June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
OVERSEAS MISSIONS United Pentecostal Church of Australia ~ www.upca.org.au
‘ Greater things than these shall you do…’ John 14: 12
Beyond our limitations! Welcome to the Overseas Missions Newsletter!
We want to say thank you to all those who have given and supported the work of OM, particularly with your prayers. We ask that you continue to promote our programs in your churches and we covet your continual prayers for our missionaries and all other efforts.
2016 has so far seen some significant changes and events taken place. There was a change of leadership with the OM Department at General Conference and our Missionaries to Timor Leste, Bro Michael and Sis Diane Perry, returned to the Mission Field. Not only are we supporting our own missionaries but since last year, we have also been supporting a Missionary to Kiribati as part of a regional cooperative effort in reaching more unevangelised nations. We continue to go into Indonesia, teaching and strengthening leadership, working together with the Church there.
Our theme in Overseas Missions is ‘Beyond’, with the focus on exerting our efforts to go beyond our localities and our nation, to foreign fields. But we also want to challenge the Apostolics of Australia to stretch beyond our limitations and inadequacies, believing God for a supernatural empowerment and provisions. Continues… 1
June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
So often we are calculated in our efforts and giving, ensuring that we always have enough. We create goals that are often within reach of our capabilities and at most take educated risks that have minimal negative consequences.
Papua New Guinea-crying out to God
This is good since we should be wise and prudent in the stewardship of our time and resources. We should aim for balance and margin in all aspects of our lives. However, as Believers let us also extend ourselves in our vision and goals to where we could not possibly fulfil them without the intervention and help from the Lord Jesus. In other words let’s not create goals that we can accomplish on our own, we may just attribute success to ourselves but let us aim for something beyond us, knowing that it has to be God that brings it to fruition. The same with our giving, don’t look to just giving your spare change to the work of missions but earnestly seek the Lord to what you believe God wants you to give where He has to provide.
Kiribati- new souls added to the Kingdom
I want to challenge you to go beyond your limitations in terms of your talents, skills and resources. Go a little further this year, than you’ve ever gone before and put God to the test to provide and bless.
Indonesia and Timor-Leste- equipping leaders ready to reap the harvest
Rev Stan Harvey OM Director 2
June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
Papua New Guinea- General Conference By Bro Greg Hackathon This past March, I was blessed to travel with my Pastor, Rev Stanley Harvey, who was invited to minister at the Papua New Guinea General Conference in Port Moresby, PNG. We travelled along with Bro Peter and Bro Matt Cogin from POS. We met up with Rev Pou Hikila during our stopover in Cairns, who decided to travel with us for the Conference. Unfortunately, we experienced a long delay and did not land in Port Moresby until after the Conference had started. We hurried to our hotel and dressed for the service. I will never forget walking into the auditorium and seeing nearly 3,000 people patiently waiting for the ministry of the Word. They had waited over 2 hours worshipping God!
Bro Greg ministering to a crowd, hungry for God to move amongst them
A crippled boy was brought forward for prayer and after the laying on of hands of the ministry he began walking across the front of the auditorium! The crowd's attention focused on him as it began to register with people what was happening. Then people started chanting Jesus.. Jesus.. Jesus! JESUS! As they chanted, the musicians, who had stopped playing to see what was happening, began playing and the entire congregation of well over 3,000 people erupted in worship!
The Conference was incredible and the Papua New Guinean people were even better. Throughout the weekend, we heard stories of families that had traveled south down the Kokoda Track on foot to be at the Conference! God moved in such a wonderful way throughout the services. Bro Richard Carver and the General Board were so gracious to the entire team, allowing us to minister to the entire congregation.
In that service, over 100 people decided to be baptised in Jesus Name! They just kept coming forward. We learned later that the churches in the Port Moresby area often go seasons without seeing many being Born Again. At the Conference, we saw 38 people filled with the Holy Ghost for the first time and 171 were baptised in the name of Jesus! To God be the glory!
