The JOYS!!! | Chris and Maggie Hostetter

The joys outweighed the trials and we really did enjoy our time in the tribe. The first thing that you can’t help but notice about the place is the beauty of God’s creation. Towering mountains and deep valleys fill up the landscape around the area and I was constantly snapping pictures.

The next great thing was Andrew and Cathy Goud. They are working in this tribe and have been for many years. They were a blessing to us and we learned a lot from them.

The tribal people were a blessing to us too. They brought us food from their gardens all the time. They helped us get firewood, watched our kids, and helped us practice Tok Pisin. They took us to their gardens, on hikes to waterfalls or up mountains, and held Maggie’s hand when the trail was slippery.

Our kids had a blast. They did well, behaved well, played well, hiked well, slept well, and even learned a little more pidgin.

Lastly, seeing God at work in the lives of the believers and the unbelievers was awesome. The Church was packed every Sunday and the little Sunday School room was bursting at the seams. The believers are growing and maturing and many are learning to become Bible teachers and Evangelists. Also, the unbelievers are taking notice of the changed lives of the believers and there are two different villages asking for teachers to come and teach them the word of God. Within the next year tribal believers will be going to these villages to share with them the most important message they will ever hear!