Along for the ride

This photo, taken 2 years ago, is a pretty good representation of what our pal friends feel when they take the plunge of belief. Liuk, our village headman, was one of our first believers.

 

Stories

There are many things that we could write to you all this week. We could write many stories of the hours that we have spent talking with people, of the ways that God worked, directing us to just the right guy on the trail (the one who really needed to share his testimony), and of the challenges that are being faced by the new believers. But first let us start by saying a very big “Thank You!” to all of you who are giving of your time, your wealth, and your personal care to keep us here and doing this work.

 

And now, for the stories, just three as we are busy, we hope you understand that we are the caretakers for many spiritual babies and as such are a bit brief on the communication.

 

·         Noah and I (Nate) went on a hike Friday to find some of our Pal friends who are staying in the bush (hunting for wild game to pay part of a bride price). I was interested in hearing from them about what they were thinking as the guys in question are neither expressive nor particularly interested in spiritual things. So, we hiked up the mountain (about 2,500 vertical feet up from our house) and didn’t find the guys. We spotted a couple of young girls who were sick with the measles, and they said that their dads had decided to go hunting for the day. We were a little disappointed to have made the challenging hike in vain until, about 5 minutes from the houses at the top, we ran into two of the guys that we were looking for. One, Noj, immediately said to us. “I am so glad that you didn’t go back down. I came back to the main trail and saw your footprints, and it looked like you might have headed back down the mountain. I was really sad. Then as I was coming up here, I saw more footprints and I was really happy. I was really happy because I wanted to tell you that I am in God’s family.” We spent another good hour with the guys there are were able to determine that we have 6 more believers to add to our growing list.

·         Another day, our co-worker, Axel and I headed down the hill to see some others who were doing their garden work. These folks also have been hard hit by the measles epidemic – three very sick children, one with mouth sores that are hard to believe. Anyway, as we spent time talking about the freedom that they have from their sin, there was one voice quicker than all the others, one young woman who was more eager to speak about the firmness of what God has done. It was Nesul, a woman who has maybe visited us 3 or 4 times in the whole 5 years that we have been living here. She had been characterized by indifference to us and to what we are doing. When we reported back to our wives about the marked change in her, they were shocked!  (Proving once again, God is at work in the hearts of men and women and we are not very good at judging who will listen to Him.)

·         Please be assured that your labors in prayer are not in vain and are most definitely necessary. For example; one of our new believing couples – Podis and Amun have been stretched in the last couple of weeks in pretty big ways. First off, Amun began suffering headaches so severe that she was basically unable to function. Then, as those seemed to get better, Podis was bitten by a snake on the way home from his garden (what used to be taken as a sign of spiritual curse). Then their son, who they named after me (Natan), was sick with the measles, lost his balance and fell face first into their fire. In the traditional Pal mindset, they would be thinking about what spirit and what other family to appease. That is not the case for them today. As I helped to debride the cheek and forehead of his son today, Podis said to me. “God is good. He is in control of what happens to my son.”

 

As you gather for Thanksgiving this week with your loved ones, please take time to thank our Heavenly Father with us for His grace and favor for the Pal people. There are so many things that need to be determined in these next weeks. Just yesterday, some folks from a far-away Pal village came and said, “We are ready to hear the talk. If you say the word, we will have a house up and waiting for you whenever you want it.” Will you pray with us for wisdom as we think through discipling new believers and reaching out to the remaining ¾ of the Pal population.

 

By His Grace,

Nate for us 5

 

I couldn’t resist including the story of this grandma. Yesterday, Lakemol was part of a large group that gathered to ask questions and be strengthened in their understanding of the gospel. At one point, she was literally rolling on the ground laughing at what she used to believe (about spirits, appeasement, and sin). The lie was exposed for what it was and she couldn’t help herself. She was giggling and leaning against friends because she is free. Thank God!

 

 

O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. Psalm 77:13-14