PNG Easter - Day 9 (of 11) - Finding Ministry Partners (Tuesday)

Usually after our Easter Training Conference is over, that's when the business portion of my trip kicks in (like banking, board meeting, etc) which is kind of boring :-( 

Elton on his first day of Ministry Partner training - with Peter

But today I was able to join Elton in his first day of training to find ministry partners for his ministry.   Every staff member finds their own ministry partners to support their ministry - this enables the staff member to strengthen their faith, and it gives the new ministry partner their own "personal missionary" in PNG.

The first obstacle we faced was for Elton to get the time off from his work.  They wouldn't give him any leave, but we found out that he could take leave without pay.  So I told him that we would pay him from his support account the money that he would miss.  Peter & Candy Yost came all the way to PNG to train him and would only be here for a short time, and Elton told me that he "wanted to get as much info out of them that he could" :-)

Then, this afternoon, his dad sent a message to him telling him to come for an important family meeting (about his brother) - he went, but didn't get back in time to sleep here.   His dad is visiting and wants to see Elton every afternoon.  Please pray for Elton, that he will be able to be honoring to his father, yet be able to be involved in the training as much as possible this week.  Thanks.

Today, we learned about the importance of having the right biblical attitude about finding Ministry Partners.  We learned how to live the Faith way and not the Comfort Zone way.   I was able to do a few of the short presentations - it was fun.  And Lillian joined us, and that really helped!

Lillian modelling a phone call

Elton practicing a phone call

We did a few role plays of phone conversations, and then Elton tried it - it was good fun!  And Lillian presented her ministry to me as a potential ministry partner.

Lillian presenting her ministry to me (a potential partner)

Tomorrow is my last full day, so please pray that I'll get everything done - Thanks!

PNG Easter - Day 8 (of 11) - Easter Monday

We were all so tired Sunday night after the big training weekend - we all fell into bed quite early - shortly after 8 pm :-)   And I was able to sleep in this morning - till 4:40 :-)

Jack and I

Don (from our regional team in New Zealand) & I spent 2 hours looking for places to rent for our single staff ladies in the area around the university (Waigani North, Ensisi, Renbo, etc).  We hired Jack (who came to Christ on Saturday) and he drove us to places I have never seen before.  He has several wantoks (relatives) with houses and we talked with one guy (Jack's brother-in-law) who has a house (close to the university and in a safe area) that should become available in Sept/Oct (which is when we need it).  So please pray that we can negotiate a good price (his first suggestion was way out of our price range).  Anyway, there is hope.

We also need accommodation for the 4 Australians coming in February (2 guys & 2 girls) - so please be praying about that also.

And then last night, we had a special Splash time (weekly meeting - that is usually canceled on Easter Monday because its a holiday).  We had about 30 students which I thought was a great turn out.  My goals were to help them debrief the Easter Training Conference (from the weekend) and apply what they learned.  

Elton, new staff, started us with a song.

Several students (4-5) shared what was in their heart for the campus this year, and I realized that all who shared had also attended our Pacific Propulsion project in February (it was really exciting for me to see them stepping up as leaders of the movement).  The students as a whole seemed to catch the vision that we are a movement, not a fellowship - and that we focus on personal ministry, helping each student learn how to disciple others.

Isaac, our president, giving instruction to the group.

At the end of Splash, 5 guys & 1 girl (that I know of) came up to the leaders and asked to be discipled by another student!   This is very exciting!  These new students are figuring out that we will help them step out and be used by God in others' lives!

Thank you so much for helping to make this movement possible! 

PNG Easter - Day 7 (of 11) - Happy Easter!!! Jesus is alive :-)

Happy Easter everyone!  Jesus is alive... and so are we :-)

I had arranged for Jack, the taxi driver who gave his heart to Christ yesterday, to come pick us up this morning & take us to the conference.  It was good to see him!  He was all dressed with a necktie and jacket and we going to go to church later that morning.  After we got out I paid him something (he didn't say how much he wanted - taxi drivers always say what they want), and we shook hands for a little longer than normal and he gave me a rich, deep, smile - that proved to me that Jesus had indeed come into his life!

Jack also drove us back from the hotel at about 5 pm and I gave him a book with 5 follow up lessons in it and he was very excited.  He'll come tomorrow and drive Don & I around to look for an apartment or a house to rent near campus (please pray that that will be a productive time - thanks).

