Third Day

As I spent time in prayer this morning I was listening to Third Day's song "Call My Name". Third Day has been one of my favorite bands for a long time. Their strong, God-centered lyrics have always been such an encouragement to me. Their song "Nothing Compares" has become a guidepost in my life, reminding me that nothing compares to the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. This morning as I spent time in prayer and listened to "Call My Name," I was encouraged as I was reminded that no matter what place we are in, we can always come to Jesus and be filled with joy. I'm thankful for the gift of music that God has given the guys with Third Day. I'm thankful for the part that they have played in encouraging me in my walk with the Lord.

Flat Tire

God continues to bless us abundantly, in big and small ways! Yesterday we were on our way back from picking up the team from To Every Tribe that has come to visit and we got a flat tire. The roads here are not really that great, and there are definitely spots that it would be bad to get a flat tire. Thankfully, we were already slowing down for a corner when it happened. We were also right in front of the Baptist mission where we have friends. There was a nice spot for us to pull off and us three guys got a chance to practice working together as a team. Praise God!

Air Con

Well, it's a pretty small thing, but last night I was really thankful that the air conditioner in our Land Cruiser was working. The blower has been a bit spotty recently. I had to run one of our friends to the hospital last night in the dark while it was raining. I was very thankful to have the air conditioner working and blowing up on the windshield to keep it nice and clear. Praise God for the little things that keep us safe and keep the work going forward!

Our Generator

Yesterday as I was walking out in our front yard I passed the generator as it kicked on. I was reminded of how thankful I am that we have a nice generator here on the mission station. The power here can be pretty sporadic. It's pretty normal to have the power be off for a day or two each week. It's really nice to have the generator system that kicks on automatically and we can continue with business as usual.

And of course our "business" here is mission, getting the gospel to people who have never heard before. It is a good thing when that work can go uninterrupted. Praise God for the generator!

Missionary Friends

Yesterday after church we went over to another missionary family's house to spend the afternoon and eat dinner. I've gotten to know the dad some through some work that we've done with their mission. They live in town here in Goroka, and are originally from Switzerland. It was great to hang out, get to know them better, and hear their story of how they arrived in PNG. We also got the opportunity to pray together that evening, which was encouraging. They have young kids as well, and our kids really enjoyed playing with them. Jemimah had a blast, and even got her nails painted by their daughter. Sawyer spent most of his time pushing around a huge balloon in a stroller. We don't have a whole lot of interactions with other missionaries as we are based outside of town, so this was really fun. So thankful for the time that we got to spend with this family and be encouraged!

Simple Pleasures: Rain on the Roof

Yesterday was our day off and I watched the kids in the morning and Sarah watched them in the afternoon. I spent part of my time reading a novel, and then it started to rain. Often if I take a nap I end up turning on rain sounds on a white noise app on my phone. We have a metal roof, and the sound of the rain on the roof was really relaxing. I ended up spending the last hour or so of my time taking a nice, long nap. Thankful for the time to relax and unwind!

Internet & Technology

Our main connection to the outside world is through a cell service provider called Digicel. Since they've arrived in country they have revolutionized the way that people relate to each other here in PNG. The huge benefit for us is that we are able to get internet access through their 3G network. Even though it isn't the most reliable (we've been down 2 days a week the last month), the connection is good enough to connect with family and friends back home. The world is changing and growing smaller. It's crazy to see my neighbors walk out of a thatch-roof hut with a smartphone in their hands.

As with everything, our communication with friends and family needs to be in moderation, as we are here for the purpose of engaging in gospel ministry with this culture. Still though, we are so thankful that the technology is available to ring up our family or be able to joke back and forth with old friends via text. God didn't have to bless us with this technology, but He did anyway and we're thankful.