Our beloved missionaries
A Christian missionary delights in spreading the good news of Christ to the lost just as Paul did: “Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord. . . . thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 2:12-17). Rather than seeking personal gain while witnessing, Christian missionaries bring glory to God by honoring Christ’s righteous life, sacrificial death, and absolute authority.
THE GANDEP PROJECT
We dream of strong, healthy and sustainable communities where the scourge of malaria is managed,with high standard medical clinics, access to safe water, improved sanitation practices and fully functioning schools. Communities will have the ability to trade yams, cocoa and timber.
This dream came after Jim West visited Gandep in 2009. Gandep is located in the middle of this area. Jim was appalled at the poor state of community welfare, people dying prematurely from disease (predominantly malaria), a high proportion of mothers and children dying during childbirth, abandoned or overcrowded schools and a sense of isolation pervaded the villages.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Health Information Profile has described this area as difficult to access with inadequate health facilities and slow economic growth that directly impacts people’s lives.
Key to the lives of these forgotten people in this area are two rivers – the Keram and the Ramu. Both are major transport and trade routes. The closest link between these rivers is near Gandep. From the Keram River, people travel overland to the Ramu River and then down river (canoe) to Bunapas and by road onto Madang.
There is a former mining exploration access track that was poorly constructed and is now overgrown. This is the main track linking the two rivers and goods are carried from one river to the other as part of trade activities.
After extensive consultation with the local people, Jim and his friends committed to help the Gandep people by working with them to improve the track and so open the possibility of self-sustainable health, education and trade activity in this remote region.
It is planned to reconstruct this track to an improved all-weather standard and to extend and re-build the grass airstrip at Tsumba the village at the Ramu River end of the track. Dombisa Moyo has outlined in the best-selling book “Dead Aid” the challenge that has shaped the planning for the Gandep Project. That is, the focus on ‘People to People’ sustainable support and assistance that will ensure funds raised go directly to project outcomes.
DENNIS AND MELODY TAYLOR
The Taylor family first moved to Dodnun Community, which is a small Community (about 40 people) in the centre of the Kimberley Region of Western Australia in 1993. Our goal was to learn what we could of the language and culture of the people there, so we could explain the Word of God in a way that could be clearly and accurately understood.
Over the many years that we have lived at Dodnun, we have been involved with many things in the Community including some of the administrative aspects of the Community and in particular starting and running the Community shop. Being involved in these kinds of ways, gives us the opportunity to be a testimony to others and also to love and serve others, which is meant to be the "trademark" of every Christian. Our primary focus is on carrying out spiritual ministry with every person God brings across our path. The other things that we are involved in are simply tools that can help enable us to carry out this ministry.
We normally have a Kids Club and at least a couple of other ministry meetings each week as well as sometimes showing Christian movies or having one on one studies or catch-up sessions with people in the Community. We are currently at the point where we are looking to God to see how He wants us to phase out of some of the things we are doing and ultimately when and where He might want us to be in the future. We would like to be able to do this in a way that can leave Dodnun and especially the Believers at Dodnun, well placed to be able to continue on into the future.
After almost 28 years of mission work, their future is looking unsure. Especially now with Dennis' accident, it is unlikely that he will be physically capable of coping with the demands and pressures associated with the constant work required for living in such a remote location. Pray that their strength will be in the Lord.
HELEN MATARA
In Helen's own words:
I’m so thankful for the opportunity He provides to be able to serve Him.
Currently I’m in kids ministry every Sunday and Friday kids club. Also discipleship at church and evangelising in community and streets.
Really appreciate your prayers and support
COLIN AND SHARYN LITURI
Colin Lituri grew up in Bundaberg and attended a church which claimed to be ‘the only true church’. After becoming a High School teacher just outside Gympie, his faith in this group was shaken by a committed and joyful Christian family who spoke only of relationship with Christ. In 1982, after several months of study of God’s Word and prayer asking God to show him what a real relationship with God meant, Colin came to faith in Jesus Christ alone for his salvation. His wife, Sharyn, followed a few months later.
Immediately, their lives were changed and their desire to serve God led, in 1991, to Colin entering Bible College in Adelaide. In 1994, he was then called to be the Senior Pastor of Woodvale Baptist Church in Perth, a position he held for the next 23 years.
In 2017, as he stepped down from this role, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry invited Colin and Sharyn to be their representatives back in their home state of Qld. They now travel to churches, as well as holding conferences, all over the state and around Australia. From 2020, they will be leading tours to Israel as well as continuing to host Israeli backpackers in their home.
Living ‘the Christ-life’ is a passion of Colin’s ministry. They have three adult children, a daughter and son-in-law and, reportedly, three amazing grandchildren!
