Power to Change – PNG
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now
Philippians 1:3-5
Power to Change (formerly Student Life) from the University of Queensland (UQ) partnered with the University of PNG Student Life (UPNG) in Port Moresby. Here’s their report.
Mission: To equip and empower the local students to own the local movement to reach the lost for Christ
Tharindu FERNANDO – Project Leader
On behalf of the Pacific Propulsion team, I just wanted to say thank you so much for supporting us both financially and prayerfully as we embarked on this project. It has been an incredible privilege partnering with you in the advancement of the Gospel. I hope and pray that you felt a part of the project and that you can see firsthand the fruits of your investment for the Kingdom. God was incredibly gracious towards our team (this being the first ever student led international team) and He was especially kind in how He worked everything out for His glory. We continued to build on existing friendships and relationships with Power to Change at the University of Papua New Guinea. The following pages are some of the testimonies of what God did in our time in PNG. I pray that you are encouraged greatly and may you ever be falling more in love with Jesus.
The team (left to right): Bianca, Josh, Nathan, Tharindu, Stephen, Suzanne, Ebony
Nathan WOTI
Student Life, University of Papua New Guinea
I guess I’ll start by saying God is good. Because he is so good we were able to have PP this year, I thank God for that. I personally thought that we wouldn’t conduct PP or I might not attend it, for so many reasons. But again for he is a good God we had our PP and ended it successfully. I was blessed and changed by this PP 2017. The Aussie team that came this year really lift my spirit in witnessing and sharing my faith. Just by seeing them on campus everyday doing training inspired me to come out of my comfort zone and find that same passion that they have for Christ.
UPNG [University of PNG] Student Life see the vision more clearly now. And that I believe it’s through the PP. It gave us hope and motivation to never give up sharing our faith with others and Win, Build, and train souls for God’s Kingdom sake. I learned a lot of new and interesting topics throughout the PP. Topics such as Apologetics and Prayer were new, and I enjoyed it more. But other topics as well were awesome. It came with new revelation and was much more clear to me this time. The team that came, again was a blessing in itself. Seeing that some of them were so young, but still had to come for the sake of gospel really brought our ministry on campus to life because it challenged us to be more for Jesus and be passionate whilst doing it.
Baki Yapsie TVENGKOFA
Student Life, University of Papua New Guinea
Baki on the far left, with some of the other guys embracing the mud
As another ordinary Papua New Guinean, the word ‘Christian’, is a normal thing, like a normal regular expression where I used when asked what sort of religion I fall under. But I didn’t really know how or what it felt like to be a Christian. I didn’t even know how to have a relationship Him.
When I was in grade 6 back in 2008, I sort of left the Church I was attending, I really stopped myself from attending the church services and youth programs. This was the time that I broke my connection with God. And between 2009 and 2016 was a hell for me. I’ve come across many things that could have really taken my life away. I was so focused with what the world has to offer that I fall short of God’s Glorious standards. Even though I knew that God exists, I never really made it known that He Exists, I always took His grace and compassion for granted and never really believed that Jesus Christ took my place to take the punishment for my sin. His story was like another tale or story to tell.
But I am really thankful that God has a plan for my life and has called me back. Thanks to Dianne’s follow up, I’ve come across to meet you guys. Throughout the last two weeks of the Pacific propulsion, I would say, it has been a life changing moment for me. I have learnt a lot from what you guys have imparted to us. Going through the KGP (the Knowing God Personally booklet that shares what the gospel is) made me realize how I’ve grown away from God and how to mend this broken relationship. Going through the training has changed my perspective of being a Christian, and has taught me a lot about having Personal time with God. It’s an awesome experience to once again,
Baki on the far left, with some of the other guys embracing the mud
come to know that God never forgets His own Creation. I’ve been praying every day, asking the Lord to help me grow closer to Him and experience His Love and Grace every day. What I really learnt from the Team is the Passion that you guys have for the Christ and the confidence to spread His Gospel. Throughout my entire life, I don’t even know how to read my bible. Saying a word of prayer is a really hard thing for me to do, it’s like I don’t even have time for God, every minute of my life was wasted doing other unworthy things. But through attending Pacific Propulsion, I learnt some of the ways which can help me to manage my time and how to find and understand my spiritual gift. Also your testimonies about how each of you have found Christ in your life and have accepted Him as your personal Lord and Saviour has really influenced me to build a relationship with God.
So yeah, I would like to say thank you to you guys and most of all, I would like to thank the Lord for helping me to find the confidence and courage to spread the Gospel. Now I am looking forward to knowing more about God and I want Him to come and take the first place in My Life.
Nathan RAASCH
3rd year Engineering student at the University of Queensland
Nathan & Baki
My time in PNG can’t really be summed up in words but alas I will try my best to provide you with just a glimpse of what God was and is still doing over in the land of the unexpected. On the 4th day there, I lead a training session on how to do effective follow up. Nathan, who is one of the local movement builders, asked if I could come with him to sit in on a follow up that he had with a guy called Baki. So Nathan, Baki and I had a really great chat where I got to watch Nathan apply the training I had just taught and also hear about Baki and how he saw Dianne (one of the missionaries who is actually his cousin) do a complete 180. He told us about how she became 100% sold out for Jesus and with her constant encouragement and nagging he started to want that for himself. I got the privilege to walk alongside Baki the rest of the time we were there. Myself and a few of the lads from our team got to go through assurance of salvation, how to study the bible, and a bunch of other things to help him in his faith. My highlight was going out sharing with him on the last day we were at campus. Baki was really shy so all I asked him to do was to initiate the conversation and I would do the rest. I was absolutely blown away after our first conversation where Baki initiated the conversation and just as I was about to step in and share the gospel Baki just started going through the gospel and the KGP (Knowing God Personally) with his friend. I was blown away by his courage and confidence in sharing, I barely had to step in or help him out at all. The thing that amazes me is how much he had grown in just a week and a half. From a new Christian who wanted to turn his life around, to a man who is 100% sure of his salvation, knows how to not just read the bible but to actually study it, and is equipped to share the gospel. That’s what truly blew my mind. I have never seen growth like that anywhere before.
