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Prior to taking their stateside role as Mid-Atlantic representatives
for NTM, Dave and Joyce served 16 years with NTM in Papua New Guinea.
They began their field ministry in the Pawaia tribe on mainland New Guinea,
then moved to the island of West New Britain to reach the isolated Loko
tribe. Deteriorating health forced them to leave this area.
In later years
Dave supervised the graphics division of the mission publications team,
as well as offering assistance through practical helps to outlying tribal
areas with his building skills. He also assisted in training national
believers for ministry, taught Bible classes in a government school, and
taught journalism at the MK boarding school.
Apart from their tribal ministry,
Joyce served the field in bookkeeping and as a proofreader and typesetter
for the publications team. She conducted classes in domestic care for
national women and developed a local ladies outreach ministry through
Bible study. Joyce also assisted in teaching classes at the boarding school,
giving private music instruction, and ministering to co-workers through
her gift of hospitality. Together, Dave and Joyce worked as class advisors
to high schoolers in the boarding school.
Before the Hilts began formal
training with New Tribes Mission in 1981, they served in local church
ministries in south-central Pennsylvania. Beginning in youth work, they
shifted their focus to Bible teaching among young married couples, and
eventually developed a home-discipleship/evangelism outreach in their
community.
Dave and Joyce were married in 1974. They have one daughter,
Jennifer (now married), who grew up on the mission field. She resides
with her husband, a young evangelist, in South Carolina. The Hilts are
available for children's meetings, sharing missions in camps, in small-group
settings and home meetings, on college campuses, and by participating
in mission conferences in local churches. They also lead work teams abroad.
Their passion is to see the Lord raise up those who will go to the ends
of the earth in planting tribal churches among the nations. Dave and Joyce
bring with them a fresh focus on missions, often using drama and other
visual means to stimulate a greater interest in missions. They reside
in York, Pennsylvania. |