Author: Matt and Karissa Long

“If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.” -Ecc.10:10 The story is told of a man who was chopping down a tree.  He had been working at it for six hours, when another man came upon him.  The man observed, “if you sharpened the ax, […]

Supporting Tribal Church Planting in Papua New Guinea “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” -Matt.11:29 In the nineteenth century there was a famous Scottish pastor named Robert Murray M’Cheyne.  He graduated from college at age fourteen, […]

Supporting Tribal Church Planting in Papua New Guinea “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this: I am with you always, […]

Supporting Tribal Church Planting in Papua New Guinea “So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.” – 3 John 1:8 Friday afternoon.  Ty works on his homework while Wyck drags every toy he owns out into the living room.  I pour my third cup of […]

Supporting Tribal Church Planting in Papua New Guinea “I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt, leaving out what it lacks.  The future feels so hard and I want to go back.  But the places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I’ve learned.  Those roads were closed off to me while my back was […]

“Deeds will not be less valiant because they are upraised.” – J.R.R. Tolkien Do you ever feel like your sacrifices are unnoticed?  Maybe you worked hard today preparing a meal your kids wouldn’t eat, washing dishes that immediately ended up dirty again, or sending emails that no one read.  Maybe you’ve made bigger sacrifices that […]

I tend to think of gratefulness as cheesy.  That’s terrible, I know.  But it’s true.  For me being thankful conjures up the image of a kid writing “God, family, friends, pets, toys” on the five feathers of a handprint turkey.  Or worse, the image of a woman who is actually struggling, but smiles on the […]

At first I felt nothing.  Then the sting intensified as the hydrogen peroxide worked its way deeper into the cut.  The bubbles oozed out, more dirty yellow than white.  I hadn’t even remembered getting cut.  It probably was a small knick or even a bug bite I’d scratched and ignored.  But any cut in PNG […]

“Rather, as it is written: ‘Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.'”  – Rom. 15:21.  This verse has just come true in the Wantakia tribe!  “Why are you asking us questions about God’s Word and expecting us to understand it?”  When the missionaries in Wantakia […]

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body.  We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.  In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.” -Romans 12:4-6a When I was in second […]