Newsletter 2009 — No. 2

Family Matters

Most of the readers of this newsletter are aware our reports have been delayed by Brenda’s recent medical problems. Those on our email list you have been able to follow this unfolding story.  The first part of this newsletter is for those who receive these reports by regular mail.

On March 26^th I wrote:

Dear Friends,

It is with deep regret that I am canceling this year’s trip to Australia which was to begin April 14^th. To paraphrase the apostle, we wanted to come to you—I and Brenda, more than once–and yet Satan hindered us. I will miss seeing my friends and working with the churches.  There are several things that make the trip inadvisable.  I will try to list them in some order of importance.

1. Brenda’s health.  This reason alone would be enough.  As most of you know she has been struggling the last several years forcing me to make my yearly trip without her.  Her problems have become acute lately and we are making an intense effort to find help.  This is, of course, expensive and time-consuming.  I will be devoting all possible resources to this challenge.  Our goal is to get her well enough to make future trips with me.  She has much to offer through her teaching and wisdom.
2. Funding.  When I bought tickets for the trip this year, I once again had to tap our savings.  This, obviously, has a limit and that has been reached.  Funds must be raised for this trip and I have simply not had the time to devote to this effort.  I am already deeply in debt for previous trips and cannot add to this problem.
3. Response from Australian churches.  As you know one of my Mission South Pacific strategies is to work with established churches.  This year, two churches invited us to hold workshops.  A couple of others asked us to preach on Sundays.  In addition there was a short teaching opportunity with MSOBS. This really isn’t enough to justify the expense. There was just too much “down time.”  No doubt, other opportunities would arise after my arrival (they always do as you can gather from past reports), but logistics would be difficult and expensive.  On the other hand, response has been quite good for Jerry Tallman’s workshops and he is willing to make the trip without me.  We are deeply grateful for that.
4. Personal business matters.  Family difficulties have trumped personal business matters and they need to be dealt with.  I will be devoting a great deal of time to catching up with these.

April 23^rd I have been so involved in serving (Brenda’s) needs and a search for medical help that I have not been able to send our regular reports.  Thank you for your patience in this regard and your continued concern for my beloved wife.

At this writing Brenda is in the hospital for pain-control, observation and tests.  Today, the second endoscope revealed a duodenal ulcer which was cauterized.  This had penetrated a nerve deep in the tissue and was bleeding accounting for at least some of the abdominal pain.

I want to thank all who wrote encouraging notes when I announced I was canceling my trip this year.  We remain deeply grateful for your prayers and expressions of love and concern during these trials.

May 5^th First of all let me express our gratitude for all the prayers, encouragement and support that serve to remind us that God works through His people to comfort, strengthen and encourage.  This is one of the most valuable things about being in fellowship with God’s people. 

We feel optimistic about the future and envision a time when Brenda will be back to optimal health.  We are deeply grateful for the interest and prayers of all our friends, family and colleagues.

May 12^th I wish you who know her could see Brenda now…the change is amazing!  More color, more energy, etc.  (We are addressing her primary immune deficiency with gamma globulin injections every 21 days.

She also has a large hiatus hernia which has caused stricture of the esophagus…all of which, including taking too many ibuprofen and aspirins for her fibromyalgia (yes, that too!) probably caused the ulcer…we now have hope that she will become well enough to function fairly normally…and…can eventually resume attending assembly and activities she excels in such as teaching, sewing and having folks in for meals, etc.  I am excited that she will eventually be able to travel with me to the South Pacific.

Once again, we are so grateful for the help received.  Your prayers have been highly valued and deeply appreciated.  University church (our congregation) has been, and continues to be very encouraging and supportive.  How wonderful to be part of the family of God!

Recruiting and Training Mission Teams

Ipswitch Team

Sunday night worship with Matt, Tish and Jennica (Greg is out-of-town)

Brenda and I continue to work with this team of ACU graduates moving to Australia in January 2010.  What a great group of young men and women!  They are very serious about their preparation…but they are also serious about having fun.  They meet together every Sunday evening (when not out searching for support) with us and the Greens for a time of fellowship, mentoring, planning and worship.

SIBI School of Missions

Beginning in August, the Sunset School of Missions will host the largest advanced missions class in our history. As Dean of Missions, Kevin Haynes writes, “We are excited as twenty plus people, forming four or more teams, have placed themselves into our hands for teaching, training, and preparation for the mission field.” Your support enables us to continue this essential work.

Training Men and Women in their Own Country

From Academic Dean, Ted Paull: Again this year we have been blessed by teaching help from Sunset International Bible Institute (operated by the Sunset church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas, USA). Last year we had Ed Wharton and John Massie visiting and this year Jerry & Connie Tallman visited. Jerry spends about 3 months each year teaching at Sunset and the rest of the year visiting churches for evangelistic training. The Tallmans sold their home and bought a mobile home to be able to do this work with minimum cost to these churches.  The classes taught on evangelism here at the school were certainly worthwhile.

Full-time students get in-class opportunities to teach and preach and are also involved in evangelism as part of one class, often teaching 2-3 times per month for churches and camps throughout NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Occasionally they go together to assist a congregation in preaching teaching and leading worship on Sunday. They did this for the Eastside church in Sydney on May 17. These activities contribute greatly to their training.

