February 2021
Dear Praying Friends,
Praise the Lord for His manifold blessings. Every time I sit down to type up our bi-monthly report, it amazes me how Father has brought us to where we are today. These last 2 months have just Flown by. Hadassah and I had gone out to Port Moresby in December for our 2 months supply and for a doctor visit/ultrasound on her neck. All was normal, and nothing to be concerned about. Praise the Lord. Other than 5 extra days in the big city, our time out was uneventful, and all went well. We praise the Lord a Flight back to Kaintiba popped up at the last minute to get back to Kaintiba before Christmas week came. Port Moresby is not the place to be at Christmas for us country folk. Too much hustle and bustle….
This year our family did our First ever drama of the story of birth of Christ as recorded in Luke 2. We did it on the last day of the year (2020), which was also the churches end of the year “feast”. It was a great day, gathering together as a church family and preparing the food. The meat we cooked was lamb, and some chicken two men had bought for the occasion. The woman prepared the greens and roots (kaukau). The meal was so savoury and the fellowship sweet. All the food, except the noodle soup, was cooked in the traditional fashion: in the ground on hot stones with banana leaves between the different layers of different types of food. This is called a “mumu”.
January started with our annual Vacation Bible School. We always make the theme coincide with truth we are teaching the church for the year. This year our theme is the soon coming of Christ to gather His saints into Glory; otherwise known as the rapture. The theme verse of the year is: “He which testiFieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20). Of course, we had them memorize this verse in the Pidgin language, not English. My desire to get out of this old sin sick world is getting stronger every day, it seems, especially since the passing of my father into Glory. Ronald Helzerman (my father) died on Friday, January 29. His departure has left a void…one of prayer support for our ministry. His faithfulness in the Work was a great example to me and my family. Who will pick us up with more prayer in order to take his place? The battle is real, and most noticeable in our area of the world. Here is a short phrase of prose I wrote in honour of my father: “Oh please stand, in honour of a Godly man, It was for our Christ that he lived, And now he's Fitted, For Heaven, his soul to add.”
Pray for Christi and Hope (for safety), as they will be in Port Moresby for a few days this week (Feb. 9-12). They will be getting our last supply run until May. Lord willing our family plans to go back to the USA on our third furlough, leaving Kaintiba possibly as early as the last week of April. Please pray, also, for all the logistics of this transition. New Covid-19 testing to board the airline, purchasing tickets that are compatible with the countries en route, and so much more. There is much preparation to do, planning, and prayer concerning this. We are also still praying for a man to look after the church work while we are gone. I have asked one faithful man from Tengama Baptist Church. He is willing to come with his wife, but to acclimate him with the people here in Kaintiba will be needed. We pray he would be willing to become the full-time pastor in the future, as well. If you could think to pray for Preacher Tiwias, as he comes to labour with us the last week of February.
Christi’s Corner: Our VBS was well attended with 110 names enrolled! It is always an enjoyable yet tiring week of ministry for the whole family. Peter David has been helping us for three years to do our VBS. His dad is the pastor of a church 12 hour walk over the mountains. The biggest blessing to me was the fact that he took what he learned here and started replicating it at his village. His church helps him and they reach an even larger number of young people and children. Praise God!! That is what missions is all about!
To Finish my literacy class before furlough, I will be increasing my classes to three days a week. I lost one of my students to the local school. I was disappointed but know that for her education it is better in the long run that she get a more complete education.
For His Glory,
Mark and Christi Helzerman
Hadassah,
Grace, Hope, Serenity, and Glory
E-mail: mhelzerman@gmail.com