PresAID Good Friday 2012 Appeal

PresAID’s Good Friday 2012 Appeal Is Concentrating On One Worthy Cause In The Developing World:

Building A Presbyterian Church In Dili,
Timor Leste (East Timor)

In Days Past ...
DURING the Second World War when the Japanese Army had invad- ed Portuguese Timor (as Timor Leste was then known) they met strong resistance from the Timorese people, many of whom suffered greatly as a result of their aid to Australian soldiers.

The 2012 PresAID Good Friday Appeal gives Australian Presbyterians an oppor- tunity to say ‘Thank you’ as we make our own contribution to Nation Building in Timor Leste – providing the funds for our brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Timor Leste to build their Central Church Complex in Dili. Laying The Ground Work.

The Dili congregation has its eye on a block of land which seems to be almost per- fect for their purposes. It is a good size and close to one of the main thoroughfares through the City of Dili. It is close to some well-known landmarks and to a public transport terminus. In a city with no street signs all these factors work together to make it easy to find, and making it an excellent location.

It is also within a couple of kilometres of where they are meeting currently, which means that people who presently walk to church will not find it difficult to get to the proposed new venue.

Robert Benn preaching in the present ‘Church Centre’, longing for the day when PCA through PresAID will provide funds for the new Church Centre!

Between the Presbyterian Church of Brazil, funds specifically given for the Dili Church Building and an extra donation which is on its way, there is just enough money to purchase the land! It is thrilling to see what the Lord has provided so far, and that this excellent location will, God willing, be secured for Him in the very near future.

Moving Forward
Last January the Mission Partners Timor Leste Team met with the Timorese Moderator, the Rev Daniel Marcal, to discuss how the Australian Church can best help our brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Timor Leste.

He says that the church is young and faces many obstacles. However, among the pastors there is a deep desire to take the life-giving Gospel of Christ to the peo- ple of Timor Leste, who like Australia, desperately need the Gospel. One of the most pressing needs is for a Church Centre in the capital, Dili.

Rev Kevin Murray, Director of Mission Partners, says: ‘A building is significant because it says that the denomination/church is real and is visible.’

Rev Robert Benn, immediate past Moderator General, who has been involved in helping the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Timor Leste for the past 12 years, says: ‘We are entering into a partnership with them that is thrilling for the Kingdom of Grace. It's a tremendous privilege, and we are delighted with the measure of trust that has grown over the years. The Dili congregation is zealous and wants to see the church grow. To have their own building will be a tremendous boost for them. Life is not easy for them! At the moment they meet under a blue plastic sheet. I certainly back the proposal to support them in the building of a Church Centre.’

May the LORD inspire us to give generously to the 2012 PresAID Good Friday Appeal for His glory and the extension of His Kingdom in Timor Leste.