Working together for the King

As some of you may know, the Presbyterian Church of Australia has a partnership with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Timor-Leste (or IEPTL) - and a commitment to support and encourage. Gary Ware reports on yesterday's partnership working group meeting.

The man third from the right is the Rev Daniel Marcal, Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Timor-Leste. Rev Robert Benn is third from the left. Please note that Robert Benn's position is so aptly described as 'living legend'. Who can argue with that?

Igreja Evangelica Presbyteriana iha Timor Leste

Tomorrow the Igreja Evangelica Presbiteriana iha Timor Leste will be holding their synod meeting. It will be held over two days - Tuesday 29th to Wednesday 30th November, 2011. This is a very important synod for the work of the gospel and our brothers and sisters in Timor-Leste would appreciate our prayers. For more information about the synod, please have a look at Rev. Rob Duncanson's blog. Rob will be attending the synod as an observer, representing the Presbyterian Church of Australia. Keep an eye on his blog over the next few days!

Outreach by the Roadside

This correspondence from Rev Arlindo Marcal probably doesn’t need any explanation with it – but I can’t help wondering what it would be like in Australia if gospel literature was so easily distributed and so readily accepted.

I was travelling from Dili to Maliana yesterday. On the way we passed through some Mambae subdistricts such as Hatolia.  I had three boxes of ‘Miguel’ book in my car.

We met many kids along the road and decided to distribute the books. We were able to distribute all three boxes. Kids liked it - when they saw us, they immediately ran to the car for the book. What they liked most was, as we explained to them, that the book has Mambae and English.

May God bless our project.           

                                  

Every child, I so strongly believe, deserves to read books is his own mother tongue – even more so the greatest book of all – the Bible! Please continue to pray for the translation of the Bible into the Tetun language and to also pray for opportunities in the future that the Bible can also be translated into Mambae. Pray for the Mambae-speaking people of Timor-Leste, that they may have a real thirst for the knowledge of God.

(PS - I've included some Wikipedia links for those of you who want to improve your knowledge of Timorese geography)

The Daughters of Joanna and Susanna

And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

Luke 8:3

The foreign mission movement, for a long time, was heavily supported by women. In small groups, at least around the English-speaking world, women would come together to pray and raise funds for missionaries spreading the gospel across the globe. They would give of their time, their money and their energy for His work. They were the Daughters of Joanna and Susanna.

They are still around today.

Raising funds by producing and selling
 a cookbook was once very popular

I have met them - a lot of them. Sadly, they are often undervalued in too many churches. They work quietly with what they have. Sometimes they give of their time and their knitting wool. Sometimes they bake cakes. They write letters to people serving overseas. They sent cheques. Many of them are old, have raise families and have served the Lord for decades. But they would never think of retiring from that service.

One faithful woman I know creates greeting cards and gives the proceeds to the work of the gospel overseas. Another woman makes handmade soap for His work. They are the Daughters of Joanna and Susanna. I thank God wholeheartedly for them.

Do you know any Daughters of Joanna and Susanna? Can you share their stories?

Gathered to his People

Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.       Genesis 25: 8

For those of us who have been following the blog diary of Pastor Douglas Duncan, witnessing his struggle with cancer and his inspiring faith, following his journey, reading his poems, we rejoice that he has now been 'gathered to his people' too. There is great sorrow in death but when a godly man dies, there is also rejoicing. His son has added a final entry to Doug's Diary pointing out the glorious news that Doug is now at the wedding banquet of the Lamb! How good is that!!

I knew Doug when he was living and working in Tasmania. He was, among many, many other things, captaining the Boys' Brigade.

My prayers and thoughts go out to his family.

Guess who's on holiday?

What a blessing to just have some time to relax and play! I was at Wordle having some fun. More serious posts coming soon...

Adam was a white man?

This week I read a class of 10 year olds my book, Mundu Ne'ebe Maromak Halo. They were very interested, but it wasn't until we got to this page that the real discussions took place:

"Wasn't Adam a white man?" asked one of the children. "It doesn't say in the Bible that he was a white man," I replied, "or black." They needed a moment to digest this and I went on to explain that the Bible doesn't tell us what Adam looked like at all. What the Bible does tell us is that from Adam and Eve came all the peoples of the world.

And then one of the children had an "Aha! moment" - those moments that every teacher knows is the reason they love being a teacher:

"That means we are all related!".

And the little pale skinned boy with freckles looked at his dark-skinned friend and grinned.

We are all related. Oh yes, we are!!