It’s a hot and sticky morning in Dili, thecapital of Timor Leste, but that can’t wipethe joy from people’s faces. Today the Dilichurch building of the EvangelicalPresbyterian Church of Timor Leste isbeing opened. This seven-year olddenomination has many church buildingsscattered across this infant nation but todate has not had a visible building in Dili.In this culture to have a building is to have‘legitimacy’ in the eyes of the generalpublic. It is indeed a landmark day.

For many years the congregation had metunder a blue tarpaulin in the home of alocal church member. The Rev DanielMarcal, Moderator of the Church, says “Wehad dreamed of a day like today but wethought it would be just a dream. Today itis real!”

AFTER THIS I LOOKED AND THERE BEFORE ME WAS A GREAT MULTITUDE THAT NO ONE COULD COUNT, FROM EVERYNATION, TRIBE, PEOPLE AND LANGUAGE, STANDING BEFORE THE THRONE AND IN FRONT OF THE LAMB. (REVELATION 7:9)“ ”

there a building in which the congregationwill meet but there is also a Synod officebuilding with an area to hold trainingseminars as well as a building to hostoverseas guests and other visitors.

Rob Duncanson presents the Pastor of thecongregation, the Rev Carlos Marcal, withan English Bible and says “This is thefoundation of our partnership. The Wordof God presents the Lord Jesus whom weboth love.”

The day is filled with much singing andincludes a magnificent Indonesian choirfrom Kumpang. Kevin Murray preaches onthe kingship of the Lord Jesus from Psalm2 and this is immediately followed withthe choir singing Handel’s HallelujahChorus with its triumphant declaration:

‘The kingdom of this worldIs become the kingdom of our Lord,And of His Christ, and of His Christ;And He shall reign for ever and ever,For ever and ever, forever and ever.’

DREAMS BECOME REALITYThe combination of the sermon and theHallelujah Chorus is totally unplanned, butwonderfully providential.

Together with our brothers and sisters fromTimor Leste we look forward to the daywhen we will visibly see that the Kingdomof Christ will last forever and ever.

DILI CONGREGATION TARPAULIN

PartnershipTHE NEWSLETTER OF THE AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN WORLD MISSIONwww.apwm.org.au • 81 Shaftesbury Road, Burwood NSW 2134 • (02) 8073 7490 • national@apwm.org.au

The Australian Presbyterian World Mission exists to glorify God by facilitating the spread of the gospel to people overseas and Aborigines within Australia.

2015 #2

ROB DUNCANSON PRESENTS THECONGREGATION WITH AN ENGLISH BIBLE

The bulk of the money for the land camefrom a PresAID appeal, with the remainderbeing supplied by the Presbyterian Churchof Brazil. This is reflected in the openingceremony as APWM’s Kevin Murray, and aTimor Leste Government representativeboth cut the ribbon at the official openingof the building’s front doors. The threebuildings that make up the complex werepaid for by the Government of Timor Lesteand are of an exceptional finish.

The opening of these buildings representsa significant step forward. Not only is

Meal for MissionEach year we encourage congregations tohold an annual ‘Meal for Mission’ as a wayof raising awareness about overseascross-cultural mission and as a means ofproviding financial support for APWM’soverseas projects. We encourage you tochoose a country from the list that can befound at www.apwm.org.au/partner-churches/ There you can downloadinformation sheets about each of ourPartnerChurches.Pleaseencouragethose in thecongregationto give thecost of onemeal towardthe work ofoverseasmission.

1 Corinthians 12:26 tells us “If one part [ofthe body] suffers, every part suffers withit; if one part is honoured, every partrejoices with it.” Through the effects ofCyclone Pam our brothers and sisters inVanuatu have experienced a great time oftrial. What a joy it has been to be able toextend to them the generosity of theirbrothers and sisters in the PresbyterianChurch of Australia in this difficult hour.

