Avalon sandwiched between two twin girls.
Here at our place the kids play and feel secure.
“I want to say a thank you to God.” One of the Patpatar Christians told me as we sat in the hut and the darkness of night began to hide our faces. He continued, “If I hadn’t heard the foundation (the teaching of God’s Word from the beginning) and if the true good news wasn’t clear to me, I would have gone inside this fight that is happening.”
Earlier we had been talking about the on-going mini-war between two of the clans in the village. On New Year’s Day three men were badly cut up and injured when machetes were used to try to settle a dispute. Contrary to being settled, it has only reignited the old feelings of animosity and revenge. Last week the revenge was taken out on an unsuspecting woman who was cut up with a machete and left bleeding on the road simply because she was a member of the other clan. Now women are afraid to go to the garden and kids are afraid to walk alone on the road. Then when a leader in the village, the man’s brother to whom I was talking, tried to intervene, he was threatened and chased away with machetes.
The young believer and I continued to talk. He explained, “When they made the action to cut my brother, that is when I would have got my machete and gone inside this fight. But now I don’t want to be a part. They answer with machetes and fights and killing, but it is not the real answer. They are being deceived and don’t know the real source of these wars. They have become like Saul, who went to kill and arrest people thinking he was doing God’s work, but they don’t know they are doing Satan’s work instead. It is good if the leaders and government will help this fight to stop, but the only real answer is that they know the truth inside the talk of God.”
As this man who has been changed by the power of God walked away and disappeared into the darkness I rejoiced in what God had done. To not do what the clan expects, to not react the way that tradition demands, is a big step. I pray the testimony will speak loudly as well. I pray that this believer and others will be able to have the opportunity to share the “real answer.” I pray also for all those being affected and living in fear because of this on-going fight.
Thanks for rejoicing with me and joining me in these prayers.
Aaron
Aaron, Lori, Avalon, Sierra, and Kylee Luse
Missionaries with New Tribes Mission
In the Patpatar tribe in Papua New Guinea