Joshua 1:9 — "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Getting ready to go to the village—
It's been three weeks since we landed in the capital of PNG.
Our original flight from JFK was cancelled a half hour before boarding because of weather. That meant we had to get all 12 bags back and find a way to transport them to a hotel. Thankfully, Caleb's older brother lives right over the George Washington Bridge, so he and his wife were able to pick us up with no traffic and bring us back to JFK the next day—Praise the Lord. From there, we flew 24 hours with two one-hour layovers—it was crazy! We landed in Port Moresby, the capital, with all of our bags! That alone was a miracle!
We spent 4 days there, for it's far easier to get our passports renewed here at the US embassy than in America. Both Bella and I were able to get all the paperwork in and start that process.
We flew up to the highlands to the SIL missions center and then had to clean all the dust and cockroach dirt out of the house—this process takes about a week—I wash curtains, sheets, blankets, and wash out every cabinet. It's always a lot, but it feels so much better after it's all done. I'll have to do the same once we get to the house in Moka as well. There, I'm always a little more wary because there can be a rat or even a snake since it's been empty for a year.
I had made many lists before we left last year, and I'm so thankful for these lists because I was able to know what I needed to buy and in what quantity. It was a lot of stuff! We rented a vehicle and drove to another city with one of my great friends. There, we spent 4 days buying enough food for 6 months. This, too, was a lot of thinking and planning. I don't have little kids anymore, so the quantity was much more! We have adjusted back to life here quite well, I think. I do feel more tired, but I think it's because all the thinking and physical work we do is just so much more here.
I was just so thankful for all we got to do these past 9 months in the States. Seeing you all, presenting, and being encouraged goes far more than you know to those who live in such a different culture, let alone isolated from first-world things. The kids loved being with their cousins and getting to do all the things. God continues to show His kindness to us. We praise Him for this ministry and pray that He will use us greatly in the Moka tribe.
We have our date set to go back to the village Sept. 1. I have all these emotions attached to this—I worry about it being three months, homeschooling, and whether I have everything I need.
I listened to a sermon today by R.C. Sproul on "How to Deal with Anxiety." It was a good reminder to me that I'm not in control and that I need to trust Him.
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34
"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6
As I work on getting everything ready for this trip, my prayer is that the Lord will use this time and that people will be saved. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to come and open the eyes of His people! Pray for protection over us in this spiritually dark place, and pray for His will to be done!
To God be the glory!
