May 2025
Dear Praying Friends,
This past March our newsletter was more like a summary of all our 14 years in Papua New Guinea. This was done in preparation of our upcoming furlough. Well, furlough has arrived, but I will give some updates of what has been happening leading up to this. Most of March and April we were working two “shifts”….our normal everyday work plus getting up early morning hours to schedule meetings for this furlough. We praise the Lord for the 40+ meetings that we have been able to schedule. We pray Father will continue to lead us in this great work He has called us to do. With mixed emotions we enter into this furlough, because even though this “trip” is needful for several reasons, our hearts are back home in PNG.
The last several months in Kaintiba were filled with getting things in order for the furlough, of course. I was able to get in one more mountain trek into Aseki (Morobe Province). I had never preached there before, but Preacher Eddie had asked me to come to preach and encourage the Speak Clearly Baptist Church. It was a great time being with those folks and to see how they have grown in the Faith in the midst of trials from people that live in that community. The education level is higher in Aseki, so most people can read the Bible for themselves and find strength outside of the church setting. I have posted several of the videos of the special singing on our YouTube channel (Helzermanable).
The Saturday before our last Sunday, Kasper Gabriel, a young man who has been a part of our Church in Kaintiba for many years, came and asked to be baptized. This is a HUGE step on his part, and it was a joy to baptize him the following day. He said he had been saved for many years, but had finally gotten up the courage to be baptized. Our people in the mountains of the gulf are introverted souls when it comes to doing things out of the norm. To do things publicly like being baptized is entered into with fear and in trepidation. It seemed as if his cousin wanted to follow suite, but his hesitation will delay his baptism until our return.
Our last Sunday farewell feast (meeting) was great, and much participation in all the preparation. The “mumu” was done well, and we cooked garden food and chicken in the pit. Tuesday we flew out to Aiyura and headed up the Highlands Highway to visit with some missionaries. It was the long way around to Port Moresby, but we wanted the girls to experience some new places in the country of PNG. We visited both the Ken Seremak family in Mount Hagen and the Chad Wells family in Pangia. We appreciated all the hospitality they showed to us as we “interrupted” their normal schedule. On Resurrection Sunday we were at Mt. Hagen Baptist Temple, and by Wednesday (April 23rd) we were in Port Moresby. Of our last 6 days in PNG, 3 days we were able to spend with Caleb and Tabitha Wilson and our 3 grandchildren. Usually missionaries return to the USA to see their grandchildren, but in our case (currently), 3 of our 4 grandchildren live in PNG. The Wilsons are now relocating to their new house on Normanby Island. Lord willing, upon our return to PNG, we will take a short trip to Normanby Island and do a 3 day Vacation Bible School. (PNG has “summer” in December and January). Then we will return to Kaintiba after getting supplies in Port Moresby.
We finally arrived back to our “home base” in the USA the last day of April, just in time for our home church’s Missions Conference. It was a great joy to be a part of this meeting, since it had been 8 years of being able to attend the Old Paths Bible Baptist Missions Conference. It was a blessing to be around brethren of like minded faith and to see how our small ministry fits into a BIG mosaic of missionaries around the world preaching the Glorious Gospel. We greatly appreciate our church family for taking our family in 20 years ago and finding us suitable to do this great work in a foreign country. We are also thankful for the many church families that have sponsored us, some for many years. One of those churches is the Silvery Lane Baptist Church where we spent Mothers Day. It was a pleasure seeing my mother, sister Amy, several of her children, and my brother’s family. What a godly heritage Father has granted us!
Christi’s Corner: We have a new baby in the family! Titus’ wife, Abby, had their first daughter on April 23rd. Her name is Selah Rose Helzerman. She was born at 2:50am weighing 6 lbs. 11oz., 20” long. It was an amazingly fast labor. The midwife did not make it in time and Titus was able to catch Selah. He also cut the cord after the midwife arrived. We are excited to meet her in August! God has abundantly blessed us!
The transition back to the USA has gone fairly smooth. We are appreciative of a place to base ourselves, a vehicle that was given to us and is in our name, plenty of clothes to wear to name a few!
Thank you all for your prayers and support!
For His Glory,
Mark and Christi Helzerman
Hope, Serenity, and Glory
E-mail: mhelzerman@gmail.com