Cliff and Martie Hellar Box 370, Ukarumpa, 444 EHP, PAPUA NEW GUINEA E-mail address: cwhellar@global.net.pg
January 31, 2007
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul.” Matthew 16:26
Dear Friends,
This verse tells us that a man’s soul is worth more than the whole world. Well, we’ve lost some of our goods because of the break-ins to our house and other buildings on the property while we were not here, but there are two young people who’s lives attest that they have gained their souls. Since we’ve had a small part in their lives we feel wealthy indeed. Let me tell you about them for their lives have been a great encouragement and blessing to Martie and I.
Karen is probably 26 or 27 years old. She has an illegitimate daughter, 5 years old, and was known as an immoral young woman. She is the daughter of Yaiya, who was a believer and worked for us for many years about 35 years ago. While Martie and I were in Hakwange many years ago moving Lance and Robin’s first house, Yaiya died. He publicly put his family in our care as their “father and mother.” We have sought to be faithful to this trust by helping them as a family both spiritually, physically and materially. Martie took Karen to help her in the house in 2003 for 2 days a week. While we were in the States for my medical problems she was wonderfully saved and upon her profession baptized.
Since we have returned we’ve seen the great change. She has a real joy and she attends faithfully the local church near her home and hears the Word with interest. She now talks about the things of the Lord with enthusiasm and discernment. We gave her the catechism and she is teaching her daughter. She is a blessing to us and a blessing to be with.
Gitiyon, (from Gideon) is a young man I would guess to be about 20 years old. He is from the Fore tribe, but his mother is a Keyagana woman married into the Fore and so he knows the Keyagana language. The Fore is across the river and behind the mountain to the South of us. We have been praying for that tribe for a number of years. They speak a different language. The part of the Fore tribe that borders our area is unreached with the gospel. We know of no believer in that area. The Fore people are a large group, bigger in population than the Keyagana and also in a much larger area. The farther areas of the Fore have had some mission activity, but we do not know if there are any born anew by the Spirit. A few years ago I made an evangelistic trip into the area with two of our teachers. We were not received in any village except where Gitiyon lives. We got to know Gitiyon and he would visit us occasionally. We prayed for his salvation. He was hearing the Word occasionally in a Keyagana village. Upon our return in December we heard that he had professed faith and had been baptized. Martie and I were somewhat doubtful. However, he has sought us out and told of going house to house in his area by himself, sleeping in various houses and teaching people from the Word. He told us, without honoring himself, that people have said this is new teaching they haven’t heard. I was quite astounded by this. I have not known anyone newly saved to go on their own house to house to teach the Word. Too, it is surprising that people who follow a false religion have been willing to hear the Word and particularly from one so young. The next time he came to visit us I was most curious to know just what he was teaching. He went through the New Testament pointing out what he teaches - the need of conviction from 1 Cor. 14:24,25; repentance from 2 Cor. 7:8-11; the hopelessness of eternal damnation from Mark 9:43-48; Christ as the good shepherd knowing his sheep, caring for them, and dying for them from John 10:1-18; and other scripture teaching. I sat there amazed. Where had he learned these things? How did he know all this scripture? Surely he is being taught by God. I heard all this and glorified God.
Do pray for these two young people. They have come out from among their people. Yet they are subject to many pressures of the culture and many temptations. Karen is even now being pressured to marry an old, rich, unsaved man by her family.
Christmas week was the time of our Christmas conference. Each day, except for the first and last day, there were 3 meetings from the morning into the afternoon. Then the men and I had meetings in the evenings in the grass huts with the people that slept in these houses. Thirty to forty people were crowded into each of these huts. Hundreds came to hear from far and near. The host village had bought about 1,000 kilograms of rice to feed all the guests along with a huge amount of sweet potatoes and other vegetables. People were well fed but most important fed with the bread of life.
Yesterday I returned from our monthly 2-day Bible study for the leaders of the churches. Four men taught the first 3 chapters of Daniel. This is the newest Old Testament book that I have translated. The teaching was a blessing to all. They rejoiced with many smiles in the courage and godly testimony of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Martie and I will be going out to the Wycliffe base in June for the typesetting of Genesis, Exodus, Proverbs, Daniel, Habakkuk, Haggai and Malachi. Do pray that we will have all those translated portions corrected, checked and with all the cross-references so all is ready for typesetting. Only Daniel remains for consultant checking and it is being done now.
Martie and I have been well, praise Him! When we arrived here we had to see a doctor to have our prescriptions for medicine renewed. On checking Martie’s blood pressure they found it to be elevated and put her on medicine that has brought it down. Many people feel that we are too old to be here now so do please pray that the Lord will keep us well and that we won’t have need of a lot of medical help. We believe the Lord has marvelously undertaken to return us here in good health to continue the work He has called us to and that “our times are in His hand”. Please pray for us and His work here.
Our warm greetings and our thanks, in the Lord’s name, to all of you that uphold us before the throne of grace. Do keep in touch.
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