Geoff Husa has been pushing hard to finalise some revisions on 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Revelation and updating key terms across the entire New Testament translation for the Mibu of Papua New Guinea. A longstanding technical issue with the translation software was finally resolved, which required adding a second refurbished computer to handle the load, but now things are running smoothly again. Praise the Lord! All this behind-the-scenes work is unglamorous, but it is essential. They are getting very close to having these letters ready to print (booklet form), a huge milestone.
A young man, loosely connected to the notorious gang that in the past caused much trouble in the area, has been causing increasing trouble in the community. Recently he attacked one family by destroying their garden, burning their house, and causing further damage. The Mibu believers feel stuck. They fear retaliation from the gang if they take action, and police involvement is extremely difficult because of both the remoteness and the shortage of police personnel in the region.
Please pray for:
• Protection and safety for the community
• True justice
• Wisdom for the church leaders
• God to move in the hearts of the right people to bring lasting law and order
This is a heavy burden for them.
Another tension is regard to a proposed road from the coast up into the mountains. The idea generated excitement in many communities. However, since Geoff’s coworker who was spearheading the discussion has left PNG, some of those communities are becoming frustrated that the project will not be moving forward. What is especially heartbreaking is that one of the church plants, a group of believers whom the Mibu church has discipled for years, is expressing frustration toward the leaders in Mibu rather than toward the source of the problem. They are struggling to trust. This could easily become a relational wound if the Lord does not intervene.
Please pray that:
• Both groups would be able to reason together with humility
• The enemy would not gain a foothold
• Unity in Christ would prevail
• The Gospel itself would shine even brighter through reconciliation
These situations, combined with the fallout from losing a coworker, make it more urgent that Geoff is able to devote as much time as possible to translation and essential lesson development.
Pray for the Lord to provide the support for Geoff and Shannon to focus on ministry.