Jessica JOSEPH
1st year student, University of Papua New Guinea
Jess & Beautlyn (one of the student leaders in the movement)
I just want to thank God for his grace, love and blessings. During the two weeks of Pacific Propulsion, I have learnt a lot of things. One of the main things that stood out for me is evangelism (how to share my faith with others). I learned to be bold and brave about my faith and share it using evangelism tools. I also learned how to use this amazing evangelism tool called KGP and how to apply analogies while sharing! It makes it more fun and easy to share my faith. To share KGP and my faith with strangers is easy but with friends is challenging and I thank God that it was his Holy Spirit that empowered me to have the courage to speak to my friends. During evangelism time, I took the initiative to speak to my friends and four of them prayed to receive Jesus Christ and accept him as their Lord and Saviour. I am following up and meeting up with them. I am blessed to be equipped on how to evangelize to others, being the light in the dark so others can see and come to know God personally. My testimony is to live for God and not for myself.
He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Luke 10:2
Clyde VIIA
Student Life, University of Papua New Guinea
The Pacific Propulsion Project 2017 for me personally was truly a blessing. Being my first one to attend, it was an amazing experience getting to work with the team from Australia as well as my friends from PNG. I have learnt a lot that has really helped me grow in my faith over the two weeks and just being able to spend some time with people who share the same passion as me was really encouraging.
The Project has really opened my eyes to a lot of things that we still lack on campus here at UPNG and what I’ve really come to see is the importance of the movement of God that we are all a part of and how it cannot see itself through because it needs our cooperation, invested time and support to see it through.
For me personally as a leader with Student Life here at UPNG, this has really taught me a great deal and that I need to improve and fully take on the responsibilities that come with this position in order to see this movement grow from where it is now to where we want it to be.
I thank God for the opportunity that me and my friends have had in attending this year’s Pacific Propulsion Project and also in being a part of this Movement here at UPNG. I know that the Project has also taught my friends a lot and it is my prayer that we all will fully utilize what we have learned over the course of this two weeks and be practical in carrying it out.
I would also like to thank God for the team of students from Australia who we were able to work together with during this year’s project. Your coming here to PNG was timely and I know God will continue to use you all in amazing and powerful ways.
2017 is going to be a big year for all of us, let’s continue to go hard for Jesus this year.
Let GO and let GOD!
Ebony HUNT
3rd year student at the University of Queensland
Cynthia, Ebony & Tracy
One highlight of my time in PNG was seeing how God appointed and used our time there to influence Tracy and Cynthia. I met Tracy on our very first day on campus and she was the first person I approached in Evangelism. She had walked away from the Lord due to a family tragedy four years ago, but said through tears that she wanted to hear the gospel! After going through the gospel together and talking about suffering, Tracy expressed that the desire of her heart was to be in personal relationship with Jesus, and she received Jesus as her personal Lord and Saviour. She was concerned however, that she would be mocked and misunderstood by her friends who knew her for her old life. She brought her closest friend Cynthia to our trainings at the Uni chapel and God touched Cynthia’s heart in a really big way! Especially through a follow-up study on assurance of salvation! By the end of our time together the two girls had come to join us almost every day at the chapel and came out to do evangelism with me on our last campus day. They have both contacted me via email and facebook multiple times since to express how much our time there impacted their relationships with the Lord. Even to walk away from such a short mission trip and have impacted one person for Christ is all worth it and most certainly a work of the Holy Spirit! How amazing that He asks us to tag along for the ride.
Salome BILL
3rd year student, University of Papua New Guinea
After attending Pacific Propulsion 2017, I have learnt a lot of things which have helped me to grow my faith in Christ. I have learnt on how to manage my time, how to share my faith with others using KGP, how to do Bible study and how to have quiet time. PP2017, has moulded and shaped me into becoming a new and good person. I have seen changes in my life and I really thank the Lord for what he has done in my life. To God be the glory!
Elton MATAVIA
Student Life Missionary, Papua New Guinea
Elton and Tharindu
It’s been very busy weeks heading towards PPP. Winding down with Fiji ministry and Switching gears back to PNG ministry and PPP coming up was what I was caught up with. I did not spend much time planning the PPP but I did spend time praying for a life changing project which God did honor. We expected 10 local students for the PPP but God provided us more than 10. I was so encouraged to see students catching the vision of Student Life to win souls and to build Spiritual movements everywhere. One thing I Was happy about is the commitment that students showed attending training during class time. They sacrificed some of their classes just to sit in for the training. This shows the passion they have for the gospel to reach the unreached. By the power of the Holy Spirit l am looking at doubling the movement builders from last year.
Thank you Power to Change for the partnership we have in building people up in their faith in Jesus Christ.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
