What does it take to see an indigenous church established?
How do you equip the next generation to be able to give back to their communities and bring positive and sustainable change?
How do you ensure that future generations have the tools they need to facilitate growth and multiplication in their local churches?
In recent years, Jason and Nisae Williamson have come to realise the importance of answering the above questions as they further equip the Iski church. One of the additional exciting aspects of their ministry in PNG over this last year has been their involvement in Ramu Valley Academy (RVA), which is located on the centre where they live. Missionaries, Bill and Kelley Housley, founded RVA in 2019. It is a private school for PNG students in grades 7-12 that supports locally planted NTM (Ethnos360) churches (like Iski!) in order to bring the next generation into a higher level of educational understanding and spiritual maturity. The school is taught in English by qualified volunteers and many of the students board at the centre, living close to Jason, Nisae and daughter Eden, enabling them to mentor them around the clock, helping them to apply to their lives what they are learning in class. This last year Nisae was asked to be part of the RVA teaching team and enjoyed teaching a class for the 7th and 8th graders. She also enjoyed spending time with the girls outside of the classroom, playing volleyball and teaching them some skills in the kitchen. Jason has had the opportunity to give the boys drum lessons as an in road to discipleship. It has been such a blessing for them to support the church by pouring into the youth while they are out in town!
Pray that one day the Iski church will benefit for the quality education and mentorship provided by this school. Now that the Iski church has recognised leaders who are responsible and can oversee students who attend RVA, they have the opportunity to send a student out to the school for the next school year! The church has selected seven students who have been studying and preparing to take the entrance exam. When Jason and Nisae landed in PNG mid-July, Nisae was able to hike with their Iski kids to their exam site in the neighbouring language group, just a six and a half hour hike through the jungle! A girl has been selected to be part of the grade 7 class this October, she is the daughter of one of the men on the church leadership team, and grew up with Jason and Nisae’s kids in Iski!
RVA currently has grades 7-10 and plans to add a grade each year. They have been putting up new houses for teachers (most of whom have come from the USA for a short time period to volunteer) and have just started on a new class building. If you are interested in what it might take to volunteer as a teacher (opportunities anywhere from six weeks to a year) contact volunteer@ntm.org.uk If you are interested in helping fund the ongoing construction projects for the school, or sponsoring an RVA student for a year here is a link: https://ethnos360.org/projects/ramu-valley-academy.
PRAISE & PRAYER:
Praise the Lord that they received reimbursements from recent cancelled tickets.
A pastor from their sending church in Georgia visited them in PNG last month! This was their first visitor in 17 years outside of their family! It was such a blessing for them to share their lives and ministry with him for a week. Do not underestimate the blessing it is to your missionaries to have friends from home walk in their shoes for a few days!
Jason, Nisae and Eden head back into Iski this week to continue working with the church. This time it will be through some areas of struggle and division in the church. Pray for wisdom as they disciple church leadership through these things! Pray also for Jason as he continues to teach new material during this time.
Nisae and Eden will hone in on the youth in the church and have some fun things planned with them during their time. Pray that they will connect with and minister to each of them in a meaningful way.
Thank you again for your prayers and for your partnership in this ministry!