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| It’s January 5. Most people have already given up on their New Year’s Resolutions. There are many reasons for this, but I think one of them is that the strength of willpower alone is usually not enough to make real and lasting change. There is a children’s story about Frog and Toad, who have a box of cookies, but cannot keep themselves from eating them. After trying many things, they finally get rid of the cookies, and say, “Now we have no more cookies, but we have lots of willpower.” Thankfully, our own power is not the only power that is available to us. Ephesians 1:19-20 says, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” Sometimes I get discouraged when my friends fall into sin, when people reject the gospel, or when I am not the person that I want to be. However, my hopelessness is out of place. I need to remember that God’s mighty power is at work, and there is nothing He cannot do. I’m so thankful that God’s power is available to my friends who need Him to work on their hearts, to me when I want to be more like Christ, and to enable His Word to go to those who have never heard it. He is able, and all these things are possible. Thanks for allowing God to use you to be a part of reaching the unreached. Till all know, Matt, Karissa, Ty, and Wyck   Left: Ty cutting down our Christmas tree. Right: We took the boys to Silver Dollar City over Christmas. Praise God: – We enjoyed good time with family over the holidays – Wyck is now only doing speech two days a week, so we are looking forward to some less busy days – Karissa’s new medication is more tolerable – All of our paperwork for re-entering PNG arrived safely in Port Moresby Please Pray: – for God to be a work in a friend’s life who is struggling – that Karissa’s new medication will help her headaches – that the boys will improve in their swimming abilities – for a situation in PNG (See below) |
 December 23, 2021 From New Tribes Mission PNG, The events that have unfolded in Mibu, and many other Rai Coast communities, have been very concerning. We are grateful for the civil authorities that have stepped in and taken decisive action. The Mibu churches want to thank each and every one of you who have joined us in praying and who have reached out to help in so many ways! Here is the latest update: The Headwater Gang is responsible for several young women were abducted and raped. The father of one of the girls was also abducted and injured. Two men from these communities were badly injured and subsequently airlifted to receive medical help. They are recovering nicely. The gang also damaged property throughout the area. Many items have been reported stolen and over 40+ houses have been burned to the ground. After several days of terror, The Mibu churches were thrilled to see that a good size task force of police mobilized and stationed in Mibu this last weekend. We are thankful for the resources that have been provided to assist the civil authorities and churches during this time. Multiple entities have worked together to make this happen. The police have made a number of forays into surrounding villages, bringing them closer to finding out where the gang is currently located. The one advantage the gang has is their familiarity and conditioning to the rugged mountain environment. We’re not sure how long this operation will take, but we are praying for a quick resolution. There have been several front-page news articles published to draw attention to this situation. And we are thankful for the Press involvement in telling the Mibu story. Please continue to pray for further protection against this gang.Please pray that the main contingent of this gang would be caught and brought to justice.Please pray for the police currently stationed in Mibu, for wisdom and safety. Praise the Lord for the satellite internet system in Mibu. However, just today we noticed the system is offline, please pray for quick restoration. There are currently no cell signals in the area. There are many miracles that we have seen as events have unfolded. Sometime soon we hope to share more information of all God is doing. |