Approaching farewell

It seems incredible that my time here in Wales is now coming to an end. I’m starting to feel sad to go, and it’s getting increasingly difficult to say goodbye to all of my friends. Already more than three months have passed since I first arrived in the Land of song, Welshcakes, and Tesco. And indeed the land is beautiful in many places all through the Welsh valleys.
This area, as you may have heard, is not all beauty and happiness though. Many hurting, homeless, and addicted people walk these streets. And many I’ve been able to talk to wish for a better life than their own. Drugs, alcohol, and crime, are still around in Merthyr and many other towns and cities throughout Wales. Of course, this will never be a perfect world, and these problems are merely symptoms of a broken and fallen world. True perfection and peace will only be possible once Jesus returns.
But I’ve found it remarkable just how the local churches and ministries are making a strong impact into the local community… especially here in Merthyr. With such ministries as the Gurnos Christian Centre, the van ministry, YP, and Food Bank; just to name a few. I’ve been very privileged to just come alongside these ministries and help in any way I could for the past 3 months.

Mission week was amazing! So many people were touched through the many ministries and teams throughout that week. The worst thing about the week, was it seemed everyone had just arrived when I realized it was time for them to go. Several videos, photos, etc. have surfaced from the trip. So if you have not seen any or would like some more details/photos about the trip… Comment below and I’ll be sure to add more. J
The day everyone went back to London, I first accompanied them all to the city of Bath which I found to be quite amazing. The amount of history and culture in that old English city was very impressive.

To all the churches I’ve been involved with at one point or another, to all the friends I’ve made, to all the church leaders who have been an encouragement and blessing to me and to others I want to simply say thank you. The list would be far too long to mention everyone I wish to thank, but please know you’re all in my prayers and I hope to again come and visit.
I’ve gained much experience through these past three months. And of course the more I grow and learn, the more I realize there are many things I don’t know. Now I look forward to coming back home to continue the journey God has for me.
I look forward to seeing you all back in the states, and I hope to see all of my Welsh and English friends when I return next year! (Unless you decide to take a holiday to the U.S. first.)

I preached my final sermon in Wales (for this Summer at least) last Sunday evening.
Click the link below to listen…
Sunday Sermon
(there is about a 8/9 minute testimony beforehand from one of our friends from Brazil)

Unfortunately, I didn’t quite make it up to north Wales to climb Snowdon this time… It gives me something to look forward to next year. However, I did get a chance to climb “sugar loaf” today. (pictured below)

I leave tomorrow afternoon for London. So I’m looking forward to seeing the host city of the 2012 Olympic Games! Then on Friday at 9:50AM I fly to Miami. Please keep me in prayer for safe travel.
Nos Da!
-David

Wales Mission 2012 Days 1-3 +

July 2nd:
Mission week begins, welcoming everyone, last minute errands, etc.
These are the things that dominated today.
I'm really glad to see everyone, and I'm glad everyone's getting settled in for a great week. (After the American crew gets over their jet lag.)
Really looking forward to a great week, and very thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord together with great people from Brighton, Atlanta, and St. Augustine.

                                                                                                                                                                    

July 3rd:


110 Men heard the Gospel proclaimed at the Neath Rugby Club
for the first ever men's "Beast Feast" in Neath!


Meanwhile....



The New Hope Gospel Choir also sharing the Good news of Jesus!

                                                                                                                                                                                          
July 4th:
Happy 4th to everyone back in the states, and to the American crew here...
Today was the busiest day of mission week so far, everyone was busy working in their teams today.
From school teams, the CAT(community action teams), the gurnos team, and care home teams, to the choir, tech, and of course me (the miscellaneous team). I think it was a great day, and I look forward to hearing more stories from those who were out and about today. (And of course posting them when I can.)









  (Left) Setting up for a 4th of July festival in the Gurnos Christian Centre in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.







(Right) Getting ready for the first visit from the New Hope Gospel Choir to Christ Church in Ebbw Vale!!

                                                                                                                                                                   

July 5th(Part 1):
This is the "plus" part.
As I am now just finishing.. it is 2:00 in the morning of the 5th.
I apologise in advance for any grammatical error on my behalf. Please give a little grace for error, since it is so late/early.
I'm really looking forward to what God has in store for Wales and the entire TPAC/New Hope/Holland Road teams this week!

Please keep everyone in prayer, and I'll keep you all updated as the week progresses.
-David

Visit to Cardiff... and Q and A's

It is hard to believe the month of June is about to come to a close...  I'm really starting to feel like everything is rushing past at lightning speeds.
Getting things ready for Mission week is currently taking most of my time, but I did manage to make some sightseeing usage of my freetime on Saturday and I took a bus out to Cardiff.
One of the cool things about this trip was getting to see sights again that I hadn't seen since last year's missions trip.
Plus, I saw a few new things. Such as the Cardiff museum (pictured below), the large shopping centre of St. Davids, Cardiff Bay (With a street performer singing Journey songs), plus I was happily reunited with a can of Barq's rootbeer from an American sweets shoppe called "Americandy".

Cardiff getting in the Olympic Spirit!

Wales plaque art outside of the Millenium stadium in Cardiff, Wales

I had a "challenge" sent out on Facebook this week, simply opening up the opportunity to ask any question you could think of. Without further ado, here are some of the questions I've recieved:

1) Why do birds suddenly appear everytime you are near?
The answer to that one is simple... They just long to be close to me. haha.
In actuality, the bird's affinity for me is probably just because I keep feeding them. Who knew bird seed could be so cheep? It's just tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag!

2) When are the sheep sheared in Wales?Late Spring/Early Summer is when most of the sheep shearing happens. Around this time of year is when most of the sheep are being sheared. To provide further evidence of this fact, was my trip to Englad a few weeks ago where I actually witnessed some newly sheared sheep. However, no, I don't have any photographic evidence to back up this claim. Sorry.
Obviously those who raise sheep want them warm enough through the winter, the sheep need their full coat during that time. This is why the once yearly shearing must be done before the Fall.

