This month our team had the opportunity to serve and share the Gospel at one of the largest schools in the region! The school is called Markham Valley Secondary School — it is the only school in the Markham Valley, and about 1,500 high school students study there, all of whom need Jesus. We were invited by our old friend, Pastor James, who now serves as a local pastor there, and we were very happy to spend time with the youth and share songs, dances (of course — how could we not in Papua New Guinea!), and most importantly, the Word of God.
As a result, many young people came forward in repentance and decided to fully dedicate their lives to the Lord. We praise God for this fruit and hope to make our visits to Markham Valley more regular — starting with a series of deeper seminars and, in the near future, organizing discipleship groups on the school campus — first among the leaders and teachers, and then among the students. Please pray for the successful development of this ministry.
We’ve just returned from a trip to the village of Mondomil, located in the mountainous Jiwaka Province. The journey takes 6–8 hours from our home — depending on how badly the roads have been washed out, whether there are bandits along the way, or if the mountain pass is closed. But praise the Lord — He blessed our journey, and we were able to travel there and back safely! Over the course of three days, we were able to:
Hold 4 evangelistic services
Provide medical assistance and an eye clinic
Host children’s and youth programs
Perform skits and creative Gospel presentations
Show the classic but powerful film “Jesus”, which becomes even more impactful when the Papuans hear it in their native language. The Lord performed many miracles during this trip — but the greatest of all was the people who accepted Him into their hearts. One of our pastors, who is originally from this region, felt a strong calling from the Lord to return to Mondomil in July — this time with his wife and three children — to continue ministry there. His plan is to begin with discipleship groups and gradually work toward planting a new church in the village. May the Lord bless this new beginning!
April began with the festive opening of a preschool in the village of Asas, at the Promise Land Church. As we’ve mentioned before, our vision for the near future is for every one of our daughter churches to have both an adult school and a preschool. In 2025, thanks to your support, we were able to open preschools in the villages of Asas, Obura, and Mamarai. In the photo, you can see our preschoolers in Asas and their classroom — inside and out.
The Lord used a team from the First Ukrainian Baptist Church of Seattle and the Korean Community in Texas to fully fund the construction of the church building and preschool in the village of Obura. For the village of Asas, no sponsors could be found, but the local residents got involved and did their best to build classrooms using available materials — bamboo and a thatched roof. They are currently working on constructing an additional classroom because the existing ones can’t accommodate all the children.
If the Lord is stirring your heart to help with this project, please let us know. The preschool is a tremendous blessing for the village!
Four hours in a motorboat under the 40-degree sun — not a cloud in the sky, and my skin is instantly frying despite an absurd amount of sunscreen. For the hundredth time, I adjust the cap on Miroslava, while Matvey quietly munches on an octopus. And where’s Zhenya? Where else — of course, he’s preaching to the boat’s helmsman.
Our life is a whirlwind! And the ability not only to survive the mission field but to enjoy it — that’s one of the key skills in a missionary’s life. Because “ministry” doesn’t end on Sunday afternoon, nor is it limited to “three points” and a call to repentance.
This month, we decided to take a (so-called) vacation — since the kids had a two-week Easter break. But the “vacation” unexpectedly turned into a full-scale evangelistic outreach, with many salvations and the revival of a traditional Lutheran community in the island town of Finschhafen.
“You will be My witnesses” goes far beyond a carefully crafted sermon. Worship is more than just a song, and evangelism is the willingness to preach at any moment!
At the beginning of February, we held a training session for kindergarten teachers! It was a great joy for me to teach on the topic “A Community Built on Love”, while our team of teachers from Promise Land eagerly joined in, leading seminars on “The Heart of a Teacher,” “The Value of a Child,” “Lesson Planning,” “Teamwork,” and many other topics.
As a result, two weeks flew by like a single day! On graduation day, many, with tears in their eyes, thanked the Lord and us for this incredible opportunity to gain so many practical skills.
Our big vision is for every Promise Land church (and there are six of them, as a reminder) to have its own kindergarten—not only to teach children literacy but also to reach their parents with the Gospel! This year, we plan to open three such kindergartens in the villages of Obura, Mamarai, and Asas.
Just a week after the training, the first-ever Christian kindergarten in the district was launched in Obura and Mamarai! Please pray for the children and the newly trained teachers, that they may successfully apply the knowledge they have gained.
This year, we plan to open two more schools at our sister churches in Asas and Mamarai. Please pray that God will call dedicated, born-again believers to carry out this ministry.
Next week, we will be holding a teacher training session, gathering brothers and sisters from our sister churches. Although the training lasts only two weeks, we hope that during this time, the teachers will gain a solid foundation to build upon in their future work with children. Please pray that the Lord opens their hearts and minds to receive the material.
Meanwhile, our kindergarten in Yonki will reopen next week. We are eagerly awaiting the return of our 5- and 6-year-olds, as well as welcoming a new group of little Papuan children who have just turned four. Please pray for an engaging and fruitful school year.
God is also opening another church, Promise Land, in the village of Himarata. If you thought Obura was remote, it takes another two hours of hiking through the mountains to reach Himarata—there’s no road for cars. As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news”, not the wheels of their cars!
