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Update on the Lehmans!

What a month! The last month has been an adventure getting re-acclimated to life since I came home from PNG. The kids are growing; Lorie and I have been working through lists of priorities, and preparing for the months to come. If it were not for the body of Christ and the sweet fellowship of believers I would be overwhelmed. Below is a quick update on family life as well as current support that the Lord has provided!

I have been working on several things: Work, discipleship, and meeting with people on a regular basis. I have the joy of reading 2 books currently: The Cross Centered Life (C.J. Mahaney) and Exemplary Spiritual Leadership (Jerry Wragg).

 Lorie is currently on the cusp of transitioning from un-intentional schooling of Greer to full blown curriculum. This has been a new world for her and has dramatically changed what she focuses on day to day. She has been finding that it is far harder to set appointments with friends and play dates with the kids. It has been encouraging for me to see her desire (even though it is hard) to take on this role of home schooling the kids! 

Greer is five and his sense of adventure only seems to continue to grow daily. It's funny, he is strong to say the least and enjoys wrestling with daddy. He recently started Kindergarten homeschooling with Lorie and is enjoying it so far. Homeschooling is a learning process for both him and Lorie! We are finding that Greer enjoys doing many things and if he could choose it would probably be watching TV all day (Thank God for mommy and daddy who regulate this).

Belle (A.K.A. pinty) is our little princess and thus far she is 100% girl. She is rather constant in wanting to put on nail polish (both for herself and others). She can typically be found wondering the house wearing a princess dress, or other dress up items. She is very quick to care for her brothers and gets them cold packs whenever there is an injury.

Knox is huge - he is 19 months and weighs only 1lb less then Belle (then again, maybe Belle is just small?). It is hilarious listening to him try to put together words like no, ok, erik, daddy, mommy, etc. He plays very well with his brother and sister now that he is walking, running and climbing. The unfortunate problem is he is still a little unbalanced so he falls down and cries often.

That’s it for our little family – for those that are praying and supporting us.
THANK YOU!

Support Info!
Current initial sending support - 38%
Current monthly support - 11%

Joey is Coming! Joey is Coming!

Joey has an unquenchable thirst for coconuts... and I mean unquenchable!  When we arrived in Madang one of the first things that we did was get to the market to purchase coconuts (kokonus).  Jim and I started joking that the locals were going to have to chop down palm trees to supply the demand.  The next day the landscapers arrived at the SIL guesthouse property and fell 3 trees!  Coincidence ~ I think not!

Something that was amazing regarding fresh coconuts in PNG.  Young coconuts are so full of water they nearly spray it out from the pressure inside when cut open.  We were able to pour 2.5 glasses worth of coconut water from just one coconut.

Slowing Down

Imagine its Monday; you wake up at 6:35am and realize that you need to be at work at 7:00am.  You rush out the door, toothpaste still smeared on your chin and jump in the car.  With only fifteen mins left before you need to be at a meeting you pull into a Wendy's.  You order, pay and get your hot breakfast in five minutes  flat.  Leaving the parking lot you drive to work on a well maintained road and make it to work on time with a full stomach.  That is America, but this is a story about Papua New Guinea.

Coming from a culture that runs on efficiency and speed then arriving at Port Moresby felt like I was walking backwards.  We exited the plane and immediately started........ waiting.  My first experience with this was customs.  We had a one hour gap between our flight into Port Moresby to Goroka.  In this one hour gap we had to purchase temp visas, wait to clear immigration, collect our bags, pass inspection and check into our flight.  Like a elephant jumping through a hula hoop - "this just ain't gonna happen".

One of the things I realized was my expectation of how things should go needed to change.  As we continue to prepare for PNG this thought makes me think on my need to rest completely on what the Lord allows me to accomplish in a day, week, month, year, life.  I may have lofty goals and noble goals that are worth pursuing but a heart set to only pursue goals causes anger when I do not achieve them - resulting in sin.  Here is a great text for thought and I need to think on it more often:

James 4:13-16
"13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil."

How have you been viewing your daily goals?  I would encourage you to think on James 4:13-16 throughout this week in light of daily goals, and please pray for me that I would do the same.

PNG Trip Photos

Below is a slideshow of images from the trip - Enjoy!



