Life has been normal the last few weeks… as “normal” as you can get at Interface in Papua New Guinea. 🙂 Jacob has been working on various projects around the campus, training dogs, tearing up the classroom floor, batteries, and fixing a variety of things. Beth has been getting ready for this week… a Transitions workshop (Missionary Kids learning how to Transition to their home cultures) and prepping for a future Catering job as well as a bit of correspondence with Alumni. We have been enjoying a time of welcoming new staff and returning staff! And we are looking forward to this time continuing over the next couple weeks! We are so encouraged with all that God is doing as He multiples our staff team here at Interface. We are excited for all that God has planned for us at Interface this summer as He sends students our way! Interface is a place where students can come and grow closer to God through learning about missions. Interacting with indigenous people who are believers allows the students to see God through their eyes. It will be so neat to watch God work in the students’ lives in the 5 weeks they are here.
It is great to have a time that isn’t extremely busy and we can enjoy “normal” daily working days. Our village courts have been resolved, God has provided new families and to join our staff… everything seems to be going well. We feel like we are really moving forward in so many different aspects here at Interface. Life has started to become just one day after another where we can see how God is really making things happen. Sometimes in all our lives there are crazy things that happen and you look to God to bring you through. During those times we really see the power and grace of God working out our situation even though we thought that it seemed so bleak, hard and frustrating. It is often said the God of the mountains is still God of the valleys. The idea being that no matter if we are going through something hard or experiencing something great, God is still loving, caring for and watching over us. This is so very true! We have been finding over these past few weeks that it is when times are not so intense and life is just going along that you can see God and experience Him in a new way. Learning to walk and abide in Him and just enjoy life each day with God and each other. It is so wonderful to be able to enjoy the simple things in life each day… beautiful sunshine, amazing view of the mountains and the perfect climate. At the end of each day we are so thankful for the strength and wisdom God gave each us for the tasks He had for us. And we are thankful that we can enjoy life together with God.
Praises!
– Travis and Nikki Ray and their two daughters Sierra and Brooke have arrived to join our staff!!
– Mike and Cherie Peachey and four children, Ashlyn, Savannah, Hannah and Jack have arrived to join our staff!!
– Drew and Bobbi Scholl have returned with their newborn, Levi, and Annie, Malachi and Gracie!
– Hank and Marg Demark, Lesley Doerksen’s parents, have arrived for a 6 week visit! Hank will be heading up the New Classroom floor project!
– Janie Miles will return from Home Assignment on Thursday!
– Jack and Janie Housley will return from a medical leave on March 10th!!
– Janie Housley went to the doctor at home and found out that the spots in our mouth are not cancerous!!
-Anna Bottcher has applied and has been accepted to come to Interface as a student this summer and stay for 6 months to help out in the kitchen!
– God’s provision for new batteries for a few different houses on campus!
– God’s provision for an apartment while we are in Nova Scotia during our Home assignment!
– God’s provision for the opportunity to rent a car from Christian Missionary Technical Services (CMTS) in PA for our entire Home Assignment ! (Aug 2012 – April 2013)
– God’s provision for a quarter of the finances needed for our tickets home!
– Jonny, Marco and Diemo, our German Interns, a huge help with everything that needs to be done!
– Great team of co-workers!
– Opportunity for some Interface Students to gather for a reunion at Wayumi (a missions program of NTM) in Jersey Shore, PA!
– Opportunity for Beth to be involved in many Interface alumni’s lives via email!
– A Peace Gathering took place Feb 17th to mark the end of the tribal unrest!! A huge mumu (food cooked in the ground) was prepared and many people were invited from all over the area.
– God’s faithfulness and perfect plan for His children! God’s provision for our needs moment by moment. God’s amazing blessings!
– Wonderful friends and family who are always praying and supporting us!
Prayer:
– That God would grow us closer together and closer to Him each day.
– Interface students at home, that God would continue to grow them closer to Him as they reflect on all God has taught them.
– NTM Center Conference – We will be catering one meal a day for 200 people. Pray all goes smoothly! And pray that the missionaries are greatly encouraged for their time together!
– God would raise up many students for our Summer Interface team – June 9 – July 18, 2012!!
– God would provide a Kitchen Crew for our Summer Interface team!
-Peachey and Ray families as they continue their orientation at our NTM Center and move out to Interface on March 10th!
-Janie Miles and the Scholl family, co-workers, as they adjust to life back in PNG.
– Anna, as she goes through the process of filling out paperwork and support raising to head to PNG this summer!
– The Brown family, who returned to the US due to Cindy’s breast cancer in August 2010, won’t be able to return to PNG due to finances… pray for them as they decide on a new ministry stateside. (Cindy’s cancer was removed without any problems!)
-Staff unity as new staff join our team and we learn how to work together.
– Jacob, as he and Pete, continue to work together in the workshop organizing work projects and overseeing the Interns.
– Strength and wisdom for the guys as they work on the classroom floor over the next month.
– Provision for the remainder of the funds needed for our tickets as we head home in August 2012
– Provision for an apartment while home in MA, USA – November 2012 – March 2013.
– Rich and Dawn Foster and family as they at home on home assignment and adjusting to life with a new little baby, Josiah! The Bena believers to continue to walk with God while the Fosters are away.
– God would enable us to live for Him moment by moment by doing ALL things through Him and nothing at all in own strength.
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