Thursday, July 23, 2009

Will someone tell us too?

Come and See

Two weeks ago fellow NTM Madang region missionaries Daniel and Elizabeth Moore came out of their tribal location to share what God has done through the preaching of the Gospel.  After sharing in English, he sent out an invitation to all of our Papua New Guinea citizen workers on our support center here to hear the same report in Melanesian Pidgin.  Many of these workers have been working for New Tribes Mission aiding our missionaries by preparing supplies and processing paperwork for decades, however very rarely have they had a chance to hear of the end results of their labor.  Needless to say, nearly all of our 99 national workers attended, and they marveled at the change God was able to bring to the lives of two remote villages in their county.  All the more impressive to them was how that prior to the teaching, both of these villages were steeped in animistic practices, completely ignorant of God and his plan of salvation, and yet through the teaching of the Cross from Genesis to Acts, the newfound freedom and joy these folks found, not always expressible by words was clearly displayed by the pictures Daniel showed.

We want that too!     

The next day, several of the workers who work in our store here, approached the store manager.  “We have worked here all these years, and still, we have not heard this message for ourselves.”  The point was more than clear.  Our friend, the store manager, looked into things a little more, and did some more talking to his employees.  They all seemed genuinely interested, and even willing to flex their break times a couple days a week to accommodate a class time without taking more time away from their homes and families.  

Here I am

The store manager, who also happens to be our next-door-neighbor here, then approached Chris, to see if he would be interested in helping to teach this small group of 9 men and women or so, suggesting that Chris’s church-planting experience in Mibu would be a real asset to the teaching.  After some discussion with leadership we’ve accepted this challenge and we all met together this week with the store workers, to start asking some questions designed to prepare them for what’s coming….TRUTH!  Truth that they are asking for, having heard of the difference it’s made in the lives of others!!!

 

We praise the Lord that He has opened up this kind of opportunity for us while we’re here.  Our daughter, Jael, is very keen on many things, and has been asking about the national folks that work here on the center and whether they know about Jesus!  What an opportunity to model for her, taking every opportunity that comes our way.  Pray for these dear workers.  They have seen many missionaries come and go over the years.  They have been faithful in their jobs and in serving us.  How thrilling to now be able to introduce them to the Savior.  Pray for open hearts and minds.  Though they live so close to town, and have worked here for years…we get the impression that there is still much confusion when it comes to things of the Lord.

 

For such a time as this,

Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

 

PS.  Picture is of a recent bake sale Jael participated in…she’s raising money for a pet tree kangaroo!  The perks of being an MK!