God has definitely brought us through some unexpected decisions in the last couple of weeks as we found ourselves in need of a new ministry. We didn’t expect that the Interface program would move to the Madang Region while we were on Home Assignment this year. This also means that we are no longer needed in the ministries which we have been serving in for the last 3 years (for Jacob) and 11 ½ years (for Beth). We won’t be returning to our home in PNG but we asked God where He wants us to serve Him next… we have been wondering where we would be living next… and what would we be doing as we returned to Papua New Guinea with our little Jonathan.
Thank you all for your prayers!! As we corresponded with the NTM leadership in Papua New Guinea we learned of two great needs in the lowlands and we begin to pray about them because they weren’t our first choices as we hoped to be able to stay in the Highlands. But God wasn’t opening any doors for ministry in the Highlands region. So as we prayed individually, God changed each of our hearts. So when we talked about it a few days later, we found that we were both in agreement… God was leading us to Supply Center for the Sepik Region, despite our lack of desire to move there previously. We do have an amazing God! The supply center is in the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea, right on the coast, which means…. Lots of heat and humidity! Pray for our adjustments, as we have been enjoying the perfect weather in the Highlands of PNG for many years. We were concerned about Jacob’s allergies to mold with a move to the lowlands because of 80-90 % humidity levels. But after an appointment with an allergist we found that his allergies can probably be controlled with medicine. Although we hope to keep an ultra-clean house, so he doesn’t have to take medicine all the time.
You may wonder what it is that we will be doing at the Supply Center for the Sepik Region… Jacob will be serving on the maintenance team and Beth will be a wife, mom and help out wherever needed. This center supports the tribal missionaries. The center consists of a store, guest house, business office, workshop and many houses for support staff as well as guest homes for bush missionaries on break. And we get to be a part of this ministry. Jacob might also get to help out some tribal teams as projects come up in different bush locations around the Sepik region.
As we think about our new ministry in the Supply Center for the Sepik Region…we are excited! Yet we are very sad to leave our home and ministry at Interface and the national people there. We hope to be able to visit them before moving to our new home and introduce our friends to our little Jonathan. 🙂 This last week, the Bena people were given the news… Interface is moving… there is great sadness in the village. So far, things are going smoothly as the staff move out many boxes and things. And the people haven’t created any problems…. They suggested that the land be leased to another mission organization and asked for our help to find a group to move in after Interface moves out. Please pray that the moving process will go well and that a new mission can move in smoothly!
After we decided that God was moving us on to the Supply Center for the Sepik Region to start a new chapter of our lives, we found out that this Summer’s Interface program will also be held at the Supply Center for the Sepik Region as well as the new Church Planting Internship. Interface’s new location, in the Madang region, will not have everything ready to begin the program there so soon. So we are excited to have the privilege of interacting with the Interface students this summer, for one last time. 🙂
Please pray for our paperwork situation. Right now we are waiting for Beth’s renewed PNG visa to be put into her passport, which is in Washington DC. We can’t head to Canada until we receive this in the mail. We would like to head up to Canada at the beginning of April, but we aren’t sure if we will have her passport back in time. Please pray also for Jonathan’s visa. We received his passport a few weeks ago and now we are in the process of applying for his PNG visa. Fortunately we are able to travel across the border to Canada with just his birth certificate in hand. So we do not need his passport with visa in hand until we fly back to PNG, hopefully at the beginning of May. And we just found out that the maintenance man, Bill Morlang, who Jacob will be replacing, is leaving for Home assignment from Supply Center for the Sepik Region on May 10th. So we would really like to be there before that so Jacob can get a run down on how things work and what projects are in the works. Thanks for praying!
We are enjoying time at home in MA with family and friends. And we look forward to celebrating Easter here with Beth’s family. It will be very sad to leave our family here knowing that we won’t see them for 2 ½-3 years… thinking of how grown up Jonathan will be by the time we return… makes it even hard for us and the grandparents. But we are thankful for Skype! And we look forward to spending a month in Nova Scotia speaking at churches and introducing Jonathan to all his family. 🙂
Praises!
– God’s guidance, direction and peace as HE gave us peace for a new chapter in our lives.
– Opportunity to join the Supply Center for the Sepik Region team at the NTM support center.
– Opportunity to work with old friends on the team at the Supply Center for the Sepik Region
– Things are going smoothly and peacefully as Interface moves out… the Bena people are sad but not causing trouble.
– Opportunity to interact with the Interface students this summer!
– We received Jonathan’s passport in the mail a few weeks ago!
– Our Jonathan Dennis!
– God’s continued provision for our needs moment by moment!
– Encouraging words and deeds from many friends and family!
– God’s provisions for us as we continue to adjust to a little one in the house!
Prayer:
– Wisdom and guidance as we continue to learn to take care of Jonathan.
– Continued transition of our family of two into a family of three!
– Wisdom and guidance as we learn more about our new ministry and figure out what to pack and how to plan.
– Ability to process and adjust to our move from the Interface ministry to our ministry in Supply Center for the Sepik Region.
– Pray that God would raise our support level to the amount needed for a family with one child.
– Smooth and fast process as we apply for Jonathan’s visa and Canadian citizenship.
– Beth’s visa would be put into her passport soon so we can head up to Canada.
– Safety in travel as we drive up to Canada, hopefully at the beginning of April.
– Finances for our tickets to travel back to PNG at the beginning of May.
– Ability to focus on God daily for and rely on His infused strength.
– Pray for the Bena church and Bena people as they process the move of Interface.
– Pray for a new mission organization to be able to move onto the Interface campus very quickly after Interface moves out.
We’d appreciate your continued prayers as we adjust to life of parenthood and prayers for continued health for Jonathan. And for prayers as we process the end of the Interface chapter of our lives and the beginning of the Supply Center for the Sepik Region chapter of our lives. And don’t forget be sure to let us know if you would like us to share about our ministry in your church, home group or personally!
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