Where does your hope come from?

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” -Romans 15:13 

We are so grateful for each one of you, for being a vital part of what God is doing here in PNG. Your prayers continue to sustain and protect us, and we are privileged to have you interceding on our behalf. Our prayer for each of you is that you continue to remember where your hope comes from, and to keep your eyes “fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) Admittedly, there are times we have been distracted by the surrounding circumstances - sickness, death, crime, constant change and transition - and hopelessness crept in. But then, again and again, we have thankfully been reminded of all that God continues to do here in PNG - allowing school at UIS to remain in person for the last year, allowing teams to continue Bible translation in villages and language areas throughout the country, allowing departments from Ukarumpa to partner in practical ways with local hospitals, from delivering vaccines to installing solar power systems. We can honestly say we have been filled with His joy and peace as we have kept our eyes fixed on Him and trusted in Him. And we will strive to continue to do so, regardless of what the future may bring. In the face of the coming Omicron variant of Covid, we will continue to faithfully serve, teach, mentor, and overflow with hope to those around us who desperately need it. On a recent stormy day, we stopped to notice a lovely hibiscus flower. The gloom and the rain did not keep it from blooming, right where it was planted, and its bright beauty shone all the more against the drab gray sky behind it. Please continue to pray for us, that we will be like that flower and continue to bloom right where God has planted us. And we will pray the same for you, that He will allow you to bloom as well, and overflow with hope to those in your sphere of influence. May the LORD continue to bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you, be gracious to you and give you peace.