From the Field

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Fostering a Family Missions Culture

My own “Pathway to Missions” began almost 20 years ago, with a small, yellow flyer I happened to pick up in the church foyer, an unexpected (to me, at least) and tearful, “Here I am, Lord; Send me!” in the church car park and then an amazing, eye-opening two weeks in Cape Town, South Africa on short-term outreach. I happen to think it is a great story; but it is not the story I plan to share right now (come by my house sometime for a cuppa, and I’ll happily tell you!). Rather, I want t...

If God Is For Us

Our 16th Brisbane ‘Women2Women about Mission’ was a morning of reflection on Romans 8:31-39, focussing on the theme of 'If God is for us, ... how will he not ... graciously give us all things?'...

Serving in Outback QLD with OAM

I had the blessing of being raised in a Christian family and being taken to church and Sunday school from birth. We heard the reports of missionaries who visited our church and often read stories of missionaries, both real life and fictional. To my young mind, these all seemed to be a huge adventure but became something more after giving my own life to the Lord. As I grew to know Him more, these stories took on a new look for me, as God was becoming much more in the picture of my life. I di...

African Flood Relief

Our heartfelt thanks to all who have given towards and prayed for the flood relief situation in Rwanda, Uganda and surrounds. The Christian Brethren church networks in both countries have few resources and greatly appreciate the assistance provided by our Australian churches....

Come & See 2023

Early one Thursday morning in April 2023, two vehicles – a “Big Red” AMOS bus and a HiAce van – departed Mueller College in Rothwell, QLD. Destination: St George, QLD. Distance: 525km. Some eight hours later, as they finally rolled into the riverside campsite, the convoy had grown from two to six vehicles, from 17 to 33 travellers. The Come & See 2023 team was ready for adventure.Click here to watch the highlight reel!...

Getting to the Point

How did we get to the point where we wanted to be involved in missions, knowing this was what God had led us to do and where He wanted us to go? Answering these questions could take many pages, but we will be brief.I, Jonathan, was raised in a Christian family, and my parents were very keen on mission work. I remember at a young age going to church specifically to hear missionaries give their reports, which I found very interesting. When I was about the age of seven, my family and I went to anot...

Earthquake in Turkey & Syria

September 2023 update: AMT has been able to pass on gifts for earthquake relief in Turkey totalling AU$217,790 since February 2023.With images emerging in the news from the disaster unfolding in South-East Turkey and Northern Syria, we are receiving calls from prayer partners asking if/how AMT can help.We are receiving firsthand information from workers and local churches through the network of like-minded Mission Service Organization (MSO) in other countries. The news is heart-wrenching, a...

Ukraine Appeal Report

September 2023 update: AMT has been able to pass on gifts for Ukraine and refugee aid totalling AU$226,023 since March 2022.In 2022 AMT shared the concern for the many displaced Ukrainians with the AMT support and prayer network. An initial support payment of AUD25,000 was released from the AMT Overseas Disaster Fund in March 2022. Subsequently, gifts have been received from Australian donors totaling AUD143,071. This response was truly encouraging and demonstrates the genuine concern of A...

My Journey into Mission

It’s normal for every believer to have an opinion about himself, his life, past experiences, etc. Well, I consider myself a very fortunate, or rather blessed, person. Why? My parents were a godly couple, whose lives left an impact on me since I was a boy. We lived in a southern area of Melbourne and attended a Brethren Church every Sunday. I was the youngest of six boys and remember well Dad reading the Bible around the table every evening after dinner – it was a sacred moment. Mum and Dad w...

Compelled by Love

On June 11th 2022, a very large group of enthusiastic women, who had travelled to Brisbane from as far as Northern NSW and the Sunshine Coast, enjoyed the Women2Women about Mission gathering at Wavell Heights Christian Assembly in Brisbane. Throughout the morning, speakers from a variety of missional experiences centred their presentations on the key Scripture for the day: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 “For Christ’s love compels us…that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for h...

Come & See 2022

AMT’s Come & See 2022 tour was brought to life following an invitation from missionaries serving in outback NSW communities to “come and see what the Lord is doing.” Come & See provided a pathway for a team of 22 from Brisbane to get a taste of cross-cultural mission in a relaxed environment, while remaining open to the Lord’s leading in service through fellowship, singing, testimonies, prayer, community work, games, and more.The core of the following report was written by Jack (15), wit...

Pathways to Mission

I had a very clear call to work at Hebron School in South India while I was at university. I was initially studying for a history degree and planned to do teacher training then become a secondary school history teacher in England. I always thought I would just live near my family and friends, as I really did not have much desire to travel at all. My home church sent out several Christian workers and had a very strong history of supporting people in cross-cultural missions. Growing up i...

