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Showing posts from 2021

Christmas in Light of Eternity

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This is a longer blog than normal; however, it has been a while since our last  post .  This will give you some insight into the recent struggles in our absen ce   of  writing  and some ways to pray for us! M y home culture  (Phyllis)  would be  considered  a middleclass American family,  while  my primary custom (or set of beliefs) would be considered Christian.   Now that I have clarified that, I  currently  live in Papua New Guinea.  One of the ways we help and serve with those around us is by employing  occasional  National Papua New Guineans in our home as well as ministry projects .  Stop.  What just ran through your mind?  Was it that I am a rich American?  Was it  a judgmental thought about why I’m not doing these tasks myself?  While it is not ‘typical’ American culture to have such help, it IS a sub-culture here in PNG among those serving from abroad.  It helps us focus on ministry, language and other responsibilities here at the college and  at the same time  provid e  emplo

We Are All Weird

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"Aren’t we all weird in our own way?" -Missionary Mentor Sometimes, as foreigners, our ways seem weird to those around us…even among ourselves, as missionaries, we have different cultures and customs depending on what state we came from, how long we’ve been on the field, our ages, how many kiddos we have, etc.  There are all sorts of differences to contend with, and we can either value them or let them cause division.   This last week I was struck with my family’s own ‘weird’….. I walked past Moriah’s room on my way down the hall and this is what I saw….  She was singing away with the song on the CD player while wearing a cardboard box on her head!  I thought to myself, “Well, that’s a little weird….”  However, my second thought was “What a gem!”  I give God the glory that she can do things in her own way, with her own flair, and be uniquely her!   Gunner, too, is uniquely himself….he is in first grade and starting to write and journal. A couple weeks ago, he shared his perce

God's Word in Trials

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God gets the glory ALL the time—even in our trials. The delta variant of covid continues wreaking havoc around us and in the lives and hearts of the PNG people.  There are hundreds that are being reported dying each week and an unknown number that are not reported as there are not death certificates here.  Everyday as we travel to town the signs of grief are in every direction.  People paint their body’s and vehicles with mud to show their sorrow and loss of a loved one.  This week there is a planned mass burial in the capital for hundreds as space to keep remains overflows.  The hardship is real and the pain is felt, yet God continues to remain faithful! I have a dear friend and mentor here in PNG whose husband came down with the covid virus and then pneumonia.  To God be the glory, there was a qualified nurse working here that was able to tend to his needs and assist.  Only by God's grace did he make it through.    As my friend was caring for her husband, there were dark days.   

Life and Death

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This last week had a lot of unexpected twists and turns for us here in Papua New Guinea.  While Covid has been going on for some time and there have been numerous changes to regulations, not much has really changed on the day to day level for the people in our area.  In a lot of ways it seems that switch flipped this last week.  Covid has begun to leave its ugly mark.  The main hospital in Goroka has been literally overrun and that’s hard to say because it had already been struggling to function.  Now coffin boxes line the hallways and 20 foot refrigeration containers have been brought in to hold the body bags.  Even though our area has been locked down, unfortunately the spread continues.  There are many added factors like less than 2% of the population is vaccinated.  There is also much underlying sickness such as TB, Typhoid, Malaria, HIV, and many other common diseases here contributing to compromised immune systems and making many vulnerable to this "new" sickness.   It

Make Your Mark

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In Children’s Sunday School awhile back, I (Phyllis) taught on the story found in Genesis 11….the Tower of Babel.  It’s a fascinating account of how the world came to be divided into different language groups.  Oh, how many questions it raised in my mind!  In my early mission days (over 10 years ago…), I was impressed by a quote that Margaret Mead spoke.  It said, “Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world…indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”   As I taught the Bible story of building the tower of Babel, it stirred this quote in my mind.  Imagine a WORLD where people would collaborate, understand, and use EVERYone’s skills!  What a powerful thing!!!  The  Bible  records that God, Himself had thoughts about this situation…they are recorded in verse 6.  It says, “And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do.  And nothing that they propose to do will now be i

ENOUGH

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There is an illusion on the mission field and in ministry in general that somehow, someway by the missionaries or pastors stepping in to help that we can redeem a situation, a life, a mistake, etc.    It’s not true.    Much like Peter and John on their way to pray, it was not themselves that caused the lame man to walk….it was the power of Christ IN and THROUGH them!    Our desire is to give the glory where it’s due….to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! In conjunction with this observation, I was reminded of a poem I wrote several years ago.  I thought to share it here in the hopes of being an encouragement and blessing to you, our readers.  I must preface it and share that I talk and pray to God very candidly and honestly.  I pray you are challenged to consider the reality that God really is….ENOUGH! ENOUGH  By Phyllis Hovey  Today God said, "I am ENOUGH," and I said, "Are You sure?" And then I told myself, "How could you put those thoughts in words?" As

