God is Good---ALL the time

January seems to invoke a time of reflection looking back, and
anticipation looking ahead. There is great benefit in both! Looking
back shows us the faithfulness of God, His perfect direction, His
unerring love. Looking ahead hopefully drives us to our knees seeking
His wisdom, and ongoing direction, as well as cause us to plan and be
good stewards of the resources made available to us.

Looking Back

Jan 1, 2011--We rang in the New Year with a release from the hospital
after my latest miscarriage. Not how we would have chosen to bring in
that New Year, but God has a plan, and we find our rest and peace in that.

Feb, 2011--The IT department that Chris works in had meetings with other
mission and IT organizations, hosted at SIL, to share ideas. Jael turns 10.

March, 2011--Angie was excepted into Liberty University's Online
Master's Program for Education/Special Education. Her first class
starts in May. Titus turns 3.

April, 2011--Jael follows Christ in obedience, and is baptized!

May, 2011--End of the school year! Jael moves on to fourth grade, and
Baruch into FIRST grade!!

June, 2011--One family from ICT returns home to Australia having
completed their associate term. This brings the department from an
almost ideal 5 (6 is ideal), down to 4. Chris and Angie also celebrate
15 years of marriage!!!

July, 2011--Much needed family vacation to Lae for 2 weeks! On the
heels of that, Angie and Jael take a trip to Madang on a kind of
"Passport to Purity" trip. Jael is growing up so fast! NTM hosts an IT
convention here.

August, 2011--A new school year begins. Chris and Angie are offered and
accept a new part-time ministry overseeing the Ministry Library (a
resource center of helps for translation and church-planters) and the
citizen Guest House. 10 YEARS of service in PNG!

September, 2011--Grandparents make a surprise visit just in time for the
first school break! And, we all get to go to the Madang Conference.
Baruch turns 7.

October, 2011--We receive approval to be a Prometrics Testing Center.
Chris worked hard to make this happen, and now we can test for a myriad
of different certifications. We are hoping that this will become yet
another tool in reaching out to the community, and helping our own
missionaries receive and maintain professional certifications that allow
them to remain here in country working their ministries effectively and
efficiently.

November, 2011--Another member of the IT department returns home,
bringing the staff from 4 to 3 (that's 50% of the ideal). This
individual will return for a few months after the new year, but then
return home as he waits to see what the Lord would have him do. No
other IT personnel are currently on the horizon for another 18 to 24 months.

December, 2011--Angie and another fellow missionary lady start training
to become Test Center Administrators for the new Prometrics Testing
center that NTM now has on center here.

A Look Ahead

In many ways, 2012 should look much like 2011. It is likely that our
ministries will not change greatly, though we continue to move ahead.
This summer (May), Angie would like to take another trip to the
Philippines to continue her training in educational therapy. This will
be vital in continuing to help meet Jael's educational needs in the
years ahead! Please be praying that the Lord would raise up the needed
funds for such a trip again. Angie continues to work towards her
Master's degree, one class at a time. Chris is also looking to add some
IT certifications this coming year that will allow him to help fill in
the gaps the limited number of personnel leaves.

We covet your prayers in the area of parenting. It is amazing how kids
can have the same two parents and be so uniquely and vastly different!
Each one requires a unique approach, and we look to the Lord for wisdom.
A new dimension is added as our eldest approaches the teen years.
Technically, we still have a few years, but practically, we feel like we
may already be starting them.

We also covet your prayers for wisdom in stewardship. There is SO much
good we wish to do, but are more and more limited by resources. We know
we are not unique in this challenge, and that many at home also face
this dilemma. This also seems to be the pattern, as we come to the end
of a term on the field, that our finances seem to be more and more
tight. The Lord is faithful, and his family generous. Our needs
continue to be met, and our faith is renewed each time they are. Our
plans, however, is where we need the most wisdom. We wish to be
faithful and wise with the resources we have, but also trust the Lord
for the big things that are beyond our control.

The big picture of our family returning to a tribal ministry has not
changed, but the details on the timing are slowly becoming clearer. It
is now fairly obvious that we will remain in our current ministries here
until our next furlough the summer of 2013. Again, Jael's education is
the primary concern right now. We continue to see good progress, but
it's becoming more and more clear that this is a huge and very involved
process and she is going to require more time. At this point, the time
here before we go home, and the time that we are home, we feel will have
us in a more likely place to resume a tribal ministry somewhere upon our
return to PNG in the summer 2014.

