Prayer Requests and Diane’s Christmas Letter

Dear friends,

In addition to a few prayer requests, this time you get to enjoy Diane’s two-page Christmas letter. The girls and I respect her more each year for her fun sense of humor and selfless service. She taught many classes for women this year, and I never hear the end of how good the classes are. Another significant part of Diane’s year was a very serious bronchitis, which we think may have resulted from her chronic allergies. The good news is that we since installed an air conditioner and it really seems to have reduced her allergies to a manageable level. And if you want to keep up with our family more often, especially the funny side, friend Diane on Facebook. (You can friend me too but it won’t be as rewarding.)Prayer Requests:

• Four of our best church leaders who had no jobs have agreed to start working together in a small woodworking business. They have gone through a short training phase and are working toward their first sale. It is wonderful to see them working hard and growing closer to each other at the same time, but pray for them (and me) because starting a new business is always very difficult.
• We completed the year-long series of training classes and booklets that the present leaders can use to train others. Of course, training never ends, but next year we will focus on less formal methods of training, methods that focus on action rather than class work.
• Pray for three who have been recently baptized: Benson, Leticia, and Saul.
• One of the house churches we work with (Sineada) is putting the finishing touches on a thatched building which will probably be used not only for them but also to host a monthly combined service of three or four house churches in their area. Thank God for their willingness to work hard and to give generously.

DianeChristmas2011

Less Is More

Last month I was challenged as I read the thoughts of a missionary in Africa suggesting that if leaders-in-training have less short-term learning (and more doing) they will become more effective. He said, “I would not move on to another lesson until I saw understanding and application. Takes longer, but what’s the point if they don’t use it, right?”

I believe there is some biblical wisdom in his words. I read about Jesus sending disciples to do work and then listening to their reports. I see the apostle Paul doing the same thing, and his letters have affirmation for the good works people have done and advice for their areas of failure.

I felt nervous about how much this might slow down my training program, but with prayer I decided to try it. Most of my trainees have children, so my first goal was to see them training their children as they should. (As 1 Tim. 3:5 says, “if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he care for the church of God?)

(This is a camp photograph that includes a number of the trainees and their children.)

For two and a half weekly training classes we talked exclusively about the training of children, and then (after talking to another advisor) I started to mix in some other training topics while continuing to ask them about their children.

They are not exactly doing everything I hoped for, but I am learning to accept that their way of obeying God may be different than mine. For example, I had hoped that they would all start or continue a daily habit of reading the Bible to their children and asking their children questions about it, but as it turns out, most are adopting a weekly schedule that includes Bible readings on one or two days a week. I am glad for the progress, and I don’t want to become a controlling type of mentor, so I think I will just be thankful for the weekly habit and soon move on to the next foundational practice. Please pray for continued progress.

Other prayer requests follow:

• Joel and Chris did an excellent job with the town church while Craig Ford and his family were away, but they are very thankful to have the Fords back again for another six months (as am I). The town members are also looking forward to having the help of their paid minister John Kirarata and his family who are just completing an extra year of training in another province. They should be back by late September.
• Seven members are attending a national church camp this week–a long way from here. Three of them were sponsored by local house churches. The house churches did not pay the full amount, but it was good to see many of them giving more sacrificially than ever before–and apparently without jealous arguments.
• Please keep praying for marriages, including Robert and Dina, Joel and Elva, Chris and Melva, Henry and Gertrude, and others. Robert and Dina look like they will be separated (but not divorced) within a week or two if things don’t get better. Pray also for the stress levels of these individuals.
• Stress is on my mind because of a good book Diane and I are reading together called Adrenaline and Stress (by A. Hart). We are learning to care for ourselves better, which is important as Diane is still recovering from pneumonia. Please pray that her healing will be complete soon.
• In our family worship times, we have started allowing our daughters to teach each other from time to time, and it is going well. Pray for them as they wrestle with questions of faith.

 

First Short Course

Remember that Baptist we talked about two years ago? Not John the Baptist. Not a member of a Baptist convention. I mean the man named Baptist that was attacked in front of me for his faith in Christ. Pictures (from July 2009) are still on my blog.

In July, he and his family came to town for the first time for a customized week of study. I would have had a hard time taking a week “off” to host them, but I prayed and hoped that this would be a chance for my more advanced students to practice both teaching and hospitality.

My prayers were answered. Gabriel and Dorothy graciously kept them every night, even though they are not related at all. And a variety of our more mature Christians taught them. Here is the schedule:

 

Wednesday a.m.: Robert taught on Ephesians

Wednesday p.m.: Ephraim taught on how to study the Bible

Thursday a.m.: Wesley taught on the Great Commission

Thursday p.m.: Layne taught on Nehemiah, Joseph, and being made holy

Friday a.m.: Gabriel taught on discipline, Lord’s Supper

Friday p.m.: Susan taught women how to show love and I taught Baptist on covenants

Sunday a.m.: Joel taught on personal habits

Sunday p.m.: Chris taught on effective evangelism

Monday: Gabriel, Robert, and I did wrap up teachings.

