ClayPots ~ Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

On Christmas Day we will be starting our travels over the ocean. Our night will be spent in Tokyo and then we will be landing in Milwaukee a day later.
A little late to slide down the chimney, but we might be able to hit the after Christmas sales!

Many of you have asked how the past weeks went, but to write all of that would fill a book.
A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a small pictorial documentary of our farewell to the tribe:

Our last days in the tribe were filled with…

Soccer Games

Ladies Get-to-gethers

Prayer

Worship

Teaching Romans 8

Guy Time

Hugs

Food

Laughter

Long Hikes to see friends

Family Pictures

Crying

Packing and Selling

Last walks on the muddy airstrip which inevitably ended in star wars epic battle scenes

May you all experience peace and joy knowing that our Savior was born to grant us freedom and forgiveness!
Glory to the newborn King!

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Tingon, Jason, and Polas

We will be flying out of the tribe in a few days. Over the past couple weeks we have met with our close friends and told them one on one that we believe God is moving us on, and that we will be leaving them soon. We then told the rest of the church the other day. We shared with them that it was a struggle to come to this decision , but that we have peace that this is God’s own direction upon our lives… and we shared how very much we love them and care for them. Even though there were many, many tears in the initial telling, we have been tremendously encouraged with their responses. The Tobo people do not hold back in showing their emotions and for many long hours the people held us tight with weeping and wailing.

We wanted to share a couple of their responses with you because it is not about us, but it is about the exaltation of the power of God.

I went and visited a dear friend of mine, Polas a couple weeks ago. 2 years ago, shortly after Tingon and I shared with him the gospel of grace, he went to town to live and work there. I haven’t seen him for two years and was wondering how he was doing. As Tingon, Polas, and I spent three super encouraging days together in town talking of the goodness of God, the salvation we have in Jesus Christ, the grace of God which makes it all possible, and how each of us are living our lives because of the change the Spirit is doing in us, Polas spoke this to us,
“When I left our village and came to town, I had no intention of staying for longer than a month or so. But I saw the spiritual darkness in this gold mining town and so I put up a tarp and started teaching about the characteristics of our perfect God and how we humans are sinful and doomed to hell. I taught that following the law or living moral lives or following different denominations cannot save us, only belief in Jesus’ death for us can save us from our sin and the punishment of hell. Many people have challenged me on this point, but I take them to God’s Word and show them the only road of life… Jesus.”

When we told the church, one of the men who was a slow starter, but has really grown leaps and bounds in the past few months said this:
“We did not ask for you to come, but God saw our need for Jesus and brought you to us. Now we have not only believed in the one road, Jesus, and been given eternal life, but we also know how to read the Word of God in our own language. We have been blessed and since God brought you here, how can we disagree with him and say that you should not leave now? He is taking you somewhere else. Others need to hear this message and God will use you to tell them.”

Another friend spoke up and said,
“God’s Word says that some people plant and others water. You have planted the seed and it has grown. God will use others to water, and God will cause us to grow.”

On lady said,
“We can be sorry that you are leaving, but we now have Jesus Christ in our lives and so we can rejoice because we will shortly see each other in heaven where there will be no more goodbyes or tears.”

We praise God for the privilege it has been to live among these people and to become their friends and brothers. It has been an unspeakable blessing to watch God, through the simple gospel message, to bring salvation to these people and to watch him work in their lives and cause them to mature. All the praise goes to him! “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

Another praise of ours is that we have been able to sell almost everything of ours to other missionaries. Even though it has been hard for all of us to let go of these earthly possessions we are reminded that they are simply that, earthly possessions which will rot and rust, but our true treasure is being able to see these believers again in heaven someday.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Dates

While out here in Madang town, Malachi came and asked Jason if he would take his training wheels off his bike. First try and he was off totally on his own! He later told us that he talked to God and asked Him to help him learn to do it while he still had his bike. All 3 of our kids learned to ride their bikes on this gravel road here in Madang and all on the same bike. I know it is silly but it sure made this mom’s heart smile to get that little hug from God.

We just wanted to update you a little bit…
~We will be returning to the tribe on Friday to say our goodbyes and pack up.
~We will be selling all that we can to other missionaries to cover moving expenses.
~We are in the process of reserving tickets to return to the States in late December/early January .

Many of you have asked how you can help us. We are truly humbled. We really don’t know what our next steps are other than to purchase a vehicle and find a place to call home. Our heart’s desire and passion are still very much in sharing the gospel and in building up the body of Christ. We know we are coming home during a hard time in the economy and are very thankful for our churches and supporters who have said they will continue to support us until we are on our feet again. Our position in New Tribes Mission will not change for at least another 6 months until we know what our future holds.

We have a huge mix of emotions but the main one is peace and yet a deep sadness at leaving the Tobo people. These next 4 weeks are going to be extremely hard but we are so thankful for God’s ever loving arms around us.

His Clay Pots,
Kellie for Jason, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Change

My desire is to explain to you some changes that God is making in our lives. We have been out of the tribe and living in Madang town for the past 2 weeks. As you all know, we have been struggling a lot these past few years. We felt that God had sufficiently healed us during our time on Home Assignment, but my family has been buffeted by the enemy spiritually, emotionally, and physically even since we have returned to Papua New Guinea, and then these past three weeks were even more difficult. We are in a very real battle, and in this battle, we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but we are fighting against a very real and very ruthless, cruel, and inhumane enemy. As the husband, I could keep “fighting the fight of faith”, but I have come to realize that my family is no longer able. My family has been in the battle a long time and are feeling the consequences… they are wounded and need to heal completely. It is not that we don’t want to continue; we do, but they are injured and the Medic of our souls is taking us back to heal. Therefore, because I believe that God has given me this family to shepherd, love, and protect, I believe that He is clearly directing me to take my family back home to the U.S. We are looking at leaving the tribe and returning to the States in January. We are not quitting the team in Madang, PNG and we are definitely not quitting on God or despairing of Jesus love for us. We love everyone whom we have served with and labored with over the years and will miss them all dearly. We are so very thankful for our mission, co-workers, elder board, churches, friends, and family back home who have supported us and loved us through the years and through this decision making process. They are all in agreement with us that this is a wise and loving decision.