So many wonderful, life-changing, things happened during this trip that it is difficult to summarize in a succinct report. People were filled with the Holy Ghost in every service and dozens were baptised. During one of the morning services a blind woman decided to be baptised. She went down into the water and when the name of Jesus was called out over her, not only were her sins washed away, but she was healed! This was only the beginning. In the closing service, Pastor Harvey preached a tremendous message on the power of God over the Enemy. The altar service was powerful! God moved in such a special way, filling people with the Holy Ghost.
It was incredible experiencing Papua New Guinea and hearing the wonderful stories of the Carvers and all the amazing work they have done there along with the Australian Church. What a blessing to be a small part of what God is doing in PNG! 3
June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
Timor-Leste ‘Camp Joven’ Impacted me forever… By Sis Mariah Apiata To say our trip to Timor Leste was great would be an understatement. It was life changing! I was honoured to be invited on this trip and to be a part of the work that our Missionaries Bro. and Sis Perry are doing. This was my first missions trip and, as you can imagine, I was quite nervous. I had never been to a third world country before and didn’t know what to expect. I had so many questions for friends of mine who had attended the year before to try to prepare myself. However, it honestly was a whole new experience once I got there. I feel very privileged to have been able to be part of a great small team and to have met some incredible people who I can now call friends.
Young people worshipping God with total abandonment
We saw 8 young people receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and 11 young people baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ.
Mostly, we were there to minister at the Youth Camp. My heart was so overwhelmed by the presence of God from the moment the worship began on the first night. Although I was so far from home and so far from life as I knew it, the Spirit of God was just as powerful. The heart of worship in these young people brought tears to my eyes and their love and passion encouraged me.
A couple days after camp, we were invited to meet with a couple of families from another village who did not yet attend a church. We gathered at one of the family’s homes and worshipped and shared with them briefly on baptism from God’s word. As a result of this visit, another 5 people made the decision to be baptized in Jesus name the following week. God is doing incredible things in Timor-Leste. Although we were there to help minister to the youth, I truly believe they ministered more to me. The way they live their lives, the love they have for people and the desire for the things of God has left an imprint on my heart. My life has been impacted forever by taking part in my first missions trip to Timor-Leste.
Sis Mariah and Bro Wiki Apiata with Bro Harvey 4
June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
Baucau ‘Camp Joven’- it was special… Testimony by Sis Natalia da Silva Gaio assisted by Sis Perry My name is Natália and I am 13 years old. I live in a place called Manleuana in Dili, Timor-Leste. I am the youngest of five children. My mother has been in the Dili church for some time, and she made the decision to be baptized in Jesus name in 2014. I felt very happy when she was baptized because I have loved Jesus since I can remember. Last month, I had the opportunity to travel to Baucau with youth from Dili and other municipalities for a youth camp. It was special because Bro. Stan, Bro. Wiki and Sis. Mariah came from Australia.
Natalia’s baptism (above) and with Sis Mariah (below)
I liked the camp a lot. We were put into groups to do things like cooking and cleaning when it was our turn. This was fun to do together. It was a very special camp also because I gained a new life. I was baptized in the river at Samalari which is down in the valley from Baucau. In Samalari, there are some Baucau church families so we had service there in the village after 11 of us were baptised. It was also a very special camp because I received the Holy Spirit when Bro. Stan, Sis. Mariah, Sis. Lidia and Ps Bernardo prayed for me. I knew I had received the Holy Spirit when I spoke a language I didn’t know. I was
I am very thankful that Australia could send people. We are all very thankful to the young people of Australia for helping the Baucau church with a water tank. We also had chairs to sit on and we were very thankful to Bro. and Sis. Namakadre and the Darwin church sending us the money to buy these chairs.
I hope that we can have people come from Australia to us next year at our youth camp. Thank you Sis Diane and my family who sat with me to help me write my story.
Natalia and Sis Dianne Perry 5
June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
Timor–Leste ‘labouring in the fields’
Highlights of the Missionary work Bro and Sis Perry carry out in the nation of Timor-Leste Bro and Sis Perry returned for the next phase of the UPCA mission to Timor-Leste this past April. They thank all who supported them while Bro Perry undertook medical monitoring and reviews over the past year. Both he and Sis Perry are excited to be back again in Timor.
