Elijah (second from L) and Kanuka friends, 1992

Loud wailing greeted the boy as he neared the village – screaming sobs that announced the death of a Kanuka man. Elijah had hiked for hours with his father, who was a missionary to the this tribe in the dense interior of Papua New Guinea, to observe the funeral. They were hoping to see deeper into the minds of the Kanuka* people in order to better communicate the Gospel with them.  

The ceremonial wailing continued long into the night. Part of the weeping was genuine sorrow for the dead; part of it was driven by fear, because the Kanuka believed that the spirit of the dead man was still lingering in the village. They were hoping to to appease the spirit so it would leave.  Elijah wondered what else they believed… many of the rituals performed by the tribal people were motivated by the fear of spirits…but he was only thirteen years old, and fatigue was beginning to overtake him…

He lay down on a stick bed in one of the houses, but it was hard to sleep. The nubby sticks poked into him, smoke from the open fire stung his eyes, and the wailing was loudest here. It was in this hut that the family of the deceased kept watch over his body. Such a long night, the boy thought.

CRASH! Elijah jumped up out of the stick bed as he realized it was morning and he was all alone in the hut with the corpse. CRASH! He saw what was happening as the whooping and screaming began – the people were hurling rocks at the house he was in. They were stoning it to drive the dead man’s spirit out of the village, and anxiety struck him because the hut was none too sturdy. Elijah knew he didn’t want to stay there any longer! He dashed out the door.

The people were just as surprised as he was; they had forgotten about the white boy, whose face was even whiter now than it had been the day before. “Moso-moso (Little Bush Rat),” they asked him, “did you see the dead man’s spirit leave?”

 “No,” Elijah answered. The strangeness of all that had happened left him a little dazed.

That afternoon he and his father hiked back home with their notes and a sober feeling inside, wishing they could communicate better with the Kanuka people. 

*tribal name has been changed to protect the privacy of this people

Jedidiah was first. He turned two last weekend and is still learning to talk, but obviously was enjoying himself as he lay there. “Ahhh.” I rubbed a little and he giggled, then put his other foot up for a massage. As I finished, he said “Kiss, mama,” and kissed my cheek. “Tanoo, mama,” he thanked me.

Jerusha was next – wiggling and talking the whole time, bursting into song occasionally, her usual extroverted self. “When I get to be a mom, then I can rub my kids’ feet, and when I’m a little girl, I can rub your feet!”

Elisha sighed when I put the cool nut butter on his feet. “What’s wrong, Elisha?” asked Jerusha.

“Oh nothing. I’m just enjoying this time,” he replied. 

When I finished, Jerusha jumped up to rub my feet. Her three year old hands were surprisingly strong. I laid there and thought of the blessing of little ones…what a nice evening it turned out to be!

On the road to Paraguay!

Yes!

The field leadership in Paraguay contacted us, informing us that there is no longer a need for us to go to Mexico first. A new language program is being started and we will be able to learn Spanish in Paraguay!

The Lord has provided and continues to do so. We were reminiscing this evening about the various ways He has chosen to do His work in His time… like when, in training, our bank account showed a balance of twenty – six dollars -  not much in the way of earthly wealth. Later that week someone sent us a check for five thousand dollars that paid for our entire next semester’s tuition! God is good indeed, and we are thanking Him.

   Finishing school. Back home for two months. On the road with our three children for two months, back home busily getting ready for the baby to arrive the next month. Looking on to the summer, mountains of paperwork, preparation, construction jobs, ministry opportunities… then field preparation as we hope to be leaving before the end of 2009 – does this sound something like your busy life as well? So much to do and seemingly so little time?

   We are constantly reminded by our Father not to worry about tomorrow (Matt. chapter 6). Resting in Who God is and Who He will be when tomorrow does come is important when we are wanting to do everything for His glory!

   Practically, it may mean…going to bed early instead of fretting over the messy desk, exploring an old building with the children, or simply enjoying the newly sprung plants in the garden with quiet thankfulness.

   Our cares won’t be less as we go on with life – they’ll be greater as we move into an unfamiliar culture and begin ministering in Paraguay to a tribal group. So how will we find rest then?

