July Prayer Letter

“Summer” time = VBS
For many of you summer means a change of weather, camping, and Vacation Bible School! In Papua New Guinea we don’t have much of a change in weather (though this year is challenging that a bit). We don’t do any camping, but we did have Vacation Bible school this year. A couple ladies here on center headed up VBS this year with materials sent from one of their home churches. We had singing, Bible lessons, snacks, crafts and games. There were about 35 missionary children from our center and others nearby that came to our four day VBS. I had the privilege of organizing and leading crafts. I loved having each of the four age groups for 20 minutes at a time and helping them with their craft.

The kids seemed to love the opportunity to have a structured learning and play time during the long school break. We don’t have local parks or extended family to visit so the 7 or 8 weeks of school break can seem long. This helped break up our break and reinforced Biblical truths of God’s power, His presence, and His truthfulness.

School!!
The beginning of school has me all excited! I have had lots of time to prepare and I am ready to begin. However, we have had to postpone the beginning of school this year in hopes that a few of our teachers will arrive on time. School was to start on July 27 and now we are beginning on Aug. 3. This week long extension has allowed 3 of our staff members to arrive before school starts. Our grade 3 teacher will not be able to be here at the beginning, but we hope that she will arrive just a couple weeks late. Please continue to pray for her entry visa to come through soon.
This year I will begin the year with just 15 students in grades 4 and 5. It is the fewest students I have had in a class since 2002! I will work my way up to 20 students by January as families have had to delay due to finances, furloughs, and other family issues. Please pray for my class as we welcome students throughout the year.

Hannah Update
Hannah has had some ups and downs this month. She was very weak at one point and in severe pain. She went up to the hospital and found out that her gall bladder needed to be removed, but after an exploratory surgery they decided that it could wait until she was a little stronger and the gall bladder was not as inflamed. Please pray for her and her family as the surgery is scheduled for July 27.

Praise/Prayer Points
• Praise that many of our teachers have arrived and are getting ready for school to begin on Aug. 3rd.
• Pray for Hannah’s surgery on the July 27th.
• Pray for our 3rd grade teacher as she is still awaiting her entry visa. Pray that she will be able to arrive soon after school starts.

June 2011 Update - Gail's Greetings

My PNG Home…
May 28th I arrived in Papua New Guinea after 11 months of home assignment. I loved being in the US with my family, friends and churches, but I also loved “coming home” to the family that the Lord has given me here in PNG.

I made it in time to be involved with 6th Grade Promotion. This group of students were my students in grades 3, 4, and 5. They are very dear to my heart and I was so happy to share their special day.

Then the next day was our high school graduation. It is a huge celebration here. More work goes into NCA’s grad than into most weddings. This is the final good-bye these students have before they head back to their home countries. I had the privilege of teaching these students when they were 6th graders and have watched them grow up into young adults. Such a joy it is to see them following the Lord and seeking Him for guidance.

Graduation evening is a time that we say goodbye to not only the seniors but those going on home assignment. I was able to spend time with some dear friends, many of whom will be in the US for the summer or for the next year.

What’s Next…
Now that graduation is over and many people have left, what do I do? I will be getting ready for the next school year. School begins July 28th and we hope to have a bunch of new teachers. Over the next few weeks I will be setting up my house, preparing my classroom, setting up some of the new peoples’ houses, working on our school accreditation tasks and visiting with those that are left here at Lapilo. I am looking forward to being back in the classroom. It has been a year without teaching and I am ready to teach again! Setting up my house is always fun. I love to organize things and I have plenty to sort though. Then there is the job of setting up some of the new teachers’ houses and praying for their arrival. There is work to be done at school for our accreditation so I will help with that and finally… I will hopefully be an encouragement to those that are still here at Lapilo over the long break.

Hannah Update…
I recently read that Hannah’s blood counts are improving and if she continues, there is a chance that she will be able to move back home at the end of June. Hannah’s body has switched to her sister’s blood type, which is a sign that the transplant is working. It has been hard on the D’Arcy family to be apart all this time, so please pray that Hannah will be well enough to be away from the hospital so that she and her mom can return home.

Praise and Prayer Points…
• Praise that I had a safe trip back to PNG and had a wonderful time reconnecting with friends.
• Pray that Hannah may return home at the end of the month.
• Pray for the new teachers that will be coming to PNG next month - for their visas and the goodbyes that have to be said.

NCA Graduation

Graduation at Numonohi Christian Academy (NCA) is a whole evening of celebration. We take pictures before, during, and after Grad. Here is my dear friend Joanie. Her son Cooper is one of the 11 graduates this year.

