20071223 Sunday Our December Newsletter!

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3794891357711961574.post-52927637561766627452007-12-23T20:33:00.000-08:002007-12-23T21:17:12.063-08:0020071223 Sunday Our December Newsletter!<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_hE_jzLoLsro/R287_jiztMI/AAAAAAAAAmU/Y9ZthBS_6yk/s1600-h/L1010021+(Small).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147398862166799554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_hE_jzLoLsro/R287_jiztMI/AAAAAAAAAmU/Y9ZthBS_6yk/s200/L1010021+(Small).JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_hE_jzLoLsro/R287njiztLI/AAAAAAAAAmM/D4btoYzDXGA/s1600-h/L1010081+(Small).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147398449849939122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_hE_jzLoLsro/R287njiztLI/AAAAAAAAAmM/D4btoYzDXGA/s200/L1010081+(Small).JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_hE_jzLoLsro/R287PziztKI/AAAAAAAAAmE/PdoitpI8okA/s1600-h/L1000907+(Small).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147398041828045986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_hE_jzLoLsro/R287PziztKI/AAAAAAAAAmE/PdoitpI8okA/s200/L1000907+(Small).JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_hE_jzLoLsro/R2861DiztJI/AAAAAAAAAl8/IvPQpS4YtPc/s1600-h/L1000902+(Small).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147397582266545298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_hE_jzLoLsro/R2861DiztJI/AAAAAAAAAl8/IvPQpS4YtPc/s200/L1000902+(Small).JPG" border="0" /></a> Dear Family and Friends: We greet you in the Name of Jesus, the name above all names, along with all the new and growing believers here in East New Britain Province, PNG. Guess what? We prayerfully named the Medical Ministry “The New Hope Medical Ministry - Foursquare NGI.” The “NGI” stands for “New Guinea Islands.” Our heart’s desire is to share Jesus’ concern to restore every part of man – his personality, his health, his relationship with God – and to save him from ultimate death. Last night at 11pm, we opened the Christmas box we had received from NWC and laughed with surprise at the Christmas tree and decorations. Thank you for remembering us and all the wonderful cards you sent. None of our Christmas things made it here in the shipment, so… we cannot express how special this is (see picture). We wanted to give you an end of the year update so you can have a sense of how productive your prayers and financial support have been. Let’s celebrate what God has done and is doing together: <ul><li>63+ children were examined and prayed for in a Ralubang village well-child check.</li><li>313 people were examined, treated, and prayed for in a 2 day medical outreach to the remote Lambom Island & Udam villages, both in New Ireland. All attendees heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.</li><li>340 people were examined, treated, and prayed for in a 2 day medical outreach to the remote Ganai village here in East new Britain Province (see attached pictures above). We combined our outreach with an evening evangelism crusade and all attendees heard the Good News that Jesus brings.</li><li>Impromptu medical care has been given wherever we’ve happened to be (at home, along the road, at villages in the jungle, at remote schools, in town, after church, at the beach) that has included treatment for: head injuries (falls, domestic violence), infections (eye, skin, lungs, toes, insect bites, TB, tropical leg ulcers, boils, multiple fungal infections), dislocated shoulders, swollen extremities, and infertility etc.</li><li>We show the evangelism-based “Jesus Film” movie in Tok Pisin in conjunction with the medical outreaches. While we are at the villages, we encourage and pray for the leaders in the area.</li><li>We have preached and/or spoken at many area churches and other locations, including during youth services, giving our testimonies, doing child dedications, worship and prayer services, and communion. Many people have responded by coming forward for personal prayer.</li><li>Alex participates in children’s evangelism drama and skits and assists Keith Bickley with the dispensing of medications and general all around whatever is needed ministry.</li><li>We attend and participate in the monthly pastor’s meetings here, working closely with the Foursquare Regional and Provincial Supervisors.</li><li>At the Leadership Training class for pastors and leaders, we taught a seven week class on “Biblical Marriage”. Later, we co-taught a four week class with Keith Bickley on “False Prophets and Cults.”</li><li>Victor continues to be enrolled at the King’s Seminary in Van Nuys, CA as a distance student. He is completing his required Supervised Ministry credits in the field and he is almost finished with the Master of Divinity Degree Program.</li><li>Both the Governor of East New Britain and the Mayor of Kokopo met with us on World AIDS day here. They explained to us that churches are an important part of the government community development endeavors here. We shared the Foursquare Island vision with them and discussed our plans to partner with the government to deliver health care to the underserved areas here. We were well received and publicly acknowledged at the event.</li><li>Local Tuberculosis and HIV workers will be teaching at upcoming outreaches.</li><li>Currently, we are in the process of networking with the medical, government, and the church community here so that we can order from the East New Britain area medical store in Rabaul and thereby secure a long-term supply of medications and supplies, especially anti-malarial medications and childhood immunizations.