Social distancing, NH style

 Spring may be officially here, but that doesn’t mean the snow is gone yet, at least up in the mountains. Regardless of the cold, though, it was a blessing to get out for a brisk hike and to enjoy the beauty of the mountains and lakes. May the Lord give you times of peace and refreshment in His presence when you seek Him during these hard times.

“I lift my eyes up 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

Waiting is the hardest part...

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” 
                                             -Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV

We take a great deal of solace in this scripture; the pandemic has delayed our planned return to Papua New Guinea, but God is more than faithful. We are blessed to have a place to live, a vehicle to drive, and time together. We are also blessed to remain productive during these unprecedented times. Kathy is working on curriculum material and Scott is providing advice to the Security and Crisis Management Teams in Ukarumpa via video conference. We have both been exercising more, tele- conferencing with friends and family and spending time in God’s Word. We do not know when the pandemic will end or what the new normal may look like, but we have the assurance that God is always in control. 

Please pray for us as we patiently wait on His timing. And know that we are also praying for you! ❤

Above: Empty beaches and quiet streets are the new normal but we can still rejoice in our salvation and His promises!

Prayer Points

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for prevention of the spread of coronavirus in PNG.

• Bible translation: Pray for translation work to continue as translators remain in quarantine.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for the teachers and students in Ukarumpa to persevere, and for the seniors who are missing the closure of special events and activities. Pray for the two men serving as acting Field Security Officers and for wisdom as Scott consults with them.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for wisdom for the leadership in Ukarumpa during the pandemic.

• God’s provision: Praise God for His provision for our current needs and for our return to PNG in His perfect timing.

Wishing you a blessed Easter!

Our favorite tradition in Ukarumpa is placing flowers on the cross at the Easter sunrise service. It is a beautiful metaphor of the hope we have of life after death, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection. This Easter, I think about the disciples in hiding, afraid, isolated and in grief before they saw the resurrected Jesus. And then, what an explosion of hope and joy! May we all experience that same hope and joy today, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. He is risen, alleluia!

Praying for you all during this time of uncertainty…

We are reminded once again that our plans and God’s plans do not always look the same. However, we choose to trust in His timing, and to be grateful for this extended stay in the US. We have been so blessed by so many of you, as you have reached out to encourage us and supply our needs (like the incredible gift baskets from dear friends, pictured below); these are some of the amazing ways we see Him at work around us. We can all choose kindness and encouragement over fear and anxiety, and trust in the One who does know what the future holds. Please know that we are praying for you all right now, for good health and God’s provision for all of your needs. Contact us by e-mail if you have more specific prayer requests or ways we can be a blessing to you; we’d love to Skype or chat with you, too. We hold tightly to God’s promises and were reminded in Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Praying His peace for you today!

Prayer Points:

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for good health and the prevention of the coronavirus infection and spread in PNG.

• Bible translation: Praise for the successful dedication of the Nali New Testament on Manus!

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for those filling our roles until our return to the field.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for everyone in Ukarumpa, as they stay home during the pandemic.

• God’s provision: Praise God for His provision; for our financial partners with our Wycliffe ministry, our family and friends for supplies during our quarantine, a car to drive, and for our church for a place to stay until we can fly back to PNG. We love you all! ❤

Delayed Due to Border Closings...

1 Thessalonians 1: 2-3 “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We know many of you have been praying for us and we wanted to give you an update regarding our return to Papua New Guinea, which was scheduled for Monday, March 23. We just learned that Papua New Guinea and Australia are taking steps to close their borders to international travelers. These border closures will occur before our scheduled arrival in country. We will therefore be delayed in returning to Papua New Guinea until the borders reopen, which will likely coincide with the pandemic's abatement.

Earlier in the week, Wycliffe USA told their international staff to stay in the U.S. unless they were deemed an exception by the mission leadership in the country of service. Scott's position was likely such an exception, and we had counted the cost of returning and were ready and willing to do so, but before we could get that worked out we learned of the impending border closure.

Our contingency plan is to drop off our rental vehicle in St. Louis and return to NH until we can return to Papua New Guinea.

While we are disappointed in the turn of events, we believe that actions of the Papua New Guinean and Australian governments, as well as our own mission, are wise.

Please be in prayer for all those impacted by this pandemic. We are praying for all of you as well.

In Christ,

Scott & Kathy