November, 2004
Dear Brethren,
We greet you once again from Port Moresby in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ and trust that all is well with you.
The Lord has enabled us to make some progress on our translation work this
month. Brother Norman completed a rough draft of “The Trail of Blood”
in the Melanesian Pidgin and I am now entering it into the computer.
At the same time, I am re-checking the translation and editing it for grammar
and spelling errors. We have also been able to reprint a number of
gospel tracts that we give out at our market preaching.
The Lord saved an elderly man in our midst who had traveled from the highlands
to Port Moresby and had been attending church services with us for several
months. His main reason for coming to the city was to visit his nephew
who he was close to like his own son and who also is a member of the church
here. After the services on November 7th, he spoke to the church
and told them how the Lord had saved him and asked if he could receive
Scriptural baptism. The church happily received him as a candidate
for baptism and it was intended to be done the following Lord’s Day at
a nearby beach. However before this could be accomplished, the Lord
took him home in a sudden and unexpected death on Friday the 12th.
We were all somewhat amazed as he seemed to be strong and in good health.
After hearing the details on the day he passed away, it sounded like his
spleen may have ruptured due to a previous injury, but we are not sure.
We were all saddened by this, but it also caused us to reflect upon the
goodness of the Lord and upon His sovereignty in all things. He has
determined the end from the beginning and has appointed for all the time
of our birth and of our death. We rejoiced that before the day of
death for this brother, Divine providence had brought him into the sound
of the gospel and the Lord saved his soul. No human instrumentality
brought all of these events about.
Progress continues to be made on the church building. We were able
to complete the roof, which is a blessing with the seasonal rains starting
up.
Thank you once again for your continued prayers, love, encouragement, and
support for the Lord’s work in Papua New Guinea.
Love in Christ,
Brother Frank James
fandcjames@online.net.pg
This mission is an integral and inseparable arm of Olmstead Baptist Church - Olmstead, Kentucky.