Your prayers are priceless! Thank you for blessing us through your prayers!
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

The Gospel And A Game

What will be in your bilum?

A few weeks ago, Chris had an extraordinary opportunity to play a cultural game while accompanying our local
Church - (Bena Bridge) on an outreach at the invitation from a village a 2hr hike from Okapa in the highlands of PNG.  The game involved filling string bags (called bilum bags) with various surprise times of value such as food, money, matches, soap, knives etc.  Then during the game, individuals are paired up and each pair of friends are introduced with singing and dancing.  Then an exchange of bilums takes place which then gives way to more celebrating.  By the end of the ceremony, Chris had two live chickens and 4 large bags of garden produce and a hand-carved bamboo fork.   Along with this game, Chris and Pastor Joel Kemaya were invited to speak to the crowds.  This provided a wonderful opportunity to announce an upcoming outreach that Bena Bridge church would be starting in the area by sending teachers in a few months time.  Once the teachers begin, they plan to teach scripture Chronologically for the first time in the Okapa area!

Welcome Ol Bubu (Grandparents) & Uncle Herman!

Returning home from school for the last day of the first school term, Baruch and Jael got a shocking surprise.  Waiting for them in the living room was Grandpa & Grandma Tuinstra along with dear friends Tim & Laurel Marsh.  The kids were surprised to say the least!  Now on their 3rd trip to Papua New Guinea, our family enjoyed nearly three weeks with them including traveling to the Madang conference together.  Missionary Tim Marsh has worked with children for over 30 years and came armed with his puppets and illustrative aids.  While with us, one of the highlights of their visit was to introduce Tim to Bena Bridge church who had invited all the children of the community to come and be entertained as well as hear God's word.  Men, women and children in the audience, all of whom had never seen such antics, had tear filled eyes as they laughed so hard.  With Chris translating, in addition to puppets, Tim used a saxophone as an illustration, sharing that just as a saxaphone player needs instruction to be able to play well, so too, people need instruction from God's Word.  The meeting ended in hilarity with Pastor Joel Kemaya getting an unexpected kiss from "Uncle Herman (one of Tim's michevious puppets) as well as an invitation for the community to inquire more about God's message by approaching anyone of the members of Bena Bridge church.

"So glad you could come!"

It's a yearly tradition, every year all NTM missionaries who are part of the Madang region attend a conference to reconnect, pray for one another, share & report future plans as well as have some fun.  This year due to finances as a family, we weren't sure we were going to be able to attend.  However thanks to some designated gifts, the Lord provided the opportunity for which we are very grateful.  Our spirits were recharged and once again challenged to return to a tribal, church-planting ministry.   And what a fun blessing to share this experience with grandparents, and watch our favorite group of MKs be blessed by "Uncle" Tim Marsh and his ministry!  It's always nice to be refreshed and re-challenged.

Master Angie

Speaking of challenge...Angie has jumped into her studies towards her Master's degree once again (after taking time off for her parent's visit and other stuff).  To refresh any memories:  Angie has received the first level of training as an educational therapist through NILD.  This training has been priceless in equipping her to meet Jael's special educational needs!  We see wonderful evidence that the therapy is working, and believe it would be best to continue receiving this training.  Specifically this is important because we still believe the Lord will eventually be leading us back into another church-planting ministry.  We believe that it is vital that Angie is equipped to meet Jael's ongoing needs (and any other of our kids who may need intervention in their education).  NILD is a wonderful organization whose program is so beautifully meeting our needs.  Yet, it's a very academic organization, and in order for Angie to receive any further training through them, she needs to have an accredited degree.  To make a long story short, the Lord opened the door for her to pursue her Masters degree through Liberty University's Online University.  As a result of actively pursuing a Masters degree in special education, she is now eligible to further her training with NILD.  She is also gaining the added benefit of broadening her understanding in this world of education, which is only going to aid her as she seeks to oversee our kids' education.

Pictures:
1.  "Uncle" Tim and Uncle Herman with Chris at the Bena Bridge meeting.
2.  A small glimpse of the crowd that had packed into the church (and out the door) in order to see them!