</li><li>Local people are starting to ask to be a part of the ministry. This is a huge key. One young nurse from a local hospital said “I believe that God is calling me to be a part of the ministry”. A policeman we know wants to teach domestic violence awareness at the outreaches. We have had various pastors and others take over the wound care station during the actual outreaches.</li><li>After praying for direction regarding Bougainville, we received an invitation to go to the war-torn Bougainville island to attend a dedication and opening of a Foursquare Medical Clinic. We leave the day after Christmas for a 6 days and we will do a 2-day medical outreach while we are there. This is exciting because the village is a remote, poor area that needs everything we can find to bring. </li></ul>We have been here since early May 2007, and not including the month of June 2007 (when we returned to the U.S. for Victor’s mother’s funeral) we have been here now for a total of seven months. Many of you, however, have supported us since January 2007. We prayerfully believe God wants us to remain here in PNG through April of 2009. Would you consider extending your prayer and financial support? We especially need your continued prayer support. For example, there have been many times that we have been physically protected and I know it is because of your prayer support. Here is an example: the day before the Ganai outreach, a sudden and howling gust of wind tore through our yard and knocked over a tree ripping a metal sheet off the roof which hurled straight at Victor. The sheet fell and landed only a foot in front of him tearing a gash in a metal water container that was head level with Victor. I believe that God protected and spared his life in a miraculous way. If you decide to continue to support us either financially and /or with prayer support, please let Mary Schell, the Mission’s Director of Northwest Church, know by January 31, 2008 so that we can plan accordingly. If we remain, we would like to continue our scheduled combined medical and evangelism outreaches and continue to oversee the growth of the New Hope Medical Ministry. Before we leave the PNG islands, it would also be ideal to have the medical outreaches be self-sufficient and staffed entirely by PNG indigenous people. We would also like to regularly sail to the more remote PNG islands to reach those bush areas. Also before we leave here, we would like to help the PNG island people complete all the necessary networking that a ministry like this requires. Finally, we also desire to continue our participation in children’s evangelism, as teachers at the Bible School and the Pastor’s Leadership Training Institute, as teachers in small home and village groups, and as general supporters and encouragers of the believers here in the PNG Islands. Thank you for letting us be your hands extended to the PNG islands We love the people of PNG. Often during a prayer meeting the people here will pray for the people that have sent us and it is very genuine. They are praying for their brothers and sisters in America – they are praying for you. Here are the current prayer needs: <ul><li>Health and protection (bug bites, malaria, fungal infections and upper respiratory infections).</li><li>For local God-called PNG people to continue staffing the New Hope Medical Ministry.</li><li>Continued favor with the medical, government, and church community here as we continue to set up the necessary networking for New Hope.</li><li>Unity, spiritual growth, wisdom, and for keeping in step with the Spirit.</li><li>Increasing Tok Pisin language skills.</li><li>A friend of the heart for Alex (he is 12 years old).</li><li>Nathan, our 25 year old son, who lives in Seattle and is working as a Marriage and Family Therapist.</li><li>A chainsaw as the new one we just bought was stolen from what we thought was a securely pad-locked storeroom (they cut through a thick pad-lock to get to it). It was actively being used to help the churches here build a missionary house.</li><li>A boat to sail to and reach remote villages in the PNG Islands such as those in New Ireland, Duke of York Island, and other parts of New Britain Island. Regular outreaches to these areas have been something that has been on the Foursquare Regional and provincial Supervisor’s hearts here for some time now.</li><li>We are looking at alternatives to our current housing – housing that will allow us to be live here more securely long-term. (It has also been difficult to live in a fishbowl).</li><li>Lori’s grandmother is very ill and has just had a diagnosis of cancer – please pray for the family and for resolution of pain and healing.</li><li>Our upcoming outreach to Bougainville. We will fly to Buca on 12/27/07 and then drive in previously war-torn country for several hours before we arrive at the village. After we help dedicate and open the clinic and do a 2-day outreach, we will then drive back from the village to Buca and return on 1/2/08. </li></ul>Be sure to check out the slideshow of our latest medical outreach to remote Ganai in East New Britain on this blog-site! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! Blessings, Victor, Lori, and Alexander Obregon Attempt Great Things For God. Expect Great Things From God. William CareyThe Obregon Family Blog Site - Kokopo East New Britain Papua New Guineahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04682270853477348292noreply@blogger.com