A Time of Refreshment
Our annual, regional conference has just finished! What a wonderful time of reconnecting, refocusing and re-energizing. For 5 days we got to reconnect with our friends and co-workers here in the Madang region. Old friendships rekindled and deepened and new ones started. A team from Scotland came to minister to us and our children. As in years past, this year's conference seemed to provide just exactly what was needed!Conference is over, but we are still in Madang, enjoying our first break, or vacation, in over a year together as a family! For two weeks we'll be hanging out, swimming, shopping, snorkeling, fishing, playing games, and relaxing together! Already it's been great to just sit around the dinner table and ask the kids what they want to do that day, and then just be able to pick-up and go do it! A very sweet time indeed!
Direction Granted
We praise the Lord and thank you for all your prayers on our behalf. We met with our regional leadership Wednesday afternoon, and it seems like we can now see the next step in our ministry here, although the timing remains a little bit fuzzy.As people and finances remain to be the two most precious commodities in mission work, the field of PNG has developed a system of assessments in looking at potential tribal works for missionaries to move into. What is known as PGA (People Group Assessment--sorry, NOT the Professions Golfers Association) involves gathering lots of data and statistics on different tribal groups in any given region and around the country! Information like population, location, and language vitality are important as well as whether or not any previous organizations have done any work with a given group of people when it comes to strategizing and prioritizing personnel, and looking to allocate church-planting missionaries into new people groups. The Madang region has asked Chris to set up, and fill in, a database for information on any of the 180+ people groups that are in the Madang region alone. Then, based on the information there, we can better determine as a region and a field, which areas we'd like to further investigate and eventually place missionary teams!
We are excited as this ministry seems to be a good fit for Chris's skills and interests. It will also put us in a position to build relationships and get to know any potential partners. Once we have partners, we would be free to pursue allocating into a tribal location, but in the mean time, Chris would be able to assist the Madang region in this vital way.
As we said, timing remains a bit fuzzy. Provided Jael's school evaluation goes well at Christmas time, we could be moving to Madang to start this new ministry as soon as early spring, although summer-time seems more likely. The determining factor will be housing. We are FULL here in Madang (a wonderful problem), and our move here will depend on when housing may open up, as well as the completion of the Bible study that Chris is leading up at Lapilo (which could run into late Jan. or early Feb.).
Prayer Points
Although we see the next step...please don't stop praying for us and our future ministry. This ministry will hopefully just be a stepping-stone towards getting us into another tribal church planting ministry. Please continue to pray for clear direction and wisdom. Please pray for Jael's evaluation coming up, that it would be and accurate reflection of where she is. And please be praying for our future partners...whoever they may be!Rejoicing in Him,
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker
