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FROM
THE SKIES TO THE SEA FROM AUSTRALIA'S AIR FORCE
TO GODS
NAVY
Bruce
and Dianne Bentley were both fulltime members of the RAAF when they met in 1968.
Bruce learnt his trade as a diesel fitter and Dianne served in the
Service Police.
They married just six months later and two children came from this union. Jo-Ann,
married to Steve Mannix, has 5 children and Michael, married to Caroline, has 3.
They all live in Gladstone and are walking with the lord. In 1979 they started their own transport business in Gladstone, and after many difficulties, both financial and marital, they gave their lives to Jesus, Dianne in 1984 and Bruce in 1985. Bruce
felt the call to boat ministry in 1989 when Rod and Annette Olsen brought their
yacht 'Renee' to Gladstone and based themselves there.
God's timing is not necessarily our timing.
There has been a refining process in both Bruce and Dianne over these 1 1
years during which they had to trust God for the sale of the business and the
provision of the yacht.
During this 1 1 year period Bruce made 4 trips to Vanuatu on different
vessels, gaining valuable sailing experience. The business sold in January 2000. In March 2000 they purchased their yacht, Pacific Mercy, then known as Pacific Gypsy. It is a 38' Hartley South Seas, ferro cement, sloop rigged with a 36HP Volvo engine. This yacht is ready to go overseas wherever God calls and leads. As at February 2006, Bruce & Dianne Bentley of Pacific Mercy are based in the Breakwater marina Townsville. They both have jobs working for the same transport company, which is a great blessing, Bruce as Depot Manager and Dianne in the office. They are planning another trip to the Louisiade Archipelago around the end of July 2006, once again it would appear for only the 2 months that the visitors visa allows. It is very hard to get a three year visa as a letter of invitation from a PNG church has to be extended, which is no problem but also a work permit has to be issued which is a problem as there are only so many such permits issued to a particular church group per year and as they are working through the CRC church Port Moresby, it is difficult as they have many foreign students attending their Bible College and the permits are needed for their use. 2005 was a very successful year of outreach and they managed to get as far as Rossel Island which is the antipodes of PNG, 100 NM S.E. of Misima where they showed videos to people who have never before seen a moving picture. They were hit with The Passion of the Christ for the first thing they saw! It was very impacting and many older people came to a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ, as well as younger ones. It was very rewarding to see old people accept Jesus. This year, 2006 they have new material to take and hope to spend a concentrated time on Rossel thoroughly saturating the island with the gospel.
The
motto of the RAAF is: 'Through difficulties to the stars', but in God ours is:
"WE ARE MORE THAN
CONQUERORS."
Please take a look at our PHOTOS...
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Send mail to 'webmaster at coastlands dot net' with
questions or comments about this web site. - Coastlands Ministry,
PO Box 1771, Townsville, Qld, 4810 Australia - ABN 18 098 365 096 -
Phone +61 7 4772 3374 Fax
+61 7 3319 6440 (USA +1 814 217 1777)
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