“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17)
This letter has been delayed because we’ve been watching the Lord do a mighty thing on our behalf here in PNG. Let me share it with you…
Since our first newsletter this year we’ve shared with you our need for nursing staff at Kunai Health Centre. Without funding to pay qualified national nurses, we still rely on missionary expatriates to come fill those positions. And while we continue to pursue avenues for funding, we need laborers! Many of you prayed, and we announced in a previous update that we had the two nurses—Stacie and Rebecca—but the international borders have been closed here due to the pandemic.
Fast forward to two weeks ago, which was our deadline to call it all off for now. Stacie had her visa, but Rebecca’s had been delayed for almost six months. Approvals were needed from New Zealand, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Tickets had been purchased, and rescheduled, and rescheduled. Two weeks ago we spoke with Rebecca and her pastor and told them we were sorry, but the miracle of getting a visa during the pandemic had not come through. We would have to put this off indefinitely.
That was around 9 AM our time.
A couple hours later, around lunch time, Rebecca’s visa was approved! It was all back on again, but now there were approvals to get—especially one from the PNG Covid Team.
By God’s grace and His grace alone, the nurses left a week later with approvals to transit New Zealand and Australia, but the PNG approval was delayed due to our national Independence Day holiday. When the ladies arrived in Brisbane, they still did not have approval to enter PNG the next day…
Thanks to the Lord and to those working hard in the PNG Covid Team office, approval came through just in time for the nurses to fly the last leg from Brisbane to Port Moresby! This was a crazy ride, and at such a time as this!
As I write, they are doing a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a local hotel and are scheduled to get out on October 2nd. We plan to spend a few days with them, picking up supplies and getting to know them better. Then, Lord willing, they will fly up to the mountains and join the team on the ground at Kunai.
This has been a year-long prayer request, and even though we did what we knew to do, it was only God who made it all come together, literally at the 11:59 mark! To Him be the praise and honor and glory!
Join us in prayer as these young ladies begin their journey of meeting our people, gaining the language, and learning how to minister effectively in the spiritual and physical lives of our Kamea friends.
Because He Is,
John & Lena Allen
2 Thessalonians 3:1
For a print copy, click here.
Kunai Health Centre: KunaiHealthCentre.com
Baptist Bible Institute of Port Moresby: facebook.com/BBIPOM