One of the first duties of the Perrys on return was undertaking a condolence visit to the Oe-Cusse enclave on behalf of the Australian church. A letter of condolence from Br. Downs as UPCA Superintendent was delivered to Senior Pastor Adelino Cau on the passing in March of his teenaged son, Nino. By the grace of God, at youth camp last year Nino was baptised in the precious name of Jesus. Pr Bernardo Guterres accompanied the Perrys on this condolence visit for which Pastor Adelino and his family were very grateful. 21-27 April saw the inaugural visit as UPCA Overseas Missions (OM) director by Rev Stanley Harvey. Bro Harvey previously visited Timor-Leste on an OM mission when key leaders in Timor-Leste were baptised. These leaders were very pleased to re-connect with Bro Harvey as well as having the opportunity for warm fellowship and important strategic discussions. Bro Harvey also led a team ministering at the multi-municipality youth camp in Baucau. At the camp, 11 young people were baptised in Jesus’ name and 8 were filled with the Holy Ghost – glory be to God! The Perrys and the church leadership in Timor-Leste express their thanks to the team for their ministry at this event. Australian Youth Missions (AYM) funded the purchase of a 5,000 litre water tank for the Baucau church. Prior to this, weekly water access at the church had been limited to 2x 1hour flows. In addition to this they also contributed to Bro and Sis Apiata’s fares to Timor-Leste, so they could minister at the camp. Thank you AYM for your generous support!
Bro and Sis Perry
Your continual prayers for the work in Timor-Leste are greatly appreciated 6
June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
Be inspired to overcome all things through Christ Pastor Bernardo Guterres, pioneer of the work in Timor-Leste, converses with Bro Michael Perry Q: Ps Bernardo, could you tell us a little about yourself, including how you came to know the Lord? A: I was born on 13th of August 1943 in Baguia, Baucau municipality, Timor-Leste. I was baptized in the Catholic church in 1956. As a young man, I was with my uncle in Dili, Vencente vas Concelho Ximenes. While with him, we started to believe in Jesus after he had a vision of something like an angel coming down from heaven, and saying ‘worship and believe in Jesus’. The whole family started to believe in Jesus in 1964 but we had no bible. In July 1968, Pastor Miguel Caia came from Portugal. Some family members were invited to a home meeting where they first heard the Word of God. It was around that time also that I was filled with the Holy Spirit. Q: Ps Bernardo, you are a well-known pioneer pastor. Could you tell us about some of the struggles you and your family faced during the time of persecution you faced in Portuguese Timor for your faith? A: I received the calling to become a pastor in 1970. I wanted to preach the Gospel, so I left my work in Dili and went back to my birthplace of Baguia, where I began to build a church which was finished in 1971. There was much persecution during that time with the government trying to stop the work there. In October of 1971, the then Governor of Portuguese Timor took me from my church, and with my family moved us to Dili. When I refused to stop preaching the Word of God, I was placed in exile on an Island off the coast of Dili, named Ata’uro. We were on Ata’uro for two years. It was during that time that my baby child named Jose died in my arms.
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Ps Guterres with Bro Michael Perry during the interview. Below, Ps Guterres with Bro Harvey during an Australian Team visit earlier this year.
June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
Be inspired to overcome all things through Christ… Q: You then went on with others to further pioneer Pentecostalism. When was that, and can you outline what you consider to be the most significant events of that period of your life?
Ps Guterres with Bro Glass (OM Director at the time), with Bro Tjantana Jusman. Ps Guterres believes this photo was taken 12 years ago. Below, Ps Guterres baptising one of many souls saved this year!
“...Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world ...” John 16:33
A: After the Portuguese Revolution under General António de Spínola, I was released from exile. My family went back to Baguia. I preached the Gospel there again as there was a period of liberty in preaching, until the occupation of the Indonesian forces at the end of 1975. At that time, I spent three years hiding in the jungle but continued to preach the Gospel and helped people during that time. In 1978, we came out from the jungle and I continued the work of God under the Indonesian regime. Q: Now, you are a pioneer of the Apostolic faith. You have embraced the doctrine of one true God and the salvation message the apostle Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. Many people would like to hear about how Jesus’ name has changed your life and ministry. Could I ask you, in closing, to tell us about this? A: When I first was baptized, I was 13 years old in the Catholic church. Then, I was baptized again in the titles – Father, Son and Holy Ghost - when I became a Christian. I asked, isn’t this baptism the same? I had this question which I continued to carry. This question was answered in the 2000s when a UPC team of people from Australia, Indonesia and Brazil came. They held a service in our church and then the Brazilian missionary asked me how I was baptized. I told him and then he opened the scriptures to me. Another missionary was sent who stayed for three months. Australian ministers and missionaries continued to come and teach and preach. I was re-baptized, this time in Jesus’ name, along with others of my family. When I was baptized in Jesus’ name, it was like the bible had new light shining on it. It opened up liberty and love for me.
