A Christmas to Remember

Reconnecting

    In our our last update, we asked you to pray about the possibility of our family visiting Mibu over Christmas.  We also asked prayer for the sale of our car to allow this to happen.  Our car did not sell, but the Lord graciously provided through other means for us to make this epic trip.  What joy to see our friends and families in Mibu again!  How special and touching it was to see that they were as happy to see us again as we were to see them, and how it warmed our hearts to hear how so many of them had prayed for us and our return.  Chris lost no time hiking here and there, meeting with friends, and showing the kids around to some of the local sights.  Angie enjoyed reconnecting with her closest friends, one of whom lives quite close to where our houses are.  The kids jumped right in, amazing us with their ease in which they embraced their surroundings and the people!  Jael, in particular, enjoyed renewing her friendships with 2 of her friends, and even enjoyed a night of frog hunting with them!  While some things have obviously changed of the course of years, the bond we now share with our brothers and sister in Christ made none of these changes really matter.

Refocusing

    While we were there, Chris was able to attend and also help participate in the teaching of I Timothy.  New, but timely and much needed material for the maturing Mibu church.  While we were there, the church found it necessary to practice some church discipline with a couple (not married) who were involved in adultery.  It was very encouraging to see the church not only wield the scriptures appropriately regarding the guilty, but also rally behind and  graciously support the victims (both parties involved are married).  We were also reminded anew of how radically different the principles of scripture are from the culture of the Mibu people, as some aspects involved on the discipline side of things were hard for everyone to recognize as important and worth doing.  Pray for them as they continue to grow in this area.
    Also, while we were there, Chris was able to tackle a much needed job for Geoff Husa in the literacy program.  The literacy program has been around now for about 8 years.  In spite of the numerous classes, the ability to read and write comprehensively among the Mibu people is very limited.  Part of the problem may be time--it takes time for something like literacy to become an inherent and intrinsic part of a culture.  Part of it may be cultural--it's very difficult to correct someone for risk of shaming them.  Part of it may be shortage of material to read--it takes time to build a library, and the Mibu missionary team has been short-handed these past couple of years.  Regardless of the reason, the ability to accurately read a short passage and comprehend it is way below where we'd like it to be, especially for those who are literacy and Bible teachers.  Results from the post-literacy evaluation system that Chris developed can now show these teachers where they are at, and serve as a benchmark to encourage them as they see themselves improve with practice over time.  A successful literacy program is critical to accurately reading and understanding scripture for themselves.

Affirmation

    Our trip was not all highlights.  We had a mix-up (Angie's fault) and NONE of our clothes that we had packed made it in with us, causing us to scrounge, beg and borrow from our teammates until they arrived about a week later.  We dealt with a faulty hot water system by heating pots of water on the stove and hauling it up a flight of stairs to the 2nd story bathroom for bucket showers.  Our fridge ended up being a glorified cooler that required the use of ice blocks frozen in our partners' freezer to keep all our food from turning.  The last 2 weeks there was very little sun, so our laundry started taking on a strong mildew smell (indeed the entire house started to smell that way before we left).  And, a back injury and nasty virus kept us incapacitated for longer than we'd like, limiting our time with our friends.  And yet, even with all of that, we have come away with an overwhelming sense of affirmation that this is indeed the plan God has for us and our family.  There was no awkwardness or reservations felt on our part.  There are obvious needs that we see the Lord has qualified us to meet.  And each time we meet with the Husas, we come away a little more awed at how much we seem to be on the same page after being on such different pages not that long ago.  On every front we seem to see the Lord's blessing.  This time of living "on location" with our future (even current) partners was so valuable on so many levels.  We are so thankful we were able go.

And NOW....

