follow the stories of New Tribes Mission missionaries Jason & Nisae Williamson as they work among the Tobo tribe of Papua New Guinea

WATCH OUR MINISTRY VIDEO "WASHED BY HIS BLOOD"

Friday, April 22, 2011

"I'm Staying Home" [Williamson Update]

 

 

cid:image001.jpg@01CA9ED3.344D4E10

 

 

“I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.  My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.” Ps 6:6-7

 

We have lately been experiencing the grief and groaning of David in the psalm above, and have felt the opposition he felt in Psalm 3:1 below…

 

“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!  Many are they are they who rise up against me.”

 

We got together this week with 2 of the faithful Tobo believers, Welsin & Daisa to discuss what to do about having a believer’s meeting on Friday.  As part of the Tobo culture, everyone normally “does church” on good Friday to respect the day that Jesus died, and to pray for the food in their new gardens so they will reap a good harvest.  As we considered the empty tradition, and the ramifications of holding to that if we met on Friday with the believers (although most of them understand we do not need to follow the Law or the religious traditions in order to be saved) we decided that we would not meet in order to be an example to the rest of the unbelieving community and to show that the beliefs we hold are different than theirs.  We also wanted the believers to be an example to Unex and his wife and to the other family who we have been teaching, that church & the law cannot save us.

 

On Friday morning however, all the believers showed up to meet anyways, including Unex’s wife.  Jason and I quickly explained to everyone again that we were not meeting and why, but they disregarded our talk and went up to Welsin’s house to meet.  I desperately explained to Unex’s wife why it was not important to meet, and that following the law and the Tobo church traditions did nothing to save us!  I encouraged her not to follow the rest up to meet, but to stay with me and talk about what she’s been learning throughout the teaching.  She did so, and during our conversations, she mentioned that her husband, Unex, thought it was a waste of time to come to church this morning. 

 

She explained, “He told me ‘I’m staying home, because going to church will not save me.  Jesus already has saved me and I believe in Him, so I’m staying home.’  Why do you feel like you need to go?”  She responded to him in a disrespectful manor and left, disgusted that he was not going to church like everyone else. 

 

I was so excited to hear about his decision that I told her, “I think your husband understands the root of God’s talk, that belief is what is big and not the things we do!”  I continued to encouraged her to follow God’s Word, and not the lives of other people.  Please pray that this was an important lesson for her and that my words (or rather God’s Word) sinks deep into her heart and breaks away at it so she will believe.

 

 As we sat on my porch and watched the rest of the Tobo church head on up to meet, I shuttered to think that THEY were the ones that were supposed to be the examples for Unex’s family, and yet Unex had the faith to stand up to everyone and say “I’m staying home!”  Jason, hearing this, walked to Unex’s house to strengthen His faith.  When he returned he said “well, at least we know that Unex is saved!!”  Indeed, God had taken the opportunity through the heartache on Friday to show us where Unex is at in His understanding and we are praising the Lord for his Salvation!

 

Please, please pray for the Tobo church.  It seems at times even they are against us and we are crying out to the Lord for His direction and for a breakthrough in their lives.

 

We are thankful for David’s faith and that when He cried out to God, He always knew that God would hear him and answer him.  We can have the same confidence today, and so as we read Psalm 3 last night at the end of an emotional day, we echoed David’s prayer “But You, O Lord area  shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head… I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.  I will  not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around!”

 

Thank you for continuing to pray for the outreach in Dabiliu.  After many interruptions in the last 10 days we will hopefully be finishing next Friday.  Please remember the other 3 people in your prayers & praise the Lord with us for Unex’s decision to believe!

 

Your sometimes weary but always hopeful Hands & Feet,

 

Jason, Nisae, Kadynn, Judah & Eden

 

Please respond to: jason_williamson@ntm.org

Send mail to: Jason & Nisae Williamson

New Tribes Mission PMB

Madang, MP 511  Papua New Guinea

www.handsandfeet.net

 

 

www.NTM.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

0 comments: