Our Sunday and Wednesday night Bible studies are scheduled to continue. I will be teaching a course entitled “Luksave Sin” and “Christian Marriage.” Luksave means ‘recognize’ - and we will spend our time together considering actions that have become acceptable to the culture, but that are still abominable to our Master. In the Christian Marriage class, we will talk about biblical principles and their associated practical applications, in an effort to strengthen marriage relationships and prepare the unmarried for the future.
We will also continue conducting our youth meetings every Friday. After lunch together, we will build on last term’s studies of the Old Covenant and begin studying the change over to the New Covenant. I continue to very much enjoy teaching these classes, because they remind me of the simplicity and completeness of God’s plan. I am hoping to secure a solid biblical foundation in each of these young people’s lives, that they can build on for the rest of their lives.
The brethren and I tentatively planned to conduct a Good News Meeting during each of our visits to the village, but we did not nail down a specific date or topic for this time. I am prepared to teach a series of lessons on baptism if given the opportunity. These lessons are very simple and straightforward, and I look forward to presenting them at some point.
We will also continue conducting a Bible club for the younger kids after Sunday morning worship. To date, we’ve been teaching them songs, the books of the Bible, and some basic Bible facts (how many books, the common divisions, who wrote the 5 books of Law, etc). This term, I will be using a flip-chart Shawnda made to tell the “one Bible story” (in Bislama). I am planning to tell that same story every Sunday for the eight weeks we’re there, and expect that the kids will practically be able to recite it themselves by the end. Such an understanding provides a great foundation for placing more in-depth stories in their overall context.
We also look forward to including a couple of new items this trip. First, we borrowed an idea from the Bakers’ playbook and we’re going to start conducting a movie night once a week, in which we invite the public to come and watch a series of Bible-based videos. This trip will be the gospel of John, which is a video that basically speaks and acts out the gospel narrative, with no additional commentary at all. The videos are in English, but I think they will still serve as a very appealing activity to many, including some that we might not otherwise be able to reach. We will watch 3-4 chapters each night, after which I will teach some high points from the text. We will then open up for questions pertaining to the section covered that evening. This scenario has worked well for the Bakers in Tanna, and we look forward to implementing it in Malekula.
Second, Shawnda has made copies of several issues of “Yumi Ol Mama”, which is a series of newsletters she and Cindy worked on for a couple of years. They are designed to present a biblical approach to common issues ni-Vanuatu women face on a regular basis. She will also be meeting with the women once or twice a month for fellowship and Q&A.
Please keep us in your prayers over the next two months as we continue our work in Malekula. Lord willing, we’ll return to Vila on October 5.
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| We look forward to continuing our studies with the youth in Tulwei Village. |
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| Another look at the congregation that meets in Tulwei. |
Always excited to hear what's happening in Vanuatu. There is so much going on there. You all are doing great things for the kingdom! Praying for you always and so grateful for your example :)
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