Our Jonathan will be 1 month old on Saturday! Wow… what a great responsibility, privilege and honor it is that God has given us a son… we are enjoying the miracle of a newborn… and learning a lot about diaper changing, crying, feeding and sleeping… the daily life of our Jonathan… we are learning a lot and enjoying this new life change… although wondering when we will catch up on sleep. 🙂
And now God has put another huge life change in front of us, not one that we expected, but something very sad… God is moving the Interface program to a different location in Papua New Guinea and closing down the current Interface property.
We have enjoyed being a part of the Interface program in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. It has been amazing to watch God work in so many lives over the 11 ½ years (for Beth) and just over 3 years (for Jacob). God has greatly used Interface to open many eyes to all He is doing in missions as well as challenge many into missions and strengthen walks with Himself. Sadly, in the last 10-15 years we have seen attendance at Interface drop off significantly. We know that there are many factors impacting this decline but this decline in attendance has put real strain on Interface in many areas.
Recently the NTM Leadership has made the decision to shut down the Interface facility located in the Bena tribe. We know that it has not been an easy decision. Please note that the Interface Program itself is not being shut down. Interface will be downsizing and moving the program to another NTM property in the Madang region that the Leadership feels will be easier and yet effective. There are a lot of details to work out, and the future is uncertain, but please know that the Interface staff and leadership, are working through all the scenarios and seeking God for the future.
So, what does this mean for the Devine family? Well, we will not be making the move to Madang Region because the Madang Region center already has support staff in place. They are in need of teaching staff. So please pray for us as we look to the Lord for what HE has for us next. We have a great desire to return to Papua New Guinea in May as planned. And right now we are in contact with the PNG leadership about new ministry opportunities. Please pray that God will give us clear direction and a great peace about which way to go in the next chapter in our lives.
Note that the 2013 Summer Interface Program has NOT been cancelled, and that the new Interface Church Planting Internship that is to start this Fall has NOT been cancelled and will begin in early September. The Interface summer program location has yet to be decided, as the Madang region location may not be ready in time.
Please pray for the Interface staff back in Papua New Guinea as they have a huge task ahead of them… packing up the Interface campus and moving out before July 25th. Pray also for us all as we look to God for our future ministries. And pray for the Bena people as they learn of our departure.
Being a part of what God is doing in Papua New Guinea is never what we expect and never lacks in excitement. As we trust Him, we know that He will use Interface in the best way possible, in a way that will bring the most glory to Himself! And God is doing just that… bringing changes to Interface that we would have never expected! But we can trust that He is doing this because it will bring Him glory.
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