Sunday, June 2, 2019
Change of Plan for Clare
This
month's photo is from 2005. Some of you will remember that I (Clare)
first came to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to teach grade two children at Ukarumpa
International School. This is the school that Levi, Heidi and Eowyn now
attend, alongside children of other Bible Translation workers.
Over the last 13 years, I've served at the school in a variety of different
areas. Between
mid-June and January I'll be taking on the role of temporary (and part-time)
principal. I'm excited about this opportunity; I can
already see that all I've learnt in my years of missionary care and parenting
will be useful in this role. But I am aware that it will also be very
challenging!
Over the next two weeks I'll be handing over my work in the staff care department as well as ending my year of teaching mathematics to students with special educational needs. I'll be asking many questions of the current principal too and starting to move into the new role. That's an awful lot of juggling! And I'm also recovering from a virus that I caught while working at the school. I am very grateful for your prayers and for a God who I can fully rely on.
Thank you so much for your love and support towards us all; we certainly couldn't be doing this alone.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
New Workers, Many Languages
At the
beginning of the year, 32 new Wycliffe members attended a training course here
at the Ukarumpa centre to prepare them for life and work in Papua New Guinea
(PNG).
Andrew and I enjoyed being part of a 'support worker panel' where the students on the course asked questions to those of us who have been supporting Bible Translation here.
I'm currently meeting with each of these new workers on behalf of the Staff Care department. I'm enjoying getting to know them and hearing about their experiences during these first few months in the country.
It is
wonderful to see how God continues to provide for all our needs. We are
deeply grateful for a church that has been a partner in our work since I first
came to PNG, and sent their final gift to Wycliffe earlier this year. In
the same month, a different church gave us the opportunity to share about our
work; we are excited that this has led to a new partnership. We are so
thankful for this provision.
Andrew and I enjoyed being part of a 'support worker panel' where the students on the course asked questions to those of us who have been supporting Bible Translation here.
I'm currently meeting with each of these new workers on behalf of the Staff Care department. I'm enjoying getting to know them and hearing about their experiences during these first few months in the country.
The United Nations has declared 2019 to be the
'International Year of Indigenous Languages'.
At our organisation's recent biennial conference, we felt inspired after hearing from our International Executive Director, Dr. Michel Kenmonge, who shared his experience of growing up with a Cameroonian indigenous language as his mother tongue. Watch this video to hear some of his story and to join us in celebrating the world's 7097 languages: |
Monday, October 8, 2018
The Local Valley
We are blessed to have this view from the back of our house:
The village in the photo is one of several that are within walking distance of the Ukarumpa centre. These villages are home to many of our Papua New Guinean colleagues and friends.
The village in the photo is one of several that are within walking distance of the Ukarumpa centre. These villages are home to many of our Papua New Guinean colleagues and friends.
This
statement was put out by our organisation here in PNG:
'There has been fighting between two villages in Aiyura valley
where our headquarters is located, but approximately 2 kilometres
away. Proactive security measures have been taken to closely
monitor traffic through our centre and minimize the number of staff travelling
through the valley. The Royal PNG Constabulary (police) have sent a team
of officers to restore law and order, and attempt to enable a peace agreement.
Several of our staff's friends or paid staff's loved ones have been impacted by this fighting – and we are concerned for their well-being.
Although the unrest is not targeted at our organisation, please join us in prayer that God would bring about peace for His glory.'
Several of our staff's friends or paid staff's loved ones have been impacted by this fighting – and we are concerned for their well-being.
Although the unrest is not targeted at our organisation, please join us in prayer that God would bring about peace for His glory.'
Thank
you for praying with us.
For
some encouraging news, read about
a literacy course attended by many from local villages. Participants
found they were able to read their Bibles for the first time ever after
attending the course.
Friday, August 31, 2018
Coffee!
Did you sample any of the Kamano Kafe coffee that we took with us on our travels last year?
I (Clare) recently accompanied a class trip to the hut where the Kamano Kafe Bible Translation Team produces it:
First, a hand crank hulling machine is used to remove parchment (a thin, paper-like membrane) from the dry beans. Next, five kilograms of coffee beans are put into the roasting machine (see picture below), where they are constantly rotated to prevent burning. A window in the machine means that the operator can see when the desired roast has been reached.
