Tyler and Emily in PNG

The long awaited arrival back to Madang has finally come and past. We arrived 6 hours later than scheduled on Sunday afternoon, but we cannot complain. All flights, connections, and international transits were great. Our only hang-up was in Port Moresby with our domestic flight to Madang which was delayed till 3 pm from its original departure at 9:30 am.

Before our arrival back to PNG, we enjoyed a beautiful stay with my brother and his family in Honolulu. The newest member of the family baby Rachel Elizabeth Hewitt was a joy to hold. My brother put Emily and I up at the Hale Koa Hotel (military resort) in Waikiki which was a pleasure. Emily and I enjoyed a Hawaiian sunset and a walk on the beach plus some last minute R&R Waikiki style. Though the stay was short we enjoyed many of the sights of Oahu including military history (USS Arizona, Missouri, and Utah Memorials), North Shore and a whole island drive.

This past week we have been adjusting back to the time and temperature of PNG. (We are +16 hours ahead of central time) We unpacked, setup house, went shopping, bought market foods including great pineapple, papaya, and bananas, and enjoyed friends with a few game nights.

We have withheld from working too much at the office though I did get pulled into quite a few jobs from day 1. I fixed three computer system fans one morning in the publications office that I noticed were not working. Keeping airflow and computers cool in the hot climate here is very important. The office also got a brand new copier/printer/scanner/fax machine on Tuesday which will be my job to setup and install. I started to read the quick start manual and play around with it a bit this week to get a feel for what will be ahead the week after next.

Emily has been busy with setting up home. Putting pictures around the house, clothes in the the closet, and finding out what is in the kitchen. The house we are staying in is a new house for the both of us though I lived here for six weeks before I left last year. Today she will be preparing cinnamon roles for our annual general meeting next week.

Thank you for your prayers last week during our travels. We are free of illness and gaining our legs back from the jetlag. We have been going to bed early and rising early as well. Please prayer this next week for our annual general meeting. We, as a team, will be meeting to discuss business and matters at hand. We are also slated to elect three directors roles, too.

Welcome again to the year 2013. I guess the world did not end after all as the Mayan calendar predicted. I like to look at the new year as lucky 13, or it is just more fun to have that perspective. There is plenty on my mind but before I get carried away I want to reflect on what God did in 2012.

2012 Highlights:
The biggest news this past year was tying the knot with my beautiful bride. May 14 was a wonderful day and God gave me a wonderful woman, Emily. Yep, that was the best thing to happen last year so I guess the rest is just trivial.

Ok…for those who like more…we spent June at church camp, the rest of summer in Alaska, fall in Dallas, Nov in Indiana, and finally back in Montana to wrap up the year with Christmas. I don’t think I ever experienced a Montana Christmas like this one, a frozen –20 F morning. Santa had lots of hot chocolate in Big Sky that night.

However, the year did end on a high note. Emily’s home church does 5th Sunday offerings where all the offering from the 5th Sunday of the month goes towards missions that her church supports. Last year, there were 5 5th Sundays in 2012. A rarity in itself and Emily and I got the pleasure to share during the morning services about ‘Good Gifts’. The Sunday offerings were totaled and it was the largest 5th Sunday offering Fifth Ave Christian Church ever received. Praise God! All of the money given that Sunday went to missions and world outreach. Wow…what an awesome faith promise and statement. It is very humbling to be apart of a church body with such a world vision.

2013 Preview:

As you are aware, we are in our final hours of being stateside. We are departing Montana tomorrow for our start back to Papua New Guinea. We are stopping in Hawaii to visit my brother before continuing across the Pacific.

As we have been saying good-bye, I have been telling folks see you in 1000 days. That is about the time we are projecting to be on the field this term, 3 years or about 1000 days (365×3). Yes we are leaving the comforts and luxuries of America and trading them for the rough and developing country of Papua New Guinea. We are both ready and eager to return to our team and ministry we left behind over 9 months ago.

We know the work will not be easy and tough times are expected but we know and God has confirmed to us that we are to be in Papua New Guinea serving him during this season of our life.

We are so thankful of the times we had this past year to reconnect with so many of you and share what God is doing through us with PBT in PNG. We (everyone collectively) are on one team and it is exciting to see what the team can do through Christ whom strengthens us. We can do anything!

However, anything can easily turn into nothing unless we first pray. Emily and I ask you to pray for us specifically over the next few days, weeks, and months as we start our home together in PNG. January is a packed month for us as we have important team meetings for one week, Jan 21-25.

Recently, I heard Oswald Chambers quoted from his Oct 17 devotion…

Prayer does not equip us for greater works— prayer is the greater work.

http://utmost.org/the-key-of-the-greater-work/

It is easy to forget that the most important tool in the bag is simply, prayer. As we start our new year together and as we depart the confines of the USA, please remember us in prayer.

Fifth Ave Christian Church praying over us last Sunday.

Yesterday, Emily and I got the honor to share the ministry of Pioneer Bible Translators at a small rural Lutheran church in Montana. It was a bit awkward to be sharing on Christmas Sunday as missionaries, nonetheless it was an honor. As I sat down on Saturday to figure out how I was going to incorporate Christmas into our presentation of Pioneer Bible Translators and our ministry in Papua New Guinea, I struggled a bit.

Earlier in the week, I was following my daily e-devotion and the message has been about why Jesus came into world. The author explained Christmas is about LOVE. God loved us so much that he sent his Son, John 3:16. The Christmas story is a love story.

When we share I like to read from the Tok Pisin Buk Baibel to give the listeners a small taste of the trade language in Papua New Guinea. I chose to read from Isaiah (Aisaia) 7:14:

Wanpela yangpela meri i gat bel, na bai em i karim wanpela pikinini man na kolim nem bilong en Emanuel.

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, andwill call him Immanuel.

Immanuel: Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל meaning “God is with us” only appears three times in the Bible: Isa 7:14, 8:8 and Matt 1:23. Ever since Adam’s time in the garden, the people of the Old Testament have been looking for the Messiah who would deliver them from suffering. Fast forward to Luke and the story of an amazing woman, the mother of a Savior, and the woman God had favor on…Mary.

Mary was a lucky woman plus blessed and favored by God. However, she was confused, worried, stressed and quite disturbed by this message from an angel. But the Lord had favor on her and she was to carry the Christ child. (Read Luke 1:26-38)

The angel told Mary both about her pregnancy as well as Elizabeth’s then ended with stating, ‘for nothing is impossible with God.’ As missionaries in PNG we witness many impossible things in our eyes everyday but God sees differently as the angel proclaimed here. God was eternal eyes and nothing is impossible with God!

Christmas is about love. God loves you so much that he sent his Son into a world filled with hurt and evil. It is our duty as God’s chosen ambassadors to tell the world the story of Christmas. As Emily and I prepare to return to PNG in the coming weeks, it will be on our hearts to tell the story of Christmas to those who have not heard or read it. It is a great pleasure and joy to be on a team that their call is to put God’s word in their language so one day the people of PNG can read the Christmas story for the first time.

Go tell it on a mountain that Jesus Christ is born!

Mele Kalikimaka / Merry Christmas!

Winter has arrived in Montana. A few inches of snow fell over the past weekend then the temps dropped to 0 degrees…brrrrrrr for our standards of the South Pacific. As the man of the house, I thought it would be a great idea to shovel the small parking area in front of the garage. It did not take but a few shovel loads of snow to realize I really do not miss this. I would rather trade the four letter word of ‘snow’ for ‘sand’. Anyway else, agree?

Last Monday, I did not post a blog because Emily and I were finishing our 1935 mile drive from Indiana to Montana. We pretty much covered the mid-section of the continental USA plus Alaska and soon Hawaii during our time in the USA. (A nice photo illustration to help everyone who is a visual learner like myself.) Our last trip is about to commence tomorrow as we leave for eastern MT to visit Emily’s grandfather in Glendive then a short side trip to North Dakota for lunch with a ministry partner. Add another 900 miles to our yearly total.