My Pathway to Mission

When I was in primary school, I had a friend introduce me to Frank Peretti’s series ‘The Cooper Kids’. I remember reading them, terrified at the circumstances, yet fascinated at the faith and perseverance of the characters. Each time they hit a tricky situation, no matter how dire, they prayed and God rescued them. I was addicted to these books and they kept my attention for hours on end, reading through them as quickly as possible to see how God would rescue the Coopers each time. Althoug...

Ukrainian Relief Update

In March 2022, AMT equipped $25,000 from our Overseas Disaster Fund in order to provide practical relief to Ukrainians amidst the ongoing war crisis. These funds were primarily directed to GLO Romania's Bucovina relief team, who, along with several other organisations, were and still are assisting Ukrainian refugees. In addition, AMT appealed to our donors to consider supporting this cause. We received an overwhelming response of financial blessing. While needs are still ongoing, as a small toke...

Pathways to Mission

El Camino (the Way) is a 775km hike starting at the North-eastern French border and crossing all of Spain to the east coast in Galicia where the Cathedral of Santiago is situated. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to walk the Way, braving all sorts of weather, covering 25 to 30km each day, with blisters and sore muscles. Why does one start? The reasons are varied; some for adventure, others for the experience, but many believe that by suffering the trial they will get some forgi...

True Comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort  we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces patient endurance of the same...

COVID-19 & Hohidiai

COVID-19 has had a profound effect on the ministry of Hohidiai that we run here in Indonesia. A large part of God’s work here revolves around the medical care of patients. Our mission statement is to care for the people of this area emotionally, spiritually and physically, especially those who are marginalised....

Radical Mainstream

Dad was an excellent conservative preacher. In his prime he spoke without notes and drove his points home with an unmatched clarity and directness. He apparently prepared for and gave his medical lectures in a similar way. But apart from acknowledging his passion for salvation and eschatology, I cannot recall details of specific sermons. No doubt what he taught has made an indelible impression on my life, but even more so his actions that reflected accurately — or otherwise — what he...

Cambodian Egg Distribution

Siem Reap is the city I’ve lived and worked in for a few years. It is a city almost entirely reliant on tourism. Right now, it’s a bit of a ghost town! The majority of hotels are closed down, there are no tourists for the tour guides and tuk-tuk drivers to take to Angkor Wat, the majority of restaurants are closed (some are doing deliveries). The majority of teachers are also without pay (most schools closed down entirely).For most Cambodian people, they were already living paycheck to paych...

Being Different In A Different World

My husband Calvin and I are basically a melting pot of cultures. Our little one, Selah Serese, is 2 years old and she does life with us. There are just somethings that are normal to her: we never really have a five-minute drive anywhere without traffic or some sort of traffic situation and to her it is normal. She sits at the back and says, ”Yeah boda” (motorcycle used for transport); she sees the cows cross the road and says, “Moo Cow”. To our two-year-old it is normal to go for a walk ...

Pygmy Work in North East DR Congo

It was our privilege more than 30 years ago to meet Way Alege. He was a very energetic, gifted and keen Christian, more than willing to use his dramatic ability to work with us recording programs for non-readers. Dr Way Alege has worked extremely long hours with little sleep over the past seven years while teaching at Shalom Christian University, Bunia, and completed his doctorate early this year. We all looked forward to his graduation at Deakin University, Melbourne, but it was not to be as CO...

It Sure Was A Different World

It has been a long time since we ‘hit the field’. We arrived in Papua New Guinea in November 1987 and were thrown immediately into work, managing the guesthouse at our PNG headquarters. We were also thrown into the cultural deep end when we found ourselves in the middle of tribal fighting. The fighters were even jumping our fence and fighting in the centre. We were having to drive through fighting on the road to take missionary families to meet their flights in Goroka (we were glad they only...

Papuan Progress

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23 NRSV) As we work among people from two cultures that differ from ours, we are reminded that our aim as Christians is to be conformed to Christ as revealed in the Bible.Back in Australia, the Judeo-Christian ethic is being eroded, but vestiges remain as the average person believes in some of the ten commandments. They frown on murder (except of the unborn), stealing, lying in court, or cheating on your partner, and perhaps believe t...

International Training Project

In many places around the world, the gospel has taken root and there are a growing number of churches. However, specifically in majority world countries, local Christians often lack access to pastoral, leadership and Bible training, that is essential to ensure the growth, maturity, and future of the churches. In a number of countries, there is a real threat that government legislation will close churches because pastors and leaders do not hold any form of accredited training. In response to this...

The Culture Of The Kingdom

From a Ukrainian father and an English mother, I was born in the UK and migrated to Australia at age six. I was raised in a new church plant in 1968 which brought together Dutch, Scottish, German, white and coloured South Africans, Italians, New Zealanders, Hungarian, Asian, Maori and Aboriginal people, all worshipping together — this set the background for my cross-cultural ministry. I have a brother-in-law who is Greek and another who is Irish, then I married a Filipino with Chinese, Spa...