Dear Loved Ones,
On December 31st 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 19th. 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 5th grade student from July until December and truly enjoyed that. As a couple, we have also been involved with the 8th 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 19th. 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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