P update

Mari and Jodi, Birth, Death and New Birth

January 22, 2018 By JD Leave a Comment

A birth, then new birth, a double death, and then yet another birth.

The Harsh Reality

Back in the days when we lived in P-land, we were always amazed at the rough conditions that expectant mothers endured for child birth.

More….

These pregnant women simply gave birth on the dirt in a little hut without an attending physician, nurse, midwife or pediatrician. There were always older women around to help and give support, but the birth happened in very dirty conditions. They could deliverer in the light of day or in the darkness at night. It could happen during a violent wind and rain storm, or during the suffocating heat of the noon hour. There was no clean water, pain relievers, soap, nor any provision for emergencies. And yet during our many years of living among the people, hundreds of little ones were brought safely into this world.
(In time things got a little better as we were able to provide materials that would make this easier like flashlights, clean fabric, something clean to cut the umbilical cord, soap, medicines, and emergency flights out for additional help)

Mari

And then little Marilu was born (pictures below). No, they didn’t name her at birth but rather quite a few months later. And it wasn’t actually the parents who named her but rather they asked us to give her a name. And so we named her just like we had a lot of the kids there. And we had the joy of watching little Mari grow up as she lived in the village closest to us. She was full of life and mischief, a really fun little gal.

And after a time she became old enough to search for food with her mom. We would often see her going past our house with her digging sticks or a machete, along with her basket over her head. And then the time came when a marriage was arranged for her. And so as a young lady, she now had a husband (pictures below).

And after many years of marriage, dear little Mari was now the mother of four children. And not only that but she was also a child of Light, for she had come to understand the glorious message of what Jesus did for her on the cross. Yes, she put her faith in his completed blood-death payment on her behalf, as had her husband Dapjai, along with her parents and most of her siblings.

And then it was time to deliver number five.

The Sad News

But number five didn’t make it. The little one died. And dear Mari died as well. We heard about it a short time ago because out coworkers received a note sent from Mari’s husband with a visitor who had visited their remote area. He wanted to be sure to let us know that his beloved wife and child were in the ground, as they say. Yes, it was sad to receive this news….BUT HOW WE REJOICE that the Gospel of Jesus Christ arrived there in time for Mari and for so many others! Yes, they died having huge non-disappointing HOPE in the Substitute Payer!

The Happy News!

While we were saddened with the death of Mari and her fifth child, and feeling for our dear brother Dapjai, the Lord gave us a new granddaughter! What joy she has brought to all of us already! And my goodness, what a different place our daughter gave birth in compared to where Mari gave birth. How thankful we are for the great blessings that we have here in our land.

Prayer Requests:

for little Sophie, that she grow up to know Jesus as her Savior and bring God much glory throughout her life
for the comfort and encouragement of Dapjai, along with her parents and siblings who also mourn her death
for continued open doors in our beloved Host Country, and that God’s will be done there. Yes, from a human perspective things look so impossible but then we know that with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
for the P nation, that they continue to walk in truth, and increase in their love and worship of the Savior
for their continued faith and rest in their Lord Owner Boss God for all their physical and spiritual needs
for continued wisdom in preparing Bible lessons for the P believers, and for a possible rendezvous with the saints if the Lord opens the way for us to get down there once again
praise that my new cornea part continues to function well without being rejected. The Doc tells me that once you have it for two years, rejection doesn’t happen, and then he will be ready to do the other eye. Thanks for your prayers in this area
for our many national coworkers in our very broken country of service, who continue to serve under very trying and stretching circumstances
for many more missionary laborers who will join forces to work with our Missionary God to see the Unreached People Groups of the world reached. Check out this video from one of our pastors: https://vimeo.com/228755241

Thanks so much for being a part of the team that is working together to see multiple NT churches planted in P-land. Your partnership is much appreciated and we thank God for all of you.

Rejoicing in the God of Daniel that rules supreme over the nations of the world,

Merrill and Teresa

Graduation To Glory And An SOS

June 26, 2017 By JD Leave a Comment

Two Shamans, Two Village Chiefs, Two Sons of God!

From Death to Life!

When we first began teaching the message of the Bible to our dear friends, many from distant villages strongly opposed us. Many felt we had been sent by evil spirits and that whoever embraced this message also turn into evil spirits. And so several of the shamans went to work to sing their power songs to ward off all “evil” they believed was emanating from us, and to create protective barriers around their villages. One of those guys was a fellow we’ll call JP. He was both an influential village chief and spiritual leader. Well, as time passed, this dear fellow came to understand that we truly cared for him and his people, and that the message that we brought wasn’t one of death and destruction but rather one of of life and truth! What a beautiful thing it was to see this guy really take interest in the teaching and then put his faith in Jesus, and what He did as his Substitute on the cross. It was glorious indeed to watch! And now this dear brother is in Glory! It wasn’t so long ago that we heard that he had graduated, that he had been promoted, that he had put off the old dwelling and headed for divine turf! How we praise God for the bigness and greatness of the Gospel Message, for this dear brother arrived there with the very righteousness of Christ put to his account!!

Transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light!

Another shaman who was not too excited about the teaching when we first began was a guy we’ll call Monty. He was a wild man and always getting into trouble with his own people. He was also a village chief who believed very strongly in all that the ancestors had taught. I remember going to the village one time, and he was about to to lead an all-night singsong to communicate with the gods, the ancestors, and the good spirits. However, there was a vicious storm brewing close by that was threatening this out-door event and so Monty quickly pulled out a stingray barb from his palm satchel and pulled the sharp jagged edge across the front end of his tongue, ripping it wide open. Well the blood began to flow and he right away blew / spit this blood up toward the heavens to placate the god of thunder, in order that the storm might not be sent their way. Yes, Monty strongly believed in and acted upon the teachings of the ancestors.

As time passed however, this ardent believer in the old ways became a close friend and eventually began listening to the teaching and put his faith in the Payer Jesus who paid ‘interveningly’ with his blood and death to the Judge of the universe who was demanding the payment. And how sweet it was then to see him teach his own family the eternal truths of Scripture. And now this dear brother, well he too has moved on to better things. He has joined his Heavenly Dad, as well as his Older Brother Jesus, arriving there with no-condemnation status!!

SOS

We just heard that a malaria epidemic is sweeping across the state where the P people live, and that many are getting sick. And what is so sad is that there are no prevention meds available, nor the needed remedies. This is serious indeed!! Please be praying for God’s protection of the P. nation. We truly are needing our great Lord-Owner-Boss God to intervene here for His great Glory!
Please continue to pray for our Host Country as things continue to worsen. Many there have written saying they never ever imagined that they would see their country get so bad but they are living in that horrible reality right now. Many are fleeing the country and some of our coworkers are trying to leave as well to take their kids where they can secure jobs, and just to get a time of reprieve themselves. So thanks in advance for spending time in the Throne Room on behalf of the many Language Groups there, and for the whole country, that God’s solution be brought about.

Thanks again so very much for your partnering with us and for your prayers as we continue to revise the Bible lessons for the P. churches.

Contrasting Biblical Themes With Cultural Themes In Curriculum

May 23, 2017 By JD Leave a Comment

Contextualizing the Message

As we continue to revise old Bible lessons that were made some twenty years ago and prepare to write additional ones for the beloved P people, we are always reminded of the huge need to make the teaching “scratch where it itches”. Back in the early days of the work when we first began to teach, we sought to contrast the themes of God’s Word with the pillars of their worldview. We discovered that teaching in this way created the needed tension between what they had always taken for granted to be true in key areas of their lives (or/ of their own belief system), and to make them really sit up and take note of what God’s Word was saying. Here are some examples of the huge differences when we contrast key themes from God’s love letter to them with what their cultural pillars are:

Man is made in the image of God and exists for God’s glory	I’m central and life is about me, my survival, and what benefits me
The penalty of sin is death	I’m not guilty and will never be ashamed, but will always blame others to show my good standing
God is holy	I’m acceptable because I don’t do bad things, and besides, sin is never an issue
Man can only approach God thru His way and plan	The ancestors, shamans, and our dreams have shown us the way, and their way is right
Man is a sinner and helpless to save himself	I am truly a good person and can do what is needed to manipulate all the gods and save myself

As we taught them up on the sand dunes so long ago, it was so exciting to see the pillars of their worldview slowly be replaced by pillars of truth based on God’s message to them. Yes, Biblical themes replaced their cultural themes that were counter to the truths of Scripture. It was exciting to see them exchange their story or meta-narrative for God’s ultra-narrative. And so, since the Bible lessons have played such a key role in their understanding the Gospel message and growing in Christ, they are wanting more lesson material. And so we continue on joyfully working to provide that for them so they can continue to use it in conjunction with the Scriptures, as you see below.

