Missionary Update                April 2003 Newsletter

In the words of Catherine Marshall; "When any of us embarks on the pursuit of happiness for ourselves, it eludes us. It must be because happiness comes to us only as a dividend.  When we become absorbed in something demanding and worthwhile above and beyond ourselves, happiness seems to be there as a by-product of the self-giving."  We continue to be amazed at how God works in our lives and in the lives of others here.

We have a young lady that helps me with house cleaning two mornings a week (laundry and numerous glass panes in our windows).  She is around 23 years old and was married to a young man from a Highlands tribe but he died and she made the choice to leave her two children with his family there.  (Culturally the children belong to his family when a bride price has been paid.)  She returned here to live with her family where she would be treated in a better manner.  Keti (Cathy) is her name and she has been very helpful in the new missionaries learning the Pidgin language.  She tells an ancestor story for the last check and then hears a story told by the students. These stories are from the Bible; i.e. Daniel, David, Joseph and Moses etc.  She has heard about 10 stories now.  This has helped to start her questioning and really peaked her interest in things of God.  The other day she told me, "I didn't know our tok pIes name for God. So I asked some of the others if we had a name for God.  I got two answers but I am not sure which one is right."  This we hope is one step in what God would use to open the doors for this tok pIes wanting to hear the Gospel.  Keti believes that bad spirits live in the ocean in certain areas and they must be appeased in order for the boats to pass through the area that they occupy. She lives in darkness and doesn't know the truth.  Our hearts and desires are for the Bell Tok PIes to be open to the truth.

We are at a stand still as far as developing the support center.  We know God has a plan.  We do see the need to have more housing here in order for the new missionaries coming to live here while in orientation.  This will be more beneficial for them to learn the Pidgin language and this culture.  We have found that renting in town is very expensive cutting into the funds that each family brings in order to locate in a bush location.  Not only that, but urban Pidgin really doesn't lend a good ear or mouth to the rural Pidgin that is spoken in these locations.  We know that God has been great in how the development has progressed in the past two and half years.  We continue to look to Him in the steps that need to be taken in order to see more people reached with the truth of the Gospel.

The boys are working towards the end of another college term. They are good boys and keep us up-dated by email weekly. We have to say we look forward to the little snippets of news that they share with us about their lives.

We are hearing that the wedding plans are progressing nicely. We have our tickets purchased and will be leaving in May and returning in July.

We pray that you are enjoying some good spring weather. Easter reminds us of all that God does on our behalf.  Thanks always for your support and prayers.

In His Service,

Lyle & Martha Mankey