NTM

   Happy 2008!!!  We pray that this update finds you having had a good holiday season and doing well in the new year. We had a very busy semester being involved in teaching, part or all of, 7 different classes. We ended our year "flat out" as both Lisa and I were teaching classes at the same time right up until the Christmas holidays began. Needless to say, we were pretty wiped out when the holidays came and were very thankful for the time off. Our Christmas and New Years were spent at home this year which was nice and quiet.

   Now that 2008 has begun and we are rested up, we are looking forward to the students returning to classes on January 15th to continue on with their studies here. Please be praying for them as they get back "into the grove" and as some of them will be graduating at the end of this semester. For those who graduate, that means they will be getting ready to move on to the ministries the Lord has directed them to both this side and across the ocean.

Besides that, some neat things are happening in the Sepik:

1. The Foundational Bible Teaching from Creation through the Life of Christ is going to begin in two more Sepik tribes (Bagwido and Inanbimali) this month. We are sure that the missionaries in both those tribes would appreciate any and all prayers you would lift up on their behalf as they prepare and begin teaching. We will let you know how things are going as we get further reports from them.

2. As far as Inaru is concerned, Jason reports that he has mostly been working on getting our chronological Bible lessons (88 lessons in all) revised and printed in order to put on an Indigenous Language Bible School for two other villages that are a part of making up the Inaru’s language group. The church in Inaru will be inviting the church leaders from these other villages as they have evangelical churches in these villages but not much Bible teaching, and what they do have has been taught in the trade language (Melanesian Pidgin), rather than their mother tongue.

So, in February they will kick off their first "Bible school" in which Jason and the Inaru Bible teachers will be teaching foundational Bible stories chronologically to provide a background for why Christ had to come. Hopefully if any of the students are unclear on the essentials of the Gospel, this will clear it up for them.

Please be keeping this in your prayers as the school is projected to start up on February 19. Pray that they will have a good response, with lots attending from the other villages.  Also pray as there is still a lot of work to do (revising and printing) before the Bible school begins, thanks.

   Lastly, we can’t sign-off without bringing you up-to-date and bragging a bit on Anthony. He came home with his grade card and made us proud by making it on the A/B honor roll. He is also back into wrestling and in his last two tournaments he brought home a gold  & silver medal respectively. This year he not only wants to qualify for the State Tournament but also medal by placing in the top eight out of around 100+ kids in his age and weight division.  Needless to say, he has his work cut out for him and would appreciate your prayers.

   Well we have gone on long enough. Thanks for taking the time to read through this and for your supportiveness in every way. You are very much a part of what is going on in the ministry here and we couldn’t do it without you. God bless you for it and have a great new year!!! 

In His Love, Jay, Lisa & Anthony

Rustling noises in the bushes unsettled the villagers.

The next morning, a village woman went to draw water and saw the source of the noises: a lion.

The village was almost trembling with fear, and the chief called a meeting. He told them he would take care of it, and soon performed a ceremony. Everyone went back to life as normal.

Everyone but missionaries Anthony and Jennie Chee, that is. For the Chees, this was an opportunity to learn more about the people among whom they minister, the Yaos of Mozambique.

They soon learned that to the Yaos, the lion was not an animal that posed a physical danger, nor did this require a physical answer such as a hunter. The lion was the spirit of an ancestor who had come back to frighten the villagers. To them, this was a spiritual problem, requiring the correct ceremony.

Understanding the culture of the Yao people — the way they think and interact with their world — is crucial to clearly presenting God’s Word to them. That’s why New Tribes Mission’s specialized training includes a study of God’s Word and methods for translating and teaching it, as well as instruction on deciphering and dealing with culture.

Classes begin next month at NTM USA’s two Bible schools, in Jackson, Michigan, and Waukesha, Wisconsin. Pray that everything will be in place for the students to spend two years learning God’s Word and seeing God’s grace and love modeled, so they are equipped to pass on to others the whole picture of being a follower of Christ.

