Hello everyone! We're enjoying this near perfect weather here in Phoenix lately, with warm afternoons and cool mornings and evenings! We're bracing for the crazy heat just around the corner! We've been busy with kids' school, ministry, Shannon working outside of the home, and still trying to get ahead of some medical stuff we're trying to take care of. The kids are in their final stretch of the year (Ethan 4th grade, Abby 7th grade, Maddie 9th grade, Skyler 11th grade).
I am still slowly pushing through development of Revelation lessons and the last bits of the Elder Training lesson corrections. Moombi is helping me, as he can, to go through the elder training lessons to make sure they're communicating clearly before we format for printing.
Please be in prayer for the community in Mibu who are now trying to put their lives back together after the devastation caused by the attacks of the gang, and the influx of people who were displaced from their homes. My main translation helper, and others who help me understandably find it difficult to give the time needed to work with me on lessons and translation so that can slow things down a bit. For now I mostly work on things I can do on my own.
Speaking of the gang… We have an amazing update! The church leaders in Mibu sent word to the gang recently, highlighting all the devastation that they have caused with stealing, murder, abductions, rapes, destruction and burning of property and gardens, etc. But they rounded up their message to the gang with the notion that with all they took, they neglected to take the very best thing, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ who died to pay completely for their sins and make them right with God and give them hope. We were all shocked to hear that the gang leader responded saying that they were done with the attacks, and that he issued word to the rest of the gang that if anyone else continued to cause trouble he'd kill them himself! What a complete turn around! He went on to say that the gang no longer has a grievance with Mibu and even acknowledged that they, the gang, were the ones who did wrong, not Mibu. Then even more shocking; he said that they want the gospel message to be brought to them! Taking this at face value, we're praising God for this amazing turn of heart. But it's also with some hesitation as we have a bit of skepticism about their intent. Also, our idea of justice is offended as we're looking at the probability that there may be little to no consequences for all the horrible things they've done over the last couple years. But the big picture sense of things has us thankful that there seems to be a change of heart and desire to hear about Jesus. We've all seen the power of the gospel in Mibu and beyond, and so the expectation is that it can have its effect here too!
Ministry stuff is slowing down a bit again as I need to prioritize some nagging medical stuff. I tried everything but surgery last year to resolve some issues with debilitating elbow pain that's been getting worse for a number of years. The last thing on the table is surgery. We're so thankful God stepped in and graciously provided the needed funds specifically for us to be able to move forward with these two surgeries and also another one on my knee for a nagging meniscus issue. So three surgeries this year along with a number of other medical things we're trying to get taken care of. Shannon's hip has been bothering her for some time too. It turns out that living and hiking in the jungle, and also lots of hours at a computer comes with physical issues! Pray that we can get these resolved and resume normal living again. Right now both of us struggle to get the exercise we need and that's getting us down a bit. Glad to have the first of my three surgeries scheduled for this Tuesday, the 25th on my right elbow! If you think of it would you please pray that this would resolve the issue, and for a good recovery.
Along with the medical stuff we're trying to schedule through the rest of the year, I'm also looking for the right opportunity in between surgeries, and after some level of rehabilitation, to return to Papua New Guinea so I can have the opportunity to visit and be an encouragement to the church in Mibu (and they to me), and just generally be of service anywhere needed. I had hoped that I'd be able to make it out the middle of this month, but my work visa has not been processed fast enough. The helicopter is also booked solid through the end of the school year anyway, so it would have been a challenge getting back into Mibu. So for now I'm looking like maybe sometime this summer. We're also trying to plan a short two week trip to Michigan this summer as well to visit with Shannon's parents and some friends and church up there, as well as our co-workers, the Walkers.
Skyler and Maddie both went on their short term mission trips over Spring break! Skyler to Kenya, and Maddie to Mexico. Both really appreciated the opportunity to go and serve kids in a different cultural setting! Thank you so much for those who so generously contributed to their mission trips!
Abby wants to go on an international field trip to Greece with her school next year. We told her we didn't have the nearly $4,000 needed, but if she would commit to working for it we could sign her up. She's been doing odd jobs to get there, but what she's really settled on and has been doing very well with is baking these fantastic cupcakes and selling them! She's managed to cover the monthly payments since January and is funded well into June at this point! She even supplied cupcakes for a wedding recently! Her little business is aptly named "Blissful Bites"! It's exciting to see her take the initiative with this, and her little entrepreneurial spirit kicking in to accomplish her goal!
And we're realizing we've not mentioned we have an addition to the family. Meet Rex! He's a rescue dog whose previous owners abandoned him when they vacated a friend's rental property. Rex is a super sweet, well behaved, and energetic addition to the family. We all love having him around!
