WRTA Member Australia-based Mission Travel Group: 13 winners to change the world with $100,000

http://www.missiontravel.com.au/giving-back

13 winners to change the world with $100,000
-Meet the Mission Travel Group Giving Back $100,000 Winners-

Thirteen Christian individuals and ministries from around Australia have received a share of $100,000 from Australia’s premier Christian travel agency.

The grants will help fund a hospital in the Congo, raise awareness of boat people escaping to Australia, train a Ugandan doctor, help feed 150 homeless people each night in Brisbane, teach children in Africa, train 100 IT missionaries, care for children of prison inmates in Victoria and produce a healing, intercessory music album.

Mission Travel Group co-founder, Lisa Scerri, said the team was overwhelmed by almost 3,000 applications across four categories in the missiontravel.com.au Giving Back campaign, with applications accepted in May/ June 2010.

“This $100,000 Giving Back opportunity has without a doubt been the most rewarding experience of the four years since Frank and I started Mission Travel Group.

“As a judging panel, we prayerfully considered every application,” said Lisa. “There were lots of tears shed as we read stories of people trusting God in the midst of all that life has thrown at them.

“We are so thrilled to make dreams a reality for these very worthy winners and cannot wait to hear stories of how the $100,000 is changing the world.”


$10,000 Cash Grants:
•Jessie Taylor: Film production of asylum seeker documentary ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’- Jessie is a lawyer who fights tirelessly for the rights of asylum seekers. The Giving Back Grant will help fund her latest documentary, which has hidden camera footage and interviews with asylum seekers coming by boat from Indonesia to Australia. Jessie attends St Hilary’s Church in Kew, Melbourne.
· "There is growing concern about the number of asylum seekers coming by boat from Indonesia to Australia,” explains Jessie. “Are these people actually refugees? How do we know if their claims are genuine? What pushes them to leave their own countries? Have Australia’s recent policy changes opened the floodgates? Through hidden camera footage and interviews with asylum seekers, ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’ examines what it takes to turn a person into a boat person."

•Emily Isham: Support for Congo’s Panzi Hospital - Emily was a missionary kid who grew up in Congo and knows the culture, people and language. She is a doctor at Royal Hobart Hospital and is doing her Masters in International Public Health and Sexual Forensics. The $10,000 Giving Back Grant will help Emily collaborate with staff at Panzi Hospital (recently featured on Four Corners) to fundraise for equipment and training. Emily attends St Clement’s Anglican Church in Kingston, Tasmania.
· Emily says, “Having personally seen devastation from poor health, I’m extremely passionate about enabling the poorest of God’s people to have equal access to basic human rights and healthcare...This grant will be one of those steps, and will be put to invaluable use in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

•Nightlight Outreach Inc: Purchase and fit-out vehicle to help feed Brisbane’s homeless- Nightlight feeds and clothes up to 150 people who are homeless and disadvantaged in Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast each night. Michaela Porter and her husband currently operate out of the back of a 2001 Ford Laser Hatchback. The Giving Back grant will go towards the purchase and fit out of a Toyota Hiace van.
· Michaela shares, “In just the short time of us being out on the streets, we have seen many changes in people’s lives when they accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Receiving a grant of $10,000 will really help us establish our place firmly and recognizably in the community and expand God’s kingdom from there through the purchase of a van.”



•IT Without Borders: Administration assistant to recruit and deploy IT missionaries
- The $10,000 grant will employ an administrative officer for IT Without Borders to recruit, train, motivate and coordinate up to 100 IT volunteers to provide much-needed remote IT support for missionaries. The office will also develop an international membership base and engage corporate sponsors to remain sustainable long-term. Another Christian organisation has agreed to match this $10,000 grant to develop a sophisticated IT framework to link the IT need (missionaries in the field) with the IT supply (people with IT skills from all over the world).
· Andrew Harrisson, Director IT Without Borders says, “There is an unquenchable thirst amongst missions and missionaries for IT and ICT support. Recently, a missionary strategist who supports 30 mission agencies stated that the greatest barrier to the growth and sustainability of these ministries is a complete lack of IT competency and capacity. This grant will help IT Without Borders link the supply to the demand!”

$5,000 Cash Grants:
•Maranatha Health: Training for Ugandan Doctor to care for rural community- In Kamwenge Uganda, 1 in 4 children do not reach their 5th birthday and there is currently no practising doctor for the 300,000 residents. Committed to making positive lasting change in Uganda, Maranatha Health will use the $5000 Grant to cover the university fees of a local Christian Ugandan man in his third year of medicine in Kampala. After completing his degree, he will spend at least five years in Kamwenge, serving the community’s medical needs.
· Kim Findlay, Director of Community Development at Maranatha Health says, “Maranatha Health always chooses to work in a collaborative, participatory way with the local community, particularly with churches. Choosing to sponsor Davis, who is a local man with a good reputation for his strong faith and commitment, would set a good precedent for Maranatha Health in the Kamwenge community, and will hopefully mean our work will have a more lasting impact and a strong connection with faith communities.”

•Prison Network Ministries: Caring for children of prison inmates- Children of inmates in two of Victoria’s female prisons will be the big winners of the Giving Back Grant. The $5,000 will be used in the Kids Matta program, which includes camps, ‘Fun with Mum’ sessions and attending special activities like footy matches and movies for up to 50 children each year.
· “We’re passionate about the women we work with in the prison and the kids,” says Debra Redford, CEO Prison Network Ministry. “It is great to know others have read the application and share that passion about what we do. In providing funds to send disadvantaged children and teenagers to Christian camps, it is often the only opportunity they have to see another way of life and to be genuinely loved.”