Finally, the coffee is poured into bags and sold. The profits are used to fund the continued work of Bible translation into the Kamano Kafe language.
I (Clare) recently accompanied a class trip to the hut where the Kamano Kafe Bible Translation Team produces it:
First, a hand crank hulling machine is used to remove parchment (a thin, paper-like membrane) from the dry beans. Next, five kilograms of coffee beans are put into the roasting machine (see picture below), where they are constantly rotated to prevent burning. A window in the machine means that the operator can see when the desired roast has been reached.
Finally, the coffee is poured into bags and sold. The profits are used to fund the continued work of Bible translation into the Kamano Kafe language.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
School Holiday Fun
At the moment our children are enjoying
their five-week school holiday. Here is their guide to staying
entertained while living in a remote location:
1) Take the lid of the crate that came by ship filled with shoes, clothes and
other items that we'll be using between now and 2021
2) Draw pictures (in this case, of a light bulb, a child and a cat)
3) Cut out head holes
4) Stick your head through and get your Mum to take pictures
2) Draw pictures (in this case, of a light bulb, a child and a cat)
3) Cut out head holes
4) Stick your head through and get your Mum to take pictures
Next week, Levi (9) will begin Grade 4 and Heidi (6) starts Grade 2 at Ukarumpa International School. Eowyn (4) has another year of pre-school; on some mornings she'll stay home with Mum or with Mama Hana, a wonderful Papua New Guinean lady who helps us at home.
Andrew at the Autoshop
What does it
look like to support Bible translation in Papua New Guinea? For Andrew it
looks like this:
In this photo Andrew is replacing the drive chain and sprockets on
the 'Jesus Video Bike', used to
distribute scripture, Audibibles, hymn books and educational supplies in the
highlands of Papua New Guinea.
Andrew has helped many people this year in his role as a small engines mechanic. He worked on an all-terrain vehicle that will be used to transport members of a multi-language project around the areas where they work; he has advised on the maintenance of airstrip mowers (so that planes bringing translators and supplies can land); and of course he has performed maintenance on many motorbikes and other smaller vehicles.
Andrew has helped many people this year in his role as a small engines mechanic. He worked on an all-terrain vehicle that will be used to transport members of a multi-language project around the areas where they work; he has advised on the maintenance of airstrip mowers (so that planes bringing translators and supplies can land); and of course he has performed maintenance on many motorbikes and other smaller vehicles.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
We're home!
We are so glad to have returned to our own home in Papua New Guinea and to have completed the long journey back here. The following picture was taken during one of the better moments of our 12-hour layover in San Francisco; the children had already been awake for 16 hours at that point. Twenty-nine hours later we arrived in Cairns, Australia.
After some swimming, repacking and two nights of sleeping, two short flights brought us to our home on the Ukarumpa centre.
* We praise God for allowing us to return to Papua New Guinea. We are grateful that our luggage made it too!
* We are thankful that our home and dog were well taken care of by missionary colleagues. The children were particularly concerned about the dog while we were away!
* We've felt the effect of your prayers as we've parented Levi, Heidi and Eowyn through this time of transition. We've gained various helpful insights as we continue to raise our children.
* We would appreciate prayer as we return to our roles on the Ukarumpa centre and find our place amongst our colleagues.
After some swimming, repacking and two nights of sleeping, two short flights brought us to our home on the Ukarumpa centre.
* We praise God for allowing us to return to Papua New Guinea. We are grateful that our luggage made it too!
* We are thankful that our home and dog were well taken care of by missionary colleagues. The children were particularly concerned about the dog while we were away!
* We've felt the effect of your prayers as we've parented Levi, Heidi and Eowyn through this time of transition. We've gained various helpful insights as we continue to raise our children.
* We would appreciate prayer as we return to our roles on the Ukarumpa centre and find our place amongst our colleagues.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
We are so Thankful
This week we'll be driving to Florida to celebrate Thanksgiving with Andrew's parents.
There is so much to be thankful for!
*We are thankful that the Kasua People of Papua New Guinea (PNG) now have access to the New Testament:
* We are thankful that we are able to contribute to the work of Bible translation; we look forward to continuing our work of fixing small engines and caring for missionaries after arriving back in PNG on 12 January 2018.
