MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH SHORT TERM MISSIONS

[Uganda, Africa Missions Trip Photos]

May Cheung serves as the missions manager for Hope Oceania churches. In her home church, Hope Church Brisbane, she pastorally oversees a student group, and the missions & outreach departments.
She is passionate about seeing God’s people capture God’s heart for the world, and be actively engaged in His global vision.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH SHORT TERM MISSIONS

Short term missions (STM) has only been around since the late 1950s when groups like Youth With A Mission (YWAM) developed the concept that missionaries need not be those who go to the foreign for their entire lifetime, but they could be young people with just a few weeks to spare. Since its humble beginnings, the STM movement has grown explosively.

A short term mission is the mobilisation of a Christian to ministries done overseas, cross culturally or nationally for a short period of time ranging from days to one year. A short-termer is a willing and committed Christian to be used by God for a global purpose.

[Short-term Mission Trip to Uganda, Africa]

Why Do Short Term Missions?

There are many valuable benefits of being involved in short term missions – to the host church, to your friends and your church, and to yourself.

a. It stretches your faith and moulds your character.

You will have opportunities to do things you’ve never done before in your home church. It challenges you to rely on God. It grows your faith. It provides a context for the Spirit of God to do a significant work in your life.

b. It helps to confirm your vision.

Maybe you have sensed a call from God to be involved in long term missions. STM is a good preparation for long term mission work.

c. It can lead you to a deeper commitment to missions.

You become inspired by your experience which can lead to long-term commitment towards missions and even become significantly involved in the on-going missions thrust of your church. This includes becoming informed, enthusiastic senders, mobilisers, or even goers.

d. It helps your home church catch the vision

The testimonies and stories you bring back to your life group and church can encourage others to catch the vision. You will speak out of experience, not just textbook knowledge.

e. It increases your sensitivity to needs.

Exposure to issues of wealth, poverty and social estrangement challenges our perspectives and things we take for granted.

f. It gives you opportunity to interact with church planters and mission workers

The dedication, commitment and service of the missionary can inspire your personal walk with God.

g. It puts you in the right place at the right time.

STM teams may find God has placed them in a situation at just the right time to accomplish a special purpose eg to affirm & encourage a missionary who feels forgotten, to meet people who are ready to receive the gospel etc.

h. It honours and affirms the church planters and mission workers.

i. It extends the Kingdom of God

The benefits to the host church/country are: seeds of gospel are sown, people are converted, local church leaders are trained, local church is ministered and Body of Christ is encouraged etc.



What Types of Short Term Missions You Can Be Involved In

a. Exploration trip – to survey the land for pioneering opportunities and search entry vehicles.

b. Extension – ministry to existing local churches. Eg leadership training, evangelism & outreach, ministry training

c. Secondment or Attachment – to strengthen and serve in a church in another locality for several weeks or months

d. Community Development & Humanitarian Aid – in areas of medical, education, construction. Eg Watoto, Effective Aid

e. Intercession – do prayer walks in the target city/town.

f. Pastoral visitation – to encourage and bless the long term mission workers.




Someone once said that short term mission is a normal part of discipleship. The short term mission process is a great opportunity to disciple members.

We have been given stewardship of the gospel. Not everyone is called to be a missionary but everyone is called to the mission of bringing the gospel globally and cross culturally (the Great Commission). Short term mission is one way every person can be involved. I encourage you to aim to go on a mission trip at least once in your lifetime.

For His Kingdom sake,

May Cheung
Missions Coordinator, Hope Oceania
[Hope Oceania Missions Website]


Reference: Adapted from Hope Singapore “Stepping out to short-term missions”.

LIBERIA HEALING CRUSADES

[Photos: Pastor Helen Kirby in Liberia, Africa]

My African Mission Trip -
October 2009

I have found my mission trip to Africa to be one of the most challenging feats of my life as a female pastor and Christian minister. The verse ‘All things are possible to those who believe’ (Mark 9: 23) was a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness and unfailing love to me throughout my three weeks mission trip to Liberia.

