ANTICIPATION
Sept. 15, 2019
(click on container & boy picture for short videos)
To help support the Clinic - medical evangelism (read below about many ways you help make a difference) (to run a mobile clinic it is about $3000 per time- we try to do one once every 6 weeks)
https://abwe.org/work/projects/william-lori-smith-medical-clinic
IMPORTANT NEED: We are pursuing getting dual citizenship (US and PNG). Our boys have it. Getting this will help us not to deal with work structures again and allow us more freedom and opportunities with the ministry here. The cost is $5000 per person. So please pray for God to provide this.
https://abwe.org/work/missionaries/william-lori-smith
This word always brings to my mind the song from the old Heinz catsup commercial…”Anticipation, anticipation is making me wait. It’s keeping me waiting….”! HA. 😊 I can’t help but start singing the song to myself and chuckling over the thought of patiently waiting for the catsup to slowly cover the waiting hot dog or french fries. SLOW….delayed pleasure.
God’s WORD reminds us in Psalm 18:30 that GOD’s ways and time, too , are perfect. We can trust HIM when it seems that anticipation is just keeping us waiting…., prolonged eager waiting!!
This week was full of frustration as we WAITED for news of our container. It has been on PNG soil for over a month now and we still wait! We did all the paperwork ahead. We had all the paperwork “ducks” in order, and yet we still wait. We have prayed and prayed….and we still wait! But as we have waited, GOD had done an amazing miracle. HE has orchestrated that the entire container……EVERYTHING…..was accepted without inspection and without any duty OR customs!! We are still waiting for finalization that it is actually in the shippers yard. WE are still waiting for it to be transported UP to GOROKA, but anticipation is making us wait with expectancy that as we pray THIS WILL BE THE WEEK we get rewarded for our patient and effectual prayer! PRAY ON!
Sometimes we have anticipation of what GOD will do in the lives of the people with whom we minister as well.
Sometimes we anticipate the hard times coming. Our little Andrew has been in agony for weeks now with about
six teeth that are just not wanting to break through. In the midst of teething misery he has had a lot of changes in his little life. HE has started the amazing journey of ambulation! HE is now walking!! Destruction is on the move. The reality of his growth and development as he begins to approach his first year brings the reality of our imminent heart ache too soon facing us as he transitions out of our home back to his parents. God has done an amazing transformation as the Gospel has penetrated his home. He goes home to a Christian home with a mom and dad that because of his difficult birth situation God used him to bring them to Jesus! The heart rendering facing us will have eternal value, but the reality of the huge pain coming causes my heart to tremmor a bit, to be honest. For now I will cling to and cherish my sweet cherub who just snuggled into my lap and drifted off to sleep as I write this update! Pray for us.
It is very hard to trust God and His work in the lives of those we love.
Little Asapa was held in our hands and hearts for so long. We loved his mom and dad and big brother ,Kimi, too. When we hold these little ones we embrace their families as well. Esta came so many Sundays, sat in my Sunday School class and heard the Gospel each week. She sat in my livingroom and experienced the love of Jesus as we ministered to her baby and family sharing all that Christ had done for us. They left without recieving Christ’s free GIFT. They accepted our gift of help, only. An unexpected third pregnancy and a very very anemic Esta , almost brought death to my young friend. Her new baby boy was so tiny and weak, and his mommy just as tiny and weak. I sent them home with iron to strengthen mommy and prayers to cover her tiny little son. My heart has been daily in agony to hear how they are doing…..anticipation is making we wait. I keep telling my heart that no news is good news. They must be OK or they would have come back….yet the agony continues and my prayers just continue as well. Please pray for tiny Safa to have the milk he needs. Esta wanted to prepare herself for death as she was discharged from the several day stay after her traumatic delivery. I shared the GOSPEL yet again, but she would not pray with me before she left. I pray that she desided to make that decision for CHRIST!
Another of my maternity patients, Ivon, has struggled with borderline hypertension again this fourth pregnancy. We have watched her closely. Last week she went into a hypertensive explosion! We rushed her to the hospital where they just discharged her the next day without treatment….without delivery (even though she was 41 weeks pregnant and ready to deliver which would stop the hypertention!!). I have not seen her since. I have no idea where she is and if she and her baby boy are OK…..we pray! Anticipation…..making me wait. PLEASE PRAY for her. I shared the GOSPEL with her many times these past weeks. Her life and the life of her baby are in jeapardy……but we wait for news!
