Category: News–Hope Sharp

Ecclesiastes 7:8 — “The conclusion of something is better than its beginning, and a patient attitude is more valuable than a proud one.” (ISV) With much longing and lamenting so ends this era of life here in Papua New Guinea. It’s certainly been the best 39+ years a person could hope to live. Though myContinue reading May 2019

Because you prayed…. Our annual regional Conference proved to be a refreshing AND challenging time for all! Fellowship and family frivolity added to the fun. Feasting for the Soul came from passages in 2 Corinthians as 2 of our mission leaders shared that we are: Christ’s Fragrance – 2 Cor 2:14-17; His Letters — 2Continue reading April 2019

Our race through the month of March is two-thirds over already! Most of our missionary co-worker families are here here in town as the annual testing of all home schooled students begins tomorrow. This includes a lot of evening meetings for the rest of us too, including serious stuff like security and child protection seminars,Continue reading March 2019

Mega thanks to those of you who were praying for the Youth Leaders workshop last month. 70 men and teenage boys attended and seemed to really benefit from the time of teaching, as well as having the chance to be together and interact with like-minded Christians from other language groups. It was a great opportunityContinue reading February 2019

“…must be a generational thing,” someone said to me recently as we were discussing proper etiquette on an important versus inconsequential matter. That “generational thing” rears its head all too frequently in this day and age. Even in isolated villages the effects of our current era have an impact on the youth of today. SoContinue reading January 2019

For once this was an easy update to write since someone else did the groundwork! Thank you, Sepik Regional co-ordinator Greg Greenlaw! The attached update states a current need for prayer on behalf of 6 unreached people groups in our region of PNG. Won’t you please be praying with us for laborers to be aContinue reading November 2018

Instead of the usual BORing “same ole, same ole” news from the life of a support missionary, this update will be a “round the region” overview of some of the people groups where our missionaries are currently working.

It’s been awhile since I’ve sent along updated prayer requests for our local employees. The weekly teaching of foundational Bible truths continues with the men who work around our center. Only about 6 of the 9 men come and some are very inconsistent. Please do pray for Thomas Depner and John Hutteman as they teach,Continue reading September 2018

Another month of the “same old, same old” routines in the finance office and printing department so there’s nothing of import or interest to share. Maybe I can cheat and fall back on an idea from eons ago that a dear friend Kathy has previously allowed me to copy and use! You who have beenContinue reading August 2018

Two of our security guard employees are “cousin-brothers” and always come to the office together on pay day. They like to just sit a spell soaking in the quiet in the air-conditioning away from the heat, humidity and hassles of life. I often have to remind myself that silence, though awkward for me, is probablyContinue reading June 2018

May is the month of the great missionary exodus from the country. As the academic year ends, families of high school grads head home en-masse to help their children settle. Other families too depart for their transitory Home Assignment (HA) time. Those left behind function as a skeleton crew. We’ve worked as bare bones beforeContinue reading May 2018

Mega thanks for your thoughts and prayers this past month during our Sepik Conference meeting days and the recovery period aftermath. Some of us are still feeling the fog of “jet lag” fatigue after the full and frenzied days!

Our Sepik’s March Madness has begun — that fast-paced full-court press toward our annual regional    conference! No competition is involved other than the traditional men’s RISK tournament. Instead just lots of opportunities for encouragement with Bible teaching, prayer, singing, Ladies Nite, Men’s Nite, Skit Nite, Song Nite, Kids Carnival, Wom Day and a host ofContinue reading March 2018 -Hope Sharp

“Ring of fire” – what runs thru your mind? The Johnny Cash version? Try again. To deter his song loop-taping thru your thinking, let Wikipedia help you mentally shift gears to the Pacific Ocean’s 25,000 mile long horseshoe shaped basin of earthquake prone “oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and plate movements. It has 452 volcanoes (more than 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes).” That’s the “ring of fire” this letter is about!

I have a feeling I’m not alone in this…. by year’s end rationed reserves are depleted. I’m running on fumes. Finally Christmas morning arrives. After dealing with the tyranny of the urgent (which anyone else so blessed with the coveted clause of “staff to a cat” among their various job descriptions understands) the Annual Event arrives! I settle in with my Bible, Cds of Handel’s Messiah and a much tattered paper listing the Bible references for each of the songs so I read the verses as the epic oratorio unfolds. My co-worker Linda and I started this tradition back about 1980 when we first arrived in PNG and it has become my rejuvenating haven at year’s end. Everything else fades away as the lyrics straight from God’s Word replenish and refresh my heart. By the time the “Pastoral Symphony” plays the cares of this world have fled. My heart bends in reverence before God! Indeed, He has again recalibrated my mindset to focus on His bountiful mercy and grace so lavished on me in Jesus.

It’s Christmas again! Each December, among other holiday activities, comes the fun of creating a card for our employees. With a bit of tweaking we also use these cards to give out, along with some baked goodies, to our town business associates and the hospital staff. God always brings it together. The verse in this year’s card is undoubtedly one of the most well-known prophesies of the 1st coming of Christ – and the promise of His return! Oh, what an encouragement it is to ponder that the day He’ll come again could perhaps be even TODAY!

Thanks to YOUR prayers – last month’s literacy trip to Amdu happened! And equally in answer to prayers, God made it clear the literacy trip to Kaje was NOT to be on my agenda.

What does “autumn” conjure up in your memories? Changing leaves? Apples & pumpkins? Black cats & Halloween? This year for me has been fallen to all things pertaining to Literacy!

Combine the hospital visitation ministry with May River Iwam and what do you get? Some prayer needs far more interesting than my humdrum life! Joel Naiti, a man from the village of Aumi where I lived from 1980 until 2000 has been here in the hospital. Joel came to Wewak several months ago with an eye problem. He opted to spend big bucks (K200 = about $70) to go to a local clinic for a “full body scan” to tell him the source of his illness. The scanning machine also supposedly cured all that ailed him and he went home. Last month he came back to see a real doctor as he has an extreme case of exophthalmos – one eye so swollen it’s nearly pushed out of the socket.

You know the feeling: life stuffed to the brim with a multitude of duties crammed in and spilling outvthrough the gaps. It’s a daily prayer need that I not let anything fall thru the cracks! Without the Lord I would certainly succumb to the mental fatigue — but amid the fullness of life He gives us He is ALWAYS all sufficient. His blessings abound! God graciously allows me to be your representative to His people here in PNG and for that He allots to each day ALL things needful for the charges He commits to our care. And then, as I let Him, He does more! He faithfully uses each assignment He gives as an opportunity to further His work of conforming me to be more and more like Christ. Though a colossal undertaking – He never gives up. Thank you, Lord!

Some years ago when I first moved out of the jungle and into a provincial small town setting I had to learn to live in the urban realm again. It was decidedly not the norm for town living though. If I remember right, we got our:

• Chicken at the gas station
• Butter at the bank
• and money at the grocery store

or some equally unexpected combination for finding and purchasing the above.

Some days it’s a challenge to do even simple mental endeavors. Like today. I counted a stack of office money and came up with K300 total. That was sort of right. If you add another 0 it’s prefect! K3000 – not K300. How do I make such ridiculous mistakes???? Somehow God always intervenes to keep making everything in the finance office balance even when I succumb to such careless errors. Though 2021 is my target date for retirement, on days like today I question whether I will mentally last that long!