Category: News–Hope Sharp

Beyond our borders in Papua New Guinea Some years ago I was blessed to visit in Hewa and get to know the 2 families who worked among them: Jonathan & Susan Kopf and Keith & Angie Copley. Back about 2004 another missionary (Leah Kneviel) and I helped them set up their literacy program as LeahContinue reading March 2023

For those of us yet in the throes of winter, life in the tropics may sound pretty good right now!

Fruit from your prayers for the Maliyali people of PNG! It’s been less than 2 months since the Foundational teaching from God’s Word brought the Good News of Jesus to the Maliyali people in Papua New Guinea. Missionary Rachel Mueller recently shared this testimony of how God is at work in this remote area. JemenContinue reading January 2023

Thank you for praying for the Maliyali people of Papua New Guinea! The Gospel was presented to them in their heart language late in November and some have indeed come to see their need of Jesus as the only one who can save them from their sins! Those who have chosen the narrow road leadingContinue reading December 2022

Prayer needs from Papua New Guinea: the people in the Maliyali language group!!!! These past few months the missionaries (Chad & Martha Earl, Nathan & Rachel Mueller and David & Emily Rimested) have been teaching about 5 days a week through the Old Testament and are now well into the life of Christ. These lessonsContinue reading November 2022

Dear friends, First off, here’s some prayer needs for PNG – Maliyali Foundational Bible teaching continues at Maliyali. The book of Genesis is full of teaching on the character of God and His loving care for people. Here are some of the key truths taught from the early chapters of Genesis:

News from Papua New Guinea: In parts of PNG, when a person dies it is cultural to blame someone for that person’s demise. Often it’s a woman who will be accused of being a witch. She’ll then be brutally murdered to “pay back” the person’s death. With every death, the women live in mortal fearContinue reading September 2022

First off, some praise and prayer points from PNG: Bart & Emily Allen, who, along with Ben & Missy Hatton, minister among the Amdu people, recently wrote: “Most of the believers share a common prayer request — the weight of their unbelieving family and neighbors ridiculing and even threatening them. But despite the pressure, theyContinue reading August 2022

When local gas prices hit $4.49 some weeks ago I stood at the pump pondering. The numbers 449 were “ringing a bell” somewhere in my aged and addled brain. …. Oh yes! Bible School chapel time! Nearly every day someone would request to sing #449 – Wonderful Grace of Jesus – a hymn was writtenContinue reading July 2022

Dear friends, It’s Sunday morning. You arrive at church and are likely met at the door by a team of greeters, welcoming you to the service. You probably enter into a nicely carpeted sanctuary complete with padded pews. You’ll sit with your husband & family or friends. Piano / organ music, or maybe guitars, drumsContinue reading May 2022

Little news has filtered out from PNG these past weeks. Part of the reason for that is that our regional conference was held in March and though the missionaries did tribal news reports for the gathering, everyone was understandably busy and not writing and sending out e-mail updates! I suspect there will be more specificsContinue reading April 2022

“Infrastructure” is a term thrown around rather freely in the USA these days. Consider: Would we rather be traipsing across a bridge (pictured above) in Lembena land in PNG? Such pictures give us glimpses into their daily grind and hopefully, put our life here in a more true perspective. And hopefully, too, it serves toContinue reading March 2022

While we here in the USA endure (though some at least pretend to enjoy) the cold icy winter conditions, back on the front lines in the tropics in PNG, prayer needs continue to abound.

As promised, this month’s news shares details of the believers’ conference, held in late 2021 in the upper Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea. Christians from 6 different people groups where our missionaries formerly worked gathered in the Siawi tribe. Since the local Christians are now overseeing their own village churches, these times togetherContinue reading January 2022

News from Papua New Guinea: Urgent need for prayer: Here is a prayer request from missionaries serving in PNG: The church among the Mibu people group of Papua New Guinea is calling on brothers and sisters around the world to PRAY. Established in 2006, the church in Mibu has grown and matured through many trialsContinue reading December 2021

Little news from anywhere of late – except from Jason Stuart* who is currently in the middle of a 10-day translation check for the Sorimi language group. He and missionary Poul Joenson are checking portions of the Gospel of John and Acts as well as 6 epistles. Jason gave an EXCELLENT overview of the localContinue reading November 2021

Someone recently asked me what “hardships” I faced living in PNG. I had to stop and think. The first thing that eventually came to mind were the months I was “alone” without co-workers on site in the tribal village. News from PNG: Kaje Tribe: Imagine, if you can, living as the single ex-pat family, isolatedContinue reading October 2021

News from Papua New Guinea: For those of you who prayed last month for the Kopf family to receive their paperwork so they could return to PNG – they made it back to the field!

News from the field of Papua New Guinea: At this time of year many missionaries are returning to the field from their home assignment or medical furlough times. Travel is always complex and of course, Covid complicates things considerably more. Once back in PNG the government is currently imposing a 3-week quarantine. This further delaysContinue reading August 2021

Again, there is little exciting to share from me but some profound prayer needs for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Papua New Guinea.

April blew into May with the visit of a long-time friend from Oregon and chances to explore SEMO. Kellie and I visited all my favourite old haunts and found a few new ones. Blue Spring (above) is definitely another example of the beauty God has blessed us with here in the Ozarks. The scene madeContinue reading May 2021

Prayers needed for Papua New Guinea! While Covid is seeming to maybe perhaps be coming under control here in the USA, it’s only just taking root in Papua New Guinea. Strict limitation on people coming into the country kept the case numbers manageably low – until now. Public news outlets say the past month sawContinue reading April 2021

All Papua New Guinea is currently in mourning over the loss of the “papa bilong kantri” (father of the country), the 1st Prime Minister of the nation, The Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. He served 17 years as the head of their government plus functioned in other various leadership roles from the time PNG becameContinue reading March 2021

Some Highlights for Praise and Prayer from Papua New Guinea: Lembena: A recent update from Adam and Anna Ferguson (Co-workers Jason & Tami Hughes and Micah & Laura Myers) in the Lembena language group brought back stark memories from my May River days.