Thank you for taking the time to read this email. Your interest in our lives and the ministry we are a part of in Papua New Guinea means a whole lot to us. In the past few months especially, we have become increasingly aware of just how much you care for us and we are so thankful. Since Benjamin’s father, James, died in April, we have been on a special journey experiencing what can only be explained as God’s “grace upon grace.” Please continue to pray for Lisa, Benjamin’s mother, as she walks with her Good Shepherd through this particular trial. Lisa means to stay on ministering at New Tribes Bible Institute in Jackson, MI where her and James had settled prior to James getting sick. Lisa has a tremendous team of co-workers and a wonderful opportunity to continue investing in the next generation of missionaries.
We have enjoyed our time with both sides of the family since our return to the US. Just recently, Missy was able to make a surprise visit to see her Mom and Dad and enjoyed some one-on-one time with them! We are so thankful for these opportunities, and look forward to stealing many more while we are here. That is one thing that you can be praying with us about. We want to make the best use of our time while we are here in America. Pray that we would be able to maximize our time with family and friends during the coming months!
There are many more blessings that we are so thankful for – too many to include all the details. But we are thanking the Lord for the housing provision we have! We are living in the same duplex as Benjamin’s Mom. It is small but more than adequate – with the huge advantage of being in the same building so we can enjoy evenings together etc. We also have a tremendous vehicle to use while we are here. Missy’s brother Jay and his wife Jamie were very generous and loaned us their Suburban! We’re driving in roomy comfort and every time we turn the key we’re thanking God for His provision through the Body of Christ! Thank you so much for all the little things that many of you have done for us from the moment our feet hit the ground here in Michigan!
It has been great to reconnect with a few of our supporting/sending churches in the Michigan area. Last Sunday we were at Columbus Baptist, where Missy grew up! We had a great time talking about Papua New Guinea and sharing with them about our future plans there! I also gave Pastor Don a little memento from our travels in PNG – something to show his status as a leader in his community!! Don’t worry – it was a “clip on” version – we didn’t actually pierce his nose! We have plans to meet with the rest of our Michigan and Illinois churches to share with them what the Lord has been doing in our lives and what we are going to be doing upon our return to PNG in September.
We’d also like to share these details with all of you who receive and read our email updates, but won’t likely see us while we are home in the USA! Look for these details in the next update email that we send out. We’ll dedicate the entire update to bringing you up to speed with our plans about getting into a tribe. Things have progressed incredibly since we left PNG and we are very excited about what we are returning to.
Thank you, again, for your support in prayer and giving. Thank you isn’t enough for the sacrifices that you make on our behalf each month, so faithfully!