We actually celebrated Christmas on the 22nd this year in anticipation of a trip up to the village on Christmas Day to watch their yearly Christmas sing sing (a dance in which they dress up in traditional clothing). So we hiked our family 20 minutes up the mountain to watch. We were disappointed when we saw the men dancing. There wasn’t a huge crowd, and they weren’t dressed in all traditional clothing. Instead, they wore crosses strapped around their foreheads! We thought “aw, we’re not going to get any cool tribal pictures to put in our update!” However, after we thought about it some more we realized that this was a perfect picture of what things are like almost everywhere in PNG. The name of Jesus has been heard in almost every tribe in PNG. Most people just attach that name to the list of all the other names they know and it’s added on to their belief system. What we were seeing were people who did not understand who Jesus is and what He came to earth for. They were just going through the motions of what they think is “spiritual” without understanding of the truth. It’s a perfect picture of why we’re here!
On the 27th we had the privilege of celebrating Christmas with the Tobo believers. It what was their first Christmas celebration as believers. We had a great time singing together and then Jason gave His testimony of salvation which was followed by several other testimonies of Tobo men and women. It was a great time of remembering what the Lord did for us by sending Jesus to this earth. Following the testimonies, the Tobo men and women discussed baptism again. A date was finally set for January 10th, which was something we’ve been waiting for them to do for a while now. Many said “God’s Word commands this, so we just need to do it.” Others said “We need to stop being scared and just do it!” We were excited to see some of the men step up and say these things. Many of the believers will be kicked out of the “religious group” they were in if they choose to be baptized. Please continue to pray for these believers as they take stands for the Word of God, against other religious groups & against fellow Tobo men and women. Finally, what would a true Christmas celebration be if it did not involve food? At the end we all joined in a feast of sweet potatoes, pumpkin, green beans & cabbage which different families had contributed. Kellie & I made popcorn for everyone as our contribution J. What a yummy Christmas dinner!! The celebration lasted well into the afternoon.
In the midst of all the Holiday celebrations, Jason and I will celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary on the 30th! I am blessed to be married to a man that is passionate in serving the Lord & faithful to lead and serve his family as well. Unfortunately we won’t be able to hit Red Lobster & a movie for an evening out, but our partners are going to watch our kids for the evening and we’re going to enjoy some Oreo Jello Cheescake from the States J next to a warm fire – close enough!
What an honor to be here as part of God’s plan to bring the ends of the earth into a TRUE knowledge of Him. As you thank the Lord for all He’s done this Holiday season, remember to thank Him for building His church among the Tobo people. Thank you for all you do in keeping us here.
