PNG Mission Project Day 8: Halfway point in Hisiu

In our group Quiet Time this morning we talked about using A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, & Supplication) as a guide when we come to meet with God. Today we focused on Adoration and I played another Mercy Me song. Tomorrow we'll focus on the Confession & Thanksgiving.

I'm including a photo of our breakfast time - we collect what we want from the table & sit on the floor around the edges. We usually have fresh baked (in the fire) scones/biscuits, fried breadfruit, noodles, baked beans, peanut butter & jam, and tea & coffee.

Our training went real well! We almost doubled our attendance today (to 28), probably because of being noticed in the community and others hearing great reports from those who attended yesterday.

Elton gave the illustration of being filled with the Holy Spirit using chocolate milk - 3 kinds of people (left to right in photo): non-Christian, spirit-filled Christian, and worldly Christian - the Spirit-filled Christian does not have more Holy Spirit than the Worldly Christian (they both have the same HS), but he is allowing the Holy Spirit to control & direct him. Being filled is like being "stirred". The trick of walking in the Spirit is to confess sin immediately when God convicts us, and asking God to fill us again, believing that He will (faith).

I also got to teach "The biblical call to make disciples". We focused on Matt 28:18-20 & Col 1:28-29. It was a lot of fun... except for the bat that flew in the church toward my head while I was speaking!

I'm including a photo of my lunch today (sorry Laurie) - it was wonderful! I ate it all :-) I should have taken an after-shot of the fish bones and the prawn skins left behind. I had another chance to eat a fish eye - I'll usually try anything once, but I chickened out last time... but as I popped it free, I nearly gagged... so maybe next time :-\ I did have banana-sago pudding tonight though - it was wonderful :-)

Tonight we were planning to show an African movie (by Campus Crusade) that was made as a follow-up tool. But it started pouring rain right before dinner (it's still raining now) and we had to postpone it till tomorrow. We've had good turnouts so far with about 500 watching the Jesus Film on Sunday and about 150 coming for the Children's JF last night .

A sort of funny story that happened last night at the end of the Children's JF: a man insisted that he speak to the children when the film was over because we were showing the film in the Tok Pisin language and he felt very strongly that the children shouldn't use that language (it was taking them away from their own language, Motu). So as soon as the film was over, I went and stood between the lady who was giving the final comments and this man. I was about 12 inches (30cm) from her and he was about 6 inches from me (I could smell his betel nut breath even though he said he was chewing mints). He kept asking "who's speaking after her, are you?" Finally he got the idea that he was not going to speak. I finally can thank God that I'm not a skinny mini any more :-)

Tonight marks the halfway point of our time in Hisiu - it's going fast. It's been very exciting to see God working, but I'm quite tired now & my only pair of casual shorts are getting kind of dirty :-(  I have 4 more sleeps here in Hisiu. But in saying this, the good news definitely out weighs the bad... but even if it didn't, the joy of serving God always out weighs everything else!  Thanks for praying!