Visiting You in Your Church or Home Groups

We are keen to meet with you in your church, or home group to explore ways we can invite you to be part of Gods mission in Cambodia.

With the hope of sharing with you about how God has invited us to join with Him in His mission activity as long-term cross-cultural workers. This means the initial term of service is seven years – three years, then six months back home, followed by another three years. We have four adult children who will be remaining here in South Australia as we plan to leave late in 2016 for Cambodia.

We attend Blackwood Hills Baptist church, in Adelaide, Australia. From 17 years old Deb experienced God’s call towards cross-cultural mission. A significant Bible passage for this call is Jeremiah 29: 11-13 especially verse 11. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. These verses Deb keeps feeding from for me and the Khmer. Deb is no longer 17; but as we all know 1000 years are like a day to the Lord. We are confident and at peace now is God’s timing to be sent to Cambodia. We plan to visit Cambodia December 2015 to continue preparing ourselves in cultural awareness.

For us both this call was further confirmed through experiences of short term cross-cultural trips. I have enjoyed a career working in Agriculture and food production, whilst Deb works as a midwife and nurse, offering care to the homeless and refugee communities in central Adelaide.

We are passionate about being a part of God’s mission among the Khmer of Cambodia. With less than 2% of people identified as Christians they are considered a least-reached people group. We are moved by the injustice that people, like most of the Khmer, currently go from birth to death without hearing the Good News in a way that they can understand.

We will become part of the Cambodia team based at Siem Reap seeking to build communities of faith in the North West region of Cambodia. Our focus initially will be learning culture and language so that we can build relationships that introduce the hope of Jesus. We want to be helping people to follow Jesus in ways that embraces their Khmer culture, as vibrant faith communities.

Through 2016 we would like to get to know you and share with you what God is inviting us to be a part of in Cambodia. With God’s help we will be building a partnership team to support us financially and in prayer. We would love the opportunity to meet with you and your church, to invite you be a part of God’s mission in Cambodia. If you would like to arrange for us to visit your church, or any group in your church please contact the team at the South Australian State Office of Global Interaction +61 8 8357 1755 or Contact them on this link http://www.globalinteraction.org.au/contact/sa-nt

We Are Being Sent To Cambodia

September 17th, 2015 we were formally informed by the team at Global Interaction Melbourne that we have been assigned to the team to go to Cambodia. We have studies that take us through to end of 2016 so from that time onwards we are open to be living in Cambodia. This was an exhilarating experience knowing the “where” likened to the delight of child birth. This verse; God has used in my (Deb’s) call to mission I see this as both for me individually and for those I serve. Gods mission I have a lot to learn and be shaped in this process. This verse I will come back to many times in the future as I have in the past to get to this point. Jeremy 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”.

Here’s the link for South Australia Global Interaction Office for more information

http://www.globalinteraction.org.au/contact/sa-nt

Back In Our Temporary Home Country

Dearest Friends,

We value you tracking with us; as we transition together into Gods plans and purposes for long-term cross cultural life and work. We have not long returned from 2 months travel on another continent exploring some of this wonderfilled world. We are conscious as we return that this is marking Australia as our temporary home country. We hope by the end of this year to be sharing with you all ‘where’ God is sending us. This confirmation of location between God calling us, Global Interaction as the agency, teams both in country and those preparing to leave for the field, us as a couple, and other individuals who have spoken into our lives.

We are conscious of being framed and hemmed in by our Lord. This awareness provides us both with His peace and leading in all the decisions that lie ahead of us. His time frame and processes are what is key in the big scheme of life. Occasionally my mind (Deb) may run away with the things to ‘be done’ but I am pulled up as I rest in knowing God is a God of order, creation shows this as a great example. I want Gods timeliness not my desire to ‘tick boxes’ mentality.

Luke 18:42-43 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it they also praised God.

Rob & Deb Griffith

Global Interaction candidates for long-term cross cultural work

God’s mission and us

Hi All,

Hope you are doing okay there. Preparation is really a stocktake of what you have already, what you need, and what you need to prepare for. There is a tension between all aspects; seemingly beyong the grasp; physically, mentally and spiritually. This process is honing us further to be more like our Creator God. So far the preparations has included the known, unknown and the God surprises too. Such character building by the One who created us and know exactly how we am wired.

We have had several overseas trips that have helped us focus on our call to mission. Our first trip to see our sponsor children in Africa had the aim of exposing our own (then teenage) children to how the majority of the world live. Whilst it was our children that we hoped to influence, I think it had a greater impact on us their parents… We visited the homes of people afflicted with AIDS in dwellings made from sticks and mud and pieces of rusty iron. I remember asking the mother of our sponsor child what we could pray for, expecting her to ask for a roof that did not leak or for food that didn’t run out. Instead she was just sharing thanksgiving… The next time we were at the home of our young sponsor child it was a confronting experience. He took us out to his garden and showed us his mother’s grave where she was buried after dying from AIDS since our last visit. Death is something that confronts you regularly in the majority world. We are moved by the injustice that a couple of billion people in this world can go from birth to death without ever hearing the good news of Jesus in a way that they can understand.

Revelation 7:9 creates a picture of a great multitude of people in heaven from “every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne”. God has a heart for all nations and people. It is our privilege to soon be a part of helping a least reached people group through sharing God’s greatest gift of a life-transforming relationship with Jesus.

At present we are in training and preparation mode. In our spare time we have the privilege of studying at Bible College. Our studies should take us until late next year to complete. We are also engaged in the process of discerning where we will be serving. As you may know Global Interaction focuses on nine least reached people groups; so that narrows down the possibilities. When the location is decided we will be even more intentional in seeking help to grow a partnership support base.

Mission as in God’s mission is more than just Rob and Deb going overseas.Because we are called to be a part of God’s Mission, we believe he is already actively working in that place where we are being sent. An exciting part for us is that as this is God’s Mission, it is your mission as well. You are just as much a part of it whether God calls you to physically come and work alongside of us, or you are back here in Australia supporting us through prayer, or supporting us in any other way.

Phillipians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Rob & Deb Griffith

Global Interaction candidates for longterm cross cultural work in Cambodia

Hello World!

Hi All,

We are in the shaping stages for cross cultural life and work with Global Interaction and this is a life long process we acknowledge. We are open for you to track with us in this as well; either by coming yourself or keeping in touch with us, and the news we share along the way. The studies and training will take us up to November 2016  so will be Gods timing from there.

Use this link for more information or to add your support behind Gods mission.

http://www.globalinteraction.org.au/who-we-are/people-groups/khmer/rob-and-deb

We are learning the insights of our own weaknesses versus strengths and how to recognise these and surrender them daily to be Gods strength, power as His gifts of glory, relying fully on Him.

We know that we will need lots of encouragement while we are in cross cultural ministry. Please pray for us. Please pray for our family adjustments and transitions at the moment and in the years ahead.

In regards to financial support for us, we believe God has got the financial support part already worked out and you probably know already if God is prompting you to support us in a financial way. This isn’t about Rob and Deb traveling far away one day soon in mission work. Because we are called to be a part of God’s Mission, we believe he is already actively working in that place where we are being sent. An exciting part for us is that as this is God’s Mission, it is your mission as well. You are just as much a part of it whether God calls you to physically come and work alongside of us, or you are back here in Australia supporting us through prayer, or supporting us in any other way.

Romans 12 :2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Rob & Deb Griffith

Global Interaction candidates for longterm cross cultural work