3) Are you going to get to see The Dark Knight Rises before it hits theaters in America?
Unfotunately I don't get the special "I saw it first" privilege as I did with the Avengers.
The movie will be released here on the 20th as it is in the U.S.
And that is the day I fly back home from Heathrow airport in London. However, I do already have plans to see it at least twice once I return home.

4) Why did you bring the bad weather with you and can you take it back to America?
I actually do not know why I brought on this onslaught of wet weather. Perhaps the U.K. weather system knew I was from the "Sunshine State" and simply wanted to spite me? Although you really need to look at whoever came just before me, because the rainy weather had already begun prior to my arrival in Wales.
I would take it back. However, Florida has had quite a good share of rain themselves... including a tropical storm. But if I do get to invent my weather collector/distributor before I leave, I'll make sure you get a few more nice sunny days included in your Summer. (After I help with the drought in Asia of course)

5) What is your best memory of the trip?
This one's a little more tough since I haven't actually finished my trip yet, and also I've had so many good memories It's hard to choose just one.
I really enjoyed climbing Pen y Fan and just seeing more of Wales.  Some places (such as Swansea) just have such picturesque beauty.
But the things that have really made more of an impact on me are just the small conversations I've been able to have with the people here. Actually seeing the church growing and reaching people for Christ has already made this trip memorable and worthwhile.

(If you have any other questions you'd like answered on the blog, don't hesitate to let me know, and perhaps I'll do another one or two Q&A's before my return journey home.)

video update

Brighton

I used a very general title for this blog post, because I want you to anticipate 2 things.
1) This will be a very gereral post, covering a wide range of events and topics based upon my visit last weekend.
2) A branch of the first, since there are so many diverse topics, this post will be somewhat long.
I will try to divide them as I progress through events and stories I feel that I need to share, and ones you would simply like to hear/read.

Trains (Part 1):
It was a great first long-distance train ride for me. I have now gotten to experience the great railway system of Britain. I left the station of Merthyr Tydfil on Friday to arrive in Brighton&Hove later that evening.
I really enjoyed the view as the Welsh, and later English, countryside passed by as I leaned my head against the window taking in all the scenery as it passed by.
Most of the track along the way followed a quickly paced river with various waterfalls, babbling brooks, and flowing streams coming from the source.
It was raining, and even though my train would streamline past certain spots, it was a peaceful and relaxing ride. I listened to music and read a book along the way. Halfway through reading this book, the gentle swaying of the train began to make me drowsy, and some well meaning passengers woke me from my slumber to make sure I didn't need to get off at the stop they had found imperitive for their future travels of the day.
I thanked them for their consideration, and again tried to drift off into a dream which needed a continuation.
Again I was woken from a new passenger to accompany me on the seat to my right. After considering if I should be polite and speak, or go back to my dream... I decided I should a least extend a bit of conversation. "I'm glad I decided against walking this morning." I told the man next to me. He was about thirty years old, and he apparently found this rather dry humorous American comment quite funny. We discussed the general intents of our various travel, and I came to find out he is an architect going to visit family in the east part of England.
The great thing about this whole conversation, was that I was able to share with him about the missions trip to Wales and tell him all about our purpose while there. I was thankful for this opportunity to share about the mission, and about Jesus. Even though I don't believe he was saved, I was able to at least be a witness for Christ.
Only a couple hours into my trip, and I had made a "friend" already. But no, God wasn't done. I had the chance to share my testimony with 2 other people on this trip.
Then, chaos broke.
I tried to push the button to open the doors at my stop in Cosham, England. The door basically said no, and I was forced to miss my stop and get off at the next one.
I then had to take a train going the opposite direction back to Cosham. This train, didn't even try to slow down as I saw my stop whizz past on both the sides of the train.
I was shocked, and then had to sit on the train for at least 30 minutes going who knows where.
I then took the next train hoping to at least not be incredibly late. But I tried to trust God, and know that He had me delayed for a reason. I finally arrived at my destination only 2 minutes later than originally intended. Again, why worry?

The cities of Brighton and Hove:

The statue representing the dividing line between the city of Brighton and Hove

I was greeted by Jason, one of the 'time team' guys from Brighton... He was one of the people who visited Merthyr a couple of weeks prior.
He took me to where I'd be staying for the weekend (which was actually inside the church).
And I just kind of settled in, rested from my trip, and went down to the English channel; which was only a few minutes away.
It almost felt surreal being able to look directly across the water (the channel) and know that I'm looking out toward France.
Sometimes it seems I'm not really on the other side of the Atlantic... until those kind of moments.

Another time team friend, Nic, was my tour guide for the day on Saturday.
Brighton is a very busy and happening city. There's plenty of things to see and do.
I got to go on a ferris wheel, explored the famous piers of Brighton, visited the Brighton museum, saw some of the beautiful churches and cathedrals of the city, traversed "the lanes" of Brighton (large shopping area), went to Starbucks, saw the Royal Pavillion (taj mahal lookalike), and probably many other things which I can't remember at the moment. The views of the beach are quite awesome too. I've posted many more pics on Facebook if you would like to see some of the sights in Brighton.

Brighton is not with out its problems though... and without detailing all the flaws found in the city, we need to remember that everyone needs a Savior. And Brighton&Hove is no different. People who do not have Christ in the center of their lives will find it very easy to place themselves in the center. Then everything they do will be catering toward the flesh and the mentality of "me first". I'm told that this is where most of the problems sprout from in Brighton.