At the Missionary Training Center in Missouri, 55 students are to return for their second year of missionary training, and 105 new students are expected to begin the two-year course. Please pray that nothing hinders any of these students from coming. Pray for the instructors and others responsible for curriculum. The first semester courses are being revised, and the third semester courses — which will be taught for the first time — are near completion.

Thank God with us that just enough housing has been completed for all these students. Thank Him for His provision for materials and His provision of volunteers to finish this work.

The biggest need now is for a new classroom facility. This education center will provide more space with larger classrooms and more modern wiring and design for today’s technology. Please pray with us for the funds and preparations to begin work in Spring 2008.

Literacy:

We have an answer to prayer to share with you this month. A couple weeks ago we had a literacy class start and we now have 12 young people, ages 12 to 19 learning how to read and write. We have not had a successful literacy program here in Inaru for several years and we are very thankful to see this one starting off so well. The students are learning quickly and the teacher is being very diligent and really seems to want it to work. His name is Jerry (Yabu) and though he is not a strong believer, I am encouraged to see the effort he is putting into the class. Please pray that he will be faithful with it to the end of the course and that there will be other people to help him out with the load as needed.

Bible Teaching:

We are hoping to do chronological Bible teaching to this group of students as well. None of them have heard it before and are not clear on the basics of the Gospel. Actually we are hoping many of the other young people in the village will come in to hear the Bible teaching and that we will have a new crop of young believers at the end. This will take several months of consistent teaching from our Bible teachers. Please pray that they will continue the teaching until the end, when the children will hear the Gospel in full. We are just waiting for our church elder Raymond to get back from a 2 week holiday in the jungle so that we can get started.

Translation Project:

I have just finished the translation of Philippians and Colossians, so that brings us a bit closer to our goal. This month I will start working on the Gospel of Luke, which should take me the rest of the year (if I can get it
done by then, with going to Australia and everything). Luke is the longest book in the New Testament at 1151 verses (14% of the total New Testament). Anyway, we appreciate your prayers as we keep plugging along in translation. 

Church Leader’s Meeting:

In a couple weeks, we will be going to Iteli for a few days. They are going to have an area Bible course there going over different topics. I will be teaching for 3 days about chronological Bible teaching and why we do that as opposed to other methods of evangelism. Please pray for me as I teach, that I can communicate things that will benefit the church leaders who attend. Also pray for the Iteli people who are hosting the Bible course. Food is not plentiful in their area and having lots of visitors in their village really taxes their resources. Thanks to all of you who are praying for us and supporting and helping us in many ways. We greatly appreciate your part.

In Christ,

Jason and Toni and Jedidiah Stuart

Note:  The following is a portion of a prayer letter from our partners (the Stewarts) in Inaru. 

Dear Friends,

     Last week in Inaru we experienced a truly sad event. One of the 7-year-old boys, the son of Silas and Robin (Wabina and Baga), was very ill with malaria. From a young age, he has always gotten very sick when he got malaria. I treated him with the standard anti-malarial this time and the fever went away, but he was still very lethargic. I figured that since the fever had left that whatever it was would run its course. The family left to go live in a bush camp and catch fish and while they were there, their son died. They paddled the body upriver to the village in a canoe, wailing as they traveled. When they came to shore another man and I carried the body to the parents house (next door to ours) and the village cried while a small coffin was built and the parents smashed and tore up all their possessions as part of the mourning process. In the afternoon he was buried
in the cemetery across the river and the crying continued for a few days after that.

     Almost immediately after they brought the body back to the village, people were fairly certain of the cause of the boy’s death. His uncle had considered taking a young widow as a second wife and the widow’s family
didn’t approve and therefore hired a witch to perform sorcery to kill this boy. The uncle was extremely angry and has threatened to perform sorcery on one of the children in the widow’s family in return. In the midst of all of this, less than a handful of individuals have actually kept in mind the truths of the Bible that God is in control of life and death.

     Raymond, our church elder, says he feels like the village is returning to the way their ancestors used to live–ignorant of God and fearing witchcraft. Many people in Inaru have confessed faith in Christ but it seems that few of them are really willing to take God’s Word as the ultimate authority in their lives. Would you please pray with us that the Inaru believers would learn to leave behind the false things they believe and have true faith–the conviction that God’s Word is right even though they can’t see it. 

