Prayer Letter Archive

April 2003

Greetings! I hope you all had a meaningful Easter season. Here at the mission headquarters we had a nice breakfast/service time to commemorate the event.

I have much to pass on to you. I'd like for you to pray for Grant. He has again come down with some sort of upper respiratory problem that has had him out of school for over a week. The doctors do not feel that it is pneumonia again but are a bit puzzled as to exactly what it is. Pray he can fully recover soon. The fact that he has Asthma is also more reason for this to be a concern.

The Bible class that Joy and I are involved in is going well. We are well into the subject of guy/girl relationships. Some good things have come out of this and, of course, a few surprises too! We have learned not to be too surprised in things of this nature as there is often a lot more going on under the surface than meets the eye. Please pray we can 'strike the right cords' on these issues and provide the helpful direction at the same time. As expected the teenage girls are more open than the boys. I'm seeking the proper "combination" for the boys.

I'm asking that you pray for my Dad. After having celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with Mom on the 21st, he is going in to the hospital April 28 for the testing concerning the possibility of prostate cancer. Though the test itself is brief, because of Dad's extended health issues in other areas he will have three doctors monitoring him during the test. The plan is for him to be in the hospital 3 days. History behind my Dad's hospital adventures have been similar to that of a domino effect. His health is unstable enough that one issue causes problems in another, then to another and so forth. Pray for this situation and for my Mom as she endures through the strain of it all.

Word has come from Malaumanda that the church there continues to have issues that present themselves for stepping stones or stumbling blocks to their faith. A mining company, now in the area, is presenting more challenges for the believers to remain faithful. Attending new teaching, continual teacher training and additional cultural pressures from the outside are all options they are faced with considering. Marijuana has been introduced to the village and is now being grown by some. Issues surfacing around a few men and women who desire to be involved in plural marriage settings has provided ample opportunity for the Christians in the village to consider the things of the Lord, ramifications of actions and how to take a stand in these matters. The circumstances are much more complicated than one might think they would be. Pray that the guidance from the Lord would be clear and evident in the lives of these believers. Pray for the missionary families (Enns & Hedeens) as they assist and minister at Malaumanda at this present time.

I've started physical therapy for my shoulder. Pray for the proper balance in the process of knowing what intensity is enough at a given time. My tendency will be to be too eager! Pray for full movement as soon as possible.

Our lives continue to be full and challenging amid the privilege of representing the Lord here in PNG. Thank you for your prayers interest.

With love and appreciation,

Jeff