Meet The Team...

Kirsten Cheyne

Hi everybody!!! I'm Kirsten (that's me in the picture...the bigger, whiter one) and this January I have the unbelievable privilege of leading a team of students on a short-term missions trip to Indonesia!!! Eeeeee!!!!! :D

I went on my first missions trip in 2010, to Indonesia and the Philippines, and it really was a LIFE highlight. The little girl in the picture with me is Norbelyn - a child growing up in the slums in Manila - whom I sponsor. I've always been passionate about child sponsorship, but seeing these children in the flesh, and really getting a grasp on what their lives are like simultaneously blew my mind and broke my heart. These kids want to be nurses, doctors, flight attendants....they are JUST like kids here in NZ. But the massive and insanely unfair difference is that they happened to be born into poverty, and without our aid there is no way they can get the education they need to break this cycle and realise their dreams. I believe that we who are privileged in this world carry the responsibility to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

Also on that trip I had the opportunity to visit Pastor Fera - a woman who gave up and risked a LOT to plant a Christian church in a strongly Muslim area. Our church has had a great relationship with Fera for many many years, and it was awesome to not only be able to see firsthand the incredible work she is doing, but to be a part of it in some small way. It's pretty crazy to feel connected to people in a teeny little village in the wop wops of Indonesia, with rice paddies on their doorsteps, and chickens wandering in and out of their homes!!! Yet, once again, we are very much the same...just born into very different circumstances.

I know it sounds cheesy, but this trip DID change my life, and I am STOKED to be heading back over there in January! We'll be spending some of our time in Gadingan with Fera, and some of our time at Mt Hope, a developing community in Kalimantan. (See "Our Itinerary" for further details). I am also super excited about my team!!! None of them have ever done anything like this before, and it is SUCH a privilege that I get to take them on this adventure! We don't really have any idea what we're in for, but one of my life philosophies is that the best place to grow is outside your comfort zone, and these guys are certainly enthusiastic about embracing the challenge! They are AMAZING, and I will let them introduce themselves to you now :)

Thanks so much for your support in this! I hope you enjoy following our journey :)

Kirsten xx

Danielle McHardy

Hi! I’m Dani and I’m OOBER excited to be going over to Indo in Jan with such amazing people. I have always wanted to go on a missions trip but never had the money and always had to work over summer to save for university the next year. But this year I finished my psychology degree (yay!) and couldn’t think of a better way to start off this new season of life. I realised with a little prompting from God that I am probably never going to have a casual 3 grand lying around so there is no time like the present to dive on in the deep end! So far I have been completely blown away by the ways he has provided and its just so cool that his work began in me for this trip WAY before we will even leave the country.

I’m a bit of a softie (yeah, I pretty much cry at the drop of a hat) so am ready to be devastated by the poverty and unfairness of the places and situations we might see, but I have learnt that the gift of mercy and compassion is not given to us to be a burden, but rather to encourage and motivate us to act. I don’t have any amazing skills or knowledge, but I do have a heart that cares, arms that can hug and a voice that can pray (which is the most powerful thing of all).

I am so looking forward to God working through me but I am pretty sure the greatest work will be done IN me because I know that when you are obedient and go where you feel led to go, you can’t help but be changed. I am so grateful for everyone who has partnered with me (and God) financially and in prayer, hope you all feel a part of this trip because you so are!

I will leave you with travel related pun (just for fun) and an EPIC verse. If you step onto a plane and recognize a friend of yours named Jack don't yell out Hi Jack! (hehe). And Jeremiah 32:27 "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Hint: No, it’s not.)

Much love,
Dani xx

Joe Chambers

Hello Chums. “My name is Joseph Manjoseph Chambers” – Matt get off my post! My name is Joe or more commonly nowadays Manjoe. I am 22 years of age, born, partially bred in England, and then exported to New Zealand a number of years ago. I have completed an honours degree in Physics and currently doing my Masters “playing with Lazorrrrrssss” – as it is generally described. 

So how did we end up here!?!

In all honesty I never saw myself heading off on a missions trip anytime soon. It was always one of those things far off in the distant future that you might do one day. It is hard to believe it will be happening in only 36 days and counting down! So what brought about this change? For the last 3 years I have been sponsoring a child, however it is only over the past year that we have sent letters to one another. Through the deepening of this relationship and through gentle prompts from the Holy Spirit the thought of even going on a missions trip was brought to the forefront of my mind. And then things came to a head…

I remember the day, many moons ago, when a nervous Kirsten in her car on the wild plains of Dundas street (think wild west showdown, tumble weed blowing down the road, a burnt out couch laying discarded to one side…) asked me if I had thought of going on a missions trip and whether I would consider joining her team this summer. My mind was off! Like a wild stallion galloping over the hills – what does it mean, double rainbow!... no wait wrong train of thought …How would this affect my study, working over summer, where would we be going, what would we be doing, financing such a trip, along with fourscore other thoughts rushing between my ears. However, over the last few months God has been Good and opened many doors and paved the way for me to go on this trip. (“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10)   

Here there be Dragons!

Title unrelated, I just liked it. On this trip I am expectant for great things, which I have no idea what they will be yet! I expect God to use and grow us. For us to just be able to bless and encourage those we are visiting, however, I also believe that those we go to visit will also be a blessing to us. I look forward to seeing how God is moving in Indonesia and how we as a church can come alongside to encourage and support those there doing such a great job already.  

