One of our goals as missionaries has been to "get outside the security fence" which surrounds the CLTC to do ministry in the local community. God has answered our prayers by introducing us to a group of "youth" who live in a village called Bung Ples. Last Saturday we dedicated their Yut Baibel Stadi Haus (Youth Bible Study House). We also issued certificates to 32 young (and not so young) people for completing a ten lesson Bible study course on what it means to be a Christian.
This post could easily go on for pages, but to summarize, these youth used to form a much feared criminal gang. They were even despised by their own community because of all the trouble they brought to the area. Most had been kicked out of their churches, who felt they were all lost causes. However, God had other plans for these young men, women and their children. The Holy Spirit has drawn many of them back into relationship with their Lord and King.
For the last three months they gathered materials and built a bush house in which to meet, pray and learn God's word. At the same time, many of them sat under the teaching of a team of dedicated CLTC staff and students, who led them through the ten lesson study. Each lesson had a memory verse, and in order to finish the study and earn a certificate, all ten lessons had to be completed along with the memory verses. In the process many came to know the Lord.
These pictures tell a part of the story. Hopefully, when we see all of you we can share the rest.
It took awhile to get things started, but when they did, we experienced many wonderful surprises. A large sign welcomed us, which read in part, "Pikinini bilong man i kam bilong painim ol man i lus na kisim bek ol" (Luke 19:10). In addition, the youth had made colorful leis for both the men and women guests who came. In this photo Helen, who is our librarian, is being given a traditional Melanesian welcome.
The welcome continued as all the invited guests walked between two lines of villagers, who showered us with flower petals and gladly shook our hands.
We sang several worship songs. The youth presented two in their tok ples or native tongue.
The youth shared their offerings with us. Notice Elijah at the end of the procession carrying the two "ropes" of bananas. In front of him is a woman with a bilum (string bag) packed full of garden produce. The Baibel Stadi Haus is in the background.
The sermon came next, and I preached on Isaiah 56:7. The emphasis was on the fact that this little bush house would be a "house of prayer for all peoples." The idea was to welcome all who wanted to come, be they saint or sinner, regardless of denominational affiliation. Anyone, willing to humble himself or herself, could come to meet with the Lord, to learn from Him, and to experience the joy of a new life.
The youths developed two dramas to present.
This one depicts Jeremiah, and it emphasized his call (Jer 1:4-10). The youths wanted to highlight God's special call in their lives. The drama also depicted the opposition Jeremiah faced, and how the Lord comforted him in his trials.
This is the second drama, and it was entitled "Unity." As mentioned above we have stressed that this ministry is a youth Bible study and not the start of a new church, so the unity drama emphasized the need for all denominations to work together to accomplish God's plans for His people. The ladies, who each represented a different church, are all lifting a burden that not one of them could lift alone.
On the left is one of our teachers, Henry, giving a hug to one of the graduates after the ceremony.
This is Michael, who was the former mastermind, enforcer, and trigger man for the gang. He is now a redeemed sinner, saved by God's grace, and leader of this transformed community of young people. Pray for him, because he has his ups and downs as a new believer. The Monday before this whole event transpired he came to me and said that he wanted to give up and walk away from everything God had been doing in his life, but PTL he did not!
After all the festivities we were all really hungry, and in typical Melanesian style we were given loads of good food to eat. I especially liked the steamed bananas (they look like long sausages)and fresh pineapple.
Here are our 32 graduates, their families, and their friends.
This is a photo of the "Mumu Crew." These men and women got up while it was still dark to mumu all the good food we ate that day.
To God be the glory for the things HE has done!
1 comment:
Great post!
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