"Great joy to ALL people!" | December 2010

“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today...” -- Luke 3:10b-11a (NLT)

Dear Loved Ones,

We want to wish you a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with joy! Right now we are rejoicing with the Malei people of Papua New Guinea (PNG) who have just received the New Testament in their own language this past weekend. Praise God! Now the Malei can learn of and understand in their hearts the joy that our Savior, Jesus Christ, brings. What an incredible Christmas gift that is!

(Pictures of the Malei NT Dedication celebration)

We are back in Papua New Guinea! We arrived safely in Ukarumpa (our home and place of work), without any delays or complications, on November 19th. We have had many things to do since we arrived and are still settling in. One setback we have experienced since getting here is our bodies getting adjusted to the stomach bugs that are so prevalent here. Our family, all of us except Matthias thankfully, has been sick at one time or another (several of us are sick as I write this update). Please pray with us that God would return us all to health quickly.

(from left to right: Matthias and Kassia; Luke helping to set up our Christmas tree)

I (Kurt) started back to work with the network team at the Communication and Technical Services department and am getting up to speed on the changes that have been made while I was on home assignment. I have been able to put to good use the experience and training I gained while working with the network team at SIL’s Dallas offices. We are in the midst of virtualizing almost all of our datacenter in order to more effectively and reliably provide the services we do to translation teams and support personnel.

Johanna is busy, at home unpacking our belongings that have been in storage and organizing our house. We have been blessed with a home here so the transition has been easier than when we first came to PNG in 2007. Kassia has started kindergarten and was already involved in the primary campus’ Christmas presentation.

 

(from left to right: Kassia’s Christmas presentation; Kassia and Johanna in our back yard)

Thank YOU for being a faithful part of our ministry and the work that God is doing in Papua New Guinea.

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! – Revelation 22:20 (NLT)

Yes, come, Lord Jesus!

Kurt (for Johanna, Kassia, Lukas, and Matthias too)

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Thank YOU for praying for our return travel | Nov 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

Please pray with us for these last few days we have here in the US. We are getting the last minute things packed and preparing to leave. We leave on Monday, November 15th… in less than one week! Our itinerary is as follows so you can pray for us a we travel (all times are local):

{1} Monday, November 15th | Leave Dallas for Los Angeles at 12PM – 4 hour 20 min flight

{2} Monday, November 15th | Leave Los Angeles for Brisbane, Australia at 11:40PM – 14 hour flight (we arrive Wednesday, November 17th)

{3} Friday, November 19th | Leave Brisbane, Australia for Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea at 10AM – 3 hour 10 min flight

{4} Friday, November 19th | Leave Port Moresby for Ukarumpa (as soon as we clear customs and board SIL Aviation’s plane) – 1 hour 30 min flight

Please pray that we will make all the connecting flights and pass through customs without any issues. We also ask that you pray for our family to stay healthy as this is a big transition for us.

  

Thank you for praying!

Blessings,

Kurt (for Johanna, Kassia, Lukas, and Matthias too)

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Thank you Lord!!! We are at 100%!!! | November 2010

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. - Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

Dear Loves Ones,

God has been faithful as always and given us above and beyond what we asked for or imaged. On Thursday, October 28^th, we received Matthias’s passport with his Papua New Guinea (PNG) visa inside. That afternoon we purchased tickets to return to PNG. And, as of Friday, October 29^th, we were pledged 100% of our field support quota. Praise God for being our provider and the one that moves hearts!

   

(Pictures of the kids! | left to right: Kassia; Lukas; & Matthias)

 

(Kurt has been working with the Dallas SIL Network Team while we were here in Dallas | left to right: adding a fiber channel card to an existing server; installing VMware ESXi on a new server)

Thank YOU for being a faithful part of our ministry.

In Him,

Johanna (for Kurt, Kassia, Lukas, and Matthias too)

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Praise God we are almost there! Less than 3 weeks...

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. -- Ephesians 3:18-19 (NLT)

Dear Friends and Family,

We wanted to share with you the great news! We have just purchased our return tickets for Papua New Guinea. Praise God!!! We leave on Monday, November 15^th. Later we will send more details on our itinerary. God is good and He has been working in the hearts of people He would have to partner with us. We are now only lacking $33/month in support and are confident that God will provide that remaining amount.

(some recent pictures of the kids)

Thank you for being part of our ministry through your prayer support and encouragement. We could not do this without YOU!!!