Your prayers and support are very much appreciated.

Visit us here again soon

Manjoe xx (I shall uphold the “xx” tradition as established by Kiks and Dani)

“I'm a conundrum. Or an enigma. I forget which.” – James Owen


Lissie Liddle

Wow how excited am I about this missions trip! I'm Lissie and I have just finished my degree in Environmental Management at Otago, although I am going back next year to start my Masters (which I am geekily really excited about!). So yes, I am going on this trip and am rather amped for it. I have always thought that missions sounded like a cool idea, but about a year ago God really placed it on my heart. At that point it was too late to go on last summers trip from Elim, so I knew that as soon as it was mentioned at church this year I had to get in on it! So I did! At first I was a little worried about the financial details etc but I quickly learnt that "For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55: 9). God goes before us and provides in ways we never thought possible! He has truly blown me away. So thank you to all of you who have made this trip possible!

I strongly believe that this trip is just the start of the rest of my life! God has placed developing nations on my heart and has led my studies at university in this direction. Along with my degree I have done some development papers and my Masters is going to be looking at water quality and how it affects poverty in Nigeria. Hence going to Indo is pretty exciting because I will finally get to see a developing country and have a chance to see hands on everything that I have been learning about. When most people think 'developing country' they think of poverty, people who aren't able to help themselves. But I view it in a different sense. I strongly believe that the people of these countries are sustainable (in many cases far more sustainable than we are here in NZ) and they have the right ideas of how to help themselves, they just need a little bit of help to get these ideas off the ground. This is exactly what has happened at Mt Hope, they know what their needs are and the way to break the poverty cycle (education and practical skills), hence they have made these an integral part of their ministry. Therefore going to Mt Hope really excites me as I have studied a bit about self-sustainable communities and the way these can be used to bring people out of poverty.

So all in all I'm pretty excited! Thank you so much for all of your prayer and financial contributions! I can't wait to see all that God has in store! I had a bit of a scary dream just last night though...Kirsten wouldn't let me on the plane from Christchurch because apparently I hadn't packed properly and had missed a whole lot of things off the list! So I have learnt my lesson, be assured I will be following the list to every little detail and Kirsten you had better let me on that plane!

Love Lis xox


Cherie Leyser

Hey everyone!

My name is Cherie and I am one of six people on the Hotel-awesome-sauce Missions Team to Indonesia in early 2012.  I am graduating in 2 days with a bachelor of nursing! It is very exciting, and to be honest I am really really looking forward to going to see the House of Sinai! This type of ministry God has placed on my heart and in many ways I want to do this kind of thing in the future!

Missions has always been something I was interested in, but the timing was never right.  This past year has been a real hard journey and God has really been working on my heart.  He brought me to a place where I needed to start looking at myself, particularly my attitudes and my beliefs about myself.  I realised some deep-rooted things about myself and oh how these needed to change.  One of these things specifically was how I was never wanted anything for myself.  It meant I only ever wanted to do “what God wanted”, and it stopped me experiencing free choice and the freedom he gives us.  I realised that wanting things for myself was not a bad thing if done for the right reasons.  When these negative beliefs were exposed and prayed for, God did the most amazing work in me and allowed me to see and touch and live in his freedom.  Free from bondage.  

Going on a missions trip is something I want for myself, so I can get a fresh perspective, serve my Father in Heaven, and minister to Indonesia and be ministered to by them.  God has been so faithful right from the get-go and it is by His grace that I am going to Indonesia.  He has provided everything I need and more; money, prayer support, camping items, an application form, money for my wisdom teeth, a car for next year, a place to live and FREEDOM!  He is my God and Lord over everything; I give him the praise and the Glory, forever. 

Cheers J

Cherie xx

Matthew Stuart

Hey, esteemed readers! Esteemed because you’ve made it down this whole page reading about the AWESOME people I get to go on missions with! And we like you for reading about us! ;-)

My name is Matt and I’ve just finished my second year studying music, two to go! I teach guitar and am currently in awe of God’s ability to answer my prayers as he’s hooked me up with many teaching opportunities next year!

Missions was always something I assumed I’d do one day, when I was a better Christian, when I had more money, when I had a spare month in my life, and so when the church announced they were sending a team to Indonesia I didn’t give it a second thought… until Kirsten sent me a message on Facebook saying that they needed more guys and had I considered going?

Great. Now I had to consider going.

This started a process of seeking God and telling him that I didn’t have any money, and that was pretty much my only excuse. So God told me that was irrelevant. He’s good like that. He also reminded me of all the amazing things he has done in my life this year and how far I have grown in my faith. I realized that I would be more disappointed if I didn’t go. I want to trust God for the impossible and see him come through. I want to see what amazing things he will do in my life when I make his will my primary concern!

I’ve been amazed at the ways God has provided so far and I’m looking forward to see what he’s got in store for us next!

At this point I still don’t think it has fully sunk in that I am actually going to Indonesia. I’m wondering at what point it will. But I am super excited about this amazing opportunity that God has blessed me with!

I still have no idea exactly what we’re doing over there…

Please keep praying for us! It’s helpful! ;-)

Much more love than everyone else,

Matt XOXOXOXOXOX

"I promise, I'm not normally this mean... but my wife's out of town and I have to take it out on somebody!" -Ps. Awesome Sauce (I quote like Manjoseph)