 Supporting Tribal Church Planting in Papua New Guinea |
| “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” -2 Cor.4:8-9 I had a breakdown over scotcharoos last weekend. I was missing my family, so I decided to make what we have at every family gathering, scotcharoos, which we call Miller Bars. I was able to get butterscotch chips at the store, so this was the perfect opportunity. There wasn’t any Karo syrup, so I decided to try a homemade recipe. It wasn’t forming into a “soft ball” like it was supposed to, so after 40 minutes of stirring, I decided just to call it good. The problem was that all that overcooking made the Miller Bars super hard and chewy. We also only had natural peanut butter which burnt and Hershey’s kisses that wouldn’t melt since they’ve melted and re-hardened so many times in transit. I almost threw the Miller Bars out, but I decided to stick the pan in the fridge and see how I felt about it later. Well, maybe it was my desperation for something sweet, or maybe it was because my mood had changed, but the next time I pulled one out, I thought, “Hmm, it’s different, and pretty hard, but still good.” I feel like that’s a good description for our last month, and really for our life in PNG in general. It’s different, and pretty hard, but still good. Our first month back was amazing. We got settled back into our house, I (Karissa) started teaching again, we re-connected with friends, and we jumped back into our ministry with member care. It was all going so smoothly… until it wasn’t. I started really missing my family, I started missing a friend here who left the field and feeling sad that my best friend here is going on home assignment, I had a hard week at school, and we hit some speed bumps in some plans we made for ministry. I think it’s just reality hitting. That’s how life goes wherever you are, I think. At the same time, things are really good overall. So, please keep praying for us. God is at work. We are excited about how He is moving and how He is using us to encourage other missionaries in His work. His Word is going forward in places where people have never heard about Him. Life is different, and pretty hard, but still good. Till all know, Matt, Karissa, Ty, and Wyck We have lots of traveling coming up next month! Our family is heading out to the Islands region of PNG next week to attend their conference and provide member care to the missionaries there. Matt will also teach a session about burnout. Then, Matt will head to Malaysia for a couple of weeks to get training for his work with our organization’s child safety team. |
| Praise God: – We are looking forward to the upcoming school break – We have gotten to meet with and encourage lots of missionaries – The first term of school went well for Karissa and for the boys – The boys have really enjoyed reconnecting with friends  PNG Miller Bars  What Chat GPT thinks my job looks like Please Pray:- That we can be an encouragement to missionaries in the Islands region – That things will go well for Matt traveling and for Karissa and the boys at home – That things will get approved for some ministry plans we have – For us as we are struggling with loneliness |
What are we supporting? This month’s tribal focus: Pray for the Iski church which is now growing on its own without missionaries living in the village anymore. Missionary Jason shares about one of the believers, Tanka, and his response to those who say he should turn to a witch doctor for healing. “Tanka’s response was steady and clear: ‘This is foolishness and the old way of thinking. God alone has the power to help me. If He wants to make my legs strong, He can. If He chooses not to, I trust Him because He knows what is best for me. Even with my old and tired legs, I will not stop doing God’s work. I’m thinking about the good thing God has for me in heaven, and I’m hanging my thoughts on that.’ That is faithfulness. Not looking for quick comfort. Not looking for an easy life. Not seeking approval from others. Not aligning with culture. But steadfast trust and obedience—no matter the cost.” |
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