December 2019

Hi Friends,

The reason for the season: Christ came to save sinners.

This group has been hearing the message of salvation for the first time this year. Did you notice most of them are sitting on a concrete floor? These people are mostly from the Gimi tribe, but are living in the capital city, Port Moresby. It will be a merry Christmas for them.

Praise God with us. He is still loving the lost.

When some people die, it is hard to grieve for them. Papa Ouba is one of those. About two years ago, his son, Charles, went to leaders of the Elimbari Church, to ask them to do an outreach at Papa Ouba’s village. The initial reception was cold and many dropped off after the lessons started. Papa Ouba was not one of those and he and about 5 others were gloriously saved. The change in his life had quite an impact on other clan members who also wanted to hear the truth that changed him. Now there are about 14 people who became the members of the new local church. Papa Ouba left his sick body and is now with the Lord. That makes us rejoice.

It has been a great encouragement to Elimbari church. The teachers walked down 5 miles twice a week and back again and their labor bore fruit. They will continue teaching the Word to the new believers there and have invitations to teach new groups in other parts of the tribe. That makes us rejoice.

We spent 25 years with the Elimbari people and saw God plant a church there, translated the NT and portions of the OT and taught people the Word. Now to see those people reaching out to others is wonderful. We expect more and more groups to ask for teaching and to see the church grow. That makes us rejoice.

Christ came to save people and He has allowed us to be a small part of His work in this nation of Papua New Guinea.

Thanks for your friendship and love through these years. We pray that this small article will Make you rejoice!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Jim & Kathy Tanner