Dear praying friends,
God is still in the business of answering prayer -too often forgotten by our lack of faith. Judy and I have been reminded that we are in a spiritual battle, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. And in Christ, we have all we need to fight this battle in His strength alone. Therefore, we’d ask you to take the sword of the Spirit with us and pray urgently for some of our wayward children in the faith.
WELEK… Judy and I were greatly encouraged yesterday to visit with one returning ‘child’ after being gone from the village for well over a year. He faithfully attended the evangelistic teaching, and literally chased me down on the run to share his faith in Christ as His redeemer. But then he got pulled away by distant family and a job at the oil palm plantation at the north coast. A day hasn’t gone by that we’ve not prayed for him to return to the village, to his family and to the teaching -both us as missionaries as believers.
Well, he returned to the village yesterday, and he came for coffee this morning on his own. It was a real joy to remind him from God’s Word in John 10:28 that God has redeemed him and holding him forever in His hand, never to be forgotten -secure. I went on to encourage him of the necessity of coming back to the teaching of God’s Word -especially as we are just beginning the teaching of Romans. Shame is huge in this culture, and will be sufficient to hold him from coming back (having been gone for so long) -but I again encouraged him that in Christ, all shame is finished and we as believers would be absolutely thrilled to have him back. Please pray that he’d follow through -especially as his wife’s family will insist that he attend the RC church on Sunday instead.
JUNIOR… Junior is a young teenager, who at one point was deathly sick and we took him to the coast for medical attention and complete healing. He is the son of Marian’s parents who you all have prayed for so much. But when Junior came back from his medical care, the local shaman told him that he’d almost died because he’d left the cargo cult and went to the teaching of God’s Word. Unfortunately, he listened and has been distant from God’s Word since.
Well, praise the Lord, he came by this morning at the same time as Welek and I was able to encourage him in his security in Christ and my love and to encourage him to return to the teaching of Gods’ Word. Please pray that God would set him free completely and that he’d return to the teaching and fellowship. He has caused no end of grief for his grieving parents in wanting to marry an unbeliever. God is able -stand in faith for this young life.
STEVEN AND OTHERS… Steven is another believer that has had to go and work at the coast to pay back some debt of his son. But the rumour is that he’s coming back to the village for good. Again, he’s been gone from the teaching for some time now -please pray that the enemy would no longer be able to keep him back from God’s Word. Please also be in prayer for Albert, Sagilo, Sande, Loso and DC who have also have allowed themselves to be pulled away from the teaching of God’s Word.
Thank you for standing with us in all of this, we really appreciate it. God IS building HIS CHURCH and the gates of hell WILL NOT prevail against it. Please pray to that end.
Grace and peace to you all, Dave & Judy Wright