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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...

Christ The Conqueror

As a lead up to the 2018 Invictus Games, The Courier-Mail newspaper published the poem ‘Invictus’ (Unconquered) by Victorian-era poet William Ernest Henley, of which the last stanza reads:...

The Different World of South America

It is now more than 25 years since we finally touched down in Monteria, Colombia, to commence the two-hour bus trip to Sincelejo. Although we were all dog-tired after five flights, we were all amazed at the new sights, sounds and smells that greeted and welcomed us to this very ‘different world’ that was to become our home, on and off, for the next quarter-century. There is no doubt that we live in a very favoured land, and our time in South America has taught us to appreciate our country, a...

God’s Grace

From time to time I hear Christians say how much they are undeserving of God’s grace and salvation through Christ. Well, that is the definition of grace: unmerited favour. Do people think about God’s grace as an award? If you won an award or a prize for a competition, and there were many better entries than yours, yet you still won, you may well feel it was undeserved. Or if you won by default, because others were disqualified or couldn’t compete through illness. But it’s really not wort...

Lessons Learnt Over The Years

As I sit to write this article I realise we are less Australian than we were 26 years ago. The things that stood out back then seem normal now, and in so many areas we have adapted to the culture here. However, there are certain things that continue to amuse us, even on a daily basis. I remember taking a video out of the plane window as we landed in Bogota Airport on the morning of 16 January 1994 and, like a real reporter, announcing to my viewers of the slums we were seeing lined up along the ...

Covid-19 And The Poor

For hundreds of thousands of people living in remote villages or city slums, escaping the coronavirus is extremely difficult. Socially isolating is not realistic when people are jammed together in poor communities and the next-door neighbour is barely a metre away. However, by teaching them the importance of regularly washing their hands and practising hygiene measures, they can cut down on the transmission of the virus. In the small town of Paulette, Haiti there have already been seven confirme...

Rookies Loose On The Mission Field

We arrived in the Philippines during a time of great political tension and unrest soon after the fall of a long dictatorship. How excited and thankful we felt, when we walked off the plane from Sydney onto Philippine soil, that the country had remained open and that we had made it there! Our hearts were expanding with strength and the assurance that God had opened the way. An hour or so later though, as we were barely making headway through the evening traffic jams in Manila and as we were slowl...

The New Norm

As I attempt to prepare myself to leave Cambodia, I’ve been trying to recall what it was like in my first year here. It is only in looking back (and in listening to what other people comment on) that I realise things that once seemed new are now ‘the norm’ — or at least, as close to the norm as they can be for a non-Cambodian. I’m sure there are many things that I’m not even aware of, but I’m going to give you a snapshot of just a few ways I’ve had to adapt to living in Cambo...

Good Books Change The Culture

Good books change the culture — God’s book changes lives. The first Assembly missionaries working in Papua New Guinea in the 1960s were initiators of literacy- teaching methods and the production and printing of hymn books and other literature for new churches across many denominations. They were involved in the translation of the Bible into the lingua franca of the nation and were working with others in the production of Scripture Union Bible Study Notes and Christian Radio programs. To...

Chileans Need Christ Too

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” Acts 17:22-23 NIV‬‬‬‬ As I barrelled down the Chilean road from Atacama to Calama, in a hotel van speeding to the airpo...

Change In A Different Culture

I read recently that the one constant in life is change! Life, no matter where we live, is in constant change, often leaving us feeling overwhelmed. However, for those of us who serve in mission there are added complexities related to change. We change, our passport countries change, and our adopted countries change, to say nothing of the changing ministry context. Each country, each culture presents us with a variety of changes that we must adapt to in order not only to survive but hopefully th...

Candle Of Hope In Nepal

Recently I (Tamara) went along with about 80 ladies from our fellowship on their annual picnic. I was the ‘Candle of Hope’ in a short skit that illustrated the importance that hope holds in keeping our faith, love and peace ‘candles’ alight. When my faith feels weak, my love seems to have run dry, and I have a restlessness within, then remembering God's promises gives hope “as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Heb 6:19). During the picnic, I had a chat with a lady whose face ...

Translation Progress

Celebrate with me! The twenty-year New Testament project was completed in mid-2019. All glory to our wonderful Lord! I have taken some needed sabbatical leave and time for reporting back, and meanwhile our translators’ study program has notched up a couple of gears. They have been studying theology, exegesis, translation theory and other biblical studies including Hebrew language in preparation for independent work on Old Testament translation. After passing a course on Hebrew basics, I have n...

