  October 21, 2026 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” -Eph.2:10 I step over the ball and toss it to my teammate. They get tagged. We all run back 5 meters. Someone else picks it up and tosses it backwards. She gets tagged. We all run back 5 meters. Back and forth, two steps forward, one step back. Rugby is a very frustrating sport for those of us who like to make forward progress. After a slow slog down the field, I was finally near the try zone. I got the ball, and (I was pretty sure!) I was allowed to run with it- finally! I took off running, took two steps, and I was down. My foot landed in a hole. My ankle bent one way; the rest of my body bent another. “Are you ok?!” someone asked. I expected to reply “yes” after the searing pain shot through my ankle- surely it was just a moment, and then it would be over. “No,” I instead sobbed out as I realized the pain wasn’t going away, and a baseball-sized lump protruded from my ankle. I finally was there; I finally was going to do something in this game. Then there was a setback that made me wish I hadn’t played at all. It definitely wasn’t worth it. As I sit here to write this letter to you, I wish I could share great news of amazing progress made and assurances that we are making an incredible difference in our ministry. However, honestly, I am discouraged right now, as it feels like our work in member care is more like a slow slog down a rugby field than an epic hail Mary pass in an American football game. It often feels like two steps forward, one step back. I have moments of exciting progress, and then setbacks that make me wish I hadn’t tried at all. Something the Lord has been convicting me of lately is how much I try to do ministry in my own strength, pushing and pushing forward, when God just wants me to show up and walk into the works He has already prepared for me each day. I can make plans, be intentional, and love the people He puts in my path each day, but I can’t make anything incredible happen. I can’t force people to feel loved, be encouraged, work through their conflicts, stay on the field, or keep seeking Jesus. I can’t make all my plans come to fruition or fix all the problems in our organization. But I can show up. I can love. I can trust Jesus, Who holds each person in His sovereign hands. Unlike that rugby game, I do still think our being here is worth it. God’s people are struggling as they seek to make Him known in the farthest corners of the Earth, and Satan is doing all he can to stop them. We believe the work God has set before us currently is to help them and encourage them. So, if you’ll keep praying and supporting us, we’ll keep showing up and loving them. As Jesus says, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt.16:18b). Till all know, Matt, Karissa, Ty, and Wyck  Us sharing about member care at the Central Area Conference WHAT ARE WE SUPPORTING? THIS MONTH’S TRIBAL FOCUS: Pray for Central Area Missionaries One exciting thing we got to do this month was attend the conference for our missionaries in the central area of PNG. We had some really good times of connection with them, and got to hear about their prayer requests. They are all in different phases of their works, and in addition to their specific requests, please pray for all the missionaries for unity, love, and encouragement. Pray for the Kafe work as the missionaries look towards transitioning out of the tribe soon. Pray for the North Wahgi work, that believers would stay strong. Pray for the Dinangat work, that God would raise up more leaders in the church. Pray for the Uruwa work, that God would help the missionaries to learn the language and culture. Pray for the Kovol work, that God would give them love and endurance as they teach literacy and prepare teaching materials. Pray for the Kuyu work, as they prepare to share the gospel for the first time later this year. Pray for the Pal work, as their churches do outreaches to neighboring villages. Pray for the Tanguat work, as they seek to disciple the church, and as one family is experiencing significant health struggles.  Matt and I developed and taught a training called “Listening and Responding Well” Praise God: – God brought some resolution to the situation Matt was dealing with on the Child Safety Team – We were able to do debriefs with four families impacted by a stressful event, and they are recovering well – We were safe and had some good connections at both of the conferences we attended – Teaching is going well for Karissa – Counseling missionaries is going well for Matt  Praying for missionaries at the Western Area Conference Please Pray: – For Karissa’s ankle to heal well. The doctor thinks it was a complete ligament rupture, and it is healing very slowly. – That God would encourage our hearts – That God would bring fruit from our ministry, and allow us to see it – That God would enable us to have a discussion we need to have, and that there would be a good outcome from it – That God would help us to view a difficult situation rightly, and bring peace to our hearts about it |
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