In Matthew 28:19-20, we as believers have been given the task of making disciples. Making disciples goes far beyond just making converts, it requires teaching training, and equipping. Last week we had the privilege of sending 9 Dinangat men to a Citizen Teachers Training Seminar. Bible teachers from 8 languages and 14 different churches from 3 provinces in Papua New Guinea were in attendance at the CTTS.
The sessions were mostly taught by other PNG nationals who are elders in a church from the islands region. Some of the material covered included Ministry Values, Leadership in the Church, Marriage and Family, Problems in the Church, Translation Projects, Literacy Schools, and much more! Couple this together with some great times of praise and worship, fellowship, intense prayer times as they shared some of their individual struggles with their new friends, and the result was a gathering so sweet, inspiring, challenging…it’s understandable why some have called it ‘a taste of heaven’!
Our family was blessed to sit this morning at the teaching time as 5 of the teachers shared on different aspects of their adventure (which it surely was!) and our hearts our filled with gratitude to our Father for giving them such a sweet opportunity! One of the first things Jaspa said was, “When we arrived, they told us that even though we’d never met before, Christ is our Head, and we are all one in the Body of Christ!” The camaraderie he felt was evident as he shared about his experience with his extended faith family. The Bible teachers spoke with conviction and passion, each one of them, on the need to stand firm on the principles of the Word. Lukas especially spoke on Ephesians 4:14, “ As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming…”
This is what we are here for! We have come to this side of the world to make disciples, and it has become our favorite part of the job to watch the Word of God take ROOT and GROW the lives of our friends in Dinangat, to see and hear them bring glory to the Lord with their lives! Please keep praying for them! Do you remember what it was like as a teenager to go off to Bible camp for the summer, or attend some other youth rally where you were immersed in the Word, challenged by excellent speakers, united by the Spirit with other like minded believers? Pray that their excitement leads them into a deeper walk with the Lord, and manifests in a desire to reach out and teach, challenge and disciple others as they grow! The sad reality is that there are still many Dinangats who, although they have believed Christ for their salvation, have not chosen to walk in the abundant life that He offers them.
Family Chatter
The week that the teachers left for the CTTS, our family was at our regional center for the annual school testing. This is a fun time for our boys, as they get to spend time with their friends from town and other tribal works and ride their bikes that we store there at the Center. The testing went very well, and we are reminded again of how much the Lord has provided for our home-schooling-lives in the form of help, resources and council. In a few weeks, Jordan will wrap up his 6th grade year and Judah his 4th. Alayna has been enjoying a year of fun preschool and can’t wait for kindergarten to begin! This summer we will be doing some light remodeling in our house to better accommodate 3 home schoolers and their continuing growth!
One More Prayer Request
As we wrap up this letter, we want to ask you to please also pray for our co-worker, Elli Schlegel, as she has had some stomach pains over the last several months and has now gone to Australia to have some testing done. Pray that the doctors would be able to determine what (if any) intervention needs to happen, for peace and guidance for our friends and their quick return to the team (well, that part might be kind of selfish…)
THANK YOU SO MUCH for standing with us in your prayer and financial support! We could not be here without your partnership, and we know that it is not without sacrifice. We pray that you are blessed through your part in the Dinangat ministry, that you are encouraged today in your place in the Body of Christ!