Finishing Strong

In the last month I have been a part of two land based outreaches to inland villages surrounding Port Moresby! I spent hours and hours riding in the back of our truck, and although they were both challenging in different ways, I still saw God move so much, and we had so many impactful encounters with people!

I think the first miracle worth mentioning is that I led an entire outreach on my own and it wasn’t a terrible disaster! There was hiccups, yes, but God proved himself so faithful throughout each and every situation, and I also wouldn’t have been able to do it without the awesome supportive team of leaders on board the ship, as well as the extremely flexible team God gave me who were so full of grace!

There was one day that we were driving back to the ship after clinics, and our truck broke down in what I found out later was a super dangerous area. The vehicle behind us pulled over to help, and the driver just ~happened~ to be a mechanic from the enclosed company compound that we had just passed! A military vehicle then pulled over to help and stayed with us the whole time we were stuck. When it was decided that our truck wasn’t going anywhere, the mechanic arranged for us to store it at his garage overnight, and the military arranged for a LUXURY bus to drive us back to the ship! Like seriously, the inside of this thing looked like a private jet. 

The whole time I just kept thinking about how good God is. The whole situation was just SO WEIRD, like a mechanic and probably the safest people in the country pulled over to help? That doesn’t just happen! Even thinking about it now, I’m just floored by the absurdity of it and all I can do is laugh.

But we also saw God moving in ways in the clinics, like divine appointments with people in villages, and people we encountered telling us how they notice a difference in us that they like; they were encouraged by us praying for the patients in the clinic and our joy in every situation. 

I have learned so much over the last two weeks, not only about myself and my ability to lead, but about how God moves and cares for us. I am so grateful for the team I get to work with on board the ship, especially our PNG volunteers who are passionate about missions and about serving not just their own people but bringing Christ to the nations.

That’s why, over the next week or so I am going to be launching a new initiative called ‘Adopt a Crew Member’. This will be an opportunity for you to partner directly with the Papua New Guinean missionaries and help open up new opportunities for these incredible friends of mine to pursue the calling that God has placed upon their lives. Stay tuned for details on how you can be a part of their story!

What’s Next:

• Time for a break! I will be arriving back in Canada on WEDNESDAY! I’ll be home for a month, and I’m so looking forward to spending time with friends and family while I’m home!
• Continuing to get the ship ready to sail! There is still a lot of things that need to be done in order to do clinics well next year, like ready our brand new diagnostic container!