Thank you so much for your support! 
Because of Him,
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

--  --  As Unto Him (Col 3:17)  Chris Walker - NTM PNG ICT Helpdesk ict@ntm.org.pg (675)531-4560 (Telikom) (675)7178-7115 (Digicel)

The Gospel And A Game

What will be in your bilum?

A few weeks ago, Chris had an extraordinary opportunity to play a cultural game while accompanying our local
Church - (Bena Bridge) on an outreach at the invitation from a village a 2hr hike from Okapa in the highlands of PNG.  The game involved filling string bags (called bilum bags) with various surprise times of value such as food, money, matches, soap, knives etc.  Then during the game, individuals are paired up and each pair of friends are introduced with singing and dancing.  Then an exchange of bilums takes place which then gives way to more celebrating.  By the end of the ceremony, Chris had two live chickens and 4 large bags of garden produce and a hand-carved bamboo fork.   Along with this game, Chris and Pastor Joel Kemaya were invited to speak to the crowds.  This provided a wonderful opportunity to announce an upcoming outreach that Bena Bridge church would be starting in the area by sending teachers in a few months time.  Once the teachers begin, they plan to teach scripture Chronologically for the first time in the Okapa area!

Welcome Ol Bubu (Grandparents) & Uncle Herman!

Returning home from school for the last day of the first school term, Baruch and Jael got a shocking surprise.  Waiting for them in the living room was Grandpa & Grandma Tuinstra along with dear friends Tim & Laurel Marsh.  The kids were surprised to say the least!  Now on their 3rd trip to Papua New Guinea, our family enjoyed nearly three weeks with them including traveling to the Madang conference together.  Missionary Tim Marsh has worked with children for over 30 years and came armed with his puppets and illustrative aids.  While with us, one of the highlights of their visit was to introduce Tim to Bena Bridge church who had invited all the children of the community to come and be entertained as well as hear God's word.  Men, women and children in the audience, all of whom had never seen such antics, had tear filled eyes as they laughed so hard.  With Chris translating, in addition to puppets, Tim used a saxophone as an illustration, sharing that just as a saxaphone player needs instruction to be able to play well, so too, people need instruction from God's Word.  The meeting ended in hilarity with Pastor Joel Kemaya getting an unexpected kiss from "Uncle Herman (one of Tim's michevious puppets) as well as an invitation for the community to inquire more about God's message by approaching anyone of the members of Bena Bridge church.

"So glad you could come!"

It's a yearly tradition, every year all NTM missionaries who are part of the Madang region attend a conference to reconnect, pray for one another, share & report future plans as well as have some fun.  This year due to finances as a family, we weren't sure we were going to be able to attend.  However thanks to some designated gifts, the Lord provided the opportunity for which we are very grateful.  Our spirits were recharged and once again challenged to return to a tribal, church-planting ministry.   And what a fun blessing to share this experience with grandparents, and watch our favorite group of MKs be blessed by "Uncle" Tim Marsh and his ministry!  It's always nice to be refreshed and re-challenged.

Master Angie

Speaking of challenge...Angie has jumped into her studies towards her Master's degree once again (after taking time off for her parent's visit and other stuff).  To refresh any memories:  Angie has received the first level of training as an educational therapist through NILD.  This training has been priceless in equipping her to meet Jael's special educational needs!  We see wonderful evidence that the therapy is working, and believe it would be best to continue receiving this training.  Specifically this is important because we still believe the Lord will eventually be leading us back into another church-planting ministry.  We believe that it is vital that Angie is equipped to meet Jael's ongoing needs (and any other of our kids who may need intervention in their education).  NILD is a wonderful organization whose program is so beautifully meeting our needs.  Yet, it's a very academic organization, and in order for Angie to receive any further training through them, she needs to have an accredited degree.  To make a long story short, the Lord opened the door for her to pursue her Masters degree through Liberty University's Online University.  As a result of actively pursuing a Masters degree in special education, she is now eligible to further her training with NILD.  She is also gaining the added benefit of broadening her understanding in this world of education, which is only going to aid her as she seeks to oversee our kids' education.

Pictures:
1.  "Uncle" Tim and Uncle Herman with Chris at the Bena Bridge meeting.
2.  A small glimpse of the crowd that had packed into the church (and out the door) in order to see them!