•Tony Clark: Recording an intercessory music album
- Tony has an amazing Saul-like testimony, finding God’s healing as a 19 year old. As a talented songwriter, musician and singer, he produced his first EP in 2007. The $5000 Grant will help Tony record his first album: a deep intercessory CD that will break down barriers and bring great healing. Tony is currently writing the songs for the album and hopes to hit the recording studios in early 2011. He lives in Mudgeeraba, Queensland and attends Forerunners International Church.
· Tony shares, “God has shown me that I am to release a CD that breaks people – in the right way! – and cause grown men to weep...A deep intercession CD that will bring great healing...You never really know how many people will be affected or make decisions towards God because of an intimate moment listening to one of your songs – the ripple effect can see lives impacted for years to come.”

•Mr X (name protected): Engineer equipping remote villages in the Middle East with power generators- The $5000 Giving Back grant will supply diesel generators, lighting and power points in two remote villages. A retired engineer from Victoria has already spent a considerable length of time in this closed country and plans to continue reaching out to the locals with God’s love.
· “My interest in mission has grown since I became a Christian at the age of 42. When I was offered early retirement, I saw it as an opportunity to give back some of those blessings...The heart of our mission is outreach to Muslims, to attempt to share with them the love of God.”

Volunteer Africa:
•Rachel Lau: Teaching children in Nairobi, Kenya- Rachel, 23, worships at the Chinese Lutheran Church in Epping, Sydney where she is involved in children’s ministry, music and youth leadership. Her parents started the church 15 years ago to engage Chinese migrant families, having moved to Australia from Hong Kong. Rachel has served on Beach Mission and volunteered at an Aboriginal project in Dubbo. With this $5,000 Volunteer Africa grant, Rachel will use her skills as a primary school and music teacher to teach for one month in Nairobi, Kenya.
· “Teaching is a great opportunity to share God’s love and inspire children to learn, and I have a strong desire to serve with my teaching and musical gifts in any areas of need in Africa,” says Rachel.

•Craig Sheppard: Caring for orphans in Nairobi, Kenya- Craig, a survivor of childhood cancer, has always had a passion for Africa but never had the opportunity to go. With the Giving Back Grant, Craig will spend a month in Nairobi caring for orphaned children. Craig has competed as a sprint and long jump athlete overseas, has a great heart for mission and is involved with his wife, Jane, in SLAM ministry, caring for prison inmates. Craig is a Deacon at Beaconsfield Baptist Church in Melbourne.
· “My Dad gave me an empty box several years ago and he told me this box was empty because in it I was to place my dreams,” explains Craig. “Instantly it became my ‘Africa Box!’ Dad passed away two years ago, and I shared at his funeral how we talked for hours, right up to his final days, and I also shared the vision of my 'Africa Box'. To go to Africa on a short or long term mission trip, is a deep heartfelt passion the Lord has placed there.”

Compassion Sponsor Child Visit:
•Maric family: Visiting 9-year-old Compassion sponsor child in Indonesia- The Maric family of five will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience visiting their Compassion sponsor child in Indonesia, valued at $10,000. Sue, her husband Branko and children Maddison, Alysha and Liam have sponsored nine-year-old Dinda for five years. This will be the Maric’s first visit to a developing country where they hope to expose their own children to another culture and gain kingdom perspective on what is really important. The family attend Roxburgh Park Community Church in Melbourne.
· “We send letters to Dinda [our sponsor child]; the post is a little slow with the interpreters,” says Sue Maric. “We have been talking about going there as my two daughters are learning Indonesian at school, however we couldn’t afford it for at least a couple of years... I’m sure it will open our eyes to many things as we have never really been overseas, apart from New Zealand.”

Holy Land Experience:
•Tim Foster: Ridley Melbourne lecturer bringing teaching to life with tour of Greece and Turkey- An all-expenses-paid 16-day pilgrimage tour through Greece and Turkey, valued at $10,000, will bring this Bible College lecturer’s teaching to life, benefiting hundreds of students. Tim is Director of Theological Education and Formation (Vice-Principal) at Ridley Melbourne. As a lecturer in 1 & 2 Corinthians (written to the residents of Corinth in Greece) and 1& 2 Timothy (written to the residents of Ephesus in Turkey), this pilgrimage will allow Tim a greater understanding of the geography, history and culture of the areas that Paul ministered in.
· “I love helping students wrestle with the text and with difficult issues and “get it” – what a buzz!” says Tim. “The tour will be an enormous benefit to my teaching the Epistles. It will give me the opportunity to learn more about the history and culture which will bring my teaching materials to life.”

Bible College Scholarship:
•Mike Horgan: Training for missions work with a Masters of Divinity at Trinity College, WA- The $10,000 Giving Back grant will help Mike complete a Masters of Divinity as he equips himself for long-term mission, helping to train, equip and encourage the underground church in a closed Central Asian country. Mike and his wife attend Scarborough Church of Christ in Perth where Mike is an elder, runs Bible studies, preaches, and co-ordinates and trains Bible study leaders.
· Mike says, “The church in this country has seen enormous growth in recent times. The growth of the church has outstripped its capacity to train leaders. The team we will be joining is working with the underground church to train, equip and encourage lay pastors who lead small house churches...The team is also engaged in evangelism which we also intend to be involved with. Student ministry and ministry to women in danger are two particular areas that hold great interest for us.”