Mission Travel Services (October Newsletter)

Mission Travel Services (October Newsletter)
To learn more visit www.missiontravel.com.au


Prayer for Burma
One of our fantastic clients is the NGO Partners Relief and Development. Partners have a strong and committed team based in Chiang Mai in Thailand who minister and offer aid to the Burmese refugees near the Thai border. We have been privileged to assist them and many Aussie volunteers who travel to Thailand and Burma using their skills to serve the displace in the refugee camps nearby. It is hard and tiring work. We hare however continually inspired by their dedication and of the great work God is doing in this part of the world. Mission Travel recently sponsored an event called “Run for Relief”. Event organiser, Luke Parker, was overjoyed with the attitude of love and hope the community expressed through their participation in the day. "Early in the week the weather was dark and wet, a metaphor for the oppression in Burma. Today the weather cleared and over 150 people joined hands and stood united with the people of Burma. The sun and the light of hope truly shone today," Luke said.
Runners also used the event to raise in excess of $7,000 through community sponsorship for completing laps of the oval. These funds will go directly to the Partners '5 Alive' campaign, which provides families of five on the run from the military in Burma with the essential items they need to stay alive for one month.

Low Cost carriers- is it safe to travel
The One-Two-Go tragedy in Phuket last week killing 89 passengers brings about the question of whether low cost/budget airlines are a good idea.
Here are a few tips on discerning if they are the way to go:
1. Is the airline a subsidiary of an established airline – e.g. Jetstar is a subsidiary of Qantas, Kulula in South Africa is owned by Comair, a franchise of British Airways.
2. What type of aircraft do they operate? Many new low cost carriers use brand new state of the art aircraft whereas others use old aircraft like DC9’s and MD80’s
3. Check their safety records – there are plenty of websites that can give you some background. Many low cost airlines are new so this information or lack of, may be misleading.
http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/operator/
The team at Mission Travel Group often recommend the use of low cost carriers to keep the cost of your travel to a minimum. If you have any concerns or comments about using low cost airlines please feel free to speak to our staff.

Melbourne clients-an opportunity to win a Cruise on the Footsteps of Paul- Greece is the word.
In celebration of Mission Travel Groups new company Pilgrimage Travel and Tours we are running a competition through Melbourne Christian Radio Station 89.9 Light FM. The prize is a trip for 2 people to Greece travelling on the Footsteps of Paul cruise from Athens to visit sites such as Thessaloniki, Philippi, Pergamon, Sardis, Ephesus and the island of Patmos. So tune in to 89.9 FM for your chance to win or see their website www.lightfm.com.au
Interested in following the Footsteps of Paul by cruise ship? See our new website www.pilgrimage.com.au and click on Religious Cruise Pilgrimage for our 2007 and 2008 sailings.


2008 Group Pilgrimage departures.
Are you considering a Pilgrimage journey in 2008?Check out our 2008 Pilgrimage Itineraries to date. http://www.missiontravel.com.au/study-tours_pilgrimages/08/

Introducing Audrey Warren
Audrey joined Mission Travel Services in July. Audrey has over 25 years experience in the travel industry with extensive time working with some of the top airlines of the world including Emirates. We are thrilled to have Audrey join our growing team. Audrey has been working with the Micah Network bringing delegates from all over the world to attend their HIV and AIDS consultation in Malaysia next month.

Are you being called to Japan?
A church in Osaka, Japan is presently looking for a pastor and/or missionary English teacher. See the position on the website below if this is for you:http://church.ne.jp/lighthousechrist/boshu1.html

Mission Travel Groups new Corporate Video.
View Our new Corporate Videos. Tell us what you think?
http://www.vimeo.com/328950

Crazy Itinerary.
This would have to be our most amazing itinerary yet. Congratulations to our consultant Jenny who managed to put this altogether!
Australia – Vancouver – Anchorage, Alaska – London – Accra, Ghana – Lome, Togo – London – Montreal, Canada – San Francisco, Frankfurt, Casablanca, Morocco – Tunisia – Paris – Lisbon – Praia, Cape Verde (a small island nation off the West cost of Africa from Senegal) – Lisbon – Australia

Mission of the Month.
Mission of the Month – Kidslink Africa
Kidslink is an Australian NGO who have recently commenced a project in Mozambique. Kidslink had 10 people travel to Mozambique where they spent time training children’s workers and running a Women’s Seminar. An amazing lady by the name of Lidia (pictured below) is one of the full time workers based in Mozambique who is responsible for the Kidslinks training and outreach ministry.
Construction of a school in the M’Batwe school is well underway. A wonderful testimony from this trip came when the team shipped over 10 cartons of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. Unbeknown to them the African team has recently run out of medical supplies and the clinic was at risk of closing. The supplies came at just the right time!
For information on this project visit www.kidslink.org.au

Travel Tips- Don't be a Ding Dong
Canon Alan Nichols has just returned from a trip to Vietnam. He discovered that there is no bank at Danang International Airport. The Nichols then had to depart Vietnam with a pile of dong! This currency is very difficult to convert back once you have left Vietnam so please ensure you have cashed in your Dong well before you leave!