I got a picture taken with the graduate himself, but it was taken by the graduation photographers and I don't have it yet. Jacqueline and Hayley are Cooper's sisters (Jacqueline flew back for his graduation this year). So good to see the whole family.
Here is a blurry pic of Cooper and his friend Joash walking in. Cooper is on the right. I taught both these guys in 6th grade.

Here are the stage and the graduates. They all sat on comfy couches during the ceremony.

And the graduating class of 2011!!

After graduation we take more pictures of good friends. Here is my friend Carmen and me.

We especially like to take pictures of our dear friends that are leaving for home assignment. Here I am with my "nieces" Rachel and Emily. Sure going to miss these girls!

And finally some of my girlfriends. It was fun to be together at graduation and to celebrate our students. Too bad we couldn't all look in the same direction at the same time.

6th Grade Promotion

I got back to PNG in time to celebrate with some of my former students. These 6th graders were my students for 3 years - grades 3, 4, and 5. It was fun to hear some of them share their testimonies. They are truly growing up!

The 6th graders had a special reception after the promotion ceremony.

I taught all except the girl in the orange dress, though I have know that girl since she was 4. So I felt pretty close to all of these lovely kids.
After the reception I was able to join them for a trip to town. We went in for lunch and some fun and games... Here they are jumping rope.

There was lots of swimming and even an opportunity to throw their 6th grade teacher into the pool. So glad it was him and not me.

Gail's Greetings
May Prayer Letter

Highlights of Home Assignment...
Nearly 11 months ago I arrived in Seattle from Papua New Guinea. I was met by my sister and her kids which began a string of great memories with my family. From 4th of July to camping, birthdays to holidays, shopping trips to baseball games, all have created a slideshow of memories. I am so thankful for a sister, brother and parents that value family and have made time together a priority this year while I am home. They have even put up with my need for family pictures.

This time of home assignment has also allowed me to reconnect with great friends. I have done road trips around the Pacific Northwest. I flew out to both the north and south of the East Coast to see supporters and friends and make new friends. I have been able to spend time in Oregon at my home church, share with my Friday Harbor church, and still spend quite a bit of time in Wenatchee, even sharing what God is doing in PNG with a new congregation. I was able to get items together to ship to PNG and recently heard that they have arrived after 4 months of travel.

Now I am down to just a few days until I leave for Papua New Guinea. I have loved my time here, but now I am ready to head back to the ministry God has called me to. I love teaching our missionary kids and being involved in their lives. I am really looking forward to attending graduation, where 6 of the graduates were in my 6th grade class back in 2004-05. What a joy it is to have watched them grow up.

After the craziness of graduation and saying goodbye to all the many people that will be leaving for home assignment, I will be able to set up my house and classroom, do some projects for the school and spend some time with people that aren’t leaving our center. I will also be looking forward to the return of friends and arrival of new coworkers.
Please pray for me as I say goodbye to family, travel a very long distance and then settle back in my PNG home. Thank you for being a part of my life. Your partnership has made it possible for me to serve the Lord and assist in reaching unreached people. You are a blessing!


Hannah Update...
In the May 18th update from the D’Arcy family they wrote this about Hannah…”Her blood counts seem to have plateaued at their current levels. In general we need all of them to go higher. She has gained 2 pounds over the past few weeks which is going the right direction now, again she needs to gain quite a bit more. Hannah began physical therapy last week. She goes twice a week to get some focused physical rehab.”

Hannah was able to go home for her sister’s graduation which was a huge blessing for her even though visitors were to be limited.

“We just found out that Hannah is eligible for a managed care insurance program from the state after her she reaches the maximum benefit through our private insurance this year. This is a real praise & answer to prayer because we were denied this coverage last year. Thanks for praying about this for us. This is a really long road and so many of you have been walking right along with us and praying us through, we can’t thank you enough.”

March Prayer Letter

Gail’s Greetings
March 2011
Assisting in Church Planting by Ministering

to Missionary Kids in Papua New Guinea

Prayer and Praise Points
• Praise that I have been able to purchase my return tickets for the end of May to PNG!
• Pray for Hannah D’Arcy’s health and for strength for the whole D’Arcy family
• Pray for the Smiths and the Dinangat believers as they continue to grow in Christ.

Tribal Church Planting Update
This is an excerpt from the recent prayer letter of Gary and Esther Smith, missionaries in the Madang region of PNG...
“Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire.?”
Acts 19:18-19

Charis (Smith’s daughter) and I (Gary) hiked (3.5 hrs) to the neighboring village to visit and encourage the new believers. They are currently teaching through the book of Acts. Every week 2 bible teachers make this trek to continue this teaching. They take the lessons we taught them a while back here in our village and teach them up there. As I sat there and listened to these two young men teach and explain the scriptures I literally fought back the tears. It’s like watching a miracle before my eyes, God changing these people from the inside out!

