CROSSINGS
ISSUE
ISSUE AUGUST 2020
DECEMBER 2024
43
THAILAND
MYANMAR >> Through long-established relationships, LCA International Mission seeks to equip, encourage, engage in and support the growth of holistic ministry carried out in relationship with our partners overseas and the individuals, congregations and districts of the Lutheran Church of Australia.
CAMBODIA
MALAYSIA SINGAPORE
PNG INDONESIA
This edition of Border Crossings features stories of people who feel they have been blessed. Blessed through relationships formed in a congregation partnership. Blessed to serve in ministry using the gifts given by God. Blessed by the hope we have in Jesus. Blessed because of unexpected joys found later in life. But what are blessings? What does it mean, or even feel like, to be blessed? Matthew 5 lists a lavish litany of blessings, known as the beatitudes. The word ‘blessing’ in this text is the translation of the word meaning ‘fortunate’ or ‘well-off’, which is comforting if this is how we feel. But is this a finite list of virtues which, if we adopt, will reward us with Jesus’ blessing? Those to whom Jesus was presumably preaching were described as sick and in pain, who fought with demons, were broken, addicted and had more than one ex-wife. Those Erin Kerber who probably had come to believe that, for them, blessings would never be part of their Interim Assistant to the Bishop lives. So perhaps Jesus is speaking the beatitudes to those he deems worthy, not by – International Mission virtue of their own achievements, but because he chooses to be on the side of the Lutheran Church of Australia weak, the forgotten, the despised, the justice seekers, the peace makers, the persecuted. Rather than performative, perhaps the beatitudes are meant to be read as instructive. If this is true, it means that blessings cannot be pursued but can only be received as a gift. It means that if you are mourning or feeling forsaken, abused, unseen, or no longer useful, if you are all too aware that it is not your strength and virtue that qualify you to be called a saint, but your need for a God who makes beautiful things out of dust, then Jesus’ blessings are for you. In fact, God’s blessings are as much for those of us who believe we have no need for them, as they are for those of us who believe we are not worthy of them. What does it mean to be blessed? The beatitudes suggest that to be blessed is to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, reminding us that we have our Heavenly Father’s unconditional regard, that we are not alone and will be accompanied wherever we go, that we have the capacity to rise above present circumstances and that we are more than our past experiences, that we have worth - not because of something we did or might do, but simply because of who we are. And as his blessed ones, we can recognise the blessedness of those who have been outcast and shut down, have been tossed to the margins, are meek, hunger and thirst for justice and who dare to tell the truth in an age in which lies are uplifted. We can draw together as the family of God, seeing each other as God’s beloved children, meeting each other in our brokenness and sharing God’s promise to be with us, no matter the circumstance. I pray that each of these stories remind you that to be blessed is to experience the power and presence of God the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit in times of joy and in the brokenness. BORDER CROSSINGS Official publication of LCA International Mission DESIGNED BY: Anna Schubert | annaisagraphicdesigner@gmail.com PRINTED BY: Openbook Howden Print & Design | www.openbookhowden.com.au LCA INTERNATIONAL MISSION 08 +61 8 8267 7317 | lcaim@lca.org.au | 197 Archer Street, North Adelaide SA 5006 | www.lca.org.au/international-mission
Pastor Len and Claire Tscharke were sent to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 1954. They stayed at Asaroka Lutheran Mission, then served at Ialibu in the Southern Highlands, where they started the Ialibu Lutheran Primary School. When back in Asaroka in 1960, they established the Asaroka Lutheran Secondary School. After spending 17 years in PNG, they returned to Australia, where their love for the Papua New Guineans continued. They established a partnership with the schools in Asaroka, Ialibu, and with the Gama Lutheran Primary School in Goroka (now Gama Lutheran Day High School). Although Len and Claire have now passed, their family members and others (including Rosalie Hoklas and the Golden Grove Lutheran Church and Primary School) continue to support PNG. Len and Claire’s son Ken, together with Gavin and Lynette Luke, and Daniel and Allyson Dutschke reflect on their recent visit to PNG. Through a simple invitation to support the schools in PNG, we became involved in building lasting relationships with our brothers and sisters who may be culturally very different from us, but who also share the same faith and belief in the same Lord Jesus. Recently, we returned to Papua New Guinea to visit the schools we have felt distanced from during the recent years of border closures. Len’s gesture of encouragement to be involved in PNG planted a small seed in each of our lives. Daniel doesn’t consider himself a confident evangelist, and yet he shared the Word of God in PNG using images which those who were hearing from the Holy Spirit through him, could relate to. Gavin prayed for the awareness of the Holy Spirit’s guidance in his every conversation.
