"The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah."
“I believe!” Manifoli told missionary Sien Luyendyk. “Why wouldn't I believe this good talk? Jesus taking all my bad away when He stood in my place is good."
Manifoli is one of the older women of the Abau tribe of Papua New Guinea, and Sien went to her last week in order to be sure she understood the Gospel after it was presented to the Abaus.
Her words indicate that she does. But it’s not just words that missionaries are looking for. It’s changed lives.
That’s why, when a fight broke out in the village, they were encouraged by the reactions of Abaus who said they believed on Jesus.
Some of the believers formed a peace-keeping line between the two factions. Others remained in their houses, even though their traditional ways demanded that they take sides.
"I really wanted to fight,” Matin said. “But then I thought that God did not really want me to be doing that. And so I knew I was not to do it. God helped me."
Tradition also demanded that Maikel and his wife Pelo leave the village for a while and take a sort of camping trip. But when Kelly Luyendyk, Sien’s husband, asked whether they were going, Maikel acted as if it was absurd question.
"We want to stay here in the village and hear all of God's talk that we can," he said. "We are not going anywhere. Now God's talk is being given to us and we are not going to miss it."
Clearly, discipleship is taking place among the Abaus. What’s not so obvious is the role of teamwork in all of this. Discipleship takes one-on-one time. The Luyendyks have time to build relationships and disciple Abau believers because they have a team of vital logistical missionaries assisting them.
So because you are taking part in our ministry, you are helping make disciples among the Abaus. Thanks!
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