August 2021
Dear Praying Friends,
We often think of the dear souls of the Christians in Kaintiba. So much of our life has been poured out there for the Glory of Christ, and we desire to return to Papua New Guinea in His time. I often read the letter they gave to us as we were about ready to fly out of Kaintiba. It reads in part: “We are happy that you and your family are here. We are thankful to God that He gave you the heart to come to us. A big thank you to the Mark H. Family for walking with us in the knowledge of the Truth that can take us to the place where God is……Thank you, Mark for all your preaching (at the church and at the open market). Thank you, Christi, for your hard work in teaching the ladies in the Literacy Class. Thank you for inviting us over to eat at your house. Thank you, Hadassah, for your hard work in teaching the Sunday school program. A very big thank you for helping us grow spiritually and physically. Thank you for being here and doing these things.”
As we continue our furlough, we pray for safety often. Just in the last 10 weeks, we have traveled over 8,000 miles. In our last report, we mentioned the need of a vehicle. Just a few days after we arrived in Detroit/Dearborn Heights to see my mom, Jane Helzerman, we found a 2005 Chevy Express 15 passenger van. We got it purchased and on the road the same day we needed to help mom bring some of her household items down from the Lighthouse Baptist Church building in Riverdale, Michigan. Her and my brother David have been working to get the building in decent shape to sell the property. It has been an enormous undertaking since our father died back in January. Our family…our girls, too, have been busy about 5 days this month (August) getting things in order for an estate sale. Those were the dates of 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 10th of August. Now we are getting ready to wrap this work up and continue fulfilling and booking meetings. We felt it important to do our part in this to help relieve my mom from some of the stress of this transition in her life. She is living currently with my sister, Amy Navalta, in Dearborn Heights, MI.
Now, back to what other things we have done thus far. It has been a joy to be reunited with many friends and family in the Christian Faith. Churches we visited in Michigan would include Silvery Lane Baptist Church with Pastor Staub, Parker Memorial Baptist Church with Pastor Green, Community Baptist Church with Pastor Jackson, and Lincoln Road Baptist Church with Pastor David Pahlman. One Church in Indiana was Hope Baptist Church with Pastor Williams. Another Church in Pennsylvania: Country Chapel Baptist with Pastor Ireland. Several Churches in New York would include Olde Liberty Baptist with Pastor Persons, Black Creek Baptist Church with Pastor Asquith, Cornerstone Bible Baptist with Pastor Britt, Anchor Baptist with Pastor Cacciola, and Log Cabin Baptist with Pastor Adamkoski. So much help in monies, supplies, a set of tires, Baptist hand shakes and great fellowship. The girls have been making new friends along the way, and growing in maturity. America life has its own new challenges that we are working through and learning from. Pray that we stay faithful, true and pure for the glory of Christ.
Another thing to pray for is finances for our return to PNG. If you are not aware, all Americans (currently) returning to PNG have to quarantine 3 weeks at their own expense at a hotel of the Government’s choosing. That has to be prepaid before asking the Controller if we can return, as well as purchasing all airline tickets afore hand. As we know that is many thousands of dollars, we beseech Father that He would bring all to pass at the appointed time. Reminders: “Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.” “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Christi’s Corner: This past two months have been full of meetings and visiting with friends and family. I enjoy every precious moment spent making memories while here in the USA. All too soon we will be too far away to visit! Two of our girls, Hope and Serenity were recently able to spend time with my parents. They had a good time building memories. They were able to play mini golf and went to an ice mine. When we picked them up we surprised my mom, Linda Taylor, for her birthday. She thought we were meeting up with them the next day. This past week and a half we have been helping my mother-in-law clean out the house and church where she lived with my father-in-law before he got too sick to live there. It has been a lot of work, yet such a blessing that we are actually able to help after being so far away when dad was actually dying and we weren’t able to be there.
For His Glory,
Mark and Christi Helzerman
Hadassah,
Grace, Hope, Serenity, and Glory
E-mail: mhelzerman@gmail.com