Holland road baptist church:
Built in 1887, Holland road is the hub for quite a few ministries in Brighton... Not to mention a partner in the Missions trip to Wales (only a couple of weeks away now!)
For more info about the church, go to:
http://www.hrbc.org.uk/
The services on Sunday were great! The morning was about "Rescuing your family" and the evening focused on the power of prayer.
Between those services, I went to Phillip Deuk's house and enjoyed a delicious meal which, due to my slow eating habits, took awhile to complete.
I was also unvoluntarily volunteered to sing in a few rounds of karaoke. (not my cup of tea, but I did appreciate the fact there were some Disney songs)

The next morning, I met up with some of the local church leaders and shared a devotional about idolotry.
It's important that nothing comes higher than God. And that anything which takes the higher precidence is an idol in our life. Afterward, I got to have lunch with a couple of the church leaders and we discussed the missions trip, my trip, and further plans.
Trains part 2:
My trip came to an end. And after I stopped to get myself a sub from Subway, I gathered my belongings and began my journey through the pouring rain to the train station.
It was not the most pleasant of walks. And as I waded through the deep puddles and drenching downpour, I quickly became aware of a hole in my shoe allowing water in.
When I arrived at Hove station, I found that my train had been cancelled due to flooding on the tracks.
So I got on the next available train... To make a long story shorter, several changes and hours more than I expected, I arrived in Cardiff. And by this time it was 12:00AM so I had missed my connecting train to take me back to Merthyr. Thankfully, the train company paid for a taxi to take me back home. And all came to a nice ending.
On the train trip, I got to see one of the famous chalk drawings of Britain... unfortunately I couldn't get a good picture. But here is what I saw:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Westburywhitehorse.JPG

Anyway, there are just a few highlights of my trip... I now must continue sending e-mails for the mission and prepare to leave for the youth weekend away, I leave tonight to help out until Sunday afternoon.
Hopefully it won't be quite so long till my next post!

-David

The Jubilee weekend and a trip to Swansea

This weekend has flown by! I thought I was just flipping the page on the imaginary 'calendar' to June, and here we are already 5(4 for the U.S.) days into it!!
I preached in Park Baptist on Sunday evening. Only my 4th or 5th message yet. But God has used a donkey before, so I'm sure he can use me too. :) Please listen, and let me know what you think...  http://parkbaptist.net/index.php?option=com_sermonspeaker&task=singlesermon&id=10299&Itemid=128

Also, Andy's daughter and her family have come for a visit until tomorrow afternoon. Today I went to Swansea (A Welsh city) and an area called Mumbles (in that city, pictured below) with Jon and Daniella Dyer...

                                         

 It was a beautiful day, and I really enjoyed the scenery! (and the Ice cream from Joe's) We all had a great time, and I found it a good precursor to the festivities of tonight, celebrating the Queen's diamond Jubilee! The festivites were quite immense and spectacular at the Buckingham palace this evening. Which I watched from the comfortable seating of Andy's living room. The excursion we did have, apart from seeing all of the decor in Swansea, was a trip to watch the beacons being lit in Wales! These beacons were yet another celebration of the jubilee. However, even though we trekked up part of Penyfan, we didn't have the greatest of views of the beacons... we (Andy Pitt, David Pitt, Andy's son in-law John, and myself) actually thought the moon was one of the beacons for quite some time. Obviously, after the fact, we all felt a little dull for having assumed this in the first place. (You would have to look at my photos on FB for this to really make more sense.)
Anyway, had a great weekend! Looking forward to much more concentrated work toward the July mission this week. (Nailing in the last few needed things)

Goodnight, and 'God save the queen'

Time team and Jubilee weekend

Dear Blog Readers,
Thank you all for continuing to follow along with me on this journey I'm on... I truly hope you've enjoyed seeing just the small glimpses of Wales that I have been able to show thusfar.
A highlight from this week was a meeting at a local restaraunt called the Harvester. I went with Pastor Andy and Udo from Park and we met with 3 people involved with international ministries to spread God's Word throughout the world. It was very encouraging to hear the stories of people seeking to grow and learn in Christ.
Hearing the lack of Christian teaching and Bibles though, should make us appreciate so much more the gift of having the Bible available to us to read. And shame on us when we simply let the Bible sit on a shelf and collect dust... while some churches only have one Bible (or sometimes just a page from the Bible) to share amongst a group of 20 or more people for a week!
It also should inspire us to find and help ministries and organizations who help translate and spread the Good News throughout the World.
                                     

The 'Time team' (pictured above, minus me) from Brighton will be leaving tomorrow, but they had a great time here in Merthyr. And were able to help out with various ministries here, such as High 5, Oasis, Coffe Lounge at the Gurnos, prayer meetings at St. Lukes, and they even got to participate in 3 Bible studies whilst they were here! I led these studies, so I'm sure they've had enough of listening to an American accent for awhile.
In all seriousness, it was great to have them here, we all had a lot of fun and they were a great blessing during their stay.

As far as my schedule is concerned,
I'll be preaching this Sunday evening in Park Baptist... and other than that, I'm unsure of my weekend plans.
The jubilee celebrations for the Queen will be this Tuesday and Wednesday. Those days will be bank holidays and most people will be hanging out with family and friends, providing they are off of work.
Hopefully at least one of those days will allow for the sight-seeing side of me to find something new to see/explore!
And then next weekend I'll be travelling (by train) to Brighton, England to see Holland Road Baptist Church... I just can't believe in only one month the missions trip will have already commenced, and the people from the U.S. will be here in Wales!

To be honest, part of this week was a little challenging. And with so many things going on, it can be easy to get a little lost in the flow of everything going on.
But it comes to just trusting God, and following Him through everyday and every situation. Hope you all have an amazing weekend!

Me again!

I think several people who were walking through the park thought I was crazy for talking to my computer without an internet signal. At least, they looked at me as if I was crazy... Actually, nevermind. I get that look even when I don't have my computer.
As I mentioned, a team from Holland Road Baptist Church in Brighton arrived today. They were able to come to the Bible study at St. Lukes this evening. It was a good time of fellowship, study, and prayer.

There is a scripture I would like to share before I turn in for the night... "Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!" -Psalm 31:23-24

For us who are the saints of God, (Born again followers of Christ) we should love the Lord.
Most of our love and affection is temporal, but our love for God is something eternal. We are commanded to love the Lord... "This is the first and greatest commandment."
Because of His great love for us, we then have a desire to show our love to Him. We love Him... why? Because He first loved us.
Without Him reaching out to us, we would have continued in darkness blindly and obliviously to the doom awaiting the end of our life because of sin.
A good example of real love?
"Greater love hath no man than this; than he lay down his life for his friends" -John 15:13
As I write this now, I think of so many ways to describe (or at least attempt to describe) how awesome and powerful the love of God is... Alas, I do have to go to get some sleep soon though.