    NOW, we focus on the rest of this term.  It's likely that Chris may hike in to spend another couple weeks in Mibu sometime in the next month or two to further develop this post-literacy evaluation system, and to even make preliminary arrangements for work that needs to be done for housing our family on our return.  There are two terms of school left to complete (and 2 online classes for Angie), a house full of goods to sort, sell or pack as well as clean, new co-workers to welcome and train, projects to finish, a car that still needs to sell, and relationships to maintain.  There are plans to make, a speaking schedule for our time home to fill, presentations to prepare, and contacts to be made.  Now we enter the last 6 months of our term on the field, and especially since it coincides with the end of the school year, the pace will slowly build to dizzying, even are there are more things to fit into the same hours in a day.  Pray with us that we'd be wise stewards of our time and resources, and that we would finish this term strong.  (OH, and please, if you'd like for us to come speak at your church, Sunday School class, small group, Bible study, or just even your family, you don't have to wait until we get State-side to make those arrangements!)

We thank God repeatedly for each of you...
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

Pictures:
Jael with a group of friends.  They painted her face (though it's hard to see), so she would match them!  They were celebrating a school meeting that was going on when we arrived in Mibu.
Baruch and Titus (Jael too) had hours of fun playing on the Merry-Go-Round that their grandpa built them years ago.  Still runs smooth as the day it was installed in the ground there, and still provides great enjoyment for kids.
Chris reading I Timothy to the Mibu church.

MOVING FORWARD!!

> Furlough Plans
> Our tickets are bought! June 14 we land in Chicago ready to take
> in all the time with family, friends and American culture that we can.
> This is new to us, to have our tickets so far in advance, but we feel
> blessed that the Lord has faithfully provided over the last couple
> years so that we were able to save a bit by each month. We will be
> enjoying some much needed family time on our way home (another first
> for us), and the entire family is looking forward to getting to see
> Manila and England along the way.
> Another blessing from the Lord.... Some dear folks from our home
> area have made a house available for us to stay in while we're home.
> Knowing ahead of time where we'll be staying makes us SO VERY thankful
> for this offer, and the absence of stress that comes with figuring out
> where to live is amazing! It may not seem like a big deal, but when
> you're literally half a world away, and only staying in the US for 1
> year (so many places want 2 year leases now it seems) and have a
> limited income...it becomes a big deal! Our family is ensured of our
> "own space". To this third-culture family...that is music to our ears!
>
> Check your Calendars!!
> We have actually already scheduled our first 2 speaking
> engagements for while we're home, and we can't wait to get more!
> After taking a bit of time to acclimate, catch up with family,
> friends, our home church, and get used to driving on the "right" side
> of the road again, we hope to start taking meetings with our
> supporting churches, individuals, new churches, families, Bible
> studies, Sunday School classes, and any other kind of meet you can
> think of, starting in mid-July. Check your calendars, and let's "set
> a date"!
>
> Mibu Christmas???
> We thank you so much for your prayers as we've talked,
> investigated and prayed about moving ahead in Mibu. The Lord has been
> SO good, and we believe there is clear indication that we should move
> ahead in this. We have met with the family that remains there serving
> the Mibu church, Geoff and Shannon Husa, and have been tremendously
> encouraged with our talks and times of fellowship together. While
> there are still a number of things to discuss, both families feel
> confident and comfortable with us moving forward in our plans. We
> will take the opportunities to talk as they come.
> One BIG opportunity we could have is to spend Christmas with them
> in Mibu! We have flights booked for a visit from Dec. 14 to Jan. 7.
> Almost 3 1/2 weeks to reconnect with the church there, talk, plan and
> dream! It's a wonderful opportunity that we believe would benefit
> everyone. However, with it being a helicopter only location yet, the
> price is prohibitive. We are doing all we can to sell our car to make
> those funds available. It has been on the market now for over 4
> months, and despite us dropping the price significantly, we just can't
> seem to find a buyer. Please pray with us that the car would sell in
> the next 2 weeks so that we could make this visit into Mibu with the
> entire family.
>
> Ministry Math...
> ((ICT - Chris) + Larry) = (Chris + Mibu)
> With all this moving forward, it is sometime hard to remain
> focused also on the present. We are rapidly approaching the 4 year
> mark of when we returned to the field in early Jan. 2009. The
> combination of the holiday season, the extended time away from
> precious family and friends, and the fact that we still have another 6
> months to serve here can be overwhelming at times. As we choose to
> fix our eyes on Him, He is faithful to supply the strength we need.
> Another blessing from the Lord, (and a form of strength being met) He
> has provided a replacement for Chris as a Help Desk Technician at
> ICT. Chris has begun the process of training a dear fellow brother
> Larry Folkers to take on the many responsibilities in this ministry.
> It is rare to have enough time to allow for a proper transition in
> ministry, so we are simply amazed at the lengths to which the Lord has
> gone to ensure a smooth transition back into our ministry in Mibu. As
> Larry grows more comfortable with the Helpdesk role, this will free us
> up for more trips into Mibu in the comming months (provided finances
> allow)! Our desire is to finish strong even as we feel our strength
> waning. Please pray for us, maybe especially during this holiday
> season, that we would stay focused, and continue to give our
> ministries here our best...right up to the end!
>
> Thank you, and have a blessed Christmas season!
> Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch, and Titus Walker
>
> Pictures: Jael 11 1/2; Baruch 8; Titus 4 1/2
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 2012.0.2221 / Virus Database: 2629/5425 - Release Date: 11/28/12
>
>