We will be returning back to the tribe to close up our home, sell all our possessions, say goodbyes, and leave the church with encouragement and hope. We rest in knowing that the Tobo church is God’s church and He alone will build it and bring it to completion. The Holy Spirit is working in their lives, and we rest in God’s promise that he will complete the work which he has started in them. We count it a privilege to have planted a church, with your support, and we know that this church will grow, be strengthened, and reproduce.

Pray for the Tobo believers that in the remaining time we have with them that they will understand why we are leaving and learn in an even deeper way, to depend on Christ for their all. Please pray for my family, that we can help our kids through this time as they lose their home and friends and as we have few answers to their many questions. Pray for faith for us as we go back to the States with no home or vehicle, and without the knowledge of what God will be having us do in the future. We are following God’s leading, and although we see how he has been preparing us for this over the past few years, we are still walking by faith and not by sight in this decision. We do, however, have complete peace knowing that we are in the hands of Almighty God and that he has never let us down, and he will not let us down this time either. He isn’t done with us yet, and his plans are far better than we can imagine.

We are praying for you. That you will be encouraged in the work that you were and are a part of, and that in this decision of ours, that you can (as our Pastor said) “Remember you are loved without condition, accepted without requirement, forgiven without limit and served without reward – this is grace.”

We will keep you updated as always,
His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Encouraged

This picture was taken while we were out in the town for a week in Madang, PNG for our mission’s annual conference. The sun was warm, the fresh food was in abundance, and most importantly the fellowship and worship was plentiful!

We have since returned to the tribe and yes, things are still difficult; I think that there will always be heavies to deal with. BUT we are encouraged as we see the hand of God moving in his people. We have seen repentance, forgiveness, and a desire to worship, pray, and read God’s Word together. We have seen the believer’s start praying for the ones who have left and encouraging them to return. We have seen 2 believers return to fellowship this week due to the church’s love and prayers! The men and women have started to meet during the week again to pray and review Paul’s words to the Romans which we learn on Sundays. The Tobo church, of their own accord, has even decided to take up offerings to give to those who are in need! It thrills our souls seeing the believers give what little they have and truly sacrificing to help their brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need. That is what the body of Christ is all about!

God will be faithful to complete the work which he started with the Tobo church. He will do it in his time. And we know that whatever he does will be perfect!

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ more

~ We took Malachi to see the doctor on Monday. Thank you to all who were praying about this decision of ours since we were a little apprehensive as to what we needed to do for him. We were assured that, although he will need surgery again sometime in the distant future, as of right now, there is no pressing or urgent reason for us to take him home for surgery. So we get to stay together as a family!

~There have been 3 more deaths in the past couple days. A pregnant lady went into labor and didn’t deliver her baby right away. Five days later, her family took her to the clinic and her baby had already died. She died a few hours later. It was heart wrenching to see her body lying there with the baby still in her stomach. Another lady, an older one from another village, passed away a day later. People are starting to talk… some have asked, “What is going on? Is this the hand of Satan or is God trying to get our attention?” Pray for the believers as they answer the questions of their clan members and that they would have more opportunities to share the hope they have in Christ. Pray that hearts will be softened and the unbelieving will find the hope (Jesus) that they admit they do not have.

~The past few days, we have been approached by a number of people trying to sell us rocks. Someone told them that we would buy rocks and give them $ for it. It is a thinking and belief most probably associated with the cargo cult. Strange, but still it has been a good opportunity for both Jasons to tell them again that we are here to tell them about Jesus… and ONLY about Jesus, because HE is life and peace.

Some days you go to bed at night and wonder what was accomplished… Only God knows. We have only been back for 6 weeks and I feel like such a failure because I am already spiritually and emotionally worn out. I was hoping it would take a couple years for me to get to this point. But God! I am learning that in him and in him alone I can find joy and peace because I know that he loves me and accepts me.

Thank you for your prayers!
His Clay Pots,
Kellie for Jason, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi

Clay Pots ~ Office

The office will go on that patch of dirt near our house

Jason’s office where he works in is inside our house. The size is 10’ x 6’ and is separated by a thin piece of paneling from our school area and kitchen. When we built our home in the tribe 8 years ago this was a way to save $. But through the years it has become a source of stress. Jason must contend with 3 kids doing school, noises coming from the kitchen, and other noises from the rest of the house when school is done. I try to keep the noise level down, but it is often not very easy with all the kids. Also, I myself have found it difficult to process some of the conversations which I hear from the office as Jason does some discipleship with the Tobo believers in there as well as the translation. And there is the constant interruptions to school with people seeking Jason. In addition, his office can only hold one individual at a time and he needs more space.

So we would like to build an office separate from the house. We have estimated that the cost of materials and flight costs (the expensive part) and we think it will be about $4,000.00 (give or take?). Since it is so soon after our furlough, we are still paying off a few medical bills, but we feel that building this office soon is a priority for our family and the ministry.

We are never sure to what extent we should share our needs with others. Do we let our needs be known? Do we trust God to lay it on your hearts without telling you? Do we ask too much and give missions a bad name? We don’t know the answer to that, but we do desire to be honest with you and to share our struggle in this. We are in constant awe and totally humbled by God’s provision through His people time and time again. We get the distinct privilege of living by faith, something we wouldn’t trade for any pay check in the world. Thank you for your sacrifice to go to work everyday so that we can be here. Thank you for allowing us to share our needs with you.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Romans 8

When God gives you mud…make mudslides!!!

