|
MISSIONS
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.
__________________________________________________________________
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 they have the land and work is under way on the construction.
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.
__________________________________________________________________
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
__________________________________________________________________
MISSIONS FOCUS
Liz in PNG
 Update - New Salem Training School
Greetings in the wonderful and precious Name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
It has been some time since some of you have heard progress on the new Salem Training School building. The building is looking really great but still not ready for us to move into.
I marvel at where we started at the beginning of this year as shown in the photo (R) and how far we have been able to go up until now.
The septic pit is dug but still needs cement blocks to complete. We are still trusting the Lord for funds to complete the upstairs so the students can move in for the Advanced Course in August. The downstairs is taking shape and could operate with a few sheets of plywood nailed to the walls and the doors put in.
Standing on the ground floor (R) looking up through the gaps in the upstairs flooring (where the showers etc will be) you can see the top floor dormitory ceiling. The dormitory will be eleven rooms accommodating 42 people. The ceiling is completed but still needs painting.
God has been so good and has provided in gifts and has not failed us. Just last week a man visited us and gave us a gift of cash. We have been blessed with gifts of corn, pumpkins, oranges, spring onions and paw paws. I do not know how some people came to know of our need and just popped into the house with an envelope with some money in it.
Rita is our office girl who carries much of the work load and Rachel has joined us this year after we lost Fiona. Rachel is the art teacher and is doing a fine job. Thank you to the churches that continue to support myself and Jennifer. She is doing great as usual and we praise the Lord for her.
Our security guard is new and he is also a keen gardener which again is an answer to prayer.
We would really appreciate your prayers for God's continued provision for ourselves and the building.
This is how our lovely new building is looking now. 
These are two beds almost ready for use.
Thank you for your giving and prayers. You have invested into PNG's future generation.
May the Lord Bless.
Liz.
__________________________________________________________________
INDIA
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.
__________________________________________________________________
|