The students always look forward to not having the regular teachers, because that means meeting irregular (new) brethren.  The classes were greatly enhanced this past year by having Ed Wharton, John Massey and Marvin Ancell present special sessions. In addition to Jerry Tallman teaching in Evangelism, David Carr, Peter Tickner, Bob Marks and Roy Courtney continue doing a superb job supporting and encouraging this work in many ways, including their teaching.

From Administrative Director, Craig Peters:

This was the first year to be with the school from start to finish.. It was a bit different starting the school year in February … but whereas that’s winter where I come from … it is Summer BBQ and Beach time down here.  Since then, we have had Graham Wall graduate and Dan Bray return to the school. Our two third year students are mapping out their next couple of years of Ministry and at least one couple (The Andrew Giles family) are planning to enroll part-time later this year.

We finished our Monday night series “Renewal with Romans” a few weeks ago and have plans to start a new series in August. We enjoyed an average of 20 in each of these lessons. It makes us feel good to offer something that seems helpful.

In addition to their studies each week, each student is deeply involved in their home congregation. They often teach, preach and help with evangelistic efforts.  They are often quite busy when school is not in session as well.  Each of our third year students is working on a ministry plan that includes both local work and missions.  A great portion of their studies is intended to prepare them for the obstacles they may face.  They also create lesson plans for each scenario. This generates a great deal of work for them, but each is bright and very resourceful.

Our annual Lectureship will be July 22-26. We are always excited about hosting that. It is so good to see brethren from all over the country. We also enjoy being a resource of encouragement to so many who work so hard for the Lord.

We also plan to do a Mission Week when our students serve a congregation in Australia. We haven’t formally declared where that will be this year. Last year they spent 2 weeks in Coffs Harbour.

This past Sunday all of our students served the Eastside congregation.  Sam  preached, Dan served at the Lord’s Supper and Satish led singing.

Because of the generosity of a woman in Texas, we have started a new Student support account.  Her gift is helping our newest student: Dan Bray. The hope is to build on this so that we have support on hand for current student emergencies and help for incoming students.  Presently, the fund has just over $15,000. Although it draws some interest, we are using the principal directly in the support of as many students as possible. One incoming student has already received a pledge from this.

Assisting Established Regional Churches

Jerry and Connie Tallman return this month (June), having enjoyed an extremely successful mission judging from the following comments (see Ted Paull’s comments above):

David Adkins, Melbourne:I know you were disappointed not to come with Jerry.  It was truly a great occasion for the church here to have (him).  He taught much, instilled confidence…and gave a much needed boost of encouragement to others.  He showed…we should not be afraid to talk to people and…know enough to get started.  He also gave good pointers on how to turn people’s questions into studies…always be referring people to the Bible.  I know people are working some of the techniques that he showed us.

We ordered 40 copies of his book (to) keep refreshed on this important topic.  …some of the
brethren here (intend) to make sure what Jerry did was just the beginning and that we need to move on to even greater things.  It was also good to have someone of Jerry’s experience to be able to fire questions at and get answers…  We pray that he will be able to come back and do more.  I know he has received at least one invite to come back to Melbourne.  People were impressed.  Thanks for recommending that he come our way.

Ern Smith in Adelaide: Dear Dwight,Thank you for Jerry and Connie they were great.  The talks were encouraging and informative…

Peter Searson in Brisbane: Greetings Dwight…thank you very much for encouraging Jerry & Connie to come our way, they did a great work and we have invited them back to do our Point Family Retreat in Easter 2011.  Everyone here fell in love with them, we really enjoyed our time together…it was just too brief.

Remarks from Readers

From a Beloved mentor:

Dwight:  Your MSP Newsletter for January was rich with human interest, faith building, global horizons and a challenge of partnership…  It is particularly inspiring to me how you have continued your longing and passion for Oceania over so many decades.  Your faithfulness to teaching, inspiring and supporting the work down under will be the means God will use to reach, touch and save countless thousands of souls.  Heaven will be even the more meaningful as you meet them on that distant shore.

From a Colleague:

So much good news, Dwight! Thanks for sharing this. And thanks for being available to God for this good work. To God be the glory!!

These past few months have served to remind us: earthly security is fleeting!  Jobs that seemed secure have been lost.  Talented leaders in every field have found themselves without gainful employment. If you are struggling to make ends meet, you are in excellent company.

Mission South Pacific, along with other small non-profit ministries doesn’t have much financial “wiggle-room.”  And yet, somehow, our work must go on.

Brenda and I are so appreciative of those who have been able to continue their financial support in these difficult economic times.  We praise our Lord for each of you. Thank you!

Dwight Whitsett, Director, Mission South Pacific

Update on Brenda’s Health

First of all let me express our gratitude for all the prayers, encouragement and support that serve to remind us that God works through His people to comfort, strengthen and encourage.  This is one of the most valuable things about being in fellowship with God’s people.

We are grateful to our Father that we have good news to convey.  The immediate problem that was causing such excruciating pain was found to be a duodenal ulcer that was bleeding.  This was causing the nausea, cramping and anemia.  The gastroenterologist found the ulcer with a second endoscope and cauterized it.  It had eaten into a nerve and, even though Brenda was under an anesthetic, she jumped each time he hit the footswitch to cauterize it.  No wonder she was in such pain!

