Newsletter May 2004

So far this year we have been occupied in preparing for the AMCF World Conference (see http//mcf-korea.org ) to be held in Korea 14-18 Sep, in a related visit to Vanuatu, and working with the MCF of Australia and overseas military students. This report begins with Vanuatu, then proceeds to the other two items.


VISIT TO VANUATU


Aim of Visit

The aim was to encourage ex- Deputy Commissioner Holi Simon and his family, make contact with as many people as possible who had attended the 2000 program run by the ACCTS Mobile Training Team to see how they were progressing in their lives and ministry, and to arrange, through protocol visits, for the attendance of two members of the Vanuatu Police Force at the World Conference.


Preparation

In the latter half of 2003 through other ACCTS staff we were able to renew contact with Holi Simon who had been imprisoned after being found guilty of mutiny in 2002.
We had met the Commissioner of Police and his wife in Australia when he was studying here in 2002, and had written to him and attempted to speak with him on the telephone late last year and early this year.
Russell met the Prime Minister of Vanuatu at the National Prayer Breakfast in Canberra in November 2003, so wrote to him explaining about the world conference and the reason for our forthcoming visit to his country, asking him to support the request we had made in writing to the Commissioner of Police.
Joy, the manageress of the Kaiviti Motel where we had stayed in 2000, and where we were again booked to stay, was very helpful in keeping us informed about Holi Simon's whereabouts, particularly when he was returned to Port Vila while still in custody.

Conduct of Visit

On arrival at our motel Joy gave us a letter from Holi Simon telling us he he had been released about four weeks previously. The next morning we spoke for four hours during which he told us about his experiences in jail, the quite significant ministry he was able to carry out, and the difficulties which his family had experienced during that time.
Julie, Holi's wife, was overcome with emotion on seeing us and on receiving gifts from ACCTS staff and our church.

Holi Simon and family with Russell and Helen

With some difficulty we arranged a visit with the Commissioner of Police who said that he was sure he could find two suitable candidates for the World Conference. His wife told us that she has a small group of wives of senior police with whom she prays on a regular basis, using the conversational prayer method we had taught in Canberra with a group from the Pacific.


After visiting the Commissioner, we "accidentally" bumped into Willie Harrison who had been on the 2000 program as a lance corporal, and was now a corporal. He continues to apply the teaching and is trying to start a hospital ministry.

Corporal Willie Harrison with Helen

Then Mary Lolos also found us, and we were able to go to her husband Sandy Lolos's office to share time with them. Lolos (the husband's given name) had been used quite a bit by Holi in the training he provided before his arrest.


Mary and Lolos

We then flew to the island of Espiritu Santo (Santo for short) where we spent 6 days with an old university friend of Russell's and his wife who are working at a ministry training centre. While there we made two visits to the police station and spent time with two police women, Nancy Tamata and Jennifer Warsal, who work in the same office and pray together each day. We passed on to them a deployment pack from the MCF of Australia, and materials from the AMCF Manual. One of the ladies had been telling the other just prior to the first visit which Russell made alone, about a dream she had had the previous night in which she had seen a white dove alight upon her window sill, and she had wondered what it meant. She now interpreted it as the Lord preparing her for the visit by Russell who went alone for the first visit.


On return to Port Vila, we went to a meeting at the Vanuatu National Council of Women's HQ where I had been asked to speak on the subject of "The Cost of Discipleship". The group was small, but included two sergeants who had not participated in the Christian Fellowship activities in the past. One, John Feandre, was disappointed that he had not known of the AMCF before, as he had travelled to other countries, such as Australia, where he could have had fellowship. The discussion afterwards included what to do if given an order to do something about which you are not happy. We had a good prayer time.

After our meeting

After church on Sunday, we were able to speak with three Australians who gave us some useful background in regard to the police in Vanuatu. One of them told us that the Commissioner of Police in the the Solomon Islands would look favourably on sending someone, and we have had valuable contact with the Solomons since our return to Australia.


