{"id":3405,"date":"2026-03-26T00:13:44","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T00:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/?p=3405"},"modified":"2026-03-28T06:43:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T06:43:05","slug":"157-15-mar-2026-sharing-the-good-news-in-tokoroa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/?p=3405","title":{"rendered":"157. 15-Mar 2026: Sharing The Good News in Tokoroa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Praise you Jesus! for You are Holy, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your grace has spread across New Zealand, hallelujah! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hello family in Christ, we are back in Tokoroa, brother Pio&#8217;s home town, and our final outreach for the tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From here we will travel to Auckland, which will be quite a drive. But we are keen to get back home to rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sharing the good news in Tokoroa  21 March 2026\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_Vl4VRnX0nk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, another beautiful day in God&#8217;s creation. We needed to attend to laundry and there is a laundromat right where we will do outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We set up the table, right outside, with many new tracts, calendar&#8217;s and bibles from Maori Postal Aotearoa.  Well the community was certainly blesses, as they loved the calendars and comic bibles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-3-color\"><strong>2 Peter 3:9. <\/strong> The Lord is not slack concerning&nbsp;His&nbsp;promise, as some count slackness, but&nbsp;is longsuffering toward&nbsp;us,&nbsp;not willing that any should perish but&nbsp;that all should come to repentance.<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1643\" height=\"1270\" src=\"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260315_113055-scaled-e1774065376579.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260315_113055-scaled-e1774065376579.jpg 1643w, https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260315_113055-scaled-e1774065376579-1000x773.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260315_113055-scaled-e1774065376579-768x594.jpg 768w, https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260315_113055-scaled-e1774065376579-1536x1187.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1643px) 100vw, 1643px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We met brother in Christ, Lenny at the camp site. We enjoyed a lovey fellowship together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lenny shared some powerful testimonies of how God led him to New Zealand from Samoa. How he got a job as a Fitter Welder, then trained as a fully qualified engineer, praise God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later on, the Lord gave him a farm, which was transformed from an unusable land, into a land producing much fruit and accomodation for all his family, glory to Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-3-color\"><strong>Ezekiel 36:33-36 <\/strong> \u2018Thus says the Lord\u00a0God: \u201cOn the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable\u00a0you\u00a0to dwell in the cities,\u00a0and the ruins shall be rebuilt.\u00a0The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by.\u00a0<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-3-color\">So they will say, \u2018This land that was desolate has become like the garden of&nbsp;Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities&nbsp;are now&nbsp;fortified&nbsp;and&nbsp;inhabited.\u2019&nbsp;<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-3-color\">Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the&nbsp;Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places&nbsp;and&nbsp;planted what was desolate.&nbsp;I, the&nbsp;Lord, have spoken&nbsp;it,&nbsp;and I will do&nbsp;it.\u201d<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In our time on the street in Tokoroa, much seed was sown and a mighty harvest was produced for the Kingdom of Heaven, Thank You Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We witnessed thirty seven precious souls, all give their hearts to Jesus, praise God. Many people received the bilingual bible scriptures, books, calendars and drinks, glory to Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-3-color\"><strong>Ephesians 2:4-5.<\/strong>  But God,&nbsp;who is rich in mercy, because of His&nbsp;great love with which He loved us,&nbsp;even when we were dead in trespasses,&nbsp;made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-3-color\"><strong>1 Peter 2:24.<\/strong>  <sup>&nbsp;<\/sup>For&nbsp;you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned&nbsp;to the Shepherd and&nbsp;Overseer of your souls.<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We headed back to camp for a rest, before our four hour journey back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God bless you all, we hope, this blog, led by the Holy Spirit, has encouraged and edified you, in your walk with Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With love from your brother in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thank you for joining us here, you are welcome to leave a comment if you like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>You can navigate to our SFC YouTube channel by clicking here:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ServantsinChrist\">www.youtube.com\/@ServantsinChrist<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">____________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>About Tokoroa<\/strong>&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tokoroa<\/strong>&nbsp;is the fourth-largest&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Town\">town<\/a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Waikato\">Waikato<\/a>&nbsp;region of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Island\">North Island<\/a>&nbsp;of New Zealand and largest settlement in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Waikato_District\">South Waikato District<\/a>. Located 30&nbsp;km southwest of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rotorua\">Rotorua<\/a>&nbsp;and 20&nbsp;km south of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Put%C4%81ruru\">Put\u0101ruru<\/a>, close to the foot of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mamaku_Ranges\">Mamaku Ranges<\/a>, it is midway between&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Taup%C5%8D\">Taup\u014d<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hamilton,_New_Zealand\">Hamilton<\/a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/State_Highway_1_(New_Zealand)\">State Highway 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"History_and_culture\"><strong>History and culture<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"mw-file-description\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Pine_man_Tokoroa.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/0b\/Pine_man_Tokoroa.jpg\/250px-Pine_man_Tokoroa.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Pine man<\/em>, sculpture in Tokoroa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Early_history\"><strong>Early history<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tokoroa was the name of a chief of the Ng\u0101ti Kahupungapunga, who was slain by Raukawa during the siege of P\u014dhaturoa, a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Volcanic_plug\">volcanic plug<\/a>\u00a0adjacent to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C4%80tiamuri\">\u0100tiamuri<\/a>, 27\u00a0km south of Tokoroa. This battle took place around 1600 as the Ng\u0101ti Raukawa moved into the southern Waikato. The name\u00a0<em>Tokoroa<\/em>\u00a0first appeared on the early maps of the 1860s, although this was for an area 50\u00a0km north east of today&#8217;s Tokoroa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tokoroa\"><strong>Wikipedia<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Praise you Jesus! for You are Holy, Your grace has spread across New Zealand, hallelujah! Hello family in Christ, we are back in Tokoroa, brother Pio&#8217;s home town, and our final outreach for the tour. From here we will travel to Auckland, which will be quite a drive. But we are keen to get back [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-paulsblogpost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3405"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3421,"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3405\/revisions\/3421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soulsforchrist.co.nz\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}