Back in the mountains of PNG!

We have been back from Port Moresby for just over a month and life is settling into a good summer schedule, just in time for school to start up in 2 weeks! That was fast! Thank you for all your prayers! Our trip to the capital of PNG was very profitable! Jacob completed a dog kennel for the security dogs, other small cement projects, and fixed a lot of things on centre that were falling apart. The kids and I finished homeschool! No more homeschool for us for a long time, hopefully! 😊Jonathan now has a twin block retainer that is correcting his jaw with no head gear! 😊 And I got to help out with a few sorting and admin tasks around centre. We were thankful to have the opportunity to help Nate in POM!

We are so thankful for all that Tracey did at the guesthouse while we were gone! And thankful for a wonderful transition! After just a few days back home, we were happy to jump into the guesthouse ministry once again. And taking over at the end of Covid meant that the guesthouse got very busy with many missionaries from different missions stopping in. And when things aren’t used for awhile, we’ve learned that things start breaking quickly. Jacob made a list of things to do around the guesthouse and has a list of what needs to be done urgently as well as jobs to put on a renovation list. I started answering booking emails, overseeing the guesthouse citizen workers, cooking, organizing and figuring out a good guesthouse schedule for the summer. The kids were excited to find out which families were coming to be our guests…. So they could play with their kids all day! 😊 No more school, time for play! They have been doing a lot of roller blading in the gym. Jonathan is becoming really good, just like his father! It seems there will be a lot of roller hockey in his future! Naomi is also very determined to learn how to roller blade!

We have thoroughly enjoyed being back in the guesthouse and being part of church planting by helping missionaries as they come stay for medical reasons, enjoy a break, do school testing or come for meetings. It is wonderful to be able to help with their physical needs: place to stay, meals and transportation to and from the airport. But also, we have enjoyed hearing their stories of how God has worked in their ministries and in their lives. And it is good to be able to encourage each other as many are going through difficult times. Mutual encouragement by pointing each other to our God, who loves us and has a perfect plan for our lives, even when we don’t understand and don’t expect what is next is always encouraging! And we love that our kids can help the guests’ kids get adjusted to life here at the NTM Centre by just playing together and talking together!

We are busy getting ready… Jacob is fixing washing machines, solar hot water panels and leaks, installing new toilets and organizing storage… because next week is a momentous occasion… a full guesthouse for the first time since Covid started! We are excited to be back to a normal guesthouse life, one that we haven’t really experienced much of yet. We started our ministry in the guesthouse in July 2019, just a few months before the craziness of Covid began. I am busy planning menus and stocking up on groceries. The kids are excited for all the people coming to eat meals with us! AND all the kids they get to play with each day!

In the middle of this busy and full guesthouse, school will begin! August 8^th, Jonathan will start 4^th grade and Naomi will start Kindergarten at Numonohi Christian Academy. We are very thankful for the teachers and the school that does such an amazing job! We are looking forward to the kids being able to start and finish this school year at the same school and in the same country. 😊 We are also thankful for Georgie and Fiona, citizen ladies who help us in the guesthouse. We will be training them in more areas during this busy time. Please pray for us to work out a good balance of work, family and school.

Praises!

• We are feeling more settled and happy to be home in PNG!
• We are all healthy!
• Great time in POM with lots accomplished! Good time with Nate!
• Jacob’s eye continues to improve.
• Homeschooling is done!
• Jonathan has adjusted very well to having a retainer to wear daily!
• The Dentist in Port Moresby (POM), will be making trips here to our dental clinic to see patients every month or two! So Jonathan’s jaw can be corrected without making lots oof trips to POM, saving us a lot of money in tickets.
• Good transition back into the Guesthouse.
• New and old friends – Naomi and Jonathan love being back home in PNG!
• God has provided more prayer and financial supporters!
• A God who loves us so much He continues to guide us in our steps day by day and moment by moment.
• A God who sent His Son to die for our sins and rose him up so that we could have abundant daily life and REST in Him.
• God’s continued provision for our needs moment by moment!

Prayer requests:

• Covid cases would continue to stay at a minimum here in Papua New Guinea.
• Safety in travel for many people who are returning to PNG in the next couple of weeks.
• Wisdom to balance life of a busy guesthouse, family, school and rest.
• Provision of the finances needed for Jonathan’s treatment to correct his jaw.
• Beth’s Canadian Permanent Residency card would arrive in the mail soon.
• Finances to become 100% supported… we are in need of $300/month which is 6 people giving $50 a month or 12 people giving $25 a month!
• That we would remember that God holds everything together including us! And He is working all around us!
• Rest in God as we enjoy being parents!
• 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.
• More laborers to minister to the Bena people.