Paauwe

The Children of Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church in Perth, Western Australia, prepared 21 care packets for the orphans supported by the Bible Presbyterian Church in Yangon, Myanmar. These care packets, containing notebooks, pencils, pens, color pencils, bookmarks, stickers, socks, toothbrushes, toothpastes, soaps, etc., were carried by the mission team members from Covenant B-P Church when they traveled to Myanmar for ministry, Dec. 30, 2011 – Jan 6, 2012. May the Lord bless each one of these children for their love and care for the orphans. — The Paauwes

Praise and thanksgiving be to the Lord for His excellent greatness and His goodness to us His servants. Our hearts rejoice in the words of the Psalmist, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Psalm 103:2.

This year 2011 has been a very blessed year on the mission field of Australia. The Lord has blessed Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church with much spiritual and numerical growth. God’s Word, based on the theme for this year, “Growing in Christ-likeness,” has been faithfully preached and taught each Lord’s Day. We thank Him also for the faithful students who have been studying Bible Doctrines every Wednesday evening at Covenant Bible Institute.

We thank each one for your faithful prayers and support for God’s work in Perth. When we count our many blessings, we remember you and your part in the work of the Lord. May God’s richest blessings be upon you always.

— Rev. Ed and Lehia Paauwe, PMU Missionaries to Australia

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

Good morning! We are glad to write and tell you about God’s blessings and guidance in the work in Perth. “The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad” (Psalm 126:3). Here are some of the highlights of the past several months.

The month of May began with Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church celebrating her First Anniversary with a Thanksgiving Service. The speaker, Rev. Dr. Jack Sin, also spoke at the church’s Family Bible Conference, May 2 – 5. The theme for the conference was ”Walk Worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:10). Ed led in the morning devotions, and L
ehia taught the children on “Walking with Jesus.”

In July we went to Melbourne to speak at the Bible Camp of Ebenezer B-P Church, July 1-4. Ed spoke to the youth and adults and Lehia to the children on the camp theme, “The Word and the World.” Ed also preached at Ebenezer B-P Church, and Lehia conducted Sunday School Teacher Training.

July 13-16, the Youth Bible Conference of Covenant B-P Church was held. Rev Chee Lai Ho taught the youth of Covenant B-P Church four chapters of the Westminster Confession of Faith, and Ed brought four devotional messages from Psalm 119.

The Annual Congregational Meeting of Covenant B-P Church was held during the month of September. Two deacons were re-elected for a three-year term of service for the Lord, and two deacons were newly elected. We thank God that Covenant B-P Church now has six deacons.

October 5-7, we conducted our annual Holiday Bible Club (Vacation Bible School in the USA). A total of 54 children, ages 4 – 11, were taught God’s Word by Uncle Hai Seng Lim. The Bible lessons, taken from the Book of Judges, were about God’s deliverance of the Israelites from their enemies by three judges, namely, Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. When God’s people prayed to Him for help in times of trouble, God answered and sent help to them. These exciting Bible stories came to life by the excellent drawings illustrated by Uncle Hai Seng. The children were attentive and enjoyed these lessons.

The main emphasis at Holiday Bible Club this year was on obedience to our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Samuel 12:24—“Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.”

The missionary lesson was on the life of the missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh of India. After Sundar Singh came to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, he became a missionary to Tibet and preached the gospel of Christ to the people there. Sadhu Sundar Singh was called “The Apostle of the Bleeding Feet” as he walked across the icy mountains from India into Tibet. He is remembered for pointing people to the cross of Christ, who shed His precious blood for our sins.

We are truly grateful to God for the many helpers who came each day and served faithfully in many areas. The youth, mothers, and fathers who helped in Holiday Bible Club are deeply appreciated for their labors of love for the Lord and for the children. May God bless them richly and use them mightily for His glory.

Covenant Bible Institute, which started classes in January, is progressing well. Ed is teaching one night a week on Bible doctrines. The first course he taught was “Introduction to Bible Doctrines.” When this finished in May he taught “Doctrine of God.” That course finished in September, and we are presently on “Doctrine of Man.” The next unit will be “Doctrine of Christ,” which will begin next year.

We thank you for your prayers and faithful support, which have made our ministry in Perth possible. We look forward to the following activities in the near future.

During December the young people of the church, supported by some of the adults, will be going caroling. We look forward to the worship service on December 25th. Lord willing, we’ll baptize one baby boy and his great-grandmother! We hope to share more about this unique event in the future.

On December 29th we’ll leave Perth to go to Myanmar to help Pastor Khawl Ro Kima with his ministry for one week, December 31 – January 6. The team will consist of six persons—the two of us, Deacon Yen Fye Yap, Jacob Woo, Merilyn Orchard, and Mark Chen (the latter from Life B-P Church, Singapore). We would appreciate your prayers for safety in traveling and for the Lord’s blessings upon the ministry of His Word. May God be glorified.

