Merry Christmas
from the Oggs in Papua New Guinea
Dear Friends,
We want to express our gratitude to the Lord for each one of you and let you know how thankful we are to have you as partners in this vital ministry of bringing God’s Word to the Simbari people. We hope you have a joy-filled Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our wonderful Savior.
Translation Update
These past two months David has been working with two of the Bible teachers on comprehension checking over 4000 verses. They have been deeply impacted by the constant immersion in the truths of God’s Word and have shared many testimonies about what they have been hearing. They said they were like Zaccheus unable to see Jesus but just like he climbed up a tree and was able to see the Lord, you missionaries became like a tree for us to stand on and see Jesus. Also after hearing 2 Cor. 4 they have referred to themselves using the Simbari word for “earthen vessels” who are so thankful to be humble containers for the treasure of the glorious Gospel of Christ. On the last day, after finishing this round of comprehension checking, they both broke down and wept. When they regained their composure, they expressed to us their deep gratitude to the Lord for sending the good news of salvation to their people and said that they would have been lost forever if we had not come. We are so humbled that God has used us weak, clay vessels to bring the treasure of His Word to these dear brothers and sisters.
Medevac
About two weeks ago one of our helpers heard that his wife who was still back in the village was very ill, and since there were no health workers in the whole valley at the time, fearing she might lose her life we had her flown out here to the hospital in town. We are so thankful that she was able to get the medical help that she needed because it turned out to be a serious case of typhoid! We were especially concerned because just the week before, a boy had died from the same symptoms. We praise the Lord that she is doing much better now and is getting plenty of rest.
Shari’s Island Ministry Trip
Recently I was invited to help a friend in another tribal church planting location to host a construction team. She would have been the only lady looking after the team as well as her own children, so I was thrilled for the opportunity to serve in this practical way and help out in any way I could. The build location was on a volcanic island that I had known of for many years and had prayed for the people group who lived there, so it was a real privilege to finally be able to visit in person.
Our Kids
Esther and Tim are doing well in Oregon and are enjoying the new jobs the Lord has provided for them at a tech company. What a blessing that they work at the same place and are able to make the commute together. Simon and Chandler are excited about their upcoming wedding in March and we are so thankful to the Lord for providing tickets for us to be able to be there for this special occasion. Rachel is really enjoying her time at the Ethnos360 training center in Missouri and is learning a lot of valuable things in preparation for serving the Lord overseas. She is excited to be able to spend Christmas break with her relatives (Shari’s family) in Florida. Jason has been working very diligently on his studies and is half-way finished with 11th grade now. He has been very active in leading worship for church and high school chapel as well as making and editing ministry videos for fellow missionaries.
