Visa!

After over a year of waiting, we received word that Elizabeth Ellinghausen has received her visa (or at least it has reached the PNG embassy in Washington, D.C.). That is exciting as it means that we will have another teacher for Joy Christian School. We are finishing 3^{rd quarter in a couple weeks, but Lord willing, she will be here for the start of 4th quarter. Tiffany Parks, a present short termer, will be leaving at the end of this school year, so we still are in need of more teachers. Nevertheless, it is great to see the firstfruits, so to speak. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, if this a ministry you think the Lord might have you be involved in, even for a short term, please communicate your interest with GFA.}

In other news, my house continues to progress. The interior walls are all in place, most of the ceilings are completed (although not in place yet), and ladies from the church have been pulling the long grass that will be used to make the roof.

We have also begun a Read Write School for men. Our previous school was for women and children as the teacher was a woman and it would not be appropriate in this culture for a woman to teach adult men (especially since there is a devotional at the start of each day's lesson). There are two fairly new believers from our church taking the class so that they can read the Bible for themselves. Silas, one of our national preachers, is teaching the class.

Thanks so much for your prayers. Please continue to remember Elizabeth as she prepares to leave the US, as well as the other ministries here.

Progress

 

Sorry for not posting last week. My email service shut down for a server upgrade and did not start working again until the end of the week. (Therefore if you have sent me an email and not gotten a reply, that's probably why.)

The church didn't end up going on the mission trip that was planned for last week. We got word from some folks from the planned destination asking us to delay a bit so the trip has been rescheduled for May 25^{th- 28th. Please continue to pray for the Lord's preparation of hearts in the Gono area.}

Thank you for your prayers for the children of our church. A number of made professions in the last several weeks, with three just this Sunday. Please pray for their spiritual growth and complete understanding.

My house continues to develop. Phase 1 (or Block 1 as my national "general contractors" dubbed it) was completed on Saturday. That means that the support posts are in the ground and cemented, the floor joists are in, both interior and exterior walls are framed, the woven mat outside walls are all in place, and the woven bamboo floor is also in place. I am thrilled with how fast the project is progressing and the quality of the work being done. I really feel that the house is already opening up more contact with the nationals as I usually talk to a number of folks even on my daily walk to check the house progress.

Thanks once again for your payers for us. I can never express to you what a difference that they make.

Mission Trip

I started discipleship classes with some of the recently saved teens this week. I had given them the books about ten days before so that they could do the first study and then we met and discussed it. I ended up with four girls – Lynn, Jaunika, Jocelyn, and Ellie. Three of them have been saved within the last couple months and Lynn has been saved about two years. She had started a discipleship class before but never finished. All the girls had done their lessons and learned the memory verse. Please pray that they will continue to be faithful and grow in their Christian walk.

The church is planning a mission trip for next week. They will be walking for a day, then spending three nights in this new area, then walking back. I am interested in going, but, as I went on the last church mission trip, I want to make sure that I don't take the place of a national who really wants to go. This area is one that we have burdened for for some time. It includes the home village of Alice (the wife of one of the national preachers and also my clinic helper). Please pray that the Lord will go before and prepare receptive hearts to the message of the gospel.