the evening there is an outreach event by a different church for foreigners called lighthouse so I go to that.

Wednesdays - Have a group bible study which one of the other youth group leader have organised at 2.30pm.
After this I meet with another guy he is 20 yrs old. A christian for 2 years.

Thursdays - Meet with a man called Al who is from the middle east. He is 32 and hasn't really got many friends so we spend thurs nights together doing different things. We went for tea and bowling last week.

Fridays - Youth Club at 5.30-late

Saturdays - Tour around the island with Matt Jess.

Sabbaths - RP church at 9.30, Greek church at 11. Prayer meeting at 6pm

On thursday and friday afternoon i rotate around the rest of the guys so I get a chance to meet up with everyone.
Most mornings I have to do whatever i want so I read and other things.

This week is quite busy, I have to prepare 4 different bible studies and speak at youth club on fri evening.


Thanks for your prayers.



Steven

What a great God we have.

I really feel that God has placed me in Cyprus for some reason for these three months and he greatly blessed me this evening with the company of two people from lebanon. There names are George and Joelle. We meet at GEC on sabbath day, they weren't there my first week. Joelle had to come to Cyprus for an operation and her brother came to visit her. We met up this evening and had tea and they where a great blessing and encouagement. They really encouraged me in the work and spurred me on.

Me, Joelle and George

Needy Country

As I near the end of my second week on this island, I am beginning to realise the great need that they have- in a spiritual sense. Church worship numbers are small. Elderly(being careful what I say) people being the norm at church with average age between 50-60. The youth in the congreations need leaders and example who will spend time with them. A lot of them are 1st generation Christians (they dont have Christian parents) therefore they miss Godly examples in the home, and do not have the priviledge that us western people do.
The youth have a lot of potential, they show a great love and care for one another but with few great role models.
This week a have had the opportunity to meet up with a number of different people and get to them, namely Phil and George. These are two great young guys who love the LORD greatly.
On a Sabbath day I attended two churches one the TCCF (Trinity Christain Community Fellowship) which is American RP (english speaking), and the other GEC (Greek Evangelical Church) which is greek speaking. I experienced speaking in tongues(depending on your interpretation) everyone was singing psalm 23 in greek and I sang it in english was really exciting!! These two services are helding in the same buiding one at 9.30am and the other at 11am. After TCCF there was a prayer meeting, it was during this time I took the young kids (5 in total) and we talked about the sermon which was Ruth chapter 1.

Church building entrance

The church hall.

On mondays I will attending the American Academy School in Nicosia. This will provide more structure for my week to add to the work load I have. I will be sitting in on the religious studies classes and P.E classes.

There is a 24 hour bakery which is 10minutes walk from the flat and I can inform you that is really good!

With Matt Jess teaching in Larnaca we have decided to take every possible Saturday that we have to tour the island. We started with going to Ayia Napa and to the Sea Caves which are 45mins drive from Larnaca.

The colour of the sea was so so blue and clear and really salty.

Bungee jump that we didn't do

The locals in Cyprus keep on saying that the weather is going to get better, I don't understand. It is constantly mid 30s(degrees) and sunny. They really really look for rain. It is too warm for them. They would like it 5-10degrees colder.


Prayer Points
-Give thanks for God's Grace.
-Give thanks for being able to get along side people.
-Pray as I travel to Nicosia on Monday
-Pray for the young people I will meet this week. George, Phil, Maleesh and Thomas.
-Pray for a man called Alan I will be meeting on thursday.
-Pray that I will continue to be disciplined in my reading during the week.
-Pray for Philip Moffett as he travels to Cyprus on thursday for 2 weeks. He is preaching in TCCF on the 10th.
-Pray that Gods Glory will be accomplished.