* We are thankful that we are able to contribute to the work of Bible translation; we look forward to continuing our work of fixing small engines and caring for missionaries after arriving back in PNG on 12 January 2018.
* We are so thankful to those who are partnering with our work in PNG through prayer, financial giving and encouragement.
* We are overwhelmingly thankful that 100% of our Wycliffe ministry budget has been pledged for the next three years. We stand in awe at how the Lord has accomplished this.
* We are thankful for the wonderful times we've had with friends, family and churches this year.
Much of December will be spent packing up and cleaning our house in North Carolina; after that we will travel back down to Florida for Christmas. We are grateful for your ongoing prayer during this period of travel and change; these are usually emotionally challenging times, especially for our children.
Photo credit: Amy Evers* We are overwhelmingly thankful that 100% of our Wycliffe ministry budget has been pledged for the next three years. We stand in awe at how the Lord has accomplished this.
* We are thankful for the wonderful times we've had with friends, family and churches this year.
Much of December will be spent packing up and cleaning our house in North Carolina; after that we will travel back down to Florida for Christmas. We are grateful for your ongoing prayer during this period of travel and change; these are usually emotionally challenging times, especially for our children.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Learning and Jousting!
Last week we were in two different places:
I (Clare) was in Pennsylvania at the Heartstream Resources Member Care Course. Andrew, Levi, Heidi and Eowyn stayed in North Carolina and enjoyed a day trip to the North Carolina Renaissance Festival.
The week of training was immensely helpful in preparing me to continue as a pastoral care facilitator in Papua New Guinea. All that I learnt will help me to be a better support to those in challenging situations, whether through listening, asking useful questions, or helping people work through conflict. I'm keen to get back to this role in January.
At the Autoshop, staff are eagerly awaiting Andrew's return. In a recent letter Andrew's manager, James Ernandes, described Andrew as 'irreplaceable in his role'. He shared how Andrew helps the other Autoshop staff better understand the local culture, and how the staff have been helped many times by his commitment to grace, understanding and patience.
James added, 'And he is one of our best mechanics to boot. We depend heavily on Andrews knowledge base of motorcycles and small engines'. To read the whole letter, click here.
We are so encouraged to see how the Lord continues to bring in financial partners in a whole variety of ways. We still need $825/£650 per month in regular support in order to meet our Wycliffe ministry budget for the next three years. If you are planning to start giving financially or would like to change your current commitment in any way, we'd be very grateful if you could let us know; this will help us reach the point of being released by Wycliffe to travel to back to Papua New Guinea.
It is amazing, as we meet people on our travels, to discover how many of you are praying for us regularly. We are most grateful.
I (Clare) was in Pennsylvania at the Heartstream Resources Member Care Course. Andrew, Levi, Heidi and Eowyn stayed in North Carolina and enjoyed a day trip to the North Carolina Renaissance Festival.
The week of training was immensely helpful in preparing me to continue as a pastoral care facilitator in Papua New Guinea. All that I learnt will help me to be a better support to those in challenging situations, whether through listening, asking useful questions, or helping people work through conflict. I'm keen to get back to this role in January.
At the Autoshop, staff are eagerly awaiting Andrew's return. In a recent letter Andrew's manager, James Ernandes, described Andrew as 'irreplaceable in his role'. He shared how Andrew helps the other Autoshop staff better understand the local culture, and how the staff have been helped many times by his commitment to grace, understanding and patience.
James added, 'And he is one of our best mechanics to boot. We depend heavily on Andrews knowledge base of motorcycles and small engines'. To read the whole letter, click here.
We are so encouraged to see how the Lord continues to bring in financial partners in a whole variety of ways. We still need $825/£650 per month in regular support in order to meet our Wycliffe ministry budget for the next three years. If you are planning to start giving financially or would like to change your current commitment in any way, we'd be very grateful if you could let us know; this will help us reach the point of being released by Wycliffe to travel to back to Papua New Guinea.