First of all, I want to thank all of you for your prayers on our behalf. We know that God works mightily through people who call upon him and who live in dependence upon him. These things cannot possibly be accomplished or remedied in our own strength, but only as we rest in God’s grace and the wisdom and strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As I have been translating lessons for Romans chapter 8 this week, I have been encouraged with all the results of being in Christ:

1. No condemnation in Christ 8:1-4
2. Alive in Christ 8:5-11
3. Children and heirs with Christ 8:12-17
4. Freedom and hope in Christ 8:18-25
5. Interceded by the Spirit 8:26-27
6. Predestined in Christ 8:28-30
7. Justified by Christ 8:31-34
8. Loved by Christ 8:35-39

And the thing which has grabbed my heart and given me hope is the fact that the Sovereign God who has conquered death and hell and trampled Satan in the mire, this God who is my Father because he looks at the finished work of his Son on the cross and credits Jesus death to my account, this God who loved me even when I was a rebel sinner in opposition to him, will he not also give me all things (v.32)? I trust that God will give me what I need, nothing less (so that I complain) and nothing more (so that I do not turn my eyes on the blessings instead of himself).

The fevers are all gone as of this (Friday) morning. The boils are gone and antibiotics are finished. There was not a death this past weekend, which was a ready relief to everyone here, and the sun has been shining every morning for the past week. We will be flying out in a couple weeks to have Malachi evaluated by our mission Dr. in town and will make a decision based on his evaluation. Thank you for your prayers, they have made a difference. But please do not cease to lift up especially the believers to the throne of God. Many are still in the midst of persecution, heavies and difficulties, concerns and worries. And some are still dealing with the aftershocks of death and sickness. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ… that as they begin to hear all the results of being in Christ in Romans 8, that they will be encouraged and strengthened in the grace that is found in Christ Jesus. We all need these encouraging words, and our Tobo brothers and sisters are no different.

Thank you for your part in this work,

Jason

Prayers Needed

Could you pray for us?

~ We have had 4 people die in the 3 weeks we have been here. A young man (who left 3 kids and a wife), a 1 year old girl, a young girl (in her 20’s), and just last night the baby granddaughter of one of the believers. And from what we can tell, there is no real reason other than the powers of darkness love death and are hitting the un-believing community. The causes of these deaths, in their minds, range from people working poison on them to someone talking bad about the other person. They need the truth in their lives.

~Jason and Malachi are both trying to fight off boils right now on their skin and Kellie, Micah, and Sophia have been fighting a fever and a headache for over a week now.

~ The Tobo believers did not meet this past Sunday due to the extreme rain and mud. We have asked them to pray and seek God on what to do about a building to meet in. We missionaries have many ideas, but we want to see them seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in this and come up with a culturally appropriate way to meet.

~ Remember Malachi’s 2 surgeries while we were home? This past week we have seen the symptoms starting to reoccur again in that area and it is swelling up. We consulted our mission Dr. and he told us Malachi will need another surgery soon if things don’t change.

~ And both of our co-workers, Mankins and Williamsons… they are struggling with various issues… so our whole team is getting attacked in different ways.

I am glad that the powers of darkness think we are worth annoying but it can still be discouraging. We are in a battle here and we believe that the prayers of the saints make a huge difference. We ask that you pray for the community that they will see their need for a Savior. For the believers, that they would rely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance in direction for the church and for boldness in demonstrating the love of Jesus as they talk to the different families that have lost loved ones. For us as a family, that God would intervene and (we do not see this as a coincidence – happening immediately after our return) choose to heal Malachi himself so that we don’t have to try to figure out where and how to get another surgery done. And pray for our whole team, that we would be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus so that we can endure with joy.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ The 12 Days of Christmas

Tingong and his wife had a baby boy (Caleb) while we were gone and she brought him for me to see as soon as we got back.

I keep humming the 12 days of Christmas song in my head except my version sounds more like this…

“On the first month of tribal living the Good Lord gave to me…6 layers of mold , 5 cockroaches, 4 earthquakes, 3 muddy kids, 2 leaping rats, and 1 (hundred) maggots”

Did I mention the spiders? Despite the cold, rainy world we now live in and our very limited access to communication. I am SO thankful! Thankful to be back with our co-workers, the Williamsons. Thankful for my ever-loving and gracious husband who not only kills all the things that try to live with us but he is also doing all that he can do to make this an easy transition for me. I am thankful for our kids who find the fun and laughter in all of this (“Hey, mom if the cockroaches eat crayons they poop different colors!”). And I am so very thankful for the Tobo people and our ministry here with them. We met this past Sunday for church. There were about 12 people there, and as I sat there I said to myself; “if God has decided to send us here so that 12 Tobo people can be in heaven with Him then so be it, I will do it.” I have been reading Jeremiah and God asked him to go and warn his people and then told Jeremiah “oh by the way they wont listen to you and you won’t do any good”. (Kellie’s version) So I am thankful for these 12 growing and maturing believers. Jason told them that God started with just one man and one woman. He can do mighty things here as well. So they are encouraged and we are praying hard that maybe God will choose to do something even bigger here.

His Clay Pots,
Kellie for Jason, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Everlasting God

I could feel a change in myself. With Kellie and our two younger children safely resting in the guesthouse in town, Micah and I were flying at 9,000 ft. above a sea of endless clouds. It was 6:30 a.m. and off to my right there was a huge thunderstorm, underneath us I caught a glimpse of a huge waterfall surrounded by steep white cliffs, then quickly shrouded in clouds again. As this amazing panorama was unfolding beneath me, my mind went back to the past year and what it was that God had taught me. The first song I had heard at church after returning to the states last year was “Everlasting God”. Little did I know then that that song would encapsulate my whole experience while stateside. “Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord… You are the Everlasting God, you do not faint, you won’t grow weary. You are the defender of the weak. You comfort those in need. You lift us up on wings like eagles.” I am weak, but God the Father has been my defender. I am a very needy person, yet God patiently comforted and strengthened me, and he has changed me and lifted me up again to soar upon his grace.

