OE is a two-week trip to an interior mission station where our high school has the chance to do work projects, teach kid’s clubs, give presentations on issues like HIV/AIDS, and help with medical aid. It’s a time for us to grow spiritually as we rely on God in less forgiving environments. And, we get to visit with the missionaries who have been working there for decades, and hear stories of how God has worked in their lives.

After a week of hauling rocks to help protect some houses from river flooding, pulling teeth and giving dental care with guidance from a professional dentist, teaching kid’s clubs, cooking meals, and learning about God, we felt the rush of wind as rotor blades swirled over our heads. Helicopters arrived to take us to even more remote villages, where an airstrip doesn’t exist. Through a translator, we were able to share about the dangers of HIV/AIDS, which is becoming a big problem in the highlands of Papua; and we learned from them too––about their culture and beliefs.

For our return trip to Silimo, we hiked for five hours, over ridge after ridge. I realized what a blessing it is to the missionaries and Indonesians who live in these remote areas to have air service like MAF. We finished up the last of our projects––building a stone wall and restoring a school building––and then it was the last day. There was the roar of airplanes over our heads, and I wished we had spent twice as long in the village. We were able to bless the people of Silimo in so many ways. But we were blessed in just as many ways as we learned to work together with one another and the community.

Everyone can think of a time in their lives that has been stressful, tiring, and just plain hard. We all hit that point where we wonder whether we really can keep going. I got to that place more times than I can count this last year. There comes a point though, when we do have to take a break for risk of “overheating,” over-stressing, and over-extending ourselves.

My biggest break recently has been Christmas, when I had three weeks to forget school. Many of my friends headed interior to their village homes to spend the break with friends and family there. I watched my dad taking off to fly them to remote villages, all the way up to the day MAF stopped flying for Christmas . . . and then, even the planes rested.

I knew “rest” for some of my friends involved crazy hiking trips and swimming in fast flowing rivers, or simply spending quality time with family they hadn’t seen for months. For me, rest meant getting up when I wanted to, reading good books and playing fun games. It meant hanging out with my friends who hadn’t gone somewhere else and playing basketball. Most of all it meant spending time with God.

Spending time with God means reading the Bible and finding new things to delight in. It means hiking to the waterfall or watching the sunset and basking in the beauty of God’s creation. It means praying with thanksgiving and joy and not asking for anything in return because I’ve already received the best gift of all: Jesus. This is how I learn to rest in God, and I want to learn to do this all the time!

Resting in God helps us recharge and ready ourselves for the next thing to come our way, because hard times won’t stop. But we can know that God will give us what we need to handle those times . . . if we’ll just rest in Him.

Many of the kids in my class have left for the summer. It can be disappointing to watch friends leave for a time, but it is fun to get to know the kids who stay just that much more, by going on adventures and spending time with them.

In the first week off of school, we planned two hikes to the waterfall, one at night, and one the next morning. During the nighttime trip, we sat around a fire, roasting chicken and admiring the stars, while we talked and got to know each other better. The next morning as we hiked to the higher falls, I sat stunned, once again, at the beauty of God’s AWESOME creation.

Unfortunately, summer isn’t just a time for goofing off and enjoying life. One friend, who was planning to stay the whole summer, had to leave after unexpected problems arose. When you so quickly lose a close friend like that, it leaves you crushed and disappointed as the plans you had are torn apart. It’s nice to know that even in times like that, when no one knows what is going to happen next, God has a plan.

This is a great way to remember that no matter what happens the Lord is in control:
“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” – Psalm 145:13-14 (NIV 1984)

Playing soccer with some Moi kids

We heard many cool testimonies from the Moi people while we were there. The best one was the story of the man who got baptized. He didn’t listen to the first sharing of the Gospel, but he was at the second one, where he realized his sin and repented. He stayed inland while learning more and more about the Bible, and then he went back to his village, hoping to convince the rest of his family to come and listen to the third talk. They didn’t want to leave their life on one side of the mountain to go across the valley and listen to some talk by strangers. Eventually he lost all his dignity and sat there weeping before them urging them to go. Because of this, they came and learned, continuing on to become strong believers.

It’s amazing that a people who have seen such a small part of the world, known God for such a short time, and read such a small part of His Word can still understand Him so well. One of my teachers mentioned that he had family who were not Christian, but he was not likely to start crying before them in hopes that they would know the Gospel. The Moi culture is fascinating in that they are very direct. One of the missionaries told a story of a guy coming up and telling him to his face that he was really bad at the language (this was a while back). In the western world we would be horrified if someone said that to us. However this directness also applies to other parts of their lives, in ways that can be uplifting. These people understand the gravity of the Message, and are not worried about how long they have to walk, or how much they have to beg to get people to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Would you cry in front of your relatives for the sake of the cause?