Battlement Mesa & Parachute Sun

September 2003

By Charlie Hornick, Pastor Grace Bible Church

What would inspire a young couple from the Grand Valley to leave their family and friends and travel over 6,000 miles to the other side of the world to minister in the tropical jungles of Papua, New Guinea? Jasson and Kim Farmer answered that question by saying; "Being missionaries is what God would have us do" and "because the need is great." Jasson and Kim have been resident missionary interns this summer at Grace Bible Church in Parachute where they have been taking another important step on the way to becoming full fledged missionaries with New Tribes Mission.

The Farmers, whose missionary newsletter is called of all things, "The Farmer's Almanac," are excited about the challenge of planting a church among one of the thousand people groups in Papua, New Guinea, the second largest island in the world. After their summer internship at Grace Bible Church, they will be taking a year of language training at the New Tribes Language Institute in Camdenton, Missouri. Then they will spend time doing deputation, which involves speaking in churches and raising all their financial support from churches and friends. Then they will fly to the country known for its high mountains, dense forests, lowland swamps, coral islands, torrential rainfall and beautiful flora and fauna. The country has been, called the most ethnically and linguistically complex nation in the world. Over 816 different languages are spoken in this tribal nation where over eighty percent of the people live in a predominantly subsistence agricultural/fishing economy.

As a graduate of New Tribes Bible Institute and having already served on a short term missions trip to Papua, New Guinea, Jasson already is familiar with the steps of reaching their goal of planting a church. First, he and Kim will move to an area and live among the people and build relationships. They will take the time to learn the language and translate at least a portion of the Bible into that language. And with much prayer and hard work they hope to reach the people with the message of the Gospel. It is crucial that they know that God loves them and that Christ died for them. The farmers are giving their lives to share with these "precious people" the Word of God. Already, many tribes have been converted to Christ, and the change has been phenomenal.

This summer at Grace Bible Church, Jasson and Kim, have been learning more about the "ropes of ministry." They have assisted with the Youth Program, worked with Vacation Bible School, spent a week as counselors at Twin Peaks Bible Camp in Collbran and assisted in various ways with the church's ministry to the community. Jasson and Kim's last Sunday at Grace Bible Church before going to language school in Missouri was July 27. Jasson was the speaker at that morning worship service.