You see, a year and a half ago, while sitting in a little plane looking at endless clouds, not knowing what was going to greet me on the ground, and carrying the burden of a young church, I would have had a pit in my stomach, shivers from the nervousness, and my mind would have been racing with scenario after scenario of what to do in each and every circumstance. But not so this time. I could feel a peace from God and a confidence in Him like I have never experienced before. I sat there in awe of his creation, the cloud formations, the incredible expanse of jungle, the waterfalls; and I thought back to how faithful the Father had been to me over the course of this past year. Here I was again, going back to this little corner of the world where only He could give me a desire to live and serve him and I was impressed with the fact that he doesn’t faint and he doesn’t grow weary. In fact, he patiently, lovingly, and graciously continues to conform us to the image of our Savior and hero, Jesus Christ. He did this for me, and he has done it in the lives of the Tobo believers too. Though their numbers are fewer, I could see growth and maturity peeking out of the lives of those I have seen.

After a huge embrace, the first words out of Tingon’s mouth to me were, “I continually thank God for our brother-brother relationship. I had lost hope and then God sent you to tell me of Jesus. While you were gone I have seen God meet my needs and care for me. Oh, I have had heavies, but he has helped and guarded me through them all, and I am doing well. I praise Him.” At this point in time I did have shivers… but they were not from nervousness. They were shivers of awe at how great and awesome God the Father is… how he can minister to me, as I wait on him, in the crazy and hectic pace of America, while at the same time he can minister to Tingon in the jungle mountains of Papua New Guinea. Wow! He is the Everlasting God! The defender of the weak!

Thank you to all of you who have prayed for us and have supported us this past year. Thank you for not giving up on us and allowing us the privilege of representing you to the Tobo church.

His Clay Pots,
Jason for Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ the eagle has landed

We made it to Papua New Guinea after one of the most uneventful and smooth flights we have ever encountered. Thank you for your prayers! All our luggage was accounted for and we got through customs without even having to open a single bag! 36 sleepless hours later and we arrive to speaking a different language, eating totally different food, and living with a new standard of cleanliness. When we got off our last plane there were people screaming and whaling. One of the passengers on the plane was obviously coming back for a funeral of a relative and it is the way of the people here to show how sorry they are. We aren’t in Kansas anymore TotoJ.

We are at the mission base in town and Jason flew out with Micah this morning to go into the tribe. Monday morning I fly in with Sophia and Malachi. For the next 4 days I have different meetings in order to catch up with the newest tax laws, home school, computer set up for e-mails from the tribe, buy supplies, etc.

Thank you for all your love and support this past year. We were given an undeserved “heroes” farewell and we will cherish the memories forever.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

(we are now 15+ hours ahead of you – go to the website www.claypots.org to see exactly what time it is here)
((That's on this page, in the upper right!))

Clay Pots ~ Kidney Stones? Why now, Lord?

Last night Malachi complained about sharp abdominal pain a couple of times. Right before we went to bed he came and told us his pee was pink. We called the clinic and they asked us to take him to the nearest emergency room. We were there until 2am and then they sent us home to get some sleep and told us to return for further tests this morning. When we left the ER Malachi’s urine was mostly blood. However, all his blood and urine work came back with no infection and his vitals were doing great.

This morning after an ultrasound, x-ray, and more tests the doctor’s preliminary diagnosis is that Malachi, our little 5 year old, had a kidney stone! We are hoping/assuming that it has already passed but we will know for sure in the next couple of days. The doctor is running his findings through a specialist right now just to make sure, but we are thankful that everything else is fine. Even though our hearts are heavy with the knowledge of how severe and rare this is for a little guy and that this will be a frequent occurrence in his little life, there are also many things to be thankful for. We are so thankful that God brought this on now and not 5 days from now on some airplane in a different country! We are so thankful for doctors and hospitals. We are even thankful for hospital bills because it means we had a place to go!

I would say we are living out of our suitcase, but in reality everything is kind of strewn all over the place waiting it’s turn to be put in a suitcase. We had dear friends and family come and help us move and clean the last two days, and on Sunday we had an un-believable blessing happen! We went to visit one of our supporting churches in Baraboo and we stood up to ask for prayer concerning the many things we will be facing once we get back to the tribe (more to come on that). Well, as a family we had been praying for $2400.00 to pay for the flights back into the tribe. This was not a number or need which we had shared with the church. The church did an impromptu love offering for us at the end of the service, and do you want to guess how much we were sacrificially given? Yep, $2400.00!

We are convinced that God is working in the heart’s of His people and is in charge of all the little things in life, even kidney stones and mommy’s emotions!

Love,
Kellie for the family

Clay Pots ~ 2 weeks

Our Home in the Tribe (the one in the middle)
Williamsons live on the left and Mankins behind us to the right.
The Tobo village is on the hill from where the picture is being taken from.

When do you leave? In 2 weeks!

Do you have your plane tickets? Technically yes, in that the commercial airline tickets are paid off, but we still need money for the three flights it will take to get us and all our supplies back into the tribe. God, as always, is faithful and people have given towards this need… thank you for being sensitive to His leading! If God is prompting your heart to support us in this ministry, you can go to www.claypots.org and click on the “give towards our ministry” tab to see more info.

How long will you be gone? 4 years

Where are you going? Back to the isolated Tobo tribe of Papua New Guinea.

Why? To continue to disciple men who, in the future, will shepherd the church; and to continue the process of translating the Word of God and corresponding Bible lessons.

