Amdu friends of ours left the village one day on a long journey only to return later the same afternoon despite their intentions to be gone for two weeks. They said their legs got heavy and so they came home. In the Amdu universe when a person goes on a journey and their legs get heavy it means that something isn’t right in the realm of the unseen. The Amdu people never ignore these signs because they believe to do so could be fatal. Now we’re the ones getting ready to go on a long journey and it is our hearts, not our legs that are heavy. We have no cause for fear, though. The forces our Amdu friends are afraid of have been defeated.
As we return to Amdu our heavy hearts are filled with anticipation instead of dread. Many of you have heard us report that momentum is building towards Gospel Day in Amdu. Translation of key Old Testament stories and portions of the Gospels is underway so that we can write evangelistic Bible lessons. Over the next eight months we will be focused full time on developing this curriculum. Teaching the Amdu people God’s story from Creation through the ascension of Christ will give them a firm foundation for understanding how to get right with God and be free from the fear that controls their lives now.
This is what we have to look forward to as our time in America draws to an end and we say all our difficult goodbyes. This video
https://vimeo.com/amduhattons/timeline is in an attempt to show you the mountains we’ve come across together and the thrill of what lies before us as we go back. From the building of our house, to navigating the years of culture and language learning, to the launch of the literacy program and now translation and Bible curriculum development, God’s faithfulness steals the show. And as we march towards presenting the Gospel later next year we don’t doubt that God’s faithfulness will remain center stage in our story.
Thank you for praying for us as we packed and enjoyed our last family events. Thank you for thinking of us as we make vapor trails across the Atlantic again and get our bearings in PNG. Thank you for remembering us as we pull together supplies and then make our way back into Amdu next week. Thank you for going to God for us as we transition back into the rhythm of village life. Thank you for pausing to pray that we would quickly remember the contentment that satisfies and enables us to serve.
We are so privileged to be partnered with you in reaching the Amdu people.
Benjamin and Missy
Contact us via email: benjamin_hatton@ntm.org
Visit our blog www.ethnos360.org/benjamin_hatton
For more ministry videos visit http://www.vimeo.com/amduhattons