Clay Pots ~ The Choice

Muyumba (she has 3 boys and a girl)

Raina (she has 2 little girls)

2 of the women whose husbands have not believed, Muyumba’s husband is the leader of the cargo cult in our area.

For the past 5 weeks we have taught the Tobo church what the Word of God says about Baptism. We spent much time in this topic because during the course of teaching about it, we learned that being baptized will be a huge deal in the lives of our believers. Since they will be professing to all those around them that they are believers in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, they most likely will receive some form of persecution and rejection from the community and their families. Some of them are afraid that they will lose their positions in the community. Some will be formerly kicked out of their old religions, and some of the women whose husbands have not believed could be beaten. Is it worth it? According to the Word of God and to many in the Tobo church, the answer is “yes”! There are a few people in town right now, when they return, the baptismal service will be scheduled for sometime in November. We will stop up a river near our house, so that we can have a place to do it.

Can you be praying for the Tobo believers? There are some who feel that this is what they need to do in order to show the community that they now believe in Jesus’ finished work. But there are others who are scared to do it. The Church will be inviting all the surrounding villages to come and see those who are desiring to do this. We do not know what will happen to the believers after the ceremony, but we can trust God to protect them and to use this to strengthen His church here in Tobo.

Clay Pots ~ Changes

(Jason and Chad talking to the men of the Tobo church the day before Mankins left)

CHANGE: This month has a lot of change for us and for our team:

Mankins leaving ~ Our partners Chad, Janeene, and Elijah Mankins just left to go on furlough. It sure was hard to see them go, but we are anxious to see God answer prayer and bring them back here sometime next year with a new little member of their family!

Cousins ~ This past week we flew out of the tribe for our annual field conference . Jason’s sister, Kyle andJen Pederson, live here at the center in Madang town. They have been gone for the past year and added a new member to their family. So this was the fist time we got to meet our little nephew, Noah. It was a joy to see him, and to get the first picture of the “cousins” to send home for the grandparents!

(Williamsons far left of pic., Kyle n Jen on the left side of us and Mankins on the right side of us)

Conference ~ Once a year all the missionaries in our region get together for 4 days of fellowship, fun, and food! This is the only time during the year that we get to see our fellow tribal co-workers. Since we all live in isolated areas, we really enjoy getting together, in the context of our own language and culture, to worship as a body of believers. It brings tears to our eyes every time. We miss corporate worship with our home churches and this time together helps ease that yearning. We had a great time of fellowship and encouragement. We really respect and admire all of our friends who stick it out in the tribe, in order for others to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

(Clearing Williamson’s ground last week before we flew out. The little house is the literacy supply house and our house is the one behind it.)

New Partners ~ We will be flying back into the tribe with Kyle and Jen and our new partners, Jason and Nisae Williamson, in order to begin building them a home. The population of 8 white people, in Tobo land, will now be 13! We sure are looking forward to having another family join our team, so that none of us will be alone in there while the other is on furlough. We will start house building, this week, and we should have a roof up in about 3 weeks. We are praying that they will be settled in by December. Pray for them and their family during this time of adjustment. There are many changes ahead for a family with young kids.

More Pictures:

Worship at conference

Slip n slide!

Singing and Friends!!

Craft Time!

Side trip to see a WW2 crashed plane

Clay Pots ~ Sweet Potatoes

I couldn’t help but laugh to myself as I watched the Tobo people prepare the Lord’s supper yesterday. My memory kept playing back to how we Americans prepare communion. Our church elders stand in the church’s kitchen wearing their nice pressed suit and ties, pouring grape juice into little plastic communion cups. Then they quietly passing it out with the little crackers while everyone sits their silently. The formality of it always scared me a little as a kid (“What if I dropped the juice on my new dress?” “What if I sneezed?” “And why do saltine crackers always taste so much better at church?”).

There was no grape juice or crackers, and definitely no suit and ties being worn yesterday. The babies continued to cry, the little kids played soccer on the grass, and the dogs kept on barking. There was a small fire in the middle of the adults and one lady slowly turned the sweet potatoes over the open fire during the sermon on baptism. When the sweet potatoes were done, Jason and Alex took their knives and peeled them. Then Jason led us in prayer, and the sweet potatoes and water were passed around for everyone to share. And that is how we remembered our Lord’s sacrifice and death for us.

This was the first time we have done the Lord’s supper as a complete group with the believers. But there was that one time on the trail that Chad ate beef crackers with one of the guys, and a couple other times when the ladies were together drinking tea and eating sweet potatoes. We have been teaching them that we can eat and remember what Jesus did for us on the cross at any time. I love the simplicity of scripture and how Jesus took the staple of the Jews and used an everyday occurrence (eating and drinking) as a way of reminding us of what he did for us. The Tobo people have no way of getting wine or bread. But God provided them with their staple: sweet potatoes and water, for them to be able to break and eat and remember His son Jesus, and the sacrifice he made of himself for them.

Keep looking forward to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, when we will no longer have to “remember”, for we will be with Him in person!

His Clay Pots,
Jason, Kellie, Micah, Sophia, Malachi Knapp & The Tobo Church

Clay Pots ~ Baptism & Answered Prayer

During this week’s Believer’s meeting, the Tobo church will be learning about baptism! Some other religious groups in our area baptize as infants or get “baptized” into their church, so that their sins can be forgiven. Many of the believers have stopped by this past week to ask Jason what God’s Word teaches on baptism. “I thought our sins were forgiven because Jesus blood washed them away.” “Should we be baptized? And if so, why?” We love God’s timing in all of this, because Jason already had a baptism “sermon” all ready to teach, but was waiting for God’s direction on the timing of it. Now, while the church is asking about it, we can teach the truth from God’s Word. That baptism is a picture of how we died with Christ, were buried and raised again with him through belief. And that it simply identifies us with Christ before the eyes of others; but in no way washes away our sins.

In addition, Sophia told us that she wanted to be baptized! We asked her why and she said she believed and she wants to obey what the Bible says about it. We are very proud of her. We are so thankful that God’s Word is simple enough that it can be understood and obeyed by a 6 year old and yet deep enough to convict a 60 year old!

Don’t forget to keep praying for the Tobo church on Wednesday nights (which is our Thursday mornings). Pray for wisdom as Jason leads and disciples this group. And pray for the believers, that they will continue to stand strong amidst rejection and to continue to grow and reach out to others.

Answered Prayer!!!:
1. Jason talked to the Doctor’s wife and her son (the school teacher) about their leaving. She informed Jason that they were no longer going to leave because she knew the people needed them (whether the people knew it or not)! She said that she did not ask the Doctor yet (he is in town), but since it is 2 to 1 (her and the teacher), he looses, and they stay! Since becoming believers we have noticed ever so slowly a softening of this ladies heart. Praise God for her sensitivity to His leading and Praise God for you, for praying for them!

2. The total of Jason’s medevac to Australia cost approx. $30,000.00. We are praising God that everything has been covered! Our emergency evacuation insurance covered the whole flight out of the tribe and down to Australia. And our health insurance will cover 80% of the ambulance and emergency room bills (minus the deductible). God also laid it upon some of your hearts to send us financial gifts. There are no words to express our thanks to you. You are a tremendous blessing and we thank God for you! Our God is SO big!