Since we decided to go and take the gospel to the nation of Papua New Guinea, our journey has been a bit like the waves of the ocean, sometimes rolling with the current from task to task as we make progress, sometimes cresting into a wave when whatever we’ve been building toward nears completion.We are at one of those cresting points now. A year and a month after our arrival here in PNG, we are finally ready to move into the village of Mawarero in the mountains of Papua New Guinea! Being in town for the past year, we have learned the trade language of this country, established our organization here, found a tribe to move into, and built two houses within that tribe. The houses are not yet finished and more supplies will need to be purchased and flown in later on, but there is enough done in both houses for us to move in.Every step forward here has felt hard-won and precious, as most have been met with obstacles of one kind or another. And as we approach this next big step, we find ourselves facing obstacles once again.So, we’re hanging our
Help Wanted sign here on our blog.One of the sweetest things we hear being here is when people back home ask us what they can do to help us. What a sweet thing to be asked! Sometimes, the answer is to pray because only God can fix the problems we’re facing. Sometimes, the answer is to send some much-needed supplies in a package. And sometimes the answer is to give for any who are able. That is what we would answer now.To get our family, belongings, and supplies for eight weeks all moved into Mawarero, it will cost us an estimated $7,000 in one-time move-in costs that, at present, we don’t have. Also, in God’s providence, 2016 has brought with it a need for us to raise an additional $500/month. As with each number given before this blog post, these numbers are only estimates–they can and do fluctuate with weather, helicopter availability and flight time, total weights, etc.Those numbers may seem large because they are. But from where we’re standing, on the other side of the towering mountain of costs that it took just to get us to where we are—from Phoenix to PNG with two houses standing up in the jungle—that number is actually quite small compared to what God has already provided.It’s impossible for us to look at our need to raise $7,000 in the next few weeks and not see the times before where God has already done that and so much more–through many of you! So, if you happen to be one of those people who would ask us how you can help, there are two specific ways! You can visit our website
here or send us an email or a Facebook message if you have any questions on how to give.Really, we are thankful to just be at a place where we can finally make this push to move into the tribe. We have prepared, planned, and prayed for this day to come for years now. Once we’re moved in, we’ll look to the next big wave to crest: knowing enough of the language of the Ndo people to proclaim the gospel! But for now, we will focus on today and this wave, thankful it’s bringing us one step closer to our ultimate goal of coming here.One last note: I’ve been thinking about how every person who has helped us get this far—whether through giving or encouragement or prayer or flying all the way out here to help us build houses—is actually loving the people of Mawarero. We love the people of PNG and want them to know the good news that we know! To show the love with which we have been loved, we have left family and friends and home to come here and move into a tribe so we can tell them.But every one of you who has helped us get here and stay here is doing the same thing—
you are loving the people of Mawarero whom you have neither met nor know.And we just want to say thank you.Thank you for loving them as we love them by sending your spouses to help us build or giving of your time or your finances! One day, we hope to tell them about all of you, that they might be blessed as we are. May God one day be glorified in the tribe of Mawarero!