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Exploratory Trip 2013

It has been 1 week and 3 days since I landed back in the USA from the trip to PNG.  The trip was beneficial, exciting, new, and in some ways long (especially away from Lorie and the kids).  The team was on a total of 11 flights with continual transitions in weather, scenery, and culture.  I continually saw God's provision in making this trip productive.  The picture above is a photo of Dinanget from the small Cessna that we took to fly into the tribe.

I was able to shoot a good amount of photos as well as video of PNG and some of them have been uploaded to Flikr.  If you are interested in looking at them you can follow this link:  Papua New Guinea 2013.

The picture that is posted above is an areal shot from the Cessna right before we landed.  This flight into Dinanget was one of the highlights of the trip for me.  With the low floating clouds in the Finisterre Mountains of PNG I felt as though I was drifting right through them - you could almost touch them.

Even after being back for 10 days I am still trying to get back into a normal routine (like posting on time!).  I will be getting more information posted as I am able to process more of the trip!

Thank you to all that have been praying!

Hello from Papua New Guinea!

What an adventure!  After 6 flights, 5 cities, and various types of planes we made it to Dinanget.  

The first few days of travel have been exciting, tiresome, and at some points - weird.  The flight from the USA to Australia had amazing inflight entertainment, dinner and breakfast, and snacks.  My mind was unable to shut off in anticipation, so I slept for only 1.5 hours.  With the time change we lost 1 day in flight and arrived in Australia early in the morning. 

We flew from Sydney to Brisbane and had a night at a hotel so we could catch a flight to PNG early the next day.  Brisbane is an amazing city!  The skyline is beautiful and the majority of the city has a massive river that moves through it.  There is a public transportation system that uses massive catamarans to fake people to different points in the city.

After leaving Australia we arrived in Port Moresby and everything slowed down.  We had only 1 hour from our landing to get to a connecting flight for Goroka.  After waiting in line for our temp visas, then waiting to pass through customs we had already missed our flight.  We had to catch a shuttle to a hotel for the evening.

The next morning we went back to the airport for our flight to Goroka.  The plane was a twin engine turbo prop (loud and fast).  We arrived in Goroka and walked out if the plan onto the Tarmac.  The baggage claim was a metal table by the chain link fenced exit.  We were picked up by New Tribes staff and taken to Lapilo for the evening - we had an early flight the following day.

The team was up at 4:30 am in preparation for the Cessna flight into the tribe.  We took two flights into Dinanget due to the weight of passengers and cargo.  The flight was incredible - I felt As though I could touch the clouds.  The landing was bumpy but the bush pilot proved his skill landing in these remote runways.

We enjoyed hearing the testimony of a tribal man named Falex.  He explained how God had changed his heart at the hearing of the gospel.  Seeing his sin in light of Gods word and desiring to serve as a result.  He pleaded that we would continue in our training so that Gods word could continue to come to other tribes in PNG.

There is yet another week to go and the former week was so packed.  I am excited to see what The Lord has prepared for us.

Water Temperature

Since Madang is a costal town it makes me curious what the temperature of the water is.  The article below is a snippet from a diving website discussing the water in PNG - Enjoy!

The waters around Port Moresby and Eastern Fields are noticeably cooler than other areas due to current streams circulating up from southern latitudes. Temperatures can range between 74-87 deg F (24-28 deg C). A full wet suit with a minimum of 1/4 inch or 3mm is recommended, as well as a dive skin plus hood. Therefore you can dive and photograph until your hearts content with being chilled by days end. The waters in Madang, Wewak area and the Bismark Sea tend to be warmer and dive skins and Lycra suits can be used on a lot of dives, but it is still prudent to bring that wet suit.

info courtesy of:  http://www.mvgoldendawn.com/water_temp.htm
Image by: rapidtravelchai

Papua New Guinea - 4 days before departure

I had mentioned a few posts back that I was going to be heading to PNG for a preparation trip.  Well...time goes quickly because I depart on Sunday afternoon!  There is a small team that is going:  Joey and Brooke Tartaglia, Mike and Pam Feather, Jim Vonderhaar, and me.  this is a 2 week trip - just long enough to to establish contacts and make preparations for our pursued departure in 2014.

This will be the first time that I will step foot in Papua New Guinea, and needless to say... I am looking forward to the experience.  I can't help but think on the food that will be there, the people that I will meet, having to speak Tok Pisin and deal with not being able to communicate as I would like.  Being able to grasp things that are starkly different than what I experience daily in The States will be priceless.

