Tuesday is an important day for the future of the ministry among the Mesem. While we can never know God's reasons for allowing specific things to occur, we do see how God has used challenges to redirect and to bring together the Mesem in a way that previous has no occurred. Jerry Jacob, the area director for Oceania in AGWM, will be with Neil and Giegere Wenge, Director of Education for the Lutheran Seminary and a long time friend, as the three travel to Hobu to address the ministry of Bible translation and Bible teaching among the Mesem. They are "wanbel" as is said in PNG: they are of one heart and one mind concerning the Lord Jesus and the ministry in which we are working.
The Mesem area has traditionally had just one church, which is Lutheran. More recently, Mesem speakers who have moved to town have joined Assembly of God churches. This has caused friction due mostly to different "misunderstandings" of the gospel. To see the leadership of the two churches stand together in prayer for the Mesem, for us, and for the translation of the New Testament and the continuation of the Bible Correspondence Program is a powerful statement.
Please join us in prayer that all that occurs, brings glory to Jesus.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Photographs and Memories
Today's photos did wonders for me. I confess, I was down about the truck, Wayung's continued oppression and the loss of the wallet and contents. Neil has come through a great deal and loves the rain forest and the people and the land. He finds these other hassles a necessary part of life, and indeed it is. I am a bit slower to rebound, as I find, after many years, I am very tired. At times I have asked, "Could we possibly have an uneventful time?".
So when Neil sent the photos this morning from the capital of PNG, I was really thrilled. I saw our house in the village. Tony was raised there. We tackled home schooling together there. I had the "joy" of skinning my first sheep there. I guess it has been the place of a many "firsts" and many tired and difficult evenings and many nights of saying, "God I thought I knew you but know I have seen you face to face". I would be poorer had I never lived in Samanzing.
I hope as you have the time, you will go to the photo gallery at www.vanaria.org or www.vanaria.info and look at the pictures of the people for whom you have prayed, and given and participated in giving the gospel not only to them but to their children, and should He tarry, to their children's children's children.
If you ever get time, do read Elizabeth Elliot's book No Graven Image. I believe it is the truest missionary book every written. It's supposed to be a novel, but anyone who has lived the life can tell you that she expresses there what so many of us feel, but which often is left out of books that require that the ends be neatly tied together. Nothing is neatly tied together in life. Jesus death was not neat. It astounds, confuses and offends. To those who choose to embrace His sacrifice, it also saves.
To pull together my thoughts: those closest to us realize that the last several years have been a painful and at times nonsensical journey. The unbelievable has been believed, the outrageous has occurred and when we cried out for help, it has seemed that God did not answer in the way we would have anticipated, but brought us along a new path. But when I look at the photos of the places we have lived, and to which, Lord willing, we shall again soon return, then I realize that the entire picture is so grand, involves so many people, and like most things of an eternal and perfect nature, doesn't make perfect sense from a mortal, finite perspective. But if Christ would have died to save just one, then for me, and thee and all of these, it is worth it.
Photographs are a wonderful thing. They let us visualize what we know in our heart.
So when Neil sent the photos this morning from the capital of PNG, I was really thrilled. I saw our house in the village. Tony was raised there. We tackled home schooling together there. I had the "joy" of skinning my first sheep there. I guess it has been the place of a many "firsts" and many tired and difficult evenings and many nights of saying, "God I thought I knew you but know I have seen you face to face". I would be poorer had I never lived in Samanzing.
I hope as you have the time, you will go to the photo gallery at www.vanaria.org or www.vanaria.info and look at the pictures of the people for whom you have prayed, and given and participated in giving the gospel not only to them but to their children, and should He tarry, to their children's children's children.
If you ever get time, do read Elizabeth Elliot's book No Graven Image. I believe it is the truest missionary book every written. It's supposed to be a novel, but anyone who has lived the life can tell you that she expresses there what so many of us feel, but which often is left out of books that require that the ends be neatly tied together. Nothing is neatly tied together in life. Jesus death was not neat. It astounds, confuses and offends. To those who choose to embrace His sacrifice, it also saves.
To pull together my thoughts: those closest to us realize that the last several years have been a painful and at times nonsensical journey. The unbelievable has been believed, the outrageous has occurred and when we cried out for help, it has seemed that God did not answer in the way we would have anticipated, but brought us along a new path. But when I look at the photos of the places we have lived, and to which, Lord willing, we shall again soon return, then I realize that the entire picture is so grand, involves so many people, and like most things of an eternal and perfect nature, doesn't make perfect sense from a mortal, finite perspective. But if Christ would have died to save just one, then for me, and thee and all of these, it is worth it.
Photographs are a wonderful thing. They let us visualize what we know in our heart.
Monday, November 17, 2008
In Neil's Own Words
Here are some excerpts from Neil's email that gives some summary of the events of the past few weeks. I have shortened some sentences and added explanatory notes so if it's in black, then I edited it for explanation. I deleted information that really wouldn't make sense unless one lives there.
