Tag Archives: prayer request

Current News

So Much to Be Thankful For – Heading Home to PNG…

20 Comments

It is Thanksgiving evening here in the US. Connie and I have been reflecting on how much we have to be thankful for – the Lord’s blessings have been beyond abundant.

This year has not been without its challenges. Connie arrived in the States for her surgery in March and then…COVID. She would remain until her surgery was finally scheduled for the 26th of August. I would arrive in August in time for the surgery, only to become quite ill and we would spend many more days separated while I isolated…I quit counting at 150 days… We were scheduled to return to PNG on the 25th of October…the airline cancelled the route. The next option was to depart on the 8th of November. With bags packed and ready to go, I was diagnosed with Covid on the 7th.

It would be easy to become discouraged, but truly the Lord is in control. Nothing of this surprised Him. He had a plan. 

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4 NASB

The Blessings:

  • Connie has recovered so very well from her major surgery!
  • I (Todd) have recovered well from my encounter with Covid.
  • We were able to get our “negative” Covid tests just in time to purchase airline tickets and make all of the required submissions for travel to PNG.
  • We have been able to spend some tremendous time with our family.
  • The Lord has been providing financially to-date for all of the added expenses of flights, cancelled flights, Covid tests and medical bills.
  • Technology has allowed us to remain engaged and continue to fulfill many of our requirements from a distance.
  • We had a chance to experience some cold and snow…something I (Todd) have missed greatly. (Connie is just as happy in the warmer climates!!)
  • Too many more blessing to list.

The Return:

Lord willing, we will be departing Boise, Idaho on Sunday the 29th of November at shortly after 7am. We would so greatly appreciate your prayers as the journey is long. It will take us from Boise to Los Angeles, to Qatar, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where we will wait for approximately 16 hours and then continue on to Port Moresby on 2-December. We will quarantine one night in Port Moresby and then travel on a MAF flight from Port Moresby to Mt. Hagen, where we will then quarantine for 13 more days.

Thank you so very much for your continued prayers and encouragement. We echo the feelings of Timothy, thanking the Lord that He has strengthened us and considered us faithful, placing us into His service in PNG. (1 Tim 2:12)

We are looking forward to getting back to our team in Papua New Guinea!!

We will post updates along the journey as we are able.

Current News, PNG Updates, Prayer Requests

Disaster Response in PNG

4 Comments

IMG_7722Five days after returning from my time in the US to say goodbye to my brother @curtlandreth and spend time supporting my family after his loss, we experienced the most severe earthquake PNG has had at 7.6 on the richter scale.  We woke around 3:42am to the bed shaking and soon realized the whole house was shaking severely.  We thought we would ride it out and stayed in bed for a few more seconds.  When we realized it was not ending and the shaking actually intensified, Todd suggested we get out of the house as it is on stilts and perhaps not built to withstand such a force.  I grabbed my cell phone and torch (flashlight for you Americans) put on my robe and headed for the door.  Todd was trying to get the keys into the locks while swaying with the quake as it continued to roll.  One door open, then working on the metal security door, finally getting that open as well and we were outside!  We quickly went down the stairs and away from the house as the earth continued to shake.  It slowly started to quiet down and our pulse rates with it.

Todd headed to the other compounds to check on staff, and called others.  Thankfully we were able to get back to sleep as the power was now out and so an early morning in the office was not going to be very productive, and with that severe of a shake, the possibility of fissures in the road was likely and so traveling in the daylight was deemed to be much more prudent.

IMG_7811

The aftershocks continued and were at a level of 4.0-6.0 and are still occurring three days later as I write this update.

Tuesday morning I was briefed on the need for photos of the area and so Mandy Glass who is the Comms Officer for our Base and I climbed into a Caravan with her husband Mathias flying along with Luke Newell and three Government Disaster Response Team members.

The photos were sent to MAF I Disaster Response and Security to review and issue a press release.  You can see that below, along with a link and directions on how to view the images on a google map so that you can see the exact location where the picture was taken.

Please keep PNG in your prayers! Pray for safety as our pilots continue to do med-evac flights and for those on the ground helping people dig out from the numerous land slides. Pray that MAF will continue to see isolated people physically and spiritually transformed in the name of Jesus as we work with different agencies and organizations in the response to this disaster.

 

173 Earthquake Survey Flight[2]173 Earthquake Survey Flight[3]