NCCU Women's Ministry

This morning I (Tania) was blessed to have the opportunity to share the need in Vanuatu with the Women's Ministry of the New Community Church of Union.
What a lovely bunch of ladies that are doing their part as God's co-workers in their community, and the world!



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Dear Team, (May Update)

Thank you for your prayers throughout the month of April! We have so much to be thankful for!

Transitioning from Jim’s former job into full-time ministry is going well. Our schedule has been full, if not with meetings, then with preparing for them.

We praise God for the many who are offering to help us in various ways. People have been helping us set up meetings with churches and small groups. Some have offered lodging for when we are in their area. Others are offering to help with shipments and care packages to us in Vanuatu, and much more. Tania has been getting guitar lessons which will be a great blessing for worship while in the bush. And Grace has even been getting goat milking lessons which will come in very handy if the Lord provides us with a goat for dairy while living in the bush. We only pray that we can be as much of a blessing to you as you are to us!

Praise God with us for our growing support family. Through you the Lord has provided another 4% of our monthly financial support and continues to provide for our one-time expenses.

Also this month, Jim had to have emergency dental work done. Can you believe it ‘just so happened’ there was a dentist in town doing free dental work? God is so good! The toothache was timely as this dentist only offers this service one day a year. So yesterday, after a couple hours of waiting in line, and a not so pleasant tooth extraction, the problem tooth is no more. Hopefully by the time you receive this, Jim will be feeling much better.

The plan right now is to remain in Washington through the end of May. Then we are on our way to Ohio after a short stop at our home church (Grace Bible Church) in Forsyth, Montana. While in Ohio we will be staying with an old friend while sharing the ministry in the Columbus area. After that we will be spending time with Jim’s sister in the area of Houston, Texas. Please continue to pray with us for opportunities to share and that we have the support needed to head to Vanuatu in September, if it is God’s will, to begin language and culture study before going to Australia for the Bible translation and linguistics training, and in-depth surveying to find the particular people group the Lord is calling us to.

Once again, thank you for your prayers. Please know that we are praying for you as well. “And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11) Please do not hesitate to let us know how else we can be specifically praying for you.

In His hand,

The Kenners ~ Jim, Tania, Gracie, and Joshua

From the Harvest Fields of Papua New Guinea...

We are so excited to share this with you! We have been closely following the work of three missionary families, the Busers, Shonteres, and Suttons. They are a team serving with New Tribes Mission among the Yembi Yembi (or Inanbimali) deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Some of the missionaries on the team are personal friends of Brad and Amber Jones of Team Vanuatu.

After working for years to learn the language and culture they finally reached the point where they were able to clearly present the gospel to the Yembi Yembi in their own language. In January of this year they began the chronological Bible teaching starting with Genesis and ending with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. After years of sowing, watering, and cultivating, the season of harvest has come!

It is our prayer that one day we will be sending home to you, our support family, updates like this one...

The following is an excerpt from BringingTheSecretTalk.blogspot.com

Posted by Brooks Buser, New Tribes Mission

Dear Friends and Family: - April 25, 2008

Last night we taught the lesson of Jesus celebrating the Passover with his disciples, tonight is Jesus’ arrest, and tomorrow is His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. The teaching is drawing nearly the entire village at this point, some for just the excitement that is there, and some to see what this is all about, but most to understand how the bridge-man (Jesus) was able to make a way back to God's side from Satan's.

Last night after we taught the lesson I sat with a group of men as they talked and discussed what has come, and what is coming in these last couple days:

My [tribal] father Lawrence said this: "This is the first time we have heard the meaning of this talk, our thinking is coming clear on why Jesus came, and how he was the bridge-man (bridge between Satan's side and God's)."

Peter, my brother-in law, had this: "At night my wife (Merryrose) and sons sit and read this talk over and over. This is not a now talk, this promise talk started with Adam and it is coming true, God did not forget his promise, he followed it (fulfilled it) with the bridge-man, he would not leave us with our steal-father (Satan), our true father didn't forget us".

Rodney, my cassowary clan brother, who helped me with the last lesson 3 days ago and we believe is now saved said this: "This talk is very sweet, I tell you the truth, the last day of this talk is so sweet it will make your teeth tickle (it is really sweet)".

And my in-law Job, who also helped with that lesson and knows he is saved said this "The God of this river (pointing to the river by the teaching house), of these stars, he knows me, he did not forget me. He is my only real father, and when my person (body) goes back to the dirt, I will not be pushed far from him (separated from God) to the lake of fire, no! I know the road to the other side now, and I know who bought by book (his record of sins), and for that reason I will go with Him.

UPDATE:

The Inanbimali people of Papua New Guinea have heard about the sacrificial lamb from Genesis through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and they have responded. Read the story... Click Here

Newly Posted...

...our testimony. You will find it in the group of links on the right. Click on "Our Story".


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Goats and Guitars

This past Sunday Grace and Josh were blessed with a lesson on hand feeding the Ireland family's baby goats! Grace also got lessons on milking and, according to Greta, she did a really good job. With the possibility of having goats for milk when we move to the bush, this could prove to be valuable experience! Anyhow, it was fun. Grace especially is happy to do anything having to do with animals!

Another blessing... Before even having the chance to post a prayer request, the Lord provided us with a guitar (thank you Irelands). So the prayer request now is for the Lord's help in learning to play it!

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him."

~Psalm 28:7

Thank you!

We need to get better about taking pictures! Getting wrapped up in the excitement of meeting and visiting with new people, taking pictures completely slips our minds. But even though we don't have pictures to share we want to thank those of you who have allowed us the opportunity of sharing our burden for the Ni-Vanuatu with you. A special thank you to those who have taken time to help us set up these meetings! We praise God for all of you!

We’re Off... on deputation that is!

As we shared with you in our last update, we felt the Lord was leading us to make the transition into full-time deputation ministry. For us this meant moving out of our home in Montana in order to spend the next several months traveling the country for support meetings as the Lord provides opportunities. So March was spent sorting through our earthly possessions, packing what we might need to take to Vanuatu, giving away what we knew we wouldn’t, and tossing the rest that nobody would want. Our beloved pets, Phoenix and Caspian, were settled into their new homes. Moving out was a chore that took significantly more time than we expected (all month!) but the Lord got us through it.

We are now in Washington State. The Lord has provided meetings with churches, study groups, and gatherings of individuals. As we continue to strive for a full schedule, God is blessing us with open doors. It is such a blessing to see Him work!

In nearly every update we ask you to pray with us for open doors, and financial and prayer partners. These prayers are crucial! James 4:2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.” Please continue to persist in prayer with us for these things. Do not become weary! We are so grateful for those of you who are with us in this way.

In Piper’s “Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions”, he compares prayer to a wartime walkie-talkie in which we have a direct line to the Commander. All we have to do is ask for what we need to win the battle and He will provide. But we have to ask. So when we pray, let’s pray knowing that we are at war (Ephesians 6:12), believing that whatever we ask for, we will receive (Mat 21:2; John 16:24), if we ask with the right motives (James 4:3).

Lord, not our will, but Yours, be done.