I was able to give a vision talk.  This is a first for me of trying to paint a picture of what I see the future look like and how we can get there.  I think it went well (I was constantly praying for wisdom) and afterwards one of the PNG staff said that it was very encouraging and it sounded like what George (former director) used to do - a great compliment!

This is what happened yesterday, Saturday (not counting Jack): 37 of us went out to talk to people and to share the Gospel with them.  We were able to talk to 108 people about spiritual things, and to go though the complete Gospel with 89 of them... 67 of these prayed to receive Christ!

Also, here are a few comments from the evaluations (I'll give more comments tomorrow):

• "The witnessing time at Ela beach helped me... because I was really talking to a stranger for the first time sharing the Word of God - this really motivates me!"
• "I felt the doors of witnessing Christ for the first time has opened and it will never stop!"
• What was most helpful: "Especially the practical part down at the Ela beach was so amazing and very encouraging!"
• This training "taught me how to relate the Gospel to the people on this Earth despite who they are and whatever background they come from."

Here are a few pictures of the students waiting for the "bus" to come at the end of the day:

Out the hotel window - Elton by gate with arms up getting shot

PNG Easter - Day 6 (of 11) - Saturday

Witnessing on Ela Beach!

Witnessing on Ela Beach!

This morning, after morning worship and devotions, we had one session and then walked down to the beach to share Christ with people.  It was cool seeing 55 people wearing the same maroon shirts walking down to the beach (5 minute walk).  This is a holiday weekend, so there were more people at the beach to talk to than usual. 

Daniel (and myself behind him) sharing with the old man on the ground

I went down with a guy named Daniel (nice name) and he wanted me to go first so that he could watch before he tried.  I shared with a guy named Jerry who wasn't sure if he was a Christian, but wanted to make sure (so he is one now)! 

Daniel sharing with the group afterwrds

Daniel shared with an old man (see red circle in photo) who only answered "yes" to all his non-yes/no questions.  It was frustrating for Daniel, but he said, "I was afraid before and I didn't know what to say, but now I'm okay and want to share some more"!

Two UPNG students waiting for lunch!

I don't know how many new people come into God's kingdom, but I'll let you know tomorrow (our last conference day).  God was kind and led us to them - it was great!

Practicing leading a Bible Study!

The last session of the day was a practicum for the students in my "Leading a Core Group" session - they paired up and each took a portion of a lesson to teach to the other.  They did very well, it was exciting to see them practicing leading a Bible study!

After we finished, I went to the mall to have dinner with Elton, our newest staff member.  He had to work today so he missed the sharing time :-(  I has a great time with him and we worked our many things (it's complicated when he's working until he finds enough ministry partners, but can't find ministry partners because he's working).

Then, on my way home from the mall, I started talking with the taxi driver and he stayed after he dropped me off at the missionary guest house while I shared the Gospel with him.  It was amazing - one of those times when the person you talk to understands everything and eagerly wants to know God!  So we have another new brother in the kingdom!  I had gotten out of the taxi and was sharing with him through his driver's window (while my backside was getting a bit wet from the rain).  Afterwards, when I asked him why God should let him into heaven, he said, "because Jesus paid for me and lives in me!" [Then I find out that Elton also shared with his driver and he was very attentive but wanted to think about it for a while].

Thanks for praying for our conference and for our staff & students!  I'm tired - and it will be 5 hours of sleep tonight  :-/

PNG Easter - Day 5 (of 11) - Good Friday

7 am always comes too early.  But today it was worth it.  We had 40 students (30 first year students) come to the training. We were praying for 65, but more could come today.  The 10 non-first-year students are all very sharp and eager to learn.

It was a very full day with 5 training sessions (~40 minutes each) and 90 minutes for lunch (we walk down the hill to the public beach and a caterer comes with our food).  We had a devotional talk in the morning and I gave an introduction to the training. We started more than an hour late and tried to recover, but ended 90 minutes late - but I'm not sure it was as big of a deal for others as it was for me :-).

The 6 students who taught a session did very well, I was very proud of them!  And overall the students seem to be eager to learn.


