Thursday night late, we were woken up by this message; it is from one of the missionaries of one of the tribal churches here on our Island…
“Guys – Our hearts are breaking. Gelio died tonight. We don’t know what happened.
He wasn’t sick that we know of, it’s possible he had some sort of stroke while out in his canoe from their description.
Lonsi came tonight after dinner asking us to come help. He said
Gelio had died (which can just mean be unconscious too). I came while Adam stayed with Lela. There was nothing to be done at that point though. He was already gone. Once we’d tried everything we could think of, the death wail began.
There’s so much I can’t say in this email. There aren’t words. Please pray for Namaik and her 7 kids. Please pray for the believers.
Pray for Mason, Gelio’s dad. Pray for us. Just pray for Christ to be glorified. Just pray.
We can’t believe this is happening. It’s too much pain and shock and a whole host of other things to take in all at once. Still we’re Clinging to God through this. We believe he’s in control no matter how much we’re all reeling.”
And there we laid in bed, too shocked to talk. Lourens got to know Gelio well during a conference where believers of many different tribes met. He was so hungry for God’s Word. He was so hungry to learn how he can lead the Akolet church better. And it struck me… this is why we are here on this Island… this is why we choose to miss family and friends, miss out on births, funerals, birthdays, milestones, why we choose to deprive our kids from certain things… it is all for this day… for the day when a tribal guy will die and meet his Creator, the true Creator. What a great privilege to be co-workers with God, that he uses us to prepare his bride for HIM. It is so worth it all. We are here to know Christ and make him known so that people will be ready to go into eternity.
Please be praying in these days with the Akolet church and missionaries, and for the family of Gelio as they mourn the death of a father, friend and Spiritual leader.
10 Year in PNG
In August we celebrated our 10 year anniversary in PNG. Yes! 10 years ago in August, 5 Lauretis (without Liam at that point) started their missionary journey. This has been the best, hardest, challenging, encouraging years of our lives. So thankful that God can use the ordinary. And of course – how can we not thank you guys, our faithful supporters.
Our thoughts are going back to 10 years ago- there was a phone call one late afternoon. We were packing hard to come here. The call was from Belinda Paetzhold. They were the ones who told us about NTM very long ago- will never forget that night when they shared with us about this mission organization. At that point they were missionaries in Mosambiek. They called to say they wanted to become our financial supporters. The missionary, becoming the missionary’s first financial supporter. The Paetzholds have been supporting us faithfully the past 10 years. In this past week Belinda had to pick up a wheelchair with neck support for Alfred, as he now has one or other sickness that causes paralysation and in the last 3 months they had to leave everything behind in Moz. This is a very big deal for a missionary…most of the time missionaries have nothing for themselves in their home countries. And here they had to say goodbye to a life in Africa. They are thrown into the hands of their supporters. Who must now support an almost paralyzed missionary? How will this go for them… now that they are wounded soldiers returning from the battlefield. And yet- they are faithfully supporting us! We have many other supporters like the Paetzholds.
People who can’t afford to GIVE, but they do because they know that without money, missionaries don’t survive.
So this is how I feel today- small, and thankful for every one of our supporters like Belinda and Alfred. I love this quote:
“and if I have seen further, it was by standing on the shoulders of giants… Isaac Newton”
We are still here today because of giants on who’s shoulders we can stand, and we are together in God’s hands.
Work is ticking on
On the work side of things…Thankful to say today that life has quieted down for us the last month, or at least for me, Marie. I was able to give my job as supply buyer over to someone else and also the job in the finance office. Grateful for missionaries who come to help out at just the right time so we can come up from our underwater dive and take a DEEP breath. Now it is back to the “normal”. Home-
schooling in the mornings and being mom and wife. Now this is an adju
stment again. From adrenaline rush days to quiet ones.
Lourens, well we can’t say the same… as if life here on centre don’t have enough highlights each day, there is a renewed hunger in the Mengen church. Feel like “all of a sudden everyone wants the Gospel!” Other missionaries here on the field needs him, the Mengen’s needs him more than ever,
and the Lauretis need him. Pray for us as we as a family are feeling the busyness of this life with too many hats. A month has only 31 days. We need wisdom in juggling the 3 different roles.
Naomi and Marlou are ploughing forth in school. 8-4 every day. Proud of these
2 girls. Good students, great co-workers in this busy season of life.
And glad to see they hunger for God.
Little Liam, turned 9 recently. Sad that my baby is growing up so fast.
Future furlough
After looking on the internet and emails flying back and forth, it looks like we found a place where we can take our oldest daughter, Madeleen, 18 years old soon, who has Autism and some other things. When her work permit expires she will not be granted another as she is getting too old to be on our visas. This is so hard to choose a permanent “house “or place for her. We found a place for Special needs young people. A place that can become home for her. But these are hard decisions- at this point this is just bunch of strangers to us, and we feel very hands of from here in faraway PNG. So my mom and dad checked the place out for us…as it is close to them in the Western Cape. The place miraculously agreed on making space for her and helping the process on. But this is still all dependant on how the interview with Madeleen there will go. Pray everything will fall in place to make this work for Madeleen.
So taking Madeleen’s situation into consideration and keeping in mind I have another high school student that will graduate in a few years, we thought it good to do a furlough next year. That means we are aiming at September 2018. This is 10 months away. Very mixed feelings about this. Feels like yesterday that we landed in SA for our previous furlough. What a nightmare…and this is soon going to repeat itself. Finding a car big enough for 6 people. Not to mention a house, furniture, not to mention the courage to live in civilization again! Please pray for God’s provision in all of this. From the smallest thing to the biggest thing which is buying the plane tickets.
This is all for now. Thankful to God for looking after us this 10 years, and thankful for your faithful support, prayer and finan cially, that kept us here
Marie
Conniel says
Dankie