     This is just a quick note to wish you a Happy Easter!!! Things are starting to warm up around here for which we are very thankful, especially after such a harsh winter. The grass is turning green, the trees are budding and many are starting to leaf out. During this time of the year we are reminded once again of the goodness of God in giving us both physical and, even more importantly, spiritual life.

     As we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ may we be encouraged once again with the fact that because He did rise again His death for our sins was not in vain. The fact that He did rise again gives us assurance that we won’t have to pay the penalty of sin, live under the power of sin, nor be in the presence of sin in the future. Our sins have been forgiven and one day we will be as He is, where He is! Have a great Easter in Him!!!

Because He has Risen Indeed, Jay, Lisa & Anthony

   We want to thank-you for keeping Lisa in your prayers this past week as she helped out with teaching the Literacy class here at the Missionary Training Center (MTC). She felt pretty strong throughout the week for which she is very thankful. We will say that now that the class is over she is feeling it, so please do continue to keep her in your prayers, thanks

  Lisa really enjoyed working with the students in helping them learn how to put together a literacy program for a tribal group of people they one day will be working with. Literacy is such a crucial part of Church Planting as a Bible translation means nothing to those who can’t read and the believers have to be able to read God’s word for themselves in order to grow spiritually.

   An added bonus during this past week was that two of the students were missionaries with the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico. They had come from Mexico to take this class so they could put together their Literacy program for the Tarahumara.  Lisa was in her element as she acted as a consultant for this couple. She is excited about the prospect of other missionaries coming to the MTC for this same kind of consultation in the future.

   Thanks again for your suportiveness in every way.  We wouldnt be able to be involved in this ministry if it wasn’t folks like yourself standing with us both prayerfully and financially to make this ministry possible. God bless and have a great day in Him!!!

Laborers together, Jay, Lisa & Anthony

   Well in our last update we left you with wishes of a Happy New Year! To say the least our New Year has been off to an interesting start.

   So far this has been a crazy month. The new semester for the Missionary Training Course was to start up last week but we were hit with a severe winter storm which froze everything in its track. They hadn’t seen a storm here like this in 20 years! Our power was out for two days (50 hours to be exact), and during that time we were hold up at our place in "survival mode". It got pretty cold but thankfully no pipes and more importantly no people froze . A fellow staff neighbor came by and loaned us a propane heater to take the chill out of the air, for which we were very thankful. Believe it or not, even after a week’s time some folks in other parts of Missouri are still waiting to get their power on. We can’t imagine what that would be like.

   Town looked like a war zone with trees all over the place. Many had lost branches, some even split and snapped in half with the weight of the ice that had accumulated on their branches. It was almost surreal in some places. Just as we were starting to see the "light at the end of the tunnel" we were told another storm was coming and so were ready to "batten down the hatches" again. Thankfully, we had a good day of thawing before six inches of snow hit and we didn’t get all the sleet they were forecasting, otherwise we surly would have experienced more downed trees and power outages.

   Anyway, all that to say that this new year is off to quite a start. Classes for the new semester have officially started back up again this morning. Please be praying for all the staff and students here as we get back into the routine of things after being gone a while and after having come through this time. Thankfully all 120 students made it back safely from their Christmas/New Years break. Some were able to get in before the first storm hit and others made it in before the second one. It is good to have things starting to return to some sense of normalcy although there are still a lot of residual effects all around us. We sure do appreciate your continued prayers during this time and that we will have seen the worst of it for this winter season.

   Thanks much for your supportiveness in every way as it is much needed and appreciated. Have a great day in Christ!!!

In His Love, Jay, Lisa & Anthony

P.S.  Thinking about getting one of these for next winter

***Thought you all might enjoy this report from the missionary team in the Abau tribe (one of the eight tribes we told you about in our last article entitled "Continuing to Expand the Reach of the Gospel"). We think you will find this email very fitting during the holiday season. Jesus is building His church and thanks for the part that you are playing in it. Have a great holiday season in Him!