Blessings,

Kurt (for Johanna, Kassia, Luke and Matthias!)

Did you know that you can follow our ministry on Facebook? Click our badge below and then “like” to add our page to your feed:

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Metzger Ministry Update | October 2010

Quick report

Since our last update we have seen God’s provision for a portion of the remaining funds we need to return to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in November. We are now only lacking $400 per month of the original $540 that we are required to raise by Wycliffe before we are allowed to leave… praise God! It is only by His moving that this is possible.

We are trusting that God will provide the monthly support that we are lacking so we continue to prepare to leave for PNG when we are finally granted Matthias’ visa. We have his US passport in hand and have sent off the application for his visa. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

From our PNG co-workers

We would like to share with you this letter from a translation team that we support in Papua New Guinea.

Dear supporters of Kurt and Johanna,

My husband and I are part of a multilanguage project in the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea. Our goal is to train Papua New Guineans to do Bible Translation and Literacy in the eleven languages represented in our project.

In our multi language project, computers are an essential resource for all of our work related to Bible translation, literacy and Scripture Use. Right now we are getting ready to consultant check the book of Luke, which will be the first big book published in all eleven language groups. Thank you for sending Kurt and Johanna to Papua New Guinea to do this vital work of supporting the technical side of Bible translation! Last year when we were on furlough, Ben's computer stopped working while he was completing an MA thesis and also checking translations remotely. He was able to get a hold of Kurt who spent literally hours helping him recover data and reconfiguring the computer. Not only are Kurt and Johanna helping us with the technical side of translation, but they are good friends and are good at talking through the issues we face in our village, parenting, marriage and life in general. If we didn't have people like them caring for us here in Ukarumpa, we would not be able to work in our project. We are looking forward to having them back in PNG again!

Again, many thanks for partnering with Kurt and Johanna!

Mandy and Ben Pehrson

Literacy Specialists

Aitape West Translation Project

Papua New Guinea

Would you be our advocate? An advocate is anyone who shares about our work in their church, Sunday school, Bible study, home or just with their friends and family. Advocates provide an opportunity for us to share about our ministry in ways that may not be possible for us. Please let us know if you are interested in being a part of our ministry in this way.

Thank you for your investment in our ministry. We could not do it without those of you who so faithfully pray and give generously!

In His hands,

Kurt (for Johanna, Kassia, Luke and Matthias!)

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Praise God for His Faithfulness -- September 2010

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” - Psalm 46:10 (NLT) (to left: Molima NT Dedication)

Dear Friends and Family,

$540 per month?

"I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God; first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done." - Hudson Taylor

During the past week we received word from the Wycliffe finance department in Papua New Guinea (PNG) that they had determined a final monthly quota for us to return and serve in Ukarumpa starting this November. The amount we need to receive per month needs to be increased by $540. We were disappointed at first because we had been given a smaller increase as an estimate at the beginning of this year. Then we realized that this was an opportunity for God to show himself strong in our weakness. For us it seems impossible to increase our support level by this much in such a short amount of time, but with God nothing is impossible! Wycliffe will not release us to leave for PNG until we are able to raise a 100% of our monthly quota.

Our Wycliffe administrators have asked us to explain to our partners why there has been such a large increase in our monthly support level and why it is so sudden. The PNG finance department has been doing a detailed study of member’s cost of living. They just recently completed the study and realized that the cost of living used to estimate a member’s financial support level was 35% less than what it should be. Food and utility costs have increased dramatically in recent months and will most likely continue to increase in the future. Here is a quote from the finance department -- “At the moment in the store, an item that was costing 7 kina a few months ago costs 13 kina. Canned goods that were 6 kina are now 8 kina.”

If you feel that God is calling you to be part of our ministry serving Bible Translation in Papua New Guinea, please let us know. You can find information on how you can donate to our Wycliffe ministry on the sidebar “Ways to Give.”

God answers our prayers!

We have many things to be thankful for this month and we would like to share them with you.

• First of all we want to praise God for the birth of our son Matthias Andres Metzger Penaloza on August 8th, 2010. Thank you to all of you who prayed for a healthy pregnancy and for a good labor and delivery. God heard your prayers and labor and delivery went quickly and smoothly and we are now joyful to have Matthias as a new member of our family.