As most of you know, her general health has been a major concern.  She has a compromised immune system that makes her susceptible to anything contagious that comes along.  She also has attacks of Fibromyalgia and problems with herniated discs in her neck.  We are working with a physician in the DFW area on these problems.  We make our second visit to him this week but he has already begun to help her.

We feel optimistic about the future and envision a time when Brenda will be back to optimal health.  We are deeply grateful for the interest and prayers of all our friends, family and colleagues.

Love to all from both of us,

Dwight and Brenda

Newsletter January 2009 — No. 1

$12,000 GIVEN FOR SCHOLARSHIPS! Member of Llano, Texas Church is Touched with the Need Back in October I made a presentation to the Llano church of Christ regarding our work and the needs of our school in Sydney, Australia. I emphasized that one of our greatest needs was student support. Because of our thin population of members of the churches of Christ in Australia, raising support there is very, very difficult. Many talented and committed men and women who would give their lives to preaching and teaching are unable to attend due to the expense of living in Sydney. Scholarships are a must if we are to expand the reach of the school. One sister in this fine congregation was touched with the need and has generously given that others might hear the good news of Jesus.

A Great Soldier of the Cross Goes Home

Jack Merrick 1908 — 2008

Lester Bagley, former New Zealand missionary and preacher and elder for the church in Llano (mentioned above) writes, “In case you have not heard, Brother Jack Merrick (of the Greerton congregation in Tauranga) died a few days ago at the age of 100. Jack, with his family and friends, wrote a new chapter to the “Restoration Movement” when they studied their way out of denominationalism and began teaching and worshiping in the New Testament pattern over a half century ago. Much of Lord’s work in the North Island of New Zealand is derived from their faith and efforts. Countless Christians know the Lord because of their work. And Jack was both the patriarch of the clan and served as one of the first elders of the church in New Zealand of the 20th century. A great soldier of the cross has gone home and I was privileged to know and work alongside him for many years.”

Alison Brown of the Rotorua Daily News wrote a story about Jack’s 100^th birthday that was picked up by the New Zealand Herald:

Jack had turned 100 on Saturday, October 25. It was a chance for his two children, Rex Merrick and Bev Mossop, to reflect on their father’s achievements and for Jack, to finally get his hands on a letter from the Queen. “For the last 20-odd years he’s been talking about getting a message from the Queen and his birthday he was holding that letter pretty tight,” his son said.

The former dairy farmer was born and educated in Tauranga, travelling on horseback as a schoolboy from his parents’ farm at Pyes Pa to his school in the suburb of Greerton. He left school at 12 to help his father develop their farm and it was that year that he lost an eye in a farm accident. Never considering himself disabled, Rex said his father grew up with a strong work ethic. He married one of his neighbour’s daughters, Mavis Taylor, fighting off a few admirers to win her heart.

Rex said, “…the thing I remember most about him was his integrity. I never knew him to lie about anything.” Daughter Bev said their father also had a softer side and loved the land. “Even after he retired, he would spend hours outside in his vege garden — that was his pride and joy — and he would graze on the veges while he worked. He would give bags of fruits and veges away to anyone less fortunate than himself.” Jack has 21 grandchildren, 51 great-grandchildren and “a handful” of great great-grandchildren.

springing forward in autumn

Trip Planned for 2009

Colleague Ron Downey (recently appointed Regional Dean/Asia) made me aware that Qantas (airline of Australia) was running a sale. I quickly took advantage of it. And, if all goes well, I leave the 14^th of April and return the 3^rd of June. My goal was to leave right after my teaching duties are over around the middle of March (Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere (I like the weather better). We’ll try again next year. As usual, I have offered to help in any way that I can, including the following:

1. Back on Track seminar – recapturing the mission and purpose of the church.
2. Classes, sermons or consulting on special topics.
3. Gospel mission
4. Evangelism Training with Jerry Tallman an in-depth and practical method for personal evangelism (see his website at http://www.hiseternalplan.com/).  Jerry travels the USA presenting his workshop at congregations.  He is blocking out time to present his workshops in Australia and New Zealand in April and May.
5. MSOBS Sunday – a PowerPoint presentation about your school in Sydney combined with a sermon or class.

THE TOP TEN MINISTRY MILESTONES OF 2008 FOR SIBI

Truitt Adair Reports Reasons for Rejoicing

Friends,

We ended 2008 in gratitude for one of the best years in our history and in faith-filled anticipation of the work of God in our ministry in 2009.  We thought that you would like to know about some of the ministry milestones and the significant events which have helped to round out a great year of ministry at Sunset International Bible Institute.  We consider these to be the “top ten” out of a much larger list of works.  These are not necessarily in priority order and we do not have space or time here to fully explain each of these happenings.  We are working on a more detailed explanation which will include pictures and examples to illustrate each.  For now, just so you can rejoice and praise God with us, here is our top ten list for 2008:

10.  We completed and surpassed the largest financial campaign goal in the 47 year history of the school.  As a result of that and very generous year-end contributions from some of our most committed donors, we ended America’s worst financial year since 1929, debt free and in the black.

