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Hi Friends
I am thankful that I can update my blog after 5 months of being away from this kind of Technology. I want to start of by thanking you all for praying with us and supporting us as we are pushing forward in planting a church amongst the Mengen people!
Investigating the village setup and housing. Where they stay and how they build their houses, what materials they use, what kind of houses they build etc etc.
Investigating what they eat, where they get their food, hunting and trapping, planting gardens and harvesting it etc.
Clothes they wear or rather do not wear:) How they make it or get it. Basically everything that you can see will be investigated and studied.
When I return next week I will start to study the culture which is not so observable. For the second and third stage of language and culture study I will need to focus on the things that are not observable anymore but are common knowledge to the villagers, that knowledge which is passed on from generation to generation. For example why are they building their houses the way they do, why do they perform certain rituals when planting their gardens. This brings us into World View Culture, in other words their believes and this is the level we would like to understand very well for it is here that change needs to take place!!
The church
Even though the believers are young it is great to see them starting to respond to that which they have heard. Up to know they have only been taught the very basics gospel message which will be good enough for them to be saved, we have been busy reestablishing those truths and are making sure they are rooted in their faith! Thus they must be able to know that they are saved through grace alone and that they are secure in Christ! It is wonderful to see that this is becoming part of their thinking! Some ask, ‘What will happen if I fall into sin and then die, will I go to hell?’ We can then reaffirm, ‘So, Ekoianga ore kampitoni sevelge, ore swali some nap tane rabgaliuoni!’, ‘NO – God is holding you tight and Satan cannot take you back! What an amazing message and this truth continues to humble me more every time I deal with believers struggling with sin!
Except for the fact that they are being established in their eternal security in Christ it is already wonderful to start seeing them making progress in their sanctification, which is absolutely a work from the Holy Spirit. It is difficult for them to break away from the cycle of superstition which has engulfed every part of their lives for years and years. Magic has always been a big part of everyday life for the Mengens. Planting new gardens requires special rituals and magic. Ceremonies and customs are performed when a baby is born. Recovering from sickness requires divination and healing rituals.The believers are starting to be confronted with the impact God’s Word as it is affecting their everyday lives and situations. I must say it is more than exiting to see each believer begin to take steps of faith, which is only baby steps, and to see them trust the Lord even in the simple things.
Here is a few testimonies:
My co worker tells me that one believer was cutting down a tree for firewood a while back when a strong wind came up. Not sure which way the tree would fall, and not wanting anyone to get hurt, he prayed. He testified in church Sunday that God heard and answered his prayer. It was a simple thing, yet a practical and personal way that our Heavenly Father revealed his faithfulness to this Mengen man.
Not long ago one of the believers pig got killed by someone in the village! This is nothing small here in PNG. Pigs are just as important as people and are like family.
He then accused another believer (Edward) of killing the pig, which is also nothing small especially if the accusation is false! Usually these kind of situations can lead to serious fighting and even people leaving the village for extended periods of time. Yet the one believer realized he made a mistake by accusing the other wrongly and went very early in the morning to apologise, the other offended party accepted the apology and they were in fellowship again!
This once again is nothing small for us! It shows God is at work!
Edward
A few ladies witnessed and baby being born in the village and when this happens the people will usually perform certain rituals and call on the spirits.
As this was taking place a few believers stood up and said that this would be wrong to call on the spirits, God is the only one that can help and He is the source of life!!
This was an amazing testimony and caused some excitement in that many were angry with them! Yet this was a huge step forward!
We are starting to see more and more believers starting to stand up for what they believe!
Kamalus, a friend of mine, recently packed all his things up and slept in the garden with his wife and family. This is something they often do due to their gardens being far away.
a Few days later he returned and I asked him why he was doing this, and he then replied that there was a kind of rituals going on in the village. During these times people mix a kind of potent home brew and get very drunk and he decided this would not be God honouring, so he left the village.
He did not speak to any one about this, but just thought to himself that he would not like to be part of that any more!
Another small step yet huge victory!
Please pray for the believers as they are slowly but surely starting to face persecution.
Well friends there is mush more I can share, but lets leave that for next time! Please continue to pray with us for the church amongst the Mengen people.
Blessings
Lourens