Different missions serving together as one body…

“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:11 NIV

Papua New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse place on the earth with over 840 languages stretched out over a geographically varied area the approximate size of California. Our mission, and others, focuses on translating the Bible into local languages, which includes literacy development and Scripture use among many other tasks. Other Christian missions focus on transportation, church planting, technology, medical care and economic development. While we work for different organizations, we have more in common than one might first think. Ultimately, the goal of every Christian and every Christian mission is to bring glory to God, so we communicate and cooperate with one another to advance the gospel in our various ways. Kathy teaches at our mission’s school, but she has students from several other missions, as well as local residents from the surrounding communities. Scott often communicates with and assists other missions to monitor and manage common security and safety risks. In the PNG trade language Tok Pisin, the word for agreement is “wanbel” (pronounced“one bell”). We all work for different organizations, with different focuses, but we are “wanbel” about ourultimate purpose; to bring glory to God as a body of believers.

A cuscus named Peanut…

One thing we missed about being in Ukarumpa was the opportunity to spend time having a cuppa with friends, and sometimes we even get to meet their interesting animals! Cuscuses are native marsupials, related to Australian koalas and North American opossums, and are found in most parts of PNG. Normally they live in trees, but occasionally orphaned ones show up in our fruit and veggie market for sale and become pets. As a biology teacher, Kathy always appreciates the opportunity to interact with local wildlife and get to know more about the species found in PNG and nowhere else. And this mountain cuscus (Phalanger carmelitae) was adorable!

Prayer Points

 • Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for peace and wisdom for all of the government leaders and an end to the aviation fuel shortage. Pray for the end of the conflict in Enga province.

• Bible translation: Praise for the dedication of the Kaluli New Testament and pray for God’s Word to transform lives in this language group.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for us as we serve in education at UISSC and in security.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for safe travels for everyone moving around the country on the roads, by boat and by air.

• God’s provision: Thank you for your faithful prayers and partnership. We are grateful to be serving in PNG and could not be here without your prayers and support- you are an important part of our team, and we appreciate you very much!

Grateful to be back in PNG…

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”  - 1 Corinthians 12: 12 NIV

We arrived back in Ukarumpa on January 4, and have hit the ground running as we have transitioned back to doing life here and to our roles in teaching and security. Scott has taken on the role of Security Consultant, supporting Mark Oboko, our Field Security Officer, and Nellie Tabie, our Chief Human Resources Officer. He is also teaching Self Defense for the high school students and will be involved with the Crisis Management Team. Kathy is teaching a block schedule of Biology, so her students can complete the full curriculum in one semester and is teaching elective classes in Marine Science during Term 3 and Astronomy in Term 4. It is easy to get caught up in all of the busyness, but we wanted to stop and just say thank you to all of you. We were so blessed to spend time with each of you while we were in the USA, to share our prayer card with you, to hear your stories of how God is working in your lives, and to give you additional insights in how you can pray for us. It was such a perfect picture of the body of Christ, having many parts, but each one serving faithfully, right where it is needed. Thank you for being a part of our ministry here in PNG, and for letting us be in prayer for you as you serve right where God has placed you. We love you and miss you and thank God for you all every day!

Thank you for praying!

We know that people were praying us back to PNG; our travels went very smoothly, and we were blessed with no significant delays or lost luggage, which is pretty miraculous these days. We had planned extra travel days in case of weather delays leaving Philly, but instead got to spend those days in Singapore. This gave us the chance to start getting over our jet lag and to spend time with a colleague and good friend who didn’t have to travel alone. We had the opportunity to worship in a local church on New Year’s Eve and it was a real blessing to praise God for what He has done with Singaporean brothers and sisters in Christ.

Prayer Points...

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray forpeace throughout the country and wisdom for all of thegovernment leaders.

• Bible translation: Praise for the Nara New Testament being completed and pray for the printing process in South Korea to go smoothly and for the books to return to PNG quickly and safely.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for us as we transition back to our roles in teaching and security.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for the Scripture Use team on Tami Island as they facilitate the Bible Background workshop, for lives to be transformed, and for the village to have enough fresh water for all.

• God’s provision: Thank you for your faithful prayers and partnership. We are grateful to be back serving in PNG and could not be here without your prayers and support- you are an important part of our team, and we appreciate you very much!

Thankful...

“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” -1 Thessalonians 1: 2-3 NIV

We continue to travel and visit with family, friends and partners, and we were so encouraged by our time in Alabama and Georgia. Seeing family members as well as friends, including people we served with in PNG, has been a genuine blessing. We do not take these opportunities for granted, as we often only see our loved ones for a few days once every 3 to 4 years, so the time is very precious. We try to focus on the eternal perspective, knowing we will spend forever with our brothers and sisters in Christ as we worship Jesus, and this gives us peace each time we say ‘goodbye for now’ to those we love. This season of thankfulness is a mindset we try to embrace year round, as we are always thankful to each of our partners who make our Wycliffe ministry in Papua New Guinea possible. Thank you to those of you who responded to our increase in ministry budget; we now need to raise only $350 a month. If you are not currently a financial partner with our Wycliffe ministry and would like to be, please contact us using the link below or email.

www.wycliffe.org/partner/

Scott-KathyWatson

Please continue to let us know how we can be praying for you, and we pray you will have a mindset of gratitude and thankfulness during this season of Thanksgiving, and appreciate the time you have with your loved ones. We are always thankful for each of you and you are in our hearts and our prayers always!