   The same way we should be finding it now – in Christ. Not just mentally assenting to it, but acting on it!

   Sledding on the icy hills as winter breeze whips by; snowball “tosses” with the kids, hauling firewood and enjoying hot spiced apple cider with family.

   Elijah and Elisha even camped out in the snow cave for a night! They hauled out a mattress, subzero sleeping bags, fur hats, snow clothes, candles, and a thermos full of tea for the exciting trip (fortunately, the cave is only about 100 feet from our front door). It remains doubtful whether either of them actually slept, but at least they felt adventurous together! Check out the photo album “Halls back in Maine” on our Photos page for pics. 

   We head off in March for a trip on the East Coast, visiting relatives and other believers while sharing about the need for people to be involved in tribal mission work. Someone recently told us that seeing Elijah’s family and hearing them speak on that very same subject had been instrumental in her decision to be a missionary! We hope the Lord will use us to encourage His people to continue to fulfill the Great Commission wherever they are!

   December 19th we graduated, tomorrow we are leaving the state, and the next year looks to be as busy as the last two!

   Two years ago we were helping Elijah’s parents build their home in Maine while praying about coming here to the Missionary Training Center (MTC). Since then we’ve completed training, had a baby, and are headed for Paraguay!

   Proverbs says that “a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” We remain convinced that He has directed us and will continue to, and are so thankful for the opportunity to serve Him working as servants of His Body to take the Gospel to an unreached tribe.

      It is far too much to think about doing by ourselves. Thank the Lord for the Body of Christ and how we can all work together to glorify Him wherever He places us. May He help us all to finish the race well!

   In this next year, we hope to hone other skills we need to effectively minister on the field, travel to spread the awareness of the need for tribal missions, and make all the necessary preparations for going to the field. Moira will begin homeschooling the children, and in late May-early June our next baby is due. Elijah will also work this summer. 

   Lord willing, this time next year we’ll be on our way to Mexico to study Spanish for about a year, then on to Paraguay in 2011!

   “Aaah.”

   “Haah.”

   Ninety-odd voices in our classroom resonated as we “learned to read” again – a part of the literacy training we recieved the past couple of weeks.

   We, along with our classmates, take our ability to read for granted and barely realize the impact it has on our relationship with the Lord. Just how important is it? Try not reading your Bible for a while…

   By the time the teacher introduced the fifth odd symbol/sound connection, we were making mistakes already. My head was swimming already and it was even worse when I was put on the spot! I felt helpless and stupid in my hour of illiteracy.

   This was part of our training designed to help us sympathize with those who we will be teaching how to read and write. During the two week course, we put together our own short “primer” and taught a mock lesson to some of our classmates. We had no idea everything that is involved.

   First, pre-literacy must be taught. Which is the top of the paper? Which is the bottom? How should they hold a pencil? Our teacher showed us a photo of a fish hook – right side up, up side down, sideways – and asked us what it was. Of course we all answered, “A fish hook.”

   He said, “Now imagine you are a fifty year old lady and all your life a fish hook is a fish hook, no matter which way you turn it – but all of a sudden in literacy class, someone shows you this picture.” The teacher showed us a “t”, then turned it upside down and said, “Imagine explaining to this lady how this is a t or an f, depending on which way you turn it! This is part of the challenge of pre-literacy.”

   Then primers, readers, lesson plans and books translated for the newly literate people also must be prepared ahead of time. Months are spent teaching the first classes how to read, keeping careful records and then training indigenous literacy teachers to carry on the work. This can take years of concentrated effort to turn a program of full curriculum for the teachers and students over to the tribal people, but that is the goal.

   Why? As one tribal believer explained it, translation and literacy are two legs that the new church stands on to continue growing. “If there is no Bible for us, we cannot have the Word of God to us. If we have a Bible and cannot read it, we do not profit from translation either.”

   He said, “Hey guys! You can come have a Bible study with me or go watch that trash somewhere else, okay?”

   “You don’t like this show?” some of the men joked.

   “I only have eyes for my wife,” replied Elijah, and the men sobered up a little. All of them moved except for one, a man named Ray* (name changed to protect privacy).

   Even thought Elijah spends one afternoon a week at this jail as part of his outreach while in training at the Missionary Training Center, every week is still a challenge for him. He sat down across from Ray and asked him what was going on with him.

