Moving Forward in Mibu Ministry

Dear friends,

I've returned home after my recent visit to Mibu, PNG. Thank you to everyone who continues to partner with us through your finances and prayers. It was a blessed time with our brothers and sisters in Mibu, and I experienced God's many mercies during my travels!

Now begins the hard work. One of the difficult realities of this situation is that there is no way I can pick up all the slack that has been left. The best and most strategic way for me to continue serving is to give my full attention to keeping the translation and lesson development project moving forward.

At the same time, there are a number of necessities of ministry that still need to be covered. For example, we have several computers in Mibu that church leaders use to create post-literacy materials, prepare lessons, and communicate. These require ongoing maintenance. Another area is ordering literacy materials, which typically one of us expats has organized. These and other responsibilities are now being evaluated as we consider how best to move forward. We're asking who, on the field, might be able to help meet some of these needs.

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A Word About Finances

For the last several years, our support level has hovered around 60–65% of what is recommended. We are grateful for God's provision that has sustained us, but the reality is that this shortfall has meant splitting my focus—pursuing other income-generating activities just to make ends meet. Even with that, we've struggled to keep up with basic needs. Dental and health care have been put off for example. Costs are rising quickly, and at times we've even had to lean on debt to cover larger expenses.

All of this has slowed progress in translation and lesson development, because the time and energy needed for ministry has often been divided. Yet now, more than ever, this ministry needs my undivided attention. The work in Mibu is at a critical stage, and the church desperately needs continued discipleship, resources, and translated Scripture.

We are praying for the Lord's provision to bring our support back up to where it needs to be so that I can devote myself more fully to the ministry He has called us to. Would you prayerfully consider joining us as a financial partner—or, if you are already giving, consider increasing your monthly support? Every gift makes a real difference in strengthening this ministry and helping me focus where it matters most. Click the "Donate Now" button at the top of this email to see several easy ways to contribute monthly.

We trust God's faithfulness to finish the good work He has begun in Mibu, and we are so thankful for your ongoing prayers and encouragement.

In Christ,

Geoff and Shannon Husa

Walking Together Through a Difficult Time

The news this week of Chris' sudden departure hit hard in the church in Mibu. I was thankful for BJ Sanders and Levi Lenz, who accompanied me into Mibu, representing NTM leadership and providing additional support. Levi stayed with me the rest of the week after BJ departed at the end of that first day.

The fallout is vast and will be long-lasting. I was so very glad to have been able to spend time with the church—to cry with them, meet and talk through concerns and potential logistics, and just begin to figure out what adapting to these new circumstances might look like. There are so many uncertainties.

In many ways, we're in ministry triage… trying to discern what "limbs" we don't have to amputate. The Evil One has many ways of trying to cripple, sow doubt, and use shame to make God's people in Mibu ineffective. But this week I also saw that the church in Mibu is rooted enough in God's Word, and dependent enough on Him, to keep moving forward through uncertainty—and even to experience joy in their suffering.

It is praiseworthy to note that what I witnessed during my time in Mibu affirmed their maturity as a church. Despite the difficulty and uncertainty, I saw godly wisdom, thoughtfulness, and especially graciousness as we all scrambled to assess the situation. I am so very proud of my brothers and sisters there!

We met every day about different matters, with lots of side discussions as well. There were many reminders that Chris' leaving does not change the fact that Jesus is the head of the church, and that the on-the-ground work of the church has never depended on Chris, or Geoff, or anyone else—but on God working through His people. And while some of the physical things Chris provided will no longer continue (things which perhaps added convenience, and even created a bit of unhealthy dependency), their absence does not change the reality that we are the redeemed of God, the bride of Christ, here to reflect who He is and to share His Good News for the duration of our sojourning in this world.

If I felt inadequate and ineffective before all this, imagine how much more so now. I've struggled in recent years to keep up even with a partner in ministry. Now that partner of over 21 years is suddenly gone—leaving not only unfinished work, but also much of the resulting mess to sort through. To say I feel overwhelmed is an understatement. This is my next phase of anxiety to work through. I KNOW I can't do all that is needed. God's Spirit keeps reminding me of my conviction that, indeed, everything is going to be alright. I am deeply thankful for those within NTM PNG who are stepping up to take on tasks that would otherwise be impossible—or overwhelming—for me alone.

The additional challenges are just beginning. There is a lot we will have to figure out, a little at a time. One thing is certain: I've got my work cut out if I'm going to trim back things that pull me away from ministry and prioritize enough time to make significant progress in translation and lesson development, which continue to be the heart of my focus in ministry. There is still much to be done.

For several years now, our support has been low enough that I've had to split time with income-generating work just to make ends meet. It's clear that one of the things we must trust the Lord for is raising our support back up to where it should be so that I don't need to split my time so much, and can devote more time to ministry. Would you prayerfully consider whether God might be leading you to be a part of that going forward? If you feel so inclined, there is a link/button included at the top of this email which makes it super easy to give.