He is MIGHTY to SAVE!

On 9/11/2012 6:33 PM, Angie Walker wrote:
>
>>> A SAVED relationship!
>>>
>>> Some of you may remember that just over 3 years ago, we received the
>>> devastating news that our partners in Mibu no longer wanted to work
>>> with us. The particular issues no longer matter, but as you can
>>> imagine, there was a great amount of hurt and shock that accompanied
>>> this news! Since that time, we have been praying for reconciliation
>>> with our co-workers, whom we still see from time to time as they fly
>>> in and out of the tribe.
>>>
>>> About 2 months ago now, one of the families (Geoff and Shannon Husa)
>>> returned from a maternity furlough, and while they were here waiting
>>> for their flight back in to Mibu, Geoff mentioned to Chris they
>>> thought it was time to talk with us about reconciliation! We were
>>> floored, but pleased to have this conversation with them. What
>>> followed was absolutely amazing, as they shared how God has been
>>> working in their lives over the last couple years and months. With
>>> beautiful humility and grace they shared how they believed they were
>>> wrong back when they told us they no longer wanted to work with us,
>>> and how now, knowing the things they do now, they would have done
>>> things differently. Specifically, they would have worked together
>>> to a mutual understanding and decision, instead of just cutting
>>> things off and not giving us or leadership any further say in the
>>> matter.
>>>
>>> So completely out of the blue!!! And yet, so completely what was
>>> needed! We sat back in amazement as they unfolded the journey God
>>> has led them on on the understanding of unity among His children,
>>> and how grace comes into play. We were able to talk through what
>>> had happened three years ago with no malice, and understood how some
>>> of the things we had said and done prior to that had been
>>> misunderstood and prompted the end of our relationship there. As we
>>> spent more and more time with them, we could feel God's soothing
>>> balm pour over our spirits as whatever remaining wounds were there
>>> were healed away completely. We are REJOICING in this restored
>>> friendship, and curious about where things God might have in store
>>> from here.
>>>
>>> A SAVED life!
>>>
>>> Two weeks ago, Tuesday morning, started out as a usual day. Chris
>>> went in to work, Angie went off to school to do her educational
>>> therapy! When she was done, Angie stopped in to see Chris (as she
>>> often does), and noticed he looked a little spaced out. He said he
>>> wasn't feeling quite right, but had taken some Tylenol, and was
>>> feeling some better. At lunch time, he came home and went straight
>>> to bed. (Sometimes he does this if he's not feeling well, to get a
>>> power nap over lunch, and especially if he was up later the night
>>> before....which he was.) Angie left for some meetings that
>>> afternoon, and when she came home at 3, Chris was sitting on the
>>> couch, wrapped in a sweatshirt and blanket, shivering (on a rather
>>> HOT afternoon). He said something about it feeling like Malaria, so
>>> Angie got on the phone to call the medical clinic about getting him
>>> a blood test and treatment. The clinic told him to come on up, so
>>> he did.
>>>
>>> Later that night, the medical staff was working to start an IV to
