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Patrick arrived back in PNG on July 14th just in time for the 2017 elections.  As he arrived he was informed that 3 men in a nearby village had been killed because of election tensions and there are threats from the village next door that CLTC’s hatchery will be burned down if the candidate they support is not elected.  In Mt. Hagen (the town closest to CLTC) there have been closures of airlines, banks, fuel distributors, supermarkets and trucking companies. Patrick’s request is that all the tension will not endanger the students and prevent them from being able to go on evangelism and outreach ministries in the local communities. And of course, our prayer is for godly, capable leaders for Papua New Guinea.

Meanwhile, back in the U. S.  we have enjoyed SUMMERTIME…

Summer would not be complete without a few days in Deep Creek NC…

We had a quick visit to Ohio where we spoke in two different churches and had some sweet time with Patrick’s extended family.  As usual, we heard some hilarious stories around the campfire.  And we were given strict instructions…”What is said around the campfire stays around the campfire.” 🙂

OUR DUCT TAPED NEW (to us) CAR

So…for only the second time in our married life Patrick and I had to search for and buy a car.  We admit it – one of the perks of being a missionary is that friends and family have always loaned, given, or searched for an inexpensive car for us to buy to use during our furloughs.  Our “classic” 1999 Saturn was hit from behind and totaled about 2 weeks before Patrick was scheduled to leave.  We had to buy a new car in a hurry – which we know is not the ideal way to buy a car.  Long story short we settled on a 2005 Honda Accord.  Two different mechanics confirmed that we got a good car.  That was encouraging based on what happened next….

1. About 2 days after we bought the car Patrick was driving it with the windows down and most of the fabric on the inside of the car came detached from the roof.  We discovered that it has deteriorated and is pretty costly to replace, so we opted use duct tape to attach the fabric to top of the back window.
2. Later that same day was the very first time Patrick and I were in the Honda together and we pulled into a gas station. Patrick was just about to start pumping gas when a utility van backed into the car. We felt a jolt, heard a crack,  and discovered that the front bumper had a new about a 4 inch slit in it.  The van driver (a sweet little guy of Asian origin) gave me his driver’s license and insurance info.  Both were out of of date…So the front bumper also has blue duct tape on it.

Does God have  a sense of humor or what?  All this reminded us not to hold too tightly to earthly “treasures.”  Both Benjamin and Karis rebuked me (Jan) for being so bummed about the duct tape.  It IS a nice color of blue…I forced myself to quote one of our family favorites ….”It’ll be funny at Thanksgiving. ”

KRISTIN-  completed her year long internship with Passion City Church in May and promptly went with some other interns on a trip to Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.  She says Austria was absolutely beautiful.  When we saw the pictures we had to agree because the mountains remind us of those in Papua New Guinea.  Right now Kristin is filling in for a full-time Passion City employee who is on maternity leave.  Then we will see where the Lord takes her at the end of August. She has some exciting possibilities but nothing definite yet.

BENJAMIN-  just completed a summer class at the University of North Georgia and has been waiting tables at seafood grill restaurant.  His initial impression is that he really likes getting paid for being nice to people. 🙂   This fall Benjamin will be taking 3 classes (10 credit hours) on campus and continuing to work part-time.  We are very thankful that he is continuing to make progress in school and is holding down a job.  Praise the Lord!

KARIS –  It is hard to believe that Karis will be starting her senior year of high school in just a couple of weeks.  She continues to enjoy working with young children and is leaning towards pursuing a nursing degree specializing in pediatrics.

JAN – After much prayer about her job situation Jan has ended up at Aldi. She is a huge Aldi fan and loves their philosophy of hard work and no frills and great prices.  She knew it would be physically difficult at first, and it has been hard to get up to speed on the cash register.  (If you have never been to Aldi you need to go and you’ll see what we mean by speed on the cash register.)

It is humbling to be the learner instead of the teacher but this job requires no lesson plans or grading. 🙂 This has also given her time to do some mentoring at church and she may tutor in math and/or science when school starts.

PATRICK –is back in Papua New Guinea for 8 weeks.  He is busy teaching Evangelism, Church and Ministry, and Eschatology, and supervising a student completing a self-study on the book of Revelation.  Our next update will share about this trip.

PRAISE:

1.  New jobs for Jan and Benjamin.
2. The opportunity Kristin had to serve at Passion City Church this past year.
3. A special gift from special friends that came just in time to help us with our Duct Tape Car.
4. Good health and continued open door for Patrick to teach at CLTC.
5. Love and encouragement that come from being part of the Body of Christ.  What a privilege!

PRAY:

1. Godly leaders for Papua New Guinea and that Christians will be honest peacemakers in the midst of election tension and violence.
2. Clear understanding for the CLTC students of evangelism and follow-up as they take what they learn in the classroom into the streets and market places.
3. Jan will quickly adjust to the physically demanding expectations of her new job and that she will be able to spend more time mentoring/discipling and in hospitality.
4. Guidance for Karis as she moves into her senior year and has decisions to make about college and a course of study.
5. That all of the Halls will build our lives on the Rock. Matthew 7:26-27.