We pray the Lord will continue to bless and keep you. We wish you a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year in 2012.

With Christian love and prayers,

Edward and Lehia Paauwe

Praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for a very blessed Holiday Bible Club, October 5-7, 2011. A total of 54 children, ages 4 – 11, were taught God’s Word by Uncle Hai Seng Lim. The Bible lessons taken from the book of Judges were about God’s deliverance of the Israelites from their enemies by three judges, namely, Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. When God’s people prayed to Him for help in times of trouble, God answered and sent help to them. These exciting Bible stories came to life by the excellent drawings illustrated by Uncle Hai Seng. The children were attentive and enjoyed these lessons. During the arts and crafts session, they were given an opportunity to write a short summary of the Bible story they had learned, together with the drawings provided. It was a joy to see the good response of the children.

The main emphasis at Holiday Bible Club this year was on obedience to our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Samuel 12:24—“Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.”

The missionary lesson was on the life of the missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh of India. When Sundar Singh was fourteen years old, his mother passed away, and he became deeply troubled and sorrowful. He came to the verge of committing suicide, but God miraculously saved him. He received the Lord Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour, and his life was transformed. He found peace, and through obedience to Christ, he experienced a walk of discipleship with Him. Sadhu Sundar Singh became a missionary to Tibet and preached the gospel of Christ to the people there. He faced much opposition and dangers. When evil men threw him into the well, the “Pit of Death,” he escaped miraculously by God’s help. He walked with God, and God took him home to be with Him. Sadhu Sundar Singh was called “The Apostle of the Bleeding Feet” as he walked across the icy mountains from India into Tibet. He is remembered for pointing people to the cross of Christ who shed His precious blood for our sins.

We are truly grateful to God for the many helpers who came each day and served faithfully in these areas: inviting children and providing transport, taking attendance, leading in singing, teaching the memory verse, preparing and serving the refreshments, leading in the games, helping with the handcrafts, and doing the cleaning up. The young people, mothers, and fathers who helped in Holiday Bible Club are deeply appreciated for their labors of love for the Lord and for the children. May God bless them richly and use them mightily for His glory.

We thank God for the privilege of introducing children to the Lord Jesus Christ. “A Christian should do all he/she can to bring lost souls to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.” May God save each of these precious souls.

We thank each one for your prayers, encouragement and support for the ministry of reaching children for Christ at Holiday Bible Club. To God be the glory, great things He hath done! — Mrs. Lehia Paauwe

The Junior Fellowship of Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church, Perth, Australia,  caters to the spiritual needs of children 5 – 12 years old. We thank God for 16 – 18 children who attend the weekly meetings. Under the guidance of the leaders, the children themselves play an important role in the running of the meetings as they pray, lead in singing, collect the offering, etc.

The Juniors have been studying and memorizing the Catechism for Young Children (Qs. & As. on Everlasting Life for Children). Other topics that the Juniors have enjoyed are missionary biographies, such as the lives of Jim Elliot and Charles Studd. We thank the Lord for the parents and the young adults who have helped in teaching the lessons, and have led in the activities consisting of crafts and games. A highlight for the Juniors is combined meetings with the Youth Fellowship a few times this year. In September, the Junior Fellowship will begin the study of the Life of Christ. May God continue to bless this ministry for His glory.  —  Mrs. Lehia Paauwe

Praise the Lord for journeying mercies and for helping us to minister to the congregation of Ebenezer Bible-Presbyterian Church at their recent Family Bible Camp, held July 1-4. Rev. Edward Paauwe brought five messages on the camp theme, “Thy Word Is Truth”; he also spoke at the church prayer meeting and preached at the worship service. Mrs. Lehia Paauwe spoke to the children on “Walking the Straight & Narrow Way;” she also taught Sunday School and conducted a Sunday School Teacher Training Seminar.

We praise and thank the Lord for the warm fellowship with the believers and for their faithful service for Him. We have just received an email from one of the campers, Mrs Janet Jean, who writes, “Our grateful thanks to Rev. Ed Paauwe and his wife, Lehia, for giving us a mountain top experience listening to their teaching. I personally came away challenged to make changes in my life and spiritually uplifted.”  — Rev. Ed Paauwe

Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church held her annual Family Bible Conference, May 2-5, 2011, at Bayview Geographe Resort in Busselton, Western Australia. It was a blessed time of learning from God’s Word and fellowshipping with those of like precious faith. Here are the testimonies of two of the conferees:

Testimony of Mrs. Elaine Chong: We thank God for His grace in our safety and fine weather at our Family Bible Conference in Busselton. We could not ask for a more idyllic setting to learn God’s word and to commune in His creation with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  We were indeed blessed to have faithful servants Rev. Dr. Jack Sin and his wife, Angelina, and our Pastor Ed and Mrs. Lehia Paauwe serving our Lord at this conference. Rev. Jack preached six messages over three days explaining how believers can walk worthy of the Lord, the benefits of doing so, and also the dangers of not walking worthy. I encourage all non-campers to download and listen to the messages that are available at our church website (www.covenantbpc.org.au).

