THE BEST MEN

Pictured: Steve and Kerrie with Ryan, Jordan and Cheyne Grace

Kerrie and I were so honoured last Saturday to see our three sons standing with Trentan Kruger on his wedding day. Trentan asked the Grace brothers to be Best Man and Groomsmen as he married Amy McArdle. We felt very humbled and full of joy witnessing the special occasion. The day before the wedding the guys all hung out together and had dinner with Amy’s Dad, our good friend, George McArdle. George played bass guitar on the recording of Children of the Western World back in 1988. Now, all these years later his daughter has married a musician!! And our boys have grown to become fine men with big dreams for the future. Kerrie and I honour Cheyne, Ryan and Jordan as they trust God with their lives and future. Proud of you.

TRENTAN AND AMY

Pictured: Mr and Mrs Kruger on their wedding day!

Well last May they met at REALITY with Will Graham in Alice Springs, a three day evangelistic event that saw thousands attend and many come to Christ. Both Trentan and Amy were there to serve the campaign. It was during those events that an honest and mutual attraction to each other started. For us it has been a joy to watch a beautiful love story unfold between two amazing people. Last Saturday they married in a chapel in Brisbane and then celebrated their reception on a friends property north of the city. It was a spectacular day!!! God Bless you Trentan and Amy as you begin the journey together.

AFTER THE FIRE

PICTURED: The charred bark of a pine tree in bushland near Lennox Head, NSW.

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build up. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-3

Walking through the deep powder grey ash of a burned out forest leaves you with an eerie feeling.. Only days before there were birds in the trees and life everywhere… but now the charred landscape is void of animals and insects. This bushland has been devastated, consumed by searing heat and flame. But quietly and miraculously this lifeless land will again come back to life. In all that God has created exists the ability to heal and reproduce new life for a new season. Many plants and trees actually need fire to reproduce. The seed of a Jack pine tree can only be released under extreme heat when the pine cones are burned. 

So it is with our lives… Sometimes God will allow us to go through a season of loss where everything seems to be taken or destroyed. It is in those times we must choose humility and faith over pride and fear. God helps us to rebuild our lives and bring us into even greater seasons when we put our trust in Him. Just as Christ was raised back to life after death on the Cross… He can do that in every season of our lives.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11: 25-26

Thanks again for your friendship and support.

Godspeed.

Steve

Close Call with Fire

Pictured: Firefighters hard at work in extreme temperatures protecting the homes and properties near Lennox Head last week.

Cheyne Grace woke last Friday morning to see billowing smoke in the distance from the home base of World Missions north of Lennox Head. By 3.00pm the raging fires had crossed the highway and an evacuation call was made for the entire neighbourhood. High temperatures and gusty winds made the task nearly impossible. Air support from three water helicopters enabled firefighters to save the homes in the area including the property where Cheyne is living. After four days the fires are finally under control but it has been quite a tense time. Most of the bushland and vegetation between Lennox Head and Byron Bay has been devastated.

We are so thankful for the thousands of volunteer firefighters and emergency services we have in this country. Lives are saved every week at the moment because others are willingly standing in harms way and protecting people, livestock and property. Thank you, thank you thank you.

For Cheyne Grace its back to work on the Slim Dusty Tribute album, upcoming tours and future planning for World Missions ventures. Thanks mate.

Come Together Namoi

Pictured: Come Together Namoi event, Narrabri NSW

Hey if you live in NSW or QLD why don’t you plan to come and support a great three day event in Narrabri on March 24th - 26th. Steve Grace and Skypilot will be performing and Bill Newman will be bringing the Gospel message for the people of the Namoi region. Sean W. Smith will be doing kids events and there will be heaps of other events happening!! If you have a heart for evangelism in Australia please get involved and support this event. We are believing many lives will be impacted.  
Check out https://billygraham.org.au/come-together-namoi/

Keeping a Promise

Pictured: Steve with the legendary Chris Foley and his recently painted and polished Harley VRod.