>>> give him some fluids, and were having a terrible time. The Dr. told
>>> us later that his body was in shock, which wasn't helping matters.
>>> They got one started, and also were finally able to draw blood to
>>> run tests. They ran tests for just about everything they could, but
>>> nothing was explaining his high fevers and body aches, so they
>>> started treating for a virus (as well as covering all other bases).
>>> Around 9, Chris was finally relatively comfortable (as comfortable
>>> as he could be), but the Dr. decided to keep him overnight there for
>>> observation. Angie went home to relieve our sitter and be there for
>>> the kids all night. Around midnight, the Dr. called (NOT the kind
>>> of calls you like to get either). Chris's blood pressure and
>>> dropped dangerously low (low 80/30 something) and he really felt
>>> Chris needed to be in ICU. We started the ball rolling for an
>>> medivac to Australia. Dozens and dozens of people were awoken, and
>>> our well-oiled cog of medivac procedures went into effect for the
>>> Walker family once again. Angie's first action was to call her mom
>>> (we never outgrow needing to hear mom's voice in emergency
>>> situations, do we?) and inform our circles of people on Facebook to
>>> PRAY!! Then she called and found someone to stay with the kids
>>> while she went with Chris to Australia. About this time, her nerves
>>> started to calm (answer to all those prayers) and the Dr. called
>>> back saying his blood pressure seemed to have stabilized (around
>>> 115/70). He suggested that we could wait to see how he did before
>>> actually leaving, but to continue with the paperwork for the
>>> medivac. Time went on, and he remained stable, so around 9 on Wed.
>>> morning, the medivac was officially cancelled.
>>>
>>> We still have no idea as to what caused this sudden and serious
>>> illness...not specifically. We are convinced though. that the
>>> combination of our excellent medical staff and the prayers of so
>>> many at home are what saved Chris's life that night. We are SO
>>> thankful that he is still here with us, and that God still has work
>>> for him to do! Two weeks later, he's not quite 100%, but continues
>>> to improve a bit each day.
>>>
>>> SAVED marriages!!
>>>
>>> Recently, the church in Mibu hosted a marriage seminar attended by
>>> couples from 7 different villages! In a culture where women are
>>> very unappreciated, taken advantage of, and sometimes treated like
>>> animals and the men are despised by their wives, only God and His
>>> truth can effect change. Geoff spent some time sharing from
>>> scripture, but he shares that much time was also spent by different
>>> Bible teachers and church leaders discussing ideas on how husbands
>>> and wives can express their love for each other in practical ways.
>>> Geoff shares that at one meal time, the men did all the cooking so
>>> that the women could sit back and relax and enjoy the time to visit
>>> with each other that the men usually get to do. What wife doesn't
>>> appreciate a husband who does that? Pray that the information and
>>> ideas shared over the few days they had together will stick with
>>> them in the weeks and months ahead. Pray that these changes will
>>> also affect the upcoming generations.
> Here still because of His grace,
> Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker
>

