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Piano Lessons

My son Zac entered his piano exam room and handed his books to the examiner. Zac expected the examiner to put the books on the stand for him when required — but she just put them aside and didn’t touch them again. She must have thought that he was confident — and perhaps he was, since he ended up playing his pieces from memory (not his primary intention) and got an A. I told him afterwards that he should thank God everything worked out, but if he didn’t learn from his mistake he may not ...

The Christian Brethren Archive

In the 1820s a group of likeminded Christians in Dublin, Ireland, became frustrated with the established churches, and decided to begin anew. A leading figure in these meetings, clergyman John Nelson Darby, took the fundamental principles of these early meetings and founded a new meeting in Plymouth, England, in 1831, which was known as an assembly.In the 1820s a group of likeminded Christians in Dublin, Ireland, became frustrated with the established churches, and decided to begin anew. A leadi...

Serving Him

In today’s ravaged and ever-changing society, one’s heart is encouraged in knowing that our Lord and Saviour is the same yesterday, today and forever. Sadly, disturbing characteristics of the last days are even evident amongst us, the Lord’s people — lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; more concerned for one’s own interests than that of others; choked with cares of this life. The little which I seek to do for the Lord i...

TESOL

Today I visited a new Christian school in Lubumbashi. Funded by Australians, this venture has the vision to provide quality French education from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. We chatted over broad issues and, since I am now in my fourth year of administering a different Christian school, I realised how much I have learnt in that time. As my friends were showing me the top floor of the new Primary school building site, we could see down over the wall of the property onto the neighbouring area th...

NAC18

AMT exists to enable churches to do the job that Jesus has given us to do: making disciples from every tribe, tongue and nation to worship our risen Lord around His throne eternally. We seek to facilitate, motivate and educate to this end. A small number of staff and numerous volunteers serve our missionaries, missionaries-to-be and returned missionaries. AMT is governed by a Board that is spread across the country. The Board normally ‘meet’ via teleconference — it’s very inexpensive! On...

Cracked Pots, Broken Pots

Frustration — so much of my time on the field is eaten up with non-core activities resulting in frustration. Many, many frustrations: large and significant, small and irritating, physical and material, spiritual and interpersonal. Year after year they keep recurring. • Not being able to buy quality materials and tools• Complying with Government requirements in a place where no one person seems to know what they are, and which constantly change• Personal relationships and personnel relati...

And Yet...

I grew up in another culture, and yet it’s still hard to step out of my comfort zone. I have moved a lot of times, and yet it’s still hard to hold things loosely. I have been ‘brave’ enough to come to another country to live, and yet I still battle fear. I love Cambodia, and yet I still get frustrated with things here. I know that God is directing my paths and wants me here, and yet I still compare myself to others and question whether I’m up to the task. It’s the negative ‘an...

Flourishing and Struggling in the Service of the Lord

In our more than sixty years of ministry, Eloise and I have experienced countless highs and lows, and encouragements and discouragements. We have seen great seasons of joyfully abounding in the work, and we have faced long periods of disappointment and defeat. We have had many wonderful times of flourishing and many difficult times of struggling.Missionaries overseas constantly confront physical, emotional and spiritual stresses. In fact, we are often more prone to these strains and pressures be...

Hero

A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. The chief male character in a book, play or film, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathise…(in mythology or folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semi-divine origin, in particular one whose exploits were the subject of Ancient Greek myths. – Oxford Dictionary Comic book superheroes like Superman, Batman or Spiderman come to mind. T...

Am I Becoming Desensitized?

Missionaries go to foreign fields to serve — but are we prepared for the fact that servants can’t choose the job they want, are often in uncomfortable situations, are often over-tired and often feel unappreciated? And emotionally…well, as a servant, you can either let yourself grow ‘numb’ or ‘desensitized’ in order to ‘cope’, or you can let yourself ‘feel’ and ‘sensitize’ which can be painful but also very freeing. One of our big servant roles on the mission field over ...

A Cracked Pot in the Hands of the Potter

In the first issue of ‘Serving Together’ for 2018, Andrew talked about one of his favourite T-shirts illustrating many different emotions — happiness, sadness, loneliness, peace, frustration and the list goes on. I could wear that t-shirt, and hoped when reading Andrew’s editorial that I wouldn’t be asked to contribute an article this year! Perhaps missionaries in particular feel vulnerable and hesitant to share their emotional challenges, as the expectation is that they will cope with...

The Fragile Life

We are fragile people living on a fragile planet. Tsunamis, bush fires, floods, droughts, deaths and earthquakes are reminders that we don’t have everything under control in our natural world. We think we are the lords of the earth, but the weakness of our perverse humanity undermines mankind’s achievements in every area of life, be it technology, science, construction, medicine, education or politics. Come with me to Papua New Guinea. You will quickly understand the limitations, weaknesses ...

Missionary Unfiltered

A year ago I decided to write a real life blog. No mask, no rose-coloured glasses, no filters, just the reality of my everyday life living on the mission field in the Philippines. I titled the blog Missionary Unfiltered. Another year has passed and we have experienced many incredible blessings, and have witnessed God working in miraculous ways. We are constantly grateful for the enduring support and generosity from those who partner in our work and the prayers that are offered on our behalf. We ...