9.  We received authorization from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer religious degrees, and already have over 200 students working toward the Bachelor of Biblical Studies degree.  We announced and recruited the faculty for the Master of Biblical Studies degree, which will begin in April of this year.

8. We moved our External Studies Division with all our books, CDs, DVDs, and other study materials into a beautiful new building named for our founder.  We call it the “Cline Paden Ministry Resource Center.”

7.  We saw two Sunset trained mission teams (six families in all) arrive and begin their mission work in New Zealand and in Ukraine.

6.  We started 10 new video satellite schools and enrolled 120 new students, bringing our total student population to over 7000 in over 300 schools.

5.  We received the primary funding commitment to remodel a building which, when completed in 2009, will become the new “World Missions Center” to house our resident missions department, our international division and our global conference center (this will be my new “digs” – DW).

4.   We began International partner schools in six more nations, bringing our international school total to 58 in 37 nations.  We are training over 2500 preachers, teachers and evangelists in those schools and graduated nearly 500 in 2008.

3.  We completed our full online curriculum of 40 courses in preparation for offering our bachelor’s degree online.  We currently have 245 students enrolled in our online courses from 21 countries.

2.  We initiated a program to train Chinese evangelists through our branch school in Singapore.  These men will return to China to evangelize the world’s largest nation and work among the thousands of “house churches” in China.

1.  We began an aggressive push to reach the Muslim world through the translation of Bible study materials into the Arabic language and through evangelistic training programs in Nazareth, Cairo, Paris, Athens and Batam, Indonesia.

We give God the glory for all this, knowing that our job is to “plant and water” but “God gives the increase.”  We also want you to know these and other ministries are only possible because of the many partner churches and Christian individuals who participate with us.  We are confident that God will cause the “fruit to abound to your account” as you share in our ministry.  May God richly bless your life and ministry in this new year of 2009. 

AHEAD:

15 February — Bronte Church of Christ — Bronte, Texas

27-28 February – Teachers of Mission Workshop – Hurst, Texas

14 April – 3 June – Annual Australian

REMARKS FROM READERS

From a Beloved mentor:

Dwight:

One does not have to search long before he discovers why you are so greatly appreciated by such a wide circle of mission loving people.  Passion, faithfulness, fruitfulness, clarity of thought, compelling purpose, winsome dedication, vision and marriage to a like-minded, like-spirited lady begins to tell the story of why you have endeared yourself to so many.  Your best days are still ahead of you!

From a Colleague:

So much good news, Dwight! Thanks for sharing this. And thanks for being available to God for this good work. To God be the glory!!

Brenda and I have been working on tax reports to donors which some of you who made contributions in 2008 will find in this envelope. As we began this process, we were filled with fresh gratitude for all our partners. We are well aware that each dollar you give to Mission South Pacific could have been spent elsewhere. That you have chosen to work with us to bring the precious message to the South Pacific and train others to do the same fills our hearts with thankful joy.

The past year—our first full year as a ministry—has been challenging but gratifying; frightening but encouraging. We advance into 2009 with the solid confidence, firm resolve and constant perseverance that result from having you as our allies in the struggle for the Kingdom in the South Pacific. Thank you!

Dwight Whitsett,

Director, Mission South Pacific

Newsletter November 2008 — No. 8

ONE JOURNEY ENDS…ANOTHER BEGINS

MSOBS student says, “Thank You!”

Three years ago Graham Wall’s life began to change—big time! He embarked on a journey of training at MSOBS in Sydney. Then he got married. Now he’s poised to begin a new journey of ministry. He wants you to know he appreciates you. Graham is one of the most promising young Australian men to study at MSOBS. He’s been a very good student and promises to become an outstanding spokesman for the kingdom and proclaimer of the gospel. Recently, he sent out this note:

Dear Brethren,

I pray that you are all well and are prospering in the ways of God. I have now come to my fourth and final term at the Macquarie School of Biblical Studies and find it hard to believe that my time at school is nearing completion. The past few years have been a wonderful journey of growth, learning and the building of relationships. It has also been a time in my faith has been stretched and my commitment to the cause of Christ renewed. For these reasons I wish to express my appreciation and gratitude for all the encouragement and financial support that you have generously given me.

Graham is recently married to the former Kristina Boyd, an American lady he met as she was doing short-term missions in Sydney. Now, as Graham’s wife, she is doing long-term missions!

Your support of MSP and MSOBS makes this possible. We know many more like Graham are “out there” who will eagerly train to preach and teach the wonderful story of love. Thank you for your prayers and support of Graham, his fellow-students and the school. Now, let’s build a scholarship fund and find some more like him!

The Joy of Training

Training Missionaries for the World

Our work with SIBI’s School of Missions has, as a primary goal, to seek out and train men and women who will go to the South Pacific. In the process, with your partnership, we train evangelists for other areas of the world: Mexico, France, Ukraine, Cambodia and Thailand to name a few. What a joy to train these men and women no matter where they choose to go!

Reports of baptisms taking place through the labors of those we’ve worked together to help train are highly gratifying. To hear that our students are having evangelistic conversations and building relationships in which they plant and water (1 Corinthians 3:5-8) means that we are on the right “training track.” Thank you for taking an essential part in the process.

