Tyler and Emily in PNG

When your car approaches another zero on the odometer, sometimes it might be a big number like 100,000 miles. You might stop, get out of the car and literally push the car to roll it over the milestone mark. Well this past weekend, we stopped to celebrate a milestone mark in Tyler’s life, the rolling over of the big 3-0! Yes, God has blessed him with three decades of life.

On February 9, with the help of our colleagues we celebrated Tyler’s 30th birthday. We took advantage of the reason to celebrate and barbecue party at Rempi. Rempi is a small house along the ocean about thirty minutes outside of Madang. The location is great for good snorkeling and for those who don’t enjoy the water there is space on the porch to play games. It was a beautiful day, perfect for time of fellowship and playing! Emily prepared a great lunch as Tyler grilled hamburgers for all to enjoy.

On February 10, Tyler’s actual birthday we enjoyed a nice breakfast before church, attended church, then took a spin in our boat for a few hours. The evening ended with a nice steamboat dinner at the Madang Lodge. Steamboat consists of pork, steak, lamb, chicken, and fish combined with lots of fresh vegetables. You cook them on your table in the pot of boiling water in the apparatus shown on the right of the picture below. The other day someone asked Tyler how old he was and he hesitated a bit and replied, 30. He shared that I guess I am no longer that twenty-something and now I am the new twenty-something which starts with a three. Tyler likes to believe he is just that much more wiser and experienced than his better looking and younger wife.

This week our office is currently under remodel. In order to have space for the future teammates we have been praying for we have started on our plan of office remodel. The particular part of the office that is being remodeled is the area where Tyler works. Hopefully by the end of this week Tyler’s new office will be finished. The other two offices that will come from this remodel are Directors office and another shared office space. All three rooms have air conditioners that have already been installed and adequate desk space for people to go about their work. What a blessing it is to have to dream about new office spaces for incoming teammates. A prayer we have prayed many times and still continue to prayer daily, “Lord send more workers into your harvest field.”

Read Full Post »

By Emily

This morning in my daily devotions I read the story of Joseph. The coat of many colors, jealous brothers, sold into slavery, dreams interpreted…these are all the things I remember reading of the story of Joseph from the time I’ve been able to read. It’s a popular story of the Bible. While reading this morning a new portion of the story seemed to resonate with me and that is the part found in Genesis 45:3-8.

“Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph; does my father still live?’ But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Please come near to me.’ So they came near. Then he said: ‘I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and the lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”

As I meditated on this passage throughout the day, I wonder what God is preparing to reveal to me. Will I encounter hardships to be bent and molded in order to find new ways to glorify the Father? Or has God led me through a season that He wants me to identify ways to respond as Joseph did, “For God has sent me.” Perhaps, it’s the reminder to simply recognize each passing days and the trials and joys of each are opportunities to claim the His power over them.

One thing I do know is that I am thankful that God has allowed me to learn of Him through the Word in my language. What a blessing to start the day in His Word and what an honor to be able to serve in a capacity to help people of this world have that opportunity.

Lord, humble me to recognize this gift each and every day!

Read Full Post »