West Timor Trip

To support and encourage... West Timor

My wife Mary and I continue to visit West Timor because we can clearly see how God is at work in the bible translation and scripture-in-use work there. We believe that God has called us to support and encourage that work and to do what we can to enable it to be fruitful.



On previous visits we have been able to get to know many people who are part of the translation and scripture-in-use teams and we have attended the dedication of 2 New Testaments in local languages. Our 5-week visit in March-April 2014 enabled us to participate in a number of ways with activities in Kupang and the surrounding areas.

The highlight for me was a 6-day trip across the mountains to Betun, not far from the East Timor border, where the Tetun New Testament was dedicated last year. With Ben Grimes and 3 others, I helped lead 4 one-day workshops on how to use the Scriptures.

Between 25 and 30 church leaders gathered at each workshop, representing 23 local congregations over 4 days. We shared with them how important it is to read and apply the Scriptures, how we can use the Scriptures personally, and how to run a bible study in a group. We gave them the experience of doing a study with examples of the sort of questions which can be asked, and we talked about how to handle difficult issues.

God is prompting lay people and pastors to get involved in disciplined study of the Scriptures, with small groups meeting together following the workshops. Church attendance in West Timor is relatively high compared with Australia, but too few people are biblically literate.

We can expect to see great things happening in West Timor churches, with the Scriptures becoming more and more available in local languages, and with the appointment of the wonderfully-gifted Ben Grimes as Coordinator of the Scripture-in-use work.

I was once again inspired and impressed by the leadership skills of Barbara and Chuck Grimes (AuSIL). They have built a wonderful team, and they are enabling the members of the team to use and develop their gifts.

The Moderator of the GMIT Synod, the Rev. Bobby Litelnoni welcomed us warmly and expressed his gratitude for our regular visits and the partnership that exists. We are blessed to be able to have an association with God’s work in West Timor.



Pray that God would continue to build his church through GMIT, UCA and AuSIL.