As we had been unable to see the Commissioner of the Vanuatu Police Force again, on the day of our departure we wrote a detailed report to him of our visit, including giving him the names of three people, in priority order, of whom we would like to see two at the world conference. This letter was hand delivered to the HQ on our behalf by Capt John Taleo, the Director of the Police College, who agreed to follow up for us if necessary. After our return John conveyed to us the Commissioner's decision to send to the world conference Sandy Lolos and Fred Mahit, both Inspectors, and both of whom attended our 2000 program.

Inspector Fred Mahit, a delegate to the World Conference for whom sponsorship is sought.


Captain John Taleo with Russell.

Holi Simon agreed with us that if the Commissioner sent two delegates, he would step aside if there were not sufficient funds for a scholarship for him.

Conclusion


We praise the Lord for the way that he has everything in control, even when we sometimes don't see it. We believe that we achieved all our aims, even though we did not see a large number of people from the 2000 program.


PREPARATIONS FOR AMCF WORLD CONFERENCE KOREA 14-18 SEPTEMBER 2004


Just Imagine (with acknowledgement to ACCTS News March 2004)
Imagine with us: it is September 14th, 2004. The AMCF Conference has just begun in Korea, and the AMCF president is greeting everyone. A military officer from Papua New Guinea is in the auditorium, silently praying, "Thank you, Lord, for the person who sacrificed financially so that I could be at this conference today. I couldn't have done it with just my own savings." Nearby a military Christian from Tonga is also praying: "God, you know how much I needed to be here. Please help me, so that I can bring more sailors to you." Another delegate nearby is awestruck: "Lord, I feel so alone where I am posted. But just look at all these brothers and sisters in arms. Thank you Lord, I am not alone."

Around them are hundreds of men and women. Some are discouraged, some are excited, some have been persecuted - yet all have gathered to learn more about military ministry and how they can help spread God's kingdom among the world's armed forces.

Can you see it? We can! But this vision will only come true with your help. Military Christians from the south Pacific need ACCTS supporters to help them financially so that they can attend the AMCF 2004 World Conference. In conjunction with the Military Christian Fellowships of Australia and New Zealand, we are seeking to raise A$9000 to provide sponsorship for these delegates, with the Koreans helping in the other countries where we cannot. Can you contribute to this fund? We strongly believe that this World Conference will increase military ministry around the world, and we need people like you who share our belief to provide financial help.

There are many ways you can help this sponsorship fund: you can give personally, you can tell your church, co-workers and friends about the conference. If you wish your chapel to give a designated offering, please contact us first, as we coordinate chapel appeals with the MCFs.

For more information, please contact us. You can also obtain more information about the conference itself by going to http//mcf-korea.org , MCF of Korea's website.

The average sponsorship amount is A$3000. Perhaps you can adopt a delegate and pay the full amount of their sponsorship; perhaps you can adopt a delegate and contribute a smaller amount towards their participation. But however God leads you to be involved, we thank you in advance for your support of this important event. May God be glorified in it and through it.
For donations, write to us at 6 Marsh Place, Melba ACT 2615, Australia.
For more information:

* Feel free to contact Russell or Helen by email or by telephone/fax 02 6258 6224.


WORK WITH MCF OF AUSTRALIA AND OVERSEAS MILITARY STUDENTS

Helen as Prayer Secretary of MCF

Helen continues to promote prayer for members of the MCF, especially for our troops deployed in 10 nations. She also writes to as many as she can.

Hosting at the Australian Defence College (ADC)

This year we are hosting a lieutenant colonel and his family from Singapore. On 8 May we arranged for LTCOL Steve Fritz-Millet, a Canadian instructor at the ADC to speak to a group of about 22 - mainly officers and their wives - on the subject of Christian Servant Leadership.


Peter Ellis with Steve Fritz-Millet

* Fast link to our previous newsletter

Previous Newsletter