Greetings again from the land of puddles. Apart from trying to get laundry to dry,we’ve been enjoying the cooler, very wet weather. The 2024 Melanesian Bible College session is now finished and all of our students have returned to their families. Also, all of our U.S. visitors have come and gone.
Thank you for your prayers for each of us over the past few months.
When I last wrote to you, we were two weeks into Block 2 of the school program. All went well for our English and Tok Pisin students throughout their studies,concluding on July 24th. We rejoiced on June 26th, when Tok Pisin student Jonam was baptized into Christ, bringing the total to three new Christians among our students this year (Jonam, his wife Moreen, and Macklyn). The first year of the English program has been well received and we look forward to continuing next year, along with welcoming back each of our students from both programs.
In the literacy program, student Moreen and I completed our time together at the end of Block 2 and she spent all of Block 3 as a full time Bible student. She did really well. Student Jenny had much more of a struggle and didn’t complete the basic literacy course. Jenny’s baby (a girl; misreported as a boy in the last newsletter) continued to struggle with breathing problems. Her parents weren’t content to remain in the hospital and left early. In the following weeks, we saw the baby losing ground and urged them to return for further healthcare. Eventually, with the encouragement of a sister in Christ who works at Angau Memorial, they did go back and were admitted, but then ran away again the same day. After a few days, the baby’s condition got to the point where they had to go back, and they spent a week there before returning to school. All of the disruptions to Jenny’s schooling, along with a likely undiagnosed learning disability, took their toll and led to a lot of frustration for both of us. Jenny will be back with me in Literacy during the 2025 school session instead of continuing as a Bible student. Please continue to pray for the baby, for both Moreen and Jenny, and also for me for patience and understanding in the coming year.
Pictured above are MBC staff & students with Jimmy, Kim & Randy, during our last
day of classes.
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Part 2
We were very blessed this year to welcome three teams of Americans during the months of June and July:
P.N.G. missionaries Woody & Judy Square,along with brothers Tim Raibley and Antoine Stitt, and sister Jaszmyn Ponder, arrived on June 27th from California, and were joined by friends Alvin &Carolyn Bartel, Erik & Kylie Brenneke, and Courtney Bartel, from B.C., on July 5th. They traveled toZumangurun (in the Markham Valley), Goroka, Tami Island, and Kapini (Menyamya) before starting their return journey on July 2oth. The Bartel family worked in Lae at the same time as Woody & Judy (late 1980s). Alvin was employed with the Department of Works, and Carolyn taught at Bugandi Secondary School. Younger daughter, Courtney, was baptized during their trip to Tami Island.
Pictured in the two photos above are Woody and team, during one of their skits at MBC.
Brother Sandy Detherage, along with grandson Tyler Benedict, arrived and spent a few days teaching classes and visiting Christians in Lae, before continuing their travels to Cambodia on the 18th. Please pray for Tyler as he starts his Grade12 year.
Sandy & Tyler (stolen from Sandy’s facebook page. My phone died.)
Highland church of Christ members Jimmy &Kim Adkins, and Randy Gaddy, arrived on July 23rd in time to conclude the 2024 M.B.C. school year and join us for the student meal on the 25th. Brother Jay Shappley was supposed to come as well but the cyber-chaos of July 19th led to his ticket being cancelled. Highland (formerly Highland Street) has supported the school here since 1975 when the Lae Bible School (1975-1979) was formed, followed by The School of Life (1980-1987) and the Melanesian Bible College (1988-present). Their long-term support and frequent visits are a great encouragement to us. We enjoyed a trip to Tami Island with them,as well as other outings, before they started their journey back to Tennessee on July 31st.
Fellowship meal at Mission Centre (Agape House) where visitors stay while in Lae.
With love in HIM,
Ruth