Goroka Mission Project Jun-19 "It's actually happening!"

I'm writing this from the domestic airport in Port Moresby. The last few days have been hectic trying to get ready for our mission project to Goroka. I had to buy all the tickets online and with poor Internet, it took a long time. We also were waiting for the students to turn in their money, the last of it came in yesterday.  We have 9 students, 7 guys & 2 girls.

Tanya & Beautlyn (2 of our staff) went ahead 2 days ago, which was good because the University of Goroka student services were thinking we were coming on July. PNG, "The Land of the unexpected" 😁  Everything is good now. I'm flying up there this morning with Seraphim and Florida (2 other staff) - see below for our photo.

Elidah (another staff) will be flying up this afternoon with all of the students.

Thanks for praying! I'll post a photo of us all from Goroka today or tomorrow.

Goroka Mission trip Jun-19 - "A grand adventure"

Good Morning! I'm writing this while I sit in the plane (they must be doing paperwork 😉) . I'm headed to Papua New Guinea for the next 15 days, and I would welcome your prayers!  This Friday (on the 7th), we are taking 10 students up to the highlands on a mission project for 8 days.

Please pray that God would:
•Significantly work in the student's lives to help them to become multipliers (disciple makers) on campus when we return.
•Keep us all safe and use us mightily in the lives of those in Goroka
•Give me the Wisdom, the Words, and the Wit while I'm here.
•Help me to keep my focus on Jesus and allow Him to use me any way He wants.
•Take care of Kaylynn at home in New Zealand while I’m gone.

Thanks so much for praying!
Dan

PNG Easter Conference Trip: "Dark and Light!"

There seems to be an increase in violence in Port Moresby.  There have been several snatchings of young girls just recently.  The motive seems to be organ harvesting.  

We heard gunshots not too far away today.

I don't know why evil surprises me, but it does.  After all, we're living in the domain of darkness where Satan rules.

When confronted with darkness, all those verses about "light" in the Bible thrill my soul.  Col. 1:12-13 - We share in the inheritance of the saints in light. We're transferred from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son.  Jn. 8:12  "...I am the light of the world;  he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Then another favorite verse:  "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you then he who is in the world."  (1 Jn. 4:4)  I like this verse.  I like being called a little child and being reassured that God is bigger than the evil one.   Sometimes in the madness, that fact helps me not depair.  It gives me confidence that we're in the right job.           

PNG Easter Conference Trip: "Trained Fingers!"

We were just talking with another missionary at breakfast about how seemingly unrelated events of our past have prepared us for what we do now.

I had just been reading Psalm 144:1..."Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle."  Our friend said that he was involved in theatre work many years ago and learned to have a stage presence.  When he found himself at the podium in an Asian country, scared to death, speaking on the things of God, that former training came in handy.

It made me look back at my life and see experiences that maybe I didn't appreciate at the time, really helped develop me to be able to do what we do now.  Who would have thought that having a flatmate who cooked rice all the time at OSU would prepare me to live with Hawaiian housemates, then life in Micronesia.  Who would have thought that the uncomfortable position of being the only white female on a summer mission project in inner-city Detroit during my university years (a highly unusual and exceptional situation), was a foretaste of life in the islands. The list goes on. 

Only God could take an extremely quiet little girl who didn't like to venture off on her own, and turn her into a missionary to other cultures.  It gives me hope.  God can easily do the impossible.  He HAS done it, and will continue to reign magnificently over His children, growing us up.

I wonder what is happening now that will be my training for the future!

PNG Easter Conference Trip : "A Step Back!"

I'm finally feeling better.  (Getting sick right when you're supposed to be at your best is a bit of a challenge.)

I decided today that I need to take an emotional step back and just enjoy walking with God today.  It's so easy to get caught up in what we're suppose to accomplish on these trips (a seemingly impossible list of tasks to perform) when, bottom line, if our staff are experiencing joy in walking with God and encouraging others to do the same, everything will be alright.  I best be an example of that.

I need to enjoy walking with God, not comparing myself to the other missionaries at this guest house.  (It feels as though others have their act together and understand the culture here more than me.)

I need to enjoy walking with God with wonder in my heart at what He wants me to do, and what He wants me to discover.  By nature, I'm the sort of person who likes things clear cut and achievable...but there's nothing "by the book" in PNG.  And, I'm in a job that works with people...also not a "by the book" type of thing.  When under stress I need to remind myself to relax my grip on trying to force circumstances around me.  Look up, Kaylynn.  God isn't worried.  He's holding my hand.  Enjoy the walk!

PNG Easter Conference Trip: The Big Weekend: "Unlikely people!"

Yup, 3 talks.  I never dreamed I'd be a devotional speaker at a Student Life Conference...and probably neither did anyone else who knew me as a student.  God has a funny way of using the most unlikely people!

For the last few years, this devotional spot has been my responsibility in PNG.  This year, however, it was harder to get my thoughts organized than ever before.  (I don't know if it was a result of spiritual warfare or a virus I've been fighting.)  However, after breaking the ice on Friday, Saturday and Sunday went better.

I learn quite a bit doing this.  I try to share what God's been teaching me, and by trying to explain it to someone else, the lesson gets crystallized in my heart.
I've recently realized that maybe in exchanging my own outlook to God's outlook, I hit the same bumps as when adjusting to a new culture.   The kingdom of heaven that Jesus talked about presented many new and radical concepts to his listeners.   Anyway, I gave my talks and got to use some of my MANY cultural mishaps as illustrations.  (See...there's a purpose for even the most humiliating and silly times!)

The conference, of course, was full of teaching and training and experiences beyond my small role.  Dan and I just went through the evaluation forms.  It looks like 12 students became believers...and a further 28 people in the community came to Christ during our afternoon of witnessing in the nearby street market.  This was the first time many of our students had shared their faith.  They were just been newly trained, and some had just become Christians themselves. God can use anybody...and it just blows my mind!  

Look who's talkin'!

Here's a short google video of our day of witnessing.  (Let me know if it doesn't work...I'll let Dan figure something out! (tee hee)

Twelve Days of PNG - Day 12 and beyond: "The Reveal!"

We've been home a week now without reporting on the outcome of our big event.  (To tell the truth, we were so exhausted by the end of our trip that we flew home and have been fighting viruses all week.)  BUT, that's not to say that there's nothing to report!

Sure, it was a bit of a challenge.  When the decorating committee went to our venue the day of our party, they discovered the room was unusable because the ceiling had collapsed from all the rain that had bucketed down the last couple of days.  (We're talking about ceiling tiles on the floor and wires dangling down!  We had to quickly find another room.)  And sure, the barbecue that we hauled out of an upstairs apartment, into the van, and then onto the campus turned out to be missing the hose connecting the grill to the propane gas.  (Luckily the girls had precooked the sausages!)  And sure, the pastor who was to give a dedication didn't show...

...BUT...many new students DID show up, along with returning students, alumni, and our staff.  We were able to explain our ministry and invite everyone to be a part of our student movement of winning students to Christ, building them in their faith, training them in ministry skills, and then sending them out to win-build-train-and send others.  A testimony was given, food was eaten, and questions were answered.

This week, all those who signed up to be in small discipleship groups are being sorted out according to schedules and group leaders.  YAHOO!  Please pray with us that this year will have a profound effect on the students in their faith walk with God!