It is amazing, as we meet people on our travels, to discover how many of you are praying for us regularly. We are most grateful.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
A Letter From Andrew's Manager
To all interested in the ministry of Andrew Koens,
In total I have worked 2 years side by side with Andrew, as his manager. In that time he has proven himself to be irreplaceable as a mechanic, assistant manager, and shop historian. He is truly an ambassador for Christ, here in Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea. It’s been my pleasure to see Andrew help all of us get a better understanding of the Melanesian culture in his daily dealings with our national customers and employees. He is always stressing grace and understanding, before any action should take place.
There have been times when I would be concerned about employees breaking the rules in the shop. Andrew would always stop me and have me ask, “Why do you think they are doing what they are doing? Are they doing it because it’s culturally appropriate, or is it just blatant disregard for the rules?”. His patience and gentle handling of people have helped so many situations turn out positive.
And he is one of our best mechanics to boot. We depend heavily on Andrews knowledge base of motorcycles and small engines. He
keeps our missionaries', local
nationals' and other missions organizations' motorcycles, generators,
air strip mowers, chain saws and any other small engines going.
If you are looking to partner financially with a missionary family, the Koens are worth every penny in their service here. They are a part of our community, our family and our work.
James Ernandes
Auto Shop Manager/DO-Fleet Manager
SIL Auto Shop
Saturday, September 9, 2017
In the USA
After
being away from the USA for almost six years, it's great to
spend time with family here once again; we've loved meeting new
family members too:
We've continued to share at churches and Bible
study groups about the work of Bible translation in Papua
New Guinea. We always enjoy telling the recent story
of Angam, a speaker of the Tami language in Papua New
Guinea:
After reading Bible verses that his wife brought home from a women's Bible study, Angam joined his wife at the group the following week to hear more. His wife watched his face physically change as he listened to the Word of God and understood for the first time the forgiveness that Christ offers. Angam is now chairman of the Tami Bible translation committee and is sharing his story with members of his language group. Because of the changes in Angam's life, many other Tami people are now excited about translating the Bible into the Tami language. You can read more of his story here.
We are so grateful for your prayers and your financial giving towards our work. Several people have joined our financial team since we last wrote and a few churches are considering how they might partner with us financially. However, one of our main sending churches will be ending their partnership with us, following budget cuts. We still need to raise an extra $1600 per month in order to serve in Papua New Guinea for the next three years. Please keep praying! The sooner our work is funded, the sooner we will be able to finalise our return date, planned for mid-January (before Clare's US visa expires!)
Andrew, Clare, Levi,
Heidi and Eowyn Koens
After reading Bible verses that his wife brought home from a women's Bible study, Angam joined his wife at the group the following week to hear more. His wife watched his face physically change as he listened to the Word of God and understood for the first time the forgiveness that Christ offers. Angam is now chairman of the Tami Bible translation committee and is sharing his story with members of his language group. Because of the changes in Angam's life, many other Tami people are now excited about translating the Bible into the Tami language. You can read more of his story here.
We are so grateful for your prayers and your financial giving towards our work. Several people have joined our financial team since we last wrote and a few churches are considering how they might partner with us financially. However, one of our main sending churches will be ending their partnership with us, following budget cuts. We still need to raise an extra $1600 per month in order to serve in Papua New Guinea for the next three years. Please keep praying! The sooner our work is funded, the sooner we will be able to finalise our return date, planned for mid-January (before Clare's US visa expires!)
This month's
prayer points:
*We praise God for how he showers us with blessings: from friendly welcomes, meals and financial gifts to vehicular loans and housing in a great location.
*We pray for wisdom and opportunities as we plan our schedule for the next four months: We have so many friends in so many places but so little time! We are very aware that our energy is limited, especially after being busy for a long time.
*We pray for patience and insight as parents as we journey with our children through a lengthy time of transition.
*We pray for Andrew to be able to renew his US driver's license; he is facing difficulties as it expired while we were overseas.
Many thanks,
*We praise God for how he showers us with blessings: from friendly welcomes, meals and financial gifts to vehicular loans and housing in a great location.
*We pray for wisdom and opportunities as we plan our schedule for the next four months: We have so many friends in so many places but so little time! We are very aware that our energy is limited, especially after being busy for a long time.
*We pray for patience and insight as parents as we journey with our children through a lengthy time of transition.
*We pray for Andrew to be able to renew his US driver's license; he is facing difficulties as it expired while we were overseas.
