Having just returned from another week down at the other village we thought we should give you an update on the outreach in progress.
We’ve been teaching through the Bible 4 mornings a week at that village for over 2 months now. Just this last week we finished teaching in the Old Testament and began teaching about the life of Christ. Excitement has been high and God’s Word is coming through clear. The regular group of 30 or so people are responding well and they were really convicted by the teaching about the law. They had thought that they could obey the law and impress God. But the teaching made it abundantly clear that none of us can obey the law and all of us deserve the punishment of sin which is death. This realization left them feeling oppressed by the weight of sin. But God promised a deliverer who would deliver us from the power of sin and death. Now that we are into the New Testament the Simbaris are seeing the prophesies fulfilled through Jesus. And this promised deliverer wasn’t just anyone, He was God himself coming to this earth to do the work of saving mankind. There’s a lot more teach and we will need to leave the tribe before it’s time to present the Gospel in that village but we have discipled some Simbari men who will be able to carry on in our absence. We look forward to how the Holy Spirit will work through them to continue building His Church here among the Simbari. 
Back up in our home village we are continuing to teach through the book of Acts on Sundays. They have heard about the believers in the early church receiving the Holy Spirit. The early churches’ activities including baptism, communion, fellowship and witness have also been covered recently. So the Simbaris are following the example of the early church in these areas. A baptism is being scheduled soon. And, just like in Acts, the unbelievers are taking notice of the fellowship and testimony of the believers here and we are getting new people coming to the meetings almost every Sunday. Several times we have heard the Simbaris say that they, as new believers, are “following the same path” as the early believers did in the book of Acts. That was such an encouragement to our hearts as it reminded us that we all should be “following on the path” laid out for us in God’s Word.
Also we’re thankful to have completed the Bible lessons and translation of Acts. (There is still a final translation check of Acts that will need done when we return to PNG after our home assignment.) And David is up to chapter 10 in his preliminary draft of Romans. Thanks for praying and we hope you are encouraged to continue praying after hearing how God is answering!