One of the biggest downfalls of love, whether to each other or to God, can be our pride.
Pride goes before destruction the Bible reminds us. And love is no longer true nor pure when you are the center of your own universe.
Is that not exactly what we are doing when we tell God, "oh, I'll pray later... I'm too busy" or, "I have something else I want to do right now" Are we are declaring ourselves of more importance then God?
Try using those lines to the person you love. Not really! I'd antcipate a bad outcome for you...
So instead, let us be the faithful and follow Christ where He leads us. And as the passage says, it takes courage... but knowing that the creator of the universe loves us should provide us the strength to trust Him, and be patient for His timing in our lives.

There is so much wisdom in this passage, there may be a part 2 in the future... but for now, goodnight and God Bless.

In Christ,
David Bunce

P.S. Even though I'm not sure she'll see this... I want to wish my big sister Mandy, a Happy Birthday! :)

Recap, and new adventures!

First of all, Happy Memorial Day to everyone reading in the U.S.A.! Thank you to all the veterans in my family for serving. And we remember and honor those currently serving and those who have gone before in protecting our country. Especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

In only two days, I will be halfway through my missions trip. It's so hard to believe that much time has already passed since I left home.
As far as my fun/experiences are concerned, here are some of the things I've done over the past month... (warning: the following montage of events may be overwhelming and possibly grammatically incorrect. Hope you enjoy anyway!)
Climbed Pen y Fan, visited Cyfarthfa castle(several times), went on exploration adventures in Merthyr, rode on Welsh public transportation, decended into darkness at the old coal mine of 'Big Pit', visited Barry and climbed it's rocky coast, made some new friends, met back up with some old ones, saw the Queen, saw the Olympic torch, watched the Avengers (before other Americans), saw Eurovision for the first time, got addicted to tea and "Britain's Got Talent", ate at a few new restaraunts, lost an eating contest, won just about everything else, shopped at TESCO, walked more in a month than in the rest of my life, and I even had a golf match with sheep as the audience!

Olympics Bus in Merthyr

The weather has been absolutely fantastic this week!

On the working/learning/growing side of things, I have another list:
I've learned several Welsh words and phrases, my historical/geographical knowledge has been expanded, I've been able to lead several Bible studies, I've heard some great sermons, I've gained ministry experience particularly in preaching the Word of God (so far on 3 separate occasions), I was asked to give communion for my first time, I've done some church paperwork, I was able to go with the van ministry for some outreach in the community, The street pastors let me accompany them a few times, I've helped with some missions trip coordination, I've been able to help out with a few different children's ministries and outreaches, and one of those was started today with a great outcome! (at least 25 kids stopped by).

Only one month remains before the groups from New Hope, Turning Point, and Holland Road arrive here in Wales! Looking forward to see what God has in store for these next couple of months!

Goodnight all!

Something you don't see everyday

Hello!

Sorry I hadn't posted anything for awhile... This week has been quite busy.
Where to begin...

Even though it was a busy week, nothing was too much out of the norm. The usual Bible studies and meetings took place. This Thursday at the Gurnos I led the Bible study. This week was about Anthropolgy (The study of man).  I'll try to give some more detailed info about my week in the coming days... but the main reason for this post was to let you all know that I saw the Olympic torch today! This morning it passed through Merthyr... (As you can see from the picture below) It was pretty cool to have a chance to see the actual torch, as well as the festvities which accompanied it.

As for my current state, I am going to sleep so I can get up in a few hours to go share my testimony/message at St. Lukes. :)

God bless,
David

Blue Skies + Big Pit = Good Day

Me addressing a few people about the events of my day... Lucky that you get to see the video below...

(yes the picture is fake)

OH, and one more thing!!!

Weekend in Aberdare

Hello Everybody!
Another weekend completed... And time just keeps ticking on faster and faster. I can't believe that we only have 11 more days left in the month of May! With more ministry opporitunites than you can 'shake a stick at' I'm absolutely trying to grow and learn as much as possible!
I was in Aberdare this weekend at Moriah Baptist church with Pastor Dale and his wife Helen. I went over to their house last night, after food bank collection at the Gurnos Christian Centre. Which we collected 6/10ths of a ton this week alone!

This morning I preached to the congregation in Moriah Baptist about The Gospel.

We looked at our plight of sin, as it relates to a courtroom. In which God is the Judge. We know that He is love but God is also just and must punish sin.
He demands perfection because He is holy and righteous. And beginning with Adam, humans has committed a crime.
Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
Man cannot redeem himself. The Bible tells us that even our good works are as filthy rags.

All of the good things we do are simply an extension of our own pride.
“Sin is a deliberate treason against the majesty of God, an assault upon His crown, an insult offered to His throne.” –Charles Spurgeon
So as we stand before the Holy Judge, we have no witnesses who can attest to our perfection, we stand fearful and disgraced for breaking the very laws of God.
Of spitting in the face of Creator, ruler, and sustainer. And all the guilt and shame leveled right at each and every one of us seems too much to bear.
We look up at the judge with contrite hearts yearning for a way out. Yet we know there is nothing we can do to lift the verdict which is sure to declare you and I guilty.
Rom. 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death….”

But God had an eteral rescue plan.

Someone else comes and takes our punishment...
Rom. 6:23 cont. "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
In first John the Bible says Christ was our Propitiation: It means an atoning sacrifice.

Jesus took our sin on himself when he was crucified.

All that is required of us, is to be born again. Which is laid out for us in Romans 10:9-10 Admit, Believe, Confess.
Perfection in and of ourselves is not possible. But through Christ we are made righteous.

So our final verdict as Christians is innocent.
We are now eternally seen as blameless, forgiven, redeemed, and justified. However, it doesn't end there...
We have been commissioned to spread the Gospel. What a privilege to be representing God the very name image and reputation of God almighty!

