Chris and Ingrid Hughes with Jonathan and Lydia returned to Papua New Guinea two months ago and have been in Hoskins for a whole month already! They praise God for the incredible things He has done to get them there all the way from Liverpool during a global pandemic! Hoskins is NTM’s support centre for the Eastern (Islands) Region of PNG and this is where they will be based for the foreseeable future. It is where the support missionaries for the region live and work, and where the tribal missionaries often go for a break.
They are feeling more and more settled. It is hot and humid, but they are glad to be in Hoskins and are grateful that rainy season seems to be drawing to a close. That means it is dry enough to get their laundry to dry properly!
The kids are adjusting well. Jonathan is starting to learn his numbers and letters and is enjoying getting to know the other children on the centre. Lydia loves being entertained by people hoping to get one of her ridiculously cute smiles. The kids both loved their first visit to the local beach; it is volcanic so the sand is black.
Right now, Chris and Ingrid are trying to figure out what options are available to them to join a tribal church planting work. Pray for clear guidance and wisdom as they consider options for co-workers and tribe.
The next thing on their calendar, which will help them to sift through the options, is a bush trip to live with the people in an existing work where a church has been established for about ten weeks. A missionary family is already working there but they are asking for help and Chris and Ingrid want to see if this opportunity could be a good fit for them. In the meantime, they are getting stuck into work at the centre.
Pray for Papua New Guinea as Covid cases rise, for wisdom for those in government and healthcare workers. There has been an increase in restrictions. Schools have shut temporarily and travel is very limited. Pray that God will use these challenges for good for His work in PNG. Pray for Chris and Ingrid that it would be possible for them to visit Mengen soon. So please pray that God will make the next steps clear to them and that they will have calm and trusting hearts in the meantime.
Pray for patience and wisdom to know how to navigate the new restrictions, especially in relation to moving forward towards a tribe.
Chris and Ingrid are so grateful for your prayers!