What are you taking with you? 10 suitcases in which we are in the process of trying to stuff 4 years worth of everything! We have about 8 small boxes of books and things (i.e. chocolateJ) which we just can’t fit… so if you are interested in helping us out and mailing a package, we would love it if you sent one of these boxes for us! They are already packed and would cost approx. $40.00 to send one box for us.

What about your house here and can we see you before you leave? We have been renting half of a duplex and our lease ends the end of July. We are storing some of our possessions for when we return again, but the rest we are selling. So please come to our garage sale July 23-25th. In addition, we will be attending Walnut Hill Bible Church in Baraboo next week and then Waukesha Bible Church the week after that. We would love to see you there as well!

Are you ready to go? Jason and the kiddos would answer with a hearty “yes”. Jason is anxious to get back to continue discipling the believers and the kiddos can’t wait to have the rain forest as their back yard again and see their dear friends. As for me, well my feet are ready with obedience and I have peace about going back, it is just my nasty flesh that is taking a little longer to catch up. I am excited to see what God is going to do in the next 4 years, not only in the lives of the Tobo people, but also in our lives and yours as well!

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Prayer Request

Visiting our friends, Scott and Lina Sutton

Jason and Amy Miller, missionary pilot, 9 years later we meet back at our old apartments.

We have just recently returned home (for a few days) from our travels. We were greatly encouraged by our time in both Nebraska and Missouri. Although it has been over a week since we visited our friends and attended the conference, the late night chats, the encouraging and convicting sermons, and the good fellowship with fellow missionaries is still buzzing in our ears. It was so good to catch up with old friends and to meet new ones; people who are committed and faithful servants of Jesus Christ. We heard amazing stories of people who had been through deep waters only to surface with a greater love for their Savior, Jesus. Wow, what a testimony to us to persevere! The past few weeks have been a real shot in the arm as we prepare to head back overseas.

On a somber note, we would like to ask for your prayers on behalf of our co-workers, Chad and Janeene Mankins. They had to return to the States about 3 weeks ago because Chad was having some medical issues. This is their latest email:

After conducting some more tests, the doctor found a small tumor in Chad’s bladder which he said looked like the beginnings of a malignant tumor. He wants to surgically remove the tumor on Wednesday, July 1st, then we will wait for the pathology report.

Interestingly enough, he also said that he could see no apparent link between this tumor and Chad’s pain.

So as you can see, we are still looking for more answers. But at this point, if nothing else, we can see God’s gracious hand at work in showing us this tumor so quickly. He has also been our Rock during these times of uncertainty and suffering. Many of you have sent emails expressing your love and prayer support of us. Thank you. We would also ask you to continue lifting us up as a family before our Father.

Please pray for Chad’s upcoming surgery tomorrow, that the Great Physician will heal him completely so that we can see him back in the tribe very soon. As a family, pray that the Lord would encourage their hearts and strengthen their faith during these times of uncertainty. Also, be praying for our other co-workers, Jason and Nisae Williamson, as they ‘hold down the fort’ in Tobo for the time being.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

We’re also on facebook!

Clay Pots ~ Drying Out

One of the things on my “Bucket List” was to learn how to throw a pot. So for my birthday, Jason surprised me with a date night lesson. They take couples at night and teach them together how to make a pot. When the pot is done being shaped and molded it has to dry. An interesting fact, which struck Jason and I, was that the pot cannot dry alone but has to be surrounded by other drying pots (in a small room or covered with plastic) so that it will prevent it from drying out too fast. Our instructor showed us this gorgeous bowl that had completely cracked because it had been left out to dry alone and uncovered. But when pots are drying together they balance out the humidity so that they all dry evenly and at a slower rate. It is curios how it is much like us Christians. We need fellowship with those of like faith so that we are strengthened under trials… if left alone, we are prone to cracking under the pressure. We need the church body surrounding us so that we won’t dry out and crack. Although we are all different sizes and shapes and temperaments, Jason and I have been learning not to take other pots surrounding us for granted. God put each of us specifically in our local assemblies for the strengthening and building up of the body of Christ.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Ps We are off on the road traveling for the next couple weeks to visit friends and to attend a mission refresher course. When we get back we will be starting to pack, then head out west for a week, and then finishing packing… the first of August is coming up fast! Maybe it will actually get warm in WI before we leaveJ.

Clay Pots ~ Selflessness

“Dear Knapps,
I had a birthday party on November 7th.
Instead of presents we raised money for diffent things.
I chose a missionary and it is you.
I raised a hundred dollars.
These money is for any thing you would like.
Love: Riley Kenyon”

I found this letter today as I cleaned out my desk. I have been really struggling with maintaining my faith as I have prayed this past week for God to provide the $ for our plane tickets to return to the tribe. Why do I so easily forget God’s provision for my family and ministry? Not only that, but I was humbled by Riley’s selflessness and my selfishness. Have I been selfishly trying to look out for good ‘ol #1 or selflessly giving of my own life and resources?

In regards to my faith in God to provide for our needs, I was encouraged with an e-mail from my co-worker, Nisae, who is in the tribe ,… “Janeene and I are doing a little Bible study thing on Ezra… it is amazing all the stuff we can relate to in that book- crazy! Like the Lord wanted the Israelites to rebuild the temple and then used a pagan King to give them everything they needed, all the $, animals for sacrificing, food- anything they needed for what God wanted them to do. I guess He’s the same God today and will provide what we need for things He’s asked us to do!”

Know any Pagan KingsJ? Just kidding, but the point is that my faith needs to rest not in humans, but in the Almighty, All-knowing God to provide for our needs. I am very thankful for the community of faith that surrounds me, encourages me, and challenges me to grow in these areas.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Ashamed?