Many thanks,
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Paving the Way to PNG
We've written a lot over the years about broken bridges. This photo, taken several years ago, shows Andrew helping to repair a bridge on the only road between our home in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and the coast.
The photo reminds me of our current situation. Just as we can't drive over a broken bridge until it's been repaired, we won't be able to continue our work in Papua New Guinea until our team of financial and prayer partners has been strengthened.
We are so grateful to those who have partnered financially with our Wycliffe ministry over the last 15 years. Some of these individuals and churches are no longer able to do so due to their own financial challenges. Wycliffe uses and approves a ministry budget for its members; this budget reflects the amount needed to fund each ministry. We need to reach 100% of the ministry budget that has been established for our work with Wycliffe, so that we can continue to work in Papua New Guinea. The regular gifts we are currently receiving only account for 60% of the funds we need to raise.
Would you consider joining our team of regular financial partners? Our current partners each give between $15 - $200 per month. We'd love to hear from you if you are able to support our overseas work in this way, or if you have questions.
Would you like to be a part of our prayer team? We sometimes send specific requests to a small number of people and we'd love to add more people to this group.
This month's prayer points:
*We praise God for the wonderful opportunities we've had in the UK to catch up with friends and family and share about our work in PNG. (Let us know if you'd like to see us when we're in the USA!)
*We praise God that Clare now has a visa that will allow her to make temporary visits to the USA over the next ten years.
*We pray that God would continue to provide for all our needs.
*We pray for a smooth transition as we move to the USA for five months on 10 August. Emotions are already running high!
We are so grateful to those who have partnered financially with our Wycliffe ministry over the last 15 years. Some of these individuals and churches are no longer able to do so due to their own financial challenges. Wycliffe uses and approves a ministry budget for its members; this budget reflects the amount needed to fund each ministry. We need to reach 100% of the ministry budget that has been established for our work with Wycliffe, so that we can continue to work in Papua New Guinea. The regular gifts we are currently receiving only account for 60% of the funds we need to raise.
Would you consider joining our team of regular financial partners? Our current partners each give between $15 - $200 per month. We'd love to hear from you if you are able to support our overseas work in this way, or if you have questions.Would you like to be a part of our prayer team? We sometimes send specific requests to a small number of people and we'd love to add more people to this group.
This month's prayer points:
*We praise God for the wonderful opportunities we've had in the UK to catch up with friends and family and share about our work in PNG. (Let us know if you'd like to see us when we're in the USA!)
*We praise God that Clare now has a visa that will allow her to make temporary visits to the USA over the next ten years.
*We pray that God would continue to provide for all our needs.
*We pray for a smooth transition as we move to the USA for five months on 10 August. Emotions are already running high!
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Avocado Trees and Changed Lives
In our garden in Papua New Guinea are two avocado trees:
They don't bear fruit too often, but we enjoy huge amounts of avocado when they do. Even more exciting is when the work of Bible translation bears fruit. It's been thrilling recently to read about lives that have been changed following encounters with the Jesus Video Bike that Andrew has worked on frequently.
We are not directly involved in the translating itself; but just as a tree's trunk supports its branches, we are supporting translation and literacy work by using our practical skills.
The part of the tree that can't be seen is the roots. We know though that the tree couldn't survive without the roots. I'm reminded of those who are faithfully partnering with us through prayer and finances from their home countries. The gifts of prayer and finances go largely unseen, but are vital; without the financial and prayer support of people around the world, there would be no Bible translation work in Papua New Guinea.
We're so glad to be able to catch up in person this year with many individuals and churches who are supporting our work in Papua New Guinea. We're excited that we have several new opportunities to share about this work and let others know how they can be involved.
This month's prayer points:
*We praise God for opportunities to speak to others about our work in Papua New Guinea.
*We praise God for a successful medical check-up for Eowyn in March this year. The consultant saw very little change since our last visit, which is a good thing. We can wait two years before returning for a follow-up visit.
*We pray that God would be strengthening our 'roots' by enlarging our team of financial and prayer partners.
Andrew, Clare, Levi,
Heidi and Eowyn Koens
We are not directly involved in the translating itself; but just as a tree's trunk supports its branches, we are supporting translation and literacy work by using our practical skills.