Over the weekend 14-15th March Vanuatuwas struck by Cyclone Pam, whose intensityexceeded the normal range for a category5 cyclone. Such was the intensity of the

Cyclone Pam destroyed many of thesegardens. This means that people will bereliant upon outside food aid for 3-4months until their gardens are replenished.

In response to Cyclone Pam, AustralianPresbyterian World Mission sent GlenConnor to Vanuatu to make anassessment of the situation and hold talkswith the leadership of the PresbyterianChurch of Vanuatu. Glen, who hasrecently returned from serving at that

Talua MinistryTraining Centre,knows thelanguage, thepeople and thecultural context.He was an idealperson for such atask and we thankhe and his wifeRachael for hiswillingness to

serve in this way. The Talua MinistryTraining Centre was unaffected but losttelephone and internet communication formany days. At the time of writing theModerator General’s Appeal for Vanuatuhad raised $245,255. Based on discussionswith the leadership of the Church inVanuatu we will be sending this money toassist in areas such as the repair or

Vanuatu: We Stand Ready to Help!

cyclone that authorities are now consideringintroducing a category 6 rating. Vanuatu isa chain of 83 islands where transport andcommunication can be difficult on thebest of days. Cyclone Pam not onlydestroyed buildings but also knocked outmany of the telecommunication towersupon which Vanuatu relies.

As evidence of God’s common grace, theAustralian Government and many non-Government organisations such as theRed Cross, quickly put their standing

rebuilding of Church propertythroughout Vanuatu, the repair of Churchschools, the reprinting of over 30,000 NewTestaments and 10,000 whole Bibles inBislama (the national language of Vanuatu)and the restocking of Pastor’s libraries.Any further donations will be used to assistwith the rebuilding of Church property.

Just prior the arrival of Cyclone Pam Iwrote to the Clerk of the Church inVanuatu and said “I want to assure you ofthe prayers of the members of thePresbyterian Church of Australia for

disaster relief plans into effect. This metthe immediate need for food, water andshelter. When we run out of food inAustralia we can easily go to thesupermarket to re-stock. Many people inVanuatu, however, rely upon theirpersonal garden for their food, and

Vanuatu at this time. We stand ready tohelp where we can.” It has been aprivilege, through your generosity, to seethose words come to life as we havereached out to help our brothers andsisters. Thank you!

Kevin Murray

SOUTHERN ISLANDS PRESBYTERY BIBLECOLLEGE BUILT BY APWM WORKPARTIES

A CHURCH BUILDING IN A VILLAGEOUTSIDE EFATE, THE CAPITAL

THE PRINCIPAL OF VILA NORTH SCHOOLOUTSIDE A BUILDING THAT HAS LOST ITSROOF

ETON VILLAGE PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN'SMISSIONARY UNION BUILDING

A PASTOR'S LIBRARY DRYING OUT

BISLAMANEW

TESTAMENT

GLEN CONNOR

PLAYING A VITAL ROLEIn December last year, the State ModeratorRev David Brown and Mrs Roslyn Brownventured overseas to visit some APWMVictoria missionaries. The following is anaccount of their visit to David and Lisa Pearce.David and Lisa Pearce have been servingwith MAF (missionary Aviation Fellowship)in Chad for one year. David is OperationsManager for a sizeable team of Chadian,Cameroonian, British, American andCanadian fellow workers. The team Leadercomes from Uganda.Despite the presence of soldiers bearinghuge weapons guarding the presidentialpalace and police at the many roadblockswe felt much freer compared to a MiddleEastern country we had just visited. Thetraffic was chaotic and poverty wasevident. Varied dress modes reflected thetwo dominant religions, Muslim andChristian, who coexist respectfully.On the job= Out and AboutWe were privileged to fly with David to twodestinations. Out west to Bol, on Lake Chad,a Swedish family was being transported toresume their translation work. Since then,unfortunately, this team has beenevacuated due to militant activity in villagesvery close to the border. Sharing theseuncertain conditions fuels our prayers forthe many teams we met in Chad, especiallyat Christmas services. They are certainlybrave, loving and dedicated people.The flight out east took us to Zakouma

