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They Never Finished the Tape! Reported by Janelle Fosnaugh, Nazarene Missionary, Kudjip, PNG Eight hundred women attended a district Women's Conference on the remote Middle-Ramu District in Papua New Guinea in early August. Some of the women hiked for three days over rugged mountainous terrain to attend. They came expecting an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and they received it! Vibrant worship services were held each morning and evening with more than one hundred children attending a morning class, led by missionary Judy Bennett. A highlight of the conference was a presentation of the new Nazarene radio program, ?Krai Bilong Ol Meri? ( Cry of the Women ). This fifteen-minute program is written and produced by PNG Nazarenes in the Melanesian Pidgin language. It is currently broadcast on three radio stations, including a shortwave Christian radio station that broadcasts nationwide. The conference participants were amazingly responsive to a presentation of a cassette recording of the program. About one third of the way through the program, a wave of almost one hundred women streamed to the altar. Judy Bennett states, ?It was very powerful how the Lord used this program to move the hearts of these women. They were incredibly touched to hear women like them talking about problems that they themselves have experienced. We never did finish the tape!? Praise the Lord for a tremendous week of ministry in the rugged highlands of Papua New Guinea !
At the recent Women's Conference in Middle-Ramu District, only two out of 800 women attending actually owned a radio, and none of them owned a cassette tape player. Hand crank cassette players do not require batteries and could be used long term without additional investments of money. The cassettes of WMB radio programs could be used in bush houses and incorporated into women's meetings and church services. The players and the program cassettes could be distributed to local churches that have a vision for this type of ministry. The cost for hand crank cassette players available in PNG is approximately $40 US (Kina 120). Wouldn't it be wonderful if somehow, some way, each pastor (of the 42 churches on the district) could get a collection of tapes and a hand crank tape player? It could be a fantastic outreach tool and help to Christian women! We are asking for God to provide the ministry tools needed to reach those who are in hard to reach areas. Please pray with us that God will place it on the hearts of His people to give generously to this need. If you would like to provide funds towards the purchase of the hand crank cassette players for Papua New Guinea, contact wmb@nazarene.org or send a check made out to World Mission Broadcast to: World Mission Broadcast ? PNG Cassette Players Be sure to note your gift is designated for PNG Cassette Players. If you would like your church to receive 10% credit for your gift, please indicate the name of your church when you submit your gift. The One Good Friend The first letter from a listener to World Mission Broadcast's new radio program in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been received. ?Krai Bilong Ol Meri? ? meaning Cry of the Women ? is a 15-minute program written and produced by PNG women in the Melanesian Pidgin language. The following letter is from a woman who gave her name but asked that she remain anonymous:
KBOM is currently broadcast on three PNG radio stations, including a shortwave Christian station that broadcasts nationwide. Please keep the PNG women who write and produce KBOM in your prayers. And especially pray for our listeners, whose lives and hearts are being touched through ?Krai Bilong Ol Meri.? Devotional Thoughts Sunday morning, I noticed that the pews seemed a bit empty. Perhaps some were ill, maybe they were tired, some probably even took the day off to do some unfinished chores, last minute shopping, or to watch their children's soccer game. In this issue we had the chance to read about a tremendous ministry in Papua New Guinea. A ministry that had women willing to walk for days, with their children in tow, just to be able to experience the Holy Spirit! We are blessed to live in a wealthy country with churches all around. Transportation is readily available and we have access to most every radio, television or internet program. Do we hold our church so sacred that we would be willing to walk three days just to fellowship with other believers and to meet with the one true God? These women were and God duly rewarded them with an awesome gift of the Holy Spirit's presence! What we have is special and truly a blessing. We have the freedom to worship our Creator. As His children, what more should we need? |
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