Pakistan – the mention of this name suggests danger, chaos and terrorism but the true meaning of the word in Urdu is the Land of the Pure. When I was first asked if I would be interested in going for a trip to Pakistan, I was very excited but I must admit fear ran through my thoughts. It did not help that on the week we were suppose to go; three bombs went off in the city of Lahore – the city we were going to minister in. Having been assured by Ps Lip that the trip is still on, I trusted the Lord that everything would be alright.

There is an upcoming trip to Philippines in April which is now opened for registration. Check out what’s happening up in Sefton and read about all that God is doing before you embark on this trip!

• Dates: 23 – 30 April 2010
• Location: Santiago & Manila (Novaliches), Philippines
• Nature of Trip: Mission Exposure
• Estimated Cost: S$900
• Duration: 8 days
• Team Size: 8-10 persons

For those of you who are interested in making a trip to China, the China Alive Ministries has organised a few trips in the coming months. Please prayerfully consider these trips and sign up as soon so that the team preparation can start early. You can sign up here. In the Preferred Country field, please indicate “China – CAM”.

A brief introduction into our mission works in the various nations:

View of School

In October 2009, I made a nine-day trip to Living Waters Village. This is pretty much into the interiors of West Kalimantan and took a 10-12 hour bus journey to get there. This ministry was started by Pastor Ronny Heyboer, who is Australian-Dutch. He and his family moved to Indonesia a number of years ago, and took in kids who were abused, abandoned or poorly taken care of as they came out of their villages and into the towns to study. As he started taking them in to feed, clothe, shelter, nurture and provide them with an education, God gave him a number – 1000. That was how many children he was to take in. At the moment, they already have over 400 kids, with three family missionaries and three couple missionaries serving alongside them, and the local leaders who once were youths that were taken in by the ministry.

If you have heard about the Philippines from anybody in Cornerstone, you may have heard about Pastor Mark and Mary, Sefton, the pre-school, the children’s home, the Hospital and Jail Ministry. You may also have heard about the amazing story of Pepito and the Angel. Have you heard about the balut? No worries if you have not, for it is a just harmless egg that is meant to be eaten. It is not just found in the Philippines (where it is native). Laos has it, Cambodia has it, and so do Vietnam.

The following article is reproduced with permission from Desiring God – a ministry of John Piper.

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While Ryan and his family prepared for long-term missions, he graciously gave his time as a volunteer for DG International Outreach. He brought tremendous skill and integrity to his work which bore wonderful fruit including this helpful post.

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As our family prepares to move overseas, we sometimes encounter this question in one form or another:

Is the Western missionary model still legitimate?”

The question stems from a variety of concerns and perspectives, but our basic answer must be “yes.” Even with the high cost of sending and recent shifts in the global Church, it is still strategic and fitting for Western missionaries to cross geographical and linguistic boundaries in the pursuit of new worshipers of Jesus.