Any of you who read these updates regularly know that most months find me (Eric) flying somewhere to do something. Staying home all month is not the norm. To be totally honest, I love traveling around, seeing people, and helping them in various ways. It is one of the ways that I get to be a part of what God is doing here in PNG. It is also the norm for Judith to NOT be able to come along on these jaunts. This is unfortunate but with two boys in school that is just the way things go. Well, this month I ended up waving goodbye to Judith as she took off for another part of the country to help at their area conference.
Way back in 1994 I arrived in PNG and went directly to the NTM center in the town of Hoskins in West New Britain. I spent a year there before heading to the Sepik. I have been back several times over the years but it has never worked for Judith to visit there. This year they were having their area conference and Judith was asked to come along to help with the meal prep. This was a busy 5 days for her but what a blessing it was for her to bless the missionaries serving there. She was able to rub shoulders with the different missionaries that I serve as a consultant. She also met some of the national workers who still remember me from my early days in the country.
Daniel, as a part of his Junior class, went on a service trip down to our center just outside of the town of Madang. They spent a week digging, building, and painting buildings at the Ramu Valley Academy. This is a school that educates students from some of the tribal groups in the nearby Ramu valley. Daniel and his class did a lot of work as well as interacted with the students at the school there. It is always encouraging to see these young adults learning to serve others. That isn’t the norm these days.
Next month will be more normal as I already have plans for a trip down to the Sepik for a leaders’ conference. This conference will include leaders from Malaumanda as well as many other tribal churches in the lower Sepik.
In Him,
Eric and Judith, Stephen, Daniel and Timothy
Above Pic: Judith worked with our good friend Joanie Bowers during the conference. This was a VERY hot job as the outside temp was 90+ with high humidity plus the heat of the grill.
Prayer and Praise
- Praise that we are enjoying good health and staying encouraged in our ministries.
- Pray for Daniel and Timothy as they start their last term for the year. They have just over 8 weeks to go for this school year.
- Praise that Stephen was able to travel up to see his Oma and Opa and aunts and uncles in Abbotsford, BC this past week. The Lord kept him safe in his travels. Now please Pray that he will also successfully complete this first year of school. He is doing well.
- Praise that Stephen is currently working for the Parkwater aviation company. This will help with his food expenses and the like. In August he will be starting the aviation mechanics portion of the training and with this, he has the extra expense of a set of tools. The ‘cheap’ set is $5800 so please Pray for this specific need.
- Pray for me as I head into the bush for the leaders’ conference. We trust that this will be a challenging time for the leaders and will also give us an opportunity to grow in our ability as a mission to work together with the national church.
- Pray for the printing of the Malaumanda New Testament. This continues to be a baffling process to accomplish.
- Pray for Judith as she balances her responsibilities at school, and home, and helps me with the Orientation program.
- Pray for specific personnel needs here on the field. We have a huge need for teachers, doctors, IT people, and accountants.