Pray For Us

Dear friends and family,

We have finally found a way in for an exploratory trip. Our three men left this morning and will hopefully meet with the Morokojen elders on Thursday.

We got a report from Nagishot that was encouraging. Pastor William and our language helper Dario have been investigating on our behalf.

They have reported that it has rained several times and (for the following reasons) feel that it is now reasonably safe for a meeting to take place with the community in which they have asked David to attend.

In an email to David they noted:

Th Morokojen (MO) community has been seriously shamed by these events. Word has spread throughout Didinga and adjacent areas and all are condemning the "primitive ways" which have chased the whites away. At the Nagishot clinic women from both Mikiria (MK) and MO communities have suffered verbal ridicule and shame from other women. This has happened at Chukudum Hospital also; where a MO women with retained placenta was taken and it was pointed out that her own community’s actions of driving the whites away necessitated her coming this great distance. (a day’s walk) The Chukudum (CK) commissioner has asked chiefs of your area why they allowed this to happen. The Catholic Bishop was in CK the weekend after your evacuation and publicly declared in Sun AM service that these events bring shame and lack of progress to Didinga communities. The Torit FM radio broadcasts in Didinga on Thursdays, and they named the MO community as the cause of this shameful event.

The MK community has not pursued this matter even without David's presence, because they believe the troublemakers are in hiding and may have fled the area. (Perhaps this is why they did not show for William's long wait last Thursday- my speculation only).

Well, I hope this gives you a picture of our findings in this visit. Although it has not accomplishing the goals we had anticipated, we believe it is God's provision for this step. I find the (1) presence of rain, (2) presence of Chief Charles, ( back in the area) and (3) broad reaction of larger communities in denouncing the expulsion as strong indicators of the reasonable safety of your return at least for the Thursday meeting. I hope and pray you will likewise find it sufficient reason to attend"

This of course is good news and could enable us to return yet nothing is final. There is still a ton of uncertainties and though our elders and the surrounding communities are behind us we have still not met with the Morokujen community. We are hoping to cover this meeting with prayer.

Here’s how you can help:

Pray for the safety of our men. David Miller (husband and father), Shawn Hart ( husband to team member Carly) and Bill Kay are our representatives. A plane will wait on the airstrip just in case things go sour. Jon Hildebrandt is the pilot.

Pray that if it is the Lords will the meeting will take place Now that the rains have come, a storm could prevent the flight. However, we are praying that if the meeting is not in God’s will and/or the men would be in danger that he use whatever means to prevent the meeting. Pray that he soverignly directs the weather.

Pray that if the meeting does takes place it will accomplish two things.

1) Pray that the meeting will address the real issues. Didinga meetings tend to dance around and get sidetracked. Pray that the right people will be in attendance and that our men can get a clear read as to the community’s attitude towards us. We want some assurance that we won’t be blamed for everything that goes wrong, that the community wants us to come back, and of course, clear direction from God.

2) Pray that the gospel can be proclaimed. Heb 9 says just as “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctified them so they were outwardly clean. How much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our conscience from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.” We hope that, regardless if we get to return or not, those at the meeting will hear the gospel message and that it will stir in their hearts as truth.

Pray lastly, that we regardless of the outcome, our team will be at peace. We are learning to wait on God and how to better align ourselves in abandonment of self to whatever God desires.

May God be glorified In these hills

Thanks and I'll keep you informed, ELLY <><