Partnering With Others in the Spread of the Gospel

In addition to our own local involvement in making the gospel of Jesus Christ known, we partner with others both in New Zealand and around the world. Some partnerships are directly related to spreading the gospel while others include humanitarian aid and the support of indigenous Christian workers.

Spreading the Gospel in Paraguay With The Fleitas Family

COVID-19 Update

​Hi friends!
 
One thing about this current situation that has been very special for me, is that for the first time in 28 years of living in South America, finally there are things I have in common with my fellow New Zealanders that I never had before.  This is because what you are currently experiencing right now in NZ is so very similar to missionary life:
 
  • You feel lonely and isolated.
  • You are forced to adapt your diet because you can no longer buy all the foodstuffs you are used to.
  • You have lost the social life that you used to have and can now only talk online to friends.
  • Your closest workmates are now in another city or country at best, or your job description has totally changed.
  • The people that now surround you invade your privacy and sometimes get on your nerves, and there’s nowhere you can go to get away from them.
  • You are undergoing culture shock because you have no experience of how to respond to the new “normal”.
  • Freedoms and rights you once took for granted are no longer a given which sometimes makes you angry.
  • All of a sudden you become your kids’ teacher, nurse, entertainer, cook and arbitrator 24/7.
  • You are frightened because the future is now very unknown and unpredictable .
  • Your financial stability has just gone out the window and you are forced to rely totally on God and His provision.
  • There are police and military out on the streets, and you are not sure if they are going to pick you up or not.
  • Taking a vacation is virtually impossible due to circumstances outside of your control.
 
BUT from our experience, some of the blessings and advantages that can come from this are:
 
  • You learn to appreciate what you had in the past, and when you return to it you are much more thankful.
  • You become much more proactive in seeking out positive, uplifting friendships and associates.
  • You become much more creative – learning how to make do, find alternatives, adapt, fix things, problem solve, manage tricky situations, ration out special food etc.
  • You become much more empathetic and openminded – putting yourself in others’ shoes, seeing things from another perspective, helping other people more, understanding the marginalized, refugees and immigrants etc.
  • As you learn to depend more on God and less on yourself, you seen Him open doors and perform miracles that you would have never otherwise experienced.
  • Your family becomes your number one “tight” unit – you understand and support each other against everything “out there”.
 
I’m sure there’s a lot more than that, but this is what comes to mind … so we just want to encourage you that we know how it feels, but we also know that He will bring you through this stronger and even better equipped to continue in Kingdom work!
 
Hang in there, and hang onto HIM!
 
Love,
 
Francisco, Joanna, Melanie and Benji.

Partnering with CDLA in the Democratic Republic of Congo

  

For General Church Use
Geoff & CarolAnne Paynter
179 Kina Beach Road
RD1 Upper Moutere
​Nelson 7173

Writing and adapting Church-Based Training resources for use in the African context (multiple languages)

Courses are translated by Congolese in Lubumbashi, and Congolese teachers from around the provinces are trained up to lead thousands of people through the materials each year.

  

For New Believers

Partnering With Murray & Joy Stevenson in the Democratic Republic of Congo

​At Treetops With The Austins (MAF and Wycliffe Support)

Supporting Bright Hope World In India

Kakinada Children's Home
Kakinada Sewing Programme

These projects are still going but due to the current situation in India, our partner there has been coming under increasing scrutiny.  We are having to be increasingly careful what information we put online. We will be posting new updates below as soon as they become available.