While he was at the market, God brought a man along who asked Gavin to purchase a local PNG souvenir to pay for medication for his arthritis. Gavin purchased the item, but didn’t want this man to rely on the money of others. So Gavin invited him to put his trust in God. And as this man and Gavin spoke about his relationship with the Lord over several conversations, the man bathed in the gospel hope of a life with Jesus. We travelled to PNG intending to reconnect, to reestablish relationships which were not as strong as they had been, to remind the schools that we are still here, and to encourage them in what they are already doing to share their faith. What we rediscovered, was that the best gifts of God are unearnable: the gifts of those people He puts into our lives who impact us so richly that our eyes well with tears when we remember them after they have passed. We visited the grave of Himony Lapiso - a Papua New Guinean who was loved as a brother for Ken. When someone dies, friends and family pay their respects at the residence of the deceased person in an event which is called Haus Krai. Himony's burial place is next to his family's home, near the town of Goroka. The local area is named Iufi Iufa. He is buried and enclosed in a small outside building which can be entered through a door. Inside are flowers, photographs, words and lights. It is a place of honour for a person who was truly respected. Himony was very influential in the area. He knew how to manage and communicate with people. He understood the white people and the local ways. He was also very generous. He was blessed and wanted to share this blessing with others. He let go and rested in Christ and this flowed through him to his family and to his community. While in PNG, we too learnt the blessing of letting go and resting in Christ, whose gifts were flowing in abundance for the schools while we were unable to travel to PNG. The schools have been filled with God’s glory during the times we have visited, and continued to be so after we departed. While we continued to pray and maintain limited connection here in Australia, God was working, and the schools were provided with internet connection for ease of learning. The strengths of Asaroka school were noticed by the government, who now wants to identify with students who are practical learners, by having a focus on agricultural technology. God has been faithful in protecting our partnership with the schools and we have witnessed His presence by enabling us to provide physical items for ongoing work among the schools. Our focus is now pivoting to being more conscious of our relationships with God our provider. We are seeking God’s guidance to know how we can empower one another to preach the gospel to those He brings into our lives and to encourage one another in our spiritual lives.
What makes your soul sing? Maybe you have never thought to put words to the experience of the soaring, lifting, and filling of the soul. Or maybe you are not able to put words to the feeling of the passion and joy that wells up in you when your soul sings. Since its beginning in rural Sweden, How Great Thou Art has been sung in church worship services, in cars, and probably the occasional shower, for 75 years. The writer of the first two verses of How Great Thou Art, describes his soul singing as he acknowledges the magnificence of God's creation, and the artistry of the divine Creator. Ellyeanna Jubinar’s soul also sings as she spends time in the natural beauty which surrounds her in Sabah, Malaysia. Sabah is home to a vast expanse of tropical jungle astonishingly rich in flora and fauna. The natural sights are truly overwhelming, from the oaks and conifers in the mountains, to lowland rainforest and mangrove swamps that hug the coast. Ellyeanna was raised in a home which taught her to recognise the wonders of the natural world and God’s glorious acts of creation. The God whose power is displayed throughout the universe, reminds Ellyanna of his presence even in the mundane of her everyday life.
As a young person, Ellyeanna reflected on the overwhelming immensity of God’s work in her life. She desperately wished to serve the church and share God’s grace and love with others, but was incredibly shy and lacked confidence. At the age of 13, wanting to overcome her nervousness and fear of public speaking, Ellyeanna began training as a worship leader. She had been encouraged by the church leadership who had noticed a gift in her that had not yet been given the space to flourish. Once given the position of worship leader and carer of the spiritual formation and nourishment of the congregation, Ellyeanna was required to choose music for worship that is faithful to the teaching of Scripture. Therefore, since taking on the role of worship leader, Ellyeanna has maintained a growing personal walk with Jesus through committed Bible study, prayer and personal learning. In her preparation as worship leader, Ellyeanna is also growing in her own faith. Music is a beautiful gift from God which enhances our worship life. Music can be liturgy, it can be prayer, it can convey truths of God into deep levels of subconsciousness, or simply celebrate God’s act of grace. Ellyeanna admits that, as she leads worship for the gathered community and the Holy Spirit places the love and grace-filled words from Scripture into Ellyeanna’s heart, she sometimes cries as her soul sings. Formerly a timid young person, Ellyanna is now confidently serving the Protestant Church in Sabah as an Accounting Clerk, having been given the encouragement and opportunities to be aware of God’s gracious actions in her life.
