Prayer Letter - New Guinea
News
(from PNG)
June 16, 2008
Walk Like an Egyptian
Tokiung listening to God’s Word
After
helping me fine tune a Bible lesson last week one of the Patpatar
men, Tokiung, pulled me aside and started to talk to me.
The lesson I had been working on
with them was of the Israelites during their time as slaves in
Egypt. As I began to set the scene for the coming plagues that God
sent on the Egyptians, I told them that the Egyptians had many
gods. They had a god of the Nile, a sun god, a fertility god, a god
of the dessert and more. I went on to explain that these Egyptian
gods were false and that the power displayed by Jehovah, the
self-existing “I AM” God during the plagues invalidated their gods.
Tokiung had been coming faithfully
twice a week to help me with the lessons. He is a leader in the
village who has been known for his power to cause rain, thunder, and
earthquakes. When he starting asking questions about when we would
be teaching them God’s Word in their language I asked him to come
and see what it involved. He came and had seemed very interested in
the lessons, even the one about the Egyptians.
He pulled me aside and quietly but
very animatedly said, “We are like those Egyptians. The people here
believe in all different gods and spirits. The people here may say
that they don’t believe in them, and may do religious acts for God,
but they are like those Egyptians.” He went on to tell me that
this teaching was very good. He told me he had heard this story
before, but now it was clear in his thinking.
Pray for Tokiung who is still
faithfully coming and excited about the things he is learning as he
helps me. Pray for the other men who are helping as well. Pray for
God to continue to prepare hearts for the coming teaching. Pray for
Butch and I as we continue in curriculum development to make the
Word of God clear in their language.
We have a big week coming up and we
want you to be a part in praying for us. Lori is taking her 4th
evaluation next week. She has already had to write up cultural
conclusions and do a lot of work in preparation for this. She will
be tested for 2 days to see how fluent she is in the Patpatar
language. She has worked hard for years (along with all of her
other duties) to know the language and culture of the people we are
working with. I am proud of her and her progress. I know she would
appreciate your prayers.
Hers is not the only evaluation.
There are 3 couples in another tribe with another language that will
be doing their 1st evaluation and 2 ladies in still
another tribe and language that will be doing their 2nd
evaluation. I will be traveling by boat and truck with 2 other guys
to help facilitate the evaluations. I would appreciate your prayers
as I travel and I know the missionaries would appreciate your
prayers as they are tested.
All for Him,
