It is almost unbelievable to us that we have served in PNG for over a year now. That landmark did not come without 12 months of joys, trials, laughter, and tears, but isn’t that always true when we look back on another year of life? We have learned so much about the culture of PNG; immersing ourselves first academically, but then heart and soul as we have gotten to know and love the people here. I have poured myself into my students and seen how God is growing and shaping them into the people He desires them to become.
My junior high school students brainstormed and pondered how a box of toothpicks, a roll of tape and some cardboard could possibly become a model earthquake- resistant house, and they saw the plans they sketched on paper come to fruition in 3-D before their eyes. So, too, have I seen God working in and molding them in the last 8 months.
Make no mistake, God has been working in and shaping me as well. It was not my plan to have two minor surgeries to remove a carcinoma from my face, but God is faithful and I am thankfully now skin cancer free. Several other viruses and minor injuries aside, I have been blessed this year beyond description and thank God for allowing me to serve these special kids at UISSC. He has drawn me closer to himself and to Scott this past year in more ways than I could’ve dreamed, using circumstances I never would’ve imagined.
How has God been working in your life this past year, and have you thanked Him for the good as well as the difficult lessons you have learned? -Kathy
Popular media productions often depict pirates as swashbuckling heroes of the past while ignoring their historical record of indiscriminate violence. The fact was, and is, that perpetrators of piracy are neither romantic adventurers nor a harkening back to bygone eras. Piracy is alive and well in 2015 and it disproportionally occurs in the developing world, where a combination of economic desperation and resource-strapped governments create vulnerabilities to seagoing commerce and travelers alike.
On the evening of February 3rd, 2015, I was notified that an SIL vessel, the Kwadima II, which had been carrying Papua New Guinean Bible Translators, had been overtaken in open water and boarded by pirates in off the coast of Alotau.
Soon afterward, I found myself on an SIL aircraft heading to Alotau as a part of team sent to investigate and debrief the incident. Over the next few days I toured the vessel, spoke to all who had been involved in the incident and worked with local authorities. My team- mates assessed and repaired damage done to the vessel and conducted critical incident stress debriefings for all involved.
Those of you who know me well know that I'm not a particularly emotional person. Nonetheless, this event impacted me and showed me, once again, the great need the world has for Christ.
Please remember the passengers and crew of the Kwadima II in your prayers. Please also remember the authorities who are charged with keeping order and, yes, please also remember the pirates and pray that they would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