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June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
‘Tuir Jesus’ - Following Jesus General Testimony by Ana Maria Sonia da Costa I was born in Lospalos, the most eastern municipality in Timor-Leste. When I grew up, I didn’t know Jesus and my home life was not very good. Then, I met a man and married according to the culture here and had two children. Their father left us, so I went alone to Dili to try to find work, to try to build a life for us. There, I met someone who told me that he and his wife follow Jesus. He taught me a little about Jesus and said that, if I follow Jesus, He will make a way for me and my family. The person who talked to me was Bro Louis from Baucau. I spent some time in Baucau and met Ps Silvester on one of his visits to the Baucau church from Dili. At that time, I didn’t want to follow Jesus. I wanted to return again to worshipping statues of Jesus as I had in the past. But I found I couldn’t sleep well at night, and it was as though I was hearing in my mind that I needed to follow Jesus.
Sis Ana (in red shirt) witnessed to Sis Leo, and her testimony resulted in Sis Leo being baptised earlier in May!
Then, when Bro Behrendorff and Sis. Namakadre ministered in Dili, I received the Holy Ghost. My daughter and I loved the youth camp last year when Sis Julie, Bro Jyrome and Bro Sam ministered in Dili.
So, I contacted Ps Silvester and he arranged for us to meet at Bro Michael and Sis Diane’s house in Dili. They helped me understand more and prayed with me, and I did some bible studies with Bro Michael and some with Sis Olinda. Bible studies helped me a lot but I was worried about my daughter still being in Lospalos. Sis Olinda offered for her to stay with her family at the church in Dili to which my daughter did, until I could find work that would provide us enough money for her to live with me. It took some time but I continued to follow Jesus.
The Lord has blessed me so much. Now, I have a good job and my daughter, Roso, lives with me in Dili. I am now 33 years old and Roso is 12 and I think that it is important for both of us, even at our different ages, to be together with other young people who believe in Jesus. I continue to pray about what would be best for my son who is still in Lospalos with my parents.
I decided to get baptized in Jesus’ name. At the first place we went, the sea was too rough, so we needed to change as Bro Michael and I were falling over because of the rocks and waves. But I did get baptized.
I would like to thank the people of Australia for giving, so that people can come from Australia to minister and teach us. Also I want to thank them because I am doing bible school which Australia started in Timor-Leste.
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June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
God is strengthening the work in Timor-Leste 10
June 2016
Overseas Missions Department - UPCA
OVERSEAS MISSIONS: OUR PURPOSE The Overseas Missions Department of the United Pentecostal Church of Australia has touched many nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ since its inception in 1973. The purpose of the Overseas Missions is to:
preach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world; to establish new churches; to send forth missionaries; to endeavor to perform any other duties connected with religious work; to help in any way possible to meet the needs of local churches; to translate, publish and distribute religious literature.
The success of the Overseas Missions Department of the UPCA is a direct result of a co-operative effort between local assemblies, missionaries and this Department.
YOUR PLEDGES WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT GOD’S WORK IN OUR REGION!
We sincerely appreciate the involvement of the many churches and individuals throughout Australia.
OVERSEAS MISSIONS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR:
OFFICE:
Rev. Stanley Harvey 24-26 Harp St Campsie NSW AUSTRALIA p: +61 430 039 166
e: stanley.harvey@upca.org.au
PO Box 199 Hampton Park 3976 VIC AUSTRALIA
Please forward all cheques to the OM office VISIT US ON FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/australianoverseasmissions/
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