As always, with each Bible conference that I have attended, I came away spiritually charged but also sober with lots of soul searching and thinking about my own personal relationship with the Lord and my walk with Him. I pray for God’s strength to keep my faith strong and to walk worthy of the vocation to which I am called. Amen.

Testimony of Miss Maureen Grady:   Thank you CBPC for another excellent Bible Conference. I appreciated both  speakers—Pastor Ed with his devotional messages and Rev. Dr. Jack Sin presenting the main messages.  Dr. Sin’s messages were very thought provoking on the subject, “To Walk Worthy of the Lord.” It is so important for Christians to be good examples, particularly to people who might not have any other contact with the church. Everything about this conference was great. The weather was perfect, and this allowed all of us to have lunch together and more opportunities to mix in a less formal way. The accommodation was very good as were the meals. Finally, there was much fun and fellowship in Villa 101. Thank you again.

All praise and thanks be to the Lord God Almighty for His many blessings and mercies during the Family Bible Conference of Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church in Busselton, May 2-5. The conference theme was “Walk Worthy of the Lord.” Some sixty conferees, ten of them from Singapore, attended and were blessed, encouraged, and challenged through the preaching of God’s Holy Word by His servant, Rev. Dr. Jack Sin, and through the devotional messages by Rev. Edward Paauwe. Mrs. Lehia Paauwe conducted the children’s meetings, with eight children among those who attended the conference. The theme for the children’s messages was “Walking with Jesus,” covering salvation and Christian growth. Here are the testimonies of a few of the conferees.

Mr. and Mrs. Yen Fye Yap’s testimony: “The messages covered many aspects of our walk. They included how to walk the benefits, dangers and hindrances in walking with our Lord. The impact coupled with a challenge to us is enormous. To follow Christ is also to carry the cross as Jesus said in Matthew 10:38, ‘He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.’ Cost, pain, and sacrifice on our part is involved. But the greatest cost, pain and sacrifice had already been borne by Jesus on the cross when He said, ‘It is finished.’ (John 19:30) From and through the messages, God has indeed called upon us to examine ourselves — examining our faith, commitment and ability to walk the Walk with our Lord from now until eternity.”

Mrs. Elaine Chong writes, “As always, with each Bible conference that I have attended, I came away spiritually charged but also sober with lots of soul searching and thinking about my own personal relationship with the Lord and my walk with Him. I pray for God’s strength to keep my faith strong and to walk worthy of the vocation to which I am called. Amen.”

Mr. S. K. Loh observes, “It is not how heavy is the quantum of messages that were delivered; however, it is how much of the messages have been digested and absorbed into our hearts and minds that will bring forth fruits.”

To God be all praise and glory; great things He has done! — The Paauwes

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

To God be the glory—great things He hath done! We praise and thank the Lord for His continued blessings and guidance in the ministry in Perth, Western Australia. We thank you for your prayers and faithful support for God’s work in this part of the world.

In January we commenced part-time classes of Covenant Bible Institute. It has been my privilege to teach “Introduction to Bible Doctrines.” Once this course finishes, we’ll continue with “Doctrine of God.” About 18 students attend the class. Also, in January we began an Adult Bible Class on the book of Genesis on Sunday afternoons before the Worship Service of Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church. We have completed studying the creation account and are now studying the flood. More than 30 members of the church congregation are attending this Bible class.

Several new families with young children have recently started to attend Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church. As a result, attendance in the Sunday School and Junior Fellowship has increased. We now have 25 children in the Sunday School and 16 in the Junior Fellowship. Mrs. Paauwe continues to oversee the work of the Sunday School and Junior Fellowship, but we are in the midst of training younger leaders to take over these responsibilities.

The Youth Fellowship is also increasing in attendance as several young people have come to Perth to study here. About 20 youths are studying the book of Proverbs. Before each Bible Study, I have a meeting with the Bible Study facilitators to prepare them to lead the Bible Study. After the Bible Study I give some closing remarks, summarizing the Bible Study.

The Young Adult Fellowship members are studying the biblical view of marriage, using a series of videotaped lessons by Dr. Jim Berg of Bob Jones University. This has been very helpful and is greatly appreciated by the 12-14 young adults who attend regularly.