playground, flowers and bushes, a BBQ area,guards at the gate who rotate shifts, alongwith a gardener, and part time house-helps.We stayed in the adjoining roomy guestunit, but joined the family for meals. Despiteall precautions, it was simply not possibleto avoid the constant dust and grit, and theModerator succumbed to bronchitis onChristmas Eve, which necessitated a trip tothe French-speaking doctor.Lisa is a very savvy missionary wife, whodespite limited French, braves the chaotictraffic almost daily. She declines approachesfrom street traders, manages the childrenand the household, with with courageous,steadfast, equilibrium. She is unperturbedby David's coming and going on variousMAF flights and greets each day andcircumstance with a smile.HardshipsThe one thing Lisa finds difficult, is thatthere is nowhere you can get away to for aday out. Since our visit, the feeling ofsecurity on the compound has diminishedsomewhat, because someone did break into the Pearces' house and stole computersand the TV, while they were asleep.Compound living also presents itschallenges, partly due to different parentingstyles. Did I mention I the dustiness?EncouragementsDavid and Lisa share good friendships withfellow workers, and local people. Theyparticipate in two Christian fellowships, theSIL church, and a smaller gathering at thehome of a young American embassy couple.David in particular is very au fait withgovernment protocol, and MAF is wellrespected in the community. The day afterour arrival, he was called upon to fly thePresident of Chad to the opening of an oilrig pipeline. Naturally, he rearranged theMAF schedules, and had the honour offlying the President, his favourite wife, theirtwo heavily armed bodyguards, and a hugeesky full of bottled water and soft drinkswith its attendant. The many missionariesand local coworkers are unequivocallysupportive of David and the MAF team.This is particularly evident moving withinthe Christian community. EVERYBODYknows and respects David and what MAFdoes. David is the last face they see whendropped off and the first friendly face theysee in an emergency (medical or military).He doesn't just fly folk but has a significantpastoral care for, and input into their lives.All in all, we as Moderator and wife had anenlightening trip, with many opportunitiesto encourage folk who are sacrificing somuch, out of love for God and His people.The Pearce families are certainly playing avital role in the spread of the gospel, andthe discipleship of his people on theinternational scene.Rev David and Mrs Roslyn Brown

Esther Vayne (PWMU State President)conducted a short meeting and reportedon the progress of the constitutionalreview.

The guest speakers, Tumirin and SheridanIndarto (Wycliffe), were welcomed andspoke about the work they are preparingfor in West Papua, commencing in early2016. Sheridan is an educator with a postgraduate degree in linguistics and Tumirinhas a background in communitydevelopment work in Indonesia.

The Una people from central West Papuahave been disappointed with the currenteducation policy and are keen to trial a bi-lingual program. So with somegovernment assistance they approachedWycliffe to supply linguists. Sheridan andthe other linguists will fly into the Una areato train the teachers. The curriculum willbe developed using local language andknowledge. Then Bahasa, the nationallanguage will be introduced with the aimfor the children to read and write in theirlocal language and in Bahasa by grade 6.

In the long term, the Una people wouldlike to set up a pilot school which thegovernment will use as a display school sothat the model can be replicated withother language groups. It is a ten yearproject and at this stage the Indartos arecommitting to two years.

Tumirin and Sheridan are available to speakat churches or groups about this excitingproject. Their current financial support is10%. Contact sheridanindarto@yahoo.com

Women Trainingfor Mission WorkPWMU has funds available to supportstudy and training for women within thePresbyterian Church of Victoria who arepreparing for or currently involved inmissionary work within Australia oroverseas. This may be a Christian coursesuch as offered at SIL, a Bible college or thePTC, or another course that is related insome way to missionary work. Supportoffered may be for course fees, books andrelated expenses. Application forms areavailable from the PWMU Office.

