After looking at our website, several enquirers over recent months felt there was no “natural fit” for them in WEC.  It turns out however, that these people were a good fit, but got the wrong impression through a curious omission.

Josh had completed a fantastic gap-year programme called Headspace and wanted a ‘next step’ into cross-cultural mission.  Enter WEC International.  Within a few meetings we had settled on a good option, spoken with his family and church, and begun orientation.  Before we knew it he had received a notoriously difficult to obtain visa and was flying off for a year to join a WEC team in a resistant country in Asia.  Here are some extracts from his latest newsletter.

WEC church planters Kevin and Brenda lead an NGO in a very sensitive, remote and restrictive region of Asia.  Just days before a six month visit to New Zealand they received some timely encouragements.  Kevin explains, “We noticed a children’s clothes shop with a closing down sign. With a view to buying something for our grandchildren we decided to take a closer look.”

Beijing paled into insignificance compared with the inaugural Bang Tumpong Olympics.  Far from China’s fireworks and fanfare, these games played out in a humble Cambodian slum.  Kiwi WECers Gordon and Jan Meehan and about forty children enjoyed competing in relays, shot put and long jump.

Have you ever endured a sleepless night because of a decision you have made? This happened to Eileen Sommerville, an advisor to the national church and church planter amongst least-reached people groups in Burkina Faso for over 30 years.

Kiwi Alan Collingwood and his team in Thailand were recently granted special permission to have a baptism service for 16 men in prison.  Many guards and prisoners watched the ceremony with great curiosity, particularly as the baptismal was a trough of water used to raise fish! The fish were caught and put into a bucket, with the same fish tank water used for the baptism.

A wonderful display of fireworks on New Year’s Eve was new for the people of Abeche, Chad. Sadly, many cowered under beds afraid that the rebels were attacking again.  In February a fresh outbreak of conflict occurred when rebels stormed the capital N’Djamena demanding the president’s resignation.  

A WEC church planting team recently hosted a seminar on dreams in a Middle Eastern city.  Recognising the fascination of dream interpretation in much of folk Islam, the team invited an author on dreams according to the Pentateuch, Psalms and the New Testament to speak.  Following the presentation a local believer bravely shared her story.