I can’t even explain what God does during our short medical visits. On another trip, we were stopped by tribal warriors, armed in full ammunition with spears, bows, and arrows, and they delayed us for a whole hour.
People here live in extreme poverty and that breaks our hearts, repeatedly. We see the eyes of the blind. The eyes of the sick. The eyes of the poor, the widows, and orphans. The woman’s eyes, whose husband’s hand was cut off. The deaf, paralyzed, broken bones, and broken hearts all look at me. The white woman, of course, she knows. Certainly, she will help. In their eyes, I see pain, hope, and a desperate cry for someone who can tell them they are loved. They are found and not forgotten. And even if I can’t “fix” everyone and everything, in the end, ultimately, I can love them and I will. I will climb one more mountain. I will sit with them in the dust, in the mud, under the rain. Yes, we give food, medicine, and seeds, but the most that we give is the love and heart of Christ. Thank you to everyone who makes this possible!
On the weekends we were able to hold a youth convention from all our subsidiary’s churches. Over 100 people who were up to 20 years old gathered to worship the Lord together and study His Word. We were able to provide three meals a day and prizes for sports achievements, and thanks to your prayers, many of them used the time to repent. So happy to see the youth, who voluntarily got up at 4 am without reminders, for prayer and worship! Let the fire which they undoubtedly carry away to their villages, that will not fade, but will grow! Thanks to you, we were able to visit the tribal victims of the wars in the village of Atuka and Anditapa and evangelize.
We also blessed especially needy families who have lost literally everything – with shovels, axes, mattresses, and other necessary things to start life over from scratch. We saw many repentances. In that area, there are no evangelical churches, and people are very hungry for the Word of God, so we decided to send pastor Matthias and his family to live here permanently and minister here. Lord willing, we plan to buy a piece of land and start building a house of prayer in Atuka/Anditapa region in very soon.
Here is how we live: waking up, getting the kids to school, quiet time with God, and then work work work. Close to the afternoon I remember that I had no breakfast, I hastily swallow my coffee with one hand keep typing the alphabet for preschoolers with the other. Outside I hear a fight, I suspect our kids Michael and Feli, who love to tease each other. But it turns out, it’s not them – the noise comes from the fact that the time has come for the pastor’s wife to give birth. All hospitals in the area closed due to covid, so I skipped the coffee almost knocked down Feli on the way, yelling into the void, hoping someone will hear me: “Boil water and bring towels!”
This experience is the second time in my life being a midwife, it was beautiful and literally half an hour later I hold hands smiled at the chubby baby, which was named Caleb. Pray for our Senior Pastor Joshua and his wife Jill who gave birth to three beautiful children and never complains about the schedule of the ministry, nor about their living conditions. Thanks to everyone who prays and supports our ministry in Papua New Guinea.
Living and raising children in the jungle is not an easy task, I’ll tell you but we try to be not “correct” but “real”. We include them in conversations discussing everything as it is. Recently I was talking with our teenager Matthew. We discussed our upcoming trip home. I have for the millionth time described the snow they will finally see, a McDonalds which they can again
visit and many more other things that my little Papuans already have forgotten after many years of life in the jungle.
I told them that in Ukraine, we will visit many churches and most likely they will be bored listening to the same story hundred-thousandth of times, but they should try to be quiet (to which Matthew stated that he can handle it easily until it’s time to eat.)
And then I said: “Children, you know, nobody us will understand us. Some will admire the way missionaries live, others will condemn us as parents that we took our children’s childhood away. You will ask and you will need to answer the most stupid and serious questions. In the world of white people its not that easy. There are certain rules how you should be dressed and how and when you should talk”. I know life on a mission is not easy. But you know what? This life is the most real life.
I return in my mind to our trip to the island Norman Bay is just a few weeks ago. The water around this island is so stormy that a motorboat, on which we came just couldn’t dock to the shore. We spent 2 weeks there, and it was always raining. There is no electricity here, no stores, no roads, and the only first-aid station closed last year due to tribal war.
There are several churches and but the pastors of these “churches” smoke, drink, practice witchcraft and fight among themselves, they live cut off from the whole world and are in constant fear about evil spirits. We left this island since the time had come return to “Promise Land”, but my heart hurts about those people who stayed at the Norman Bay, without having hope for the future.
Yes, we spent a lot work there and thank God for tens (maybe even one hundred) of converters, but this is long not enough. For the first time in my life, our vision, “one more soul for Jesus ” seems so insignificant compared to the huge need here.
Greetings from the province Milne Bay where we are we have been for almost 3 weeks preaching from home to home, from island to island (there is around 600 island). And people here are waiting not only for their discoverers but also, much more important for the Gospel.
There are almost no churches, and people must walk through the jungle 3-4 hours to get to the ministry. Therefore, many, especially old people, are not able to do it. This means that the gospel is needed to be carried from home to home. During such visits, we have the opportunity to give each family member time and pray for everyone. The gospel is often accepted by the whole family. Many repent, old and young, the whole houses and families.
A few days ago, one woman repented during the service. We prayed for her, and she invited us to her home (a few hours walk from the church, no road, no cars). On the next day, during visits, we shared with her family by the Word of God and her husband, her whole family, and even a few neighbors accepted Christ as their Lord and savior! God is good! We pray for more great saved lives!