So in application, we must live the Gospel.
-Remember what Christ did for you. And don't be afraid to share it. Romans 1:16
-Behave as a child of His... Not out of law (becasue we have to) but out of love (because we desire to please and glorify Him)
-Apply the Gospel to every day life. (for example: forgive others as we have been forgiven)

This was some of I covered...(plus a little more) It was a 3 hour sermon.... Just kidding! (it was much longer)

Then this evening, I heard Jon Dyer preach in Park Baptist.
Afterward, I went out with some friends for food at Nando's for evening meal.
The food was delicious, and I was challenged to eating the spiciest sauce with my meal... At first I was hesitant. But I knew I couldn't just back away. So In the end, I had burning lips but I won the challenge! All in all a quite busy day. And back to work tomorrow!

Goodnight All!
In Christ,
-David

TPN International

We have long been wanting to launch the international branch of our Turning Point Network. And now we have to perfect timing to start. Please, join us now as William from TPN brings us today's headlines, plus a surprise interview!

Trusting God

Happy Wednesday everyone! Actually, that's only for the U.S.
It's already into Thursday here in the U.K. So for those reading in the U.K., go to sleep, and read it later!

Today I taught a Bible study at St. Lukes. The topic we covered was "Trusting God". And simply looking at scripture and learning more about what it says about His sovereignty.
I believe that's a very relevant topic to our lives every step of the way. Whether it's through a tough situation, through a hard decision, or even day in day out life. We must remember:
"All things work together for good for those who love God. For those who are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28

I mentioned to several people today that it's incredible to think that only one year ago, I was working at a bakery/cafe and taking a few college classes. No big plans for my immediate future, but I was looking forward to my two week missions trip out to a little country just west of England called Wales.
Only God could have orchestrated everything from that point until now. I couldn't have told you last year that God would have put me here a year ago. And again, I wouldn't be able to tell you where I'll be one year in the future for certain. I could guess, "man makes his plans" but what? "God guides his steps." And it's His immutable and perfect plan we must trust. Which bring about our good, and His glory.
What IS up to us, is how we are going to react to situations and tests which arise on the path He's put us on.
Also, speaking of trusting God, I had a bad bus experience today. Usually the public transportation here in Merthyr is quite reliable. However today, this was not the case. The first bus I rode on this morning was late. Then, on my way back from the meetings and Bible studies, I got on 'the evil bus'. (It wasn't truly evil) but it was pretty bad.
It squeaked and squealed with every turn and every bump we went over. Actually, I thought we lost the back half of the bus while going around a round-a-bout!
Not only the bus, but the driver had a problem too... he moved his head like a bobble head... even when the bus was not moving.
And this seemingly unimportant problem, soon became a bigger problem when I realized he was bobbling a little to close to the oncoming traffic!
Thankfully, as you should be able to tell, I survived.
Sure, I may have exaggerated a tad, but still... I had to trust God in that situation too. But I will tell you this, if I find that same bus and driver combination, I'll probably get some more excercise and just walk to Gellydeg. (pronounced similarish to Gethydeg)

Tonight I taught the lesson for Oasis at Park Baptist. We discussed the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 people. Then we discussed how we should give the things we have, like talents, time, or money. And God can use those things to help others. And we can have a chance to be a part of it.

I closed out the evening with a Arizona Nacho Grande burger from McDonalds. They are currently promoting 'tastes of America' so each week in May the burger is supposed to represent a different place in the U.S. I have to admit the Arizona was quite tasty!

your brother in Christ,
David Bunce


Also, don't be shy about leaving comments on the blog as well, if you have had a favorite post, or have any questions about Wales, this would be the place to tell about it or ask you question. :)

Interview with Pastor Andy

Greetings all! Everything is still going great here in Wales. Things have turned a little colder as far as the weather is concerned...It was about 3 degrees (Celsius) this morning. And as I looked out at the distant mountain peaks, I could see that they were completely covered in snow!
Today, I helped move some appliances with Paul (the pastor of St. Lukes) And now I'm getting some lesson, and sermon prep done for the coming week.

Also, I wanted to introduce you to Andy Pitt. He is the Pastor of Park Baptist, and my host for this trip.
Click here to watch the interview: http://youtu.be/rVm9rNC9MDg

Sightseeing then preaching

Hey everyone! Oh, where to begin... So much has happened within the past few days I'm not sure where to start.
On Saturday I went with some friends to a place called St. Fagans. It's a Welsh historical museum, with old houses from around Wales. Over the years they have been taken apart and then rebuilt on the estate.
more info about the museum
Afterward, we went to Barry. Where we were able to walk and climb the rocky coast along the shore.
                                  
                                   

Not sure if it's considered the English channel or not... I think it's a little too far north to be part of the channel. Either way, it was really cool to go up on top of a hill looking out to England on the other side of the water. Sometimes I forget that I really am on the other side of the Atlantic ocean. Still really cool though.

Then today I went to St. Lukes in the morning. And went back to the house to prep for my sermon in Clyne.
The congregation is very small there, probably about 20 people in attendance. However, it was still a pretty big deal to them and to me. Especially since it was the first sermon I've preached in Wales!
Look out Lloyd-Jones! (Famous Welsh pastor) And trust me, I'm being sarcastic. I think everything went well, it just felt very different actually leading a church service... Different, but a really great experience.
Any anxiety I had was mostly due to the fact I knew I would also be in charge of communion... (for my very first time.) And besides the few people who took me from Merthyr to Clyne, I didn't know anyone there. So it was slightly nerve wracking.
Thanks to God's mercy, everything went okay. I think I imagined every possible way to mess up a communion service. haha, not really. I had a great time just fellowshipping with other believers and sharing the Word of God with them!

Which by the way, the sermon went well too. (At least that's what the congregation told me) I spoke on 1st John chapter one. Mostly dwelling on the topic of Fellowship.
And next Sunday I'll be preaching in Aberdare.


