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The Frequency |
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April 2009 Year 7 No. 3
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Newsletter of the Amateur
Radio Christian Fellowship (N.Z.) |
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Our
greetings to every reader of this letter, in the name of our Lord, Jesus
Christ. Some of you have no doubt had challenges to meet since last we met –
some we know of, others we don't – and we trust that you have come through with
a brighter, stronger faith.
Our Best Wishes
During
April we remember the following members and friends who celebrate birthdays:
Robert VK2VRD (3rd); David ZL1UFE (9th); Bruce ZL4BEP (19th);
Garry ZL2BME (25th); Louis ZL1USN (turns 70 on 29th). May
God's richest blessing be on you all, and any others of whose birth dates we
are unaware.
Christchurch Members' Get-together
Further
to our suggestion that members in the greater Christchurch area meet together
some time, we have received a kind offer from one member of use of a Church
lounge. There would be nothing to bring except yourself (and wife if
applicable). We will bring afternoon tea. Perhaps a Saturday afternoon during
May would be best, but we will contact individual members soon about this to
find out (a) level of interest; and (b) mutually suitable date. This would be a
time of sharing radio (and life) experiences, over a cup of tea, as well as
opportunity to "put a face to the voice" we hear.
News of Members
ALAN
ZL2AEB (Tokoroa) – It has been good to hear Alan come on to 40m when able, and
to hear of his involvement (with Kelvin ZL1LY) with the Radio Rhema
transmitting station.
BARBARA
ZL2LOL (Palmerston N) – We warmly welcome Barbara to our Nets, and to our
Fellowship. On 14/2/09 husband David ZL2DEK came on to 80m net for the first
time, and it was a joy to hear them both on 28/3/09. Congratulations, Barbara,
on passing your examination, and we wish you much enjoyment in future contacts.
BOB
ZL1BMA (Hamilton) – Several times on echolink during past month. Bob has been
studying for a Home Tutor's qualification for teaching English to immigrants,
and we wish him well with this.
BRUCE
ZL4BEP (Oamaru) – We received a welcome letter from Bruce letting us know that
due to Church commitments, he finds more difficulty in coming on nets. He has
however been participating in the National System Awards, contacting around 70
branches as well as DOC sites, parks, marine reserves. Bruce has been inspired
by the help received from others on the programme. We have let Bruce know that
we will always be glad to hear him when he is able to join, and we wish him
God's blessing in all he does.
CECIL
ZL1BXT (Hamilton) – Cecil's beloved Mavis passed away on Saturday, 21/3/09, and
as a Fellowship we join in sending to Cecil and his family our love, prayers,
and sympathy in his time of loss. We phoned Cecil to comfort him, but he
instead was such an inspiration himself, and so filled with the hope of the
life to come for all who are in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We are grateful to BRIAN ZL1HN for
letting us know of Mavis' passing. We believe the service for Mavis on 25/3/09
at Hillcrest Bible Chapel was wonderful, and Cecil and family will have that
memory to sustain them.
GARY
ZL3SV (Motueka) – Most interesting to hear of Gary's recent interview with PM
John Key in the course of his media work. A reminder that we should be
remembering often in prayer those in Government, as their responsibilities in
these days is huge. We are grateful to Gary for his help with echolink
connections, and with web site.
KEITH
ZL3AHL (Christchurch) – Keith and Grace returned last week from a holiday in
North Island where they attended a school reunion. They met up (for first time)
with TREVOR ZL2TN in Palmerston North, with Keith coming on 80m net from
Trevor's on 21/3/09. '
MIKE
ZL2WMS (Collingwood) – So good to hear Mike check on to 80m net 28/3/09, and we
hope for further contacts.
Remember to Pray
The
following are known to us as needing prayer, either in areas of health or
present life circumstances. We seek God's covering and mercy for all these
folk: STAN ZL4OW; BARRY ZL2FV; JOHN
ZL3TR; PETER ZL1CDF; JOHN ZL2DBX (recently moved from Palmerston N to
Christchurch and recovering from major surgery); CECIL ZL1BXT. We remember our
VK members, and those on missionary service (ALAN ZL2TAG and AVERIL), as well
as those needing ongoing prayer.
MEMBER'S PROFILE – ALAN ZL2TAG
I
was born in January 1943 in Lower Hutt, NZ, and I have one brother and three
sisters. In 1949, my family returned to Tawa, where I was educated at the Lower
Hutt and Tawa (Flat) primary schools. Secondary schooling was at Rongatai
College, which sat at the end of the original Rongotai airport runway. The
Nissen hut style gymnasium got the full blast of take-offs when a southerly was
blowing! I became a Christian during my last year of High School, through the
Tawa Baptist Church Bible Class and the very active Crusader group at College,
led by a Mr Gordon Junk.
