Driving in the Dark on the Wrong Side of the Road

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Proverbs 3:6- “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
I drove back to the hotel alone. Well, not alone- my kids were in the backseat, but we had left my husband in the hospital.  I hadn’t expected that when we went to the ER, I’d have to leave him there.  So there I was, driving on the “wrong” side of the road, in the dark, navigating weird roundabouts, not knowing where I was going, hoping that the voice guiding me on Google Maps would get me to my destination.  I thought there was a good chance we’d get lost, or in an accident, and we’d all end up back at the hospital with Matt.  I felt so alone and uncertain.  However, I just kept driving, listening and obeying as Google maps guided me safely to the hotel.

In His Word, God promises to guide us, but I think so often we feel like that guidance is so hard to find.  The story I shared is not the only time in my life that I’ve felt like I was driving alone in the dark on the wrong side of the road.

I love the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19.  He felt alone and afraid.  God responded to him by showing His presence in a gentle whisper.

All my life, God has been faithful to be with me and to guide me.  Sometimes it’s loudly and clearly through His Word or His people.  Sometimes it’s softly through His Holy Spirit.  Most often it’s just through steering me as I go forward one step at a time.  Psalm 119:105 says that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet.  I think usually I want to see the whole picture at once, lit up with a flood lamp, so I can run forward on my own.  However, it more often feels like a little lantern lighting up just the very next step, but the one holding it is my Jesus who loves me, so I think that’s a pretty good alternative.

Thanks for praying for us and supporting us as we take this journey, seeking to follow God step by step in how He’d have us live for Him.  As you know, there have been some twists and turns on our ministry path, but our goal remains the same- to keep obeying God and to keep working towards the goal of every tribe in PNG knowing and praising Jesus.

Till all know,
Matt, Karissa, Ty, and Wyck

(By the way, that was the summer we had to go to Australia because we thought Matt was having mini strokes, but he ended up being fine, in case you were wondering)
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Top/Left: We are having fun doing Fall things as a family.  Bottom/Right: My view most days as I homeschool these crazy kids.

Praise God:
– He is providing for our medical and dental expenses!
– We found some other missionaries who can use our home when we go back to PNG
– Matt’s time doing school in Virginia went well for him and for us
– God has been answering our prayers for guidance in how to spend our time
Please Pray:
– That Karissa’s neurologist can come up with a helpful plan for her headaches
– That Wyck’s eyesight continues to improve
– That Wyck’s speech improves
– That God will give us rest
Pray for the church in Kuman:
“For Coleton as he reviews the translation of Ruth.
Shawna is in the middle of a Phase 1 teaching with one young mother in the village. This is an exhaustive “class” that teaches from creation to Christ in a way that pulls out the pictures of Christ from Old Testament stories.
We have an opportunity to do a Phase 1 in a neighboring village. We have already had roadblocks come up to stop this from happening, but the door is wide open from the people themselves. Please pray that we will be able to deal with the logistics to make this happen.
Pray for unity for our women. Some of the Sunday School teachers have been having a hard time getting along lately. We know that this is an obvious attack from Satan who has watched them grow in maturity towards the Lord. He will stop at nothing to put an end to their growth.”