Adapting to Life in a Different World

How do you face and adapt to living in a completely different world, amongst a completely different culture, surrounded by people speaking a bizarre language that bears no resemblance to your own and who have a completely upside-down attitude to life? How? Four months ago, I moved to a country in West Asia. It’s hard to explain how completely my life turned around in a matter of days. From where I lived in Adelaide, I could hop in the car and be surrounded by trees within 15 minutes. Now I liv...

RELATIONAL MISSION PROMOTION

I left the National Advisory Council meeting with one word rattling in my head: relationships. Mission in the 21st century is increasingly relational. Whether it’s how to reach your Muslim neighbour, or how to convey the importance of mission to young people, the key lies in existing relationships: spouses and other relatives, work colleagues, classmates, friends from different walks of life. For years at AMT we’ve struggled with a question that keeps cropping up again and again: how do we m...

Our Short Term Encounter To Indonesia

When it was suggested in 2017 that there could be a short-term mission trip to Indonesia in 2018, it immediately stirred an interest within us. There were several reasons for this interest. We have regularly supported national church planters through GLO for quite a few years, and we thought that this would be a good opportunity to meet and encourage some of the workers. We had met Miss Merro, Principal of Worldbridge Language Centre in Malang, when she was at the GLO Family and Friends conferen...

Poverty: It's Not What You Think

People once believed the world was flat until someone explained “It’s not what you think.” Many Australians think they know what poverty is but misunderstand, yet the Bible points us in the right direction. 1. Poverty in Psalms 10 and 12 In Psalm 12:5 David wrote, ‘“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them from those who malign them.”’ Psalm 10 observes how powerful people trample the poor. These psalms describe ...

Sustainability Versus Dependency

Haiti is trapped in the very painful cycle of disasters, donations and dependency. Each year there is a disaster — a hurricane, a riot, a flood, a drought or an earthquake. Donations flow into Haiti as long as the disaster is fresh in the minds of people around the world. However, soon people forget or another disaster somewhere else diverts their attention. The money flow stops, but the Haitian people continue to look to foreign aid for survival. Dependency is the mindset of many Haitians as ...

What An Adventure!

The past year has been full of adventure, challenges and massive changes. Imagine saying goodbye to everything you know — family, friends, work and recreational activities — and stepping onto a plane which literally flies to the unknown. As the plane descends you can see how desolate the land is, vast desert with very little water. This is to be home for us and our three children for the next three years at least. Corey is working in a regional hospital in West Africa. The first thing you no...

2020 Vision: Different Worlds - But Christ Lord Over All

20-20 vision refers to normal vision based on a standardised optometric test. It can also refer to being able to see with perfect clarity. In 2020 we aim to see an unblinkered, unfrosted view of what AMT workers experience after they hit the field. We are on the same planet, but differences in languages, cultures, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour so impact our communication and interactions with one another that sometimes it feels like we live in different worlds. Think for a moment... Do you kn...

COVID-19 SUPPORT FOR MISSIONARIES & MINISTRIES

COVID-19 has impacted people all over the world in many different ways. Many people have lost their jobs and their livelihoods, many have become sick, and a large number of people have died. The economies of whole countries are being badly impacted, and it is the weak and vulnerable who are facing the biggest cost. AMT is launching a fund to help our missionaries with projects in the areas where they work to enable them to help local people in the difficulties they face in their struggle for sur...

We Are Hiring!

Position Vacant – Missions DirectorAMT is seeking a committed mission-minded person to lead the team in Brisbane at AMT’s national office.AMT (amtglobal.com.au) is the mission arm of the churches that belong to the Christian Brethren/Christian Community Churches of Australia. AMT partners with these churches to educate, motivate and facilitate Christians for global mission and offers assistance to missionaries and their sending churches. We need someone with mission experience and a heart fo...

Growing Through Hope

I have just finished the last day of the school year at HOPE International School Siem Reap, and I am now sitting directly under the fan with a hot cup of tea, thankful for all the children and families I’ve had the privilege of spending my days with over the past six months. I came to Cambodia in 2010, not exactly sure what I would do here, but I was sure that this was where God wanted me to be. Through a sequence of ‘God-events’, I came to know about this (very) small school that was abo...

God Will Not Fail Nor Forsake Us

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. – Deut 31: 6 What words of encouragement from Moses to the people. We, too, can take these words as we move Heavenward and Homeward. He will not fail nor forsake us.What words of encouragement from Moses to the people. We, too, can take these words as we move Heavenward and Homeward. He will not fail nor forsake us.We came to Colombia...

Changing With The Times

We first arrived on the field in 1994, so it has been 25 years since we made that first journey with our five children. A lot has changed over the years but I will focus on a few areas of ministry and a few areas in relation to the family, plus a few other general changes. Change requires a response. I trust that in most cases the changes have produced a response of positive growth — albeit with growing pains a part of the package. I’m going to look at the following areas: security, technolo...