New Guinea Update

Here is the latest update on the Madak tribe teaching in New Guinea. To think how we feel so inconvenienced when we have to make arrangements in our schedules to go to the dentist...imagine having to drive to another town and fly out to another area just to get your tooth fixed! Thank you so much to those of you who are praying! You can read here for more background information.

"This week's teaching went well as we ended with Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden.

We have been receiving a lot of great comments from people as we have taught our way through the Genesis account. The Madaks have many strange and inaccurate beliefs regarding the beginning of all things.

We are still working on the issue of spirits. We have taught them that God created ALL spirits and, initially, they were all good. There are NO spirits that God didn't create. Then, Lucifer rebelled and many spirits followed him in his rebellion. Thus, the demonic realm came to be. They agree with us when we teach this. However, when we ask them where the bad spirits here in the village came from, the don't answer immediately and you can tell there is still a "disconnect" in their minds. They experience demonic manifestations and activity... it is very real to them in their daily lives. Due to the reality of this, they are having a hard time believing that the things they encounter are actually demons and that they are being deceived. They are too real to be some "bad angel" from a Bible story. They readily agree that demons exist, but the little dwarf bush men they see while they are out in the jungle... there has to be another explanation for them. They are just too real to simply be a demon trying to trick them.

Please pray for us as we continue to present the truth of God's Word to the people of our village.

Please pray that they will begin to see consistent themes re-appearing throughout the lessons.

Themes such as: the result of sin is always death, Satan is a deceiver, God faithfully communicates His truth to His creation (He doesn't hide it from us), etc.

This week we will be teaching on Cain & Abel and Noah.

PRAY WITH US:

~Physical and mental strength for each of us

~Health in the village ('sick season' approaching)

~For the elderly folks in the village who are not able to physically attend- Emos/Anton/Maragus/Sarides

~That God's Word would be CLEAR and break through the current lies theMadaks are believing~Bittner kids (Leah, Micah and Levi) at the dorm

~Karl needs to see a dentist this week as one of his molars chipped off and the filling in that tooth came out. He will be driving to Kavieng on Tuesday, flying to Goroka on Wednesday, getting his tooth fixed on Wednesday afternoon, flying back to Kavieng on Friday, and driving back to Lelet on Saturday. He then needs to be ready to teach on Sunday afternoon.

~Pray for all his flight connections as many times people are stranded for a day or two on their way to or from Goroka.

Thanks for praying!

The Madak Team:

Karl, Maribeth, Laura, Matthew and Rachel Greeb

Chris, Peg, Leah, Micah and Levi Bittner

April Fish

Sharon Mihill

Beth DeLaat"