As always we appreciate your continued partnership through prayer and finances.

URGENT Update Regarding Mibu Ministry

An Urgent Update Regarding Mibu Ministry

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A little over a week ago, we were made aware that our co-worker, Chris Walker, had suddenly left his family and the ministry, departing from PNG altogether. In the communication that followed with his wife, Angie, and with a handful of others on the field, he indicated that he'd been unfaithful to her, and that he'd had an affair with someone outside of PNG.

To say this news shocked us is a gross understatement. Our prayers go especially to Angie and the kids as they deal with the fallout. Chris has communicated that his decision to leave his family and PNG was not due to any tension between him and Angie, nor the result of anything she did. Because of his explicit violation of Scripture and the mission's Code of Conduct, Chris was dismissed from organizational membership as of Aug 16th. Angie, who is guiltless in this matter, will retain her membership status. Since this situation is still very fresh, there remain many unanswered questions. Please pray that greater clarity will come with time.

Because of the sensitivity of this matter, if you know Angie personally, please refrain from reaching out to her with questions. Instead, direct those to Terry Ganka, one of the elders at her church (his contact info is below). That said, please do feel free to reach out to Angie with prayers, support, and words of encouragement and love. Angie and Titus are currently making their way back to Michigan, and teams both in PNG and at their home church have already mobilized to provide strong care and support.

Of course, this also has a significant impact on the Mibu Ministry, as Chris was a central part of our team. I (Geoff), together with field leadership and the Mibu church, am working to assess the situation, provide a sort of "ministry triage," and determine what essential aspects of ministry can be sustained going forward. Because of the urgency of this matter, I made last-minute plans to travel to PNG and into Mibu, and by the time you're reading this, I should already be there. We thank the Lord for the rapid provision of the finances that made this trip possible. While there, I'll be meeting with the elders and other church leaders, breaking the news to the rest of the church, and walking with them through the many questions this will raise. Please pray that the church in Mibu will find encouragement and strength during this very difficult season. They have already been through so much in recent years.

Looking ahead, my core focus must remain on continuing the Bible translation project, developing key lesson material, and consulting with the Mibu church leaders. There are several important areas of ministry I simply cannot take on alone, so we deeply appreciate your prayers as we work with the church and NTM leadership to discern what "moving forward" will look like. There will inevitably be things that will be difficult—or even impossible—to do. But we know God the Father already knows these things, and that He has a plan and purpose. We trust that He will finish what He has started in Mibu, even if it looks different than we expected. We're OK with that. We will continue to trust in His faithfulness and goodness.

We also know that Jesus is the Redeemer. As messy as this situation seems, He is more than capable of redeeming it—on all levels. We trust, hope, and pray toward that end, and we ask you to do the same.

This is a painful time for everyone, especially Chris's family. We would greatly appreciate your prayers for them, for Chris, for the church in Mibu, for NTMPNG leadership, and for us. We will continue to keep you updated as things progress. Thank you for the prayers and support you've faithfully given over the years!

In Christ,

Geoff Husa

Contact Information for Questions:

Terry Ganka

(269) 354-7121

terrence_ganka@yahoo.com

Mibu Ministry Update - A Fruitful Trip!

Dear friends,

We are so grateful for the Lord's provision through many of you, allowing Maddie and me to return to Papua New Guinea recently! This trip was essential for advancing the translation work, and we are excited to share how things went.

The translation check was a success! Over three long but fruitful days, we worked with four Mibu speakers who we flew out of the village to go through 1 & 2 Thessalonians and Revelation. We made it through all the material, identifying just a handful of areas that need fine-tuning before finalization. These letters are now right at the finish line—an incredible milestone!

After the check, Maddie and I, along with my co-worker Chris, made a quick trip into Mibu for three short but meaningful days. For Maddie, it was bittersweet—it had been over four years since she was last there. Missionary kids often experience deep loss, with constant changes in friends, homes, and familiar places. This visit was a big deal for her. Seeing the house she grew up in, now mostly empty, brought up a lot of emotions. But at the same time, being back as a young adult, sharing her testimony, stories, and pictures with Mibu friends was healing for her and deeply encouraging for the people there. Several told us how much joy it brought them to see her return, even for a short time!

One major project Chris and I tackled was finally getting our new internet system up and running properly. During my last visit in November, we weren't able to integrate it into our existing network. This time, we replaced the whole system, and we're pleased to report it's working great! This faster, more reliable connection will significantly improve our ability to communicate and collaborate remotely—essential for translation work and discipleship.

