Redeeming the Fiery Furnance

Jeff writes:

The Baiyer River area of the Western Highlands is a beautiful place crisscrossed by flowing streams, beautiful waterfalls and surrounded by high lush green mountains. It is also the place where one of the longest, most brutal and deadliest tribal fights in PNG is going on.

To graduate from the CLTC our students must complete a one-year internship. Shadrack and his family went back to their home in Baiyer to bring God's truth to bear on this desperate situation. Once home to one of the first Baptist missionary works in the Highlands, Baiyer has since degenerated into the chaos of at present 13 warring clans where life is cheap. At one point Shadrick told me snipers used to hide under the old mission hospital building to pick off their enemies as they traveled down the highway. (The mission station now stands abandoned and dilapidated.)

Shadrick is himself a victim of the fighting. He has a bullet hole in his back and in the picture is pointing to a scar on his forearm. Underneath the scar is a piece of lead that is still lodged in his arm. He cannot get too close to a fire because the projectile still causes him pain.

However, back he went to this crucible of suffering. Shadrack spent his internship year teaching pastors using distance theological educational materials developed and distributed by the CLTC. When he visited me in my office he told me that he rounded up the materials to teach 50 pastors key discipleship principles. At the end of the course, they held a grand graduation with a K1,000 pig as the main course.

His wife spent a year in a unique ministry. She reached out to the second wives in polygamous marriages. She encouraged them that God cared about their situation and that they should grow in their relationship with Him.

One of the great blessings of being here is a story like Shadrack's.  He like many of our students are able to go and do ministries we are not able to do. Teaching men like him reminds of what Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:2. where he says we are to teach faithful men (and women) who will be able to teach others also.

Thanks to all of you, whom we consider our fellow-laborers in the gospel, we have been given this remarkable privilege. Praise the Lord!