Beautiful Feet

How beautiful are the feet of those who spread good news Romans 10:15

I was talking with someone today who said the irony of this verse is that most missionaries feet really are not beautiful. Our feet here most of the time are terribly muddy or dusty depending on the day. It has rained here everyday for the last week and half. It never fails to really pour down around 4:30pm about the same time I walk home everyday. One of the days I started walking and someone picked me up and took me the rest of the way. There isn't the same danger of getting in cars with strangers here as there is in America. Thank goodness. Today I got dropped off only to slip in the grass walking to the door. Would have been a nice move if I were playing baseball, but not so pretty in a skirt. Flip flops and sandals are the shoe of choice here, but I haven't really figured out why. I am much safer in my tennis shoes.

Even though their feet may not be pretty, many of these people here truly are beautifl. So many families have given up everything they have known to further translation of the Bible. Many leave there college children and come back here. Some are very young and just starting families and some are retired and this is what God has led them to do in their retirement. How amazing are these people. It is quite a sacrifice to learn a new language and a new location. The beauty of Ukarumpa is that not only are we interacting with Papua New Guineans but we have privilege to interact with people from all over the world from many different denominations.

I recently visited with a couple from Ireland. John and Wendy Bailey are here with their 3 kids. It's quite neat how encouraging one couple can be in such a short amount of time. They took time to pray with me and for me. I was encouraged that evening and anticipate spending more time with them. I ask that you pray for them as they are making lots of decisions. Illnesses in the family and one daughter is graduating this year and the other possibly next year. If you wouldn't mind please lift them up in prayer for direction God would have them take.

This last week and half has been quite crazy for me. Other than being a little homesick, we have had some tragic events in last few days. These events have made people here a little stressed and combine that with continuous rainy days. God is in the midst of doing some amazing things and I would venture to say Satan doesn't like it. One of our members this past Saturday had a child run out in front of the car out of town and the child was killed. This is a difficult situation for here in PNG, the rule eye for and eye still applies. We are praying for justice in the court systems and protection for this family.

This past weekend I was able to go with the Parkers to Goroka, a town a couple of hours from Ukarumpa. The drive was amazing! The kids were so excited and using their binoculars to as they say "get a glimpse". We were able to do some 2nd hand shopping and eat in a restaurant. It was very therapeutic for me and I really enjoyed spending time with my Australian friends.

I have about 5 weeks left here and I pray that I will continue to accomplish the things God desires for me here in Ukarumpa. I am glad to report I have slept well 3 nights in a row. As I have said before I have been having difficulty sleeping, and it was really starting to effect me and my work so I am thankful for prayers that have allowed me to sleep better.

I am continuing to learn so much about God's Word and His Will for us as His children. I am learning more of God's Power through the Holy Spirit. More than ever I know God has so much planned for me more than I could ever ask, think, or imagine.

Until next time...