We praise and thank the Lord for faithful co-labourers in Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church: the four deacons and their families, the Sunday School teachers, the Youth Fellowship leaders, and each one who has a part in serving the Lord.

Our hearts are grateful for many opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel during this Easter season. As we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we shall give out Gospel tracts, praying that God will use them for the salvation of friends and loved ones.

On May 1st, Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church will celebrate its first anniversary with a thanksgiving service followed by a fellowship dinner. Rev. Dr. Jack Sin of Maranatha Bible-Presbyterian Church, Singapore, will be the speaker. Rev. Dr. Jack Sin will also be the main speaker at the Family Bible Conference of Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church, May 2-5, to be held at Bayview Geographe Resort in Busselton, Western Australia. The theme for the conference is “Walk Worthy of the Lord,” based on Colossians 1:10. I’ll be leading in the morning devotions at the Bible Conference, and Mrs. Paauwe will be in charge of the children’s meetings.

In July we’ll be going to Melbourne to speak at the Bible Camp of Ebenezer Bible-Presbyterian Church, July 1-4. Mrs. Paauwe will conduct Sunday School Teacher Training while we are in Melbourne.

Please pray for us as we continue the ministry in Perth and serve the Lord at the Covenant B-P Church Bible Conference in Busselton, Western Australia, in May, and at the Ebenezer B-P Church Bible Camp in Melbourne, in July. May God bless and keep each one of us as we serve Him faithfully.

With Christian love and prayers,

Edward and Lehia Paauwe

February was the time to give my passport a workout as I visited all our mission stations in ASEAN. Though I’d been to all the fields before (except Australia) this was my first visit as the International Field Director. As such, my main goal was to evaluate and  facilitate a long range planning process with each field and subsequently with the Missions Council. The trip was also helpful for me as I seek to faithfully represent and counsel our missionaries on the field. Each field presents its own unique blessings and benefits. At the same time, changes take place at least as quickly there as here at home.

The work in Cambodia has certainly flourished since my last visit. Mark is no longer working alone or exclusively in the capital. Joined by his enthusiastic new bride (WiWin), the Baldwins are actively preaching the gospel to hundreds, every week end, in the villages of Prey Pdao and Kpbaom.  This summer they will be joined by Team Timothy who will hold Bible Schools and help in other aspects of ministry. Keep the newlyweds and their work in your prayers; where God is working, the enemy does not slumber. Opposition, however, does not always come from outside the church and there are false  shepherds that would harry the flock in Cambodia as well as America. Please uphold Mark and WiWin in your prayers as they labor to acquire proficiency in Khmer.

God graciously allowed me to make a stop in Myanmar as well. Though not part of the itinerary as we started planning this trip, Rev. Kima has had a goal of encouraging fellowship among likeminded  reformed ministries in the Golden Kingdom.  The Reformed Faith Fellowship of Myanmar held its organizational meeting,  and I was invited to bring the message. It was a joy to see the work develop. The previous day we met for the first session meeting of the Yangon church. Reports were received from all five missions works, the newest of which, Thinglei in the Chin state, has an average attendance of 81 and has been gathering all the materials needed to build a church. Maiwte, Kima’s wife, will be making the 4 day journey to provide training for the workers there. On Sunday I was able to preach at the Yangon church service and participate in ordaining two new elders for the congregation.

Heading to Australia required a stopover somewhere, so I was glad to be able to meet friends in Singapore who have partnered with us in ministry. Increasingly, our churches are joined together in missions, education and church planting. We look forward to assisting one another in the Lord’s work.

My final stop was in Australia. My first visit to the continent wasn’t to see local wildlife, but to visit our veteran missionaries, the Paauwes, and praise the Lord for the mature congregation that is taking form there. It was a great joy to meet a good number of the congregation and to speak to them about Biblical counseling. Though counseling was the assigned topic we spent just as much time talking about Myanmar. The church in Perth is deeply interested in the ministry in Myanmar, supporting them financially as well as by sending teams to minister in Yangon. The Paauwe’s were also deeply interested in making sure I met a wallaby up close and personal. Ed & Lehia look forward to drawing their fulltime career on the field to a close and retiring in Australia at the end of 2012. They plan to come home and visit their supporting churches sometime after that. Please be in prayer for Covenant Bible Presbyterian Church as they engage in the pastoral search process and for the Paauwes as they prepare for a new phase of life and ministry. They intend to move to Adelaide to reside near their daughter and her family and to be available to serve short term when and where needed.

This has been a great trip primarily because the Lord continues to allow me the privilege of serving some of His choice servants.  — Rev. Kevin M. Backus, PhD.