‘One family now’
Missionary pilot Mike McGregor is privileged to observe the spiritual growth in newly formed tribal churches on New Britain Island as he flies from village to village helping missionaries.
“It can be tough being away from my wife and kids during these times,” writes Mike, “but they can also be some of the most rewarding times getting to know the missionaries, seeing some of the joys and struggles they face and seeing first-hand what the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of these new believers.”
He tells about a young tribal couple with a very ill child. They hiked for several hours, carrying their child on their backs, to a small medical clinic for help. The local witchdoctor told them they must bring the child back so he could do a healing ceremony and the couple’s unbelieving family urged them to return, but they stood firm. The believers in the village gathered to pray for the child.
“Even though the child appeared to be beyond hope the parents were convicted to take a stand in what they believed and to not allow the witchdoctor access to their child, even if the child died,” Mike wrote. “Miraculously the child’s health improved and they were able to return to the village. This family gave all the credit to God alone for the healing of their son.”
The unbelievers in the village are seeing the changes in the lives of the believers and are amazed at the power of God. There is a waterfall over a cave outside the village. It is considered a “spirit place” and everyone is afraid to go near the waterfall. Recently when a group of believers were swimming nearby they decided to go have a look at the cave over which the water fell. They are no longer afraid of evil spirits and so were not afraid to explore the cave.
As Mike, his fellow missionaries and the new believers sat in a hut late at night singing and worshipping the Lord, one of the men turned to Mike and said, “We are all one family now.”
“That sent chills down my spine,” wrote Mike. “Here I am sitting in a village in the middle of the jungle on New Britain Island in someone’s grass hut late at night and the people I am sitting with are my new brothers and sisters in Christ. In God’s eyes all of us are the same and we will be together again in eternity.”
Pray for Mike as he gets to know the new believers on the Island and pray that the believers continue to be an example and testimony to those who do not yet know Christ.