MANY groups in Australia have reached out to help the Thai and Vietnamese people in times of recent emergencies.
When Thailand was devastated by a tsunami in 2004, we were amongst the first on the ground offering assistance.
Now years later we have continued to be a valuable friend to our nearby Asian communities.
Australian Christian Churches undertake numerous missions throughout Asia and continually identify where help and assistance is needed.
Amongst the church groups that heed these calls is Springfield Christian Family who have been sending their own missionary teams to Asia for many years.
A team of 10 led by Pastor John van Bennekom recently travelled to some of the small villages surrounding Da Nang to spend two weeks helping the community.
The church raises funds for this missionary work throughout the year and the team pay their own way to join the mission.
This year three children received wheelchairs enabling their families for the first time not to have to carry them everywhere they went.
The team also did major maintenance work at a school and a motor trades workshop that helps rehabilitate former prisoners.
Springfield Christian Family is already planning for its next mission work.
