Michael and Sylvia Penny tour to Australia and New Zealand - Sept/Oct 2006 (2/3)
By Sylvia Penny

	1. A Brief History of our Time in Australia!
	2. Annual Conference of the Berean Bible Fellowship of Australia at Camp Toukley
	3. Our Fortnight in New Zealand

What a wonderful experience!  Mike and I travelled to Camp Toukley for the first time for the annual BBFA conference. 

The people were warm and friendly, the facilities were excellent, and the surroundings were beautiful – especially the lake shore on which the camp is set – and the talks given by Mike were easy to listen to, well-illustrated by Powerpoint slides.

The People

So many people were involved in the organisation and success of the weekend I can’t mention them all.  So here are just a handful of them!

1. Athol Walter who sent numerous e-mails back and forth from Australia to us in Britain over the last year, organising and arranging all the details
2. David Tavender who sent many more e-mails, was in charge of much of the technology, audio recordings, book sales, CDs and MP3s, and also did some of the musical accompaniment
3. Sue Hall who looked after the detailed bookings and financial aspects of the week-end
4. Peter Ward who sorted out more technology, and did the video recordings of the whole conference.

Many more were involved in the introductions to each session, the music, the prayers and everything else that went on behind the scenes to make everyone’s time there so enjoyable. Over the course of the weekend around eighty people attended at one time or another.  The youngest I came across was 5 months old (!) and the oldest (without mentioning any names!) was over 80 years old, so there was a huge range of different people, both children and adults, of different backgrounds, and of different nationalities.  We were all drawn together by one thing in common – our love for the Lord Jesus Christ, and a desire to learn more about Him and His Word for us.

The Talks

Over the course of 3 days we had 11 sessions, all led by Mike.  Being a seasoned school-teacher by profession, he took it all in his stride, and despite some recent throat problems, managed to finish all 11 sessions without losing his voice.  All of the sessions were accompanied by a power-point presentation, with Scripture verses, questions, comments, and Bible maps to help concentrate the mind while he was speaking.  Having the colourful backgrounds and bouncing letters also helped!  To give his voice an occasional rest, I read some of the Scriptures for him.

The first 8 sessions were on “Paul’s Predicaments” in which he tried to get into the mind of Paul.  He followed the life of the apostle Paul chronologically throughout the Acts period and after, filling in many of the historical details and setting it in its historical context within the Roman Empire.  He pointed out the many difficulties that Paul faced during his lifetime, and the many decisions he made that resulted in one of the most outstanding lives ever lived for the Lord. 

He showed how Paul coped with criticism from the Jews regarding his teaching of the Gentiles, and the effect of the change in God’s plan at the end of the Acts period on his ministry both to the Jews and the Gentiles.  Altogether, it was an excellent overview of the whole of Paul's ministry throughout the Acts period and afterwards, culminating in his death by the sword in Rome a short time before AD 70.
           
On Sunday evening he did something completely different, and ran a family service, starring many of the children who attended the conference.   Many of them ended up on the platform with him, answering his questions and helping him with a few choruses.  His main theme was light, and how we should “shine like stars in the universe” based on Philippians 2:14-16.   How should we do this?  The simple answer is that we should stop complaining and arguing!  It was a good reminder for both children and adults alike.
           
The last two sessions on Monday morning were reserved for the subject of prayer.  He followed through the prayers in the New Testament logically and chronologically.  He started with those in the gospels, then progressed to those in the Acts period, and finally ended with those after Acts 28.  He pointed out that, almost without exception, those prayers before the end of the Acts period were definitive, and invariably stated that God will do something as an answer to prayer.  However, when we looked at those after the end of the Acts period, again, almost without exception, every single prayer included the word that God may do something as an answer to prayer.  Answers were no longer definitive, but instead they were a possibility.  The one exception to this is in Philippians 4:7 where we find if we pray with thanksgiving, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

The Facilities

I was impressed with the facilities available.  The main meeting room was large, comfortable and well-equipped.  The dining room had a well organised self-service system, so that queueing was kept to a minimum – always good for those among us who struggle with displaying patience!  The bungalows, houses and cabins arranged around the grounds catered to our needs, including en-suite facilities and plenty of space to spread out and relax.

There were trampolines available for the more energetic attendees (the children) to bounce on, and other activities available too (e.g. quad bikes).

The Setting

Camp Toukley is set in a clearing among the woods, and on the shore of a large and beautiful lake. 

I went down to the lake one morning, and it was so tranquil and peaceful watching the birds on the lake, with the mountains in the distance. 

It was lovely to enjoy the peace and quiet of God’s creation, and to meditate on what had already been said, before going back to join in more of the camp sessions.

Altogether, it was a wonderful weekend of fellowship, learning and discussion, focussing on our Lord and Saviour and Head – Jesus Christ.

Our Fortnight in New Zealand >>