I am writing this note from my office on Thanksgiving day. Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday here in PNG so it is more business as usual today. We’ll celebrate with several other families and singles on Saturday. Regardless of our traditions and schedules, we are rightfully challenged to spend some time contemplating all of our reasons to be thankful. Ultimately we need to “rejoice (be thankful) that our names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). During these uncertain times this is an important perspective.
The month of November was a bit of an anomaly as it was the first month this year where I didn’t have a trip out to the bush. I tried to get into Malaumanda but my schedule didn’t mesh well with my co-worker, John Hutteman’s. We have a date in January for this trip which we’ll talk about more next month. This extra time at home did give me the opportunity to get a few projects worked on; which was great. I now have an office outside the house which is another blessing to be thankful for.
This next month will start out quite a bit different (or more normal) as I will have a 13 day consulting trip. Please be praying for this trip as I will be flying solo this time around and will be involved in 15 evaluations. 8 or 9 of these evaluations will be of PNG tribal believers who are working as church planters in a neighboring tribe. This will be a new experience for me and I am trusting the Lord to help me to effectively help them to become fluent in the new language as well as to work towards developing a good reproducible method for helping to encourage PNG co-workers in the future.
We do want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving; even if you aren’t an American. We feel very privileged for the many people who faithfully support us through prayer and finances.
In Him,
Eric and Judith, Stephen, Daniel, and Timothy
Prayer & Praise
- Praise for good health and the ability to serve here in PNG.
- Pray for the covid case numbers to continue to go down here. Things are heading in a good direction but we also know the unpredictability of this virus.
- Stephen is turning 18 in another week or so. Pray for him as he is in the midst of his Senior year. This upcoming Christmas will be his last here in PNG before the Lord brings him back as a missionary pilot.
- Pray for Judith and I as we train our boys to be faithful in their schooling, and in life. We are in the midst of some challenges.
- Pray for my upcoming 13 day consultant trip. Pray specifically for my evaluation of PNG citizen church planters. This will be a new experience for me.
- Pray also for the energy that will be needed for a trip of this length. You can also be praying for Judith and the boys as it is never a good time to be gone this long.
- Pray for me as I will be preaching at the Lapilo centre on December 19th. When I am in PNG I don’t do much preaching in English so this will be a bit different.
- Pray for the Malaumanda church; specifically for our one functioning elder, Jim.
- Praise that Judith’s mother is recovering from her stay in the hospital and will soon be seeing a specialist concerning some medical issues.