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The Power Of The Written Word

It was just another morning in Safa, a village of a few hundred people built on the side of one of the countless river valleys that crisscross this particular part of the rural Philippines. I woke to the sound of the church bell – a rusty old caterpillar tread that hangs outside the church building – ringing seven times. I blearily put my mosquito net away, gulped down a cup of coffee, and along with about a hundred other people, turned up to the morning church service to sing some hymns and...

They Say Life Begins At Sixty!

This has become a reality for us and as we look back over the last few years, we can see how God was preparing us for this to happen. We were in our early sixties and planning for an easy retirement where we could spend time with our children and grandchildren, do a little travel, spend time at our holiday home, and perhaps help with different children’s programmes in our home church. We had downsized our house and garden ready for the time when all this would happen. Over the last fifteen yea...

IBCM7 - A Foretaste Of Heaven!

In June I had the privilege of attending the Seventh International Brethren Conference on Mission (IBCM7) in Rome. As an accountant, it is only proper that I start with some facts and figures. The theme was ‘You shall be my witnesses’ – Engaging with the world and its Needs. With 900 people and 122 countries represented, it was the biggest conference in the history of IBCM. The organising committee did an out-standing job in arranging all aspects of the conference, so we received clear pra...

is commendation relevant today?

So, what is commendation, anyway? It’s a word we don’t typically use in our everyday conversations, is it? The Oxford dictionary puts it this way, “an act of commending or recommending (esp a person to another’s favour)” For me that’s a clear explanation that fits well with the term frequently used in the Bible around the life of the early church. In this setting, apostles and teachers moved from one place to another, bringing the gospel message and encouragement for holy living to t...

Delivering To Jesus Himself

We all like to do things for people in Jesus’ name and hope they will notice that. But how does that work where we can’t communicate that to them, and they have no knowledge of Jesus? Kaylene and I finished up our six years flying with Mercy Air in Southern Africa and came home to NZ for our son's wedding. We had only been back a couple of weeks when I noticed in my weather apps (which I'm still addicted to following) a major weather system starting to develop in the straights between Mozamb...

Headspace - Cross-Cultural Exposure Trip

Block Four: Cross-Cultural Exposure Trip Dates: 28th July to 13rd October  Block Description: This is the offshore component of the programme where the team spends nine and a half weeks working alongside our partners in Thailand, in both rural and urban settings. During this time the gappers will have a period of learning Thai language and culture before starting to teach English in schools and other community groups. A truly spectacular experience which will test the teams’ ability ...

Entering Into A Culture For Jesus' Sake

I will never forget the conversation we were part of soon afterarriving in Myanmar. Rebecca and I were newbies in this culture, and the conversation was with a church leader whose home was a virtual grand central station for visitors from various parts of the country (that itself was part of her culture). Our friend was recounting how she had come across a woman, staying in their house, in her sister’s room, searching through her sister’s handbag. She was shocked and rushed into … an ...

Sharing Jesus In India

It’s that time again. We sit down on our couch ready to skype back to India. We take a moment every Sunday to switch our minds from Mission Aviation Fellowship Arnhem Land to the ‘Help the Needy’ Mission (HTN) congregation back in India. It’s always such a blessing for us to see God causing the evangelical work of HTN to flourish. We skype every week to share God’s Word with a house congregation there and to encourage them. Prabhu started HTN in 2012 before he joined MAF and it’s bee...

Everyone Needs Compassion

It’s March 15 in Christchurch. People are going about their daily routines as usual. This included Muslims gathering at two mosques near the city centre. Suddenly, a gunman begins shooting at those who had gathered to pray. At the end of the day, 50 were left dead, 50 injured in hospital and our nation changed forever. I was deeply affected by what happened. This happened in Aotearoa NZ! A little country at the bottom of the world of no global significance.  This could not have happened i...

A Challenge To My Worldview

Kudjip has been my home for the last two months, where I am working as a medical doctor at this 120-bed hospital. As well as a lot of learning and growing medically, I’ve enjoyed grappling with a different way of seeing the world and particularly illness. These experiences have challenged some of my own ideas, as well as provided opportunities for me to challenge others’ beliefs and speak Christ into difficult situations. One experience that will stay with me for a long time was Baby of Kath...

The Power Of Partnership

Last year the Headspace team had the privilege of having Wijit join us as an intern. Wijit is 24, lives in Thailand, and is originally from Burma. He has had continued contact with Headspace for many years, first through his school that Headspace visits, then through joining the team as a translator once a year and in 2017 for the full trip. He has shared with us his story, which so beautifully displays the direction and provision of God over the years of his life. Born in Burma, Wijit is the ol...

Mission and Money

“Money often costs too much,"  a profound little statement that is pertinent to missions. Missionaries from western countries like New Zealand are often vastly wealthier than the people that we go to. For example, in 2017 New Zealanders earned on average $50,000 a year,3 while in 2018 the minimum wage in Myanmar would give $1,177 a year.4 Having recently returned from Myanmar, we know from experience how difficult it is for a family to live in NZ on $50,000pa – it’s tough, and we don�...

