What's Happening

During my first couple of Sundays in Tulwei Village, I couldn’t help but notice how many kids were present, especially several boys between the ages of 9 and 13.  I began thinking of a way to reach out to them, specifically with a view towards getting them firmly grounded in the Bible.  Some of them are even coming without their parents, which means they are likely not receiving any biblical teaching at home.  I talked with the leaders of the congregation about starting a “Bible club” to teach these children Bible facts, stories, and principles - about which they were very excited.  While my initial focus was on those boys who would soon reach the age of accountability, the first Sunday we met ended up having many more younger children than I expected.  That first meeting went well, but if any of you have ever tried to teach kids ranging in age from 3 to 13 in one group, you know it can be a challenge.  So, I think that we will now focus on the younger kids during the Sunday meetings, and begin having the teens/pre-teens over for lunch one day per week, to give them a more advanced study.


I’ve mentioned in a previous post that several months ago I met a man named Bernard [photo] at the airport here in Malekula, as I was waiting on my flight back to Vila.  He showed great interest in studying the Bible and has since completed our Bible correspondence courses (in both English and Bislama).  I have been able to meet with him briefly in town on two occasions, and our family is now scheduled to travel to his village this coming Monday.  I am excited that our entire family will be able to travel together to Rano Village - I am far more effective when I have Shawnda, Titus and Alexis with me, as they all three can “connect” with some people that I otherwise couldn’t.  One of the Christian men from Brenwei Village will also accompany us on the trip (having a local gives us more credibility, provides local knowledge, and will be an effective opportunity for training him).  It will be a relatively short trip, only two nights, but I have found that it tends to be more effective if initial exposures to truth are given in smaller doses.  I will spend as much time as possible with Bernard, and hope that perhaps he will obey the gospel during this trip.  Such would provide a great opportunity, as he has “started his own church” in the village, and is known as a religious leader.  He specifically told me that he wants to know how to correctly lead this group of people.  I have spent a significant amount of time this week studying up on the doctrines and practices of the United Pentecostal Church, as that is the background from which he comes.  Their main doctrine is known as “Jesus only” - they believe that there is only one person in the Godhead, and that baptism must be administered only in the name of Jesus (never in the name of the Father and/or the Holy Spirit).  They have several other common denominational beliefs and practices as well.  Please be praying that our family can be effective as we share God’s word and love with these souls.

Lastly, Shawnda is going to begin meeting with the ladies here in Tulwei Village on Wednesday mornings for fellowship and study.  Their first such meeting is this week, so you can look forward to hearing more about it in the near future.