Newsletter April/May 2008 — No. 3

Dear friends and fellow-laborers in the kingdom,

Brenda and I hope this report finds you joyful in the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fundraising and trip planning and preparation for our seminars in Australia has been our focus for the last few weeks. We are working hard to accumulate enough funds to pay-off our debt from past trips and to make the trips planned for June and July. Furthermore, as a new ministry, finding sustaining donors has been a very high priority. Just as any other ministry, we must find adequate monthly income to pay our bills and fulfill our mentoring, teaching and travel obligations. Of course, one of our biggest donors is us! We sometimes have to tap into savings and retirement funds to keep the wolf from the door. We are convinced that we will eventually find enough brothers and sisters who can catch the vision to not only sustain this ministry but to soar with us to victory in the South Pacific!

Part of our work is recruiting, mentoring and training men and women to work in the South Pacific. Actually, the Lord works through us even when we are not aware of it. Sometimes we find a jewel like Tish Harris. Listen to her story:

During my sophomore year of college I heard God’s call to do mission work overseas, but had no idea where I was supposed to go. In 2002 I attended the World Mission Workshop, which was hosted by ACU that year, in hopes of receiving some clarity regarding where God wanted me. Dwight Whitsett was set to speak about mission work in the South Pacific, so I decided to go and hear what he had to say. Although I’m ashamed to admit it, what first peaked my interest in the South Pacific was the fact that the Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand! However, the things that Dwight said were what really stole my heart…Dwight’s love for the people of the South Pacific and his desire to see the Gospel declared to them was immense. I left that room praying to God, “Lord, I am dedicating my life to getting to New Zealand to share your Gospel. If this is not what you want me to do, please show me the path I should take instead”.

I was soon set up to do an internship at a church in Auckland, New Zealand in 2004. I spent an amazing two months serving the Lord, making friends with the members of the church where I worked, and learning more about the Kiwi culture. However, there was a kink in my plan. Before I left for my internship I met the man I knew I wanted to marry at ACU. When we first met earlier in the semester I told him that I was going to do mission work in New Zealand, and if he was not interested in learning more about it then I thought we should not date. God surprised me when Matt said, “Well, I’m Australian so I don’t think that will be too much of a problem”.

I would have never known he was Australian. He moved to the states when he was eight and lost his accent! After I returned from my internship, we had a long talk about going to New Zealand. Matt admitted that he could not go there, because he had family in Australia who were not yet Christians. I prayed a lot about this, because I felt that moving to Australia was settling for love instead of following boldly after the call of God. However, the more I prayed the more I remembered what I asked of God the day I met Dwight, that He would show me if I was on the wrong path.

I firmly believe now with all my heart and mind that God brought my husband Matt and me together so that we would go to Australia and share the Gospel with the Australian people. We are now on a team of four…training to move to Brisbane, Australia in the summer of 2009 to do church planting, and God has greatly blessed our team!

We recently hosted the team at Charamon (our place in Abilene) for dinner and, as they continue their training, we hope this is the first of many such occasions. What a delightful group! They are off to Australia in a few days to begin their survey trip (led by Gary Green pictured far right with wife, Frances. Their target is Ipswich in the Brisbane, Queensland metropolitan area. I know they would appreciate a place in your prayers.

UPCOMING:

• Leave for Australia/New Zealand – 2 June return 20 July – Due to financial and health concerns, Brenda and I have decided against her going with me this trip. She is doing very well health-wise but we feel it would be better to have a year of good health behind us before she attempts this very arduous trip.
• Back on Track Seminar – Hunter Valley Church of Christ – New South Wales – 7-8 June
• Back on Track Seminar – Southeast Church of Christ – Melbourne – 14-15 June
• Back on Track Seminar – Bankstown Church of Christ – Sydney – 21-22 June
• Discipleship Workshop (Samsill & Swinford) – Adelaide – 4-6 July
• Visit AIM Students in NZ with Chris Swinford – 8-15 July
• Macquarie Lectures (attend) – Sydney — 16-19 July
• Global Missions Conference (attend) – Arlington, TX — 23-26 July

In deep gratitude for your prayers and support, Dwight & Brenda Whitsett