Ryan D. Marshall

Hey there, folks! Last weekend, Pastor Charlie, along with our Eastern Highlands Presbyter Pastor David Marome, and I embarked on a journey to Goroka, and boy, did we have an adventure! We had the opportunity to conduct a combined service with another organization, but little did we know that this trip would throw some unexpected challenges our way. In this blog post, I’ll share the ups and downs of our weekend and reflect on the importance of gratitude in tough times. Oh, and I’ll also ask for your prayers as we navigate some ministry challenges here in PNG.

The Rainy Sermon:
Picture this: I’m preaching, and just five minutes into my sermon, the heavens decide to open up. Rain poured down on the congregation gathered in the open air, but I wasn’t about to let a little rain dampen our spirits. I told the crowd that if they were getting rained on, so was I. So, I stood in front of the front row, embracing the rain as an unexpected backdrop. It was a powerful reminder of the shared experiences we face as a community of believers.

Accommodation Woes:
After the service, the pastor treated us to a delicious meal, and we had a blast fellowshipping for about an hour. But as the night grew late, we needed a place to crash. Our first attempt at finding accommodation was a fail – the place was closed. No worries, though! We ventured across town to another spot. Just our luck, as we waited at the front desk, the power decided to play hide-and-seek, leaving us in the dark, well here and there. The power would come on for about 2 minutes every 5. It was pretty interesting. The clerk told us the generator had been acting crazy, and it was on auto start. It would decide enough was enough, and turn off every few minutes. It was late, and the generator was tired too! We wasn’t about to let that stand in the way… hey, it was late, and we were too tired to let it bother us too much.

An Unexpected Shower:
Finally, we made it to our room, and I told Pastor Charlie take the first shower while I chatted with my family over Facetime. But guess what? No cold water! Can you believe it? Usually, when we’re on the road, it’s all about those refreshing cold showers. As the power went out again, I decided to take my chances. Well, let’s just say the hot water lasted for a grand total of one minute. Covered in soap, I was left high and dry as the water tanks ran out. Even the sink refused to cooperate. But fear not, my friends! I had a stroke of genius and called out to Pastor Charlie, who fetched a frozen one-liter bottle of water from my backpack. And voila! I rinsed off with that icy water, and boy, was it a wake-up call to appreciate the little luxuries we often take for granted. A bottle of water later I was rinsed, clean, and ready to conquer the world! The Next morning Pastor Charlie asked me if I wanted to take a shower first since I ran out of water the night before… No Way!! Not gonna try that one again! I told him to help himself, but I didn’t want to chance that again, besides all my ice water was gone!

Gratitude in Challenging Times:
This whole shower debacle made me realize just how blessed we are, even though we live in a third-world country. It’s easy to focus on what we lack, but we need to recognize and appreciate the abundance we do have. We’ve got clothes on our backs, shoes on our feet, food in our cupboards, and a roof over our heads. Seriously, we’ve got no room for complaints!

The Next Morning:

We made it back to the church, and had another amazing service. We were supposed to start at 9:00am, but ended up starting closer to 11. We had around 50 people there the second day, and at the end of the service we had 11 people come up for special prayer. After the service a woman stood and testified that God healed her during the prayer service! That is the God we serve!

Prayer Request:
Now, folks, here’s where I need your help. As we continue our ministry here in PNG, we’re facing some challenges that could use your prayers. We’ve come across situations where folks want to start new churches, but their pastors are hesitant to let them go. We understand the importance of order and guidance, so we’re asking for your prayers for resolution and clarity in this messy situation. We need God to step in and clean it up!

Conclusion:
Our weekend in Goroka was one for the books, filled with unexpected twists and turns. Through it all, we learned the importance of gratitude and prayer. No matter the challenges we face, we must remain thankful for the abundance we have. As we navigate the ups and downs of our ministry, we’re counting on your prayers for guidance and resolution. Together, let’s stay grateful and keep the faith alive!

Please comment, and share crazy experiences you may have had while traveling. I love hearing other peoples stories!

Feel free to comment any prayers, or request you may have!

Be thankful for the little things,

Bro. Marshall

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