In the morning - while at Lae I went out to get a coffee & some window cleaner for the truck. One of our kinsmen from the governor's family was watching the truck while I was at Samanzing; he had his family and while on the way back from getting the coffee and window cleaner the rear drive shaft came mostly off. Fortunately, there were wrenches behind the back seat of the truck and I was able to remove the remaining u-joint, pick up the shaft from along the side of the road and using the front wheel drive only, get myself back to the Lae G/H in time for my bus to Nadzab.
Once I sort out the wallet issue (missing a large sum, credit cards, licenses), I'll figure out what to do with the truck.
Joel "had a psychotic episode" after about 4 days. Actually, he started slipping off after two days and by day three Dick decided to chain his feet together. That was the morning after Joel came up the the house around 1:00 AM and slammed the door so hard I thought it would break. At the first crash I woke from a sound sleep and jumped to my feet - from out of the sleeping bag - ready to fight whoever was coming in. By the third strike of the door I realized it was Joel. So I did nothing - absolutely nothing. I did not get back into bed, I did not take a step, I did not sit or kneel, I didn't even check the time of night as I was thinking any sign of life from inside the house would only encourage him. Eventually he wandered off.
He spent the rest of the time hobbled; his feet tie together with a chain. It was pretty sad, but Mungnga Dick is pretty sympathetic. He feels like satan is purposely attacking Joel simply because no one did more for the community than Joel. At least it was nice to hear someone say something nice about Joel.
My speech at Ogao, Bilima, Hobo & Samanzing went pretty well. Every one seems sympathetic. Most people think it is a good idea for Jerry to come and also tell the story. Dick explained people are just glad we will be coming back. He said - and Yangga too - that people had been bothering them since last June asking if we really intended to come back.
(We have never been gone for a full year and it has now been 15 months since they last saw us. That was still within the recovery period of Neil's accident.)
People also seem to universally like the idea of having the NT completed by 2011. I asked Dick what he thought he might do once we were done and he said he wanted to teach people about what the Bible says. He gave me - for you, because you lead Bible studies, a diagram he drew on his own based on Hebrews comparing the world before and after the birth of Christ. It's pretty interesting.
Yangga reports the big issue at the last parish conference - last December - was adult literacy. So may be something is there. This is very positive, as it indicates they would help themselves in terms of teaching adults to read. We have prepared the material ages ago and it is ready for them and would help us continue our focus on completing the scriptures in the next couple of years and providing Bible teaching as well.
So all in all, all has gone pretty well. It really felt good rolling through those epistles.
Once I sort out the wallet issue (missing a large sum, credit cards, licenses), I'll figure out what to do with the truck.
Joel "had a psychotic episode" after about 4 days. Actually, he started slipping off after two days and by day three Dick decided to chain his feet together. That was the morning after Joel came up the the house around 1:00 AM and slammed the door so hard I thought it would break. At the first crash I woke from a sound sleep and jumped to my feet - from out of the sleeping bag - ready to fight whoever was coming in. By the third strike of the door I realized it was Joel. So I did nothing - absolutely nothing. I did not get back into bed, I did not take a step, I did not sit or kneel, I didn't even check the time of night as I was thinking any sign of life from inside the house would only encourage him. Eventually he wandered off.
He spent the rest of the time hobbled; his feet tie together with a chain. It was pretty sad, but Mungnga Dick is pretty sympathetic. He feels like satan is purposely attacking Joel simply because no one did more for the community than Joel. At least it was nice to hear someone say something nice about Joel.
My speech at Ogao, Bilima, Hobo & Samanzing went pretty well. Every one seems sympathetic. Most people think it is a good idea for Jerry to come and also tell the story. Dick explained people are just glad we will be coming back. He said - and Yangga too - that people had been bothering them since last June asking if we really intended to come back.
(We have never been gone for a full year and it has now been 15 months since they last saw us. That was still within the recovery period of Neil's accident.)
People also seem to universally like the idea of having the NT completed by 2011. I asked Dick what he thought he might do once we were done and he said he wanted to teach people about what the Bible says. He gave me - for you, because you lead Bible studies, a diagram he drew on his own based on Hebrews comparing the world before and after the birth of Christ. It's pretty interesting.
Yangga reports the big issue at the last parish conference - last December - was adult literacy. So may be something is there. This is very positive, as it indicates they would help themselves in terms of teaching adults to read. We have prepared the material ages ago and it is ready for them and would help us continue our focus on completing the scriptures in the next couple of years and providing Bible teaching as well.
So all in all, all has gone pretty well. It really felt good rolling through those epistles.
The walk out of the village was not as bad as I was anticipating. I spent a night at Bilima on the way out. So last Saturday I was there and told them our whole story; and our plan to finish by 2011. In the morning I shared a message at church. And in the afternoon I finished walking out to Hobu. I was a little slower than in the past, but not by much. Yannga helped up Bung Mountain; he carried the computer up for me. But from there on - the next four hours it was just me and all my gear.