Baptist’s wife Noris cried for joy a number of times during the week. Wendy, her sister, was baptized on Sunday. Baptist said he was greatly inspired, learning many new things, and feeling equipped for months of continued ministry. And those who taught them felt a new sense of how God could use them as a team for training other workers.

 

Other prayer requests follow:

• We are enjoying my parents’ visit! They’ll be flying out early next week.
• Marriages are still struggling, and with them their house churches: Robert and Dina, Henry and Gertrude, and others.
• Pray against discouragement in the churches.
• Pray for rapid multiplication of the kind of churches that God knows this region needs.

Older Women To Help Younger Women

The bad news is that a leading young woman in the town church is pregnant out of wedlock, and she blames herself. The good news is how people are dealing with it. As usual the Christians are helping her with appropriate counseling, and in addition they are addressing the larger problem. Until now, motivated young women like her were encouraged to lead their peers, but the other local women gave them little mentoring. But now the church has mobilized a team of strong female Christians to care for the girls and young women. I believe they plan to meet regularly as a team to pray and plan for the girls, and also individually to spend time with key girls, talking and praying about temptations that they are facing. Pray that they will do this with God’s power!

(Pictured is one of the stronger Christians, Anne, washing the feet of teenager Naomi in a class Anne taught earlier this year.)

More prayer requests follow:

• Pray for the three that gave their lives to Christ in June: Rebecca, Simon, and Linsy (a man).
• The interns have left and we really miss them. It was good to have them in our lives for those 5 weeks. Thanks to God for answered prayers.
• We also feel a little lonely without our North American teammates. We’re fine, but do say a prayer for us. My parents come for a short visit in August and then Craig and Jeri come back for about 6 or 7 months (until about March 2012). We enjoyed having Leslie here for a couple of weeks this past month.
• The second quarter of the new training program is complete. A highlight for me is that Joel, one of the students, has made extra efforts recently to share what he’s learned with the town church. Thanks for continued prayers! We cancelled our appointments for this week to rest before the next quarter begins.
• I hesitate to report improvements that are so unstable that they may reverse at any moment, but then again, that’s what prayer requests are for. In addition to the fragile new church I’ve mentioned recently, organized by Robert and Roy, there is now another even more fragile church organized by a new Christian, Henry, and supported by his mentor Ephraim. It’s not something to submit to a directory of churches yet, but please pray for the Christians and communities involved in these efforts. Please pray especially for the faith of the leaders when they face discouragement and domestic problems.

Troop Surge

A Snapshot from Marcus Reese (with Diane, Hannah, Hadassah, Rochelle, and Faith) in Alotau, Papua New Guinea

Harding University thought they couldn’t find us any interns this year, and it is just as well because five of their interns were headed for a part of Africa that became unstable, so all five suddenly decided to come here instead. You can see them in the picture.

Jordan is the male intern, who is staying in our house. He is a big manly guy, and when our toddler Faith said, “Jordan is my sister,” she was pleasantly surprised to find that she had made a funny joke. She has never had a brother, so I think she meant that Jordan already feels like part of the family.

The kids also love the four female interns: Auburn, Erin, Samantha and Tessa, who are staying at the Ford’s house with a local Christian “dorm mother,” Susan.

All the interns got off to a good start. They have already been teaching, doing research, learning language, and shadowing at the hospital, and they’ve only been here for a few days. Pray that their five weeks will be great for them and for the work here.

More prayer requests follow:

• In an earlier report I mentioned “rats, tooth problems, ticks on the dogs, and a broken washing machine.” Let us give thanks that all of these have been resolved! We found and blocked the rats’ entrance, Diane took Rochelle to Australia for dental work (with financial help from a friend), we received effective medicines for the dog’s ticks (from another friend), and the needed part came in for the washing machine. Thank you for your prayers and love. God is good.
• The Fords are away for four months (April-August), after which they plan to return for about six months. Leslie Williams is scheduled to arrive here on Saturday for a short visit. Please pray for all of them–and for us while they’re away.
• Evangelism was slow during April and May. Please pray for that. I find it hard to get out with new people as much as I used to, partly due to the lack of missionaries, the needs of the churches and training program, and now interns. I have been encouraging the Christians to do more on their own. Please pray that they will.
• Pray for Wesley Eyasi, who was baptized in May.
• Diane is doing a new weekly class for some women out of town–a wonderful and needed ministry. Pray that she will not be too stretched! The kids have had a spurt of birthdays, so they are now 11, 9, 6, and 3! Please pray for our family, especially that we will be pleasing to God.