Metzger year 2007 review... What's to come?

Dear Loved Ones,

On December 31^st we will celebrate one year since we left the United States to begin our journey to Papua New Guinea (PNG). What a blessed year it has been for our family! From January until mid April we were able to attend the Pacific Orientation Course (POC) in Madang, PNG. There we studied many things including the main PNG trade language (Tok Pisin), anthropology, cultural acquisition, and we had many physical activities such as swimming a mile and many hikes.

In mid April we moved to Ukarumpa (the base of operations for SIL in PNG) and we were there until December 19^th. Kurt has been working at the Communications and Technical Services Department at their Help Desk and also doing hardware repair. I (Johanna) was able to tutor a 5^th grade student from July until December and truly enjoyed that. As a couple, we have also been involved with the 8^th grade Youth Group in Ukarumpa. We meet with them every Sunday night and have gotten to know them better in this last semester.

We arrived here in Cairns, Australia on December 19^th. Praise God for that! The policy of SIL PNG is that all members must return to their home country or go to Australia for any major medical reason because of the limited health care resources in PNG. We thank God for you, our partners, who make it possible for us to come here to await the birth of our second child. I met with my OBGYN last week and he did a sonogram and said everything with the pregnancy is on track. I also was able to register at the hospital where, Lord willing, I will be giving birth. I am 36 weeks pregnant now and feeling great! Sometimes I feel tired but Kurt and Kassia are great helpers.

(Kassia with her friend Corrie, from Ukarumpa, at the Cairns Zoo)

We had a wonderful Christmas day. In the morning we celebrated here at our flat with a special breakfast that I made (Colombian style) and then we had a little devotion and opened presents. It was fun! At 12:30 we were invited to a get-together with all the guests from the missionary guest house where we are staying here in Australia. There were 6 other missionary families. What a blessing to be able to celebrate with family, our brothers and sisters in Christ!

(Kassia and Johanna in Cairns)

While here in Australia, besides medical costs we will need the finances to cover extra one-time costs of airlines tickets, lodging, visa fees, passports fees (for the baby), car rentals, and some baby supplies. We have carefully made a budget with the input of several other families who have recently had babies in Australia. Our estimated increased financial need for the 2 ½-3 months we will be here comes to $8,000. Would you please pray with us that God will provide for these expenses? Thank you in advance.

Thank you again for your faithful prayers and financial support that allow us to serve the Lord in Papua New Guinea and while here in Australia. We truly could not be here without your part in our team! We will be sending news as soon as our new little one arrives.

Praise:

• For our safe arrival in Cairns, Australia and that we can peacefully await the birth of our second child here.
• For a wonderful OBGYN who will be helping Johanna.
• For a blessed year serving as a family in Papua New Guinea.
• For our faithful prayer partners that lift us and our ministry up to our Heavenly Father and for our faithful financial supporters who sacrifice time and money to be able to give to our ministry.

Pray:

• For God to provide for our increased financial needs while we live in Australia.
• For wisdom, love and patience in raising Kassia.
• For our unborn baby to continue to grow strong and healthy in the last weeks of pregnancy.
• For a safe delivery and a healthy baby to be born in January.

In His hands,
Johanna (for Kurt, Kassia, and baby Metzger)

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December/Christmas 2007 Update

Dear Friends and Family,

It has almost been a year since we arrived in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Thank you for your prayers and financial support that have made it possible for us to serve in this country.

We continue to praise God because Kurt is able to support Bible Translation providing computer support at the Communications and Technical Services Department. He really enjoys the work he does there. He also recently helped the Director’s Assistant to Personnel here in Ukarumpa by making a form that will allow all SIL PNG members to lodge a visa extension required for working in PNG during the next six months. His work was very much appreciated and allowed the task to be completed more efficiently.

The last week of November I (Johanna) was able to help input data into the applications for visa extensions (our team worked on about 800 applications). I helped in the mornings when Kassia was able to attend child care.

(Johanna helping with the visa extension paperwork. Can you see the baby?)

I finished my tutoring with a fifth grade student last Thursday. I have enjoyed helping her since July, but since it is almost time for us to go Australia I had my final morning of tutoring last week.

Kassia is very excited awaiting the birth of her baby brother or sister. I am 33 weeks pregnant now and my pregnancy is going very well, so we thank the Lord for that.

(Kassia posing for the camera)

We want to praise God because on Friday (December 7^th) we found out that our Australian Medical visas have been approved. This means that, Lord willing, we will be heading to Australia on December 19^th to await the birth of our second child. The policy of SIL PNG is that all members must return to their home country or go to Australia for any major medical reason because of the limited health care resources in PNG. For us it is much cheaper to go to Australia. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for our visas to be approved, your prayers have been answered. We arrive in Australia 5 weeks before the baby is due and as soon as the baby is born we will apply for his USA passport (which takes about 4 weeks to obtain). So, we are looking at being in Cairns, Australia for about 2 months.

(We celebrated Kassia’s 3^rd birthday early this year, last Saturday, so she could spend it with her friends. She will turn 3 in Australia on January 4^th.)

Praise

· We always praise God for our faithful prayer partners and those who support us financially.
· That our Australian Medical Visas have been granted and we can go to Australia to await the birth of our second child!
· That we have been much more healthy in the past two months.
· For the opportunity Kurt and I had to help in the process of the PNG visa extension for our SIL PNG branch.
· For a healthy pregnancy for me (Johanna).

Pray

· For our relationship with the Lord to become deeper and stronger and that we can be an example to our PNG friends and coworkers.
· For our marriage to grow stronger every day.
· For wisdom, love, and patience in raising Kassia.
· For our unborn baby to continue to grow strong and healthy in the last 6 weeks of the pregnancy.
· For a safe delivery and a healthy baby to be born in January.
· As we pack and move all our belongings to a storage shed while we are in Australia.

In His hands,
Johanna (for Kurt, Kassia, and baby Metzger)

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