Everyone in the Mesem world sends you there morning, mid-day, afternoon and night. (There should learn a faster to way to 'say hi'. That means they told him to say oluga-gasiga- mbuga) They seem to be kind of impressed that you got ordained. (I had been a licensed minister for about 24 years-obviously, I make decisions slowly). They were all anxious to hear Tony stories. They have no doubt that he is taller than me as they feel like he takes after you. But they all agree that he will be like me in one important way. When I tap the top of my head and say he'll look like me later, everyone laughs and so far no one has disagreed.
Well, I am counting days now. Two weeks from today I am on the plane home. It is still much too far away and I am trying just to focus on each leg that remains, 5 days POM, 4 or 5 days Lae, then Ukarumpa, then back to Port Moresby, then I'm outta here.
Will write soon. (I'll send some pics, too)
Neil Arrives in Port Moresby
After a long weekend of waiting for news, an email came through this AM that Neil has safely arrived in Port Morseby (aka "POM") to meet Jerry Jacob, the Oceania director and our news boss. Jerry is a wonderful guy who works in Fiji with his wife Karen and has spent many years on the mission field in settings similar to ours.
Neil's arrival occasions a further prayer request for a misplaced valuable that would be the cause of some significant logistical concerns. (How's that for oblique wording?) He was trying to see if he could recover the item and so had little time to write and update on the rest of his time with the Mesem.
Now that Neil and Jerry and in POM, they will be meeting with church leadership on the national level and then fly to Morobe Province to do the same. Phil and Kim Rojak, who have long served in Melanesia but will be serving their first term in PNG, will be heading out in May, Lord willing, and Jerry will be looking at the ministry opportunities and well and the settings in which our two families will be working. Phil is a nurse by profession and Kim is gifted in compassion ministries and their experience and expertise will be a great blessing.
I anticipate hearing more from Neil today and will be able to report on the rest of the time with the Mesem and how God has answered in recovering the item we are praying about.
Neil's arrival occasions a further prayer request for a misplaced valuable that would be the cause of some significant logistical concerns. (How's that for oblique wording?) He was trying to see if he could recover the item and so had little time to write and update on the rest of his time with the Mesem.
Now that Neil and Jerry and in POM, they will be meeting with church leadership on the national level and then fly to Morobe Province to do the same. Phil and Kim Rojak, who have long served in Melanesia but will be serving their first term in PNG, will be heading out in May, Lord willing, and Jerry will be looking at the ministry opportunities and well and the settings in which our two families will be working. Phil is a nurse by profession and Kim is gifted in compassion ministries and their experience and expertise will be a great blessing.
I anticipate hearing more from Neil today and will be able to report on the rest of the time with the Mesem and how God has answered in recovering the item we are praying about.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Far Side of the Moon
When I was a kid I was fascinated by the space program and like most Americans, there was not a single space mission that we did not follow with anxious anticipation. It was always a tense time when the astronauts would circle the moon and for a period of time it was not possible to have any radio contact with earth.
I jokingly refer to Neil's current situation as being "on the far side of the moon". It is always hard to explain that even in this day and age of cell phones and email, there are places in the world where it is not possible to send or receive a message short of a human being physically carrying the message from one point to another. So it is that as of last week, Neil has been incommunicado with us and will remain so until he emerges from the Mesem area in two weeks time.
This is a good picture of what it means to bring the gospel to people everywhere. While radio and TV and cell phones are marvelous things, God came to us personally, in the flesh. He went in person, touching, reaching, living amongst us to communicate with us on a personal level. He came down and spoke to us face to face. Bringing the gospel to all people everywhere still requires that some of those who bring the message go to places that are otherwise unreachable, and bring the Good News that God longs to be reconciled to us.
We appreciate your love and prayers while Neil is in a place where we can not get word of his well being and we appreciate all the more that Jesus came in the flesh to seek us out and to enter into our world to tell us He longs for us to return home to Him.
I jokingly refer to Neil's current situation as being "on the far side of the moon". It is always hard to explain that even in this day and age of cell phones and email, there are places in the world where it is not possible to send or receive a message short of a human being physically carrying the message from one point to another. So it is that as of last week, Neil has been incommunicado with us and will remain so until he emerges from the Mesem area in two weeks time.
This is a good picture of what it means to bring the gospel to people everywhere. While radio and TV and cell phones are marvelous things, God came to us personally, in the flesh. He went in person, touching, reaching, living amongst us to communicate with us on a personal level. He came down and spoke to us face to face. Bringing the gospel to all people everywhere still requires that some of those who bring the message go to places that are otherwise unreachable, and bring the Good News that God longs to be reconciled to us.
We appreciate your love and prayers while Neil is in a place where we can not get word of his well being and we appreciate all the more that Jesus came in the flesh to seek us out and to enter into our world to tell us He longs for us to return home to Him.
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