Prayer Points

 • Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for peaceful resolution to conflicts in the Enga language group. 

 • Bible translation: Pray for the planning for the Enga New Testament dedication.

 • Our roles in PNG: Pray for the new school year and all the teachers who have recently returned to PNG.

 • PNG missionaries: Pray for wisdom and discernment for missionaries working in areas with ongoing conflicts. 

 • God’s provision: We are so thankful for God’s grace and mercy in bringing us safely back to the USA. Thank you for your faithful partnership with our Wycliffe ministry and we hope to see you while we are on home assignment! 

Wrapping up a field term...

                                                       Photo credit: Amy Evers

“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” - Jude 1:24-25 (NIV)

On September 16th, 2020, we were among the first group of people to return to our mission in Papua New Guinea during the pandemic. Travel had been difficult, but after 6 failed attempts, and with lots of prayer, we finally made it back to Ukarumpa. Each of our field terms has been filled with unique challenges and this one was no exception. The pandemic, staffing shortages, medevacs, criminal activity, warfare among local villages, an election cycle, civil unrest in various parts of the country and a 7.6M earthquake made this term even more interesting than most. We’ll be honest: we are tired. Yet, throughout all of this, God has blessed, strengthened and encouraged us in a variety of ways, including being able to host our first visitors from the USA last July. We are now winding down this term and preparing to return to NH for a Home Assignment from late June through December. Our goal is to spend the first three months in New England before heading south to Florida to see family and friends down the East Coast. We are so thankful for all of your prayers and partnership and we look forward to seeing you while we are back in the States. Thank God with us for all He has done!

Banquet...

Our students are currently preparing for semester exams, but a couple of weeks ago, they got to enjoy Banquet. This is a prom-style event hosted by the community to honor the juniors and seniors. The theme was “Deep into the Woods”, which included an indoor zip line and live animal encounters, plus a formal dinner and other fun activities that ran throughout the evening. Kathy was all into helping with the animals, which included a koi pond, snapping turtle, two green tree pythons, a cuscus (a PNG marsupial, similar to a possum), and a bunch of baby bunnies. It was a lovely night to bless our students, and enjoy God’s creation in a unique way. The helpers dressed up as Fish and Wildlife Conservation officers and it was difficult to tell who was having a better time, the community helpers or the students!

                                                        Photo credit: Amy Evers

Prayer Points:

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for God to continue to move and bring peace, unity and revival in the Aiyura valley and PNG.

• Bible translation: Praise for the upcoming dedications of the Vitu and Kaluli New Testaments; pray the events go smoothly and God’s Word changes hearts and lives in those language communities.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for Scott as he wraps up his role as Security Consultant. Pray for Kathy and all of the students at Ukarumpa International School to finish the school year well.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for the families who will be leaving PNG, those who are coming back, and those who are staying; each will experience challenging transitions and lots of goodbyes.

• God’s provision: Thank you for your prayers, and for your faithful partnership with our Wycliffe ministry in PNG. We are so very grateful and we look forward to reconnecting with you while we are in the USA!

 “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (NKJV) 

Easter in Ukarumpa is a special time. We start the day by attending a sunrise service, where we worship and pray for our community, the surrounding villages, Papua New Guinea and the world at large. Afterwards, we invite some close friends over for breakfast before attending the morning church service. It is a great time to connect with likeminded people and celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the tomb and His victory over sin and death. In fact, Easter is the core of our faith and, ultimately, the reason for our missionary service here in Papua New Guinea. While it is true that every day we see fresh evidence of a rapidly deteriorating world, we are nonetheless confident in the ultimate outcome of history. This confidence is not a result of our own talents, but of our faith in Jesus Christ. You see, we know that Jesus is exactly who He says He is in the Bible. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Good Shepard that lays down His life for the sheep, the Son of God and the King of Kings who will return again one day in glory to set all things right. Every Resurrection Sunday, we celebrate the fact that He has risen from the dead, is interceding at God’s right hand on our behalf, and will come again- this makes all the difference! Thank you for enabling us to share this Good News with others.

                                                        Photo credit: Leah Rigsby

Practicing hospitality...

                                                               Photo credit: Amy Evers

It is a blessing to have Ukarumpa family to spend holidays like Easter with while we are in PNG. Everyone shares the challenge of being thousands of miles away from their birth families, so it is extra special to have people with whom you can celebrate Jesus’s death and resurrection, worship at church, and, of course, share a home-cooked meal. It is so easy to take family for granted until we are far away, but we are so grateful to have brothers and sisters in Christ right where we are called to serve.

Prayer Points:

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for wisdom and integrity for those in leadership positions, and for peace in the Aiyura valley.

• Bible translation: Praise for the completed checking of the Meramera New Testament and pray the final edits and printing go smoothly.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for Scott as he transitions into his role as Security Consultant. Pray for Kathy and all of the students at Ukarumpa International School to have a healthy and productive Term 4 and finish the year well.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for the families of seniors at UIS to finish well and experience God’s peace as they transition back to passport countries with their graduates.

• God’s provision: Thank you for your prayers, and for your faithful partnership with our Wycliffe ministry in PNG. We are very grateful and we could not continue to serve here without you. We look forward to reconnecting with you while we are in the USA!