‘Where are you from?’ A child asked me. I had arrived in Mayoyao in the rice terrace region of the Philippines only the day before. ‘Australia,’ I replied. I chatted with a group of local children. I asked them to teach me some words in Mayoyao. They found it hilarious that I had trouble pronouncing some sound combinations. From then on I had children greeting me by name, eager to teach me more of their language at any opportunity. I have always enjoyed words and stories. When I started to learn Japanese at school a whole new world opened up, so different from anything I’d encountered previously in my white, English-speaking context in South Australia. This began my lifelong love of languages, and joy in learning other languages. At university I joined the AFES group (Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students). Geoff and Aileen Morrow from Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia visited us one week and I heard for the first time how many languages there are in the world (approximately 7000) and that the whole Bible is available in so few of those languages (about 500). What would it be like to be Christians and not be able to read Genesis or Psalms or John in a language that we could understand? I joined Geoff and Aileen on a short trip to the Philippines to see various aspects of the work of Bible translation. By the end of that trip I felt that God wanted me to use my skill and interest in languages in Bible translation, so that people could hear and understand his Word in their languages. I joined Wycliffe Australia and hoped to make use of my Spanish skills by joining a project in a Spanish-speaking area. God closed that door at the end of 2017, and opened the door for me to join SIL Australia (SILA) in Kangaroo Ground, Victoria. SILA provides training in linguistics, translation, literacy, anthropology and other aspects of coming alongside a community in a Bible translation project. Each year I teach people how to learn languages in our summer intensive, and I love seeing people experience success in beginning to learn a new language from people who speak it. As we remember at Pentecost each year, God delights in communicating with people in languages they can understand. Our students come from many different backgrounds. Some are involved in cross-cultural ministry here in Australia, with communities already in their churches or groups they are looking to reach with the gospel. Others plan to move to serve God in translation, literacy, medical work or other activities among people who use a variety of languages. Others come who are already working to bring God’s Word to language communities in their own countries.
SILA is part of the SIL Global Community, a group of organisations longing to see people flourishing in community using the languages they value most. Languages matter because people matter, created in the image of a God who yearns for relationship with them, with us. Sharna Steinert Language Learning Subject Coordinator SIL Australia
The Asia Church Leadership Conference (ACLC) is organised as part of the Lutheran World Federation's (LWF) commitment to strengthening communion relationships between member churches in every region. ACLC is an expression of what it means to be in communion and brought more closely in solidarity with Lutheran churches across the Asian region. This year’s ACLC took place in Hong Kong from 7-12 November, hosted by the Hong Kong Lutheran Federation. Under the theme “Abound in hope for a thriving church” the conference brought together leaders of churches in 14 countries. During ACLC, participants joined three local congregations for Sunday services and enjoyed daily worship led by members of different churches throughout the region. They also visited Saint John’s Anglican Cathedral and the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where they were warmly welcomed by leaders of those communities. Anglican Archbishop Andrew Chan Au-ming and Catholic Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan underlined the importance of shared worship and work for unity and cooperation as “a vital witness in times of declining trust” in the world. As part of the ACLC, participants from Australia joined the Southeast Asia Lutheran Communion (SEALUC) which is a regional network comprised of Lutheran churches from nine countries across southeast Asia- Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, and Australia. Each SEALUC member church operates in distinctive social and political contexts, yet they share a unified commitment to service, justice, and the promotion of Christian faith. SEALUC provides a platform for these churches to collaborate, exchange ideas, and support each other’s missions.
Through shared programs, training opportunities, and joint initiatives, SEALUC strengthens the collective resilience and impact of each member church, allowing them to better serve their communities despite diverse challenges. While some SEALUC members, for instance, face restrictions of religious freedom or lack of resources, others are able to provide robust support and solidarity. SEALUC facilitates an exchange of expertise and resources that allows for mutual learning and growth and creates a supportive network that enables each church to maximise its impact in the local community. In the opening session of ACLC, LWF President Henrik Stubkjær praised the work of churches across Asia “that demonstrate resilience and innovative approaches to ministry, often as faithful minorities, bringing hope to their societies.” President Stubkjær challenged participants to help build “a communion of hope” within their diverse cultures and faith contexts. From the bustling megacities to the remotest villages, he said “churches live out their Lutheran identity in contextual ways, while remaining deeply connected to the global family. LWF, as a global communion of churches, is an ever-expanding circle that values the beauty of diversity, while fostering unity that comes from a shared baptism.” From a biblical perspective, he noted, “hope is more than an optimistic outlook, it is grounded in the certainty of God’s presence and promises, an enduring gift that transforms us and sustains us. We bring hope, not because we are strong in numbers but because we are strong in faith and service, not because we have all the answers but because we trust God’s promises, not because we are perfect but because we are called and empowered by God’s grace – let us continue to strengthen one another in this calling.”
