I just looked over our last update and it was filled with trips and various activities around the country. You would think that after those trips that our schedule would have slowed down a bit. Now school for the boys has started but the activity level hasn’t slacked off at all. This isn’t bad per se as the Lord has given us many incredible opportunities to be involved in people’s lives.
We mentioned in our last update that we had a trip planned into a tribal village to help a new team with their language and culture study. Well, Judith and I were able to head in there together with another consultant for a weekend. It was a very busy time but profitable. We trust that they will continue to make good progress over the following 6 months when we will visit them again.
Right after leaving this tribal location, Judith headed back to Goroka while the other consultant and I went to the church planting orientation centre and evaluated 4 couples who are in the midst of learning the Pidgin trade language. This was a great time though the days were long. We were starting at 7:30 in the morning and finishing up at 9 at night. And then after getting back to Lapilo I had reports to write for each of those evaluations. I haven’t done that many evaluations in that short of a time before and hopefully, it doesn’t happen too often in the future.
As many of you know, Stephen is a Senior this year. That is a bit hard for us to fathom but as one of the advisors for his Senior class, we have had many opportunities to spend time with him and the rest of his class. This past weekend we went on a 3-day retreat with the senior class. It was a great time and all of the advisors gave a devotion/challenge to the class. This is a crazy time for these young people to be living in but we see so much promise in their lives as they seek the Lord for their futures.
There are several other items on our plate at the moment such as a new orientation class that is in the midst of its second week. We have also started back up a Growth group here on the Lapilo center that we are leading this time around. There have been some additional teaching possibilities that have come up but I am just not in the position to take on anything more at the moment. In another week or so I have another consultant trip out to a tribal location but more on that in our next update.
Thanks so much to all of you who pray for us and give to our life and ministry here in PNG. The world is in chaos these days but we know that God is on the throne and will bring everything to its proper conclusion in the end. Let’s all of us give our lives to His purposes during these last days.
In Him,
Eric and Judith, Stephen, Daniel and Timothy
Prayer & Praise
- Praise that we are enjoying good health and still have the energy and opportunities to serve here in PNG.
- Pray for Eric as he is in the midst of his latest orientation class. We have 1 couple and 3 single men in this class and we are off to a great start. Pray for the many adjustments that these folk are experiencing at the moment. Pray specifically for the 3 kids of the one couple. The adjustment to school here continues to be a real challenge for them.
- Praise that the boys are in school and doing OK. We still have a bit of work to do before they get back to managing their time and work load the way they need to.
- Praise that we can be here in PNG where we have such an open door to present the Gospel and plant churches. Did you know that today here in PNG is a national holiday focused on Repentance. How many countries have a holiday like that?
- Pray for me as I head off on this upcoming consultant trip. It is a LONG way away. It will take me 2 long travel days to get there and 3 to get back. Most of all, Pray that I can be a help and encouragement to the two families that I will be working with.
- Pray for the final formatting work to be done on the Malaumanda New Testament. We are getting closer but with all the other activities on my plate at the moment I haven’t made as much progress as I would like.
- Pray for Judith and I as we seek to balance family life and ministry.
- Pray for 2021 to be a year that will see the Gospel of Christ grow and expand in its influence here in PNG.
Featured image: Stephen’s Senior class at the retreat.