Woman's Conference and outdoor crusades

I was given the task to visit and minister in four Hope churches Liberia – Hope Monrovia, Hope Gbarnga, Hope Voinjama and Hope Foya. I was given a schedule to preach over 20 messages in 11 days which included a woman’s conference and 2 outdoor crusades!



I knew this was going to be difficult, and I underestimated how difficult it was going to get - because of the long travel and hazardous road conditions due to the rainy season, the continuous ministry from one church to another as soon as we arrived, and the spiritual pressure of preaching in a large crusade. I really learnt the value of fasting and riding on God’s grace during that time.

Thousands gathered for healing crusades

I really want to thank God for an opportunity to meet Ps Sonny who heads the Hope Churches in Liberia. What an awesome man of God! This man is always fasting and hardly sleeps. He had faith in God and in me when I was doubting my ability to preach in the crusades. He had faith that rain will not touch us during the crusade and God kept the rain away …




We had over 4500 in attendance over 3 nights and hundreds gave their hearts to Jesus Christ.

I want to thank God for all the miraculous healings and salvations we saw at the crusades. Many demons were cast out and people set free. The atmosphere was charged with faith & the battle had been won in prayer – almost every single person I touched was healed that night.

God's blessings & protection in Liberia

The road conditions were less than favourable during that time – just to put it mildly. There have been many accidents and deaths on these roads but God continued to protect us. One trip that usually takes 7 hours – took us 15 hours to get there! We got stuck in these huge ‘mud craters’ more than 3 times! (please see the photos). At one stage we were driving in pitch black without any headlights and holding on to a little torchlight from the side window as our only source of light!

All our luggage (2 sisters came with me) remained intact throughout the whole trip – nothing was lost or broken. A South African woman who sat in the seat next to us lost all her luggage when she arrived in Liberia. Although one of our luggage items almost got shipped to Turkey – we managed to get it back just in time. Also we did not miss a single flight.

Children's Conference in Liberia




I also felt really blessed by my mission team members, Anushka & Fiona, who were fasting & praying for me the whole time. Anushka's children's conferences brought a lot of joy & laughter to the kids in Liberia . Not forgetting Ps Willie, our International Missions Coordinator, who came all the way from Malaysia after a tiring mission trip overseas to visit and give some oversight to the churches in Liberia. Praise God for sacrificial men and women in our movement!

Greater faith in a supernatural God

This mission trip has indeed been a life changing experience for me – I will never be the same. I have been completely humbled and touched by the grace of God that was on me during this whole mission trip without which I wouldn’t have been able to do anything of spiritual significance.




I can say with great faith and confidence that we believe in an awesome God that will never let us down.


When God stretches us, He provides the grace to sustain us. I believe God has dropped an extra deposit of faith and trust in Him that will stay with me for a long long time. Hallelujah!

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8


Pastor Helen Kirby
Hope Church, Adelaide

ORPHANAGE MINISTRY: UGANDA, AFRICA

Vision for Uganda orphanage

On the afternoon of Saturday 19th September 2009, I arrived in Uganda, a nation devastated by decades of war and by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Two years ago, I had only hoped that I could somehow contribute to the pressing needs on the other side of my world.

I first heard about the great work Watoto Child Care Ministries was doing in Uganda while I was at a womens' conference.

[Photo: Tina Wong in Uganda, Africa Orphanage]

I was inspired as I heard the stories of orphans who each had been placed into a new home, with 7 other parentless children, and a widow to look after them; and how these families, within a wider village community, were raising children into strong, God-loving adults. These children, most of whom had lost their parents to AIDS, now have hope again and believe in a brighter future. So I started raising funds. I thought I would help by contributing towards the cost of building a house. Little did I know that God had plans for me to join with a team to go to Uganda and actually build the house.