Six years ago our good friends Chris and Glenys Foley from Maryborough QLD loaned us their Jayco Caravan for the 25,000km, 80 towns and cities Heritage tour of Australia in 2010. We needed an extra caravan for a newly married couple who had committed to serve the tour. It was a huge encouragement to Andy and Jess in their first year together. When I offered to pay for the use of the caravan Chris simply requested I do a new paint job on his Harley Davidson… That was six years ago!!! 

Finally, I’ve had some time at home so during January I was able to fully restore and paint the VRod for Chris. A promise is a promise!!! We ended up spending a couple days together last week making some good memories and enjoying reassembling the bike and polishing every part. 

We greatly appreciate the generous friendship of so many people around Australia who love supporting our missions and ministry tours throughout the country. Thanks mate. Enjoy riding that cool motorcycle!

Bathroom Renovations

Pictured: Dave Ison with Steve and the beautifully renovated bathroom at home.

A few years ago our home was invaded by white ants or termites. Fortunately, we discovered their advance early as they began eating away at the soft pine timber skirting boards in the bedroom, bathroom and lounge room. We were able to get the rest of the home protected from further damage but its taken a long time to finally get stuck into a complete renovation of the bathroom and rebuild some of the internal framework that was destroyed. Thank you Kerrie Grace for your patience over the past two years!!! And a huge thank you to our good friend Dave Ison, of Ison Tiling and Stone who undertook the project. We are very grateful and the new bathroom looks amazing!!! It’s been so good to get some of these important jobs done during a rest from ‘life on the road’…. We are also very grateful to avoid going into debt on such a critical renovation. Thanks to those who have helped out in practical ways. A huge thank you to Noah and Dave Ison for all the hard yakka!!

Visions and Dreams

Pictured: The view from the south western corner of the Tenterfield property.

We look forward with great expectations at the moment to see where God will lead us in the development of the property near Tenterfield in northern New South Wales. Over the coming weeks a road is being constructed which will give us access to the 16.5 acres. It is then that the faith adventure begins and we start making plans. Thank you to those who have a genuine interest in the future of World Missions and our music ministry. For years we’ve prayed for some land we can develop and now that prayer has become a reality. Pray with us for the funds and a clear strategy for stage one which will include building a large shed that will become base of operations for future development. 

Tenterfield is famous in Australian history as the birthplace of the nation, the unifying of the States and territories that would eventually become the Commonwealth of Australia. Sir Henry Parkes gave a federation speech at the Tenterfield School of the Arts on October 24th, 1889 that ushered in a spirit of agreement amongst the colonies and States. Twelve years later Federation took place for the fledgling nation of Australia on the world stage. 

For us it is significant that this land overlooks a small country town where big dreams for a nation were born. Originally the region was home for the Jukembal tribal people’s and there is still a strong Indigenous community in the area. Our prayer is that this property will become a refuge and releasing place for others with big dreams to reach Australian’s with the good news of Jesus. Thanks for standing with us!!!

Men at Work

Pictured: Steve with Warwick Grace and father Ced Grace hard at work doing what blokes do well... hard yakka!!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

One of the highlights of the year so far has been building a wall with my Dad and brother. I realised a few years ago there was enough room down the side of our house for a lane that would give access to the entire back yard area. So with the help of my talented landscaper brother Warwick and our Dad we set out to construct a retaining wall. We worked hard and within three days in the humidity and heat had a brilliant timber and steel wall built. But what impressed me most was the stamina and determination of my father who celebrates his 83rd birthday in a weeks time. Dad never stopped, only took a break when we did in the heat of the day. 

He reminded me of that faithful old soldier Caleb who had served Moses and Joshua for 45 years. Caleb was one of the original scouts who went into the land of Canaan to spy out the land God had promised to the people of Israel. He was an old man and yet still 'keen as mustard' to serve. When offered if he wanted to slow down and retire here was his response..

Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. Joshua 14:10-12

I am inspired by such stories in God’s word. Let us continue to be about the good work we’ve been called to do. It’s inevitable that we all grow old but its our choice as to whether we give up and stop fighting for what we have been promised. God is faithful to His word and true to the hope we have within us, the hope of glory because of what Christ has done for us at the Cross.

Keep fighting the good fight.

Keep working with the joy of the Lord.

Keep taking on the mountains before you!!

Godspeed,

Steve