In the past months, I have been greatly challenged and encouraged by Paul’s second letter to Timothy. As I endeavor to apply these truths in my own life I also greatly desire to impart these truths to the Tobo disciples and see them embody it. In 2 Timothy 1:8-2:7 Paul is encouraging Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel, but to stand strong in it, to guard it, protect it, and to proclaim it. He didn’t want Timothy to be like Phygelus and Hermogenes who were ashamed of Paul and the gospel that he preached and thus deserted him in one of his greatest times of need (while he was in prison). Paul told Timothy to be like Onesiphorus, who shared in Paul’s suffering for the sake of the gospel. Paul was encouraging Timothy to stay the course, to continue to participate in spreading the gospel and making disciples, even if times got tough or if he was threatened with prison or even if he didn’t have some of the nicer comforts of life.

My very loose paraphrase of what he was saying would go something like this, “Don’t give up! And don’t be ashamed of what you believe! What we believe is the only truth, and if we who believe turn tail and run because of a little discomfort, then there is no hope for the world. We are soldiers of Jesus Christ, ambassadors for his kingdom, and witnesses of God’s grace displayed through Jesus Christ. Be strengthened in this grace and share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ!” This timeless plea applies to us even today. We who believe in Jesus Christ are Christians. Our life is Jesus Christ, our Father is God Almighty, our hope is heaven, and our ministry is reconciliation. May we, like Paul, not be ashamed of what we believe before our unbelieving acquaintances; may we be convinced and proclaim to all an unashamed belief in the gospel of Jesus!

Thank you for your continued partnership in spreading the gospel,
His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Spring Break

Wow, we had an eventful spring break! Here is the synopsis: Sophia sang in her first quartet, lost two teeth, and announced that a boy likes her (gasp!). We got to see our adorable new niece, Lani. During Easter, we came to the conclusion that the Easter bunny must be wealthier in America, that Grandma Steck makes the best ham in the world, and that the free zoo in Madison is awesome. During all of this, we had my Chicago college dwelling sister and then the Deering family spend the night at our house for a couple days. After which we spent a couple nights at Wisconsin Dells as a family and then went on a road trip to Chicago to visit some dear friends. Then we got to visit our church in Baraboo. Thank you Walnut Hill Bible Church for those special hugs and words of encouragement!!! And, the kids were gone for a couple days and got to fish and canoe with Grandpa and Grandma while mom and dad had a few nice days alone. Oh yeah, and Jason made me a baker’s rack. Not bad for a week and a half, hey? The conclusion to this wonderful break is that we got to hold our adorable nephew today! Samuel Pederson was born this morning via c-section weighing in at 9.6 lbs! Mom and baby are doing perfect!

We are cherishing our time here which is going by quickly, and yet preparing and waiting for the day when we will be reunited with our co-workers and the Tobo church in Papua New Guinea…

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Baby Lani

Easter Morning

Baby Sammy

Clay Pots ~ Murdocks and Lani

As you all know, this ministry of taking the gospel to all corners of the world takes cooperation and partnership. We are blessed with an incredible support team here in the U.S. who labor and work in order for us to be able to spread the gospel. Thank you for your sacrifice on our behalf. In the same way that we are dependent upon all of you on, we as tribal church planters, while overseas could not continue in the tribe for extended periods of time without people assisting us. We could not fulfill our ministries without a support staff of co-workers back in town doing the often thankless tasks of paperwork, supply buying, finances, flights, medical, and encouragement. We appreciate every one of these supporters who from a heart of love, serve faithfully in order to make the tribal ministries possible. Since arriving in Wisconsin, we have had the privilege of living next door to one such couple, their names are Chase and Kaycee Murdock. They have a real heart to serve missionaries who are planting tribal churches and so are in the process of preparing to head over to the Madang Region to function as supply buyers. We are very excited to have these guys join us overseas. Could you please be in prayer for them? They desire to arrive in PNG by the end of the year. You can view their website at www.themurdocks.weebly.com

Thank you all for your continued prayers on our behalf and also on the behalf of the Tobo church.

His clay pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

P.S. Congratulations to my brother, Jeremy, and his wife, Jen, on the arrival of their cute little baby girl, Lani. We are excited for them! Mom and baby are doing very well. I am particularly excited to be an uncle again because it means that now I have a niece to spoil.

Clay Pots ~ Passports and no cancer

We want to give praise to God!!! We just got the kid’s passports along with their entrance visas in the mail today! Kellie just returned from her cancer check up and the Dr. said to go ahead and plan on going back to Papua New Guinea! She got a clean bill of health. Then we got a phone call last night from some friends saying they want to buy us our needed laptop! Also, we have ¼ of the $ needed towards our return tickets (thank you Cornerstone!). And Micah prayed 2 nights ago that a boy in his class would stop bullying him and hitting him. Well, Micah came home yesterday and said that this boy came up to him that morning and ‘out of the blue’ said to him, “I have decided to stop hitting you; I will not bully you anymore.” And he has!

We have reserved tickets for our return to the tribe for the first week of August. 16 weeks and counting.

Over the past months, we have spent countless hours worrying and, as the Bible says, trying to add “another hour to our lives”. What we have learned yet again is that prayer works! So those post-it-notes with our plans and strategies to scrimp and save are now in the garbage where they belong… along with our many parenting “ideas” for how to stop a bully. Prayer is the only strategy, for by it God fights our battles for us!

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, & Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Latest News

The Tobo Team:
Knapps, Mankins, Williamsons
Newest member of the team – Ezekiel Mankins - (not pictured),

So what is the latest news from the tribe?

Chad Mankins has been keeping busy both translating the book of Romans and also writing the lessons and teaching them to the church. So his plate has been full indeed. The first drafts of Romans are completed and are in the process of being prepared for a consultant check. The problem is that consultants are hard to come by, so please be in prayer that a consultant is freed up to help Chad and that he is able to get Romans checked before summer… that would be a wonderful thing to have done by then. Also, the Mankins have been fighting some illnesses in the past few months and so it would be wonderful if you could all pray for them. We have also heard that it is raining cats and dogs in the tribe (God wouldn’t want to disappoint now, would he), so be praying for both the Mankins and the Williamsons that their spirits would be encouraged and that they would have some sun to dry out their clothes.

