Laura Aijian Revelation 5:9-10 
Summer Time
2009
Our July – August program is now over and it is so quiet on campus! Praise the Lord for an opportunity to rest now. I wanted to thank you all for your encouragement and support. It was a very full summer, and I felt the prayers and support as the Lord gave me the strength I needed everyday. This two programs went really well. We had a large group of students and even a work team joined us as well. It is so neat to see how God brings these groups together and teaches them. As a staff we were encouraged by all of their questions, lively discussions, and motivation to embrace every opportunity presented. It was a joy to see the Lord speaking to their hearts.
The kitchen was bustling the entire summer. I am so grateful for the 3 alumni who came over to serve on hospitality with us. It was fun to get to know past students and see how the Lord has lead them since last summer when they attended Interface. We did face some challenges when half of our kitchen team got sick, but the Lord provided staff to come in and help out. There were so many times that the Lord showed me this summer how he has every little detail covered. Often in ways I could not have planned.
Towards the end of program the students go on a side trip to various regions of Papua New Guinea and visit a tribal church plant. I went on one of the three trips to the Islands region of PNG and I cooked for the students, staff, and missionaries. It is an opportunity for them to see a local New Testament church and interact with believers. This is really where the entire program’s teachings and experiences cement in their hearts and minds. It was such an incredible time. Our flight got in just in time to have a church service and a large mumu (PNG feast) with the believers. We stayed late into the night singing songs that the believers had written. All of us were given a bound book with all the songs in their tok ples (heart language) and English so we could sing along with them. I have traveled to many different places, but one thing that always connects me to where I have been is being able to worship with the body of Christ. To hear the music and know the Spirit is moving is such an incredible thing. I will never forget that night.
During our time there we were able to meet with believers and hear their testimonies, have good discussions with the missionaries, and do some cultural excursions as well. One of the fun things we were able to do was “float” down a river nearby on inter-tubes. When I say float, however, I mean shoot down rapids. A 45-minute hike to the river and then an 1.5 hour trip to our destination! White water rafting on tubes is way more fun than on rafts! I was challenged in so many ways alongside the 12 students that were there.
The church has a literacy ministry that we visited, and one of the pictures below shows a group that graduated. What hit me the most was hearing the testimony of an elderly man who struggled long and hard to learn to read and write. I heard about his desire to read the Scriptures, and then to see him stand up in church and preach the Word was incredible! Truly there is nothing better than seeing the kingdom of God being built in every corner of the world. How amazing to know that one day we will worship again together in heaven and all fall down before Christ who was slain on our behalf.