This Donor Understands!

Gary Tannahill tells why he partners with MSP

Gary sent the following note and I got his permission to share it with you.

Dwight,

Thank you for sharing the information on your support. I appreciate your desire and drive to bring the Good News to the people of the South Pacific. While I don’t know you very well, it seems to me that you are (among other things) a good facilitator and encourager to motivate others to spread the Good News in this area of the world. They need it just like the rest of us. Often nothing happens unless there is a champion, advocate to help spur others on. For this reason, I will be mailing a check to MSP soon.

Recently I was suddenly called to lead a Bible class on what the Bible says about work. During the class it occurred to me that Jesus and His apostles worked but not in the sense that we often use that word today. They worked not for pay, but for the Lord. Others provided the funds they needed for their daily needs (food, clothing, housing) and for their ministry costs. They seemed to not care about “making money”, but they needed some money to live on. Unfortunately I (and perhaps others) have seen “full-time ministry” as a job. But I don’t see it this way any more.
It is encouraging to have folks like the Tannahills on our team. They understand!

My Last Trip Was a Doozy!

You made it Possible!

It has been over four months since my last trip to Australia and New Zealand. Time to book the next trip is growing very close. Perhaps you contributed to my last trip. If so, it was because of you, that I had the best trip ever!

Because of you I held three seminars with the goal to help churches to get back on mission. Indications are that it is working!

Because of you, we were able to visit and encourage our brothers and sisters in Adelaide and lay a foundation for future work.

Because of you, we visited and encouraged our AIM teams in Tauranga and Napier, New Zealand.

Because of you we spent quality time with our new mission team in Auckland.

Because of you we spoke at the annual Macquarie Lectures in Sydney.

Because of you we visited with the Peters family as they begin their work at MSOBS.

I hope we can count on you again as we make plans to travel to the South Pacific in April and May of 2009.

Save Your Missionaries!

Training: More than a “Nice Idea”

Would you send a soldier into battle without training? Neither would we! So let us share some quotes on missionary training from a book by Richard G. Lewis, The Journey of a Post-Modern Missionary, Xulon Press – reviewed by David Mays. It affirms the work that you make possible with your prayers and support.

“The church has failed to understand that God’s call should be matched with specialized and focused preparedness equal to, and perhaps surpassing, all other professions. We have cheapened…missions by not requiring people to meet a standard of cross-cultural preparedness before releasing them to go overseas.” (127)

“It is my contention that training is more than a nice idea; it’s a moral imperative.” (131) “Missionaries who are inadequately prepared will often come off the field broken, battered, and emotionally scarred.” (132)

A prevalent myth in North America is that the hope of reaching the nations lies in the hands of the national churches of those countries. “However, the myth remains a fable because it makes an assumption that is totally false–that nationals in their own countries know how to reach their own people with the Gospel.” (149)

“The notion of taking the Good News cross-culturally is not difficult to grasp, but knowing how to do it and then actually putting that knowledge into practice has always been the great obstacle.” (152)

Economic Crisis or a Crisis of Faith?

MSP Donors React

Economic turmoil is hard on everyone… especially those who depend on donations from those who give out of their investments. Mention “recession” and non-profit ministries and organizations tremble. I am thankful to God that only one donor has found it necessary to “…regretfully withdraw any further financial support to your work at this time.” Everyone will react differently. One donor filled my heart and strengthened my faith with a recent note.

Dear Ones,
You have been on my heart all week – hope and pray you are both well inside and out. In light of the economic turmoil swirling around the world, we are prompted to put actions to our faith that although some trust in horses and chariots, we trust in THE NAME of the Lord our God. Therefore we are tripling our donation to MSP this month.”

REMARKS FROM READERS

From a missionary colleague in Australia regarding

Daughter-in-law, Keely Whitsett, helping get this newsletter to you. Thanks Keely!

our special First Anniversary Edition of this newsletter: “One Year? … actually — one year down and many more to go! I love your writings … they show the positive side to the work here. These are incredible people. They deserve help from people who see past their Past (to) what they would (be) like once clothed in Christ. You are such a man.”

From a beloved mentor: “Thanks for warming my heart with your passion for the lost in your beloved continent. Reading your reports always renews my vision of the world being brought to our dear Lord. You are special to me as you are to a wide circle of those who love good men, doing good things for a Good God!”

Brenda and I are deeply grateful for your faithful encouragement, prayers and support,

Dwight Whitsett,

Director, Mission South Pacific

ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Mission South Pacific is a Year Old!

Change always comes bearing gifts. ~Price Pritchett

September 2007. It was obvious…things were changing and we were going to have to change also. Our sponsoring church had changed. The preacher had changed locations, the leader for the Mission Leadership Team had changed cities, the philosophy of the MLT was also changing and it was obvious we were going to have to change too.

So what does a missionary do without a sponsoring church? These missionaries decided to form a 501(C)3 non-profit ministry. We found a few backers, hired a lawyer, formed a board of directors and by last October, Mission South Pacific was created.

We already knew that you believed in us. You had proven this by opening your heart to us and clasping the vision of bringing the gospel to the South Pacific to your bosom. It is impossible to tell you how precious each of you are to us! You have prayed, advised, encouraged and given hard-earned money to make sure that our work together continues.