Teaming up with Glebe Rd Uniting Church



The team was a beautiful collage of personalities. From my church, there was myself, Melissa Toh, Kevin Choo and Mei Goh. The majority of the team were from Glebe Rd Uniting church in Ipswich, and a few of their friends.

All up, there were sixteen of us. We had been meeting up and praying together for months leading up to the trip, so we arrived in Uganda with ample anticipation. We were committed to building a house, but not just a house - a home. A place where precious lives would be restored.

Bulrushes, Watoto's Baby Centre



The day after we arrived, we visited Bulrushes, Watoto's baby centre, where orphaned or abandonned babies are rescued and nurtured. Babies scurried towards us from all directions, crawling into our laps and reaching out for cuddles. We all melted like butter! To think that many of these precious ones would have died had it not been for Watoto.

Many were brought to Bulrushes premature, malnourished or in terrible condition, but are now happy, healthy, bouncing babies!



Building a house in Suubi Two

The next day, we started to build in a new village called Suubi Two. We loaded and unloaded bricks and formed a long chain so that we could move bricks from A to B.



Each brick weighed 7.5kg so we got a great work out. With Ugandan builders assisting us, we all got the hang of bricklaying fairly quickly, and by the end of Day One, we had built eight rows of bricks. That evening, we all groaned in agony from sore muscles and aching backs, arms, and legs, but after some Tiger Balm and a good night's sleep, we were back on site early the next morning, eager to keep at it. We were determined to finish buillding the house! After a total of three and a half days of vigorous brick-laying, enduring scorching heat, braving shaky scaffolding, getting mortar and mud in our shoes, clothes and hair, we finally completed the house!



Together with the builders, we had a dedication ceremony to dedicate the house to the children of Uganda, and prayed a prayer of blessing over the house and over the lives of those who would call this dwelling their home.

We had worked hard, but it was a labour of love. While we were building, God was also building faith in us. We had an opportunity to visit and pray for one of the children in the village bed-ridden with malaria, and by the next day, he was out of bed, joyfully drawing with the colour pencils we gave him. On the final day of building, we also had the honour of seeing one of the Ugandan builders give his heart to Christ. We cherished every moment in our hearts, and felt so privileged to be a part of God's great work.

Fellowship with the locals

The highlight of the whole trip was when we went to one of the established Watoto villages where we had lunch with the families.

The family that I visited had eight girls and a Watoto mum, who greeted us at the door with big smiles and warm hugs. We were then spoilt with the best Ugandan home-cooked meal ever. As we ate, the girls happily shared about their favourite subjects at school and what they wanted to study in university. There was so much hope in their eyes. As they were excitedly showing us their rooms (4 girls to a room), we were saddened to hear the story of how only a year ago, they lost their previous Watoto mum to AIDS.



I couldn't even try to comprehend how it would feel to lose your parents and then to lose your adopted mum, to go through so much grief as a child. Yet these girls had a strength of faith about them that was remarkable. Before we left, they blessed us with a delightful dance and a couple of beautiful songs. We were so touched by their love and found it so hard to say goodbye. We already knew that coming to Uganda to build a house was going to make a difference, but after spending time with one of the families, we were absolutely convinced that what we have built will make a difference in childrens' lives, and a lasting impact in the nation of Uganda.

James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Compassion for the orphans and widows



As long as there are orphans and widows in need in our world, there will always be work for the church. We left Uganda with a strong sense that our work had only just begun, and that the building will continue when we landed back on home soil. So I am setting my sights on another house, another eight precious orphans rescued by 2012. Some team members have determined in their hearts to return to Uganda in the near future to serve as volunteers. All of us will continue to champion this cause.

We set out to build a home and change lives, and in the process, God built His compassion deep in our hearts and changed our lives forever.

Uganda Africa Mission Photo Website

Tina Wong
Hope Church, Brisbane

• Write to Tina Wong for more information about "Orphanage ministry in Uganda, Africa: tinie_wong@hotmail.com