The itinerary includes 3 cities, and 1 visit to a remote tribe.  I plan to collect some of the following information:  Establish contacts (organizations and people), look for housing, create a true cost of living, meet with doctors on Belle's asthma, taste the food, experience the heat, check availability of furniture, survey the layout of the towns, take TONS of photos, capture video, see if there is a local representation of the church in Madang.

Below is a quick snapshot of our financial support:
If you have a desire to start supporting us as the gospel goes to Papua New Guinea please visit our Get Involved page.  As 2014 approaches we need monthly supporters that would consider continued financial commitment to keeping us in the field with their contributions.  Please contact me if you are interested in supporting us this way - we will bring the Lehman tribe (Greer, Belle, and Knox) over for dinner!

Recent Earthquakes

Extra, Extra - Read all about it!

There have been a few recent earthquakes in PNG's surrounding islands.  Currently New Brittan was hit with a 7.2 magnitude quake.  You can follow this at the earthquake-report.com.  Papua New Guinea  frequently has earthquakes, as well as occasional volcanic eruptions.   The greatest concern when there is a earthquake is the possibility of a tsunami following shortly after.

This most recent quake happened at 6:30 AM local time.  Could you imagine this being your alarm clock?

Knowing God

I am in the middle of J.I. Packers book "Knowing God".  It has been a refreshing tool that continues to cause a greater desire for God's word.  It has also caused me to ask myself questions regarding my thankfulness for the Holy Spirit's ministry in redemptive work and, my daily sanctification.  Below are a few highlights that I have been chewing on so far this week.  I pray that these highlights are an encouragement to you as well.

"Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul."

"To be preoccupied with getting theological knowledge as an end in itself, to approach Bible study with no higher a motive than a desire to know all the answers, is the direct route to a state of self-satisfied self-deception. We need to guard our hearts against such an attitude, and pray to be kept from it."

"Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord."

"Many have said what pride they felt in rendering personal service to Sir Winston Churchill during World War II. How much more should it be a matter of pride and glorying to know and serve the Lord of heaven and earth!"

"John Owen and John Calvin knew more theology than John Bunyan or Billy Bray, but who would deny that the latter pair knew their God every bit as well as the former? (All four, of course, were beavers for the Bible, which counts for far more anyway than a formal theological training.) If the decisive factor was notional correctness, then obviously the most learned biblical scholars would know God better than anyone else. But it is not; you can have all the right notions in your head without ever tasting in your heart the realities to which they refer; and a simple Bible reader and sermon hearer who is full of the Holy Spirit will develop a far deeper acquaintance with his God and Savior than a more learned scholar who is content with being theologically correct. The reason is that the former will deal with God regarding the practical application of truth to his life, whereas the latter will not."

"Surely something is amiss here. How can we justify neglecting the ministry of Christ’s appointed agent in this way? Is it not a hollow fraud to say that we honor Christ when we ignore, and by ignoring dishonor, the One whom Christ has sent to us as his deputy, to take his place and care for us on his behalf? Ought we not to concern ourselves more about the Holy Spirit than we do?"

All quoted texts are taken from J.I. Packers - Knowing God
Image by: le vent le cri

Learning Melanesian Pidgin - Tok Pisin

This is a picture of my side of the family and boy oh boy is there a lot of grandkids!

We started a new training module called orientation.  In this module we are focusing on the living in the town of Madang before moving to a tribe.  Last week we focused on the trade language of Papua New Guinea:  Tok Pisin (Pidgin).  There are many words in Tok Pisin that sound similar, and many that are there own in sound and spelling.  Below are some simple phrases and words that you can try!

English word/phrase  -  Pidgin equivalent

Good morning  -  Monin

Good afternoon - Apinun

Good night - Gutnait

Father - Papa

Mother - Mama

Brother - Brata

Sister - Susa

Man - Man

Woman - Meri

Children - Pikinini

Yes - Yes

No - Nogat

Friend - Wantok

Money - Mani

Coconut - Kokonas

I do not know - Mi no save

Where are we going? - Yumi go we?

I walked to the store - Mi wokabaut i go long stua

Our strategy in learning Tok Pisin is to learn as much stateside as we can before we leave in 2014.  From phrases to individual words the more that we know before we go the faster CLA will be.  