Learn To Do Right; Seek Justice

God’s heart breaks for the displaced, disadvantaged, marginalised and exploited in this world. In the Bible these groups of people are described as ‘fatherless’, ‘widows’, ‘the poor’, ‘the foreigner’, ‘the afflicted’ and ‘victims’. While that’s not an exhaustive list, it certainly paints for us a picture of what concerns God, of the spread of those who matter to Him, of people who are unable to help themselves. Images and reports of many people fitting these categorie...

Dear Heavenly Father

Dear heavenly father…Unfairness is surrounding me. I said I wanted justice, I remember saying oceans of it. I want mercy and rivers flowing full of it. This morning I woke crippled in thought, More of you and less of me. But that means sacrifice. How can I sacrifice, in a society full of false humility, vulnerability and accountability? What does it mean to be a Christian?Who am I? Do I continue pretending like what you did for me is common news? Th...

Two Deaths

Above Image: The full moon as we gathered for a sunrise service this morning Death and suffering are part of every day here, raising questions about justice, worth, inequality and power. I’ve noticed a lot of parallels to the world of the gospels, where Jesus spoke to many of those questions. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the least of these, and two deaths on Thursday beautifully reminded me of his love and care for those who escape the world’s attention. After a night on call I ...

Partnering With Purpose

Back in 2017 Mr Jiju Ninan and Miss Phyllis Treasure, better known as Mummy, visited New Zealand. As a part of that visit they met with me to talk about the possibility of offering online courses throughout India. They have a wonderful Bible college there in Kerala called Rehoboth Theological Institute (RTI), of which Jiju is the registrar. The college has many people from all over India, and beyond, contacting them wanting to study the Bible online. These people are unable to leave their locati...

A Global Movement

For many years, I have been challenged by part of a verse in 1 Thessalonians 1. Verse 5 says: “you know how we lived among you for your sake.” I have often wondered what that looks like in the missions context. What does it mean for us to ‘live among them for their sake’? It continues to challenge me. Of course, as we continue reading in the book we get a number of insights into what it is actually saying. Let me identify a few aspects of this: The Gospel message was shared and it produc...

The Changing Face Of Missions

When we think of cross-cultural, overseas missions we may have in our minds that mission has been done in the same way since Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matt 28:16-20. But this is not the case. As the church has grown, mission has been carried out in different ways over the last 2000 years. The way we have done mission has been shaped by what is known as the Modern Missionary Movement. This movement began in the late 1700s, and its most well- known leader was William Carey. At this time m...

Headspace - Block 2

A full-on work-experience! The team have just started working six days a week, nine and half hours a day in a local kiwifruit packhouse. Relief comes at the weekly team nights: where they meet, have a meal and hang-out times. During this time there are also opportunities to connect with co-workers and build relationships. Prayer Points: This time is monotonous and “character building”, often the hardest time of year for gappers. Pray for patience, endurance and opportunities to shine Go...

As far as the eye can see, it’s just water...

We have just received the following update from one of our sister organisations, Bright Hope World, about the scale of the disaster in Mozambique. The report, written by Patrick, a local Pastor,  highlights just how great the need is. Rescue workers in Mozambique are racing against time to save hundreds of people clinging onto roofs and trees around the devastated city of Beira. These efforts come days after a powerful cyclone triggered flash floods, submerging entire villages and wiping ou...

How could I not return?

Dean Yeoman (DPG pg 10) has returned to SA in response to an invitation to help with recovery after Cyclone Idai. He penned a few words before his departure. It is obvious that Cyclone Idai is unfolding to be a huge disaster. Our Mercy Air helicopter was amongst the first responders as soon as this started developing and when I saw some of the first images of the devastation, I felt almost guilty that life should be so good here in New Zealand, when thousands of folks in Moz were huddled togethe...

Cyclone Idai, Mozambique

No doubt you have seen on mainstream media the vast area of land under water in Mozambique. The situation there is unbelievably dire. Thousands have lost their lives; infrastructure is gone; crops are ruined. Will you help? Through GC Aid we have an opportunity to make a real impact. Dean Yeoman (DPG pg 10), a helicopter pilot & engineer with Mercy Air, has been flying medical teams into remote parts of Southern Mozambique since 2012. He knows the challenges of the country really well. Although ...

Disaster in West Papua

Heavy rain and flash flooding has hit the communities of West Papua and a huge mudslide has taken the lives of at least 58 people so far, and many more are missing, possibly buried beneath a sea of mud. There are reports of children been swept away from their parents as the flash flood roared through the area. A local Church leader is advising that four of their churches have been buried beneath the mud and that one of their Pastors is missing and thought to be buried in his church building. Lif...

Healing Christchurch

The tragedy of the events in Christchurch on Friday provides opportunities for Christians to lament with, and to support folk in the Muslim community across the country. Please continue to pray into the situation, that the love of Jesus will be very evident and that God’s Spirit will be at work in mighty ways. On a practical level, GC Aid is making an immediate advance to Friends of Friends Fellowship to enable them to fly additional personnel to Christchurch and to enable them to assist Musli...

IN SYMPATHY

Please pray for the family of Sylvia Wright. Sylvia passed away in the early hours of Monday 11 March. She will be remembered as a loved mission partner who served her Lord for a great length of time in India. If anyone would like a copy of her memoirs – A Nurse on a Mission – Please contact her sister, Winsome - missos4him@gmail.com....