The Custom of Visiting the Sick

Sue says:
The Melanesian custom of visiting the sick has been a big blessing to us during my illness. Often without advance warning, a knock will come at the door. Someone will be coming by fora short time to pray for
my healing and to stay for a short visit. This has done so much to buoy my spirit.

The group pictured above is the cell group a Melanesian co-worker leads. Because they are a large group, they asked ahead of time if they could come. Some of them hardly knew us. Others were our students or co-workers. This group had an additional idea in mind. They wanted to have small-group time to say good-bye to us.

How touching it was that one had a verse of encouragement. Another told a story of how one of us had influenced him. The man in the back was a co-worker in Moresby, and he's now taking a class from Jeff. The couple on the left ends knew us through another missionary, Deb, who discipled them in Western Province years ago. (They say "Hi" to her.) We closed with a song and prayer. Oh, the good-byes are heart wrenching, but we appreciate the fact that people take the time to offer them.

I have recuperated from hepatitis in a surprisingly short time. We bless the Lord who heals all our diseases. Hepatitis is a disease for which one withholds medication and just rests. I will try lecturing an hour a day next week and rest at home the remainder of each day. Thanks to those who have prayed for me. The Lord has greatly sped my recovery.


 

Tropical Easter Blessings

Jeff writes:

The CLTC community celebrated Easter by splitting up to worship at four village churches.

My day started early with the small flock I pastor among the men who tend our breeder chickens. I read John 20 and then we shared what Easter means to us. These men have become very dear to me, and their thoughts about sins forgiven, renewed life, resurrected bodies, and the new heavens and earth where righteousness will dwell were inspiring.

After sitting down to a wonderful Easter breakfast complete with hot-cross buns (baked by one of our nice neighbors), I left Sue at home to rest and walked a mile-and-half to the Sigri Village AOG church. I took some photos along the way, and Lord willing, if our slow internet connection will bear them, I hope to share them with you.

One of Sigri's  "Mountains"

I started out by taking a PNG "shortcut", which means to go straight up a mountain rather than around it.

Flowers Decorating the Dais

The Glories of Easter

It was not long until I arrived at the church. The church ladies spent many hours to gather flowers to decorate the dais around the pulpit. The colorful flowers were a fragrant reminder of the joy we experienced on this day.

Pastor Bugaebo Shares His Message

One of our students Bugaebo shared a wonderful Easter message taken from Matthew 28:1-10. Bugaebo and I are a year apart in age. He will complete his diploma this year, and then go back to Western Province to take up a leadership role in the Evangelical Church of Papua New Guinea. I was really proud of him. God is raising up good men and women here at the college to lead His church in this country. It is a real privilege to be a part of this grand undertaking.

PNG "Bake Sale"

After church the ladies of the fellowship held a PNG version of a church bake sale. They sold garden produce to the students at rock-bottom prices to help defer the cost of feeding us light refreshments.

After Church Fellowship

We concluded the morning with a scone and a can of coke. Even though customs may be a bit different here, the truth remains that we celebrate the one Lord, the one faith, and the one baptism that Christians enjoy worldwide.

I trust that all of you enjoyed the same blessings of fellowship at your church and with your Lord this day.

As a postscript a number of the students expressed concern for Sue and said that they were praying for her. I told them that her condition has improved. Her fever was down yesterday. She still needs rest. The CLTC community has been wonderful. Many have come to pray with her. Some have brought food. In the time of her illness we have seen the face of the Christ and His arms and legs reflected in the actions of many wonderful saints.

God is good! Hallelujah!

Good Friday Musings

Jeff writes:

This morning the college community celebrated Good Friday with a special service. It consisted of a lot of singing, special items including some drama, and many songs in Tok Ples (village language). One of our master's students preached a sermon on John 13:21-30. Instead of being like Judas who spent time with Jesus but ended up seduced by Satan to betray Him, the preacher challenged us to wholly commit ourselves to Jesus as Lord.

I have been invited to go preach an evening Good Friday message to a special gathering of several local churches. The message will be more of a Bible reading that describes the last two days of the Christ on this earth. In it I have synthesized the four Gospel accounts into a flowing story. Since Melanesians are an oral people, I hope that this story will resonate with them.

After the message the church leaders plan to show the Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ. More than likely there will be hundreds of us huddled around a small TV screen to watch it. Afterward we plan to give an altar call.