The part of the tree that can't be seen is the roots. We know though that the tree couldn't survive without the roots. I'm reminded of those who are faithfully partnering with us through prayer and finances from their home countries. The gifts of prayer and finances go largely unseen, but are vital; without the financial and prayer support of people around the world, there would be no Bible translation work in Papua New Guinea.
We're so glad to be able to catch up in person this year with many individuals and churches who are supporting our work in Papua New Guinea. We're excited that we have several new opportunities to share about this work and let others know how they can be involved.
This month's prayer points:
*We praise God for opportunities to speak to others about our work in Papua New Guinea.
*We praise God for a successful medical check-up for Eowyn in March this year. The consultant saw very little change since our last visit, which is a good thing. We can wait two years before returning for a follow-up visit.
*We pray that God would be strengthening our 'roots' by enlarging our team of financial and prayer partners.
Many thanks,
Friday, April 21, 2017
Saturday, March 4, 2017
We're (almost) Ready to Go!
Greetings from Papua New Guinea!
With a day to go until we leave, life is busy. We've been organising and cleaning our house, sorting and packing clothes, printing out tickets and travel directions, organising transport, arranging to visit people, working on furlough presentations, designing photo books, obtaining permission to visit Australia, finishing up at work, and having our photo taken:
As you can see, Levi is looking more and more like his Dad ;-).
Andrew has been building a workshop behind our house out of a shipping container so that he'll be able to work on projects from home in future. I expect our children will gain mechanical experience of their own out there too.
Thank you for your prayers regarding our house and dog while we're away; we've seen some wonderful answers.
This is what our travel plans look like for the next few weeks:
6 March: Fly to the capital city, Port Moresby.
7 March: Fly to Brisbane, Australia.
11 March: Fly to Melbourne, Australia. (We'll be visiting the friends we lived with at the time Levi was born.)
14-15 March: Fly to London and drive to Haslemere, Surrey.
19 - 31 March: Visit friends and family in Warrington, Cumbria, Sunderland, York and Leicestershire.
1 April: Move into our flat in Haslemere.
We have much to look forward to, but realise that the next month will also be very intense. We would appreciate your continued prayer, especially that we will recover quickly from jetlag and for good emotional adjustments with the changes that are to come.
With a day to go until we leave, life is busy. We've been organising and cleaning our house, sorting and packing clothes, printing out tickets and travel directions, organising transport, arranging to visit people, working on furlough presentations, designing photo books, obtaining permission to visit Australia, finishing up at work, and having our photo taken:
Andrew has been building a workshop behind our house out of a shipping container so that he'll be able to work on projects from home in future. I expect our children will gain mechanical experience of their own out there too.
Thank you for your prayers regarding our house and dog while we're away; we've seen some wonderful answers.
This is what our travel plans look like for the next few weeks:
6 March: Fly to the capital city, Port Moresby.
7 March: Fly to Brisbane, Australia.
11 March: Fly to Melbourne, Australia. (We'll be visiting the friends we lived with at the time Levi was born.)
14-15 March: Fly to London and drive to Haslemere, Surrey.
19 - 31 March: Visit friends and family in Warrington, Cumbria, Sunderland, York and Leicestershire.
1 April: Move into our flat in Haslemere.
We have much to look forward to, but realise that the next month will also be very intense. We would appreciate your continued prayer, especially that we will recover quickly from jetlag and for good emotional adjustments with the changes that are to come.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Dealing with Stuff
In five weeks we will leave PNG for ten months of home assignment.
As well as making preparations for our time away, I'm working hard to get the house ready for others to live here. One part of that is getting rid of items that our family no longer needs. There aren't many recycling programmes in Papua New Guinea, but that doesn't mean that things get thrown away!
Some items are given directly to colleagues and local friends; these items range from used plastic food or drink containers, all of which will get reused, to clothes that our children have outgrown but which other children in Ukarumpa or around the country will appreciate. Boxed up items can be donated to the 'Everything Sale', an annual event run by the teenagers here to raise money towards their youth centre. Some things are sold to colleagues; there is no Ebay here and the range of products available in local stores is limited so people appreciate the opportunity to buy things from each other.
It always amazes me how many lids I find with no containers to go with them. Those, at least, will get thrown away if no matching container appears!