   Ray said his life was a mess. Something he’d done years ago finally caught up with him, he was afraid of what the sentence might be, his wife was thinking of leaving him, and he told Elijah honestly that he just didn’t know what was going to happen. He’d heard that going to church could help fix his life, and if he could only get out of jail…

   “Man, jail isn’t your real problem,” Elijah said simply. “You’re in a whole lot bigger trouble than just jail.” He went on to explain about God as our Creator and Owner and the rebellion of all mankind against God’s authority. “God is just, Ray, and He can’t let our sin go unpunished. Your real problem is that you are separated from God by your sin and unless you can pay off that sin-debt, He’ll have to judge you.”

   Ray agreed but wondered what he could possibly do to pay God back for all the wrongs he had committed.

   “That’s just it. There is no way you can measure up to God’s standard or ever do enough to repay Him for your offenses against Him.”

   Ray began to cry. “I’m scared, man! I know what I deserve and it ain’t good…”

   Then Elijah shared with him through the Scripture God’s promise of a Redeemer and His provision of Jesus Christ to be that Redeemer. Only Christ, Elijah explained, could ever pay off the debt that Ray or any human owed God – and Jesus had already done it!

   “You don’t have to do anything, Ray, if you believe that Jesus has satisfied God’s justice and paid your debt of sin.”

   Ray was still crying. He said he believed it but couldn’t stop crying! He gave Elijah a big bear hug and thanked him for sharing with him about the Savior’s love.

   This prisoner will be gone next week when Elijah returns. Please pray with us that he will stand firm and grow in the faith!

   Later on that day as Elijah told his wife and children this story, there was rejoicing around the dinner table. Elijah’s oldest son Elisha, age 3, said “Daddy, now that this man is saved are we going to go to tribal people next and tell them about Jesus so they can be saved too?”

   He said it well. Graduation is just around the corner and we pray that God will continue to allow us to move toward the goal of reaching a tribe in Paraguay who has yet to hear the Good News of Christ.

   What to do when jungle camp is canceled?

   Substitute another camping experience!

   Traditionally New Tribes Mission students have spent six weeks at a “jungle camp” where they build their own pole frame homes, cook from scratch, and other activities associated with simple living. Since there was no jungle camp for us this year we decided on the next best thing: forest camp!

   A couple of the other students had built a rough cedar cabin with an outhouse on the other side of the lake, and we got permission to move in during the Practical Skills class. So we took over piles of winter clothing, blankets and food and made the “cabin” our home for a while.

   Over nights we all snuggled right close for the chilly nights and awoke to start a fire in the stove (made from half a metal barrel). Breakfast was a rush because we had to make the canoe ride back across the lake in the semi-dark to make it to class on time!

   The kids enjoyed grubbing around playing with sticks and rocks and “hunting raccoons”. Needless to say, they didn’t catch any, but one smart raccoon almost caught us! The little back door was not latched properly and after scratching several places, the smart little thing began to pull the door open! I guess Elijah is scarier than a raccoon though, because he growled and it ran.

   Being pregnant, attending classes, taking care of three children ages three and under (and trying to keep them clean enough to be presentable) made it a tiring experience for Moira, but she consoled herself with the large jar of green olives as comfort food.

   Highlights included long conversations while sitting close to the campfire, singing and playing guitar with some friends, and seeing the delight in the faces of our children as they did such exciting things as make toast or roast marshmallows.

   After a week of cabin dwelling we joined the class for a wilderness camping trip. We hiked into our location packing kids and all our gear; Elijah set up a tepee-style shelter out of black plastic and twine that was voted “most creative” by all the other campers. That was a fun weekend but had some ramifications: we stopped counting ticks after pulling 80 off Elisha and over 100 off Jerusha. Elijah and Jerusha were also attacked by chiggers and are still itching constantly two weeks later.

   Necessary? Maybe not…

   Fun? Absolutely!

   Moira is feeling well and the entire family is abuzz with excitement over a new baby. Elisha thinks it’s a girl and Jerusha is convinced it’s a boy, but regardless of gender, it’s a blessing!

   Children are truly a reward from our loving Lord.