Kesa and ANNA are neighbors and our patients. They are both near death as cancer attacks their bodies. Anna has metastatic breast cancer. Her mastectomy site as well as her other non-treated side is a mass of horrific ,stone hard , superinfected cancer growth. Her lungs, and now her bones are also being attacked by the devestation of this enemy. Kesa was a man consumed with trying to find his happiness and satisfaction with alcohol, smoking and drug abuse. His continued consumtion of bettlenet has now consumed him…literally. His tongue is a massive stoney mass so large that he can no longer eat or swallow and breathing has become very difficult as well. Both of these dear ones have heard the GOSPEL. Anna was very receptive…..KESA was not. Anticipation burns in my heart for these two to know JESUS as eternity is so very close for them now.
Stab wounds are trauma that extend beyond physical ramifications. WE are seeing more and more aggressive attacks weekly in our clinic. Usually the cause of these attacks is domestic violence. One such man was brought to our clinic late Friday afternoon. His wife had stabbed a very large sharp knife through his forearm and stabbed his head as well, while he lay sleeping off a night of intoxication. He could not understand why staying out all night without any communication (he turned off his phone) then coming home in a drunken stupor would upset his wife? Well, apparently she was a “bit” upset by “SOMETHING”?!. The wound was dangerously close to major arteries in his arm. He could so easily have bleed to death before being able to get to help. Repaired, refueled with replacement fluids, and medicated for pain and infection he left. The GOSPEL was shared, but all he could focus on was his fear of going back home. Would she kill him the next time? He anticipated more fury…..but would he choose to retaliate himself? They next day he was sober in body and spirit. We talked again of the message of the hope of the GOSPEL. The reality of his near death experience was weighing heavy on his heart. PRAY for Joseph. Pray for his and Priscilla’s marriage issues. PRAY for God to transform their lives and their home!
A young man, just 25, with a diagnosis of HIV infection this week. Another young woman with infertility and all that means in a society where a woman’s value is often only in her ability to give a male heir to her husbands clan. A woman with a very concerning mass in her breast and lymphnodes not wanting to have a followup referral for a lumpectomy for fear that cutting her breast would make her unloveable more than she fears the very high probability of breast cancer and death. SO much hurt. So much pain. Anticipation of WHAT GOD will do with these dear ones with whom we have reached out to help and shared with them the GOSPEL. Anticipation of what GOD could do in their lives if they only RECEIVE Him and LET Him work! Hands and feet of JESUS don’t pull or push or kick along the way….they serve and wait patiently for GOD’s TIME which is perfect!
Please keep praying:
*Pray for GOD to bring our container safely to GOROKA this week. WE have such need of the medicine and supplies inside.
*Pray for the dear ones mentioned in need of healing and strength ….and salvation. Esta, Ivon, Kesa , Anna, Joseph and Priscilla….and the many hundreds of others treated this week at our clinic.
*Pray for the Independence day outreach tomorrow (September 16TH). We have invited numerous churches and the community to come join us on our campus for Independence fun and games….and to share JESUS!! PRAY for many to find true INDEPENDENCE from the penalty of their SIN through JESUS tomorrow!
*Pray for our need of dual citizenship so that we can maintain longevity of our ministry here amidst the changes of visa options for expatriots. The cost of $10,000 is a lot, but the cost in souls if we are forced to leave is greater! PRAY!
*Pray for a ladies outreach at Kenemaro this weekend. PRAY for many to come and hear the GOSPEL.
*Please continue to pray for Ruth and Keith. Timothy has a week off of school next week, so Bill will be bringing him home to have time with his mom before returning to stay with us for the remainder of the school year. PRAY they have a sweet family time of fellowship. PRAY for Bill and the teen boys as they travel down to Ramu and back on Saturday. Pray that this road trip will offer opportunities to minister to and invest in our own son and his other friends, as well. Pray for GOD to minister to this precious family as they deal with Ruth’s growing cancer and the reality of her impending home going. PRAY for GOD to show us how we can best minister to them and their son during these difficult times.
*Our precious JESSY has had his final surgical correction and he should be released this week to return FINALLY to Goroka! PRAY that this will take place. The other kids that were left here have been very sickly since mommy has been gone so long. PRAY their family can be reunited again very soon!!
Anticipation….making us wait…..but so well worth the wait will be the eternal and lasting fruit from the WORD of GOD shared, that will NOT return void! WE anticipate , but we anticipate with HOPE! Thanks for joining us as we WAIT patiently upon HIM! His way and time and plan are truly PERFECT!
No restraint. No retreat. NO REGRET! Fearless. Faithful. WAITING!
Bill, Lori , the boys and Dad.
