Writing updates has not been near the top of my priority list lately, but that doesn’t help you all know what is going on here and how you can pray. So let me try to catch you up just a little. In the meantime, we have appreciated a number of emails that have come in from several of you who are continuing to think of us and pray for us…thank you so much. We truly believe that the prayer from God’s children a world away is making an impact here.
After the new year, there seemed to be a renewed hunger among the believers here for His Word and to be a part of His Church. Here’s how:
* A small group of believer who had been meeting regularly but separately from the main group because of the social persecution associated with being a part of the church, have taken a step of faith. They started walking the “mile of shame” enduring stares, insults, and snickers to come fellowship with other believers and to learn more of the truth. * Several of the women began to make coming to the weekly study they were doing on Joseph a priority. They took some big steps in understanding the method of studying His Word and drawing application for their personal lives. * The men began meeting several days a week on their own accord for hours at a time to continue to develop lessons for the church from our corporate study of the book of 1 Corinthians.
Toward the end of January, I had the opportunity to help lead 3 workshops in 2 countries in Africa, Senegal and Guinea. The workshops on “Curriculum Development” were designed to equip missionaries to become more effective Bible lesson writers and to equip them to disciple those they are working with to be able to study God’s Word, write lessons, and teach others. The Patpatar believers were excited for this opportunity I was given and sent me with plenty of suggestions and words of wisdom to pass on to the missionaries in Africa.
On my way to Africa, I dropped my family off in Australia where our coworker, Madonna, was getting all of her post cancer check ups and helping out with a situation in her family. On my return, I was able to spend a few days with them there before all of us made our way back to Patpatar. The dry, dusty, cloudless skies of Africa were in stark contrast to what met us in Papua New Guinea. Black clouds, heavy rains, and big winds made for a difficult boat trip back to the village and we had to extend our typical under 3 hour trip to 19 hours by ducking into the safety of an island half way across and spending the night there.
The last few weeks, since being back there has been little relief from the rain and to make things even darker, we have mourned the loss of two elderly Patpatar from our village who left this world without the hope of Christ for eternity. Because of flooded roads and trails, sickness, and funerals the attendance we experienced at the start of the year has not been the same. Yet, there are beams of sunlight shining through the proverbial darkness. During our time of absence, some took on the role to teach the church and the other groups with more passion; and since my return they have continued to lead most of the studies and our Sunday gathering. Also, in a nearby hamlet that has been disinterested and at times oppositional, there is a sudden surprising interest among them to hear “God’s Talk” and plans are being made to teach there.
Coming up, we have one more trip “out of the village” planned. In a few weeks we will be headed over to the other big island for our annual missionary conference where we get together for a few days for refreshment, fellowship, and to hear good teaching. Right after that I will be attending some long overdue field consultant meetings for all of us who are involved in helping and consulting missionaries in other villages and tribes in the areas of language learning, literacy, translation, and church planting. In April, Madonna will be involved in a translation check to get most of the book of Genesis that has been translated into Paptatar checked and ready for printing. That same month, we plan on starting a brand new literacy class here that has been designed for the “more educated” individuals who have gone to school and have some level of literacy in the national or trade language, but have not yet been taught to read their own language of Patpatar.
So much more…so many stories…such a privilege to be here and a part of what God is doing…through the sunshine and the rain.
Aaron
Fact – The Patpatar word for rain is “bata” pronounced the way my friends back home who say “butter” without the “r”. If they were to see the way I was sliding around in the mud, I am sure they would be amused at the aural coincidence. If they only knew how the word for “large puddle” was pronounced, they would know exactly what I said when I fell in it!
