The message on Sunday was delivered by Iteve Amole who is an elder and Bible teacher from the Yagaria tribe where NTM has previously worked to establish churches. There are now 8 churches in Yagaria. Iteve has also gone to missionary school. He preached on knowing Jesus and quoted many scriptures that point to Christ to tell who He is.
Iteve noted that Christ’s own people did not receive Him, that He is worthy, and that He came not for “religious” people but for true believers. He made a very interesting observation that in the Old Testament the sheep were sacrificed for the Shepherd but in the New Testament the Shepherd was sacrificed for the sheep! It was also interesting to hear a national say that even missionary kids (MKs), Obama, and Bill Gates have to decide whether or not they will follow Christ. God is not a respecter of persons. It is an individual decision.
Before church on Sunday morning I surprised my family with a phone call. My parents, siblings, and most of their families were visiting my sister Donna’s family in Abilene. It was the first time I had talked to them since my arrival in PNG. It was Mother’s Day here but the day before in the U.S. I am hoping some, if not all, of them visit me while I am here.
I then had Sunday lunch with Dave and Denitta and 2 of their children. They have a total of six children but the others have moved out of the house. They will be in Canada this summer for one of their daughter’s wedding. Dave is from Canada and Denitta was raised in Brazil where her parents were missionaries. Denitta has a garden from which she made our lemon grass tea for lunch. It was delicious. She also served rotisserie chicken, steamed fresh vegetables, roasted potatoes, coleslaw, and French silk pie from scratch. They had a devotion time on walking in grace after lunch and then we visited for awhile before I came home for my Sunday afternoon nap.
Following my nap, I tackled my biggest fear that I had in coming to PNG - coloring my hair. My hairdresser and friend, Zelena, taught me how to color my hair before I left and sent me packing with all the supplies I would need. I think it turned out alright, but I missed having Zelena do it for me!
Monday I made sesame chicken with carrots, broccoli, and onions. We are able to get a variety of Asian sauces and spices here. You have to try all kinds of tricks to cover up the flavor of the meat! I actually made rice for the first time that was not in a Success bag. It turned out pretty good.
Time is getting closer for the staff leaving the clinic! It is going to be interesting. Friday was technically my last day to spend with Pam before she leaves on furlough. She is the one with the most experience at the clinic’s front desk.
I leave on Sunday to live with a national family for two weeks for better immersion in the culture and to become more fluent in the language. Please pray that I am successful. There is a charge for this course so I don’t want to come away empty handed. The family has a Western style house with indoor plumbing so I won’t be living in a hut!
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8
Shirley Falls - Connecting You to Tribal Missions in Papua New Guinea
