Tim teaching Literacy Class

We are 4 weeks into the Fall semester at the NTM Missionary Training Center, with Tim having finished the Literacy class and now teaching the CLA Practicum.

In the Literacy Course missionary candidates are introduced to the importance of a reproducible literacy program in a tribal church planting context, as well as an overview of the process of producing literacy materials and implementing a program. 

In an illiteracy demonstration, students got a taste of what it may feel like to be sitting in the seat of a non-literate person during their first literacy lesson, experiencing the confusion of learning a completely new alphabet for the sounds of their language!  To find out about another interesting aspect of the Literacy Course, check out Del and Arielle’s blog here>>.

Tim as a Dobu Language Helper

The CLA (Culture/Language Acquisition) Practicum is always a busy but stimulating time, giving the students an opportunity to experience developing cross-cultural relationships in a simulated tribal village setting by applying the CLA principles and methodology they are learning.  We appreciate your prayers for the teachers and missionary candidates as we share this learning adventure!

Tim's family

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 From South Africa,  America, Wales and England, 

The Simmonds family all did gather

to celebrate the beloved parents

50th year of marriage!

All of the grandchildren with the grandparents.

 We are grateful that we could take part in this momentous event and for the time we were able to spend visiting with different family members, after many years of being separated.  During our 3 week visit in England, we were able to make trips to the area where Tim grew up, visit friends in the Cotswolds, visit Tim’s sister and her family in Wales, visit and speak in different churches, visit the area where we went to Bible College in 1982, and spend a lot of time Derbyshire with the family.  We were also glad that both Jason and Sarah were able to be there with us, and it was a good time of connecting with family again for all of us! 

Thank you for your prayers for us during our travels.  Everything went well, although with layovers and delays, the trip home was almost a 30 hour journey! 

See more pictures by clicking on our photos page, or click here.

June began on a different note, with my Dad going home to be with the Lord on June 4th, after a long devasting illness. Our hearts ache as we face his no longer being on earth with us, but also rejoice in knowing he is with the Lord, and no longer suffering.  While we still have the incredible hope of the inheritance that God has laid up for us (1 Peter 1: 3-5), Dad is experiencing the fulfillment of that sure promise!

Dad’s memorial service was truly a celebration of his life, of the impact he had had on so many, and of the Lord who had given him life and allowed him to serve in this way. We were blessed to see many friends and a few family as well, and to hear how God had used my Dad in their lives.

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Enrichment Conference!

After arriving home from Florida late on Sunday night, we began the NTM Enrichment Conference early Monday morning. This is a conference where many missionaries serving with NTM in the USA and missionaries on furlough from overseas locations come to learn, have fellowship, and be blessed.

For Tim, this involved cooking for 500+ in the kitchen, while I was involved in preparing coffee breaks and helping out in the kitchen on occasion.

We saw many of our missionary guests encouraged and blessed, and are thankful to have a small part in this.

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Trip to England!

Our trip to England begins on July 19th, arriving there the 20th, and returning to Missouri August 10th.  It’s been 7 years for most of us (Tim was there for a brief visit 4 years ago), and we are excited to see the family again.  Tim’s parents 50th Anniversary celebration will be held on August 6th.  Sarah won’t be flying over until August 1st, as she has to work until then.  We appreciate your prayers as we spend time with family and visit churches, friends and supporters!

God is working in Mamusi!

It’s amazing to see how God is working in Mamusi, the tribe in PNG where we previously served.  Many are wanting to hear the Bible teaching, and the believers are planning new outreaches, despite facing many threats and much oppostion. 

We praise God for providing for the purchase of a new laptop computer and a solar panel (an 18 foot flexible solar panel that actually rolls up!), and solar controller and inverter kit, which will enable the Mamusi believers to be able to set up and use the computer in their remote location.

Tim is almost finished editing the Ephesians Bible lessons, and then we will be looking at getting them and other lessons printed.

Pray for Tim and I during our time here in Florida, and for a safe trip home next Saturday and Sunday (driving) (June13th – 14th).

Thanks for your prayers and support. 

1Pe 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, 
(NIV)

Also please pray that we would be healthy for the trip. Sharon has been sick this week with a virus, so we are praying she will be better by then and that Tim will not succumb to this virus!

Thanks for praying for Sarah’s trip to India.  It went really well, but was also a very sobering time for her, seeing the needs in India.  She is now back at college, busy with her music and missions majors.  Please let us know if you would like a copy of her letter regarding their trip to India.

Jason continues to enjoy his guitars and music.  We are thankful to see some improvement in his health, but please continue to pray for healing for him .

Tim has been able to take a few weeks of this semester to concentrate on revising some of the Mamusi Bible lessons.  Please pray for him as he works through these lessons and for him in revising the MTC Literacy course.

     In 2007, a village in Papua New Guinea heard the gospel, joyfully accepted it and many of them began worshipping the one true God who alone is worthy. Now these same believers themselves are beginning the literacy and gospel outreaches that are needed to reach the other 2,700 people who share their language. Amazing! 