We have 2 more days.  Tomorrow has only 2 training sessions, but then we go down to the beach for about 2 hours and talk to everyone we can about Christ.  For many students, this will be the first time they have ever done this!  I'll tell you tomorrow how it went!

Thanks for praying!  Please keep at it :-)

Here are some photos (taken with my old phone of lesser quality).

Beginning worship time

Intermediate (level 2), Lillian teaching

First-year class (Basic), Elton teaching

Practicing sharing the Knowing God Personally booklet

Riding the "bus" back to UPNG

PNG Easter - Day 4 (of 11) Maundy Thursday

Today we went to the campus and met with the staff.  We had to finalize the details for the conference that starts early (7 am) tomorrow morning.  Everything seems to be under control, which is good as I usually feel things are out of my control when I'm here in PNG.  Well, everything looks okay except for the fact that we only have about 20 students registered.  We have 27 student's being discipled (in a discipleship group - 6 student & 3 staff led).  Plus there are dozens of first year students who they have shared Christ with and have come to a fellowship time.

>> PLEASE PRAY with us that God will urge the students to show up tomorrow morning at 7 am for the bus (actually a large flatbed truck) to bring them to the hotel?  We would like at least 65! Thanks!

While at the campus this afternoon, one of our student leaders came by and handed me his computer.  It is acting very strange and most programs won't open (sounds like a virus).  So that will be a fun little puzzle to work on in my spare time :-).

Don, Candy & Peter just arriving (with Eva)

This afternoon 3 co-workers from New Zealand arrived to help teach some of the sessions.  We have 25 training sessions (4 levels):  6 taught by students (assisted by PNG staff), 6 led by PNG staff, and 13 taught by myself and my 3 co-workers.  I'm also leading a session for the men where we talk straight about issues that we have that hinder our integrity - please pray for that one on Saturday as I am involving 2 staff and 2 students and am not sure where it's going to go :-).  God needs to direct that one!  What a ride that will be!

Later this afternoon, we went down to the hotel to set up our musical equipment and screen, etc.  We talked again with the

Alfred, a former student came to help!

hotel people and told them where we want the tables, etc.

Thanks for praying for our conference on Fri, Sat, & Sun (yes that includes Good Friday & Easter Sunday, and we are 14 hours ahead of Pennsylvania)!  

Please pray:

• For 65 students to come,
• For all students to realise that God has chosen them and wants to work mightily through them to heal their country,
• That they will understand how we focus on Movements rather than Events (personal ministry vs fellowship times) - see yesterday's blog (day 3),
• For all students to understand the content that is being taught to them and know how to apply it to their lives (in whatever stage their in).

Thanks!!!

PNG Easter - Day 3 (of 11)

We only have 2 more days until our training conference starts.

I was talking to the guy sharing my room last night, about how we don't want to be event oriented - instead, we want to be movement oriented.  He said, "you want to do ministry without events?".  I said, "no, we want to focus on helping our students know how share their faith and disciple someone from being a new believer to the point of being able to train others how to train others in ministry - then we use the events to accelerate that.  We have a weekly meeting (called "Splash") that is designed to accelerate the discipleship movement on campus.  And we have this conference to take each student (usually around 65-80 of them) to the next level of leadership.  And having it in the nice hotel (Grand Papua), helps make this weekend significant for the students.  [Thanks for the ministry partners who helped make this possible!]

The T-shirt screen, designed by our staff guys

Every year at this conference we print shirts for everyone that illustrates the theme.  This year's theme is "Splash" (like the name of our weekly meeting).  Each of us is only one person, but we can make a splash that causes ripples to go way beyond the university, and way beyond Papua New Guinea. The back of the shirt says, "In the Stillness of Passivity" - which means that while the world around us is stuck in passivity ("whatever"), we will make a splash ("rock their boat).

Greg painting the wave (the splash)

We all wear our shirts on Saturday when we go down to the beach (5 minute walk from the hotel) and share our faith for almost 2 hours.  Where I'm from, if 80 people came strolling on the beach with the same shirt on, people would run away - but here, it attracts attention and people ask about the shirt.  It also helps the people we talk to know that what we have to say is important because there are so many of us that believe it.

The finished product!  [Greg & Eva]

This afternoon I helped the guys finish painting the shirts.  They did most of the work while I hung them up to dry.

Hey, nice hanging job :-)