 Supporting Tribal Church Planting in Papua New Guinea |
| “Are you excited to go back?” It’s a question I’ve been asked a lot lately, and I never know what to say. I feel like it’s a question you’re supposed to say yes to, like when a tired young mother is asked, “Isn’t motherhood just the best?” The truth is, no, I am not excited to go back. I love being here. I love being with my family, I love giving my kids fun experiences, I love eating delicious food. It’s hard being in PNG. It’s gut-wrenching to be away from my family. If this life were all there is, I would 100% stay in America. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:32b, “And if there is no resurrection, ‘Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!'” However, 1 Corinthians 15:19-20 says, “And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.” The resurrection is true, heaven is real, and I’m choosing to bet everything on that fact. I want to live in such a way that this verse is true of me, that if it weren’t real, I should be pitied more than anyone. I want to live my life for eternity, not for this life. I know that it’s real, and living for Jesus is so, so worth it. And so, from an earthly perspective, no, I’m not excited to go back. However, when I can get my focus back on eternity, then it is what I want. It is what I’m excited about. God is at work in PNG. There are people who have no chance of hearing about Jesus without missionaries. There are missionaries who would be unable to continue without someone supporting and strengthening them in their work. And I’m so excited that I get to be a part of it! So, I don’t know, that tired new mother probably deep down does think motherhood is the best, but she maybe doesn’t feel like it when you ask her. Till all know, Matt, Karissa, Ty, and Wyck |
 Ty won first place in a ninja competition! Praise God: – We have a good plan for homeschooling the first half of the year – We got to spend some time with out of state friends this month – The boys were able to do swimming lessons this month – God provided someone to rent our house!  Ty got baptized! We are so proud of his love for Jesus Please Pray:- that we can get some good time together as a family – that God will provide the money we need for our tickets back to PNG – for Matt as he finishes up his master’s program – that we can use our remaining time in the US as God wants us to |
What are we supporting? This month’s tribal focus: Pray for outreaches happening in Tanguat. Missionary Paul Swenson writes,“Do you remember the first time that you heard about who God is? … I was just a little boy when I began to hear about who God is… Today, we started teaching who God is. Young and old alike began to hear God’s story in their own language for the first time . . . ever. Thanks for praying for us and the people from A & M villages as they hear God’s story from the beginning… One of our Bible teachers wasn’t feeling well yesterday and there seems to be a flu going around. Pray for health and strength. Pray for those who are coming to hear that they will be as eager to hear God’s story in the days ahead as they have been the past two days. Pray for those who have not come, that they would come and hear. We praise God for what He is at work doing and we look forward to seeing how He will continue to work through this time!” |
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