Befr i end i n g Seniors Bu i lds Commun i ty
In 2022, St Luke’s ElderCare (SLEC) launched the Active Ageing Centre (AAC) programme and invited Yishun Christian Church (Lutheran) (YCCL) to join in this meaningful initiative. This national initiative aims to transform Active Ageing Centres into vibrant hubs that draw seniors out of their homes, helping them stay healthy and socially connected. The heart of the programme is befriending. Offering social support to seniors over 60 through house visits, personal interaction, and bonding activities. SLEC operates three such centres in the Yishun estate: Chong Pang, Nee Soon Central, and Nee Soon East. YCCL began our journey in the Chong Pang district, responding to SLEC’s request. Every Monday, our team went door-to-door, introducing ourselves to seniors. At first, we faced challenges as connecting with seniors was not always easy, and we struggled to find enough befrienders. But God heard our prayers! By 2024, our team of 10 church befrienders was making 85 visits each month. During home visits, our befrienders assess each senior’s overall well-being, offer emotional support, and encourage participation in SLEC’s active ageing activities. Beyond building friendships through conversation and activities like card games, we also share the gospel and pray for those who are sick or troubled. Over two years of community befriending in Chong Pang, we have built meaningful relationships with over 100 community seniors. One of the first seniors we befriended was Aunty Suzie, a Buddhist. She loved to cook and often shared meals with us and participated in church activities. Deeply touched by the care and love shown by our befrienders and pastors, Aunty Suzie took a step of faith, received Jesus into her life, and was baptised last Christmas. Praise be to God! The Lord also opened doors for us to invite seniors from Nee Soon Central to our church through activities such as Meridian Stretching Classes, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consultations, Dialect Fellowship, and the ‘Care for Seniors’ programme, which offers free haircuts and lunch thanks to volunteer barbers. These activities attract 15 to 20 new community seniors to our church each month, and some have even started attending our divine services.
We are deeply grateful for our dedicated church community befrienders who commit their Monday mornings to visitations and Wednesday mornings to activities for seniors: Laura Chang, Judy Sim, Jenny Kwok, Wilson Wong, Irene, Jascy, Suzanna, Geok Hoon, Kok Cheong, Geok Seng, Diana Ho, and Elenita.
In addition to befriending, we support SLEC in community screening and outreach. With the active involvement of our Dorcas, Golden Moments, and Care Group ministries, we have successfully organised Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Christmas block blessing programmes (going house-to-house to share God’s blessings and present oranges as a symbol of goodwill). Through these efforts, we have been able to reconnect with seniors and introduce them to SLEC’s Active Ageing Centres.
Through God’s grace and the partnership with St Luke’s ElderCare, we continue to witness lives touched and transformed, and we look forward to what He will do in the years ahead.
This year, YCCL Community Befriending Group received the North West WeCare Volunteer Award for actively contributing to the care and health of the North West Community. The award, presented by Mayor Alex Yam, is a testament to God’s faithfulness and was a morale booster for our team.
Revd Dr William Chang
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• Golden Grove Lutheran Church and Primary • the Protestant Church in Sabah, as they School, South Australia and their relationship notice gifts in church members which have with Ialibu Lutheran Primary School, Asaroka not yet been given the space to flourish, Lutheran Secondary School and Gama then equip the members with all they need Lutheran Day High School. Thank God for to serve God and the church. being faithful in protecting their partnership • Sharna Steinert, Hanna Schulz, Ian and pray they will be more conscious of their Hutchinson and Audrey, who are part relationship with God through this connection. of the LCANZ family serving with Wycliffe • the Lutheran World Federation, as they Australia, working in partnership with fulfil their commitment to strengthen the church in making disciples of people communion relationships between Lutheran from every language group through Bible churches in the Asian and Pacific regions. translation into vernacular languages.
To download monthly prayer points, go to www.lca.org.au/international-mission/ join-gods-mission/pray/
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• St Luke’s ElderCare, as they share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with their elders and caregivers. This Gospel which permeates all of life and ministers to the whole person, is wide-reaching, and deeply impactful for all ages.
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CAMBODIA – WEBSITE CREATOR
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – VILLAGE BIRTH ATTENDANT TRAINER
Update the Lutheran Church in Cambodia’s current website to help them mobilise Cambodian Christians to be involved in God's mission, and to share the stories of what God is doing in Cambodia.
Train and support local women who assist with birthing to foster healthy pregnancies and safe deliveries – managing ante natal care, deliveries and antenatal.
THAILAND – CHILDREN’S PROGRAM DEVELOPER
WHAT TO DO NEXT …
Support Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand’s Saturday Club through providing resources which they can use to connect the children with the good news of Jesus’ saving love.
If you would like to know more about volunteering in mission overseas, go to www.lca.org.au/international-mission, email lcaim@lca.org.au or phone 08 8267 7317.
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND – TEACHING ENGLISH RESOURCE CREATOR Create resources for volunteers to use when they are teaching English overseas.
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(Please indicate the ministry you would like to support and write the amount of your gift/s in the spaces provided.) Sharna Steinert, Language Learning Subject $ Coordinator, SIL Australia LCA International Mission’s participation in the Asia Church Leadership Conference
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