P.S. I want to wish my awesome Mother a very Happy Mother's Day! Or in Welsh a "Sul y mamau hapus" Without whom I obviously wouldn't be on this trip... And the world would be missing out on so much.

Past and Future

The Bible study was great tonight! We got to study tonight on the subject of Pneumatolgy (The Holy Spirit). And while we didn't get to finish it all tonight, it was very good to see everyone learning and asking questions. So next Thursday evening we'll be finishing up the Holy Spirit lesson and start the study of man, or a.k.a. Anthropology. This Sunday evening will be my first official sermon whilst here. So please be in prayer for that. And following this Sunday, I'll be speaking almost every Sunday to follow up to my departure which is July the 20th.

It's hard to believe, but today is the anniversary of the first day in the U.K.! I've already been in Wales for one whole month! Exactly one month ago I arrived in Heathrow airport, and rode with Pastor Andy and Udo to Merthyr. Time has flown, and there is still soooo much more to do in the next two months I'm here. Only 1/3rd of the way through though, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for these next two months!
Many projects are on the horizon, one of those of course being the Mission's trip with the missionaries from New Hope, and Turning Point!
So to comemmorate this day, I have bestowed upon myself this picture of an inflated balloon!

Yaay!

This next week, I've planned to do something along the lines of a newscast to try and give another informative and entertaining update.  I'll soon be uploading to youtube a video made awhile back from our church. It will give you a background as to why this upcoming newscast idea was first started.
                                   
Coming soon I'll be broadcasting 'Live' plus I'll be other clips and interviews so you can meet some more people from around here.

To Subscribe, or see other videos I've posted... go to www.youtube.com/dbunce91

Monday?

For some reason, I was truly confused this morning. And I went through the first half of my day thinking it was Monday. Bank holidays have that effect on many people here. I did finally get it right however, and made it to the Bible study out at St. Lukes on time.
Part of the day I also spent at the Gurnos... If you're wondering what exactly is this Gurnos Christian Center I keep talking about?? Here is the website for it! www.gurnoschristiancentre.co.uk (yes center is spelled different on purpose. haha)

Tomorrow evening I'll be in charge of the games for the Oasis kids club... So hopefully all goes well there! Last week we made a mural and I was in charge of creating a boat with Jesus in it. The kids added the paint for the hills, sky, grass, etc. And also self cut out portraits of themselves.. Here below you can see my amazing artistic rendition of Jesus calming the storm....

I know... it's amazing! please hold your applause and sincere adulation. I'll sell prints of this for 20 quid apiece and be a millionaire before I return home!
Ok, yes I know it's not great, but it was fun doing a project with the kids from the area. Of course BGT semi-finals are this week, so every evening that is a must watch before turning in for the night.
I'll be catching a bus in the morning back to St. Lukes, then I'll be leading a Bible study after lunch. So we shall see how that all turns out tomorrow!

Nos Da!
David Bunce



The treacherous climb up Pen y Fan

Today I began my perilous journey across the Brecon Beacons! This time on foot.

Didn't quite look this clear today, I took this pic last time I was in the Beacons.

At 2,907 ft above sea level, Pen y Fan is the highest peak in South Wales. Only second in the entirety of Wales to Snowdon.(Which I shall hopefully climb too before I leave in July!) Today the forcast called for rain all day, so as we went to the Brecon Beacons, we (Dale, and his neighbor Alan) could see the clouds building and the impending downpour of doom approaching. Thankfully however, we did not get rained on until we were alomst back to the car as we prepared to leave.

Most of what we saw on the way up... yep.

After exiting the vehicle, The three amigos began their trek up the mountain.
Dale joked about the dangerous things in the woods that avoid Welshmen and eat Americans. I thought it was all a joke, until (begin fake story) I noticed red eyes peering at us from the tall grass. It lunged out from the grass and I knew right away this must be one of those 'Pen y fanwolves which only appear when fog is on the mountain' he was soon joined by several packs. Only their eyes were visible through the dense fog. Dale and myself fought off the werewolf attack as best as we could to allow time for Alan to quickly run to the car to make for a quick getaway. Unfortunately, he was stopped before he was even ten feet from us. Now the only option was to turn and head straight for the mist and fog covered path. (True fact alert) The Romans are the recorded builders of the path shown below. If this is the case, the road I traversed today is indeed quite old!

Normally, you would see part of the mountain
where the sheer white at the end of the road begins.

Anyway, back to my story. As we ran blindly up the incredibly steep hills it became obvious we were surrounded on every side by creatures of unspeakable horror! (sheep)
And becuase of these deadly creatures coloring, (fluffy white fur) they blended in with the fog. So you never knew when another could cross the path.
So we had to build a mound of rocks to keep all evil creatures of the mist away! (I actually did take a rock from the bottom to the top of one of the peaks... as is tradition) Yaay! The End. (of incredibly cheesy and fake story)

Then as we decended the mountain, the fog began to clear. And I had some absolutely amazing views of the valleys and mountains surrounding me. It's hard to show the majesty of the scenery in a photo, but hopefully you'll get an idea from the few I've posted here and the ones on FB.

Much better on the way down!!

Anyhoo, it was a great day... And I hope you all enjoyed seeing some of it too!

                           I'll leave you with one little update I filmed while on the mountain.



Studies in Merthyr, Pizza in Aberdare

Even though there was no great excitement to report this weekend, I was quite happy because this weekend gave me plenty of time to study... plus a little time to sleep.
Apparently I've been looking a little tired recently. And after seeing the last video I posted, I have to agree. But there is so much to do and I don't want to waste any time with such frivolities! I'm sure you can empathize in some way with that mindset...
Anyway, some of my study consisted of reading the Gospels with a friend over the past couple weeks.. It's amazing how I can read the same passage over and over, yet see something new each time. I believe this is very obvious evidence to the fact that God's Word is indeed alive.
If you haven't read John 6 in a while, (especially verses 26-59) I strongly encourage you to read it. That is the chapter where Jesus talks about being the bread of life. I'll share these later, I don't want to give away any sermons which I have not yet preached! ;)

The Thursday Bible study group in the Gurnos has been going well! I led the group in a discussion about the Trinity this past week... (The Bible and Christology before that) Understanding that all three persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are still one God (Deut 6:4) is vital. And they are equal in power and eternality.
Wrapping our minds around this truth can be difficult. As one of the members of our group wisely stated; trying to fit God's knowledge into our mind is like trying to fit the entire ocean into a small hole in the sand. Or as stated by John Wesley, "Show me a worm that can comprehend man, and I'll show you a man that can comprehend the triune God."
This Thursday we begin Pneumatology - The study of the Holy Spirit. This will be most interesting to see what discussions ensue.