Continue to pray for us, that we would be diligent.  There is much to do in preparation to leave, and there can always be the feeling of falling behind.

picture by:  Janelle Zeller Photography

EE-Taow! The Mouk Story

This is one inspiring video that I was exposed to in pursuing missions: EE-Taow. This brief video put together by New Tribes Mission captures in a nutshell what we desire to accomplish in the tribes of Papua New Guinea. I would encourage you to make 30 mins of time to watch this video and be encouraged.

  

Published on Nov 23, 2012 THIS VIDEO IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF NEW TRIBES MISSION AND ALL CREDIT GOES TO NEW TRIBES MISSION FOR THIS VIDEO. THIS IS FROM A VHS RELEASED IN 1999. THIS IS THE STORY OF NEW TRIBES MISSION GOING TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA TO "SAVE" THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION.

Matthew 5

My time in the word landed in Matthew 5 recently.  This section of scripture has been titled "The Sermon on the Mount" and rightly so as Jesus is sitting down on a mountain teaching.  Jesus is speaking to the crowds of people that had been following him from:  Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan (4:25).

You can read Matthew 5 in its entirety just follow this link to Bible Gateway:  Matthew 5

Jesus is restating the law and adding greater clarity to it.  He is showing himself to these crowds as having words equal to God's in the Old Testament.  Look at the way he speaks "You have heard it was said", "but I say to you".  His words are authoritative, and he takes his audience from what was said in the giving of the law by God and increases it.

I was most convicted about my thought life, and heart towards others.  It is not just your outer actions that incur transgression of the law, but what you act on in thought.  This truth (that inward thoughts incur transgression) is sobering if you are not a believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If you are looking to yourself as the means of being right with God it is impossible.  The only person that had a perfect thought life is Jesus, and you must have His righteousness to be accepted by God.

The Gospel is powerful:  Those that turn from their sins and place their trust in Jesus as the all sufficient savior of their soul receive something - His righteousness.   I pray for the day that this message (the gospel) will be spoken to the indigenous tribal people in Papua New Guinea.  How about you - have you heard the message of the Gospel?

Picture taken by: ccarlstead

Betel Nut

You would think a trail of small red splashes on the ground would be clues leading an injured person.  In Papua New Guinea however it is likely Betel nut spit.

Betel nut, lye, and a leaf or green mustard stick.  When these are combined in the mouth it creates a chemical reaction turning the concoction bright red.  The result of chewing it is a mild stimulant that does the following:  Suppresses hunger, heightens awareness, and calms nervousness.  It sounds very similar to tobacco usage in the USA.

Image by:  pierre pouliquin

Know the culture - Final thoughts on CLA

Follow me on a mental pilgrimage...

Jim was a bright average guy who enjoyed eating the best grub in town. One day Jim heard that there was an amazing Mexican restaurant he had to visit. Filled with anticipation he planned to visit the restaurant the following day. Upon his arrival he noticed that there were no signs, and your order was placed at a small window outside. Jim walked up to the small window and the clerk asked "What would you like to order?”.

With excitement in his eyes, Jim said I will take a number 5. This was the number recommended by his friend for the best enchiladas in town. Jim sat outside at a table waiting for his meal to be delivered. Ten minutes passed and the waiter arrived, but he had a turkey club on his tray with a bag of chips. "What?" Jim said loudly. Again Jim spoke to the waiter "This is not what I ordered; I ordered a number 5, chicken enchiladas". The waiter noticing that Jim was upset quietly said... "Sir, you do know that this is a deli shop right...? Jim had gone to the wrong restaurant.

This illustration is a simple way to communicate that even a phrase that two people speak can have different meanings. Ordering a number 5 at the deli shop is a completely different order at a Mexican restaurant. In the same way not knowing the culture of a new land and communicating before you are ready can have disastrous results. You must know the culture as well as the language so you are able to see "through their eyes" not yours. Only then will you be effective in accurately communicating your message.

In America evangelism tends to be a race of points on communicating the gospel. We work through it as quickly as possible because in most cases we may never see the individual again. I am learning that I will have to pace myself in Papua New Guinea. Effective communication of the gospel to others will look like diligent cultural understanding.  The message cannot be lost in translation, or worse, misunderstood and added to their religion rather than being in opposition to it.

Population Information

The total population in Papua New Guinea is 6,431,902 based on the CIA world factbook.  Below are some of the major cities in Papua New Guinea and their populations taken from 2000 - 2013.