Thank you so much for your support! 
Because of Him,
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

--  --  As Unto Him (Col 3:17)  Chris Walker - NTM PNG ICT Helpdesk ict@ntm.org.pg (675)531-4560 (Telikom) (675)7178-7115 (Digicel)

Re: Opportunities abound!

New Opportunities

    We have been presented with an exciting opportunity in ministry with overseeing what we call the "Concom" building.  "Concom" stands for Consultant Committee.  This building houses a library of various helps for our church planting missionaries.  With helps on everything from Bible translation, Bible lesson development, and even culture and language learning that folks can check out and borrow, it is a vital resource to our church planting teams.  It also provides a quiet place for missionaries to perform translation and Bible lesson checks with consultants and their language helpers.
    Which brings us to the other side of this opportunity (and building).  The other side of this library is a national guest house.  A place for nationals to stay when they come out to help check for comprehension during these translation and lesson checks.  We have used these facilities many times during our time in Mibu, and we are excited to be able to be a blessing to those who would use it now.
    We especially ask for wisdom in this ministry, as it's one that has kind of slipped through the cracks this last year, with no one really overseeing it.  As we look to spruce up, clean up, pick up, and perhaps even update a bit, we seek to be good stewards of what limited resources are available.

Techie Opportunities

    This last week, Chris and the ICT department had the opportunity to organize and host a tech conference here at Lapilo.  Present were representatives from about half a dozen different missions as well as the department of NICTA from Port Moresby to answer government regulatory questions.  Ideas were discussed on how to better cooperate between missions, sharing information, cross-training and improve overall Information services to our missionaries.  It was well attended...33 in all!  Angie had the opportunity to cook for the lot of them.  6 large pizzas, breadsticks and a huge salad didn't last long!

Past Opportunities

    Our last update shared how Chris was about to participate in a leadership conference for some national pastors and church leaders.  Over the course of 4 days and 5 speaking opportunities, Chris had the privilege of teaching on church history.  It was a whirlwind tour through time starting in the book of Acts all the way to present time.  The participants of the conference thoroughly enjoyed the history lesson as many of them for the first time heard how the gospel spread throughout the world and on to Papua New Guinea.  For the first time, they saw where they fit into the grand sheme of God's design for all to know His truth.

Family News

    Our last update also shared how Angie was preparing to take the first of many grad courses to work towards her Masters in Education.  She took her first class over the summer break, and did quite well!  Her final grade of 97% has given her confidence that this is a course that she can finish (as time and resources allow).  She has scheduled to start her next class for later this fall and allow herself time to help the kids settle into their new school year as well as polish off a number of projects that have accumulated over the summer!
    The kids start school tomorrow.  Hard to believe the summer is already over for us here, but tomorrow Jael starts the 4th grade, and Baruch the 1st grade.  They are pretty excited, and so is their mom, to see all that they will be learning in this coming year!  Pray that they will both be open to new things, and good recipients of the teaching they will receive.
    Our family also had the opportunity to take a vacation together this summer.  We spent 2 weeks in the city of Lae, at our guest house there.  It was a wonderful time away with the family, and we came back much refreshed and ready for another stretch of service!

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers.  We couldn't be here and do what we're doing without them!
Because of Him,
Chris and Angie Walker

Re: Opportunities abound!

New Opportunities

    We have been presented with an exciting opportunity in ministry with overseeing what we call the "Concom" building.  "Concom" stands for Consultant Committee.  This building houses a library of various helps for our church planting missionaries.  With helps on everything from Bible translation, Bible lesson development, and even culture and language learning that folks can check out and borrow, it is a vital resource to our church planting teams.  It also provides a quiet place for missionaries to perform translation and Bible lesson checks with consultants and their language helpers.
    Which brings us to the other side of this opportunity (and building).  The other side of this library is a national guest house.  A place for nationals to stay when they come out to help check for comprehension during these translation and lesson checks.  We have used these facilities many times during our time in Mibu, and we are excited to be able to be a blessing to those who would use it now.
    We especially ask for wisdom in this ministry, as it's one that has kind of slipped through the cracks this last year, with no one really overseeing it.  As we look to spruce up, clean up, pick up, and perhaps even update a bit, we seek to be good stewards of what limited resources are available.