Speaking of the Williamsons, it sounds like Jason should be getting close to finishing his formal language study! That means he will soon be able to join Chad and I in the translation of Bible materials and in the more intimate areas of discipleship. Please pray that he will continue to progress well (as he already has) and finish here soon with flying colors.

And, as always, continue to be in prayer for the Tobo church. Pray that their love for God and for each other would grow as they continue to learn and appreciate God’s love for them as seen in the book of Romans. Pray that they would understand in a new and empowering way all that Christ did for them through his death.

Thank you for your prayers, many of you have said to me that you pray daily for us and the Tobo work… thank you. Your prayers to God on our team’s behalf have made a difference in the past and they continue to do so. God honors our attitude of dependence upon him as manifested by our prayers to him. I have the great privilege of being able to recount answered prayer after answered prayer… thank you for never ceasing in this great work of the Spirit!


His Clay Pots,
Jason for the Tobo team

Clay Pots ~ Update on Malachi

Thank you so much for praying for Malachi’s surgery today. It went really, really well and (as you can tell by the picture) the hospital makes it “so much fun” that Malachi rates it right up there with McDonalds! His cheerful attitude was a testimony to all those around him. He has 15 stitches internally “down there” and the extra fluid build up is gone. He is learning how much ice really does numb it and make it feel better and the few steps he took today came close to a John Wayne stride. We are keeping a careful eye on a slight fever he has just gotten and praying it doesn’t get any higher. But for now we are all going to bed exhausted and grateful to God for allowing this to be a successful surgery.

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, Malachi (and turtle, bear, and doggy who all had to go through it too!) Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Malachi and Facelift

No, Malachi is not getting a facelift. But our webpage, however, just got one… please take a minute to check it out! www.claypots.org

However, Malachi will be going in for surgery next week Thursday. His last surgery was in October and unfortunately they have since figured out that it corrected only some of the problem and they are going to have to dig a little deeper (no pun intended) to hopefully correct it completely. 2 specific prayer requests would be…first that he would stay healthy for the next week. Our family has been fighting strep throat, ear infections, flu, bronchitis, cold, cough, etc. Malachi has to be a 100% and pass a physical for this surgery. Secondly, this is not a surgery that is normally done on children so this will be a “new one” for this team of surgeons. We are confident in their abilities and wisdom and we know he is ultimately in the hands of the great Surgeon, so it’s all good… but the waiting is always hard.

Until the next update or next surgery…whichever one comes first.
His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

Clay Pots ~ Underwear Will Prevail!

Well the panic has officially set in. We are leaving in 6 months for Papua New Guinea and I am trying to visualize packing up our family of 5 into 2 suitcases a piece. This has me wishing I was Mary Poppins and could fit a lamp and hat stand magically in our bags. The kids were spoiled this past Christmas/Birthdays, so that means our stuffed animal “families” have tripled. We have enough matchbox cars to fill a parking garage and did I mention Leggos? I see the importance of packing enough underwear for 4 years; Sophia, however, insists that it is more important for her dolly (who also has a sister) to bring her bed, stroller, changing table, 50 outfits, swing, and highchair than for us to pack all of that “gross” underwear.

We have already spent many hours and are still in the process of getting all our passports renewed and visas for Papua New Guinea. We have been in contact with airlines trying to find the cheapest way (no such thing) to get our family half –way around the world. And… ever so slowly our home that we are renting here is getting emptier as I realize I can’t hold onto it all. I have tried every which way to figure out how I could keep it or store it or shrink it or pack it, but in the end… most all of it must go. So keep an eye out for a big “Moving Sale” sign outside our house. The $ will go to a good cause… purchasing plane tickets so you can get rid of usJ.

These days we are continuing to keep busy; Jason continues to help with the translation from this side of the world and we are all involved at church in different aspects. We especially like the part where we eat and fellowshipJ. We know what it is like not to have a church body to fellowship and worship with on a regular basis. Don’t ever take that for granted, God has His reasons for calling us together as a body to worship!

My prayer for the up-coming months is that I will stay calm and content (hey, miracles can happen!) so that I can help my family through another move with JOY.

Micah's 10th Birthday Party

Kellie trying something new at 30yrs old. I had a cute instructor.

Celebrating Jason’s Grandma’s 89th Birthday!

Sledding and Tubing

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp

She is Home!

We want to thank you all for your prayers regarding our sister-in-law, Jen Knapp. God did amazing things… worked miracles actually, and completely healed her. She and her husband, Jeremy, are back home right now after about 10 days in the hospital. Jen’s lungs seem to be doing fine, the baby is healthy, and Jeremy said he is looking forward to getting back to normal. When they arrived home and were able to read about all the people who were praying for them, the emails received, and all that was on facebook, they were overwhelmed with it all. So thank you for holding them up in your prayers. And we are praising God that he chose to answer our prayers according to our desires and heal her.
Please join in with us in giving thanks to God for his faithfulness yet again in our lives.
Thank you,
Jason

Praises

In reference to Jeremy and Jen Knapp, we want to thank you all for praying. I and a few friends left last night after seeing her and Jeremy, and they were both very encouraged. At that point in time, Jen was only being given 50% oxygen from the machine, and her oxygen levels with that were at 98%! This means that she was breathing pretty well on her own. She was sitting up in bed, drinking fluids, smiling, and looking pretty good. She had eaten half a nutrient shake earlier that day and so she had also gotten some nourishment. She will still need to be in the hospital for a few more days at least until the inflammation in her lungs decreases and she can breath completely on her own.

