Tag Archives: Prayers Appreciated

Current News, Day In The Life, PNG Updates, Prayer Requests

And the story continues….Part II of

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What Does a Country Director Do has taken an unexpected turn!

We came home to the US the first part of July.  Tired and in great need of rest and refreshment for our souls.  We love what we do in PNG – even though the hours are long, there never seems to be enough help to get everything done and conditions are sometimes less than desirable with local unrest and such.  Our time as CD has been incredible; we have seen significant positive change in the program with a true focus on the spiritual aspect of why we do what we do.  Working with such an amazing group of people from around the globe and a large group of wonderful national staff whom we have grown very close to. But as we were debriefing with the MAF US team, we realized all that we had laid aside in order to go to PNG and work for so many years, giving it everything we had.  We realized how much we are needed here in the US with aging parents, our only grandchild who is almost 9 now and with our children as well, the boys have disassociated themselves from all family ties while we have been overseas serving. Despite our best efforts to support and love them from afar.

We have spent countless hours in prayer and seeking wise counsel from various sources within the mission and outside Christian counselors as well and we have made the difficult decision to resign from our position as the Country Director of the PNG program and focus on caring for our family at this time.

We spent the months of July and August working through this decision and then in September we finalized plans and are currently – on our way – returning to PNG for a few weeks the beginning of November to pack a few belongings that we would like to keep and then selling/giving away the rest of our belongings we have collected over the 6 years in PNG and returning to Idaho to be near family.

We will be living in our home in Caldwell, Idaho along with Connie’s parents who have lived in the house since 2019.  Prayers appreciated for all of us as we adjust to living together.  Adjusting schedules and ways of doing things.  We are here to be a help and a blessing to our parents – both sets – and we are in the process of figuring out what that looks like for each one. 

So many of you have partnered with us in ministry for many years, following us from our first assignment in Yap, Micronesia (1992) where we went with our 17month old daughter Jessica, and where  Courtney was born and we adopted the twin boys.  To Africa then with Hands of Hope NW in the US and on to Philippines ending in PNG. 

Your love, care, cards, gifts and encouraging notes & emails along with many prayers over the years have deeply impacted us.  Many of you have given sacrificially and we have always tried to honor your gifts and sacrifice by being good stewards of the gifts and resources God has provided through you. 

We want you to know that there are other opportunities to continue giving through MAF or through many other wonderful organizations. 

We don’t know when or if God will have us continue in ministry abroad, but we do know that He has us here for this time and we are at peace with that.  We have seen His hand in so many ways confirming this to each of us. 

Please do keep in touch—you all have played a significant part in our ministry and lives and you are loved!

Current News, PNG Updates, Praises

It’s Midnight in Malaysia

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And the journey continues. We are now at gate 33 along with probably 50+ other people from several different missions, all waiting to board the World Food Programme, special Malaysia Air Charter Flight 8796. This flight has been arranged so that there is a reliable way of reaching Papua New Guinea.

We arrived shortly after 8am local time here in Kuala Lumpur, some 35 hours after departing Boise. We have been so blessed as the flights have been smooth and we have had minimal issues at the transfers. So very thankful to Jan Bell (Journey’s by Jan), Sonali Ghosh (MAF PNG HR Manager) and Rachel Green (MAF Ashford Admin) who have been working tickets and paperwork all along the way. We are also so thankful for the many others who have been praying and paying the price for this return trip to PNG.

In about five minutes, we will be boarding for the final day (Lord Willing) of the trip. This will take us from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Kuching, Malaysia, to Port Moresby where we will be arriving sometime around 11 in the morning, Port Moresby time. We will then board a MAF plane (if the weather holds) for the flight from Port Moresby to our main base in the Highlands, Mount Hagen.

There are still some unknowns: 1) The weather has been very marginal in the highlands lately. If it is bad, we will need to quarantine for one night in Port Moresby before continuing to Mt. Hagen. 2) A new order has been issued by the Government of PNG, requiring GPS tracking devices to be worn by all persons arriving internationally for the duration of the required 14 day quarantine. This is something totally new and it is unknown if it will allow us to quarantine at our base in the Highlands as was the original plan. The alternative is to quarantine at a hotel in Port Moresby for the 14 days at a significant cost. Please continue to pray.

The weather today over Port Moresby – as posted by one of our pilots. He has wisely chosen to keep the plane on the ground!

And for those who love aviation – here are some pictures taken from the flight cameras on the plane as we arrived to Kuala Lumpur.