Hi Friends, thanks for continuing to pray for us! Family life is going well. The kids are enjoying school and life here in England at NTM Europe’s main bible and missionary training college . Noah continues to thrive in school and very much enjoys his friends and karate. Nya is doing well in school also, she loves sports and mathematics, but we have discovered that Nya has some challenges with dyslexia that we need to help her with. Karis and Judah are both in nursery school and are loving life; Karis is in great health and is the comedian of the family; she is really a joy and to see her in continual good health is a great blessing. Judah is cut from the same mold as Noah it would seem and loves the action. Please do continue to pray for the salvation of Karis and Judah. Pray also for Nya and Noah’s understanding in the area of grace and walking with God. This is a challenge for any kid but pray that they will understand that as they started by faith they need to continue in it; pray they will know they are fully loved and accepted by God because of Christ and that when they fail God still loves them because of Christ. Pray this understanding would encourage them to walk with God, their loving Father. We hope to take them on a basic study through Romans in the near future, pray this will bear fruit.
Annika has been ill of late and down for about 8 weeks but this is because she is pregnant! Yes we are completing the five aside football time and the last position has been filled. Baby will be due in August. Continue to pray for strength for Annika as she had hyperemesis (severe nausea) in this pregnancy; she is past that now and doing well. We both continue to train and disciple new missionaries here at North Cotes College. We have been here for two years now and have loved every minute of teaching and friendship with the students. Simon continues to teach and is in Romans ch9 right now. What a privilege to teach Gods word. Would you please pray particularly right now that students would catch the truths of walking by the Spirit that we have just finished in Ch8? Pray they will see that living unto God is possible because Christ not only made justification possible but because we are identified with Christ and He on the cross has dealt with the sin nature and it’s power over us. Pray for us as we teach and disciple the students here that a walk with God would be our fuel!
Return to PNG
As our time in the UK draws to a close and Karis continues to be in great health, we are starting to prepare for our return to church planting ministry in Papua New Guinea. We are still on track for returning to Papua New Guinea January 2018! Please pray for us as we think and plan ahead to homeschooling materials for the kids and organising all the practical aspects of or return. This includes solar equipment, batteries, etc. As you can imagine much of this has been destroyed after nearly 5 years of sitting in the jungle.
Mengen church update
Early in January, we got a report from one our Mengen missionaries, they have been working in a village in the North Coast. S is a huge oil palm plantation that is broken up into 10 sections with individual landowners each having their own small block of oil palm. This is a melting pot for many languages as people have flocked here to have their own business. A key leader in section 1 had heard the beginnings of the teaching and demanded, yes, demanded that they come to teach his family and friends the truth from God’s Word. They were so hungry, that they built a simple house for Edward’s family as well as a small meeting house to keep out of the rain. When this Mengen missionary and his family moved in the last week in September 2016, the village asked him if he was going to begin teaching that same evening.
They began teaching the first week of October and taught 7 DAYS PER WEEK for 13 weeks straight; culminating in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ on Dec. 25th with 34 clear confessions of faith in the finished work of Christ. These dear folks came from all kinds of empty religious churches who shared that while they had heard the bible stories, they had no idea what they meant. But no longer -they have been gloriously transformed by the gospel. Praise the Lord!
Right now there is a great demand for literacy classes as these new believers want to learn to Read God’s word. The start of literacy classes was announced, and they soon had 50 applicants -all wanting to learn to read and write. They can only take 15 students at a time so please pray for the literacy classes and for the continued desire to learn to read God’s word and be part of the church team.
There are now 30 more unbelievers who want to be taught the first evangelistic level in in the same area where this new church has been born. God is on the move! Please continue to pray for our Mengen missionaries as they disciple the new believers, teach literacy and begin another evangelistic bible teaching (75 lessons).
Please also pray for the other two Mengen churches, that God would continue to bless the teaching of God’s Word and the discipleship and equipping ministries.
Grace to you,
Simon, Annika, Nya, Noah, Karis and Judah