Pastors’ Conference speakers & attendees, May 2016
CONFERENCE TIME
We just completed our Pastors’ Conference a couple of days ago. We hosted several of our graduates and their wives for a time of teaching, of ministering to one another, and of refreshing.
Matt speaking to the preachers
Matt Allen and Jason Ottosen were able to share the teaching with me, along with my wife and Cherith Ottosen teaching the ladies’ sessions. Our prayer, as always, is that there will be lasting fruit from our time together. Everyone enjoyed being here!
Kotidanga Baptist Church hosted the ordination of Jack Naudi
An added blessing was the ordination of Jack Naudi, 2007 graduate of our Bible school. He has been working with Jason Ottosen planting Komako Baptist Church. Our church here has supported Jack as the first missionary they sent out, and they were proud to host his ordination.
Matt, John, John Gray, & Jason Ottosen with Pastor Jack Naudi
Matt flew John Gray up from Kerema to be the guest speaker for the meeting. He preached a great message for us all.
CHURCH GROWTH
We have seen some people saved in the last several weeks. Ben has been preaching from our newly translated book of 1 John, while Sarah Glover is teaching Kamea literacy to help our people learn to follow along in their printed copies of the book as Ben preaches.
Arriving for church, barefoot in the rain
Pray with us that our people will put the effort into learning to read Kamea so that they can read the Word for themselves. Ben, Yali, and I are still working on the first draft of our translation of Acts. Continue to pray with us for the Gospel to go forward among the Kamea.
CLINIC BLESSINGS
Our clinic staff, both PNG nationals and US nurses, has been steadily busy. Even as I write this, two ladies have been at the clinic for over 12 hours to deliver their babies. Day in and day out, the nurses handle all sorts of cases, some quite serious.
Hannah & Renisa with a patient
Tiffany with another newborn
One of these was a lady named Deni, who was very short of breath and unable to get to the clinic. In the dark, our nursing staff went downriver to see her and administer breathing treatments. For many years we had tried to reach Deni with the Gospel, but she had always been resistant. But just a couple of weeks ago, after she had recovered, she came to the clinic wanting to get saved. Ben’s wife Anjuta shared the Word with Deni, and she put her faith in Jesus. Amen!
Check out our blog post about the ultrasound we are using in our clinic for our unborn babies.
PERSONAL NEWS
Lena and I are enjoying good health at the present, and we count that possible because of your faithful prayers on our behalf. Please keep it up! We are also extremely thankful for your friendship and fellowship in the Gospel. Thank you for staying faithful there and enabling us to stay faithful here!
Serving Him in the Field,
John & Lena
2 Thessalonians 3:1
Mom, Dad, & Matt
Thank the Lord for family!
Here’s Pa & Grandma with Dave & Sarah, Nate & Amber, and our seven grandkids in the USA
Dave is up for promotion to Lieutenant with Louisville Metro Police Department; Nate was ordained to the ministry in April. We love these guys and their families!
Matt & Becky and our two granddaughters in PNG
Matt and family are planting Capital City Baptist Church and South Pacific International Academy in Port Moresby, PNG.