 

(from left to right: Matthias with Johanna’s parents; Matthias with aunt Miriam and cousin Ashleigh; Matthias sleeping)

• Praise God for the Molima (pictured at top), Yopno and Surasunga New Testament Dedications that took place in PNG during July and August. We celebrate with these people God’s word in a language that speaks to their hearts for the first time!
• Thank you for praying for our move to another house at the end of June. The move went as smoothly as possible and we are hopeful we won’t have to move again until we return to PNG.
• Since the end of June, Kurt has been able to help at the SIL Dallas Network Services department and is thankful for the opportunity to serve while they have been short staffed.
• Our trip to Maryland in the month of July went very well. We were blessed to be able to visit several of our partners there and visited with Kurt’s family. We also visited a supporting church, Mount Paran Presbyterian Church, and were able to share an update on our ministry in PNG.
• On August 6th, we were able to send our belongings to North Carolina to be shipped PNG. Believe it or not, Matthias was born that Sunday, August 8th, and we sent everything on Friday without having a clue that this little one would come two weeks early. But God knew, and we thank you for praying for us as we packed our things.
• We also want to thank you for praying for our return travel to PNG. Through the generosity of our partners we have received about 50% of the funds needed for purchasing our tickets. If you are considering a special gift toward our return travel, please include a note with the gift specifically designating it “for Metzger’s return travel to PNG.”
• On September 3rd, we received Matthias’s birth certificate. Praise God! Now we can apply for his US passport and PNG visa.

Lord willing, our plans!

Our desire is to return to PNG in November as planned. Tickets are less expensive if we travel in November, but prices will go up if we travel from December on. Also, our PNG Branch will begin the renewal process of all the members work permits and visas in January of 2010 and we would like to be in PNG before the process begins. If we are still in the US by the end of January, we will have to do all the paperwork related to the visa renewal ourselves and get many medical tests that are not required when we are in PNG.

Please Pray!

• Please let us know how we can pray for you! Pray for us as we do the paper work required to be able to return to PNG with Matthias. Now we can apply for his US passport and lastly (but not least) his Papua New Guinea visa so he can travel back with us.

 

(from left to right: Matthias with Johanna’s mom; Lukas thinking; Lukas and Kassia with uncle Peter)

• Ukarumpa has had more and more break-ins occurring. Please pray that this will stop and for wisdom for the PNG Branch Directors in talking to village leaders to gain their cooperation in solving the problem.

We truly look forward to returning to our ministry in Ukarumpa. We feel privileged to be a small part of what God is doing to bring His word to the Bibleless people of PNG. We could not do it without our ministry partners that faithfully pray for us and support us financially. Kurt is excited to get back to his job at the Communication and Technical Services Department as a Network Administrator and I (Johanna) cannot wait to settle back at our house as a “new” mommy of 3 children.

In His hands,

Johanna (for Kurt, Kassia, Lukas and Matthias too!)

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Our Wycliffe Invitation to Partnership

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The Gospel is Coming... to the Mandara!

Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. - Psalm 25:4-6 (NLT)

 

Dear Friends and Family,

The Gospel is Coming... to the Mandara!
We want to thank God for the Mandara New Testament dedication on Thursday, May 20th 2010… 19 years after the project began. About 1000 Mandara New Testaments were sold including the 400 that were presold before the dedication day! The two main churches, United and Catholic, were working together in preparing for the dedication, calling it “The Big Peace Ceremony.” Saber MP3 players containing recordings of Scripture were also distributed. Many people came from other islands of the Tabar Islands group and people traveled 2-3 hours on the sea from some language communities of the main island of New Ireland Province.

The Mandara people live on three islands just north of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

The Mandara NT Dedication.

Please also pray for God to work during 3 New Testament dedications in Papua New Guinea (PNG) coming up in the next few months: July 27, 2010 – Molima NT dedication; August 07, 2010 – Yopno NT/Psalms dedication; August 15, 2010 – Sursurunga NT dedication.

 

We need your help!
We also want to thank God for continuing to provide for us while we are here on home assignment. We have been blessed with nearly 25% of the $8,000 we need for our return travel to Papua New Guinea (PNG). If you are considering a special gift toward our return travel, please include a note specifically designating it “for Metzger’s return travel to PNG.” We hope to return to PNG at the beginning of November after the PNG visa for our new baby has been processed. We are also still lacking partners that are led by God to join our team and commit to support us on a monthly basis. Since being in PNG for the last 3 years, the cost of living has gone up significantly and so also the amount Wycliffe requires us to raise before we can return. Currently we are looking for 10 to 20 new team members. Would you prayerfully consider your part in our ministry? 

