Fred and Betty Evans' Website

Well here it is the end of March and it’s time to report on our recent happenings. We are home again after a three month absence in Adelaide. Our son Philip and his new bride Emma moved into our home as residents in January and duly cared for the house and garden amidst their busy work responsibilities. Phil & Emma are saving madly for a deposit for their own home. I am proud of them.

Our sojourn in Adelaide was filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand loving and supporting Andrew & Lorraine during their walk through the valley of the shadow of death and watching first hand Lorraine’s struggle with that terrible disease called “Cancer”, concluding with her incredible funeral.

On the other hand we met up with old church friends who were with us during the golden years  of the Klemzig revival and the building of the Paradise Church complex.

During the month of March we also said farewell to a wonderful Christian lady. Mrs Beryl Job/Peterson, who in my opinion is one of Australia’s unsung heroes. She was known not only as a wonderful mother of 10 Children, 38 Grandchildren and 61 Great Grandchildren, but will be remembered for her incredible Prayer Life in support of her Family, Missionaries and Christian Leaders throughout Australia. Just before “Sister Peterson” as I called her passed away, my brother Andrew and I visited her in hospital and thanked her for supporting us in prayer. She was a dedicated member of the Klemzig church for many years and a great spiritual support to me. Another lady we visited while in Adelaide was Dr. Padma Solomon. She and her family imigrated from Sri Lanka many years ago and has been a prayer support to me and my family. Dr. Solomon’s sons have built for her a Prayer Room at the back of her home where she regularly intercedes in prayer. Its wonderful to know that God has special people like her who love to pray and support the family of God. I honour her!

Emotions  & feelings are very subjective aren’t they? They are testimony to life’s journey, ranging from the deep sadness of loss and grief of a loved one to the abounding  joy of new life.This year one can be excused for experiencing incredible negative emotions as we have traversed through Floods in January, Cyclones in February and the devastation of the Japan Tsunami in March. Its not surprising that many have ‘feelings’ of anxiety and fear at the terrible natural disasters that seem to be occuring on a rugular basis. Could this be what the Bible talks about as the beginning of the times of sorrow? Matthew 24:6-8

For me going back to Adelaide was like a step back in time as I walked its streets and breathed in the scented air of its Eucalyptus trees that grew along the Torrens River Valley where I daily strolled. Our old family home where the children grew up, is worse for wear which left me ‘feeling’ sad that the owners or occupants were not interested in mowing the lawn or attending to maintenance that screamed out for attention. The dishevelled curtains that Betty had lovingly sewed and hung over 30 years ago looked so bedraggled I ‘felt’ like knocking on the door and giving them a donation for new curtains. Its only things though, so why do we allow our emotions to be tied up with a world of materialism? On the other hand the positive ‘feelings’ of renewing friendships is exhilerating.

We had dinner with Ted & Kylie in Whyalla, coffee with Pastor Jackie & Harry Leesment, a suberb silver service three course meal at the home of my favorite Evangelist Tim & Jackie Hall and Jen & Ken Ashby served up a classy meal too. We had afternoon tea with Graham and Cynthia Taylor. Graham is off to India for ministry in April. Mick and Trish Sicherdick showed us around their beutifully appointed retirement home as we talked together of Gods blessing upon their lives.

The day before we left Adelaide I decided to walk down history lane and met up with my old friend Norm Millburn  who taught me in Sunday School. Talking about history, at the Glenelg Historical Museam I met up with Colonel Light  who surveyed Adelaide in 1837. At last my ‘feelings’ for Adelaide were getting back to normal  so we went to the Adelaide Zoo to see the Pandas. They were disappointing as they were asleep on the rocks. I did get close to a model Panda  however! The resident Lion made up for it though with his magnificent features.

March is a very significant Month in my Calendar as it is the month of my birth. It was way back in 1939 when  my parents were on furlough in Adelaide having already served two terms as missionaries in India. My mother gave birth to Frederick Christian Lever Evans at Lynette Private Hospital, Fullarton – Adelaide. With a name like that I could either feel embarrassed or try and live up to it. The fact is I had no choice in the matter! ‘Frederick’ means “peace maker” and ‘Christian’, well that’s what I was destined to be. Don’t ask me to explain ‘Lever’; that’s my Grandmother Evans’ maiden name. Anyhow I was the only Australian born child of Tom & Stella Evans and looking back, despite the setbacks & disenchantments, I have had an incredible journey.

There is one other event I should mention that occurred in  March. It was in 1959 that Billy Graham came to Australia to conduct the largest evangelistic Crusade in Melbourne’s history. I remember the catch cry of his sermons – “The Bible Says” he would thunder into his microphone! Well, it was on my birthday the 15th March 1959, Evangelist Billy Graham held his final Crusade Service in Melbourne, preaching from the Bible about the second coming of Jesus Christ. Thousands were converted that afternoon as they streamed down from the stands to pray the sinners prayer. Check out this short media report from those days: About the Billy Graham in Melbourne

It broke all attendance records for any event in the history of the world famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Can you believe it, the largest crowd ever to enter the MCG – was  143,750 at the Billy Graham Crusade. How about that!

Over 719,000 people attended the Crusade with all the major Protestant denominations being represented on the platform. Life all over the world has many events where God is central and He is and always will be the centre of mine.

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