Studying God’s Creation

Examining the natural world and seeing God’s creativity in it is one of Kathy’s passions, and she loves to share that with her students. The genius of His creation is evident all around us, if we would only pause to appreciate and enjoy it. It is always a joy when her biology students get to do a lab outdoors and encounter this firsthand. What a privilege to work with such great students, and get to enjoy the beautiful summer weather here in PNG, at least in between the rain storms! 

Prayer Points

• Papua New Guinea: Pray for God’s grace and wisdom for all those in government this year.

• Bible translation: Pray for the 3 New Testaments in the progress of typesetting and printing, to be dedicated in their language groups in 2017.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for wisdom as Scott works on strategic security plans and Kathy mentors her students.

• Family needs: Pray for Kathy’s family, especially her mom, as they face the new year without her dad.

• God’s provision: Praise for how God is providing for our needs through His people and pray for His abundant blessing on our partners & their families throughout 2017. 

Our Year, In Review

Above: Tribal dancers we met at the Goroka Cultural Show in September    

This past year has been a whirlwind of activity, but in all circumstances the LORD has blessed us, especially through the challenges. We returned home with only 60% of our ministry budget and a goal of returning to PNG in July, but must confess that the goal seemed overly ambitious. Since this was our first home assignment, we also experienced some re-entry issues. We had read and been told about this, but experiencing it was something new. On one hand, it was great to see family and friends, and yet, for the first few weeks, the experience was very much akin to our travel to Papua New Guinea in 2014: a mixture of joy, sadness, excitement and stress. And yet, God saw us through that readjustment period and was our source of strength. 

In January, we had the blessing of traveling to Orlando to attend a two week orientation to Wycliffe USA called Equip. The LORD blessed our time at Equip with excellent instructors and classmates who have since become encouraging friends. As we traveled the Eastern seaboard, we were blessed to see family and friends and to share about our Wycliffe ministry with churches and small groups. 

Along the way, God also used His people to bless us; we were given a place to stay rent free and loaned a vehicle, and a week at a house on a lake to relax. We were also blessed to spend encouraging time with a missionary friend, who was briefly in the US while we were home. 

While we worked hard on our preparations to return to PNG, it was God who ultimately provided for us, and that "overly ambitious" goal of returning to PNG in July came to fruition by His grace. This past year has strengthened our faith and we know that whatever lay in store for us in 2017, God will go before us.

The Joy of Giving

Mother Theresa once said, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.” Jesus knew this truth when He summed up the Mosaic law as “Love God and love people”. We have had wonderful opportunities in the past year to spend quality time with many people as we have served in PNG and while on furlough in the US, including family and friends we haven’t seen in many years. God also gave Kathy an additional opportunity, as she traveled back to NY to spend time with her Mom and siblings after her Dad’s death. Our prayer has been that we would love people well, and not just in word but also in deed. We were reminded anew that our mission field is wherever God plants us, and that is true for every Christian who seeks to follow Jesus Christ’s example. He showed us perfect love and perfect obedience by coming to Earth as a child, to save and redeem us from sin and death while upholding God’s righteousness and perfect justice. Jesus is our Emmanuel, “God with us”, and in God’s Word, we see the physical embodiment of God’s characteristics in the life of Christ. Amazing grace and love— what a gift! Please take the time to stop, amidst the hustle and bustle of this special season, and really ponder this gift. It is as wonderful to give as it is to receive and we are deeply grateful to have been the recipients of this love from many of you— thank you. 

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the Gospel.” Colossians 1:3-5 

Prayer Points and Answered Prayers in 2016

God has provided for us in amazing ways in 2016, allowing us to return to PNG and continue to serve in our support roles for another three years. He also brought Kathy back to help her family after her father passed away. God provided a substitute for her classes, travel mercy, good health, and the kindness of His people. God is good, all the time, but especially during the difficult times. 

Papua New Guinea shines at the Goroka show...

We were privileged to attend the 60th annual Goroka show, where tribal singers and dancers from many provinces come to perform in traditional costumes and headdresses. It was crowded, visually stunning and quite a sensory overload. Wherever we looked, we saw different tribal costumes and heard different languages as each group sang traditional songs. It was a taste of Revelation 7:9, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb”. But the sobering reality is this: not all of the people we met have access to God’s Word in their heart language yet, and some of the songs and dances we heard reflect warfare, fertility rituals, and animistic beliefs. Romans 10:14 reminds us, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Yet, God’s Word promises that people from every tribe will be represented at His throne in the end; please continue to pray for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ   to reach every tribe and language! 

Staff and students at Ukarumpa International School dress up in PNG colors and styles for the 41st Papua New Guinea Independence Day celebration. 

Photo credit: Bob Noble 

 Meeting a tribal dancer at the Goroka Show. 

Photo credit: Kristy Johnson    

Prayer Points

• Papua New Guinea: Pray for God’s grace and wisdom for those serving in government.

• Bible translation: Pray for the Baruga people, as our friends Jim & Joan Farr serve in their village and ready their New Testament for typesetting and printing.

• Our roles in PNG: Praise for Kathy’s successful Term 1 at UIS and for changed lives at Encounter. Praise for progress as Scott mentors his assistants and can work on strategic plans.

• Family needs: Pray for Kathy’s dad Jim, who suffered a stroke. Praise God he is out of the hospital, in rehabilitation, and making progress, but pray he regains his mobility and will be released to go home. Pray for strength for her mom, Lynn, who is his primary caregiver.