EXPLOSION OF JOY!

Hi all,

Just wanted to share some of the highlights of the ministry going on in our community.

A couple of our Bible teachers were asked to teach a group of people from across the road, at a school named Mt Zion. Some of the people were well educated, but they wanted to hear the message that was changing lives in the community. As the teachers were nearing the end of the 68 lesson course on evangelism, the joy of salvation through faith in the work of Christ alone was starting to manifest itself. When they started on the second course which teaches our position in Christ, their joy burst out and they wanted to meet every day. The teachers couldn’t teach them every night, so they met on their own, composing and singing songs together and praising God for saving them. It was truly an explosion of joy.

Ellison has returned home after studying with us for 6 months. His family and others in his village are eager to hear what he has learned. He was not a believer when he came to us, but he went back a new man.

Thanking God that Christmas and the future will be merrier for these folks.

This month marks our 51st year in PNG. Who would have believed? What a faithful God we serve.

Another joyful report!!

Meet the first missionary family sent out from a small church in Simbu Province, where we lived for 25 years. One big praise is that they were trained and mentored by others in their church totally apart from us. It gives us hope that the churches will continue to develop and train men and women for the future. This is the Thadias family who were sent to help a fledging church in another area of the province. The elder from that church couldn’t see very well and had the early stages of dementia, so the church wasn’t being strengthened and only a few were attending. Thadias said they started from the beginning and the church has been full again and hearing God’s Word regularly.

He also teaches a Religious Instruction class in the elementary school. The kids told him that they loved hearing him teach the Word, so don’t let another teacher come. As word gets out that there is a new couple in the area ministering the Word, interest is growing. Two other denominations in the area have asked him to come and teach them, too. What an encouragement for this young family and what answers to prayer for the hunger in the hearts of the local people.

With the year coming to an end, I guess we are all hoping for a better year in 2021. We’re thankful to see God at work in the nation of Papua New Guinea. Praise the God who draws people to Himself.

Love,

Jim & Kathy Tanner