Dear Friends and Family,
God’s Daily Provisions
Treats from Lae
Good Friends
Joy in the Faces of our Kids as they Learn
Beauty of Creation
God’s Promises
Skype with Family
Berries & Granola & Chocolate
Wisdom to Operate a Water System
Completion of the new Guesthouse porch
and Ability to run a Guesthouse to Minister to Others… these are some of the things we are thankful for during this uncertain time.
There are many things that we can focus on as our world changes every day with new and contradictory information about many different issues. But we are very thankful for our God who is in control of it all and giving us a peace beyond understanding as we continue to minister here in Papua New Guinea at the Guesthouse. We are often comforted with this verse from Proverbs 21:1 “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. He directs it like a stream of water anywhere he pleases.” Or from the Message Bible “Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.” Our powerful God is in control of the nations’ leaders! The times we live in can seem so scary sometimes. Resting on a simple childlike faith in a God who can control any and all situations seems almost silly to any unbelievers. Yet we have a peace rooted in an amazingly powerful God and a simple childlike like faith in God and His power.
In our world here in PNG things can change daily because of the new Covid cases in the capital city of Port Moresby and the canceled flights of missionaries. Since many teachers have had their flights cancelled, we have been forced to close out mission school for a time. We all started homeschooling our own children again on August 24th! This was quite the shock to us, as the first seven people that returned and quarantined did not have trouble as they traveled here. But just after they arrived many other people that had tickets to return were told by the airlines that their tickets were canceled and they had to reschedule for a month or two later. We have only had one other family return since then and they were from Australia. Please pray that the families that have tickets to return (from the US, Canada and Australia) in two weeks will arrive with no problems!!
So far it seems that missionaries that wish to return to their home countries are not having trouble leaving, for which we are thankful! We plan to fly out on Dec 23rd for a one year home assignment. We are really looking forward to seeing so many of you and introducing our children to everyone. Naomi was 4 months old when we left North American in 2017 and soon she will be 4 years old! Jonathan was 4 years old when we left and now he is a big boy! We hope to enjoy a few weeks in MA with Beth’s parents when we first arrive and then fly up to Nova Scotia for 6 months. Later we will move to MA for 6 months before returning here to Papua New Guinea in Jan 2022.
Praises!
1. God’s Word has been taught in PNG in 3 different tribal locations for the first time and we have many new brothers and sisters in Christ!
2. Successful work trip last month siding and rat proofing a missionary house in N. Waghi.
3. Beth and the kids balanced guesthouse and family life well while Jacob was gone.
4. Our new water system is up and running!
5. Completion of the new Guesthouse porch.
6. We are healthy and safe, in a country slowly rising in Corona Virus cases.
7. Provision of a house and car for our time in Nova Scotia, Jan 2021 – June 2021.
8. A God who sent His Son to die for our sins and rose him up so that we could have daily life abundantly and REST in Him!
9. God’s continued provision for our needs moment by moment!
Prayer requests:
1. Covid-19 cases would start to decrease.
2. Ability for all missionaries to return and school to start in January.
3. The ability to obtain the last documents needed for Beth’s Canadian PR. And quick approval of it!
4. That we would remember that God holds everything together including us! And He is working all around us!
5. Wisdom in daily life as we move into rainy season, balancing family, guesthouse responsibilities and home schooling.
6. Ability to encourage and minister to those people coming through the guesthouse over the next months. As many people have been through a lot recently!
7. Tickets home on Dec 23rd… that they would not be canceled but that we can go home!
8. Rest in God as we enjoy being parents!
9. God would continue to raise up more missionaries to come to the PNG and bring the Gospel to those who have never heard it their own heart language.
10. More laborers to minister to the Bena people.