Papua New Guinea - 6,431,902
Port Moresby - 314,000
Lea - 120,000
Arawa - 36,443
Mount Hagen - 27,782
Madang - 30,000
Wewak - 25,143
Goroka - 25,000
Kokopo - 20,262
Popondetta - 19,556
Mendi - 17,119

Photo taken by Janelle Zeller Photography

Surrounding Islands

There are several islands that surround Papua New Guinea:  New Britain, The Solomon Islands, Papua, and The Marshall Islands.  Below is a quick explanation of each of these islands.

New Britain

• Population: 513,926 
• Currency:  Kina
• William Dampier became the first known European to visit New Britain on 27 February 1700: he dubbed the island with the Latin name Nova Britannia.

The Solomon Islands

• Population in 2009:  523,000
• Currency:  Solomon islands dollar (SBD)
• In 1568, the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña was the first European to visit them, naming them the Islas Salomón.

Papua

• Population in 2010:  3,593,803
• Currency:  rupiah
• Part of Indonesia and shares an island with Papua New Guinea

The Marshall Islands

• Population in 2009:  68,000
• Currency:  USD
• Home to the world's largest shark sanctuary:  over 2,000,000 sq kilometers

Photo courtesy of:  Google
Island data courtesy of:  Wikipedia

Revelation 6:16

My bible reading today was in Revelation 6 - The start of the judgement of mankind at the hand of Jesus Christ.  This book is a reminder that time will end, judgment will arrive, and no man will escape.  Reading vs16 is always profound to me:

16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

Unlike all the movies where the world is ending; this judgement is specific.  The judgement that mankind can currently think on:  The world ending itself, or mankind causing the end through poor care of nature.  The end of the world in scripture however is judgement at the hand of a person.  So specific in fact that all mankind in the midst of the initial tribulations will desire to be hidden from the one that is bringing the judgement.  This "one" who is bringing judgment is Jesus Christ, not "God" in a general sense.

What is incredible to me is that the world will know that the Lamb (Jesus Christ) is specifically judging them.  So... All mankind will know Jesus Christ, the question is how:  As judge or redeemer?  In light of this, am I effectively taking hold of opportunities for evangelism?

Scripture from:  Biblegateway.com
image by: elycefeliz

Currency in Papua New Guinea

The currency of Papua New Guinea is Kina (keena) and toea (toya).  Toea and 1 Kina are found in coins, while designations large than 1Kina are in notes (bills).

The current exchange rate is always changing but it can be found on Google as seen below.  1 Kina has a current exchange of $.44 cents in USD, or $.44 cents in USD has an exchange rate of 1 Kina in PNG.

Kina photo by: Curtis Gregory Perry

Preparation Trip to PNG

There is a small team that is planning a trip to PNG the first two weeks in August 2013.  Not a long trip but enough to to establish contacts and make preparations for our pursued departure in 2014.  This is a crucial step in our family's part of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the tribal people in PNG.

This will be the first time that I will step foot in Papua New Guinea, and needless to say... I am looking forward to the experience.  I can't help but think on the food that will be there, the people that I will meet, having to speak Tok Pisin and deal with not being able to communicate as I would like.  Being able to grasp on the things that are starkly different than what I experience daily in The States will be priceless.

The itinerary includes 3 cities, and 1 visit to a remote tribe.  I plan to collect some of the following information:  Establish contacts (organizations and people), look for housing, create a true cost of living, meet with doctors on Belle's asthma, taste the food, drink the water, experience the heat, check availability of furniture, survey the layout of the towns, take TONS of photos, capture video, see if there is a local representation of the church.

I would covet your prayers as the date of departure approaches.  There is a long list of things that I am desiring to do when there, and I will need diligence to accomplish it.

image by: Nic McPhee

Where in the world?

Where is the mysterious land of Papua New Guinea?  This is a common question that people have when we tell them that we are going to PNG as missionaries.  Papua New Guinea is just above the NE corner of Australia.

Some fun facts about the distance to Papua New Guinea:

• Distance from Gilbert, AZ to Madang:  7141miles
• That's 172,373,233 toothpicks lengthwise
• Or...  37,704,480 pieces of spagetti lengthwise
• Or...  13,001,544 steps if you were able to walk
• Or...  4,713,330 standard 8ft 2x4's lengthwise
• Or...  2,231,034 Honda Odysseys

So, the next time a person asks you how far away Papua New Guinea is from Gilbert, just tell them is 172,373,233 toothpicks away!

