Learning to Trust God to Plan Our Days

“There an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth…

A right time to plant and another to reap…

A right time to destroy and another to construct,

A right time to cry and another to laugh,

A right time to lament and another to cheer…

A right time to embrace and another to part,

A right time to search and another to count your losses….

I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way its going to be, always. No additions, no subtractions. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That’s how it always is with God.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

We are thankful that our loving Father and God has made a great plan with His perfect mind for all His children and that we can trust Him to organize our days which sometimes seem to us like chaos. Some weeks and months are crazy busy and we are constantly asking God for strength to do what He has planned for us. But at the same time we can see God working and we are happy that we get to be a part of what God is doing. We have done this a lot since August when school began. The guesthouse was packed for the first time since Covid began and we found ourselves helping a lot of missionaries by providing clean accommodations and delicious food to those who were coming for medical emergencies, school testing, returning from Home Assignment, in need of a rest, or dealing with mission business matters. It is always cool to see how we can be an encouragement to our guests, but at the same time they are a huge encouragement to us as they share their stories of how God is working. We are thankful that God has our days and years planned and gives us demanding days/months as well as other times to recoup and regroup before going into another time that seems chaotic to us. But we know God is in control and has a good plan for all involved in what we can see as chaos.

The kids are off to school again! Can’t believe Jonathan finished one term of 4^th grade and Naomi finished one term of Kindergarten! We enjoyed a 2 ½ week school break and now we are falling into the routine of school and guesthouse once again! Thank you for your prayers! The kids are enjoying so much about school here at our centre…. Great teachers, learning with their friends and so many fun things to do together! They come home with stories every day. 😊Of course Jonathan has been learning the art of doing homework quickly so he can play with his friends after school too. This is not his favorite part, but he is growing in responsibility! Naomi just loves to play with her friends! And now we have a new family next-door and so she has a new friend named Naomi, who is also 6 years old! 😊We are so thankful that our kids can grow up in such a wonderful setting at a Christian school with friends all around.

During our school break God enabled us to help cook for the Central Area Conference providing one meal for 130 people as well as a few side dishes for two meals. Many years ago we cooked for this same conference at Interface. So it was so fun to be able to help with this again. Although I really missed my old Interface kitchen! It was good to hear how encouraging and refreshing the conference was for all the missionaries who were able to attend!

We also flew to Port Moresby, PNG for 2 weeks during our school break to help out at the NTM Centre where our brother Nate is the NTM Government Representative. It was so good to work together and hang out with him again. God enabled us to get a lot done and enjoy fun times together, even a few times at the pool. The kids loved that! Jacob installed a new oven which meant moving the cabinets, and he also moved the used oven to an apartment in need. An AC was fixed, a main entrance door replaced and another door built. When Jacob went to town to buy a door, there were no doors, so he decided to build one himself. Jacob also bought a bunch of toolboxes and organized the workshop on the centre with anticipation of other handymen coming to continue to help with the needs on the centre.

I was busy organizing and moving belongings of previous missionaries, helping Nate buy furniture and supplies for the POM guest houses and answering calls/emails about the guesthouse back here in Goroka. We are so thankful for Georgie and Fiona, citizen ladies who help us in the guesthouse. They were able to keep the guesthouse apartments running. As people came and went they made sure the houses were cleaned and ready for the next family arriving. They also arranged for airport pickups and drop-offs with our guesthouse driver, Kiso.

Praises!

• Covid restrictions have been lifted in PNG, included the vaccine mandate to enter the country.
• The Teaching of God’s Word has started in Malayali, where our friends the Rimestads, Muellers and Earls are ministering!
• Good health for our family!
• We enjoyed cooking a meal and some side dishes for the Central Area Missionary Conference – about 130 people!
• Jonathan and Naomi finished their 1st term of this school year, kindergarten and 4th grade and did great!
• We have figured out a good routine with school, guesthouse, Jacob’s work and home life.
• Opportunity to go to POM (Port Moresby, the capital of PNG) again to help Nate with maintenance and other jobs around the NTM Centre.
• Jacob and I got a lot of work done while in POM.
• Thankful for our citizen workers at the guesthouse that maintained the cleaning of apartments and welcoming guests while we are gone.
• Good change of pace and rest for us during this school break.
• Good ophthalmologist check up for Naomi.
• Good ultrasound check up in leu of mammogram for Beth.
• Jonathan’s retainer is doing its job in moving his jaw… a successful adjustment of retainer at the dentist.
• Provision of ¼ of the finances needed for Jonathan’s jaw treatment.
• God has provided more prayer and financial supporters again this month, 96% supported!
• New next door neighbors! A pilot family with children to play with every day! Naomi especially enjoys playing with their daughter, also called Naomi, only a few months apart!

Prayer requests:

• God would work in the hearts of the Malayali people as they hear all God has done for them.
• Strength and good health and clear teaching for the Rimestads, Muellers and Earls teaching God’s word in Malayali
• We are short in the medical clinic! Please pray God will send another doctor to our clinic! Watch this to find out more: We Wouldn’t be Here
• Wisdom and safety as Jacob works on varies projects around the NTM centre and the Guesthouse.
• Wisdom in work, and rest for our brother Nate who is the NTM Government Representative in POM, as well as help in this ministry role.

• Provision of the rest 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 $180/month which is only 9 people giving $20 a month or 4 people giving $40 – $50 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.
• 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!