It felt like life was on hold for Chris and Ingrid Hughes with Jonathan and Lydia, as the UK went into hibernation during lockdown but the country is starting to wake up again. God has not been hibernating, and they have seen Him do good things over the last few months…
Praise the Lord, Lydia now has her visa and is officially allowed to return with them to Papua New Guinea. This was one of the big boxes that needed to be ticked before they could head back to PNG.
The second big box they wanted to tick before returning to PNG was a visit to Norway. Praise God that restrictions have now lifted. Ingrid’s family still have not met Lydia but they hope to be in Norway for most of August and are really excited to see their family and other home again. Pray they find suitable flights over the next week.
In their little church in Liverpool, it has been a privilege for Chris to continue teaching through Genesis 1-11 together with his brother David. Recently, they have also been able to join a couple other churches via Zoom, and share about the work in PNG and their plans for moving forward. Chris has been brushing up on his video editing skills too, which they hope to put to use more in PNG to help them keep in better contact.
Being cooped up in the house, not being allowed to visit family or have guests was not what they were expecting from their time in the UK. However, God has used it to grow them as a family. They have been able to build much better routines with their children and their family devotions, deal with some unhealthy habits and grow closer to each other.
Jonathan will be three next week and is very excited to go and visit Norway soon. Lydia is eating and sleeping like a champion and is turning into a real daddy’s girl. Pray for Jonathan for God’s Spirit to work in his heart. Pray for creativity and diligence as Chris and Ingrid teach Him Truth.
Chris has made good progress with New Testament Greek. He has a long way to go before it will be a real asset to Bible Translation but he is getting there.
Pray too, for Chris and Ingrid’s walk with the Lord. Pray for God to continue to lead them out of a desert time and into a monsoon season – specifically for a deeper love for the Lord and an unshakeable trust in His goodness and plans for them.
Thank you for journeying with Chris and Ingrid and family through prayer!