We look back at all that the Lord has done in the years since we moved into Dinangat in 2003, and we are amazed at His mighty hand, humbled in what we’ve been allowed to be a part of, thankful for the many obstacles and impossibilities He has overcome in our lives and those around us, and blessed by the family of God born in this tribe because of the Word becoming Flesh.
And while the church here has its struggles and weaknesses, as we all do, overall they are thriving, they are learning and growing in their dependency on the Holy Spirit as their guide and the Word of God as their authority. Now we need to look ahead…How can we best help the church to truly function and lean whole heartedly on God? How can we help them not lean so much on us, the missionaries, and realize the fullness of the abilities of the Holy Spirit within themselves to lead, guide and shepherd this flock? This was our goal from the beginning, and we are now taking that next daunting, exciting, crazy step towards that goal…We’re moving out!
What? Markley’s are moving out of the Dinangat tribe to the NTM PNG home office in Goroka.
Why? To allow the church the space and opportunity to function on their own, while still being close enough to assist them.
When? Our family and the Smith family will be flying out on January 2nd, 2014. Yes, that is soon!
Will you ever go back into Dinangat? YES! We are still your representatives to Dinangat and our work there is not done. We will be continuing to translate at least until the New Testament is finished. That process requires a huge amount of Dinangat involvement, so we will be flying back in every couple of months or so for translation checking and to disciple and encourage the church. There may be a day when we would move back in if the church’s needs require it, but that would be a few years down the road.
What’s next? As we’ve said, we are going to continue working on the Dinangat New Testament daily and flying in periodically for checks and discipleship. Additionally, we’ve been asked to oversee the orientation program at the NTM support center, helping new missionaries acclimate to the language and culture of Papua New Guinea.
We have many new support missionaries every year, and we are looking forward to helping them through this several month course to prepare them for their new ministries. And in case we get bored 🙂 I, Jeremiah, will also be continuing to fly into different tribal locations as a language and culture consultant, helping missionaries progress through language study to become ministry approved in their various language groups.
How can I pray? We’re SO GLAD you asked!
- Please pray for the Dinangat church, this time of transition is intimidating, but pray that they find the Lord’s grace completely sufficient.
- There is MUCH to be done here before we leave, pray for strength and wisdom for us, the Smith’s and the Bible teachers (the Schlegel’s are currently on home assignment in Germany and I know they’d appreciate your prayer, as well!)
- Pray for our family, overall this is a very positive change and the kids are very excited about the many new opportunities they will have (being with peers in a classroom setting, sports, etc.) However there are still many unknowns and getting used to a new school and completely new environment will be a huge adjustment.
- Please pray about our finances. The move is going to be expensive, but also our required support level is going to have to increase. We will have new bills such as rent, school tuition, security fees, etc., and every flight in and out of the tribe is also our responsibility. Currently, we have only about 70% of our recommended support, and that’s without the increased expenses. We are looking to the Lord to increase our support team with this transition, and if you know of any individuals or churches who would be interested in partnering with us, please let us know!
THANK YOU so much for standing with us!