He is MIGHTY to SAVE!

>> A SAVED relationship!
>>
>> Some of you may remember that just over 3 years ago, we received the
>> devastating news that our partners in Mibu no longer wanted to work
>> with us. The particular issues no longer matter, but as you can
>> imagine, there was a great amount of hurt and shock that accompanied
>> this news! Since that time, we have been praying for reconciliation
>> with our co-workers, whom we still see from time to time as they fly
>> in and out of the tribe.
>>
>> About 2 months ago now, one of the families (Geoff and Shannon Husa)
>> returned from a maternity furlough, and while they were here waiting
>> for their flight back in to Mibu, Geoff mentioned to Chris they
>> thought it was time to talk with us about reconciliation! We were
>> floored, but pleased to have this conversation with them. What
>> followed was absolutely amazing, as they shared how God has been
>> working in their lives over the last couple years and months. With
>> beautiful humility and grace they shared how they believed they were
>> wrong back when they told us they no longer wanted to work with us,
>> and how now, knowing the things they do now, they would have done
>> things differently. Specifically, they would have worked together to
>> a mutual understanding and decision, instead of just cutting things
>> off and not giving us or leadership any further say in the matter.
>>
>> So completely out of the blue!!! And yet, so completely what was
>> needed! We sat back in amazement as they unfolded the journey God
>> has led them on on the understanding of unity among His children, and
>> how grace comes into play. We were able to talk through what had
>> happened three years ago with no malice, and understood how some of
>> the things we had said and done prior to that had been misunderstood
>> and prompted the end of our relationship there. As we spent more and
>> more time with them, we could feel God's soothing balm pour over our
>> spirits as whatever remaining wounds were there were healed away
>> completely. We are REJOICING in this restored friendship, and
>> curious about where things God might have in store from here.
>>
>> A SAVED life!
>>
>> Two weeks ago, Tuesday morning, started out as a usual day. Chris
>> went in to work, Angie went off to school to do her educational
>> therapy! When she was done, Angie stopped in to see Chris (as she
>> often does), and noticed he looked a little spaced out. He said he
>> wasn't feeling quite right, but had taken some Tylenol, and was
>> feeling some better. At lunch time, he came home and went straight
>> to bed. (Sometimes he does this if he's not feeling well, to get a
>> power nap over lunch, and especially if he was up later the night
>> before....which he was.) Angie left for some meetings that
>> afternoon, and when she came home at 3, Chris was sitting on the
>> couch, wrapped in a sweatshirt and blanket, shivering (on a rather
>> HOT afternoon). He said something about it feeling like Malaria, so
>> Angie got on the phone to call the medical clinic about getting him a
>> blood test and treatment. The clinic told him to come on up, so he did.
>>
>> Later that night, the medical staff was working to start an IV to
>> give him some fluids, and were having a terrible time. The Dr. told
>> us later that his body was in shock, which wasn't helping matters.
>> They got one started, and also were finally able to draw blood to run
>> tests. They ran tests for just about everything they could, but
>> nothing was explaining his high fevers and body aches, so they
>> started treating for a virus (as well as covering all other bases).
>> Around 9, Chris was finally relatively comfortable (as comfortable as
>> he could be), but the Dr. decided to keep him overnight there for
>> observation. Angie went home to relieve our sitter and be there for
>> the kids all night. Around midnight, the Dr. called (NOT the kind of
>> calls you like to get either). Chris's blood pressure and dropped
>> dangerously low (low 80/30 something) and he really felt Chris needed
>> to be in ICU. We started the ball rolling for an medivac to
>> Australia. Dozens and dozens of people were awoken, and our
>> well-oiled cog of medivac procedures went into effect for the Walker
>> family once again. Angie's first action was to call her mom (we
>> never outgrow needing to hear mom's voice in emergency situations, do
>> we?) and inform our circles of people on Facebook to PRAY!! Then she
>> called and found someone to stay with the kids while she went with
>> Chris to Australia. About this time, her nerves started to calm
>> (answer to all those prayers) and the Dr. called back saying his
>> blood pressure seemed to have stabilized (around 115/70). He
>> suggested that we could wait to see how he did before actually
>> leaving, but to continue with the paperwork for the medivac. Time
>> went on, and he remained stable, so around 9 on Wed. morning, the
>> medivac was officially cancelled.
>>
>> We still have no idea as to what caused this sudden and serious
>> illness...not specifically. We are convinced though. that the
>> combination of our excellent medical staff and the prayers of so many
>> at home are what saved Chris's life that night. We are SO thankful
>> that he is still here with us, and that God still has work for him to
>> do! Two weeks later, he's not quite 100%, but continues to improve a
>> bit each day.
>>
>> SAVED marriages!!
>>
>> Recently, the church in Mibu hosted a marriage seminar attended by
>> couples from 7 different villages! In a culture where women are very
>> unappreciated, taken advantage of, and sometimes treated like animals
>> and the men are despised by their wives, only God and His truth can
>> effect change. Geoff spent some time sharing from scripture, but he
>> shares that much time was also spent by different Bible teachers and
>> church leaders discussing ideas on how husbands and wives can express
>> their love for each other in practical ways. Geoff shares that at
>> one meal time, the men did all the cooking so that the women could
>> sit back and relax and enjoy the time to visit with each other that
>> the men usually get to do. What wife doesn't appreciate a husband
>> who does that? Pray that the information and ideas shared over the
>> few days they had together will stick with them in the weeks and
>> months ahead. Pray that these changes will also affect the upcoming
>> generations.
Here still because of His grace,
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

Learning, learning, learning...

