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Global Mission Office

Disaster Relief for Vanuatu

Our appeal for funds to help with the aftermath of Cyclone Ivy is ongoing.  Roy Pearson reports that watercress and peanuts are all that is left in the markets.  Please give generously to our friends in Vanuatu.

People Link

Have you considered encouraging, or even challenging members of your congregation to serve overseas?  Possibly as a short term volunteer in their professional capacity? It may be to take up a longer term commitment? Possibly the congregation could send a team of volunteers for two weeks? How about the congregation raising the money to send a skilled person?    Here are just some of the current opportunities that might just interest someone:

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Serve for a year (2005) as a volunteer at an AIDS orphanage in Lusaka, Zambia (all expenses covered).

English teaching in Thailand (all expenses covered)

Administrator in New Caledonia (Partly sponsored. French fluency a prerequisite)

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Quick Gifts

‘Quik Gifts’ are exactly that. Help us to make significant progress quickly. Never more than  NZ$5000 and no long term commitment attached.

As part of their 150th celebrations, St Andrews, Howick, raised $500 for the installation of lighting in a building at Talua Ministry Training Centre.  The students wanted to study after dark and St Andrews provided the light. Now that’s good mission.  Other opportunities that deserve your support:

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Lecturer Project to Talua Ministry Training Centre - Vanuatu - Sponsor a 1 month Lectureship programme ($1500)

Assist with donations to purchase new resources and books for the Onesua High School library  (from NZ$100.00 per book)

Tyres for the Navota Farm Bike (NZ$500.00)

Navota Truck appeal – a few more gifts of $100  is all we need

Sponsor an Indonesian Doctoral student to attend an International Conference in Adelaide in 2004 - $1000.00

Support the GMO with the cost of producing and distributing the Global Mission Gazette  ($1 per copy)

Disaster Relief Trust – this year we have responded to disasters in India, Nuie, Vanuatu and Madagascar – your gift today will enable us to help when disaster strikes tomorrow – any size donations received

Friends of Jagadhri would welcome your contribution to the Building Fund for the second flat to accommodate the Nursing Tutors.  The first is nearing completion thanks to the generosity of Presbyterians all over NZ

Support the next Christian World Service Appeal

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Link Gifts

‘Link Gifts’ are longer term commitments.  These involve smaller gifts over an extended period and offer the opportunity to build a friendship with a community or individual  ‘somewhere over there’.

Somervell Memorial in Remuera signed up to sponsor two Bush Missioners in Vanuatu.  The initial commitment of $1730.00/annum will be developed once we have more information about the island communities where the Missioners are working.  Remuera meets Vanuatu.  Now there’s an interesting combination!

Why don’t you consider supporting:

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The Prison Ministry in Thailand run by Kathryn McDaniel  (Thailand Trust)

The Remedial programme at John Wesley School, Eshowe, Zululand

The Bush Missioner Programme  in Vanuatu.  Link yourself with an island community

Project Officer Trust (Vanuatu) – commit yourself to a monthly donation and share in Roy Pearson’s work and progress

Glen Barclay’s work as a peace-worker in The Holy Land as your parish Peace Project – ongoing financial commitment is required to sustain our work into the future

An AIDS Initiative Programme in East London, South Africa ($250/month)

By becoming the Global Mission contact person in your Parish.  Start a Mission Focus group.  Distribute the Gazettes. Highlight the issues.

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Web Links - view the world from your seat

Subscribe to CWM eNews by sending an empty message to: cwmnews-subscribe(at)yahoogroups.com

Subscribe to receive the email thought provokers from the Daily Dig, at   http://dailydig.bruderhof.org.

The World Mission section of the Church of Scotland website is well worth a look www.churchofscotland.org.uk/boards/globalmission.

Scholarships

CWM have announced a new scholarship to study a Masters degree in Theology in the Netherlands.  A similar scholarship exists for study in Taiwan.  More information is available from the GMO.  It is not very often that opportunities like these come our way.

A few small drops of love

So how does all this giving and involvement in mission work?  What is the logic supporting all of this?  Mother Theresa explained it like this:

“We must not think that our love has to be extraordinary. But we do need to love without getting tired. How does a lamp burn? Through the continuous input of small drops of oil. These drops are the small things of daily life: faithfulness, small words of kindness, a thought for others, our way of being quiet, of looking, of speaking, and of acting. They are the true drops of love that keep our lives and relationships burning like a lively flame”.  (The Daily Dig)

There is really not that much difference between Parish Mission and Global Mission.  One has to ask and answer the same sorts of questions and, generally speaking the ministry response is very similar too.  Small drops of oil strategically placed stop the hinge from squeaking, free up the wheel, lubricate the roller – get things moving again.  Little drops of the ‘oil of love’ can transform a community ‘seized’ by hardship, anger, disaster and fear.  Just as Mother Theresa demonstrated throughout her life, our love needs to have a human touch as well.  The need for financial resources often shapes the discussion around mission.  It seems that everything costs money.  The challenge however is to ensure that our mission is not limited to the sending of money.