Discipleship Classes Underway!

Weekly Update #4

We are adjusting well to life in Papua New Guinea. I’ll be honest—the first few weeks were a bit overwhelming—but with each passing day, things feel more settled and manageable.

I didn’t mention this in last week’s update, but the reality of life in PNG is this: when life is good here, it’s really good—but when it’s bad, it’s bad. At the end of last week, we took a bus ride to Pangia. While en route, a teacher had killed a man in a nearby town. Fighting broke out in the streets, and roads were shut down, making travel difficult. However, buses were still allowed to pass through.

On the other side of town, a man blocked the road and held up our bus with a bush knife, demanding money. At first, we thought it was a robbery, but later learned it was a personal dispute between the man and the driver. The driver agreed to return at a later time to resolve the issue, and we were allowed to continue on our way.

This week I met with the mission home employees to discuss their cost-of-living raises. That good news opened doors for the gospel, and I was able to lead two more employees to the Lord. Please pray for Esther and Delmah as they begin their new lives in Christ. Delmah was so excited to know she was saved that she immediately ran up to our flat to tell Theresa, “Blut bilong Kraist wasim olgeta sin bilong mi,” or, “The blood of Jesus washed away all of my sins.”

Throughout the week, I stayed busy maintaining the mission home, handling bookkeeping, making airport drop-offs and pickups, and still found time to witness to guests in between tasks. Martin, a Catholic from another province, heard the gospel while passing through Mt. Hagen and trusted Christ alone for salvation.

On Thursday at the vehicle registration office, I witnessed to five people in the parking lot. As I spoke with one person, another joined us, then another. Two trusted Christ as Savior. Please pray for a man named Send and a boy named Emmanuel as they begin their new lives in Christ.

I also hired a lady to redo the upholstery on the couches in the mission home. While she was here, I shared the gospel with her and two employees. All three had religious backgrounds but had never understood the gospel of grace. Each professed faith in Christ, and two even rode with us to church last Sunday. They are interested in discipleship classes so they can learn how to read the Bible. Brother Chad Wells from the Pangia Ministry Team will be bringing me a box of Pidgin Bibles for the upcoming class, as many here do not have a Bible in their own language.

Theresa is doing well and enjoying life as a homemaker and homeschooler. Please pray for her as she continues learning Pidgin. Having our own flat—with space—is a big deal and a tremendous blessing.

Destany is also doing well, staying consistent with school and piano practice. She continues her weekly piano lessons with her teacher, Mrs. Chris, through Zoom.

As the week came to a close, we took a family walk through the public markets. Until now, we’ve mostly driven to the more American or Australian-style stores with gates and security, so this was a new experience. We walked through throngs of New Guineans, many of whom travel into town by bus from villages across the region. The greetings were warm, and they loved patting Destany on the head. We passed out gospel tracts along the way, and many people approached us asking for one.

I witnessed to a young man outside a shop who was wearing a marijuana hat. When a missionary engages in a serious conversation with a New Guinean, it often draws a crowd. I looked up and realized twenty to thirty people had gathered around us, listening intently. A woman near the front asked me, “Yu i go long wanem lotu?”—“Where do you go to church?”

I replied, “I am a missionary sent by God from America to give New Guineans the good news of Jesus Christ—from the Bible. I believe the Bible. Denominations cannot get us to heaven.”

Many nodded in agreement. I felt the Lord nudge my heart and say, “I brought them to you—preach.” So I lifted my voice and gave them the truth. A few were convicted and walked away, but many stayed and listened carefully. The Spirit of the Lord was present and working through the message. I didn’t have liberty to call for professions, prayers, or raised hands—the Lord simply wanted the truth preached. As many as would believe will be saved.

As a family, we plan to begin daily walks to pass out tracts, preach the gospel, and invite people to our discipleship class held at the Mt. Hagen Missionary Home on Saturday afternoons.

This week I purchased a whiteboard, markers, and pens, and began typing weekly tests for the lessons. I already have a solid discipleship program provided by Brother Chad Wells and the Pangia Ministry Team. The first class will be held on January 17.

All in all, five people professed Christ as Savior this week.