I wanted to go both dairy farming and
work in radio communications. The radio interest was fostered by life-long friend
Ron Blackwood ZL2OY. As a schoolboy I would sit beside Ron and his home brew AM
rig, and be fascinated by the glowing mercury vapour rectifiers flickering away
at the bottom of the rack as he talked! Class B modulation, eh! He joined me up with the Titahi Bay Amateur
Radio Club AREC section where I found out just how heavy a ZC1 is to carry
across a field.
Massey University never answered my application, but the NZPO Chief
Engineer personally came to our house 2 days after applying to the Post
Office! I was an NZPO technician from
1959-1964 with postings to Wellington East PO workshop, Makara Radio, VHF and
microwave site testing and Palmerston North Radio Depot. Also at this time I
received the call ZL2TAG.
A clear call to Missions came at the end
of 1964, so I trained at the Bible College of New Zealand in Henderson 1965-66.
I married Averil in May 1967 (yes, we met at BCNZ), and joined OMF for church
planting in Asia. We arrived in Thailand in April 1968. God has blessed us with
four wonderful children and now 10 grandchildren. They have become very
international through their Asian home and schooling, and now live in USA, NZ,
Philippines, Sudan. Skype is a
wonderful friend to our family so we can all keep in regular touch.
I joined the Radio Amateur Society in
Thailand in 1974 and operated for many years with the call HS6AMO. Being the only HS6 licensed on HF it became
a real pain trying to avoid the DX hunting fraternity whenever I came on for a
sked with ZL, VK, P21 and DU friends.
During those years I used the Drake R4C, T4XC and L4B equipment. The first two were an "almost"
gift from a German Ham I was introduced to while at a meeting in Hong
Kong. The L4B 1kw linear was found in a
flea market under a bridge in Bangkok.
The trader said it was a HiFi amp but he wasn't sure how it plugged into
the power or where to connect the speaker!
I assured him that I could relieve him of such a burden to both mind and
cluttered stock so it became mine. A
friend here in NakhonSawan runs a motor rewinding business and quickly found a
large transformer core under his junk pile and wound me the necessary HV
transformer. All of this is now in my
shack in Auckland. In 1986 after one of
Thailand's many coups the RAST was restructured and as we had also moved house
and were increasingly busy in church leadership training I stopped operating
from HS.
For 40 years now Averil and I have been so fulfilled in the
pioneer church planting work in the central provinces. A growing network of 100 churches are now
pressing on with the preaching of the Cross and the life-changing power of the
Holy Spirit that follows. Communication
via Ham radio is still for me an amazing thing, yet communicating the Good News
of Jesus is so much more. We look
forward to hearing and seeing more from each other later this year after we
return to NZ in July. Thank you for your
prayers, and God bless. Alan and Averil
Bennett, ZL2TAG, Thailand.
[We are grateful to Alan and Averil
for taking time to send this to us, and pray God's blessing on the remainder of
their time in Thailand, and smooth transition to life back in NZ. We value
their part in this Fellowship.]
IN CONCLUSION – "Our Only
Refuge"
"Therefore everyone who hears
these words of Mine and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man who built
his house upon the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds
blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it has been
founded on the rock." [Matthew 7:24-25 NASB]
Perhaps
you've seen the film Lawrence of Arabia. The
real T.E. Lawrence, who was a secret agent during the First World War, often
engaged in desert guerrilla warfare against the Turks. The enemy forces who
chased Lawrence constantly often felt they had him hemmed in and trapped. But
he would ride to his hidden desert fortress. He was never too far away from it,
and if worse came to worst, he could flee there, find safety, and strengthen
himself on the ample provisions of food and water. Lawrence had a refuge, a
rock, and a fortress in the dangers of the wilderness. But God provides a much
better one for you and me. In those times when we feel the hostile forces of
the world pursuing us, we long for a strong refuge. As we feel suddenly exposed
and vulnerable and our feet are unsteady in the shifting sands beneath us, we
yearn for a rock and a fortress – the kind of security found only in God. [From David
Jeremiah in "His Parables", Integrity Publishers]
73s,
and committing you all into our Heavenly Father's care until we meet again.
Graham ZL3NZ and Mary ZL3MD
Fellowship
Motto
To do good and to communicate
forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (Hebrews 13:16)
Contact us: Graham and Mary
Dacombe, 20 Allin Drive, Waikuku Beach 7402 North Canterbury
Phone: 03-312 7782 Fax: 03-312 7783 Email: arcf@xtra.co.nz
Nets: Saturdays 7.30 p.m. on 3.650 MHz – Sundays 4
p.m. on 7.050 MHz
Website www.arcf.co.nz