Chosen...

“I lift my eyes to the mountains; where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” 

-Psalm 121:1-2

We celebrated the start of 2021 here in Ukarumpa, and marveled afresh that God would have chosen us to serve here in Papua New Guinea 7 years ago. That time has flown by and has included many joys, challenges, triumphs and tears. The one constant through it all has been our God, who is faithful and loving, and our ever-present help in times of trouble. We often look at the beautiful mountains that surround the Aiyura valley and pray Psalm 121, acknowledging that we don’t often have the strength we need, but we do serve Jesus, who walks with us and helps us to carry each burden. He reminds us to “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. Our prayer this new year is to take these words to heart and learn from Him. Has He chosen you for something bigger than you think you can handle? We pray you will take Him at His Word, learn from Him, and find rest for your soul this year. And thank you again for continuing to pray for us and our ministries here in Papua New Guinea!

Reasons to Celebrate

As a teacher, Kathy loves getting to go to her student’s weddings! We went to our first PNG wedding last weekend, and it was a blessing to watch a lovely couple commit to each other and to God, especially after enduring so many hardships last year. We enjoyed a beautiful day outside (with lots of sunscreen) and reflected on how Christ’s love for His church is mirrored in marriage (see Ephesians 5:22-33). We will celebrate our 30th anniversary later this year and pray God will bless this couple with the joy and love we’ve experienced.

Prayer Points:

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray against the spread of COVID-19 throughout PNG and pray for peace and wisdom.

• Bible translation: Pray for the literacy and education teams working alongside the Bible translation teams.

• Our roles in PNG: Praise for a successful start to Semester 2at school. Pray for Scott’s search for a new assistant.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for a good transition for another flight of families returning to Ukarumpa this week.

• God’s provision: Would you consider becoming a part of our team? Due to the pandemic, we have lost several partners and need $875 per month to meet our budget. Please click the link below- thank you!