Retired Queensland educator Fred Stolz is penning his life story, which he’s called A Fortunate Life. ‘I don’t know why God has blessed me as he has, but I am very thankful’, says 87-year-old Fred as he reflects on his 54 years of service to education in Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). The farmer’s […]
I arrived in Madang in 1953. My very first impression was that everything seemed to be in technicolour, as all the colours were brighter and more vivid than in Australia. The hibiscus flowers were a brilliant red and yellow and the trees, palms and plants a very bright green, in stark contrast to the grey-green […]
After almost 20 years of preparing birthing kits for women in rural areas of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Joan Kluge and her sewing machine are retiring. This article is a tribute to the wonderful contribution which Joan has made over the years, to the church and to our sisters in Christ in PNG. Joan became […]
Dennis and Ros Mickan served in Papua New Guinea between 1972 and 1985. Following miscellaneous short assignments in various locations, they arrived, ‘green as green’ with two young girls at Kurum coconut Plantation on Karkar Island. Days began with morning devotions and roll call, followed by the boss boy giving out work assignments to up […]
My birth, to Fred (Fritz) and Julie (or Jula) Mueller in the city of Reutlingen in southern Germany on 6 January 1925, occurred in the middle of the inflation widely experienced in that country during that period. It was an extremely difficult time for all so, after a few years, my father decided to emigrate […]
August Carl Bertelsmeier of River View, Maryborough, was born on the 10th of May, 1914, at Temora, New South Wales. He was both baptised and confirmed in the Lutheran Church in Temora by Pastor J Materne. Augie, as he was called by everyone, was a firm believer in his Lord and Saviour, so it was […]
Most people are not overly excited at the prospect of supporting scholarships for international partner churches. When it comes to mission work, it just doesn’t carry the same thrill that comes when we see pictures of missionaries reaching out to tribes in the jungles of North Sumatra, or the sense of ownership that comes from […]
Nearly 40 years after Bible translation work began in the delta region of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Gulf Province, the Kope people of the area can now read the Gospel of Luke in their own language. The first New Testament book to be completed in the Kope language, it was dedicated and launched in late […]
Clara Pech, the fourth born sibling of 11 children, was one of 7 daughters and 4 sons of a couple who were dedicated mission-supporters farming near Appila in the mid-north of South Australia. Clara was trained at the Royal Adelaide hospital as a registered nurse and then went overseas into service for the people in […]
Jesus’ love and guidance have always been evident in my life. Being adopted, God protected me and provided for me with a loving Christian family. My Mum and Dad, Helen and Ronald Zarnke, brought me to baptism at Peace Lutheran Church Gatton in Queensland, where I was adopted into my spiritual family. When I was […]