Well, it has been a roller-coaster year! Somehow, through all the ups and downs, we stayed in the car and on the tracks. Because of you we have survived and continue to gain the strength which God supplies day by day. Thank you for hanging on with us. Thank you for agreeing to buckle-in for the long haul. It seems that change has come bearing gifts…and you are the gifts.

A GREAT AUSTRALIAN PIONEER GOES TO HIS REWARD

Allan Ernest Flaxman – Born 26 March 1916 Died 26 July 2008

We received the news back in July of the death of Allan Flaxman. He was honoured by his brothers and sisters in this life but now has received his “Well done, good and faithful servant,” from the God he served so loyally. I have taken the liberty of quoting from the obituary sent out by his family. I have also included some photographs that bring back some good memories.

Dwight with Allan Flaxman at Lakemba Lectures – 17 Oct. 1971 – thanks to Dianne & Warren Thorburn for the photos

At age 92 Allan was perhaps our oldest link to the church of the early 1900s in Australia. He was baptised and mentored by John McGregor in the Sydney suburb of Merrylands at the age of 12. John was one of the 3 or 4 men in Australia who stood firm against the use of instrumental music in worship in the church towards the close of the 19^th century. Allan became an outstanding gospel preacher, highly respected in the churches throughout Australia and the USA for his work in Sydney, encouraging many missionaries from the USA to work in and build the church in Australia. Many congregations here owe their existence to the groundwork he did. Many Christians here are directly or indirectly his spiritual offspring because of his relentless attention to upholding the truth of God’s word.

His formal training to evangelise was received at Abilene Christian College in Texas in the years 1947 – 1949. This was a period of his life that was very special to him.

Tent Meetings, Missions, Campaigns in and around Sydney and throughout many parts of Australia and regular preaching, Bible classes, men’s training classes, teaching men to become preachers/evangelists, personal one on one Bible studies were his life. In a mission field where the response to the gospel is minimal, Allan successfully pursued his dream of sharing the gospel of Jesus with as many as he could.

We are confident that Allan is now resting in the security of the presence of God, covered by His wings and surrounded by his arms, rejoicing in the company of the faithful that preceded him.

May the name of God be praised and may that praise be a sweet aroma to Him who saves us (adapted from the obituary published by the family).

Top Six Reasons to do Missions in

Australia and New Zealand

1. Australia and New Zealand have been overlooked by missionaries and sending churches for over three decades. While there are some notable individual exceptions such as the work in Campbelltown (Sydney area) by the Hartmans, Powells and Keesees, Australia and New Zealand are not considered “hot spots” for doing missions. You and I can change that!

2. You will find extremely receptive cultures. Yes, this is contrary to popular opinion, but that opinion just ain’t so. It is true that you will not find it as receptive as the third world or war-torn and poverty-stricken areas. However, not only did our team in Adelaide plant a church of 150 in less than 10 years, but 20 denominational churches have over a thousand members. Hillsong in Sydney has 20,000 in attendance every Sunday! At one time the Sydney Church of Christ (ICOC-Boston Movement) had several thousand members. You can rest assured that if you are a missionary or support one, people will respond.

3. You will encounter great need. The combined population of Australia and New Zealand is approximately 24 million but the church is less than 2,500. Both nations share one of the world’s highest teen suicide rates. The third largest religion behind the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches is no religion at all. These nations are comfortable, highly secularized and materialistic. They are surrounded by the darkness of ignorance about God’s love for us personified in Jesus Christ. You and I can change that!

4. You can speak English! Beyond learning the local “lingo,” you can use your native tongue. And, mate, you will have fun learning all the Aussie and Kiwi idioms. Look mate, I’m being dinkum here. Crikey! You just listen for a while and bob’s your uncle. No language school, no struggling with grammar…you can step off the plane and begin preaching and teaching. You’ll be happy as larry!

5. You will work in a great place! You can raise your kids in a safe and friendly environment with access to excellent medical care. The education is world class. It is a relaxed society with citizens who are proud of their country and love their beautiful land.

6. You will be entering The Great Partnership to fulfill The Great Commission. Christ’s command to make disciples is for you and me, not just trained missionaries and teams. It is a partnership of you who can go with you who can send. If you can’t go, you can send. Paul’s questions in Romans 10 still stand.

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! (Romans 10:14&15)”

When you partner with Mission South Pacific, you’re bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the South Pacific (34 million precious souls!) by sharing the message and training the messengers. You can be a part of a new and dynamic expansion of the kingdom “down under.”

Comments from readers:

From a colleague (regarding previous report):

“Great report, brother. If we could see Jesus’ face now I am sure He would be smiling ”

From a colleague:

Hey! I enjoyed your update and will be praying that all goes well with the challenges that you face. Pace yourself and take care of your health. We need you back here as well !

From a fellow-missionary:

Always wonderful to read your newsletters. Your passion for the work in Australia shines through your every word!! (My wife) was converted out in Sydney so it will always hold a special place in our hearts. They are good people.

From a beloved mentor and friend:

Welcome home, dear brother from a trip full of God’s presence and blessings. I know you feel exalted into His throne room, seeing His wonderful people and works of faith.