PWMU News

Nature Park. Flying missionaries and theirguests somewhere for a vital break, is partof David's job description. On this occasionour group comprised SIL workers andguests from Switzerland, Canada, America,Brazil, Australia and France. This unexpectedholiday safari was a rich time of multilingualfellowship and encouragement. There wereteenagers and card and board games, alongwith animals - giraffes, lions, water buffalo,a variety of antelopes, an elephant, as wellas amazing birds, monkeys and smallercritters. We were thoroughly impressedwith the calibre and knowledge of thesemissionary families, and gained an insightinto the life of their teenage children.The Home SceneDavid and Lisa and children are one of fourMAF families who live on the samecompound. They are well-provisioned witha new large trampoline, above ground pool,

Please send to: APWM81 Shaftesbury Rd, Burwood NSW 2134Name ___________________________Address ________________________________________ Postcode _________Email ____________________________Phone ___________________________Church __________________________I would like to support the following:Missionary’s Name_________________________________

Please send me the missionary’sprayer letter.APWM ministry in a particularcountry _______________________

Please indicate an amount$20 $50 $100other $ __________

Please indicate how regular yourpayment will be:

one-off monthly quarterly half-yearly yearly

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Presbyterian World Mission’)Credit card Visa Mastercard

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Date of first payment _______________Direct debit

Your account name(s): _______________________________________________Signature ________________________BSB _______________Account number __________________Bank name _______________________Date of first payment _______________

Direct depositAccount: Australian PresbyterianWorld Mission BSB: 032-260 Account number: 151207Please write your name and thesurname of the missionary you aresupporting in the description box.Please also email finance@apwm.org.autelling us that you have made a depositand provide the name of themissionary that you are supporting.Enquiriesfinance@apwm.org.au(02) 8073 7490www.apwm.org.au/supporting/finance

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NATIONAL OFFICE81 Shaftesbury Road, Burwood NSW 2134 T: (02) 8073 7490Sheryl Sarkoezy E: national@apwm.oprg.au • Bruce Campbell E: finance@apwm.org.au

NATIONAL DIRECTORKevin MurrayM: 0421 366 720E: kevinmurray@apwm.org.au

FEDERAL CONVENERAlex Shaw T: 0403 778 151E: alex_4_shaw@internode.on.net

www.apwm.org.au

STATE CONVENERSQld Kim Dale E: kdale7@bigpond.com

NSW Robert McKean E: rpmckean@exemail.com.au

Vic Phil Simmonds E: convener@apwmvic.org.au

Tas Vacant

SA Gary Ware E: gjware@internode.on.net

WA Darrell Thatcher E: darrell_thatcher@wycliffe.org

AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN WORLD MISSION

PRAYER AND FINANCEResponse Form

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John & Kara Dekker have commencedserving at the Talua Ministry TrainingCentre in Vanuatu. Their departure wasdelayed by the sudden death of John’smother in Tasmania and the arrival ofCyclone Pam. We praise God that theirsupport level is now at 100%.

BRIEF UPDATES

Ian & Pat Hart from the PresbyterianChurch of Ireland will be serving at theTalua Ministry Training Centre in Vanuatufor six months commencing in early July2015. Ian is a minister of the PresbyterianChurch of Northern Ireland and waspreviously the minister of Great VictoriaPresbyterian Church, Belfast. He alsoserved for many years as the minister ofKatong Presbyterian Church, Singapore,has been involved in theological teaching inNorthern Ireland and Singapore and

served for a period in French speakingAfrica. He is married to Pat and they haveadult children.

Adam & Helane Ramsay (Christ ChurchRobina, QLD, CMS, Japan). Adam & Helanehave recently been accepted as APWMMissionaries serving with CMS. They will bepart of the church planting team to whichJohn and Rose Evans belong. Their focuswill be on music evangelism, and ministryto children, youth and young adults Theyare currently building partnership supportand can be contacted atahramsay@cms.org.au

Rick Manton At the time of writing, Rickwas scheduled for heart surgery to repairor replace a heart valve on 27th April. Theanticipated recovery time is three weeks.Rick and Kayleen would like to thank thosewho have been praying for them. Pleasekeep this important ministry in your prayers.