Men and women from six language groups in Papua New Guinea have been meeting this week to study God's Word, to worship their Savior and to edify one another.
The Bible conference in an Iteri village, organized and lead by the people, has been taught mostly by a Papua New Guinea man who is teaching solid Bible truth. Tom Brendle and two other missionaries have shared during one teaching time slot.
A small group of Siawi believers, who hiked two days to attend the conference, have said the arduous trip was well worth their effort. Tom has had the opportunity to sit down and visit with the Siawis about what is going on in their village.
Overall the news that Tom heard about the people to whom he and his wife, Danielle, have been ministering since 1998, is not encouraging.
A large group of men, women and children are following a false teaching, performing ceremonial "worship" in order to secure their salvation.
"We are certain that some of the people participating in this 'worship' are believers who are very confused and have been lead astray," the Brendles wrote. "They desperately need teaching."
Since returning to Papua New Guinea in October from a home assignment, the Brendles have been unable to return to their home among the Siawis. NTM leaders have addressed a problem in the village that needs to be resolved before the missionaries can return.
One of the highlights for Tom this week was sitting with Bayeke and hearing his Siawi friend give testimony of his faith in Jesus. Bayek testified that God has spared his life and protected him from all of the temptations that were available. Bayeke believes that God has a job for him to do and he is excited about what God is doing in his life.
Knowing the need for the Siawis to learn more of God's Word, Tom and Danielle will be meeting with NTM leaders in the next few weeks to establish a plan of action.
The Brendles' co-workers, Jason and Shannon Swanson, are scheduled to return from home assignment in May.
Pray that the problems in the village will soon be resolved so the team can resume their ministry, and that the Siawi believers can be established in the truth of God's Word.
Disclaimer: This personal ministry website is provided by New Tribes Mission (NTM) as a courtesy to its members. NTM makes no warranty regarding the accuracy of the information on these pages. Opinions expressed are provided by members in good faith, but are entirely those of the member and do not necessarily represent policy, doctrinal position, or opinions of NTM. If you encounter information that you consider questionable, please e-mail the NTM web team.
GET INVOLVED
_img.jpg)
_img.jpg)