I'm heading up another Bible study at St. Lukes on Wednesday afternoons... Last week we covered the fruits of the spirit and the rotten fruit of sin. I'm actually not entirely sure yet what I want to speak about this week, there are so many different studies I'd like to do. Just have to narrow it down to one.

Then of course all the other meetings, sermon prep, etc. I've told you all about in an earlier post is still ongoing.
Then this evening I'm staying the night with Dale and his wife Helen. They are really great people; and we all had a great night talking, watching tv, and eating pizza after the evening service at Park Baptist. When I first pulled up, they had a U.S. flag on their house as a sort of "welcome banner".

And as I mentioned before, tomorrow is the trek up Pen y Fan... Hopefully the rain will be kept to a minimum. At least for some of the time we're up there. But I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow. So long for now!

Wales Update

                                 Just me saying hey! Letting you all know I'm still alive and well!

Saturday night check-in

 Hello all! Just a quick check in tonight. Everything is going very well, not too much to report today. I spent most of the day reading and getting things ready for later this week.
Bank holiday is this Monday so I'll have some free time. Monday morning I'll be climbing Pen y Fan with a friend (Pastor Dale) from Aberdare... Hopefully it won't be pouring down rain, so it will be an enjoyable climb!

A view of the garden in Pastor Andy's back yard

I was very thankful to recieve this gift from Geraint! This is a rarity in Wales.

Everyone have a great rest of your weekend! Don't miss tomorrow's blog, I hope to have a video update in adddition to a brief overview of the Bible studies I've been leading.

In Christ,

David Bunce

Routine, and wildlife...

Croeso!
Welcome!

I have now been in Wales 25 days... It's hard to believe almost a full month of my trip is already over!

I've been able to help some already, but there is still so much more to be done. And time is a precious commodity, so I am trying my best to make good use of the rest of my time here.

I've now settled into something of a routine: Gurnos Christian Center starts off most of my days during the week, then Monday evening is prayer meeting, Tuesday evening is Bible study at St. Lukes, Wednesday morning - afternoon I'm in St. Lukes for prayer meeting, lunch, and Bible study. Then in the evening I'm at Park Baptist for Oasis kids club, Thursday evening is the "meat" Bible study at the Gurnos, and Friday evening is high 5 kids club and the van ministry.
Tomorrow (saturday) I'll be looking forward to a day of rest. And then Sunday, I'll be at Park Church for morning and evening service this week.

Plus, I already have several upcoming opportunities to preach... And then in my spare time, I have planning for the mission to keep up with as well. So I'm definitely keeping busy!

Animals in Merthyr:



Above right, is another member of the Pitt family. Her name is Rags. She may be getting a little old and sort of set in her ways; yet she was kind enough to welcome in the foreigner (and his pet sheep). She is especially fond of me when I'm sitting in the living room with any type of food. She'll usually jump up on the couch and slowly inch closer hoping I'll be kind enough to share.

A Day at the Gurnos

Yesterday, we had a little bit of free time, so we (Jon, Geraint, and myself) decided we could show you all what a typical day is like for me at the Gurnos... So please watch below for the full picture.

(WARNING: The following video is not an accurate depiction of missionary work in Merthyr, and in by no means approved or supported by Gurnos Christian Center or Park Baptist Church.)

ENJOY!!

Prayer meeting, and Merthyr Facts!

Today was somewhat routine, nothing particularly extraordinary to report. I worked at the Gurnos, helped move some donated furniture to the church, went to prayer meeting at the church, and talked with some friends and family back home.

Pastor Andy read from Psalm 113 in prayer meeting tonight, which says :

　

                                        "Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

praise the name of the Lord!

² Blessed be the name of the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore!

³ From the rising of the sun to its setting,

the name of the Lord is to be praised!

⁴ The Lord is high above all nations,

and his glory above the heavens!

⁵ Who is like the Lord our God,

who is seated on high,

⁶ who looks far down

on the heavens and the earth?

⁷ He raises the poor from the dust

and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

⁸ to make them sit with princes,

with the princes of his people.

⁹ He gives the barren woman a home,

making her the joyous mother of children.

Praise the Lord! "

We need to remember what God has done for us through Jesus, and then we truly can praise the Lord at all times, through both the good and the bad!

In other news, my church, Turning Point at Calvary has put me on it's missions page with a link to this blog. Please feel free to visit the website to learn more about TPAC @ www.tpcalvary.com

I also learned today that one of my friends from Park Baptist (Jon Dyer) has a website which he created and updates. It has some really good stuff! The site is www.jtdyer.com

The following info is actually from Jon's site. So without further ado, here are some very interesting facts about Methyr:

Merthyr Tydfil: Merthyr Tydfil (Welsh: Merthyr Tudful) is a town and county borough in Wales, with a population of about 55,000. It was formerly in the historic county of Glamorgan. It is often referred to simply as 'Merthyr' The archaeological record starts from about 1000BCE by the 'Celts'. Then the Romans had arrived in Wales by about 47-53CE and in 74 CE they built a Roman auxiliary fortress at Penydarren, overlooking the River Taff (Taf). It covered an area of about 3 hectares, and formed part of the network of roads and fortifications. Christianity was introduced throughout much of Wales by the Romans, but in Merthyr it seems that, it may have been introduced later by monks from Ireland and France who made their way into the region following rivers and valleys. Local tradition holds that a girl called Tydfil, daughter of a local chieftain named Brychan, was an early local convert to Christianity, and was pursued and murdered by a band of marauding Picts and Saxons while traveling to Hafod Tanglwys in Aberfan, a local farm that is still occupied to this day. The girl was considered a martyr after her death in approximately 480CE. “Merthyr” translates to “Martyr” in English, and tradition holds that, when the town was founded, the name was chosen in her honour. A church] was eventually built on the traditional site of her burial. Until 1754, Merthyr Tydfil was little more than a village, it was recorded that the valley was almost entirely populated by shepherds. Merthyr was situated close to reserves of iron ore, coal, limestone and water, making it an ideal site for ironworks and in the wake of the Industrial revolution the demand for iron led to the rapid expansion of Merthyr's iron operations. The 1801 census recorded the population of Merthyr as 7705, the most populous parish in Wales (however, the built-up area of Swansea, covering several parishes, then exceeeded 10,000). By 1851 Merthyr had overtaken Swansea to become the largest town in Wales with 46,378 inhabitants. By this time, Irish immigrants made up 10% of the local population, and there were substantial numbers of English, together with some Spanish and Italians The population of Merthyr reached 51,949 in 1861, but went into decline for several years thereafter. As the 19th century progressed, Merthyr's inland location became increasingly disadvantageous for iron production, and only the Dowlais works invested in steelmaking technology. Since the end of the Second World War, much of this has declined, with the closure of long-established coal mining collieries, and both steel and ironworks. Despite recent improvements, some parts of the town remain economically disadvantaged, and there is a significant proportion of the community who are long-term unemployed. In Britain today, Merthyr: Ranks 13th worst for economic activity. Ranks 13th worst for life expectancy. Has 30% of the population suffering from a limiting long-term illness. A controversial Channel 4 programme rated Merthyr Tydfil as the third worst place to live in Britain in 2006 following areas of London Hope that was informative, and now you can see a gimpse into what some of the struggles are that the people here deal with every day. Please remember to be in prayer for the people of Merthyr and the people of Park Baptist church.

Facts about Merthyr Tydfil Landmark Cyfartha Castle Geographic 10° 33´30´´ eastern longitude, 52° 58´ northern latitude Nearest city Cardiff (23 miles) Population 55,600 Local features Postal Code CF47 / CF48

The start of a beautiful weekend.

Last night I joined several people from Park Baptist for the van ministry which we do every Friday night. This entails us going to a local car park (at the college) and giving out free tea, coffee, and hot chocolate to anyone who stops by. It's a great way to connect with the community; especially with the younger crowd. Many of them will just go out there to sit and chat with friends. It's kind of the local hang out spot.
Once they found out about my car, they all were very interested. At least one of the guys there was a big car fan, so it gave us something we could both relate to. I think it's important to show that the church doesn't stay locked up in an ivory tower, but we genuinely care to help people or just enjoy their company. We are called to be "in the world, but not of the world". How can we be in it, if we spend all our time trying to avoid anyone not from the church?
It was a little slow, so I was told, but it gave me a good chance to meet a few people and learn a little more about another ministry of the church.

  Before that, I had a chance to help with the High 5 (Gurnos kids club). It was really just a game night, as we are transitioning from one material to a new one we will start next week. This next one will be about the world God has created. Exploring various things like space, plants, animals, etc.
  Afterward, Geraint and I battled it out on the air hockey table as Jon watched. I won't say I won, (even though it's true) because that could be considered bragging. But the margine of victory was so large that it's not really bragging. haha.
 Then today I helped with the food bank collection. A local supermarket donated many boxes of food, so we collected it, weighed it, then sorted it.

It took us about 3 hours and it was well worth it. Our food pantry is stocked well for the distributions later this week.
Then this evening I went with some friends to see the new Marvel Avengers movie! It came out here before showing in America, it was a great film. Plus I got a chance to visit a British cinema! So it was a new and exciting experience in two different ways.
 

I'm now going to 'fly' off to sleep, and hopefully not sleep through my alarm in the morning!

The Queen visits Cyfarthfa castle

Below is a video of the Army Cadets marching for the Queen. (similar to our ROTC) You can very faintly see my head pop up on the far right side of the video. I had claimed a large rock for myself, (and America) so I could have a good vantage point.

Here is the news story covering the visit of Queen Elizabeth II:

BBC News - Queen's visit to Merthyr (1:20 into the video tells about her visit to Merthyr)
It has been 46 years since the Queen had visited Merthyr Tydfil. And most people were very happy to see her. Only a few people who are not Royalists, know here as republicans, are not for the monarchal rule; so there were a few protesters. However, from what most people have said, she has done a great job as queen. This is her Diamond Jubilee tour, so that means she is celebrating her 60th year as Queen. She took the throne in 1952. She flew in on the Royal helicopter, then she and her husband (Prince Phillip - the Duke of Edinburgh) rode up to tour the castle and hear the cadets perform (above). I thought it was pretty cool to have been able to be a part of the celebration!

To see the rest of the photos I took today, check out my FB page: www.facebook.com/dbunce91 I'll post them under 'photos' then the album 'Wales 2012'.
One of the members of Park Baptist Church, (Scott Reid - the museum curator) got to take the Queen on a tour of the museum while she was there... I'm sure we'll not hear the end of this for quite some time. Just kidding Scott!

To see the extended news story and some interviews about the Queen's visit, click here
Afterward, a few friends and I went to Frankie and Bennie's; an Italian restaraunt in town.
I had the hot American style pizza, I figured 'you eat what you are' right? haha.
Then we had our Thursday night Bible study at the Gurnos Christian Center where we talked about the person of Jesus Christ, about Him being both fully God and fully man.  About His eternality, virgin birth, sinless life, atoning sacrifice, and resurrection. It was excellent. And our memory verse for the week is: John 20:28-29:
"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Overall, a great day... looking foreward to another tomorrow! Already been here for over a fortnight and there's so much to do, I'm glad I have so much time left! :)
Goodnight, and God save the Queen.

-Dafydd B.