Here is our very own Don Lewis from Queensland having lunch with the Prime Minister of Vanuatu and with his wife. Don is here with Greg Newnham from Wynuum to do some work on houses at the Talua Ministry Training Centre and both are attending the 63rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu. Today the Prime Minister paid his annual visit to the Assembly and addressed the gathering for a couple of hours. Over lunch Don had a chat with the Prime Minister and shared something of what he is doing in Vanuatu.

Assembly here is no picnic. Consider this timetable

6:00am Breakfast

6:30am Devotions

7:00-8:00am Bible Study Talk

8:00-9:00am Bible Study groups (organised around Presbyteries)

9:30am-12noon Assembly business

12 noon till 1:30pm Lunch

1:30pm-5:00pm Assembly business

6:00pm-7:30pm Dinner

7:30pm-10:00 Assembly business and devotions

That’s a long day! Each Presbytery has its own coloured shirt and Assembly opens with everyone wearing their shirt and sitting in their Presbytery groups. An idea for Australian Assemblies?

Kevin Murray

You can now download the September 2011 edition of our Partnership newsletter here.

It has updates on new and upcoming missionaries, opportunities for short term mission in South Asia, Vanuatu and an update on the Tanna, Vanuatu building project.

Please email this around your congregation. Why not run some off and give a page or two to someone who might be interested? Print versions will follow in the mail.

Kevin Murray

How can we reachout into prisons with the gospel? Mission Partners recently received the Crossroad Bible Institute as a Partner Agency. In addition we have now received Terry and Christine West as Partner Agency Missionaries working with the Crossroad Bible Institute. Terry was recently in Sydney and I had a chance to interview Terry to find out more about this exciting ministry.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the link or download it by right-clicking on the file.

Kevin Murray

Terry West interview

Rev Jamie Taylor was one of the speakers at the NSW Reachout 2011, an annual missions conference for people who are considering serving in global mission. For more information see www.reachoutmissions.com.au

Jamie Taylor is the great-great grandson of pioneer missionary to China, James Hudson Taylor. He sat next to me at breakfast so I took the opportunity to interview him about his heritage and ministry.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the link or download it by right-clicking on the file.

Kevin Murray

Jamie Taylor

On Saturday 17th September 2011, Sydney Missionary and Bible College is running a conference entitled ‘Equipping Your Church for Global Impact’.

Why attend?

• We live in a world where vast numbers of people still wait to hear the good news of Jesus.
• God has given to his church the responsibility to make him known throughout the world.
• The number of ways we can get alongside people in order to share Christ with them is constantly increasing.
• Most churches still give the major part of their energy and resources to the maintenance of their own local programmes.
• More than ever, we need well informed, fully resourced global mission enthusiasts in every local church.
• This conference will provide ideas, resources and opportunities for discussion with other mission enthusiasts.

 Today mission is not just about sending people from Australia to live in another culture. It also involves training people from that culture so that they in turn can train others. One way of doing this is by training theological lecturers.

In 2012 the NSW Australian Presbyterian World Mission committee would like to bring the Reverend Vijai Tagore, his wife and young son, from India to Sydney to study at PTC Sydney for two years.

Rev Tagore currently holds a Bachelor of Theology and a Master of Divinity from the Presbyterian Theological Seminary (PTS) Dehradun, India, where he is a lecturer. For the ongoing development of the college Vijai needs to complete a Master of Theology from another college. He has been offered a place to study at PTC Sydney for a Master of Theology through the Australian College of Theology. The Presbyterian Church of Australia already has a connection with PTS Dehradun through the Rev John Ellis, a Mission Partners missionary teaching at the college.

PTC Sydney has agreed to provide a scholarship for Vijay to cover all his internal tuition fees. Mission Partners has agreed to cover the costs of travel to and from Australia.

However there are many other costs involved in his coming to study in Australia. The NSW Australian Presbyterian World Mission committee is seeking support from congregations and individuals in the Presbyterian Church of NSW to help meet these costs.

These costs include:

• Accommodation for himself and his family.

• Transports costs in Australia

• Living allowance

Can you help? Perhaps you may have access to accommodation suitable for a family that is not too far from Burwood in Sydney. Perhaps you could pledge financial support. If you can help then please contact the Mission Partners office (02) 9792 1373 or email us <national@missionpartners.org.au> and we’ll pass your details on to the NSW Committee. Thank you for your support in making the name of Jesus known everywhere.

Finally, after many years of hard work the Lenafa Bible College on Tanna Island, Vanuatu, has been completed. Thank you to those who have prayed, donated and worked so hard to make this a reality. Much blessing will come to our brothers and sisters in Vanuatu because of this. To view photos of the project in its final stages go to

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2279836198396.135613.1323512161&l=9b1ff3c308&type=1

“Bondia Timor Leste” means “Good Morning Timor Leste”.

After decades of unrest and hardship the people of Timor Leste are rebuilding their nation. A part of that rebuilding includes the establishment of a brand new church – the Igreja Evangelica Presbyteriana iha Timor Leste (the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Timor Leste) (est. 2008).

Here is the latest news update on the progress of this church.

Bondia Timor Leste Edition 5