Testimonies of God’s goodness…

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” - Psalm 136:1 NKJV

Sometimes it is important to stop and introspect - how has God been working in your life? It is easy to be busy each day and miss His goodness, mercy and love exhibited in the countless miracles He is doing in and around us. Kathy attended a women’s retreat here in Ukarumpa (see photo below) and rejoiced to hear so many testimonies of how God was at work in the lives of the women around her, in their families and in their language communities. Our high school students met for Encounter, their spiritual retreat, the following weekend. The Holy Spirit moved in a mighty way and we are seeing a spiritual revival among our youth - thank you for your prayers! Our English Sunday Service held a testimony evening last Sunday for the students to share, and a testimony service this Sunday for the community to share; it was a great encouragement to hear the many ways God is moving. Our translation teams, as well as teams leading Trauma Healing and Scripture Use programs, spoke of the Spirit bringing reconciliation, forgiveness, and a fresh hunger to know God’s Word. Please continue to pray, and look for ways the LORD is at work in your own life as well.

God is good, in every season…

It is spring in the Southern hemisphere, but the blooming amaryllis flowers have us anticipating Christmas. Stopping to appreciate the beauty of each season is an intentional practice, especially when things are difficult. Our excellent clinic cares for us well, but occasionally must refer us a specialist, often the closest being in Australia. Kathy was grateful to see a dermatologist there for skin cancer treatment and is doing fine. Thank you for continuing to pray for our health and stamina as we serve in a challenging place with limited health care options. Pray for the LORD to continue to send medical professionals to serve alongside us and bless the community and valley.

Prayer Points...

 • Papua New Guinea (PNG): Praise for the mostly peaceful celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Independence in September.

• Bible translation: Praise for the Kwomtari Scripture dedication and for the translation team who served faithfully for 35 years to bring God’s Word to this language.

• Our roles in PNG: Thank you for praying for the student retreat; please pray the spiritual revival continues and spreads among our youth. Pray for peace, wisdom and discernment for Scott and the SIL Global Child Safety team.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for the Culture Meets Scripture workshop in Tamigidu, for health, strength, wisdom and protection as the team travels and teaches.

• God’s provision: Thank you for being an integral part of our ministry, through your prayers and support - your faithfulness is more evidence of God’s goodness to us!

Celebrating Papua New Guinea’s 50th Anniversary…

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34 NIV

It has been an exciting lead up to the 50th anniversary of independence celebrations that will be taking place around the country this year. Cultural shows in Goroka and Morobe will draw huge crowds this week, and there are community programs at the local national high school and primary school here in the Aiyura valley on Tuesday. Flag raising ceremonies at Independence Hill near the National Parliament House in Port Moresby, to our own flag raising here in Ukarumpa, will signify national pride, unity and thanksgiving. It was particularly poignant to gather together, nationals and expatriates, to sing the national anthem, and have one of our Australian missionaries participate in the raising of the PNG flag in Ukarumpa, who was here as a student 50 years ago for the very first PNG flag raising. Ukarumpa International School also recognized the holiday by encouraging students and teachers to wear PNG colors and traditional costumes to school and gathered together to pray for the nation. At a combined Tok Pisin and English church service, the speaker reminded us that “as the church goes, so goes the nation” and we were exhorted to seek God’s Kingdom first in everything we do, building up and encouraging the body of Christ around us. He acknowledged that his beloved nation has very real challenges for its future and encouraged us to pray for the leaders of both the nation and the churches to seek the LORD and His plan for this beautiful and diverse country. That is our prayer, not just for PNG, but for our own beloved country as well. Please join us in praying for the nations to seek the LORD with all their hearts and souls.

Finishing Term 1 at UISSC…

It has been a busy term at UISSC and all of the students have been working hard to start off the school year well. Kathy is always grateful for each and every one of her students, but it has been a special privilege to pour into her PNG students. We pray they will be the future leaders of their country, firmly rooted in the truth of God’s Word and possessing the critical thinking skills and knowledge to celebrate their culture even as they look to the future. Pray for all of the UISSC students who attend the Encounter spiritual retreat this year, that they would grow more deeply in love with Jesus and would seek Him above everything else.

Prayer Points...

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for peace and unity in PNG during the 50th anniversary of Independence on September 16th.

• Bible translation: Praise for the Urim Bible dedication; there was great rejoicing in the large crowds that turned out for the event, which was well received.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for a strong finish to Term 1 at UIS and for the upcoming student spiritual retreat. Pray for continued wisdom and discernment for Scott and his team in his new role as SIL Global Child Safety Director.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for good health and positive learning opportunities for the new families living in the village as part of their PNG orientation course.

• God’s provision: Thank you for being an integral part of our ministry, through your prayers and support - we thank God for you every day!

Serving in Bible translation for a year or for decades…

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  - Galatians 6:9 NIV

One of the joys that we have experienced while serving here in Papua New Guinea is getting to work alongside other followers of Jesus. The LORD has brought each person here for a season, and seeing their faithfulness and obedience is an encouragement to us. Some are only here for a year, but they make a huge difference. Our friend Nat (bottom row, second from the left) has been a lovely addition to our Bible study group, has served faithfully as a recruiter in Human Resources, and volunteered constantly to serve in many other ministries during her year here. Retired and in her 70s, she is still serving the LORD faithfully, even when He called her to move to PNG for a year, and we have been deeply inspired and encouraged by her. We also said goodbye recently to our friends the Whiteheads, who have served here as translators for over 50 years. They began their ministry with the Menya people before the country achieved independence in 1975, dedicated their New Testament several years ago, and spent the last few years continuing to serve the community by training more national translators from other language groups in Bible translation techniques. Our other friends, the Parkers, just finished their 20 years of service here, supporting Bible translation by teaching and working in Aviation. It doesn’t matter if God calls you to serve for a year or for a lifetime, being obedient to that call to serve, whether right in your home church, community or here with us in PNG, is what matters. It is a joy to serve the LORD, even on the difficult days, because He has already promised we will reap a harvest if we persevere and don’t give up!