Drought

There has been so much going on here lately. I know you haven’t heard from me for a while. Our Internet has been awful. Even now we don’t have any but I thought I would write and hope to send it when I can. The Internet comes and goes. Sometimes Garth gets up very early just to try to send and receive emails or check Facebook.

We are in the midst of a terrible drought. People are saying the last time it was this bad was 1997. Airstrips in some places are being shut down because the air is so hazy and people are getting restless.  We really need rain. There are villages where people are starving because their gardens have all shriveled up. We have water at the dorm and our gardens are still growing. So that is a blessing.

We do need prayer for some unrest going on in town. The other morning there was a murder at our pasar (open air market).  The head of our organization sent us all a text asking us to stay home. Don’t go out. Since then there have been some retaliation killings. That is the way it is done here. There is no good judicial system, so the people take matters into their own hands. Life for life. They consider that fair.

We are in no danger. No one wants to harm us, but please pray for the hearts of these people. It is hard to break through age-old traditions. There is so much freedom and hope in God. I just wish they could see it.

Also pray for the missionary families serving here in Papua. Satan is having fun scattering discouragement, thoughts of failure and frustration, and loneliness around those ministering here. So many of my friends are using all their energy to just try and make it through another day. This is a tough place to live. The heat, the drought, the lack of conveniences, the fact there is never enough money and the frustration that brings, the difficulty of travel, a culture that will always tell you what they think you want to hear but don’t ever mean it, etc. I have friends leaving early, or taking an unplanned furlough, or getting ready to leave for good just because they can’t “do this” anymore. It breaks my heart.

But God knows. He knows their pain and struggles. Garth and I are doing well.  God is faithful to give us what we need each day. Tomorrow we are going out on a date!  WOW! It has been quite awhile since that happened. It will be nice to spend some time just us.

Thank you for faithfully praying for us. We need you.

Rachel