Dear Praying Friends, March, 2011
Wow! Hard to believe we are already into April. March passed by so quickly that I didn’t get a letter out to you so will try to bring you up-to-date with what is happening in our lives. FAMILY NEWS: Our son, Jason, and his wife, Tiffany, are expecting their second child in May. Please pray for an easy delivery and healty mom and baby. We hope to be able to see this cute little grandson if we are able to travel to Montana this summer for a Burns family reunion. Our daughter, Heather, is in Colorado learning to fly. She is under a lot of stress as she needs to pass this 4 week period or she will not be able to continue with her pilot training. Please pray for widsom and peace for her to accept God’s best for her. Cody, continues doing well with his aviation mechanics classes in Jacksonville. He will be home next weekend to visit for his 22nd birthday. He is involved in helping with the youth in a local church. Pray for a consistent walk with the Lord and good grades for him. Haley celebrated her 18th birthday last month. Right now she is in a stressful time of deciding whether to go to Bible School in Wisconsin or attend Stetson University – a small, private, local university which has offered her a scholarship. Please pray for wisdom in knowing the Lord’s will for her in this situation. Our greatest desire is that our children will have please the Lord with their lives.
We have an “adopted daughter”, Lauren Bender, living with us these days. Lauren was an MK from another mission who lived in our dorm while we were in Bolivia and is friends with our children. She was seeing doctors in this area for some medical problems and has decided to live here and take some college classes. She will also be looking for a job. Phil and I are keeping busy as usual. The volunteers have all left so Phil is just finishing up some “loose ends” in the carpenter shop. I, (Jackie), as part of my job, have just finished proofreading the text for Firm Foundations: Secure in Christ, the next set of lessons in the Building on Firm Foundations series. This series is a Bible study series that centers on God’s progressive revelation of His character and plan of redemption from Creation to Christ. It is similar to that used by missionaries with the tribal people, but written for people in our culture. The one I was proofreading will be used to teach those who have already trusted the Lord and want to grow in their spiritual lives. Mission News from around the world: Akolets: In our January letter we told you a little about the Akolets beginning to hear the Word of God taught. This is the Continuing Story— Teaching began among the Akolet people in Papua New Guinea on January 4, 2011…Here are some exciting news clips from missionaries working with this group… (January 26) Gelio, an Akolet man, is trying desperately to put all the pieces together. Each day he comes up with new questions. But today’s question was this: Adam ( one of the missionaries) said, “That question is pretty much the WHOLE REASON we’ve come to live with you and bring you this message! Keep coming, and you will learn the answer.” Then later our co-worker Ryan asked Gelio, “So what is this new teaching like to you?” Gelio said, very solemnly, “Ryan, it’s like this. Remember that cake you gave me one time? This teaching is like that cake. I’ve never tasted anything like it, and it is so delicious.” Evangelistic Bible teaching among the Akolets was scheduled to reach the death, burial and resurrection of Christ on April 8 but because of some cultural issues the lessons were concluded earlier. At the conclusion of the lesson Waklo and Amos, a mother and daughter, spoke: “There’s no other way!” they agreed. “It’s only belief in Jesus’ death! We can’t do anything to add to that. He didn’t ‘half’ His work. He finished it and said, ‘It’s all done!’” On Friday, another woman, Liwa, came to see one of the missionaries, Julie. “She had this big smile on her face and said, ‘I’ve come just to tell you that I’ve realized I’m a sinner and that Jesus is the only way to be made right with God. ‘I’m not in Satan’s fence anymore! Jesus took me and put me in his fence! I am a sinner, but He rescued me.’” As of March 31 there were 13 Akolet believers and more have come to know the Lord since then. There is opposition from another religious group. The opposition has caused attendance to dwindle significantly over the last two weeks but the missionaries feel this is God’s way of separating those who really aren’t interested in hearing the truth. Please continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to open the spiritual eyes of the Akolet people and for missionaries Adam and Julie Martin and Ryan and Sarah Warner as they continue to teach God’s Word to the Akolet. If you’d like more updates on the Akolet check out New Tribes Website: www.ntm.org or visit this site for the latest update: http://usa.ntm.org/field-news/akolets-testify-to-gods-saving-grace?utm_source=footerslider&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=article Thank you for your continued support and prayers! God is using you to help get the Gospel to those like the Akolet who haven’t yet heard! Thanks for being a blessing!! Helping Reach the Lost for Christ, Phil and Jackie email: phil_burns@ntm.org |
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