GOD’S IN CONTROL

Scientists tell us the ‘Big Bang’ supposedly started from hydrogen and helium 13.7 billion years ago (and who made those two elements?). The other elements apparently came from the birth and death of stars. Through evolutionary processes Man somehow eventually popped up. After an explosion, the scattered pieces usually slow down and stop — but our post-‘big bang’ universe is continuing to expand AND is accelerating in its expansion, and the scientists don’t know why ‘dark matter’...

Mission of Missionary Training

We are on staff at one of the National Bible and Missionary Training Colleges in Asia Pacific. Since 2016 we have been based in New Zealand and doing trips back. This has been intentional so that our three children could adjust to ‘western culture’ and settle into adult life. We will be leaving our three young adults in New Zealand and returning full time to the Training centre in early January 2019. The training centre offers a four-year course. The first year-and-a-half is Bible study, sta...

Praying Through Struggle

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30 I thought to echo these words of Paul when I wrote a recent newsletter. Paul’s epistles often expressed his appreciation for his readers’ prayer support. Remy and I feel the same towards our supporters. Struggles at work:We have taken on high levels of responsibility for Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia. John is in the role of managing...

70 Years Of Camping

There is a slight tear in the green felt of the smaller pool table at the Christian Youth Camp Pialba (CYC Campialba), Hervey Bay, Qld. It’s not huge but enough to make the billiard balls do strange things when they cross it. The balls themselves are not guaranteed to be of the same set or size for that matter either. These various idiosyncrasies make each game of pool unique; no two games are the same. The same could be said of each camp that happens at Campialba — no two are the same. The ...

TREASURE IN JARS OF CLAY

Paul had his more dramatic experiences of the treasure in jars of clay. He and Silas sang and prayed while in prison (Acts 16:25)! Much of the time, in his day-to-day service to Jesus, the enabling of the Spirit was far less dramatic, but no less real. The more dramatic, and the less — I will share both from our own experiences. My wife Margaret and I arrived in this communist country in 1991. Our hope was for a low-key relational ministry through which we could lead local people to Christ. �...

VULNERABILITY

The stereotypical image of the missionary is one who is resolute in their faith, boldly following the call of Jesus into lands and cultures far away. When hardships come, which we all know they will, and for which we all prepare, we will dig deep in our faith reserve and persevere through the tough times. Over the years, in my own experience on the mission field, and in the lives of those missionaries my wife Kathy and I have trained, coached and cared for, we can indeed testify that there have ...

NOTS TO KNOTS

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. — 2 Co 4:7-10 (NIV) Some of you may have read Naomi Reed’s ‘The Plum Tree in the Desert’ and been inspired or overwhelmed...

Transformed by GOD

Shortly before leaving Australia in January 1994, we received a letter from a lady missionary, and for a moment I wondered whether to dismiss it as misguided advice. Her words were along these lines: “Please remember that God is not taking you to Colombia to change the Colombian people, but to change you.” For a moment it seemed contrary to our purpose for going to Colombia. We were going to reach people who are lost in sin and needed to be changed, and we had the message that can change the...

Right Question, Wrong Answer

In journalist Peter Stefanovic’s interesting book ‘Hack in a Flak Jacket’, he reflects on the aftermath of Michael Jackson’s death: …many people formed queues and took pictures outside the sprawling estate where Jackson died. I imagine that the feeling would have been very much the same when Elvis died in 1977, and then John Lennon three years later. Just as it was with Presley and Lennon, fans were searching for answers. Why? How?In journalist Peter Stefanovic’s interesting book ‘...

THE CHALLENGES AT HEBRON

For most of the year we have a very BIG family. We have three children of our own (aged 11, 13 and 15) and we are also in loco parentis for many more. One of our jobs at Hebron School, apart from normal teaching responsibilities, has been to dorm parent groups of girls at Hebron. Hebron is an international boarding school, which primarily exists to cater for the children of Christian workers in Asia. Hebron School is set in a mountainous area of South India called the Nilgiris, in a town called ...

The Reality Of Mission Service

I thought writing computer programs for a mission agency would be easier than doing it for a government agency like CSIRO.• I had all these people praying for me so God was sure to be helping• My colleagues would all be Christians and easy to get along with.• The sense of purpose and calling—knowing my work was building God’s kingdom—would keep my motivation strong.• I had been assured that I would find a wonderful wife very soon, and expected that would wipe out a whole category o...

Refined Clay In Central Asia

One month ago, I arrived back to my cosy mountain home with my two little boys and my amazing husband, Jono. I was relieved to be finally back, but I couldn’t manage to conjure up any excitement for being here. I sat in a chair, immobile and unmotivated to figure out what to have for dinner or to help the boys rediscover all the toys and books they’d missed while we’d been gone for the last few weeks. I didn’t recognise myself. I definitely did not want to talk to any of my neighbours or...