Serving God by serving other missions…

Photo Credit: Pastor Ham

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

There are several Christian missions working to advance the gospel in Papua New Guinea. While each mission has its own focus, the kinds of risks they face often overlap. In an effort to help one another, the missions regularly share security-related information, particularly about travel issues. Representatives of these missions also meet in person once a year to discuss the state of the nation. This past April, Scott spoke at their annual gathering at the Lapilo New Tribes mission station near Goroka, and shortly thereafter was asked to provide security help to another mission. In early June, Scott and Pastor Ham, one of our public relations officers, travelled overland to a mission hospital in Jiwaka province, which is about a six and a half hour drive west from Ukarumpa. Over the course of two very full days, Scott provided five anti-fraud training sessions, conducted two site security assessments and preached a sermon at the associated Bible Training College. Our brothers and sisters from the other mission showed Scott and Pastor Ham great hospitality as they shared meals, their experiences and how God is working in their lives. It is always a blessing to experience the many ways that the body of Christ works together, even in the management of organizational risk. It is also an honor and privilege to serve those in need around us, whether through practical teaching or simple words of encouragement over a shared meal. What divine appointments has the LORD led you to this month? What a blessing it is to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us!

Praise for a new fire truck…

 

Our Volunteer Fire Department, including Scott, trains twice a month to respond to various types of fires. Recently, the department was blessed to replace our aging truck with a newer retired one from Australia. The new vehicle is larger, better equipped and steers more easily on our small dirt and gravel roads. Though structure fires are rare here, a family lost their home to a fire just a couple of years ago. It is also winter in PNG, which is the dry season, so grass fires become more common and can get out of control. We are thankful for the volunteer fire fighting team here in Ukarumpa who keep us safe!

Prayer Points:

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for wisdom for PNG leaders and for peace in the Aiyura Valley.

• Bible translation: Praise for all of the spiritual breakthroughs witnessed by the Scripture Use team in Pamosu last week; pray for continued open hearts to God’s Word and translation efforts there.

• Our roles in PNG: Praise for a good finish to the school year and for a beautiful graduation! Pray for wisdom and discernment for Scott and the SIL Global Child Safety team.

• PNG missionaries: Praise for the safe travels of families who left after school ended. Please pray for families who are still waiting for visas to be approved before they can return to PNG in July.

• God’s provision: We pray for you always and thank you for your faithful partnership with our Wycliffe ministry. Thank you for enabling us to continue serving faithfully in PNG.

God is with us, especially in the transitions…

                                             Photo credit: Anita McCarthy

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”      1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

Another school year is rapidly coming to an end, and with it all of the “lasts” for our students, especially those preparing to graduate. It hits a little differently here; not just our graduates, but their entire families leave for their passport countries shortly after graduation. This means younger siblings also have to say goodbye to their friends, home and pets. It means adults in the community need to say goodbye to their friends and colleagues, too. Sometimes it is just for a short home assignment, sometimes it is for good, as people finish their time in this mission field. It is part of the ebb and flow of life here in Ukarumpa, as we prepare to grieve the loss of friends and those we hold dear, even as we have the joyful expectation of others returning in July. We remind our students about transition tools like RAFT (reconciliation, affirmation, farewells, thinking ahead) but frankly, we need to use those tools ourselves. We reflect on all of the growth we’ve seen in our students as they take final exams and finish projects. But we don’t always stop to reflect on our own journeys, like the blessing it was for Kathy to teach the Anatomy and Physiology class for a semester, and see students ready to launch and pursue medical careers, to put their knowledge to use. We will continue to pray for each of these students as God leads and directs their steps. And we will rejoice and give thanks for the opportunities we’ve had to speak into their lives for a season. We will say our goodbyes, but know that thanks to Jesus, we will see our friends again, either in heaven or on earth, and that is always worth celebrating!

Self Defense 2026 completed…

 Photo credit: Anita McCarthy

Scott teaches part-time elective courses at Ukarumpa International School when needed. This semester he taught Self-Defense, which includes very basic and simple-to-remember physical skills and covers diverse topics designed to increase situational awareness and avoid putting oneself in unnecessary danger. Next semester Scott is scheduled to teach Consumer Fraud. It is a blessing for him to be able to share his knowledge and practical skills with our students. They can return to their passport countries with the tools and savvy to transition well, as many have grown up here in PNG.

Prayer Points...

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for wisdom for PNG leaders and for peace in the Aiyura Valley.

• Bible translation: Pray for Lynda and the Scripture Use team traveling to Pamosu next week, for open hearts to God’s Word and the continued translation efforts there.

• Our roles in PNG: Praise for a good finish to Term 4; our students take final exams next week and seniors will graduate on Friday! Pray for wisdom and discernment for Scott and the SIL Global Child Safety team.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for peace and healthy goodbyes for families of graduating seniors, who will be flying back to their passport countries shortly after graduation.

• God’s provision: We pray for you always and thank you for your faithful partnership with our Wycliffe ministry. Thank you for enabling us to continue serving faithfully in PNG.

God continues to equip us for the work He has called us to do…

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” -Proverbs 27:17 (ESV) 

As Christians, it is important to support and spur one another on in our walk with Christ. This is especially poignant for those whose work is necessary, but always in the background. Risk management doesn’t readily come to mind when most people think about overseas missions. Yet, taking reasonable steps to protect missionaries and especially children is not only a legal duty of care for mission organizations, but an ethical and moral responsibility as well.  Last month, our mission sent Scott to the 20th annual Child Safety Protection Network (CSPN) conference and program management training in Penang, Malaysia. Thankfully, the event took place during a school break, allowing Kathy to come as well. Despite a few travel hiccups, including food poisoning and jellyfish stings, the trip was quite positive. Kathy was able to get some needed rest and developed some new ideas for her classes after visiting a couple of local nature parks. Scott was blessed to meet with people from various mission organizations and Christian schools to exchange ideas and to support one another in Child Safety roles that often feel stressful and isolated. Proverbs 27:17 tells us that we should sharpen one another in our work and in our walk with Christ. This is true no matter where we are or what role we have in advancing the gospel.