Techie Opportunities

    This last week, Chris and the ICT department had the opportunity to organize and host a tech conference here at Lapilo.  Present were representatives from about half a dozen different missions as well as the department of NICTA from Port Moresby to answer government regulatory questions.  Ideas were discussed on how to better cooperate between missions, sharing information, cross-training and improve overall Information services to our missionaries.  It was well attended...33 in all!  Angie had the opportunity to cook for the lot of them.  6 large pizzas, breadsticks and a huge salad didn't last long!

Past Opportunities

    Our last update shared how Chris was about to participate in a leadership conference for some national pastors and church leaders.  Over the course of 4 days and 5 speaking opportunities, Chris had the privilege of teaching on church history.  It was a whirlwind tour through time starting in the book of Acts all the way to present time.  The participants of the conference thoroughly enjoyed the history lesson as many of them for the first time heard how the gospel spread throughout the world and on to Papua New Guinea.  For the first time, they saw where they fit into the grand sheme of God's design for all to know His truth.

Family News

    Our last update also shared how Angie was preparing to take the first of many grad courses to work towards her Masters in Education.  She took her first class over the summer break, and did quite well!  Her final grade of 97% has given her confidence that this is a course that she can finish (as time and resources allow).  She has scheduled to start her next class for later this fall and allow herself time to help the kids settle into their new school year as well as polish off a number of projects that have accumulated over the summer!
    The kids start school tomorrow.  Hard to believe the summer is already over for us here, but tomorrow Jael starts the 4th grade, and Baruch the 1st grade.  They are pretty excited, and so is their mom, to see all that they will be learning in this coming year!  Pray that they will both be open to new things, and good recipients of the teaching they will receive.
    Our family also had the opportunity to take a vacation together this summer.  We spent 2 weeks in the city of Lae, at our guest house there.  It was a wonderful time away with the family, and we came back much refreshed and ready for another stretch of service!

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers.  We couldn't be here and do what we're doing without them!
Because of Him,
Chris and Angie Walker

Growth and Ongoing Plans!

Baptism
Last week, we had the proud opportunity as parents, to see our
first-born follow our Lord in believer's baptism! Chris did the honors
before dozens of missionary families here on center, as well as a dozen
or so national by-standers who were at the river. As they were standing
in the water, Chris asked Jael questions about why she was there. It
was sweet music to hear her answer clearly that she was there "because I
believe Jesus died for my sins, and I want everyone here to know that I
believe that, and I want to obey him." Is there anything sweeter than
watching your child's faith become their personal own? Pray for her as
she continues to grow in that faith. Pray for wisdom for us as we
continue to train and direct not only her young life, but the lives of
her brothers as well.

Container
On a fun note, we had Christmas in MAY!!! Some items that we had
purchased last summer and fall, as well as the Christmas presents that
grandparents and aunts and uncles had sent, that were shipped by
container, FINALLY arrived here, safe and sound! It's a small thing, in
the grand scheme of things, but it was a blessing none the less, and it
was exciting to unpack our crate, and be able to put those things to use
at last. Included in this crate were an assortment of power tools (that
Chris has already put to good use), a kitchen table (which replaces a
rather rickety one we had been borrowing), various other equipment along
with goodies from the family.

Upcoming Leadership Conference
At the end of the month, Chris has been asked to teach at another
leadership conference. National church leaders from around the region
will be meeting, and as one of the teachers, Chris will be teaching on
"Principles of Church Growth". Pray for him as he prepares. He really
enjoys this unique opportunity for ministry that has come his way, and
the people seem to enjoy hearing from him.

Summer Changes
Summer break is just around the corner. Hard to believe! Baruch
will be finished with Kindergarten, and ready to enter 1st grade. Jael
will finish with 3rd and be preparing for 4th. Titus will just enjoy
having his siblings around to play with all day again! The ICT
department where Chris works will be saying good bye to a key member and
his family, as they finish their associate term here and go home to
Australia. A new family will be joining the team at the end of the
summer (Lord willing) or early fall. And Angie will be IN school (her
first online course starts a week from Monday). Changes in routine are
at times refreshing, but always somewhat stressful. We're looking
forward to things slowing down a bit during the summer months, and doing
some things together as a family.