After leaving Mibu, we endured several long travel days back to the U.S., with stops in Port Moresby and Sydney. A fun highlight in Port Moresby was visiting the offspring of one of our former pets from Mibu—now part of a breeding program success story at the renowned Port Moresby Nature Park! And with just a short layover to spend in Sydney, what do you do? Hop on a double-decker tour bus and take in the key sights! It was a perfect bookend to our journey and a special father-daughter experience.

We can't thank you enough for your prayers and generosity in making this trip possible. Your partnership means so much to us, and we are grateful every day.

 

 

 

Exciting Update & Opportunity to Support Bible Translation

Dear friends,

I wanted to send a quick update as plans for my upcoming translation check are in full swing! In just a couple of weeks, I'll be traveling with my daughter, Maddie, to conduct a long-overdue translation check on 1 & 2 Thessalonians and Revelation in the Ma language.

For those unfamiliar with this process, I've already been working closely with my translation consultant, who has been reviewing our work for accuracy and clarity. After addressing all questions and potential misunderstandings, we will do one final comprehension test with native speakers. This is the last step before these books are officially recognized as Scripture!

Between answering consultant notes, handling travel logistics, and—oh yeah—working on taxes, these past weeks have been packed! I'm also thrilled to have Maddie joining me. This trip is a special opportunity for her to reconnect with the place she grew up, process the many transitions and struggles that missionary kids experience, and also serve alongside me. As her father, I'm looking forward to this time together!

A Note on Finances

We're still about $3,000 short of the needed funds for this trip. We're so grateful for the generosity that has allowed us to move forward with purchasing tickets and booking stays, but we still have expenses ahead. Would you prayerfully consider contributing? Every gift, big or small, helps make this possible.

Giving is easy! Just click the button/link at the top of this email, and it will take you to the Ethnos360 donation page, where you'll find several ways to give.

Thank you for your prayers, support, and generosity! We're excited to see how God uses this trip to advance His Word among the Mibu people.

In Christ,

Geoff and Shannon

Update on Some Current Needs

I wanted to quickly update you on a few specific needs for Mibu Ministry.

 

Upcoming Trip to Mibu

 

I'm planning to head back to Mibu soon but still need an additional $1,500 to make it happen. Additionally, there's a fuel shortage in PNG, which is another hurdle we need prayers for. With the current fuel shortage flights into bush locations are severely limited. So I'm waiting for a change there before making solid plans.

 

New Internet Systems

 

When I go back, I'd love to bring at least one, possibly two, new, smaller internet systems. Each system costs around $600-$650, including the active internet plan.

Office Space

 

My current workspace at home isn't ideal. I've found an office space nearby in Mesa that I can rent for $300/month. Having a dedicated workspace away from the house would be super helpful. Would anyone be interested in sponsoring this?

 

Monthly Support

 

Our regular monthly support is down to 57% of what's recommended. This shortfall has led us to spend more time on other income-generating activities, which is unsustainable for full-time ministry. We're making a push to bring our support levels back up so I can focus on translation and lesson development.

 

Social Media Campaign

 

You may have seen on social media (Instagram: @geoffhusa, Facebook: Geoff Husa) that I've been sharing the amazing story of what God has done in Mibu! We need more people to join us in seeing this ministry through. If you see my posts, please do more than just 'like' them—leave a comment, ask a question, or share it! Those actions help increase visibility on the platform, which in turn helps grow our support base.

 

Thank you for your prayers and continued support!

 

 

 

 

An Overlooked Challenge of Missionary Life

When people think of missionary work, they often picture the profound moments—sharing the gospel in a remote village, translating Scripture into a new language, or witnessing a community come to Christ. Mibu Ministry certainly has a lot of cool God stuff to boast about! But there's another side to the story that often goes unspoken. Or maybe it's obvious, but goes unspoken because we don't have a good term for it? In my struggle to coin an appropriate term I had ChatGPT help me… are you ready… "Omni-Competence Overload," is what we'll call it. In the jungle of Papua New Guinea, where we lived and served among the Mibu people, I learned firsthand that being a missionary comes with much more than just ministry. It's also about constantly being pushed beyond my current range of practical skills well outside of those that would be considered ministry. And where we fail to master the skills (happens a lot) you end up with botched attempts at solving problems, or even worse problems than when you started. Whether it's building and repairing our home, troubleshooting tech issues, or managing fundraising efforts, all while going about the challenge of navigating complex cross-cultural dynamics, we find ourselves constantly outside of our comfort zones to keep things moving forward. While these experiences have made us resourceful, I believe they are one of several factors that contribute to the sense of burnout many missionaries face.

 

The Reality of Living in the Jungle

 

We replaced every wooden post on all 4 buildings multiple times! Termites and rot kept getting the upper hand till we eventually figured out a better solution!