In deep gratitude for your encouragement, prayers and support,

Dwight & Brenda Whitsett

SCHOOL OF MISSIONS

My name is Dwight Whitsett and I worked as a missionary in Adelaide, South Australia from September 1967 through June 1976. Upon returning to the United States I worked as a pulpit minister until 1998. I then joined Missions Resource Network for three years as Director for Church Equipping. My job was to equip churches to be more effective senders and supporters of missionaries. I then began work with Sunset International Bible Institute working in the Missions Department as a teacher and missions coordinator for the South Pacific region. I seek to interest students in working in the region and help with mission team formation and deployment.

I also work with Sunset’s International department as Dean of International Training/South Pacific. In that capacity, we have begun a partnership with an existing school, Macquarie School of Biblical Studies, in Sydney, Australia to strengthen their program for training men and women for ministry. In these roles I make frequent trips to Australia and New Zealand.

Visions and Dreams

My vision is to see the church restore a God-driven zeal for reaching every human on earth with the good news of Christ Jesus. In order for this to happen we must recapture the mission and purpose of the church to follow Christ. To follow Jesus means to seek and save the lost, to make disciples and gather them into strong, mature, reproductive churches. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation whose purpose is to proclaim the excellencies of the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

My vision is to see a greatly expanded missionary force. We are the answer to the prayer for workers in the harvest. We must seek out and “shoulder-tap” those men and women whom God has gifted for evangelism and whose hearts are burdened for lost souls. Churches and individuals must make it a priority to train and send these men and women into harvest-ready fields across the street and across the sea. Recruitment will not be a problem when we clearly understand that this is our exclusive task as the people of God, a task for which we will be held responsible.

My dream is to see missions perceived an honored career for our people, young or old. There should be a sense cultivated among our churches that there is no higher, more honorable profession than to go forth as lights into this dark world. If we could just see this change in attitude, recruitment efforts would be much more fruitful. This is what we are working toward at Sunset. Just as if their son or daughter were physically defending their country and its freedoms, parents should be honored that their children want to give their lives to the fulfillment of this Great Commission.

It is to our shame that those who preach a false gospel should outstrip us in the matter of recruiting and sending missionaries. Do we believe the message we preach? The proof of that will be seen in our readiness and eagerness to proclaim it. Our eagerness to proclaim it will be seen in our readiness to train and deploy adequately prepared missionaries. Churches, committed Christians and the training schools they support must take the initiative in sounding out the call for workers.

My dream is to see scores of mission-minded men and women gathered into places like SIBI to not only study but also to coalesce into teams focused on areas of our world where the gospel call is weak. At Sunset, they are guided by seasoned missionaries who help them in the formation of their teams and give them the benefit of their experience. These men help with team formation and continue to mentor those teams even as they begin their work on their chosen field. This is what the School of Missions training was designed to do and has been doing it with great success.  If God has given you a longing to reach lost souls, we would like to hear from you.

Which end will you lift on?

William Borden, heir to the vast Borden dairy estate, could have chosen a life of luxury as a “trust fund kid.” Instead, he chose to devote his life and fortune to reaching others for Christ. He began by seeking the souls of his classmates at Yale and the homeless on the streets of New Haven. He founded the Yale Hope Mission but felt an increasing burden for the lost of the world and even gave a million dollars (a truly enormous sum in those days) to world missions.

In 1912 he sailed for China to seek the souls of Muslims as part of the China Inland Mission. He stopped in Egypt to study Arabic but contracted meningitis and died in 1913 at the age of 25, never reaching his destination.

Back at Yale, one friend told him he was wasting his life to do missions. But his faith was strong, his commitment firm, and his love for the Lord was deep. As he was reflecting on the numbers of Christian workers in the U.S. as compared to those working in China, he said, “If ten men are carrying a log — nine of them on the little end and one at the heavy end — and you want to help, which end will you lift on?”

That’s an excellent question to ponder. The work in the South Pacific and throughout the world is a matter of “one at the heavy end.” Are there lost people in the United States of America? Of course! But the ratio of workers in America compared to workers in the rest of the world is much more than 10 to 1. So which end will you lift on?

Mission South Pacific is addressing this “log problem” in three ways:

1. We recruit and train world evangelists in the U.S. who will give their lives to seek and save the lost.
2. We train men and women for ministry at Macquarie School of Biblical Studies (MSOBS) in Sydney, Australia.
3. We encourage and equip established churches in the region.

We are heaving on that heavy and neglected end of the log but we are calling you to give us a hand. Of course, you can do that through your prayers and encouragement but on the right side of this blog you will find a “CONTRIBUTE” button for PayPal. If you will, in faith, point your mouse to that little button and click with an intention to help materially, it will be an immediate relief to us who struggle with the heavy end of the log.

You can also give by sending a check to MSP at 4025 Fairmont, Abilene, Texas 79605. Any amount will help with the burden. What is the Lord laying on your heart? Just give that.

REMINDER: Mission South Pacific is a registered non-profit organization and your donations are tax-deductible.