Thank you for standing with us,
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

Wrapping up, starting out, and other happenings

Bible Study

    Chris and Aaron have finished what we would call Phase 1 teaching with the national store workers!!  Phase 1 goes chronologically from Creation to the Cross, systematically laying a foundation of who God is, His attributes, who man is, his problem of sin, and God's faithfulness in his promise to send a Deliverer.  It was a bit of a mixed group to start with...some were quite familiar with this teaching, some had heard bits and pieces out of context, and some hadn't heard any of it at all.  Going through these lessons again, we are reminded of how important it is to understand the culture we are communicating to as we saw some struggle with concepts that were different than ones that the people in Mibu struggled with.  Some of the struggles were similar in many regards.  Nevertheless, through patience, and effective communication, but especially through the grace of God, at the end of the lessons, Chris feels that everyone who participated has a good, clear understanding of what the message of the gospel is.  Ongoing time with them, and maintaining the relationship that has been established will be how we see if they are personally choosing to put their trust IN that message.  While the teaching time is officially over, the time for discipleship has only begun.  Please be praying for those who attended this Bible study, that this message will continue to come through their mind, and that they will think and meditate on it, and ultimately place their trust in the finished work that the Deliverer did for them on the cross.

Effective Communication

    This last weekend, Chris had the privilege of sharing at a leadership workshop for national Christian leaders.  Specifically, he was asked to share about effective means of communication.  These Christian leaders want to be effective in their sharing of the message of the gospel as they go out on outreaches and take the opportunities that come their way in every day life.  Over 3 different sessions, Chris shared on the effectiveness of humor, illustrations, and non-verbal communication (like posture, fidgeting, turning your back to the crowd, and projecting your voice).  It was very special when Sunday morning, a young man who has been learning to preach, and is quite knowledgeable in scripture), shared a VERY appropriate illustration at the beginning of his message.  Something he's never done before, and it was rewarding to see how well the congregation received and understood his illustration, and how it tied in with his passage of scripture (and will help them remember the points of his message).

Ongoing Education

    While Jael is back in school almost full-time (Angie keeps her home for an hour in the morning to continue hitting the areas of spelling and reading with extra intensity), mom is looking at going back to school as well.  With as much as she has enjoyed learning about and working with Jael and her learning needs, Angie is thinking it might be worth looking into getting her degree accredited (through transferring credits and completing a degree program at an accredited institution) so that she can continue her training with NILD as well as open doors to work with other people's children, should that opportunity present itself.  We're not sure where this will lead.  But, we've learned more and more about the number of MK's here who also have learning difficulties and are toughing it out with their moms in the tribe.  We're hoping the tools that we have already gained, and hope to gain in the future will be beneficial not only to our own family, but also to other families.  So, please be praying for wisdom and direction as Angie scopes things out and as we work to determine if this is something to pursue now, later, or maybe even not at all.

Birthdays, Birthdays!

    A few weeks ago, Jael celebrated her 10th birthday!!  Yes, we are now in the double digits!  As sobering as it is for us as parents to realize that she is more than half-way through her time with us here at home, we are thrilled with the young woman we see trying to emerge!  God has special plans for her, and it is such a joy to catch these glimpses of who she is becoming.
    In a couple weeks, our youngest will celebrate his 3rd birthday!  Titus is a joy, and keeps us all laughing and on our toes!  Hard to believe our baby is turning 3.  We love seeing how at home he is with our national friends, whether we're at church, or visiting in their homes.  We smile every time we hear him greeting  the many nationals that pass by our house each day with an "apinun".
    A few days after Titus, Chris will also celebrate a birthday!  The Lord has blessed our family with wonderful people, and with good health!

Thank you for your love and prayers!
Because of HIM,
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

Picture:  Our three kiddos!

Blessed be the Name of the Lord--proposed update

Unexpected

We brought in the New Year in a way we did not anticipate, nor would have chosen.  Just before Thanksgiving, we learned that Angie was expecting.  An exciting prospect to be sure!  However, with her history of miscarriages, we decided to wait to share our wonderful news.  Then, the week of Christmas, she started to spot, and a week later, she miscarried.  To add to the drama, she also started to hemorrhage again, and we ended up needing another  medivac to get her to Australia where she could get the appropriate health care.  You might remember that we went through something similar back in 2006.  This time, we left the kids here in PNG under the care of some dear and trusted family friends. When we got to Australia, we quickly learned how rough of shape Angie was in.  During the course of her two night stay in the hospital, she received 4 units of blood, and a D&C.  Everything went as well as it could have, and she felt MUCH more like herself when she was released on New Years Day.  We were able to spend the next couple of days resting, and enjoying the pleasures of a first world country again (shopping malls, movie rentals, and eateries).

