Sponges, Brought to Tears

Here is an update from Adam & Julie Martin who minister with the Akolet people of Papua New Guinea;

Do you know those tiny capsules they market as bath toys for kids?  You stick them in water, and what previously looked small you realize is a giant sponge and its size grows exponentially seemingly in an instant?  Well, that’s what it feels like we have on our hands here with many of our Akolet brothers and sisters in Christ.

Allow me to share about 2 such sponges: Lonsi and Samam.  They have helped me translate God’s Word for 2 years now, and only got saved themselves in March 2010 (which aside from getting saved myself, marrying Adam, and having Lela, ranked as one of the the best days of my life.)

However, today ranks pretty high too!  I had the privilege of translating portions of Romans 8 with them.  (We’ve completed through verse 30.)  Seeing them and my two other helpers, Reu and Amos, soak up this information, was too much for me!  As I read them these precious truths (do yourself a favor and go read them right now, you’ll see what I mean), the joy on their faces moved me to tears – and I wasn’t the only one.  Samam, wiping away tears herself, said she wanted to stop and pray right then and thank God for His amazing love.

Yesterday Lonsi came and talked with Adam about different things, and he ended up in tears just sharing about how much it means to them that God has saved them, that Christ’s death was the ultimate payment, and that the Holy Spirit is at work in them now, changing them. 

The changes he mentioned are obvious to anyone who knows them at all.  They still have a long ways to go, but from two people who used to bicker and complain with each other constantly, beat their kids, and were near the top of our “high maintenance” list of friendships here, to Lonsi being in tears and telling Adam how he feels like he and Adam are true brothers because of Christ and how thankful he is that God saved them, and Samam today being moved to tears hearing about God’s great love…wow.  Once they were moody and grumpy, protecting themselves and “their rights”.  Now they are happy, giddy at times even, and are among the first to share what they have when any sort of need arises.

Sponges – changed hearts, changed lives, growing rapidly.  I could point to many other of the Akolet sponges whose lives are a testament to God’s power and grace.    

Take time to carefully read through Romans 8 as Lonsi and Samam did. As translation helpers, they needed to read or hear each verse slowly, making sure that they understand what is actually being said. It seems that we may have read these truths so many times that we really don’t recognize what is being said. Read Romans 8 as if you were a translation helper.  

Moi Believers Eternal Perspective

One of the things that we want to be able to do with this blog is to bring you updates from some of the NTM missionaries that are working in the remote locations of the world. The following is an update from Rich & Karen Brown who minister with the Moi people. Here is a testimony of how God is working in the lives of Daokabatu & Upiyawogui;

About a month ago a whooping cough epidemic started coming through our area.  We had no idea what it was and assumed it was a bad cold.  In the meantime our next door neighbor's 7 month old son, Maiki, got it and was quickly getting worse.  As Karen was looking through some medical books the Lord brought her to the page on whooping cough.  The onset and symptoms fit what we were seeing to a tee.  The scary part is that whooping cough is very dangerous for infants under one year.  Thankfully we had antibiotics on hand.  We immediately gathered everybody and explained what it was.  Then we, along with the guys trained in medical, passed out the medicine.  Unfortunately it was too late for baby Maiki pictured with his sister below.  He died a day later. 

We grieved with his mother, while her husband was away.  Here is an excerpt about this from Rich's journal..."This morning Karen, Alyssa, and I went to comfort and cry with Daokabatu.  It’s sad her husband couldn’t be here to mourn too, as he is in Dao on a trip.  Daokabatu is showing such confident faith in God’s plan in this tragic loss.  It’s now her second son to die.  This morning as we were crying with her, she, in the midst of her tears, told us that it was God who determined his (Maiki's) appointed time to die and she can only praise Him.  It was clear that she had already determined in her mind to accept what was given to her.  She has indeed humbly accepted it.  It was so touching to hear her praise God in the midst of her deepest sorrow."

Upiyawogui, pictured here with his other son, showed up the day after his baby boy was buried.  It was so hard to see him grieve.  The next day, with sadness still in his eyes, he shared that during his travels he came across a hamlet that was desperate to hear the Creator's Talk.  He said it broke his heart.  That alone spoke volumes to us.  It showed that he was still measuring what is truly important in the light of eternity. 

 

Please pray for Upiyawogui & Daokabatu and the Moi church.