“When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him” (Luke 5:11, NASB).1
Missionary Helen Roseveare in Living Sacrifice quotes this Scripture and says, “There was no other possible response: ‘They left EVERYTHING and followed Him.’ They forsook ALL. Would people consider this a sacrifice? How can or should I respond to the perfect Savior, my sacrifice for my sin? What can I give Him in return? If Jesus Christ be God, and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”
It has been my privilege to go to the mission field of Papua New Guinea as the child and servant of the King of Kings. I have been challenged to trust my Father in Heaven with the life of my husband, my children, and myself in ways that I have never been tested before in my life. I have been challenged to trust my Father in Heaven with the souls of those around me. The power belongs to HIM, not to us, and we are here to do the will of the Father. I have been challenged to trust in His Strength and not my own—He will supply my every need. I have been learning to see and rejoice in the blessings of being in His service and feeling and knowing His power in the work He has called us to do.
It has been my privilege to support my husband in his calling on the mission field. His role has been very demanding physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I have been blessed to see and hear the Lord’s Word go forth in Tok Pisin. And after so many years of preparation, it is a joy to see my husband doing the work to which God has called him and prepared him. I have found fulfillment in caring for my husband, so he can do the work of the ministry more effectively.
It has been my privilege to teach and nurture my children through this transition to the mission field. I have been overjoyed at the grace the LORD has given to my oldest daughters. They have adapted well and have looked for opportunities to be a light to the Papuan people, especially other children. I have been reminded that if my children are Christians and have a heart for the Lord, then they are an extension of me and will have an impact in the work here too! This is so encouraging as a mother of several children. There is so much potential in my home, and I must pour into them through prayer and Bible teaching. Home is where I find the most ministry, and it is my privilege to serve the Lord in this way.
It has been my privilege to serve the Lord as a missionary in the village of Aibai. The Lord has given me grace with the language, so I am able to communicate and share the Gospel. I still want and need to grow in my ability to communicate. I am thankful that the Lord has brought people to me and directed me to people for witness and to counsel. People come to our house to sell fruits and vegetables, and I have been able to take advantage of those times to speak for the Lord. Recently, I have counseled a young lady who was choosing loose living, and I was able to introduce her to the Tok Pisin Bible. She showed a hunger for God’s Word in her language. Another opportunity was with a lady who comes to the house regularly to sell things. She listened carefully as I shared the Gospel with her, and it seemed there was conviction in her spirit. I have regular communication with both ladies, so I am excited to see the Lord work. I am just a servant of the One Who has the power to change lives. What a joy it is to be His servant!
Paul urges us “to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1b). I am thankful for the privilege God has given me to come to Papua New Guinea as His child, as the wife of a servant of God, as a mother to little ones He has entrusted to me for training, and as His witness to people from “the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
1 Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.