Recently Jason Williamson was blessed to have been able to spend three weeks in PNG re-connecting, encouraging, and working alongside the Iski.
He had the opportunity to sit down with some of the elders to hear firsthand how God has been working in their lives. One of the elders in a village, had previously shared about the deep conflict he and his wife were experiencing in their marriage. Today, Jason is thankful to report that God has answered many prayers and done an incredible work. Instead of responding with anger or bitterness, towards his wife he chose to show her the same grace that Christ had shown him. With faithful ministry from fellow elders and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, her heart began to soften. The change is unmistakable. She attends every meeting, participates in the discussions, and prays with the church. A beautiful reminder that God is still in the business of changing the hardest of hearts.
What struck Jason most about this story is how few earthly resources they have to lean on. Apart from the teaching they’ve received from the missionaries they don’t have access to marriage conferences, Christian counsellors, podcasts, or shelves full of helpful books. They have God’s Word, the fellowship of their local church, the example of fellow believers and missionaries, and most importantly the indwelling Holy Spirit. And yet, that was enough.
The Gospel shaped the response. He understood that marriage is not a covenant built on performance—”If you do your part, then I’ll love you.” Instead, marriage reflects Christ’s relationship with His church. It is a covenant marked by grace. Christ loved us while we were still sinners, and He calls us to love with that same undeserved, sacrificial love.
It is amazing to watch what happens when the Gospel takes root in someone’s heart. As believers meditate on Christ’s grace, the Gospel begins to reshape not only what they believe but also how they love, forgive, and persevere.
Would you continue to pray for them, they are a foundational couple in the church, and the enemy would love nothing more than to undo what God has restored. Please pray that their marriage would continue to grow stronger, that they would model Christ’s love to others in the village, and that God would use their testimony to draw many more Iski people to Himself.
One of his primary goals during the trip back to M village was to make significant progress on the remaining 3,000+ verses that still need to be proofread before they can move forward with typesetting and, ultimately, printing the Iski New Testament. The complete New Testament is already translated and finished they are only doing the final read through to catch any previous unnoticed errors.
With the help of a wonderful team of Iski believers, Jason spent long days – often ten hours at a time – carefully working through the text together. By God’s grace, they were able to proofread and edit well over 2,000 verses during the trip!
They completed Matthew, Luke, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, leaving only John, 2 Corinthians, and Ephesians still to be finished.
The finish line is finally coming into view. Lord willing, it won’t be long before the Iski people hold the completed New Testament in their own language. What an incredible day that will be!
Each time Jason returns, the elders ask him to prepare teaching on topics that address the church’s current needs. This visit, they spent time studying what God’s Word says about walking by the Spirit and exercising self-control over anger, the power and effectiveness of prayer from James 5, raising godly children, honouring God marriage, and – for the young people – the importance of marrying a fellow believer. It was both a privilege and a responsibility to open God’s Word with them and encourage them in areas where they continue to grow. He was especially encouraged by their eagerness to learn, their thoughtful questions, and their desire to faithfully apply the Scriptures to everyday life. Please pray that these truths would continue to take root in their hearts and bear fruit in their families, their church, and their witness to those around them.