Gospel Rally

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A week or so ago, we helped host a Gospel rally at the church plant where we are assisting….Makia.  Seeds were scattered onto the heart's soil of many.  Did any take root?  Not that we know of….there were no salvation decisions that were made at the time, to our knowledge…..but the timing and work of the Lord is not measured in the same increments as we, the people, measure it.  Please join us in praying for rain, sunshine, and other needed variables to help the seeds go deep in the hearts and minds of the people and take root.   God  is able!  There is a desperate need as death crouches at the door of many and the darkness is thick. It was a learning experience for us.  It felt 'last minute' in many ways to our American mindset.  Prep and planning are viewed differently here than they are in the States.  We live in the "land of the unexpected" and sometimes?  That is the only explanation that makes sense.  Brian did a lot of driving bringing people to and from an

Water Flows

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One of the many ongoing projects we have been helping with here at GBBC is trying to control the rain water flow.  Not one of those flashy and exciting projects, but one that is greatly needed.  Coming from the Midwest, I can't say I ever really understood the power of water and the damage it can cause.  Now living in a tropical place on a mountain gives me a new definition.  Thankfully there is a dry season to try to accomplish a task like this, however the window of opportunity can close at any time.  They say water is a snake here as it flows where it wants….we are trying to master that snake!   While it may not be the most exciting project, there is much we can learn from it.  Just as in life it is not a matter of if the rain comes, but rather when the rains comes.  Hardship and trials will find each one of us at some season.  Just like the rain water if we aren’t prepared for it, it will wind through every part of our lives and cause havoc.  Eroading our lives, destroying infr

School's in session!

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Today was Gunner’s first day of 1st grade in a classroom.  I think we were all a bit nervous….thankfully his teacher had a meet & greet on Friday for the students and parents.  This helped us all and assured Gunner that it was going to be ok!  He even said today “I never thought school could be so much fun!”  We pray he keeps that attitude as there are many years to come.  Hopefully he gets his mom's  love of school and not his dad’s hatred of it 😉 . He is in a small class of 5 other missionaries kids, and we are excited for the many ways he will grow.  It is also a Big change for Moriah as one of the main pillars of her world will be gone during the day.  It will take some time for her to adjust, but on the first day we had to celebrate by taking her and mom to get haircuts and donuts! Phyllis has also begun teaching a class here at the Bible College.    I think we may have mentioned before but there are two majors at the college: One is Bible (Training Pastors and lay leader

When Loss is Gain

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This weekend, Gunner lost his first tooth!!!  It has been loose for weeks and has caused more than one tearful nighttime routine….Gunner was afraid he would lose his tooth in the night and the tooth fairy wouldn’t understand.  I love that boy!! After Dad pulled it out, Gunner put it in an envelope to put on his dresser…..he anxiously awaited what would become of his envelope the next morning!  He wasn’t disappointed!  Turns out the tooth fairy has residence in PNG too!  While Gunner might have lost a tooth, he gained coins with monetary value in exchange. A good friend of mine once shared with me her take on the verse Job 1:21.  It says,  And he [Job] said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The  Lord  gave, and the  Lord has  taken away;  blessed   be  the name of the  Lord .” This particular friend is an avid fan of nature.  She sees God in the world around her.  She shared that the principle of God giving and taking away reminded her of the ocean and

Preparing

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Our days have been busy with the constant change of needs. They have ranged from continuing to fix broken equipment, find supplies, do schooling for the kids and the many other daily tasks of life. This last week it was necessary to travel to the port city of Lae in order to get some needed supplies. For us, this about a 170-mile trip one way on the Highlands Highway. It is not the typical road we would expect from a national highway as it took us about 6.5-hour drive to get there and an 8-hour drive to get back. I (Brian) went down there with one of the GBBC students and a missionary couple that has joined our team from the Philippines. We spent a couple days shopping for supplies and trying to stay dry in the constant rain that was falling. It was a productive trip overall, but it always makes me thankful to be home!  This week we also started down the road to a very big milestone as Gunner took a placement test this week to begin 1st grade at a local mission school. He was a