We would appreciate prayer as we enter this time of transition:
*Heidi is concerned about being away from PNG, from her friends and from our dog. Levi was distressed when he heard that he'd have to pack up his bedroom before we left. Eowyn has no memory of living outside PNG. Please pray for all of our children as they face these big changes in their lives. Of course there is a lot to look forward to as well. They are most excited about seeing family. Heidi also wants to see a giraffe and Levi is looking forward to visiting science museums.
*We are grateful for the opportunities that we have to connect with friends and churches back home. It's been encouraging to see our schedule start to fill up:
* Please pray for Andrew and I as we work to complete many tasks that we want to get done before our departure on 6 March. An added complication is that Andrew can't work on some of these jobs until spare parts arrive from overseas; he'd appreciate prayer for these parts to arrive quickly.
*We are thrilled to hear that there should be someone to live in our house and care for our dog from May onwards. We are praying that someone would be willing to look after our dog in the first couple of months that we are away.
As well as making preparations for our time away, I'm working hard to get the house ready for others to live here. One part of that is getting rid of items that our family no longer needs. There aren't many recycling programmes in Papua New Guinea, but that doesn't mean that things get thrown away!
Some items are given directly to colleagues and local friends; these items range from used plastic food or drink containers, all of which will get reused, to clothes that our children have outgrown but which other children in Ukarumpa or around the country will appreciate. Boxed up items can be donated to the 'Everything Sale', an annual event run by the teenagers here to raise money towards their youth centre. Some things are sold to colleagues; there is no Ebay here and the range of products available in local stores is limited so people appreciate the opportunity to buy things from each other.
It always amazes me how many lids I find with no containers to go with them. Those, at least, will get thrown away if no matching container appears!
We would appreciate prayer as we enter this time of transition:
*Heidi is concerned about being away from PNG, from her friends and from our dog. Levi was distressed when he heard that he'd have to pack up his bedroom before we left. Eowyn has no memory of living outside PNG. Please pray for all of our children as they face these big changes in their lives. Of course there is a lot to look forward to as well. They are most excited about seeing family. Heidi also wants to see a giraffe and Levi is looking forward to visiting science museums.
*We are grateful for the opportunities that we have to connect with friends and churches back home. It's been encouraging to see our schedule start to fill up:
* Please pray for Andrew and I as we work to complete many tasks that we want to get done before our departure on 6 March. An added complication is that Andrew can't work on some of these jobs until spare parts arrive from overseas; he'd appreciate prayer for these parts to arrive quickly.
*We are thrilled to hear that there should be someone to live in our house and care for our dog from May onwards. We are praying that someone would be willing to look after our dog in the first couple of months that we are away.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
We have Stories to Share!
When we are in the UK and the USA next year, one of our assignments will be to share about the Bible Translation work that's going on in Papua New Guinea.
This photo shows the 'furlough workshop' I've been attending; my goal has been to come up with interesting and helpful presentations. Gone are the days of the 30 minute slide show! We'll be aiming to share in a way that's relevant to each group of people, and which gives others a chance to see how they too can be involved.
Do you know of people who would like to hear how God is using Bible Translation to change lives in Papua New Guinea? If so, please get in touch. This might be in your church services, small groups, Sunday school meetings, children's groups or schools. Of course we'd love to share with you in your own home too! Even if it's too early to work out the specific details, it would be helpful to find out about possibilities now, for planning purposes.
Prayer and Praise Points:
* We now have plane tickets! I'm keeping track of and updating our itinerary here. We appreciate prayer for good decisions as we prepare for our time away from PNG and that plans would come together well.
* Please pray for good times of transition for our children. They are excited about the upcoming travels, but the idea of spending a long time away from the place they know as home can be unsettling for them.
* We would appreciate prayer for wisdom in our work, and that we would use our time well during the next few months that we have here.
