PNG Easter - Day 10 (of 11) - Campus and Elton (Wednesday)

It's been a long, but rewarding 10 days... and my brain is sagging a bit :-/

Today I got caught up on a lot of things, including having our semiannual board meeting.  During the meeting, I gave an update on the ministry and I greatly encouraged myself :-)  We have 54 students in discipleship groups, 9 of them groups led by students.  Student are taking charge and have a firm understanding that we are a movement, not a fellowship and that we focus on personal discipleship, not event & programs.

Diane & Naomi

I wrote this to the Australians who came to PNG in February:

• The Pacific Propulsion team did so much for our students this year!  At Splash on Monday (their weekly meeting was re-named Splash in Feb), we had a sharing time about what they learned at the Easter Conference that we should apply to our movement at UPNG, and all 5 of the students who stood up were students who were with the Aussies in Feb – they know where they are headed and are taking the initiative on campus – they’re not waiting for the staff to do everything for them.  The movement as a whole is becoming a movement (as opposed to a fellowship) and focussing on personal discipleship instead of events.  
• After Monday’s Splash, 5 young men came up (a group of 2 and a group of 3) saying that they wanted to join a discipleship group!  This is very exciting!  One student, Boaz (who likes to preach, and whom the Aussies found on campus in Feb) pointed 3 guys out to me who were walking along and he said, “they’re part of my ministry… but they’re doing addition, not multiplication!”  Anyway, we are eternally grateful for the Aussies that came and how God used them.  AND, we are very excited if God provides another team next Feb!!    I have NEVER seen Lillian (our only staff woman) be more confident and effervescent – she came alive when the Aussies were here in Feb and has not slowed down yet (though she is very tired)!
• Thank you so much for ALL you’ve done for us!

Elton and his Dad

>>> Could you please pray for Elton our new staff guy?  He is learning how to find ministry partners and he is very excited about that, but he is starting to get family pressure against him going into ministry full time.  This is not very common (PNG nationals becoming missionaries), and it takes some a while to get used to the idea.   His father is supportive and came to the first day of our Easter Training Conference - he was in Elton's class learning how to be filled (empowered & directed) with the Spirit!

• Elton said, "It's tough joining staff and a lot of family pressures coming, but I put them all to God who will take care of them".  He asked me to "pray for courage and perseverance, and that God will show his mysteries to my family".  

Thanks!!!!

Sharing Christ on Ela Beach

Sharing my vision at the Easter Conference