Let me paint you a picture of what life in the jungle is really like. Imagine needing to plan and build your own house from scratch. I'm not an architect, nor do I aspire to be! Even with a couple teams who came to help us build, it required a lot that fell outside our typical skill set. Then picture maintaining that house where the jungle is working overtime to destroy it. Picture days spent figuring out how to fix a broken water system with whatever materials you can scavenge because there's no hardware store nearby. Or troubleshooting electrical problems, on both AC and DC sides of the system. If something breaks, you learn to jerry-rig it. I can't tell you how many pieces of pipe I've heated up to stretch and bend to make work when I needed to fix something but didn't have a hardware store! But you quickly find that these makeshift solutions rarely hold up in the long run. Though on occasion some actually hold up surprisingly well! I still have two rain gutters in Mibu being held up by nylon webbing after more than 10 years—nails just couldn't cut it in the harsh jungle conditions! It's a humorous example, but one that speaks to what I'm getting at. Or this one may be stupid and small, but planning logistics for getting our food and supplies, helicopter flights, and other travel, and the constant changes was so time consuming!

Our house in the jungle. You build in a clearing to be sure to get plenty of sunlight.

 

The Challenge Beyond the Jungle

 

But this isn't just about the jungle. Even after moving out of Mibu, this "Omni-Competence Overload" persists. For instance, as we work on improving our fundraising efforts from Arizona, I find myself learning new skills—like using Canva, managing social media, and understanding email marketing. These are things I never imagined I'd need to know as a missionary, but here I am, spending hours trying to master them (and totally failing) because it's necessary to keep our ministry going. I've spent more than four hours (now 5.5 hours) just working on this blog post, trying to get the message just right. And if I'm being honest, I have my doubts whether this is even a worthwhile post, but am going to just hit 'post' anyway just because I've now invested the time and I'm tired of thinking about it… haha! I can't tell you how many half-written posts I have that I ended up abandoning because it's too much time or just seems futile.

 

While I generally enjoy tackling challenges, this constant need to put so much time in everything else can be defeating. I know it really takes the wind out of my sails. The time spent learning and doing all these non-ministry tasks often means that the ministry itself progresses more slowly. And though I've tried to prioritize, those deferred tasks inevitably catch up, creating a hard balance between focusing on the ministry and managing everything else.

 

The Broader Implication

 

What we're calling omni-competence overload isn't unique to missionaries. Whether you're in ministry specifically, or have a W2, or whether you're working overseas or in your hometown, you've probably felt this in some form. Perhaps you've had to become the go-to person for everything in your job or home life, juggling more roles than you'd like. I've learned too that often this can be a result of an unhealthy inability to delegate, and/or a prideful view of oneself as the best one to get things done. I know I have some of that going on that I've been challenged about. But I've also found that delegating with many of these tasks takes financial resources. The truth is, finances often solve some of these problems by giving us the freedom to bring in people better suited for specific tasks. I would love to hire someone to manage all our blog and social media, for example. For now I just try to minimize those tasks outside of ministry and get help where I can. (Anyone but me please write updates for us!… haha)

 

Perhaps Omni-Competence Overload is something you've never considered before, or maybe it seems obvious in hindsight. Either way, it's a reminder of the hidden challenges that missionaries—and many others—face behind the scenes. As you continue to pray for and support missionaries, consider how this burden impacts their ability to focus on the core work of ministry. By growing in your understanding of these pressures, you can better support and encourage the missionaries you know, helping them carry out the vital work they've been called to do.

 

I don't bring this factor up as a complaint. I see it simply as a challenge in ministry. I do actually enjoy solving a good problem. That may be part of my problem actually! I get it from my dad! I write about it here partly to process and put my thoughts about it into writing, but also because it may be a slightly unusual and transparent topic for a missionary to write about and thus, just maybe, it's a little bit interesting to read about.

Skyler started early with her refrigeration technician skills

 

 

Thank you!

 

We are profoundly grateful for the unwavering support we've received over the years—through prayer, encouragement, and financial giving. You have played a vital role in sustaining this ministry, and we couldn't have made it this far without you. As we continue this journey, we find ourselves in a season where our monthly support is just 57% of what's needed. If you feel led to partner with us financially or increase your current support, your help would make a significant impact as we work toward completing the translation in Mibu. Thank you for standing with us as we press on, by God's grace, through all the challenges and victories that come our way.

 

I spent lots of time confounded in this area. It's where most of our water issues, water heating, and washing machine issues happened

An example of a jerry-rigged bracket for my bandsaw. It didn't last long as you would expect with brass pieces in the mix

Installing this beast and pointing correctly was a task. Even to this day this thing can be a pain for us, but it is the only way we get internet in Mibu. Hoping to change that soon with a much simpler Starlink system

 

 

Figuring out how I can reconfigure things already in use such as DC converters and wifi routers to create a dry box (for storing things that didn't handle high humidity well)

We weren't always on our own to figure out problems. We were blessed a number of times to have teams come in to help with the bigger tasks!