Missions has been a foundation stone of Blenheim Elim for at least 25 years. Over these years personnel from this church have served in P N G, Thailand, Australia, Fiji, Asia, Senegal and Japan. Some have been Short Term Missions, others long term.  Some of the STM trips have been into Philipines, India, Fiji, P.N.G, Nepal and Africa.

Currently, we have one full time missionary out on the frontline.

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Liz Hutton
Liz Hutton has been in PNG for 20 years, involved in children's ministry. It has been a remarkable journey for Liz with over 200 students graduating from Salem bible school and going out to pass on their knowledge and skills elsewhere.

Liz is currently working on a vision she received about 4-5 years ago to see a new training school built on their own land. Praise God this is nearing completion.

Liz has been quietly training some of the nationals on staff to take over the administration and day to day running of the school in preparation for her retirement.

Literally thousands of children have been impacted by the power of God during Liz's tenure in PNG.

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India
As a church,we have been supporting a Bible institute in India for a number of years.

This has seen a significant number of graduates go out and plant cell groups and churches with a history of breakthrough into the various castes.

It has been exciting to follow the progress of this work in a nation just waiting to be released into the plan God has for it.

About four years ago a group from Blenheim went over on outreach and as a result have undertaken to financially support some of the leaders and a number of building projects.

For more information regarding our missionaries, short term opportunities etc please contact The Blenheim Elim Church

Ph 035789053 or e-mail  admin@theelimcentre.com

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MISSIONS FOCUS
Liz New Year Newsletter 2010.pdf

Liz in PNG

You don't get a more unusual sight than an extremely old 'looking' man sitting on a wooden cart with wooden wheels pulled by two Brahman cattle overloaded with straw (almost directly out of the pages in the Bible) and when you look closely…he's talking on a cellphone!!! What a contrast.

All the extremes really paled when compared to the realness of the faith of the Christian Hindus where we were ministering. The faith of Christians in the Caste Hindu's is two phase: secret then public. Secret because they do not want family to know due to persection and potential removal from the family and then 'public' when they don't care for anyting except Jesus and that is when they get baptised. And the baptisms are VERY public. Big long processions, singing, clapping and fireworks and then into a river that we would not wash our clothes in.

At one baptismal river we saw two local boys washing their buffalo (which they do at least once sometimes twice a day). This is also where they wash their clothes and get their water for washing and cooking if they do not have a separate pump/well at home. This is where we did some baptisms. These people are very serious about being baptised as it could have serious issues attached. Alongside this river there were two Hindu Temples. The Hindu priests watched very closely.

Please remember to pray for Bhaskara Reddy and his team. Their work is long but the changed lives are worth his time.