1 Peter 1:1-5

The book of 1 Peter opens with Peter's audience.  He is writing to a scattered group of chosen believers that have come under persecution.  These are people that no longer resided in their former places of birth or common place of residence.  No doubt they were discouraged, downcast, and sorrowful.

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, [a]to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace [b]be yours in the fullest measure.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

This section of scripture is a prayer of Peter; praising God for his work in the salvation of his people.  It reminds believers that God is the one that: Chooses, sanctifies, causes new birth, gives believers an inheritance in his son, places this inheritance of salvation in heaven, and guards us with faith for future final salvation.

I cannot help but see how involved God is in the salvation of His people.  There are no active roles played by the saved sinner in their salvation, God is doing everything.  If you are a believer in Christ it is not your doing - it pleased God to save you.

God has called people for himself and he preserves them to the end because he determined it from the beginning.  This section of scripture is humiliating for my proud heart, but God humbles me so I can see his immense glory.  I hope this section of scripture is as much of an encouragement to you as it is to me.

photo by:  Toni Verdú Carbó

Flying foxes of PNG

All over Papua New Guinea there are flying foxes.  These flying critters can have a wingspan of up to 4 feet and greater.  Thankfully their diet is not the blood of the locals as they are fruit bats!  Swarms of these bats can be seen daily:  Hanging upside down in trees, flying, and roosting as a group.  There are so many that roost at certain times during the day, it causes planes to be grounded from flying.

More fun facts can be found at Wikipedia

Photo by:  By Tarique Sani

Home Schooling

It's inevitable; the kids are going to be home-schooled.

Since this is a new world for Lorie and I, we are on the road to get prepared.  We will be attending the AFHE home-schooling conference being held June 14th - 15th.  This conference will be a helpful tool in purchasing a curriculum, generating contacts, and knowing where to start.

Greer is going to be our Papua New (Guinea pig).  He has already been doing school prep with simple workbooks that can be purchased from local stores.  He is also reading simple books and learning many sight words - we are excited to see how fast he learns new things.

We are again seeing our continued dependence on Jesus Christ.  Who would have thought that we would be doing home-schooling with our kids, and who would have thought that home-schooling would play a role in the gospel going to remote tribes in PNG?

Please comment on this if you have helpful resources on home-schooling!

Numbers 15:30-31

Question to think on:  Are you thankful for Jesus Christ?

The book of Numbers was written to the Israelites by Moses over 3400 years ago.  God's law had been given to Israel, the tent of meeting had been built, worship of the Lord was underway, and yet the people continued to rebel against God.  When they arrived at the promise land, spies were sent out and the majority of the spy's reported back that they would not be able to defeat those in the land.  As a result of hearing this Israel continued to grumble at the Lord.  God's response was 40 years of wandering in the desert for Israel rather than entering the promise land.

Israel was commanded to love the Lord and obey His commandments - but their hearts were far from Him.

Numbers 15:30-31
30 But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be on him.’”

This commandment is directed towards a particular individual "the person who does anything defiantly".  This is a person that knows the commandments of the Lord but chooses to disobey them.  The consequence of this persons actions when caught, is being cut off (death).  If you read just two verses down there is an example of this command being carried out.

I could not help but identify myself with the one that is deserving of death; choosing sin rather than God's commandments and incurring judgement.  This is the place where all of mankind walks - knowing what is right but choosing wrong (sin).  Rest assured that God WILL judge all for their individual sin before Him and condemnation will follow.

But... for those that are sorrowful of their sin, desire to turn from it, and trust in Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection on their behalf WILL be saved.  I am more thankful for the Gospel after reading Numbers 15 - because Christ bore my defiant willful sins on the cross in my place.

photo by:  ryk neethling

Many Transitions Ahead

We recently moved out of the place we called home for the last 3.5 years.  A couple at Grace Bible Church asked us if we would like to move in with them.  After considering this option and meeting with them before taking the plunge, we decided to accept.  We started moving two weeks ago this Friday, and finished this last Monday (4-29-13).

We had so much support from the body at GBC that it was a little overwhelming trying to find things for people to do.  The majority of our things went into storage, with immediate living items going to the new place.  We are now learning to use what belongs to someone else and the Holy Spirit is using this to produce humility.

This is one transition in the midst of many that are ahead.  It has been interesting to see how our family has responded to this change in the following ways:  Sickness, doubt, encouragement, change in former schedules, and others.  It has taught me one overarching thing - I have no control over what will happen in the future, but I must still be diligent to prepare for it.