Thank you so much for your valued partnership with us, expressed in many different ways
Sunday, October 23, 2016
2017 Travel Plans
I'll keep this post updated with our 2017 travel plans. We'd love to see you! Let us know if this might be a possibility
6 March: Fly to Port Moresby
7 March: Fly to Brisbane
10 March: Eowyn's medical check-up
11 March: Fly to Melbourne
15 March: Arrive in Haslemere, Surrey, UK
19 - 21 March: Seeing family in Warrington
21 - 27 March: Visiting friends in Cumbria
27 - 29 March: Sunderland and York
29 - 31 March: Visiting friends and family in the Midlands
1 April: Move into our flat in Haslemere
8 -13 April: Attending Spring Harvest Conference, Minehead, UK
18 April: Start of school term for our children
10 May: Speaking in Stevenage
13 - 17 May: Seeing friends from Devon
29 May - 2nd June: Half-term school holidays (We're still free from the Wednesday onwards)
11 June: Speaking at The Stable, Barnet
18 June: At Barnet Brookside Church
21st - 25th June: Andrew and Clare's (belated) 10th Anniversary trip to Edinburgh
2nd July: At All Saints' Church, Guildford
9th July: Children's group in Haslemere
16 July: Speaking in Haslemere
21 July: End of school year
10 August: Fly to Florida
13 August: Speaking in Palmetto, FL
20 August: Speaking in Sarasota, FL
21 August: Drive to North Carolina
28 August: Heidi and Levi start school in Waxhaw, North Carolina
?: Weekend trips to Upper NE Tennessee and other locations
January 2018: Fly back to Papua New Guinea via Australia
6 March: Fly to Port Moresby
7 March: Fly to Brisbane
10 March: Eowyn's medical check-up
11 March: Fly to Melbourne
15 March: Arrive in Haslemere, Surrey, UK
19 - 21 March: Seeing family in Warrington
21 - 27 March: Visiting friends in Cumbria
27 - 29 March: Sunderland and York
29 - 31 March: Visiting friends and family in the Midlands
1 April: Move into our flat in Haslemere
8 -13 April: Attending Spring Harvest Conference, Minehead, UK
18 April: Start of school term for our children
10 May: Speaking in Stevenage
13 - 17 May: Seeing friends from Devon
29 May - 2nd June: Half-term school holidays (We're still free from the Wednesday onwards)
11 June: Speaking at The Stable, Barnet
18 June: At Barnet Brookside Church
21st - 25th June: Andrew and Clare's (belated) 10th Anniversary trip to Edinburgh
2nd July: At All Saints' Church, Guildford
9th July: Children's group in Haslemere
16 July: Speaking in Haslemere
21 July: End of school year
10 August: Fly to Florida
13 August: Speaking in Palmetto, FL
20 August: Speaking in Sarasota, FL
21 August: Drive to North Carolina
28 August: Heidi and Levi start school in Waxhaw, North Carolina
?: Weekend trips to Upper NE Tennessee and other locations
January 2018: Fly back to Papua New Guinea via Australia
Friday, October 14, 2016
And Now For Something Different
Last week the gospel reggae band, Christafari, performed in our valley, hosted by local pastors. Around 5000 people from the local area came to the concert and heard the gospel message.
A lot of preparations needed to be carried out prior to the event, including building a stage from scratch. Many of our friends were involved in the event in one way or other.
Can you see the bright light in the background, shining on the crowd? This light is powered by its own generator, and is the kind often used at construction sites. Andrew was involved in repairing the generator in the days leading up to the concert.
This month's prayer points:
*We're still working with our travel agent on securing tickets for our 2017 furlough. Thanks for praying about our travel plans; we now know which tickets we want to purchase. We appreciate your continued prayer for the process of purchasing the tickets. (Making international travel plans always seems to end up being more complicated than we expect it to be!)
*We praise God that another motorcycle mechanic is planning to start working at Autoshop in the next couple of months. Please pray that Andrew would have adequate time to train this new mechanic before we leave for our furlough in March.
A lot of preparations needed to be carried out prior to the event, including building a stage from scratch. Many of our friends were involved in the event in one way or other.
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| Photo credit: Micah Trostle |
This month's prayer points:
*We're still working with our travel agent on securing tickets for our 2017 furlough. Thanks for praying about our travel plans; we now know which tickets we want to purchase. We appreciate your continued prayer for the process of purchasing the tickets. (Making international travel plans always seems to end up being more complicated than we expect it to be!)
*We praise God that another motorcycle mechanic is planning to start working at Autoshop in the next couple of months. Please pray that Andrew would have adequate time to train this new mechanic before we leave for our furlough in March.
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