January 2025
Dear Praying Friends,
The “last day ‘feast’” of 2024 turned out to be a great day. We had planned a “mumu” feast for 31 December, but we were not sure if we could secure a pig. Several church members put the word out, and an acquaintance of one of them said they had one for sale at a fair price (about $275). The only thing was because the pig was a long distance, the owner of the pig was not willing to “deliver” it alive, due to the rugged terrain. So it was decided that about 10 young women and young men would go and bring the slaughtered pig back the day before the “mumu”. They went and brought it safely in large pieces, and it sure was a large amount of meat! On the “feast” day, it was beautiful weather, the pig and greens and garden veggies were “pressure cooked” in the pit dug out of the ground. Hot stones lined with banana leaves, all wrapped up tight, and it was ready within 2 hours. After the eating was done and cleaned up, we had a short preaching time, and then showed some videos to the people. It was a great day.
As Christi mentioned in her “corner”, several ladies came for a visit. One of those young ladies was our daughter, Hadassah! Her heart is here in PNG, but due to Immigration, she had to return to the States back in December of 2023. This is her second time coming back for a visit. All the young ladies were a great encouragement to Christi and our daughters these last 2 weeks. Bethany, one of the other ladies, is the sister of our son Titus’s wife, Abby. Cassie, the one who Christi mentioned returning to Alaska ahead of Bethany, is a church member at the same Church: Bible Baptist Church in Fairbanks. We do appreciate all the personal monies they spent to go out of their way to come to a very far out-of-the-way place to minister with us in various ways. They helped in the VBS, taught Sunday School classes, gave their testimonies, and helped with our daily chores.
Please pray for us as I leave Christi for about 12 days. I will accompany our daughters Hope, Hadassah and visiting friend Bethany to Port Moresby and then on to Alotau to help our other daughter Tabitha and her husband Caleb. Hopefully, by Wednesday, January 29th, we will be on the Normanby Island where Caleb is building his house and starting a church plant/Bible Institute. We hope to get our hands working in whatever needs to be done on the house. The “ship” ride on the open ocean is about 3.5 hours from Alotau! The small “ship” is what is called a “dingy”. Pray for our safety on this new adventure, good flights, and Christi, Serenity and Glory as they “hold the fort” back in Kaintiba until Hope and I return on February 7. That same day Hadassah and Bethany head back to their respective places of residence.
Could you please continue to pray about our applications for Permanent Resident Visas? It would be a great blessing if they were in our passports by the time we set off on our upcoming furlough in April. Knowing the PNG Immigration officers, it will take a miracle to see this happen. We leave it all in the Lord’s Hands.
Christi’s Corner: The skit for the Christmas drama went well. We enjoyed getting to see a PNG couple act out Joseph and Mary.
The skit that I was hoping to get together for our Holiday Bible School came together and exceeded my expectations. We did it on the last day. It was also the last thing that we did before dismissing. After explaining that we would be available to talk to anyone that had an interest in finding out more about getting your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, we were disappointed that no one took us up on that offer. We know that the Word was put forth and trust God to give the increase.
The attendance of the Holiday Bible School (VBS) was the most we have had. We had 148 names registered and had 76 people that came all 5 days. Several came 4 days out of the 5. We had people come from 3 other Baptist churches in different areas. Praise God for a great week of ministering.
Our guests that came to help us with the VBS are leaving here tomorrow. Some of them will be going on to Alotau and Normanby Island to help Caleb and Tabitha Wilson for a week. One lady has to fly back to the US on Tuesday. I’m thankful for the time we have had with them. They have been a blessing!
Our Christmas drama and VBS skit are both on YouTube on our channel called Helzermanable should you be interested in watching them.
For His Glory,
Mark and Christi Helzerman
Hope, Serenity, and Glory
(Hadassah and Grace living in the USA now)
E-mail: mhelzerman@gmail.com