Dear Friends,

It’s been just 8 weeks since I left PNG, but it almost seems like another lifetime ago. Strange how living on the other side of the world will do that to you!! Instead of basking in the warm sun and admiring tropical flowers, I am enjoying a typical Alberta winter, with plenty of snow and a gray-white landscape. Thankfully it looks like Spring has sprung and the days are getting longer with a promise of warmer (and greener!!) days to come!

The past couple months have been a time of transition for me. Thankfully the Lord provided a place for me to house-sit for a few weeks. It has been a blessing just to rest and recover from the past 5 or 6 months of intense busy-ness of working on Bible translation in PNG. I didn’t fully realize how completely exhausted and mentally drained I was until I got home to Canada, so I’m thankful not to have a lot of responsibilities at this time.

The weeks have not been without some frustration and it seems like these days are all about WAITING for me….waiting for the doctor to return my call…waiting for a house in my price range to come on the market….waiting for my eyes to adjust to new contacts or glasses…..waiting for an appointment to have gallbladder surgery….waiting for the Lord to show me where He wants me to live and what He wants me to do in the days ahead….and it goes on and on.

I’m not too good with waiting. I’d love to have my life all mapped out for me and to have some idea of what each day will bring. However, the Lord is asking me to trust Him in the big things and in the small things. Please pray that the Lord would continue to make His will known to me and that I would have peace as I wait for His direction.

At the moment I am house-shopping in Wetaskiwin. It’s not easy when you have a small budget. Pray that the Lord would bring just the right little place along that would suit my needs. I thank Him for providing financially for me during these 20+ years of being in missions. He has certainly never failed to provide for my needs!

Health update: In the days ahead, I will be having gallbladder surgery. Hopefully I can have it done according to the scheduled time and not because of an Emergency Room visit. So far, I have been having just mild discomfort, but the doctor says that it needs to come out as soon as possible so I’m anticipating surgery in April.

I am also on a waiting list for an MRI to see how my Multiple Sclerosis is progressing. I’d really love to have this done before the gallbladder surgery, so pray that the Lord would work out those details! I have felt great on the MS medication, so I am praying that it is working to prevent the MS from progressing.

As for my vision, I have been wearing my new bifocal glasses for about a week and a half. They have not been easy to get used to! I haven’t worn glasses in 24 years, so understandably it’s an adjustment. I think I’m slowly getting used to them now and I have felt less eye strain. Thanks for your prayers.

Sounds like life in PNG continues to be very busy for the missionaries as well as our local Bible teachers. There are so many opportunities for new outreaches and Bible classes, however the workers are few. Pray that the Lord would continue to mature and grow the younger generation of Mengen believers and that they would have a desire to take God’s Word to people who have never heard.

Lord willing in September I will be taking a trip back to Papua New Guinea. I have about 8 weeks work of work left before the Mengen New Testament is complete. It will be a VERY happy day when we are able to finish this huge project. While I’m home in Canada, I will be formatting and proof-reading the books and getting them ready for the printers. I have plenty of work to keep me busy until I return to PNG this Fall.

Thanks so much for your faithful prayers and support. Each one of you have been a blessing an encouragement to me.

Becky Preheim