Praise and Prayer Items

—Praise the Lord that doors continue to be cracked open in our Host Country and so work continues on different fronts. Thanks so much for your ongoing prayers for the work there, and the 33 different People Groups that live there
—we are so pleased that our coworkers down there continue to make regular trips into P-land to hang with the brethren and take them different supplies. How good to hear of their continued encouragement and growth
—thanks for your ongoing prayers as we continue to revise the Bible curriculum. Pray for much wisdom, strong backs, and endurance as we sit and stand in front of our computers
—Praise the Lord for His huge GRACE! Ever since we have had to move away from P-land, we have found a certain emptiness in our hearts as we dearly love those guys and so enjoyed living among them. Praise the Lord for His comfort as we continue to live away from those precious saints. How good it will be to get together in GLORY and celebrate with our LORD!
—some of you have been praying for our son Josh, his wife Josie and their family who have faced some chronic health issues during their third term in the Asia-Pacific region. Well they have decided to return temporarily for a medical break to try to get to the bottom of these issues. Pray that these different medical questions will be resolved.
—Thanks for your prayers for Jodi and Brent too as they continue to labor in their host country. Brent is getting checked out on more and more airstrips, and Jodi is busy being a mom to their new little boy, and also involved in counseling at the Mission School.
—Thanks for your ongoing prayers for all those P. who have the gift of teaching and shepherding. Pray that God will continue to work mightily thru them to tend and nurture the flock.
—Thanks for continuing to pray too for the literacy programs. Pray that they will produce many new readers, including many gals!!

Thanks again so very much for your partnering with us. We are weak indeed BUT HE IS SO VERY STRONG!!!

Pig Illustrations, Host Country Situation, Kids And Coworkers

April 5, 2017 By JD Leave a Comment

Pig illustrations to Communicate Truth

“Just as the Pig Herder gathers his pigs together, so in the same way Christ will come and gather us all together!!!”

When we first moved in among the dear P. nation, they were mainly hunters and gatherers. However, some of them mentioned how they would like to raise their own pigs. So we came up with a plan and helped them get some, and in time many of them came to have their own little herd. They didn’t pen them up during the day however, but rather let them lose on the plains to find their own food. The people had no way of feeding them and there were plenty of wild roots out there for them to dig up. So they herded them out to different spots where there were lots of roots. And it was interesting that as they got to know the characteristics of these animals better and better, the teachers of God’s Word began to use different illustrations about them more and more!

Pigs, and the Coming of the Lord

For example, Doidamo got up one day and was teaching on the return of Christ. He was talking about how there are so many believers scattered all over the earth in many different plains, jungles and woods. And then he said something like this: “Just as the pig herder goes out into different plains and woods to gather all his pigs from all over the place and put them safely in the pen, so also in the same way Jesus will suddenly come with great power and gather all His people together from all the different woods and plains, and put them safely into Heaven.”

Pigs, and Believers being alert

Another time Dago got up and challenged the believers to be more alert in their lives. He told them something like this: “We believers are often just like pigs. And what do pigs do? Well, they go out into the plains and woods thinking only about living and about food. They don’t go being alert. They don’t go being watchful but rather go thinking only about the para and yipe roots. It is like they go without proper thinking. When they ought be aware, when they ought to remember that there are many dangerous cats and venom-having snakes out there, they go like those having no capacity to think. They should eat being alert but no, they go thinking only about food. And so what has happened? Have some of them been bitten? Have some been attacked and killed? Yes, they have. And look, we too can be attacked by the one who opposes us. We too can be as if bitten by sin, for we live in a dangerous place. Therefore we can’t live being like pigs but must live always being alert, living with our eyes wide open, living thinking about the true Word.”

Bible Curriculum

And so, as we continue to work on developing more Bible Curriculum for the P. believers, we want to always contextualize the message and package it in such a way that everything is really making sense to them. Whether it means including illustrations about pigs, snakes, shooting with bows and arrows, etc. we want to put these lessons together in such a way that it really communicates in a meaningful way with them. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”. That is, faith comes by hearing and truly understanding the message. And so we want to do all we can to insure effective communication and deep understanding as we carry on to provide these beloved saints with more spiritual resource material.

A Part of the Team

These four families are just a few of those who make up the pastoral team among the P. people. Look at them! Remember them! And please pray for them!

Here below is one of the many village churches gathering together:

More Praise and Prayer Items

—we did not travel down to our Host Country to see our beloved brethren as things continue to get worse there. However, we are resting in our LORD about this and trusting Him for an opportunity when He opens the door. We’ll see what He has up His sleeve. Thanks for praying about this with us.
—during this past Dry Season, our coworkers were able to get out to see the believers on quite a number of occasions, encouraging them in the Word, and taking them items like soap, fish hooks, fish line, garden seed, and other things that they are desperately in need of.
—thanks for your ongoing prayers for our national coworkers as they continue to live and work inside this broken country.
—thanks for your continued prayers for the P. believers too. Pray that they will continue to walk in the Spirit, and allow the gifts that the Spirit has given them to flourish and blossom for His glory, even in the midst of all the adversity.
—praise the Lord that my new eye continues to improve and that so far there is no rejection of the new part!! Thanks for praying for no rejection!
—praise for God’s provision of a different vehicle for our coworkers who had the car accident.