Learning to Teach

Angie's trip to Manila seems suddenly upon us. In about 6 weeks,
she will be returning to Manila, Philippines, to receive the 2nd level
of training as an educational therapist with NILD. We have been so
encouraged with the results of this educational therapy with Jael the
last couple of years, and we are excited for Angie to learn even new
techniques in targeting the specific deficit areas with Jael to spur on
even further growth. We feel a bit like we are walking a wire as we
wait for the funds to slowly trickle in. Please pray that all the
needed funds are in place at the right time.
We have also reached a new era in parenting...adolescence (and all
the accompanying emotions)! So far, this has dramatically changed the
atmosphere of working on school related things with Jael. Please pray
for wisdom for us as we wade into these new, deeper waters together.
As we move along and learn more in this area of special education,
and how each of our children specifically learn, we are growing in
confidence that when the time comes for us to possibly resume a tribal
church-planting ministry, we will be able to do so without sacrificing
our kids educational needs.

Learning to Learn
We recently received the results of Jael's annual testing, and the
results were encouraging! Slow but steady progress continues to be the
trend! We discovered that her strengths have become even stronger, and
even her areas of deficit improved a bit. We know where the problem
areas are and what we need to keep working at, and we know what areas we
can pull from to help compensate. While progress is slow, the projected
outcome is very hopeful that she will be where we want her to be by the
time she starts high school. Yes, we have a ways to go yet, but are so
encouraged with the progress we are seeing, and for the more focused
picture we have of her overall profile. Please pray for strength and
courage for Jael and Angie to keep hammering away at these weak areas as
it is HARD work. We are thankful the school year is almost over, and
that we can lighten her academic load for a bit (though we will continue
to work on some areas throughout the summer).
Baruch is also doing some better in the classroom. We have
discovered a few things that really seem to help improve his ability to
pay attention. However, the fact remains that he is an imaginative 7
year old boy who exhibits ADHD characteristics...some days are just long.
Titus, now 4, is learning what it means to share, and be a good
friend. This is hard to do with the most prized of his possessions.
Yet, he is a friendly boy, so we are hopeful that a little training and
discipline will resolve the matter.

Learning to Lean

Over the years that we have served here at Lapilo, we have shared
bits and pieces about some of the people we rub elbows with on a regular
basis. Our "work meri" or house girl, is one of these individuals. We
have had the extreme privilege to minister to her spiritually: Chris
through the evangelistic teaching at the store a few years ago, and
Angie through her almost daily interaction with her. We have seen her
grow and mature in amazing and sobering ways over the years, though she
is perhaps right now facing the greatest trial of her faith to date.
Recently, this friend received the shocking news that her husband
wanted to divorce her. No reason has been communicated to her and it
seems that his family is as surprised by this news as she and her family
is. His and her families met to try and work through some issues with
them, and a date for court has been set for this coming Thursday.
In PNG a girl only really has the rights that her father, and later
her husband, grants her, for as long as he grants them. In situations
of divorce, a man owns everything, and women have been forced out of
their homes, leaving their children (and hearts) behind. We have heard
rumors that this may be the case here too. As I have prayed with my
friend this week, she has gone from understandable worry and anxiety
over what the future may have in store for her and her three young
children, to a calm confidence of acceptance and peace that God is in
control and will work His will.
Please pray for her this week. I know from experience that leaving
things in God's hands is a moment by moment decision, and with the court
date looming, the temptation to take those things back to fret over them
is going to grow exponentially. Pray for God's will to be done, and for
her husband to be gracious with her. Please pray that testimony of her
response to her situation will create opportunities in her community to
share this faith that offers hope and peace that reaches beyond one's
circumstances or understanding. She may be one person, but one person
can cause a ripple effect that is stretched far and wide. PRAY she
remains strong in her faith!

I know that this update has gone long. We thank you in advance for
prayers for our friend and her situation, for wisdom in educating and
training our children, and for his continued provision for Angie's trip
to Manila. God is so good!

Because of Him,
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

Trips, birthdays, and more...

