Thank you so much for your love, prayers and gifts! We are deeply grateful for your part in reaching the Hewa people with the love of Jesus. Thank you!

The New Year is already in full swing here in Hewa.

  • The New Year opened with the traditional mud fight (boys pictured above). We are thankful for healthy relationships and good friends.
  • On January 4, we welcomed the Fergusons and a single woman named Nicole to stay with us in our village for one month as their final stage of preparation to begin their own tribal ministries somewhere in PNG. We are very happy with their giftedness and their passion to share the love of Jesus with a tribal group. We are also very encouraged at how well the Hewa believers have welcomed them and are helping them to adjust to life in a remote village.
  • On January 5 a frantic couple (Antifas & Hatauwa) rushed into our village with a deathly ill baby boy. Unfortunately, it was too late for the antibiotics to take affect and he died the next morning. Please pray for this couple as they have returned to their village and are now grieving the loss of their son, and ask the Lord to bring them to a place where they will surrender to Him as their Creator and loving Savior.
  • On January 14 one of our new elders named Ken flew with three of our young believers to the coastal town of Wewak to take part in their very first youth conference! When they came back to our village on Jan 18 they were eager to tell story after story of the wonderful things they learned and they are now preparing to share these things with the church family.
  • On January 15 the midwives, who Susan has been training, helped to deliver the very first twins at this location! Please rejoice with Kuli & Lolin for their healthy baby boys.
  • We have been making plans to build a new church (which will also serve as school) and recently started clearing ground around our current building. The old church is now leaning terribly and is far too small to accommodate the 130-150 people who have been coming to our services every week. One of our previous co-workers graciously donated his partially completed house to the village believers so on Jan 21 and 22 we tore down the house and are now preparing the roofing and lumber to use for the new church. We ask that you remember to pray for continued safety as we tackle this large project.
  • On January 21 we heard the tragic news that Yasafe’s teenage daughter fell into the Lagaip River and drowned (about a four hour hike from our location). Several people from our village have hiked down to join the grieving family. Please pray for Yasafe and his family, and for the others who live in their village. Pray God will comfort their hearts and draw them to Himself during this time of grief.
  • We are very excited that right now our missionary friend in Wewak is printing new copies of the growing translation we have been working on. It will include freshly translated books such as James and I&II Peter and II Timothy that we can’t wait to share with the believers. Thank you for you huge part in making this possible!

God’s blessings in the New Year!

Jonathan, Susan & Mikenna