Thanks again so very much for your partnering with us. We are indeed thankful for the ongoing opportunities to serve the P. believers by preparing additional resource material for them.

Christmas 2016 For The P People & Translations

December 12, 2016 By JD Leave a Comment

Merry Christmas!!

Teresa and I together with Mom Dyck want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas as you celebrate the riches of all that our Great God has done for us!! How blessed we all are because of this marvelous Story that began in eternity past!! So hey, a big hug for you all from us up here in the land of ice and snow!!

Here is how some of the Christmas Story from John 1 and Gal 4 reads from the P. Bible:

Way back in the very beginning, the One named the Word existed. He was together with the true God, for He too is the true God. And since he also is the true God, he was together with him back in the very beginning. And it was through this One named the Word that the true God created all things. For if he hadn’t created, not one thing would exist. For only through him does life exist. For he is the one who is the Giver of life. Only in him did it all begin way back. And precisely the Giver of life is the one who gives illuminating thinking to all people. For He shines brightly right in the middle of the darkness, and the darkness is not able to defeat this Light.

On the appointed day, the true God sent his Son. After being birthed by a woman, he began to live among people. God sent him in order to deliver us that we might not live under the rule of the words that Moses wrote down, but rather that we might be untied and set free, and not be slaves anymore. Its true!! He sent him in order that we become God’s children and that He become our Father. And because you have become God’s children, okay then, he has sent the Spirit of his Son to make his home in your bodies. And now precisely by means of this Spirit, we relate to the true God as Father. We tell him, “Father, you are my Father”. Therefore, I tell you all, none of you are slaves any longer for now you have become His children. You have become children of God. And because you have become his children, you will be ones who receive / inherit. Yes, that which is God’s you will inherit, that which He has set aside safely for his children.

Christmas in the land of the P People:

They don’t have Christmas trees or decorative lights….
….but they know that Jesus is the Light of the world….and that they are now children of light.

They don’t exchange gifts or Christmas cards….
….but they know that they have received the gift of eternal life….and the Holy Spirit as well.

They don’t have a Christmas dinner….
….but they participate in The Lord’s Supper using water and yucca cakes to remember the spilled blood and death of their Savior.

There are no Christmas Carolers moving from house to house to sing the traditional songs or manger scenes….
….but they make up their own songs and sing about the True Son who was sent by a non-stingy Father to this earth.

Here in these pictures you see a small representation of the P believers that you will meet in Glory! We will soon be celebrating with them around the throne of the One named The Word.

Report on Eye Surgery

Thanks so very much for your prayers for me regarding the surgery on my cornea. The transplant of the endothelial layer went fine and I had my patch off the next day. There was no pain, even though I still had the sutures in.

Well, after three days, I took a short walk down the trail and when I looked down, I was totally amazed at the clarity of the gravel below. I hadn’t seen gravel that clearly for years and years!! I was thrilled and suddenly had a sweet little time of worship there on the trail to the “God of Eyeballs and Sight” as the P people say. Yes, what a joy it has been to be seeing with steady improvement out of that one eye. Now we wait and see when it will work out for the surgery on the remaining eye. Thanks again so much for your prayers on this.

Prayer Items

—we don’t hear much news from the P believers as they are still cut off from contact with all the heavy rains. So there isn’t anything specific to pass on to you all right now. However, thanks so very much for your prayers for their growth, encouragement, and ministries as they walk with their Lord
—pray for our beloved Host Country that God would wonderfully intervene down there and bring His solution to the many problems that only grow worse as the days go by. We just talked to a couple of our national co-workers down there and they have never seen or imagined that anything like this could ever happen to their beloved country. So yes, thanks so much for praying!!
—pray too regarding the proliferation of evil and controlling men who are really effecting the P believers, as well as many other folks
—pray for our dear coworkers there who continue to labor under extremely trying circumstances that they would truly be Jesus in skin to those around them
—pray for us as we seek the Lord’s direction in making another trip down there to connect with the P. saints
—pray for our son Josh, his wife Josie, and their four children as they celebrate Christmas in Asia, and also for our daughter Jodi, her husband Brent, and baby Hudson as they celebrate in their host country. We miss these guys a lot but we are thankful that we can all serve the Lord during this brief stint on planet earth before the big party and family reunion in Heaven!!

Thanks again so very much for your partnering with us. We are indeed thankful for the ongoing opportunities to serve the P. believers by preparing additional resource material for them. Thanks again for all you do to keep us going!!

M&T