Mission (1) PTS

Over the next few weeks I plan to write some posts based on my mission trip from the last 3 weeks. I hope it can be encouraging and I hope you get a glimpse of the wonderful experience that it was.

Most of the time I was overseas, I was based at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary.  Here's an excerpt from my journal:

When we arrived at the PTS, my first impression was how peaceful it was.  It is an amazing place here.   The girls are sleeping in the Academic Centre on the top floor – at roof level. You can walk out on the flat roof and see the PTS and the area around. At night you can look up and see the dark mountains with lights at the top. It looks like they are floating there – it's amazing.  Joe calls it the 'Heavenly Host'.

I really loved my time there.  I had the really wonderful privilege of meeting some amazing young men and women who were studying there, and hearing their stories of the way God has worked in them.  I really enjoyed being able to participate in College Life.  Our day looked something like this:

Our job is to paint the walls and ceilings of the computer lab.  We begin at 9am, after our morning devotions. At 10am, we quickly clean up and head down to Chapel. Chapel is held once a day for half an hour.  We sing a few songs and have a Bible reading and preaching (sometimes testimonies).   I really enjoy the Chapel services.  It's wonderful to stop in the middle of the day and just spend time in worship and in the Word.  After Chapel we have 'Tea', which is compulsory tea break on the grass. We all stand around for a while and then the President says “Good Morning PTS”. We have announcements from lecturers and students, and the Social coordinator shares any birthdays and we sing: “Happy birthday to you” and “God's blessings on you.”  After that, we have morning news – someone reads out some news headlines and also PTS sport headlines. Then at the end they say “This ends PTS news”.  

After morning tea break, we head up to work again and work straight through until lunch. We shared our lunch on the lawn in the sunshine.   We then work through until 3pm, where we go and get changed out of our dirty clothes and head off down to the Children's Home for the afternoon.

One of the main reasons I enjoyed life at the PTS, was because I could see ministry in a different context.  I was challenge by two things in particular.

1. Their attitude towards Christian Ministry.  In Australia, we tend to have a priority on the established Church as a place for ministry.  What I saw, was young men and women who had such a passion for the gospel, that ministry started with their families and villages.  After graduation, they would plan to go straight back to where they came from and share Jesus with the people who were lost.  I was also challenged by how young they were.  Ministry was not something you had to be 'old enough' for, but something that everyone was expected to be doing all the time.  The PTS had Fridays as practical ministry day, where all the students would go out to different contexts and do different kinds of ministries.  It was a great opportunity to try different things before graduating.

2.  I was also challenged by their understanding of Christian Fellowship.  What I saw was such a challenge to what I tend to experience in Australia.  Christian people were so genuine and honest with one another.  They would share their struggles and concerns with other Christians (even if it was with 'randoms' from Australia) and ask for prayer and support.  I was touched by how humble they were with us, and willing to make themselves vulnerable to us, so that we could be more intentional in our prayers for them.  It was a real blessing to be able to share with them and pray for them, and I know it's been a challenge for me, to be genuine and real in my Fellowship with other Christians, so that we can better support and pray for one another.

 Always happy at PTS
With my brother Vijay in the background

 Our team group photo on the lawn in front of the Academic Centre

 Our view from our flat roof

 Sharing my testimony in a Chapel Service

 Walking around the grounds at PTS (such a peaceful community)

Always happy at PTS!

Painting the walls of the computer lab

I remember my time at PTS as being such a happy time.  I hope one day that I can return there and meet the students again.  I trust that God will continue to bless that ministry, and raise up more students to come and study, so that they may be more equipped in their various ministries.  From the end of my journal:

I think what I'll miss most about PTS is engaging and relating with the students and getting to invest in their plans and dreams.  It was just so wonderful to meet so many great people who have such passion and commitment to invest in the Kingdom work, even though it's really hard...so inspirational!