Wanted: Helix

Name: Helix
Village: Dengenu
Family: wife and 4 children (some very rowdy boys)
Position: village policeman. He takes care of domestic violence and disputes, and often leads in village courts and meetings.
Pray: Helix is a great guy, but he is quite proud and thinks he knows it all. He uses his position for leverage in the community, and he often quotes the Bible in the pidgin language as "authority" for his decisions, but the verses are often taken out of context and he doesn't understand the true meaning of the gospel. He and I have an interesting relationship, to say the least, since he was in our first literacy class. He really wants to read and understand God's word in his own language. (probably for ulterior motives, but hey, that is ok). Pray that God would grab his heart through the truth of the word in his own language. And that as he sees the unmerited grace and love of God that it would overwhelm his heart, and that he would believe the truth.

The Burden

The church is made up of people, just average, everyday black and white people who have been saved by God's grace. The burden to share the message of grace with all people is ours and yours to share. Tingon has now joined in carrying this burden and wants others in his family to hear. Please be praying that Tingon will have others of his own language group to help carry this burden with him soon.

The start of teaching is 4 weeks away.

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

Literacy

While Jason and Chad continue to prepare and translate for October 16th when the Tobo people will be taught the Word of God. Literacy classes are still going full swing. There is a class of 15 students in the village of Denganu. There is a class of 8 students in the village of Dapilu (with another class ready to go when they are done). And another class of students starting next week in the village of Masanu. The really exciting part is that these classes are being taught by the Tobo people themselves! After going through the literacy classes themselves and being trained they were ready to teach their own. Continue to pray for the literacy classes and the Tobo people. That they will desire to read the Word of God and the Bible lessons when they are made available to them in a few months.

FOUND: Tingon Willy

Praise God! Tingon Willy has just become our first Tobo brother in Christ!

Yesterday he trusted in Christ. Here is what he said:

"Ever since you taught me that the law was like a mirror (that it was there so that I could see how sinful I really am) I have been thinking about my sin. After my family falls asleep at night, I think about it. On the trail as I am walking back and forth, I think about it. In fact, I even forgot where I was going and ended up in the wrong spot because I was thinking so much about my sin. I kept coming to your house to help you translate the Bible lessons, but I felt that I was just helping everyone else in Tobo to find eternal life, but I wasn't going to be able to find it. My sins were too many and too big for God to be able to wash them away. And I would just go to the fires of hell. I was scared. I used to think Jesus could wash away my past sins, but that my future sins would heap up and then in the end God would just throw me into the fires of hell. But now I see and believe that Jesus took my place as the lamb took Isaac's place and he died just once so I could live. And his blood washed ALL my sins away, and he delivered me from my sin, death, Satan's power, and the fires of hell. I feel like the arrow of my sin that has been in my heart and in my head and giving me pain for all this time has been removed. And I am not afraid. Thank you, this is the first time I have ever heard this talk."

- Tingon Willy, 29, August 2006

Please pray that we would have fertile soil as we begin to teach God's Word to the Tobo people of the village of Dengenu in October. Pray that God would have a bountiful harvest.