NEW PLYMOUTH Mission at Our Lady Help of Christians Church. Thursday - Sunday, 10 - 13 March 2016

An outreach team of 10 Covenanted members of the ICPE mission from Wellington made their way to New Plymouth on a glorious sunny day. On arrival at New Plymouth we were warmly received by the billets and Agnes our main coordinator. The two day ministry that followed in the evenings brought us closer to one another while serving the Lord for His kingdom to come and His will to be done. We were led perfectly each day as we prayed together for the Lord's agenda to be made known to us.

In our times of intercession, the Lord led us to set up the three images of the Prodigal son,the crucifix and the image of the crucifix at the altar. They were a blessing to those who came with a special need for healing. The seminar was centered on the theme of Grief and loss especially as many had experienced losses in the last year and needed to bring closure. The talks were held each evening but were very brief leading mainly to times of prayer ministry. This first consisted of a welcome at the threshold of the church then an invitation to time to ponder on the images at the altar followed by the washing of the feet for those who felt the need. Finally the Sacrament of reconciliation was made available to them.Some participants had been affected by the amalgamation of parishes and had many apprehensions prior to the retreat. The following day we received some feedback from the coordinator that she and a few others experienced God's healing themselves! The highlight of the ministry time was Fr. Alliston washing the feet of Agnes the coordinator and asking for forgiveness on behalf of the church and the clergy...a moving moment indeed!

On the second evening there was a closure to the wounds of the past and a ministry involving the image of the Divine Mercy. Finally the way forward became clear and people were filled with the Holy Spirit as we prayed for the outpouring of God's Spirit and an added zeal to grow in God's love!

On Saturday evening, we reached out to the youth . About 20 youth attended that night. The night began with the food and treats followed then by a time of worship. The theme for the night was 'RESTART'and the youth have been challenged to find their true happiness in Jesus alone.The night ended by praying for each one of those young people while asking the Holy Spirit to journey with them and strengthen them. On the last day of our mission in New Plymouth, we were invited to present a short session to a prayer group initiated by a few people in New Plymouth consisting of about 15 people both young and old! The Seven last words of Jesus was the theme chosen for the topic the day. The prayer group closed with a time of surrender.

We are grateful for these four days of missions in New Plymouth. God showed His love and mercy throughout the missions. We pray that God continue to journey with these wonderful people who came into our lives.