While it is not something we would have chosen for ourselves, we trust in our ever sovereign and loving God.  We praise Him for his mercy in allowing us to get to care in time.  We praise him for the healing that has and continues to take place both physically and emotionally.  We are thankful for the system of support from friends here at Lapilo as we left our kids here and traveled to another country.  In many ways, I do think that it has put this coming year into perspective for us.  While we have plans for our family and our ministry, we are reminded all over again that HIS plans for us may be different!  While we continue to plan and prepare for whatever this year may hold for us, it's a timely reminder to always hold those plans loosely so that we might be able to receive what is God's BEST for us.

Twists and Turns

Speaking of plans...
As you know, Jael had her annual evaluation and testing during our Christmas break. The other night we met with those that did the testing to discuss the results.  The results were mixed, as we had expected, but not with the results we had wished.  The GOOD news is that she has essentially caught up to her current grade in math!  She's made up about a grade and a half in math since she was last tested!!  She also moved ahead in some writing skills (in her ability to put on paper what she wants to), although her lack of spelling skills does hinder her.  Perhaps most importantly though, her reading skills are still in critical need of improvement.  Even with Angie's specialize training and pushing her in all the right areas, her brain just hasn't responded as we had hoped (though it obviously responded in other areas).  We have discussed different options as to how to focus and redouble our efforts to bring these areas the improvement they need.  While we have discussed specifics too, we are waiting to see how some of these pan out, as they involve a myriad of different people to make it work.  However, we do know that these continued needs of hers will keep us here at Lapilo for the foreseeable future.  So, our plans to move to Madang this summer have been put on hold.  For how long, we don't know.  However, we are preparing our family, and planning on the likelihood of remaining where we are for the remainder of this term.  Our desire remains strong to return to a tribal ministry somewhere, but God has us here for such a time as this.  Who can know or understand all he has in store for us?  We trust and believe that He has only our good in mind, and that He will be faithful to guide our steps as we continue to move forward.

Something Good

Chris's Bible study with the national workers is rapidly coming to an end!  This last week they covered the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  Within this next month they will be presenting the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  Please be praying as we are approaching this critical point in the lessons.  Pray that their hearts and understanding will be opened and that they realize this is not just another story, but provision from almighty God for forgiveness of sins, and blessed communion with him!

Also, this week Chris has started training the first national to work in ICT!!  This process will take a while, but we are excited to see nationals incorporated into the department.  Expats come and go, but the nationals live here!  By getting them involved, we help to ensure consistency in a department where people come and go all the time. 

Blessed Be

Often in the last couple of weeks, as we have gone through our latest trial with the miscarriage, and with our latest change in plans, my mind has gone back again and again to the story of Job.  In particular to his defense against the pressure of his friends, and even his wife to just go ahead and curse God and die!!  His response?  "Shall we take good from the Lord and not trials?"  (Ok, that's MY paraphrase.)  We have been blessed with SO much!  We have NO doubt that we are loved by our Creator God.  Having such an assurance of His love makes taking the trials that DO come our way so much easier to accept.  NOT easy, but easier.  I shudder to think of where we would be without such assurance or such love.  Indeed, our hearts resound with Job's..."Blessed be the Name of the Lord".

One expression of His love for us is all of you!  God has put you all in our lives to partner with us in the plans God has for our family and our ministry here in PNG.  You have been a never-ending blessing to us!  As the Lord leads and directs us through a whole new set of twists and turns that will comprise this year of 2011, THANK YOU for your partnership of prayers and love.

In His hand,
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

Pictures:
Baruch's new smile!  He's losing teeth, our big boy!  Love his gape toothed smile!
Jael's schoolroom has been our kitchen table these last few months.  I've so enjoyed our time together!
Titus continues to grow too...one of his favorite pass-times now is to climb the small orange tree in our back yard.  He can get himself 3-4 feet off the ground!