Be sure to follow the rest of Team PNG's websites here:  The Dodd's, and The Cann's

1 Timothy 6:11-12

Every duty in life has responsibilities that go along with it:  Work, school, parenting, sports.  Yet each of these tasks on a daily basis come to an end.  Your daily responsibilities eventually come to a close.  In contrast a person that follows Jesus Christ has responsibilities that are never put down, but pursued indefinitely (at least until glorification).

I found myself unable to sleep recently, reading in candlelight at 1:00 in the morning.
The text:  1 Timothy 6:11-12.

11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Paul has just contrasted the false teachers pursuit of worldly desires and charges Timothy to pursue the true riches of righteousness.  Paul charges Timothy to "flee these things" and pursue righteousness things.  He then tells him this pursuit is the good fight of faith.  Beleivers in Christ are to pursue this good fight until Jesus Christ returns.  Unlike work, school, parenting, or sports - you must endure.

Summary of the text:

A man of God is a fighting man - that continually presses himself towards an unending pursuit of that which God deems righteous.

Do you have a desire for this pursuit?  How are you aiding or hindering this pursuit?

Partnership Development

I have heard it said that the brain can only think about one thing at a time.... but we are in the middle of three training modules currently:  Culture language acquisition, homeschooling, and partnership development!  We are also in the middle of moving out of our home and moving in with a couple that has opened their home to us.  Needless to say life is currently busy, and praise Jesus Christ that he has given us endurance in the midst of it.

Partnership development is a fancy way of saying "raising support".  For some it is a daunting task to ask, others take a off hands approach.  I find myself somewhere in the middle.  If I am diligent in the care of my home, time in God's word, and working for my employer - then raising support should be no different.

This post is intentionally directed to make you think about supporting us (The Lehman's) in taking the gospel to the unreached tribes of Papua New Guinea.  We are currently at 2% of our monthly support need.  We are intentionally seeking supporters that can financially partner with us on a continuing monthly basis.  Could you give $20, $50, $100, $200 monthly to this ministry?

Pray about your financial involvement with this ministry, and think on what you could give.  Please visit our Get Involved page for information on how to do this.  You can start monthly support now, all monthly funds received before we leave go straight to sending costs!  If you are currently supporting us - Thank you for your sacrifice and participation in the gospel going to PNG.

Leviticus 10:1-3

Having a right perspective on the holiness of God.

My reading today took me to Leviticus 10, and in particular vs 1-3.
10 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

This passage is early in the book of Leviticus, and the Lord has been giving Moses commands on how worship/sacrifice is to be done in the Tabernacle   Nadab, and Abihu had brought fire before the Lord that was "strange", possibly not from the alter (6:13) that was continually to be burning.  The point here is they transgressed what has been commanded in their priestly duties.

God's response was the immediate death of Nadab and Abihu.  My response to reading, why would they deserve immediate death?  These were the sons of Aaron, he is a father - surely he must be saddened, and angry with the Lord's response.  In reading vs3 we are brought before the reason; the holiness of God was at stake.  After hearing Moses - Aaron kept silent.

The Lord had specific ways that worship was to be performed before Him in the Tabernacle.  Zooming ahead to the land of today, do you see the inescapable holiness of God at the cross?  I can't help but think on His holiness demanding justice for sin, and His perfect wrath being poured out on His son Jesus Christ.

Being a sent one

There was a land far away...

A good ruler lived in a small town with remote villages around it.  Some of the villages were so small that the only way of communication was by a rough road, up the side of a mountain.  For many years the town and its surrounding villages were at peace, but a new ruler from another town was about to change that. 

This foreign ruler was in route to the peaceful town with threats of destroying all that he found in his way.  The good ruler, aware of the impending doom of his people as well as the surrounding villages; sent messengers to warn them.  The villagers would not have known of the approaching enemy, if the ruler in the town had not sent messengers beforehand.

In a similar way Jesus Christ has commissioned sent ones out to the remote places of the world to warn of an enemy, and an impending destruction.  This enemy however is not coming, but has come, and resides inside in the heart of every person that lives - this enemy is your sin.  But the good news; is reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ for all that believe!

Bride Price

We have been leaning about bride price and how it plays into the economics of the PNG system.  Here is a great resource on understanding how this works - fascinating information.  Makes me thankful that I already have a bride!  Wiki Bride Price