One of our highlights from the past 30 days has been we have been able to visit with my 94 year old strong grandmother. She just rolled over into her 94th year last week. She was able to join us around the table at Thanksgiving and we will able to visit her at her home in Huntington, IN as well. We even jumped at the chance to sit with her at her favorite event, watching Huntington College men’s basketball. She is a great inspiration and testimony to both Emily and I. My grandparents were missionaries to west Africa for many years and my grandfather was the college president for 16 years. It is always special for me to enjoy the energy, excitement, and compassion my grandmother has.

My brother-in-law, Charles often likes to be coordinates, 0’ 0’ 0’ or home. Emily and I are both feeling closer to being ‘home.’ It is nice to know our travels and commitments on this side of the world are nearing the end. We are both eager to return to coordinates, 0’ 0’ 0’.

I will end with a funny photo that I captured while testing out my new webcam on my laptop. Emily and I were with Hannah and Logan (two of our favorite nieces and nephews) for a photo shoot with Uncle Tyler.

“Glory of God always comes at the sacrifice of self” – ICOM 2012

For the past week, Emily and I had the pleasure to join thousands of like minded missional folks from around the country and around the globe in Indianapolis at ICOM 2012 (International Conference on Missions). This years theme was a follow-up from the previous year, ‘Radical Again’.

For those not familiar with ICOM or formally known as National Missionary Convention, it is a annual super conference of missions for the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. It is a three day conference filled with main sessions and workshops plus an exhibit hall filled with mission organizations from around the country. Emily and I both volunteered at the Pioneer Bible Translators booth/exhibit.

Some of the workshops I attended throughout the conference were:
Reaching Muslims – Intro to Islam
Transformational Community Development – Seeing beyond the Need
Discipleship – Making Disciples Like Jesus Did
Unique Mission Endeavors – Global Evangelism through Media
Mobilization – I am Not Ashamed of…
Church – Tapping into Technology

Each workshop, I was able to take away at least one small thing. During the community development workshop, it was good to rethink our strategy. It is not necessarily the ‘need’ we should fix but we should ask the question, how can we use their ‘assets and resources’ better and in turn be self sustaining. Short term trips tend to focus so much on the ‘how can we fix the problem’ syndrome. A better perspective would be how can we help them use their resources better that will enhance their sustainability in the long-term.

Emily, on the other hand, was more centered on the exhibit hall and connecting with others. As an Ozark Christian College grad, she saw many friends and colleagues of the past at the conference. See saw many familiar faces and enjoyed many great hugs from friends and fellow missionaries alike. For Emily, this annual conference is a reunion of sorts and a time to rekindle the joy of missions around the world for the cause of Christ.

Prayer Requests:
Emily got notification this morning that her visa application got ‘lost’ and the PNG embassy is going to have to re-send the documents. Please pray for Emily’s visa application process.
Pray for the unreached people groups of the world.
Pray for justice and the slavery of young children in SE Asia.
Pray for those who have committed their lives to missions at the ICOM.

Praise:
Thank God for a great reunion and conference.
We have bought our tickets to return to PNG in January.
Tyler’s root canal and tooth is feeling much better.

Links:
ICOM – http://www.theicom.org/conference (video streams and more)
Audio Recordings of ICOM – http://catapes.com/
Pioneer Bible Translators – http://pioneerbible.org/ (New Website!)

It has been a week of transition. We left Dallas last Friday and made stops in Missouri and Illinois to visit both family and friends. We are finally in Indiana and finally got a monthly newsletter written.

To read our November newsletter you can find it here: November

By Emily

This month we are reading through the book of John a chapter a day together to help establish a routine amidst our continuously changing life as missionaries. Last week we read through chapter 17 and I was humbled by Jesus’ conversation with the Father as he prepares for his betrayal.

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:24-26

A wise woman gave me some advice once about searching for examples of characteristics for mentors in ministry. She advised me and some fellow sojourners in the ministry to search the gospels for the best example we can find and that is the example of Jesus and his ministry. As Tyler and I read through chapter 17 this week I was reminded of those words, especially since our hearts have been heavy for the work in Papua New Guinea knowing that there is still a great task in front of us and our team and we are so far from them right now. I am reminded by Jesus’ example of prayer to battle for our team and those who have yet to know our Father in prayer.

Jesus gave us an example of how He interacted with people on earth, but he also gave us an example of how he interacted with our Heavenly Father through prayer. I am yet again, so thankful for the gift of God’s Word in my heart language. I am thankful that I may cry to God and know He hears my prayers and answers them, because He has given example after example of answered prayers in His Word.

Please continue to join with us in prayer about the opportunity of giving we presented last week. Please consider giving above and beyond a gift towards a new vehicle for the PNG branch. No gift is too small. In fact, if God leads you to give your gift will be doubled. What an exciting opportunity to see God’s Kingdom advanced by your help to provide a very simple tool of transportation. Please revisit last week’s post for more information.

Papua New Guinea themed carved pumpkins from PNG missionaries…
Trick or Treat

The past week has been full of dinner appointments with fellow PBT members here in Dallas. We have had an outing or an appointment for seven straight days now. It is nice to reconnect with familiar faces and share what has been going on with our lives for the past few years. Emily has enjoyed sharing our photo wedding book with others as well.

Last Thursday we had a ministry debriefing meeting with the president of PBT, Greg. Greg is also a Bible translator and he understands the overseas missionary culture and challenges. We sent over two hours talking about our first term on the field as missionaries and celebrated together the accomplishments. Emily has story after story of successful scripture impact engagements from Gandep Bible School to SD card distributions to memory booklets. Greg applauded the efforts of Emily and gave her positive affirmation. It was very encouraging to Emily that the man on top gave her personal recognition and encourages to keep doing the same.

We also discussed the overall dynamics of the PNG branch, the direction, vision, and future of PBT in PNG. Once again, Greg believes that for PBT to fulfill the mission and charge put before us, we must continue to strive for the finish line. As Emily wrote a few weeks back, that finish line is year 2050.

On another note, both Emily and I have been reaching out to a young family that is planning to join the team in PNG this coming January. Currently they are in the middle of partnership development or support raising which is a time of faith building and stretching. Emily and I want to extend our knowledge and experiences with them as they prepare to head to the field in the coming months.

On Sunday night we invited them over and their two young daughters for an Alaskan wild salmon dinner. We broke bread, played games, and shared. I believe the time we spend on this side of the ocean cultivating relationships will help greatly on the other side once we meet again in PNG.

This week, we will be traveling to Ozark Christian College for a recruiting trip that Emily and her friend. They will be presenting to students at their alma mater and sharing the many needs of PBT around the world. Please pray for our travels to Missouri and back. Pray that God will use Emily to speak to the college students and potential recruits for PBT and missions. Also, praise God for the sale of my Jeep in Alaska. A buyer from Anchorage bought my Jeep on Friday and the funds have been deposited into my account in full. Praise God!

The church Emily and I have been attending here in Dallas area is finishing the series, ‘The Story.’ This past Sunday was the penultimate message of the series about the final days of Paul.

I enjoy Paul’s letters and his writings. Paul was a pioneering missionary who went to the places no one else wanted to go. He was a model and had no fear. The single most important step on his journey was his transformation by a blinding light.

As Paul wrote during his end times, he encouraged us to never give up speaking the gospel, to finish the race and keep the faith. Life isn’t really about who wins or loses or who gets their the fastest, but that we finish the race. That we break through the banner and strive to run through the finish line.

Mi bin ran strong long gutpela resis bilong laip. Nau mi kamap pinis long mak, na mi bin holimpas bilip bilong mi long God. Nau prais bilong man i winim resis em i redi na i wetim mi i stap. Dispela prais em i olsem. Bikpela bai i kolim mi stretpela man. 2 Timoti 4:7-8

Why do we run this race? Trophy? Ring? New car? $5,000? Glass of milk? No, we run for a crown of righteousness.

How do we get to the finish line? We drink from the ‘living water’, we eat from the ‘bread of life’, and well…we must rest on the seventh day. As any athlete is conditioned, so must God fearing Christians be spiritually conditioned both through the Word and through mediation.

Remember to run with all your heart, mind, body, and soul. Keep the faith and finish the race!

Tok Pisin Bible – http://www.bible.is/TPIPNG/2Tim/4

(If you have missed our October Newsletter, you can find it by clicking on the Newsletter tab above.)