  
     What is more amazing is that prior to the literacy program and the gospel presentation in 2007, they had been illiterate and in complete spiritual darkness. Because their language had never been written down before, they had been trapped in their tribal superstitions and were ignorant of the message God had passed down for them in the Bible concerning the gospel.

     In 2004, as we moved into the village and began the process of language learning we were so thankful for training we received through the NTM training centers. In this village, there was no dictionary to turn to. The people couldnʼt tutor us as they themselves were unaware of the patterns in grammar and phonetics that made up their every day way of communicating. Even the way they thought and interpreted life was completely foreign to us. We were completely dependent upon the Lord to open our minds and show us how to proceed. 

     M. David Sills in his book, The Missionary Call, he quotes Ralph D. Winter, “God cannot lead you on the basis of facts that you do not have.” We saw this to be so true as we began the process of trying to understand the culture and language. The Lord did not give us ideas and plans from thin air or mystically come and inspire us. The Lord used our minds and the time we invested into being learners throughout the training as the substance to work with as he guided us through the Holy Spirit to do the work that He had sent us there to do.
   

  Everything we learned in the training was crucial. All the little sounds we were hearing in the tribal language needed to be analyzed and written down into understandable symbols. The grammar structure also had to be analyzed so we could understand what was being communicated. When it came time to write an alphabet, we were able to use the training in forming new orthographies that we had received. It was not easy, but again, the Lord prepared us in advance with the knowledge required and then brought all the information back to the forefront of our minds when we needed it. 

     Sometimes we get so busy in what we are doing that we forget to stop and look back and remember how the Lord has worked in our lives to equip us for the work He is doing through us. In light of that, we want to stop and thank the Lord for the great cross-cultural mission training we received through New Tribes Mission. We want to especially thank the staff that works at the training centers for the time they give to equip new generations of missionaries and for passing on their life stories and examples to those of us who are able to take and apply those principles to our own new works. 

     We are also thankful for those who prayerfully and financially support these trainers and teachers as they work stateside. Their jobs may not be taking place on foreign soil, but they are no less impacting the world of tribal missions as their thoughts and ideas are spread throughout the world as they are implemented by the NTM students in many countries.The Lord is truly using them to give missionaries the tools they need to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

-Written by Bill and Kelley Housley, serving with NTM in Papua New Guinea.
You can receive their updates by requesting them at pilgrimspa@aol.com.

This picture is of Sarah in India with her team (she is in the front row in the orange and purple). 

We are thankful that the surgeon was able to fit the surgery in while we are still in Florida, so we can take care of her after the surgery. We have extended our time here a week.

Please pray for a successful surgery and quick recovery for Mom. 

Thanks so much for your prayers!

Click here for Sarah’s piano recital Dec 22 2008

We are in Florida with Sharon’s parents right now. Dad is about the same, possibly slightly better as he is not choking as much. We plan to return home this weekend. We praise God for a safe trip and good visits here. We will post pictures once we get home and can dowload them off the camera.

Continue to pray for the outreach currently going on in Mamusi!

Please pray for the new students and the returning missionary candidates, who will be returning to the NTM Missionary Training Center to begin classes Jan 19th.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support!

Sharon’s surgery today went well. It was late, as the hospital was waiting for the instrument they needed for the surgery to be delivered! But all went well and the anesthesia didn’t cause any problems. Sharon is on pain medications and feeling good. It was an outpatient procedure, so we are home now. We are really thankful the Lord worked it out for us to get it taken care of this year, since we had already paid our large health insurance deductible for the year!

As most of you know, Sarah’s purse was stolen on Friday last week. No updates yet on whether the thieves have been found. They did try to use one of her cards at Wal-Mart right away, which confirmed the purse was stolen, and Wal-Mart has them on their surveillance camera. It appears to be college students that took her purse. We praise God for how He helped Sarah with handling this whole situation: calling all the credit report agencies, canceling her credit cards, canceling her bank account, replacing her drivers license, buying a steering wheel lock (since the thieves have her main set of keys), plus managing to study for finals and do well with them. She also had to perform 3 piano pieces from memory for her “jury” (jury of professors, she has to play before them every semester) on Friday, soon after her purse went missing and did really well!

Please pray for Sarah as she prepares for her own piano recital here on December 22nd. We are looking forward to hearing her play! Also please pray for her Mission Trip to India, Dec 28 – Jan 18! If you would like more details, or would like to be added to an email list that will send out updates of how the team is doing, let us know.

Graduation for the 97 Missionary Training Center Missionary Candidates is on Friday! Please pray for these new missionaries as they trust the Lord for the support they need, and for safety on the roads as they travel across the USA to return home this weekend!

Tim is working on completing grading for the semester. He appreciates your prayers as he works through this.

Thank you so much for your encouragement, prayers, and support. Merry Christmas!