IHL, J, L & A

Hark The Heavenly Angels Sing!

There are believers in Abau. And there is rejoicing in heaven over these spiritually reborn people. Sien and I trust that you may also be encouraged by this, another example of the grace and mercy of God. On what basis are any of us able to stand before a holy God, except in Christ? There is no other way. And numerous Abau people now have confidence that their Savior, Jesus Christ, fully satisfies the justice of God for their sin debt. God’s great love has been extended here in the jungle, in that while the Abau people were yet sinners, Christ died for them.

As of Tuesday evening, the regular ‘phase one’ teaching came to a conclusion. The gospel has been preached in the Abau village. There was no organ music playing "Just As I Am". There was no altar call, "every eye closed, raise your hand" appeal given. In fact, no one even said ‘the prayer’. Amazing isn’t it, that our God works His glorious salvation without all our traditions and rituals! When we first came to live in Abau in the year 2000, we very easily could have preached a gospel message, given an altar call and baptized the whole village within a month of arriving. The village would have been ‘converted’, but nobody would have been saved. Tuesday evening, when we finished the gospel presentation, we very easily could have given an altar call (well, not that easy as there is no altar or even room for an altar in that building), and the whole village would have come forward. Many would have been saved. But they would not have been saved because of their action. They would not have been saved because they followed some western tradition for becoming a Christian. These friends of ours have been saved because they have come to recognize that through His death on the cross, Jesus has paid for the penalty of their personal sin; they understand they are now at peace with God and declared His children because they have a risen Savior standing in their place.

For those who love numbers, we have no numbers to share with you right now. As a team, we are actively visiting with the villagers, ascertaining various individual’s understanding and acceptance of the good news. We are thankful that we are being able to draw from Old Testament foundational teaching for the vast majority of these people. Their consistent attendance at the many meetings has been a blessing to us. What an excitement for us as we confirm the truth of the gospel in these peoples’ minds and the Spirit of God confirms His work in their hearts. Here are some of their names:

-Fifty year old Weima shook my hand saying to me, "I know that Jesus is standing in my place for my bad things. I do not have to think about the place of fire but when I die I can sit down good with God."

-Twenty year old Kalasia believes that Jesus is her only road to make God happy.

-Yafeno, standing there holding his little boy, testified, "I know that I will go to be with God when I die." I asked him why he thought that. He said quietly, "Because God’s son Jesus has paid for my bad ways. His blood ran out and paid for my bad ways."

-Dominic held his dirty shirt behind his back and stated that in the same way, Jesus covers all things he has done wrong.

-Grandmother Nanso evidences understanding of God’s gracious provision on her behalf.

-Old blind Inowai in his jovial manner has made clear that his red card (an illustration representing personal sin) has been hidden on the cross behind Christ’s green card (representing perfection).

-Matin says he is tired of the sorcery talk that he has heard since a child. He realizes that because of what Jesus has done on the cross, he is now in God’s hand and protection.

-Plinla recognizes Jesus as her "manakway posuey e lw", her deliverer.

-Mason, Mike and Jen Cratch’s son came sprinting back in their house the other evening, sobbing with joy. His young friend, Lonni gave Mason testimony of his belief.

-Powi, a perennially self-righteous man, said this, "I don’t have to work my way to make God happy with me. I am believing that Jesus is my way to God."

People are now leaving for a time to go to bush camps and their gardens. We are planning to gather again near the end of January to begin teaching new believers. During these next couple weeks, we hope to be able to talk privately with Abau folks about what they believe about Jesus. After all these years, what a joy it is to sense a spiritual connection with many of our neighbors. And what a joy it is to know that people all over the world are praying for these Abau people. As praying intercessors, your work is not finished concerning Abau. There are a number of Abau folks who will be living in their bush camps, still unsure in how the finished work of Christ applies to their own lives. Please pray for them. And pray for the new believers, that the Lord in His grace would show Himself strong in their hearts. We are asking you to pray the words that Paul continually prayed for the Philippian church. (1:9-11) Come to think of it, this could be your ‘Christmas present’ for your new Abau brothers and sisters!