In our first days back in Patpatar this last March I had a lot of questions. What happened while we were gone? How are our brothers and sisters doing here? What is going to happen this time back?
There is a certain believer here that always seems to amaze me. I actually find him quite mysterious. He is very tentative to talk or open up to us, and he doesn’t seem to associate with us much when we are out in the village. In our first days back, I would watch him as he would walk past our house. Paul would look up at our house, but would then quickly look away again. Then he didn’t show up to the believer’s meeting our first week back. Was he feeling uncomfortable walking past our houses? What was going on with him?
There is another believer, one that is dear to our hearts. His name is Andrew, and he was Aaron’s first ever language helper. He has helped us learn many things about the language and culture of the Patpatar people. Our eldest daughters love to be together, though that is rare anymore, and our families love each other. Aaron has made countless attempts to visit with him, but we just haven’t been able to connect with our dear friend. You see, he is very involved in many things here. He hasn’t shown up to any of the Bible teaching since we’ve been back.
I have had a certain prayer that I have been praying for the Patpatar people here since I’ve been back. Lord, please make them HUNGRY for your Word. Give them a hunger!
Paul showed up to the second meeting. He anxiously waited for it to start. This last Thursday, he was the first one headed to the meeting, ready to “be fed” from God’s Word. He’s had conversations with Aaron that are filled with questions and thoughts. Paul is hungry.
Andrew has still not shown up. He has had many family things come up….death, a child with a broken arm, a small baby of his that has malaria for the second time this month, work to do for his position in the community. Is he hungry? I pray so.
We are still waiting on an answer from a nearby village to see if they are going to want to hear the evangelistic teaching, and if they want literacy classes held in the new community building. The meeting we asked you to pray about in the last NGN was postponed and won’t take place until the end of the month.
Please pray that we as missionaries will continue to hunger to know God, and that the Patpatar would have a hunger for His Word, too.
Lori
Fact: “I could eat a horse!” When we hear that phrase we don’t take it too literally, but we understand that whoever said it is very hungry. Well in Patpatar they have no horses, but there is a similar phrase to indicate their hunger, “I am looking for a monitor lizard!”