Letter from Cody: Papua New Guinea – Oct. 2009

Heaven’s greatest challenge for eons, now, has been a labor shortage. Ever since a third of the workforce rebelled and walked off the job (Rev. 12:3), God has been calling for recruits. Humanity’s creation was for the purpose of solving this predicament (1BC, 1082); but since the rebellion of this earth, the labor shortage dilemma has grown severely acute. Jesus is pleading for co-workers in His beautiful invitation, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.” (Matt. 11:29) For those who have accepted the enlistment, He has sent a memo directing all to put the labor shortage problem on high priority: “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Matt. 9:37, 38.) Are we striving to meet heaven’s crying need? Have we ourselves enlisted in His service, and are we actively engaging in recruitment programs? God desires to finish this work, but He needs a qualified, capable, dedicated workforce. “Christ is calling for volunteers to enlist under His standard, and bear the banner of the cross before the world.” Messages to Young People, 24, 25.

One area of the work that is moving forward with volunteers for the Master is the island country of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Men, women and children are putting forth self-sacrificing labor to fill the vacant ranks of the Master’s vineyard. Henry Hevare and his family have an

Ben (13 years old) preaching in the market in PNG

Ben (13 years old) preaching in the market in PNG

evangelistic fervor that will not be dampened, no matter how many rivers they must cross. When the call comes, they are willing to go. On one recent evangelistic trip, they traveled for days on foot without much food, waded while carrying their equipment across a river eleven times, swam a raging current and crawled up steep, slippery jungle slopes-all to share the message of salvation with others. Although the trip was grueling, the endeavors paid off. Six week-long evangelistic meetings were held; sixteen-plus boxes of literature were distributed; multitudes of conversions took place, and new churches were organized and existing churches revived. In their travels, the family choir sings; then Brett, the thirteen-year-old son but already an accomplished preacher, delivers the first message to the amazed multitude; and after that, Henry, the father, delivers the final message. The Lord is abundantly blessing their labors as these volunteers for the Master brave hardship and difficulty to give the message they love so dearly. Seron, a young lady in another area of PNG, was serving as a youth leader, but then became a volunteer Bible worker. She began her work by carrying her Bible to a neighboring village (a three hour walk) and opening the Word of God to them. The villagers began to love this young Bible worker as she affectionately cared for all within the village. Within time a new church was springing up from her labors, but she was not content with her successes-other villages beckoned. Accompanied by her guardian angels, she began penetrating deeper and deeper into the jungle, each village taking her another three hours of walking into the remote snake, spider and ruffian infested jungles. Five new jungle churches have been born in her first twelve months of service. What one consecrated volunteer can do for the Master! While these are just a few of the volunteer workers in Papua New Guinea, scores more are working for the Master in circumstances that we cannot even fathom. Their love for their Lord and perishing souls drives them on, but there are great needs, too. Just forty or fifty dollars a month can enable one of these already dedicated missionaries to do the work they love full-time or help with their travel expenses. A few hundred dollars can equip some of these workers with speakers, literature and tarps so that they can labor more effectively. Would you like to help advance the work in Papua New Guinea? If you would like to assist our brethren in this needy field, please mark your donation “PNG.”


Yours in the Master’s employ,


 codysig1-website

Henry Hevare family returning from the evangelistic trip

Henry Hevare family returning from the evangelistic trip