New believers, earthquakes and waterfalls.

It’s been a mad few weeks since I last shared my adventures for that I’m sorry. But it has been an action packed few weeks with a trip into the bush to visit a new church, my language assessment and starting my ministry and also the earthquake in Japan.

Firstly no need to panic, the Japanese earthquake didn’t affect us much here but a few other areas where NTM is situated had to be evacuated for a short time but there has been no problems from the tsunami Praise the Lord.

Last Friday I had my first bush trip into a village called Lele, I have been there before but the last time last time I was there was no church and no believers, since then there has been quite a bit of up heavel and the devil has defiantly tried to stop God from planting his church praise God he has not stopped it and a new church is now living and growing. It was totally amazing to

see a new light in the believer’s faces and even more to sing praises with them last Sunday. While I was there the missionary (Dave) who was teaching did a practice lesson before he taught the church as a whole just to check that he was clear and correct on his translation, aI was there was no church and no believers, since then there has been quite a bit of up heavel and the devil has defiantly tried to stop God from planting his church praise God he has not stopped it and a new church is now living and growing. It was totally amazing to see a new light in the believer’s faces and even more to sing praises with them last Sunday. While I was there the missionary (Dave) who was teaching did a practice lesson before he taught the church as a whole just to check that he was clear and correct on his translation, after this one man asked ‘Christ has done so much for us what can we do for him’ Dave was very excited to hear this firstly it meant he understood his message but more than that he was understanding more of God’s grace

and mercy to him. The message was on rom3:20-22, God revealing the truth that we are righteous in Christ by faith in Christ. It’s only our faith in Christ not our works or religion. Works and religion is a major part of their way of life as it is with much of the world, religion blinds us to the simplicity of the Gospel Christ has done all for us, he has paid the price for our sins we are forgiven all we have to do is believe, it’s that simple! Please pray for the people of Lele that more will come to know Christ but also for the people surrounding our centre here they very much need to hear the clear teaching of the Gospel in their own tongue.

Our bush trip began by a 7hour truck drive the first 4or5 hours were on reasonably good roads but the last 20k or so took 2hrs as it was all rough stony roads.
After the truck drive we had a 4hr hike down to river then up to the village we were to live in for the next few days. We arrived safe and sound to Pizza and I shower!
Over the next few days we h

ad a few more hikes to some very beautiful waterfalls in the middle of the jungle. When God mad his creation he made it good even in its fallen state it’s still pretty amazing.

Another person is Alexia she is a young girl with club foot she can get about but with an operation she will never have a normal life please pray that the lord will provide for Alexia.

My language check was the day after I came back from my bush

trip, I will admit to being a bit disappointed whit my result but I think that it was mainly pride that was hurt. I am now at progressing high this means I have 3 more stages before I can begin my ministry full time, right now I’m at the maintaince work about 10hrs a week the rest of the time is spent in language study.

That will do for now again any questions please feel free to drop me an email.

Geoff

language and bush trip

Hi All

Very sorry you haven’t heard from me in a while but my computer decided to quit last Monday and I’m only now getting it up and running. But saying that it’s been nice to read a book without the distractions a computer brings at times. I’m still not fully operational at minute but should be up and running soon, I hope.

This week held a bit of a change for me and I’m sorry I didn’t tell u before about it as I would have valued your prayers on it. This week I had my first week of the ministry I will be doing in the near future, I was working on the grounds of the centre here. This held many challenges from being a boss to landscaper. Being a boss I had to deal with time keeping and people not showing up, training new staff and much more. I have to admit the Lord was good he gave me much grace through it all and allowed me to make some mistakes but also help sort them. It was also a good break from language and gave me an idea what I will be up against when I begin my new ministry.

As for language my next big challenge is the 15^th of march next Wednesday when I have my next language check, this one seems to be a bit bigger than the others as I would like to be able to start putting paragraphs together. To do this I need to get the tenses and personal pronouns right for example:

I went to town yesterday - mi bin go long taun asde

mi = me, ol= a lot of people or them or they, mipela = we, us not included the person you are talking too – mipela i go pinis asde = we went yesterday

Bin= been, past tense (bai = future tense)

Just to give u a wee idea what I’m up against, it’s not too hard but fitting it all in and remembering to put it in is a bit of a challenge.

Before I do my language check I get my first full on bush trip into Lae Lae this is a village in the middle of the jungle its part of the Mengan people group. I have been here before but it was a long time ago. We will leave on Friday morning, taking a truck as far as we can then it’s a 2 or 3 hour hike through the jungle to Lae Lae.
The last time I was in this village there was no established church now there is a growing church so I’m excited to see the difference.

Please pray for our truck trip and hike on Friday then back out on Tuesday the following week.
For the guys I will be working with in CMA (centre maintence) Mikel, Joshua and Joshua these are 3 national guys, I’m not sure if they are saved but pray I have good opportunities to build friendships.
For my language check and for my learning up to that point that I can get good chances to learn.

Praise for Gods goodness to me and my family at home they all seem to be doing well apart from my brother who cut the tendons in his finger so he is in a cast for a few weeks.
For the chance to go bush even for a few days and see a tribal church in action.

Thank You all for your prayers and support

Geoff