Prayer Letter Archive

sent 10/21/02

Hello again from Papua New Guinea. Life never ceases to be interesting. Seems like our dorm has been particularly hit with medical needs lately. First there was Lindsay with her leg getting broken. Well, last week another girl jumped into a nearby river and SOMETHING in the water put a deep gash in her leg. She had to get 20 stitches and a cast to help with the pain. The cast is now off but a bad infection has caused the wound to still be a long way from healing. Her name is Lucy Tinker. Pray her leg will heal without any other problems. As it is she'll have a good size scar.

Joy's back has been more painful than normal this past week. She has been able to get some remedial massage from a Sports Therapist again. Praise the Lord this is helping.

My Bible class with the high school continues to go well and I have heard a few things that indicate they are learning some things from the lessons. This is always encouraging to know the Word is taking root.

Jordan and Grant are both on the school soccer teams. They are enjoying this and it is a good addition to their schedules though it can hinder study time. Pray this will help them in learning the life-long issue of the need for time management.

This weekend is the Spiritual Emphasis Weekend (SEW) for the high school kids. This time is always one of the highlights for the year. The entire high school student body heads to another location for a long weekend of preaching, teaching, singing, counseling and fun. I'll be a cabin leader and helping to lead singing during the teaching sessions. These kids are in a very good position to make some life long commitments to the Lord. Pray they will be attentive. Pray the speakers will strike the right cords and lives will be touched. There is a very good possibility that some future missionaries will be in this group. An unshakable commitment to the Lord is the first place to start. Let's pray for the Lord's blessing on these meetings.

I'm asking you to pray for the parents of two of our dorm kids, Harv & Gail Van Holst. Harv started teaching the Gospel story to the tribal people of Manem Island last week. This island is one large volcano and is home to about several thousand people. Just as I did at Malaumanda in 1999, Harv will be teaching the necessary foundational truths that will enable the Manem people to understand the Gospel message. Correspondingly, his wife Gail is teaching a literacy class that will enable the Manem people to read their own tribal language (and the lessons that Harv will be teaching). These are very busy days for Harv & Gail. Harv desires to complete the foundational Bible teaching by January. Pray the Word of God will penetrate this tribal culture that still worships a "god of the volcano". Amazingly, this is the first time they have heard God's word taught in their own tribal language.

This week in chapel a missionary to the Nakwi tribe spoke to the students giving them a challenge to serve the Lord and urging their involvement in reaching the tribes. This was especially touching to me, because about 12 years ago this missionary was a 16 year old who visited us in the tribe. I challenged him the same way he challenged the kids here at this school. He caught the vision! One never knows how our investments will bear fruit.

Thanks for praying with us in this ministry. Take care,

Jeff