Well it is January and we are plugging away into the new year. It is great to have the full team back together (the Shontere and Sutton families) and 3 of our stronger believers that usually are in other villages are here right now as well. We continue to work our way through the book of Ephesians and are seeing some great things coming out of it for the Yembi's. In 2 weeks we will have our first teaching on marriage, and a couple weeks later on parenting, it will be VERY interesting to see how they react. We have a lot of skits (Nina and I portraying a typical Yembiyembi married couple…hope I don't get hurt to bad) and illustrations to try and hammer it home as much as possible. Pray for these teaching days, they are loaded with practical things (forgiveness, true Biblical love, anger, honesty, living the same way as we teach/believe/act on Sunday) that are coming in heavy conflict with decades of traditional thinking. We have seen incredible change in some of the big areas but these day to day issues are more of the stubborn ones that take time, keep praying that the Yembi's (especially the leaders) will grow in these.
On Monday (18th) myself and a group of 10-15 guys will be setting out on a 3 day hike/canoe trip to visit 2 of our sister villages (Paliagwi and Komombuyo) and another village (Somblinge) that one of the stronger believers (his father is from this language group, his mother a Yembiyembi lady) is originally from. One of the villages has been openly hostile to the gospel and the believers as they travel to and from it, the other village has been neutral and the last one very open to it. The guys with me will be taking the lead on this trip and have a very good plan for fielding questions, responding to opposition, and figuring out where the thinking of the village leaders is at. This is a big trip and we are all very excited to meet up with these sister villages and talk about the big things that have happening in Yembiyembi the past 9 months. Pray for us as we have a 4-6 hour hike through deep swamps (one way) and a lot of canoe travel to get to and from these villages. Pray as well for the Yembiyembi leaders on this trip (Edward, Job, Roger, Robert, Jerome) and how they conduct themselves in some tough situations, pray that we would pave the way for the gospel in these places through our testimony
On different note we are now less than 2 months from coming home in late March, and getting very excited about it too. In another few weeks Nina and I are starting Beau on a crash course of American culture and things he can expect that he doesn't see out here that much (carpet, escalators, mandatory shoes, temperatures that don't come close to the 100's, food that is not wiggling as you eat it, and people you call Grandpa/Grandma that are of the same skin color). Yesterday one of Nina's brothers killed a 17 foot boa constrictor (had to rescue the hunting dog from it's mouth) and it took 4 guys to drag it into the village. Beau was pulling it around with 10 other kids asking "do they do this in San Diego dad, cause it's fun".
Not much else, thanks for your continued prayers for the believers/unbelievers pictures that you have, we continue to see the crosser group (that is what the believers call themselves) grow with a really neat addition 3 weeks ago. John-Fisher was there for the last 5 weeks of my village father Lawrence's (the first Yembiyembi believer to die) life and got to see the testimony he was as he left this world. He got back into Yembiyembi 3 weeks ago and despite being groomed to take over the leadership of the opposition turned his back on it and started coming to the teaching. Later our co-worker Tim Shontere was talking with him as they were working on the book of Revelation together and he said this "Brother I have watched many people die but never anyone like Lawrence. People scream out curses and yell for their family to back (retribution) the pain they are getting, but Lawrence….no. He knew where he was going, he had no fear, he was ready….that is what I want. So I am here to hear the true talk now, I want what Lawrence had"
As always a huge THANK YOU to you ones who stand behind us out here. We would not make it if it wasn't for your support, encouragement and prayers. We are privileged to be part of this awesome team.
Your friends,
Brooks Nina and Beau
P.S. the picture is Beau, his buddies, and the snake.
P.S.S. San Diego Chargers….oh my goodness. Any copied articles (no pictures just text) from the internet or wherever would be greatly appreciated....unless they lose, then no e-mails whatsoever please J. But if they win against the Jets, then the Ravens/Colts…send like there is not tomorrow. And know that we will mangle whoever comes out of the NFC, but send articles anyways.