We want to say thank you for going to the Father for all of us and for your specific and heartfelt prayers. They made a difference! There were multiple stories and little “miracles” that I could tell you. But I think the biggest one was this: Jeremy sat us all down in the waiting room and said, “We need to have a time of thanksgiving to God for what he has done.” We all were giving praise to God and honoring him for his powerful working. The amazing thing was this: at the time that we were giving praise, she was still not completely healed. But God gave us a peace and a confidence in his loving care and in faith we were thanking him for his complete healing when complete healing had not even happened yet… she is still in ICU. I was so thankful because Jeremy’s faith and our faith in God was strengthened so much so that we were able to thank him by faith and not by sight.

We would ask that you too go to the Father and thank him for his powerful working in the life of Jen and in the lives of all of us. We sent up thousands of petitions and requests to our God; let’s give him just as much praise, and even more! He is worthy of our praise. He is a good God, and he did and is answering our prayers. Let’s let him hear praise from all the voices who asked him to help.

Praise be to God alone,
Jason

Urgent Prayer

We have called upon you all before, and we are calling upon you again. We have an urgent prayer request that we would ask you to be in prayer about:

Jen Knapp, my younger brother Jeremy’s wife, at this point in time, is in ICU in a hospital in Missouri. She is in critical condition. What started out as a kidney infection a few days ago has really taken a turn for the worse and she is now faced with the possibility of lung failure. What complicates the issue is that she is about 7 months along in her first pregnancy and so treatment is difficult. As of 9:00 this morning, she was finally sleeping for the first time in almost 2 days. My brother’s prayer request is that as she sleeps in the next 3 to 4 hours, that God would miraculously cause her lungs to improve instead of continuing on this road to lung failure. I would add that you also pray for my brother, that God would grant him peace, wisdom, and comfort as he watches his young wife and unborn child go through this painful situation.

Thank you for your prayers, they do work! You are a large body of believers and we have seen God work mighty miracles through your prayers. Thank you and keep praying.

In Christ,
Jason

Clay Pots ~ Happy 2nd Birthday

Growth

Many of you have asked what is going on with the Tobo church since we have been state side. The Tobo church is 2 years old this month. Jason was able to meet with two of our mission’s Church Planting Consultants (2 men who have “been there and done that” and know more than us!). They had both just returned from visiting our co-workers (the Mankins and Williamsons) and the Tobo church this past fall… they were there to do an “evaluation” of sorts on how things were progressing with the church. 25 pages into the write-up on the evaluation, Jason looked up and said to me how encouraged he was by it. Now I found that pretty strange, seeing that the numbers have drastically dropped, our co-workers are still dealing with the same problems, the opposition against the church is still there, and lethargy seems to be the attitude of the day. But yet Jason is encouraged. He spoke to me of the different soils into which the seed had been planted. Some did indeed take root, but the cares of this world choked out God’s truth and they are no longer hungry for the word. And yet some…well 16 or so, from what we have heard, are staying and growing and maturing. It is painfully slow growth and not always obvious to our eyes, but it is happening. Also, the consultants communicated with Jason that they were very encouraged. Again I was flabbergasted. Why were they encouraged? Because they said they saw how strong of a foothold Satan has among the Tobo people, and yet there is a maturing church in a terribly dark place. It is nothing short of a miracle! There is one tiny church among 7,000 people who are opposed to it. Wow, I guess that is encouragement!

Where there was darkness there is now a ray of light; where there was death, there now is life.

Keep Praying!
His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, Malachi & The Tobo Church

Clay Pots ~ Faith

Wow, I cannot believe that it has been this long since we last wrote a letter. I guess the holidays just really flew by. It was a special Christmas time for us as we were able to see almost every family member on both sides of our extended families. So we were at a lot of family get-togethers, and we had a great time. We rejoice in that we were able to be home and enjoy this Christmas (and a white one at that) with so many loved ones. We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends as well.

God has been particularly faithful to our family. Over this past year, we continue to see his provision almost daily in our lives. We are thanking God for his continual financial provision through all of you. Not only has God continued our support at the level where it was, but he has blessed us above and beyond that. We are here in the states and are able to see the financial stress some of you are going through… the job losses and such, and we are that much more grateful for your faithfulness. I cannot tell you how many gas cards we have received as gifts this year; it has been such a blessing to see God provide for this basic necessity. So we praise him for that, and want to thank all of you for your continued financial support for us.

God has also been faithful to heal our souls and refresh our spirits. God has taught us innumerable things on this furlough… things about himself and his faithfulness and graciousness towards us as undeserving humans who are constantly failing; things about how important the family and the body of Christ are to him; things about faith and trust and resting in our Heavenly Father. In our last letter, I mentioned some things about Joshua. Another story from Joshua which really encouraged me lately was the story of where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River. The priests had to put their feet in the water before it would part. There was an element of risk involved in that act of faith and obedience. But what struck me was the fact that all faith and obedience, if it is truly that, has an element of risk involved. What if my faith and subsequent obedience fails? What if I step in the water and it does not part? What will that say about God’s character? Could I get injured? Did God really say that? But that is what walking by faith and not by sight is all about, isn’t it? “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Yes, there is an element of risk, but that is what makes living by faith so exciting… we get to see God work where no human power or ability could. Jesus said that we are to go and make disciples of every nation. Obeying that command by faith has an element of risk to it. What if no one listens? What if I get rejected? How will God provide for me to be able to accomplish this command?

I guess what really encouraged me through this story was that it brought me back to the character of God. He is trustworthy and faithful and he will do what he said he would do. Has God ever failed me? Never. He will part the waters. He will cause that depression to cease. He will save some from every corner of the world. He will provide where he guides. He will never reject or forsake those who are his own. Knowing this about my Father assures me that my faith is not a risk at all, when my faith is in Him.

May you be encouraged in the Greatness and Faithfulness of our God. And may you step out in faith where it looks like an impossible situation.

Have a joyous and fruitful new year,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, and Malachi Knapp