Travel Blessings!

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you! God has been blessing us abundantly since we started traveling on June 12^th. The Airline that has a 50% rate of on time departure, got us to Port Moresby the day we were due to arrive! We were amazed to watch God work through many ways: our church family, medical doctors, restful and fun family times, good medical reports, and amazing staff at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Even though we hadn’t been to Brisbane in 6 years, our church family remembered us and loved on us, providing money for fun tourist activities and for Jacob to buy tools. Jacob even got an invitation to attend a big Rugby game, the second State of Origin game for the year. We enjoyed dinner with family friends in the church, and we look forward to seeing them all again a bit sooner next time.

We are thankful to have a place to stay across from the Queensland Children’s Hospital, at the Ronald MacDonald house. This was a treat for us after planning our appointments in Boston in the recent years, allowing 1 ½ – 2 hours to travel to Naomi’s appointments due to the Boston traffic. In between our medical appointments we were able to enjoy some sight seeing at the Koala Sanctuary (thank you church family!), museum, Ferris wheel and trips on the ferry . We also were amazed to find gluten free, dairy free and naturally sweetened meals and treats around Brisbane. It was good to get away to a 1^st world country for a couple weeks!

Now we are “holding down the fort” as our good friend, Nate, who is the Government Representative for our mission, is away for a much-needed break. We are thankful to have a change of pace and help around the centre as we are getting ready for a lot of renovations to come. The kids are even able to get involved too with the preparations and renovations. And we are on call if anyone needs anything here, passports or a guesthouse for a night.

We look forward to flying back home next weekend and getting back into the Lapilo guesthouse and joinery routine. The kids are looking forward to playing hard with their friends who just returned from a year of home assignment!

Praises! 

• Thankful for our Guesthouse team of five citizen ladies who cook, clean, organize and buy market produce, our citizen driver who does guest airport runs, especially as we are gone for 5 weeks.
• Thankful for three missionary ladies who took turns overseeing the citizens working at the guesthouse while we are away.
• God has provided more funds for our Brisbane tickets and lodging!
• Amazing church family in Brisbane – great encouragement in many ways!
• Naomi’s MRI, ophthalmology and neurology appointments went well. All is the same, next check up in two years.
• Beth’s annual mammogram had good results. Next check in a year.
• Opportunity to help out at the Port Moresby NTM centre again and give our friend, Nate, a break. He is taking a holiday while we man the centre.
• Good progress on the bathroom/shower areas that Jacob is adding in for the workers and future work teams to come for renovations here on the POM Centre.
• Nosu, a citizen worker, that Jacob is training here at the POM Centre as they work together on projects. He is learning fast.
• Opportunity to enjoy some rest in Brisbane and play tourist.
• Bethany James, an English teacher, has enough support, airplane tickets and her paperwork is on track to arrive before school starts! Jonathan will have an English teacher!
• Many families have returned from their home assignments, including Jonathan and Naomi’s good friends! They are excited to see them when we get back to Goroka!
• Change of pace, and time as a family as we help out in many ways around the centre.
• A God who loves us so much He continues to guide us in our steps day by day and moment by moment.
• Because we are God’s children we have abundant daily life and REST in Him.
• God’s continued provision for our needs moment by moment!

 Prayer requests: 

• We need Teachers, Doctors, Mechanics, Maintenance Management (long term)!
• Wisdom, strength and healing in life transitions for Jacob’s parents, Stanley and Cheryl Devine.
• Healing and comfort for Beth’s family and parents, Dennis and Corrine Weaver, as they grieve the loss of Sarah, their daughter.
• Our last week here in the capital city would be profitable. Adjustments as we head back to Goroka in a week and fit back into life there again.
• Citizen carpenters will keep learning and building confidence in their work, back in Goroka.
• The workshop’s joinery tools will continue to work and the shop will continue to function.
• Missionaries to manage and train in the Maintenance departments around the field.
• Wisdom in making good decisions as Beth represents our coworkers on both the school and community councils.
• Since there is no teacher for Math 7 – wisdom for Beth to know how to help Jonathan with an online math class.
• Jonathan and Naomi as they start back into school on August 5^th – Jonathan in 7^th grade! Naomi in 3^rd grade!

• Ability for Beth to balance all the different aspects of ministries that she is involved in… Guesthouse, Family and School life
• Rest of the finances ($1500) for our medical trip to Brisbane (flights and lodging).
• Finances to become 100% supported… we are in need of only $320/month which is about 10 people giving $32 or 5 people giving $64 a month.
• That we would remember that God holds everything together including us! And He is working all around us.
• Wisdom and Love as we teach our children how to walk with God daily.
• 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.