Sue's condition has improved somewhat, but she will not be able to come with me to the village Good Friday service. Yesterday, her skin turned yellow, and we went back to Kudjip Hospital. The doctor now thinks she may have some form of hepatitis. We will know for certain next week after all the blood work is finished. She still needs a lot of rest, but she is keeping her food down now, so that is a praise.  Please keep up the good prayer work!

Easter Blessings to all of you!

Mac and Cheese Prayers

A Bowl of Common Comfort Food

Jeff writes:

Macaroni and cheese is a pretty common dish.

Sue and I made some today. She coached me from the couch, and I was her arms and legs in the kitchen. Mac and cheese is one of Sue's comfort foods. She is not really getting any better, so we thought a little bit of kindness in a bowl couldn't hurt.

Prayer is like that. It is common, and it brings comfort. We are always free to draw near to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace at the time of our need. And the God of all comfort will comfort us, so that we can comfort others with the comfort with which we have been comforted by God. Nice eh?

So, we thank those of you who have written telling us of your prayers. This news has brought us comfort. And we urge you still more to keep up that uncommonly good but common work as you continue to remember Sue in your prayers.

Blessings to you all ....

When Life Gives You Lemons?

Lemons and Medicines

Jeff writes:

This is one of those good news bad news stories.

The good news is we have a Nazarene hospital nearby at Kudjip. I took Sue there today because she was not getting any better. The nurse had her blood checked for malaria parasites. The good news? There were none.

Now the bad news ... the doctor thinks that she may have typhoid. In addition, she had a reaction to one of the malaria drugs she was taking, and she became quite nauseous.

Right now she is resting. She will continue to take another malaria medication plus a strong antibiotic to kill the typhoid.

Keep her in your prayers.

Oh yes, don't forget the good news ... God answers prayer!

Up in the Air: An Urgent Call for Prayer

Jeff writes:

We have been hit with a triple whammy over here and would really like your prayers.

Sue was just diagnosed with a mild case of malaria. She has had a low recurring fever since last Thursday, so she went to our clinic this morning where she was given the diagnosis plus medicine to attack the parasites streaming out of her liver. Pray that she will get the rest she needs and that she doesn't get more sick as a result of my cooking!

Pray as well for Capital Bible Seminary and Washington Bible College. Sue and I were given provisional acceptance to be their missionaries in residence next year. However, due to financial issues caused in part by declining enrollments the seminary and the college may not admit students for the 2011-12 semesters. Pray for their board to make a wise God-honoring decision. Also pray for us. Since we cannot be sure of our position with them, we are now searching for a place to live and for employment.

Jeff's Books and Files Boxed and Ready to Go

The third prayer point is we need to find a way to ship our books and other personal items back to the USA. Wycliffe's SIL mission here in PNG used to ship goods for other missions. However, due to a severe shortage in staff, they have had to discontinue this service. I learned of this fact last week, and now am scrambling to find a trustworthy, reliable, and reasonably priced company to handle our shipment. I have made a number of contacts, but so far I have not been able to find anything definite.

Probably the hardest part of this whole matter is dealing with the fact that we are leaving. PNG has become our home, and we have many friends here. While we are looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us in the land of our birth, we are still firmly planted in this land. Pray that we will finish well.

Indeed, It's Rainy Season

 

Sue says: After the drought last year, it is a pleasure to receive a full measure of rain now. This picture was taken on my walk to the office in the morning. Children ahead of me enjoyed splashing in the puddles, and adults had umbrellas like you see at the end of the road.  One group of children on their way to school had to leap across a baret (drainage ditch) to get to this road.  

 







And     who   else is rooting for Butler tonight?

Neighborhood Women Meet

 

Sue says:

The Farmside 1 women's cell group enjoys each other. They met at our house recently, and we got to welcome a new baby. The mama is sitting at the far right. She delivered the new little boy alone at her house. She could have delivered at our clinic with the help of a nurse for US $8, but maybe she didn't feel like walking over there while she was in labor with her third baby.

At this meeting, we sang some Christian songs, had a brief devotional that I led on Psalm 103, had a discussion about upcoming events for women's ministry, and had snacks together. It was fascinating to see that each woman had brought a little something for the baby. No one had asked us to bring them. But quietly, unobtrusively, each woman tucked a little bar of soap, some cloth diapers or some other small gift into the bilum, handmade purse, of the new mother. They're a caring group.