  

From left to right: Amount needed for return travel to PNG; Need of 10 to 20 new partners!

 

Matching gifts
We have an exciting opportunity for some of you that work for a company that has a matching gift program. Did you know that there are over 1600 companies in the US that will match your gift when given to SIL or Wycliffe through their gift program? Here is a short list of some of the companies: Boeing, Chevron, Dell, GE Foundation, Google, Home Depot Foundation, SAP, and Starbucks. If you are interested in knowing more about how you can partner with us in our ministry through the company you work for, please let us know!

 

Our plans
This next Saturday, June 26th we are moving to a duplex across the road from the SIL center here in Dallas. Could you please pray for us while we are moving? It is one more change for Kassia and Luke and it is starting to be a little stressful for them and for us as we pack. I (Kurt) will also begin to work at the SIL IT department shortly after we move as they are currently very short staffed.

In mid July we have a trip planned to Maryland to visit my dad’s side of the family, partners and a supporting church there. Then we are back here in Dallas for the birth of our 3rd child on or around August 24th.  

Lukas is ready to go back to PNG!

 

Praise:

• For the Mandara New Testament Dedication.
• For what YOU our supporters have already given towards buying the tickets for our return trip to PNG.
• For your faithful prayers and financial support of our ministry.
• For a house that we can move into for the rest of our furlough.

Prayer:

• For the 3 New Testament dedications coming up in PNG.
• For God to provide the rest of what we need per month for our quota in order to return to PNG.
• For our move to another house this weekend.

  
From left to right: Kassia in her red shirt; Kassia, her cousin Valeria, and Lukas; Kassia in her uniform.

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

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-- February 2010 Update --

It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. - Isaiah 55:11 (NLT)
Dear friends and family,
We have been in Dallas, TX for almost a month now. We had a blessed time during our two months in Colombia visiting family and also our supporting church there. It was sad to say goodbye to family but my (Johanna’s) parents came to the US with us. They are living about 30 minutes from us and we still see them often.
During our time of home assignment here in Dallas we plan to do several things. Mainly we will be visiting and reporting back to our partnering churches and to those individuals who have been involved in our ministry. In March we have two missions’ conferences that we will be attending. The first one will take place at Faith Bible Church (our home church) in Desoto, TX. The second mission’s conference will be at Western Springs Baptist Church. We look forward to visiting friends from these churches and sharing about what God has been doing in our lives during the last three years while we have been on the field.

While we are in the US, Kurt will do some IT training and I will take some continuing education courses to keep my teaching certification up to date
Thank you for praying for Kurt’s knee. He was able to have about 15 sessions of physical therapy while we were in Colombia and now he is doing his exercises here at home. Please pray that he will be diligent in doing his exercises daily so that his knee will continue to heal.

Kassia and Lucas are doing great. They were able to learn quite a bit of Spanish during our time in Colombia. Kassia is enrolled in bilingual pre-K here in Desoto and attends 3 hours each morning. She enjoys having a teacher and friends that speak in Spanish. Lucas just turned two at the end of January and he is now speaking full sentences in Spanish. He keeps us busy and we admire his ability to speak so clearly! I guess he has a good teacher around (his sister).

There are many reasons to celebrate this year in Papua New Guinea. Just this January the Lote New Testament was dedicated and there are 10 other New Testament dedications planned. A shipping container has arrived in Ukarumpa and it contains boxes of 6 New Testament translations for the Kalam, Miniafia (dedication in February), Ama (dedication in April), Mandara (dedication in May), Wantoat and Haruai (dedication later this year) people groups!

Lote New Testament Dedication
Another reason we have to celebrate is that we are expecting baby #3. I have had my first ultrasound and I am 14 weeks along! I was able to see the baby’s heart beat and his/her head, body, legs, and arms. It was pretty awesome. We praise God for this pregnancy.
We are planning on returning to PNG in November of this year after the baby has been born and we have his/her US passport and PNG visa. We estimate it will take at least two months after the baby is born to get all the paperwork done. Due to the fact that we are having another child and the increase in the cost of life in general, our quota for PNG has changed. In order to return to PNG, we will also need to raise our support by approximately $450 per month. Wycliffe will not release us to return to the field until we have met our support quota.
Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us and caring for our family. We look forward to seeing many of you during our time here in the US.
Blessings,
Johanna (for Kurt, Kassia, Lucas, and the baby)

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