Then another miracle unfolded before us. As they taught the new believers through the above story that took place in Ephesus, the main village leader (Areke – pictured) just after this story, teaching still going on, walks over to his house and comes back with a little bag. After the teaching time he gets up and shows everyone his bag of tricks (literally!) and burns them in front of everyone! He said that the things in this bag represent idolatry and wants nothing more to do with them. The man I was sitting next to had tears in his eyes and hung his head. It was amazing to witness. Worth every step up and down those mountains to get there.

As Charis and I hiked home (another 3 hours!) we had plenty of time to talk. She shared that she too was amazed and challenged to lay aside every weight that encumbers us. The Apostle John had it so right, that there is no greater joy that to see your children walking in truth! My very own children and the children of God here in Dinangat that we get the distinct privilege of serving.

Keep Praying for the D’Arcys
Thank you so much for your prayers for Hannah and her family. Hannah has been back in the hospital for a while now. She went in with a high fever and then had surgery to check on the infection in her sinuses. Her fever went down some and then she started her chemo regimen for the second transplant. Her sister Meagan is also in the hospital now. She had her central line put in today and so she and Hannah are ready to begin the transplant tomorrow.
Hannah has had some negative effects from the chemo and so that is a little discouraging. Keep praying for the whole family as they walk through this process

Gail’s Life
Just wanted to let you know that I am doing well. I have been traveling around a bit. I had a wonderful time in Friday Harbor and now am back in Wenatchee. I get the opportunity to share what God has been doing in PNG with Calvary Crossroads this weekend. Then I head out to Georgia and Florida to visit friends, supporters and the NTM headquarters. I have been so thankful for the many ways God has provided for me over these last few weeks.

February Prayer Letter 2011

Gail's Greetings
Assisting in Church Planting by
Ministering to Missionary Kids
in Papua New Guinea


Praise/Prayer Points

Praise that I have been able to purchase my return tickets to PNG!
Pray for Hannah D’Arcy’s health and for strength for the whole D’Arcy family
Pray for the Akolet people and the missionaries in that tribal location.


NEWS ABOUT HANNAH

After I sent out last month’s prayer letter I got a few inquiries about how Hannah D’Arcy was doing. It touched my heart to have you all praying for my dear friend. I hadn’t heard much news during the month of January, but soon after I wrote you, I started getting updates…

Feb.7…This is Hannah. Today I went to the clinic for a checkup thingy and my platelet count and red-blood cell count are really low! It is kinda discouraging that they aren't doing good like my white-blood cell count …

Feb 9... (also from Hannah) Today I also had a CBC done and my platelets actually came up!!!! Thanks sooo much for all you guys that prayed. My red blood cell count is still very low.

Feb 15...Hannah had her biopsy yesterday without too much trouble... Today we met the doctor to go over the biopsy results... Hannah is producing white blood cells fine, but is not producing platelets or red blood cells like she needs to.
At this point the doctors are working with some medicines to see if they can help her body right this situation. The D’Arcys continue to wait. The latest update...

Feb 22...(from Hannah’s dad) Even though we’re waiting to see if the medication will yield any progress, the doctor is preparing for the next step; another stem cell transplant from Meagan (sister). If this is needed Meagan will be able to donate the stem cells from her peripheral blood through a process called pheresis. In much the same way a kidney dialysis is done; Meagan’s blood would be taken out of one vein, the stem cells are filtered out, and then the rest of the blood is returned to Meagan through another vein. This would be seen as a boost to the original transplant, not another full-blown transplant like before. It would however involve Hannah having to take some more chemotherapy.
Please continue to lift this family up in prayer. Hannah and her mom are living 3 hours from the rest of the family.


AKOLET UPDATE...

This is an excerpt from Adam and Julie Martin, who are at week 8 of teaching “Creation to Christ.”..

We've done 42 lessons. 28 are still to go. It's like we've been preparing all season for the BIG GAME, and now that we're over halfway into it, we're getting tired, our spirits are lagging. If only we had some real spirited coach to get all fired up and give us an inspiring pep talk to rally us as we're sitting, sweaty and exhausted and discouraged, in the locker room. Oh wait, we do have a Coach, and He is rather "Spirited" you might say. We've just got to keep our eyes on him.

This week was mostly the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. And that feeling of wandering came over us as well, tempting us to lose sight of the goal. To say there were no real highlights from this past week wouldn't be true. We had conversations with many individuals that show yet again that some people are really tracking. That's awesome!

Other people just still seem to be "going through the motions" - attending the meetings semi-regularly but not really seeming to be impacted by the truth that's presented each day.

Please continue to lift of this team of missionaries as they persevere through these long weeks of teaching. May the Lord continue to work in the hearts of the hearers and lead them to an understanding of their Savior.