Work Trip
Chris recently had the opportunity to go help build a house in a
tribal location for a team that is gaining a new family. For 10 days he
worked with others to frame and roof their house. He also had the
opportunity to fellowship with the handful of believers from that
village and be encouraged with the work the Lord is accomplishing there.
Chris continues to work on some IT training material in his "free"
time. The demands of a limited personnel in the IT department means he
doesn't get much time during the day to work on projects like this, so
much of his evenings after the kids are in bed is spent working on this.
Already, different ones from the community have asked for, and
received, copies of this training program, incomplete though it is. His
goal is to have it finished by summer.

Family News
This weekend we are celebrating 11 years with Jael! She is super
excited about the huge slumber party that is planned, while mom and dad
brace themselves for a night of little sleep and giggly girls. ;) And
with Titus just a month away from turning 4, we are reminded of how
quickly the time is passing.
We again ask for prayer for wisdom in parenting our children.
Recently, we've made some significant changes and adjustments to our
daily lives in an attempt to address some ADD symptoms we are seeing in
Baruch. Pray that these changes would prove effective, that our minds
will be open to further change if needed (difficult as it may be), and
that we will always know the right thing to do in regards to not only
Baruch, but Jael and Titus as well. As our children grow, and their
lives unfold, we marvel at the complexities, strengths and gifts that we
see in each of our kids. Pray that we will know how to mold the
weaknesses that are there into strengths, and that we will continually
look to God, and teach them that they can also look to God for direction.

Trip to Manila
Angie continues to make plans for a trip to Manila this summer for
her next level of training as an educational therapist, as details
slowly become available. We now have the solid dates of June 4 - 15 for
her class, and have been able to look at airline tickets. "Sticker
shock" puts it mildly when you look at flying to and from PNG.
Originally she found tickets online for $1,800! But, by going through a
local travel agent, we have found tickets for a more reasonable $1,200.
It still feels like an awful lot for a 6 hour plane ride, but we are
thankful nonetheless. So, tickets are found, though not yet paid for.
Next will be lodging...which we can nail down as soon as they decide
where they will hold the training! Then there will be course fees, and
the required work and paperwork to hand in beforehand. Again, we ask
you to pray for provision for this trip, not just financially, but
logistically as well.

Car Repairs
I know it sounds funny to ask for prayer for a car repair...but we
are! Several weeks ago now, our clutch completely burned out on it as
we were driving it into town. Thankfully, it happened in a "flat" spot
in the road, and we were able to safely pull well out of the way of
traffic as we waited for friends to come and tow us back home. Here is
one case where the notorious "wan tok" system is actually working in our
favor though. (The "wan tok" system refers to the PNG system of
identifying folks from the same language group, clans and families, who
are obligated to help each other out in times of need. Usually,
national folks are very eager to "claim" ex-patriots as "wan toks",
since they are often much better off, and are able to help...and we have
had to be careful that we not be taken advantage of through this system,
but at the same time be able to use it to build trusting relationships.)
Chris has a relationship with a friend in town who has started his
own computer shop. Chris has helped him and his business out by making
old computer equipment available to him, as well as referring quite a
bit of business his way. This guy rents a corner of a auto-mechanic
shop/garage from his father, and has mediated on our behalf (unprovoked)
to have his brothers help us out with repairs on our car! They have
made two trips to our house now, to try and disconnect the clutch, so
that we can see whether or not the part can be attained here in PNG, or
if we need to special order it from Japan. However, they've now
determined that the engine compartment is too compact, they cannot reach
it, and the engine needs to be lifted out. So, it will need to be towed
into town after all (an expense we were all working to avoid). Chris's
friend continues to work to negotiate discounted rates for us, which we
appreciate immensely (labor fees for this type of work is usually very
high). Anyways, we are grateful for the relationships this is allowing
for us to further develop, and we ask for prayer for wisdom as this
moves forward. In the mean time, we are sorely missing the use of our
car...especially the freedom it affords us to fellowship and worship
with our national brothers and sisters.

Thank you to each one of you who cares and prays for our ministry here.
Chris, Angie, Jael, Baruch and Titus Walker

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