Newsletter July 2008 — No. 6

Dear friends and partners in the spread of the gospel,

I have crossed the pond (the Pacific Ocean) back to Texas. Some pond! It takes 12 hours to get across it in an airplane…twelve LOOONG hours. But, I was able to sleep a few hours on the plane and that makes all the difference. Everything went surprisingly smooth. Going through the Los Angeles airport ain’t no picnic, but it was Sunday and the crowds were somewhat less. It was a little surreal as I stepped from the air conditioned DFW airport out into the Texas High Summer.

Now is the time for looking back at highlights.

The three Back on Track seminars (Southeast in Melbourne pictured below) would certainly be highlights. It was wonderful to work with these churches to recapture our mission and purpose. The seminars seemed very well received. I am praying that the principles we discussed will be put into practice.

Another highlight would be our trip to New Zealand to visit the AIM teams in Tauranga and Napier and the new missionary team in Auckland. These young men and women are working hard in spite of some challenges and health concerns. We are very proud of them (See earlier blog entries for pictures of the Tauranga and Napier AIM teams and the new mission team in Auckland).
Finally, we enjoyed being a part of the Macquarie Lectures in Sydney. Craig Peters, Chris Swinford and I were all speakers on the theme, “Is there a message from God?”

The Samsills and Chris Swinford (pictured left) arrived in Sydney to survey the work, do some preaching and teaching and get a sense of the needs in Australia. We were very happy to get to know Mark and wife, Kelli, along with their children: Tyler, Colton and Katie. The Samsills have done short-term missions on a global scale but this was their first trip to Australia.

Following their time in Sydney, we flew to Adelaide (where I did missions back in the 60’s and 70’s) where Chris, Craig and Mark held a seminar with the Adelaide church. They did a wonderful job in spite of some difficulties beyond our control. I went along as support staff and Craig and I stayed with our beloved Ern and Sherryl Smith. We hired a 12-seater van and Ern was our driver and Sherryl our tour guide. It was so good to be back in Adelaide but it was all too short!. Adelaide needs new works to begin in the northern and southern suburbs and we are seeking missionary candidates who might be interested.

Comments from readers:

From a colleague:

Dwight, I really like your Newsletter—–from the title at the top, throughout the journey you are on, all of it full of people, serving, preaching, converting, growing, etc. You are a fine, fruitful and faithful brother worthy of the support of right-minded brethren.

From a prayer-warrior:

Powerful, my brother. The Lord is working a mighty work in you. Wish I had millions. You wouldn’t have to ask again. But then again, my Father owns everything. I’ve turned you and the South Pacific over to Him. Last time I checked, He’s still in control. My prayers are with you and those down under.

From a partner:

Dwight…

Your newsletters mean so much to us. Our hearts rejoice that you are able to answer God’s call to be in Australia as often as He sends you to encourage fellow believers and to teach them to teach the lost.

Blessings in great abundance, dear brother…

It was William Carey who said: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” Expecting great things from God keeps us attempting great things! Mission South Pacific is ordinary people attempting the extraordinary. We make the attempt because we believe in a God who is able to do far beyond any “great thing” we can dream up. Thankfully, His awesome power works within average people (Ephesians 3:20).
Can God, working through ordinary people, overwhelm the forces of Satan in the South Pacific?
Can the Almighty, working through simple human beings, bring light to the lands of the Southern Cross?
Can the Creator, working through the created, expand the borders of the kingdom in Australia?
Can the Father, working through His children, bring grace, peace and forgiveness to New Zealand?
Can the Perfect One working through imperfect ones bring reconciliation to the islands of the Southern Pacific?
With all our heart, we believe He can. We can do all things through the One who gives us strength.

In deep gratitude for your encouragement, prayers and support,

Dwight & Brenda Whitsett

AHEAD:

• SIBI Faculty Retreat – 6-8 August
• Visit to North Davis Church of Christ in Arlington, TX – 17 August
• Visit to Grapevine Church of Christ in Grapevine, TX — TBA
• Visit to Andrews Church of Christ in Andrews, TX — TBA

From Auckland back to Sydney

The “Dynamic Duo” of Swinford and Whitsett have arrived back in Sydney after a very interesting flight from Auckland to Sydney. The plane was filled with a large and very loud group of young people from France headed to Sydney for World Youth Day. This is a HUGE event for Roman Catholic youth from around the world. The Pope is here and, so it seems, most of the RC clergy. The flight from Auckland is about two and a half hours and, for the entire time, there was yelling, clapping, jostling, cheering, bumping seats and bad renditions of French songs. I stuck my nose in my book and Chris kept his earphones on. Needless to say, we were glad to exit the plane and step into the relatively quiet airport. Customs went unusually smoothly and we were calmly greeted by Craig and Tomya Peters and Peter Tickner who calmly conveyed us to our calm and quiet hotel.

The Macquarie Lectures begin this evening (Wednesday) and both Chris and I are on the program. Dale Hartman speaks this evening. The theme is seen in the photo on the right.

In just a few days, I will be winging back to the Texas homeland, the arms of Brenda and embraced by the Texas heat. In some ways, it feels like I left yesterday. In other ways it seems much longer than the seven weeks I’ve been away. Next on the agenda is the Global Missons Conference in Arlington, TX and then back home to Charamon in Abilene. That will be followed by the Sunset Faculty Retreat near Floydada and the beginning of classes. Ah, the excitement and adventure never ends!