March 22, 2008
by Matt Clayton
The conference is now over and almost all of the visiting missionaries have flown back to their respective works.
Brad Buser was our conference speaker this year and he has also left. I know many of you have enjoyed hearing Brad speak before. He gave five messages here that were very encouraging. He spoke with his usual passion and style about missions, obedience, sacrifice, and commitment. I have heard him speak on these subjects many times but never did it hit so close to home as it did in that room filled with so many men and women living and experiencing the struggles and challenges he has so many times described.
We also got a chance to meet our Sepik Regional Committee this week. They help make sure that our strategies and efforts are in harmony with NTM’s overall church planting vision. I have to say that so far I have been impressed with the leadership here. They seem to possess a humility that is difficult to find in the leadership of most organizations. Many people had told us how “easy going” the leadership of the Sepik region is. From observation I would interpret this as meaning a willingness to listen and learn before making decisions. Authority often tempts us to forget the value these qualities possess regarding the achievement of a common goal. Rachel and I were encouraged after our meeting with them and they have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome here.
Monday we get to start our official orientation. We will be participating in various cultural events selected to help increase our understanding of the culture and language. This means going into town and markets to learn first hand how to perform daily tasks. It also will include a lot of time talking with people to help us learn Tok Pisin, which is the most widespread language here. |
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