One of the main reasons for our time home is to rest and to rejuvenate so that in a year’s time we would be ready to return to our ministry among the Tobo tribe. Part of that is going to the doctor and taking care of ourselves physically as well. This week it was determined that Jason needs to have procedure done on his heart. It was a condition which he was born with but in the past year has gotten worse and is becoming dangerous. Kellie also had some spots removed by the dermatologist this past week. He is concerned that one in particular is cancerous and will be calling us this next week with the results. Kellie will also be going in for a colonoscopy next month. We are a bit discouraged with all this new found information and trying to get used to Doctor’s offices, bills, and gas prices. But we are so thankful that we are home among friends and family and very capable doctors.
We are renting a duplex in Waukesha just a few blocks from the hospital (and no we did not do that on purpose). Thanks to our wonderful families and the ladies from church; we arrived to our new home fully furnished and cupboards full of food and toiletries! After traveling for 3 days the last thing we wanted to do was to go and pick out toothpaste at Wal-mart. Thank you so much to all of you who sacrificed your time and $ to make us feel at home here in the States and for all the used clothes to clothe our kiddos!
And speaking of the kiddos… They are in awe of everything! From seeing “real” cows for the first time to doorbells and the toaster. As much as they are in awe of everything, it is when we tuck them in bed at night that they start asking us when we are going back home to the tribe and their friends. It will take some time for them to get used to living here and to make some new friends. Please pray for them as they internalize their new world here.
Our highlight, by far, has been to fellowship with our churches. Our first Sunday home the tears flowed freely as we sang, “Indescribable”. Our God truly is amazing all the time, and we love to praise him in song, but it sounds a lot different when there are hundreds of people singing instead of just us 5! We have so missed fellowship within our own culture! We have had the opportunity to show our DVD presentation to a few of you and it has been fun! Thank you for loving and caring for us and this ministry. If you would like to see the video or just hang out, please don’t hesitate to call us.
It would mean a lot to us if you would read the following update from our co-workers, Jason and Nisae Williamson. Right now, they are in the tribe alone…keeping things going while we and Mankins are here in the States. This update gave us tears of joy. There are many things to discourage us, but God always gives little things, like what Kips did and said, which make every hardship worth it! You are making a difference in people’s lives, thank you!
His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2
“I was in my house trying to sleep but the two old ladies next door just wouldn’t stop talking, they where talking about night and day and how we just go to sleep and wake up and never really think about it. Who or what causes the sun to rise in the morning and go down in the evening? I saw this as an opportunity from the Lord to talk to the women about some of the things that I have been teaching in the village. So I got out from my warm bed got my flashlight and headed out the door. I went and saw the ladies and asked them, pointing to my flashlight, ‘whose flashlight is this?’ They laughed and said ‘well of course it’s yours’. Then I told them that because it’s mine I have the power to turn it on and off as I wish. That’s just like our creator God. He made the world and so everything in it;, the sun, moon and stars are His. He controls everything just like I turn this flashlight on and off.” – Kips
Kips, Welsen and Tingon, for the last three weeks have been teaching about who God is, who Satan is, and where sin came from. They are teaching chronologically through the Bible just like they heard it for the first time over a year and a half ago. The believers are excited to hear these truths again and to really cement them into their thinking. Now that they are believers some of these truths take on a whole new meaning. This has also been a time of outreach for them as we are having the meetings up in the village of Denginu. There have been some new men & women who curiously come in to the meeting house and sit down, but not many. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to begin a work in the thinking of the Tobo people here. The believers really have a heart to reach their own people but struggle to know how to do it. I told them that it’s so much more than just teaching God’s word -we have to live it before the unbelievers. Kips shared a verse with me from 1 Corinthians 13:13 “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love”. “We need to show these people we care and that we will make time for them just like Jesus,” he stated. I showed them from Philippians 2:3 that we need to look after the interests of others and not just ourselves, this will show people we love them. It has been a real encouraging time with these guys as they in turn have been teaching me things about the power of God and loving others just as Christ loves us. Please pray for these three Tobo teachers, Kips, Welsen and Tingon for boldness and direction as they look to reach out into their own community.
Your hands and feet,
Jason, Nisae, Kadynn, Judah and Eden
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