Tyler and Emily in PNG

As I enter my last week of standing on Freedom Soil of the USA it is an Arctic 4 degrees with windchill -7. I think I am safe to say that I will gladly exchange the frozen temps for a topical 85 degrees south of the Equator.

The church gave me an excellent ‘sending service’. One of the songs we sang was ‘Here I Am, Lord.’ The lyrics to the songs we sang today have power and strong meaning. We often sing songs and never quite fully comprehend the meaning we are saying. The pastor allowed me a few minutes to say a few things to the church. I chose to reflect on how God has changed my life by offering advice and keys to knowing and doing God’s will in your life. I reflected on my life verse of Luke 9:23 and how we are called to deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, and follow Christ. The most powerful experience was the closing prayer and laying of hands on me, the missionary. I was overwhelmed by the love and prayers from my church family. They have promised to uplift me in prayers.  One other blessing, my aunt and uncle came to church to show their support and love for me.

My plan for the next three days is to finalize my move thus packing my worldly belongings into storage and moving out of my apartment. I also need to pack for 18 months and try not to forget the essentials of life. I have a list of items of things not to forget and things to purchase before leaving. My mind continues to scroll like a secretary flipping through the rolodex. The need to bring technology, laptops, media, software, and data are things I must not forget. So please pray for remembrance as I pack and leave for PNG.

I really believe and have been telling myself that my world is about to be changed radically. My prayer is that I am just ready for this new shock to my system. Pray that I will adopt the culture, land, people, and team in PNG. Pray that I will be an influence and a new breathe of fresh air to the missionaries. My overall role will be a support worker. Pray that God will empower me to serve with humility and grace. I was told from a former missionary to bring many buckets of grace with me to the mission field. I truly know that I am covered with prayer and Satan is trying to attack every moment.

Prayer Requests:
Remembrance for packing
Safe travel to PNG

Praises:
Wonderful sending church family
God’s provision of my needs