It has been a long time since I wrote a few words and excuses aside, the Babaliman
(South East Trade winds) season from May to July lasted until the beginning of this
month. This season is for SE PNG their wet season where high pressure SE of
Australia funnels cold wind into the SE Trades which drives up the warm, moist air
into higher cold altitudes which for those who understand weather means lots of
rain, ‘cold front’ style. This makes the town of Alotau one of the wettest places in
the world!
Colly and I have been in Alotau virtually all that time but involved with ministry
too. We taught the BCC course with resulted in a large increase in church
attendance on account of people hearing the Word and allowing God to change
them. New births and baptisms in the Holy Spirit revived many people by which
God brought a freshness into the Church. We also taught BCC in the MP’s office
to his staff with a similar result except that some of them went to Bona Bona island
where Mrs Hacy Abel, wife of Alotau MP, Charlie Abel hails from. They
responded to revelation God had given them on the course and laid hands of people
for healing with impressive results.
We had a hitch with the Misima translation of BCC in that the office sent the
English version to the printer and we received 200 copies in English. Well we saw
it in the light of Rom 8:28 and began handing them out to pastors in the Alotau area
where more English language is used. A new order has gone in for the Misima
version.
Prayers and intercessions are needed for progress of God’s Word to make inroads
into cultural barriers thwarting the laying of proper Biblical foundations; some of
these barriers are residual ancestor worship which result in heavy duty funerals and
via beliefs that their ancestors dispense favours and benefits results in a strong
something-for-nothing culture, which in many ways is similar to that of the
socialists differing only in the source being the State instead of the ancestors. We
also have to overcome the ‘smallboy’ culture whereby teenage boys embrace a Peter
Pan type of outlook where they take on no responsibility until they produce children
by which time they resent leaving the lifestyle of irresponsibility, partying and
prowling for girls at night. This resentment means that these young men face a
sudden change and are not prepared or even able to adjust into ‘good husbands and
fathers’ and are often violent toward the women that bore their children and if they
have a job they force the women to give them the money they want to go drinking
with ‘smallboy’ friends.

We still have an ongoing issue with a criminal gang that have been in hiding while
the police task force have been searching for them. Their leader has been seen in
Alotau and this is, believe it or not, common knowledge and yet he is still at large.
Despite all this, there has been progress too.
We have a relationship with a Bible store in New South Wales who send us NKJV
Bibles, which we sell at cost in Chris Abel’s office here in Alotau. We are the only
Bible supplier in the Province (apart from a limited number of native translated
versions by SIL) and they are selling well.
Also our ministry at KB is bearing fruit not only via teaching in BCC but on some
preaching on the Sunday services when we are asked to minister. Colly and I both
do this from time to time and this affects our individual one-to-one ministry too.
People are raising up and bearing fruit in their lives which delights me as this is
exactly what is required of all 5-fold ministers, to teach the saints to do the work of
the ministry..
Prayer needs in addition to the forgoing are that we need a volunteer Captain who
loves the Lord with all his heart and has more than a dint of engineering experience
too. As UCM leadership is beginning to get hungry again for God and has
recognized the situation regarding family and the way local customs have embraced
fornication as an acceptable relationship to grow families. This is a major turn
toward God, whose attitude towards this can be seen in Malachi 4:5&6 (the very
last verses in the OT!) God’s ordained marriage has often been restated but it will
always remain God’s model for family. There is no alternative as far as Christians
are concerned but almost the whole of Papuan society has neglected this value and
their communities are paying for it with the subsequent disorder, especially among
young males. If you are baptized in the Spirit then you will be able to commit in
prayer to a given issue and trust the Lord for the tongue to intercede with.
Colly and I preach from time-to-time at the KB Kwato church here in Alotau and
last week we preached at a small open air fellowship started by one of Chris Abel’s
staff. One decision for Christ, 15 recommitals, 3 baptized in the Holy Ghost and 3
healings. There has been some evangelistic activity in the town through a different
ministry, and some people have been healed with them too. All of this is very
encouraging.
I have been asked to speak at a youth convention at Siagara, which is on Misima
Island and I have asked the Lord to have the BCC in Misima language available by

then so we can take it with us. This period before Christmas is the ‘conference
season’ in the churches and although I do not yet have the dates I expect it to be on
the 18 th December.
We handed Living Water’s main, foresail and staysail which are now in the
container. Some difficulty was experienced with the genset but it is working again
now. I am hopeful of getting Living Water operating, including the rudder so that
we can sail to Fiji in April, at the end of the cyclone season when the main SE
Trades have not kicked in fully, so as to avoid a windward thrash to Lautoka were I
would like to lift her out of the water. There is nowhere big enough here in Milne
Bay to lift her. The prices and availability in Port Moresby or Cairns leave me only
with the windward option.
Prayers and intercession for us to get a captain to run Living Water would be
appreciated. He needs to be versatile to run Living Water and the youth ministry in
the Louisiade Archipelago.
Prayer points:
For “Ruach” to be used whether by YWAM or other, by donation or sale; in the
vision and purpose given by God to Loren Cunningham in 1958. That vision
embraces turning the hearts of the fathers to the children in outreach to island
communities. Presently Ruach is being considered for donation or sale; so those
who pray in line with the teaching Jesus gave us “ . . Your will be done, on Earth as
it is in Heaven . . . . .” The imminence of Jesus’ return makes this an urgent prayer.
If you don’t know what to pray, then pray in the Holy Spirit and trust God to lead
you.
Another BCC is scheduled for January but I believe we need to reach a wider body
of people. I ask God for wisdom and He will give it, just pray I don’t add my slant
to it.
Give thanks to God in everything and minister to the Lord in song in the spirit too;
not so much horizontally but more vertically it really pleases Him, banishes the
devil and the Holy Spirit communicates God’s Will (Acts 13:2)
God bless you all mightily and have a great time in Him over Christmas.
Love from Colly & I