Rev Brian and Lorraine Niblock, serving as volunteers in Bali 

Brian and Lorraine in Bali - June update

Rev Brian and Lorraine (from Victoria) are serving as volunteers with the GKPB in Bali. They write:
Monday and Friday we teach 4 classes each day to staff at the Dhyana Pura Hotel (run by the GKPB). We make the classes interactive with role plays, taking a survey or taking a message etc. They are very keen! At Dhyana Pura Campus (training people in the hospitality industry) we teach staff 3 mornings a week, and we have students in the afternoon. They are lovely people. The students come to our room sometimes to chat which is nice. We have a little flat at the Dhyana Pura Campus and it is very comfortable, on the third floor overlooking the rice fields.
Each weekend we have 2-3 invitations to go to some part of Bali for the weekend. Last weekend we spent in the country with a family. It was fascinating. We got to church with only an Indonesian Bible with us. Brian was shown to the pulpit and he was to take the service. He did very well at short notice. Tomorrow we are leaving at 6.30 am by motorbike to take part in a service at a village, then share lunch together.
All is going well.

STET Zambia group leaving Australia - Marnie, Luci, Jo, Heather and Bek (leader).  

First posting from Zambia

Bek Christensen is leading the Short Term Exposure Trip (STET) to Zambia to spend a couple of weeks in Mwandi village with Fiona Dixon-Thompson, Volunteer in Mission (Uniting Church in Australia). Bek writes:
Hi everyone!Well, here I am safely in Livingstone. Flights were good - I managed to score a row to myself on the flight from Perth to Johannesburg so that was great!
Our stay in Jo'burg was very uneventful - we went to the wrong hotel to start off with but got that sorted out quickly. Had dinner at the hotel restaurant which
was this weird Mexican styled restaurant, and periodically all the waiters and waitresses would sing. Flight from Jo'burg to Livingstone was very short, but beautiful scenery along the way. As we came into Livingstone we flew over Vic Falls - they looked amazing from the air. The river just sort of disappeared into this huge cloud of mist. So in Livingstone we're staying at a backpackers called Fawlty Towers (however no sign of Basil or Manuel yet). We arrived at lunchtime yesterday and then in the afternoon headed out to Vic Falls...which certainly deserve their name of Musi-O Tunya (the smoke that thunders). Man, they were awesome. I have never seen so much water in my life! And it's just amazing the spray that comes off the falls - we got drenched. It's like walking around in a really windy and wild rainstorm. And we saw baboons - very exciting! This afternoon we're jumping on the bus and heading out to Mwandi village where we'll be spending the next 2 weeks. Has been interesting to hear the initial impressions of Zambia by the others in the group - they all think it's dirty and that the driving is crazy. I must say I haven't noticed either of those things - the driving is certainly much better than it is in Asia! Anyway, I need to sign off as I have to go and buy some food for us to eat in the next few weeks! Hope you're all happy and healthy! Cheers Bek

Fiona and dog Bucky with Villagers 

Short Term Exposure Trip (STET) Zambia

What is it like to be preparing for a short term mission exposure trip? I have been talking to people preparing to be volunteers in mission for a number of years, as I conduct a pre-service training session on activities to do with children with very few resources. Now I'm about to find out whether in fact I know what I've been talking about, or not!

It IS a fantastic opportunity, especially as I have been supporting Fiona Dixon-Thompson (UCA Volunteer in Mission) for some years now by telling her story and promoting specific projects to assist her work. I first meet Fiona when she was doing her pre-service training. She was a participant in the first children's activities session I conducted. To see first-hand the work she is doing and to make some small contribution myself is both awe-inspiring and challenging. I'm sure I'll come back with a totally different understanding of what Fiona faces each day, and much better prepared to assist her and other Volunteers in Mission in the future. In-the-field experience will enable me to promote with much greater understanding and credibility the work of people like Fiona, through pre-service training and stories and projects, and to encourage adults to involve children in the mission of our church. – Marni

What resources?

Imagine teaching Sunday School with only the items you can find around you? No specialty or bargain shops. Jenny Charlesworth is committed to helping teachers in Sunday School and Christian Education to make the gospel come alive using only the limited resources available. Jenny has spent many years of service in Papua New Guinea. In April she left to conduct “training the trainer” workshops in various regions with key leaders in the United Church of Papua New Guinea, a UCA partner church.