Still lots of stuff in chest today, and ears and throat very sore.
The day was very busy, with lots of people coming and going. Lilian and Tanya came around 7:30 and started weeding the garden. They left around 11:00.
Daddy and I finished outlining Acts 8. Checked through verse 31 of Mark 14 this morning, and through verse 52 this afternoon. Praise the Lord for His help.
We probably could have done more this morning, but Elma came to the door with some potatoes. After I paid her, I gave her one of the Bris bilong God (Bridge of God) tracts. I thought she would take it with her, but she sat there and started reading it out loud. So I sat down beside her, and added a few extra explanations here and there. She read the whole thing, but there were more interruptions near the end, with several other people coming and going, so didn’t get to deal personally with her. But I was thankful for the opportunity to go through the tract with her. She took it with her, and hopefully she will read it again.
At 9:00, Serah came for work.
I worked on checking 2 Timoti chapter 1 in the Owena language. By the time I finished that (seems like there were other interruptions), Serah was done working. So I did a little Bible study with her before she left. Then it was almost time to start dinner, so I crocheted a few minutes. Then got dinner ready. Made “potato” patties out of the rest of the potato-taro-pumpkin mash from yesterday. Added the yeipina (wild bird) egg, some onion, tuna, flour, salt, and baking powder to the potato+ mash. The patties tasted pretty good. Had leftover greens again.
Tony was here working, so gave him the rest of the greens. His littlest tyke, Micah, was out here with him, and he was excited to see the greens. He seems to be a happy little boy most of the time, and quite a talker, although it is hard to know what he is saying. Tony finished a small section of floor with ooqdi today. He had brought a couple bundles of bamboo and a bundle of ooqdi the other day.
This afternoon, after we checked Mark, I worked on checking 2 Timoti 2 i Owena. Thankful for the Lord’s help in finishing that. Started to play the keyboard after that, but someone else came to the door. Daddy was washing and shaving so I answered the door. It was a Marivo lady who had brought potatoes several weeks ago on a Sunday, plus four young ladies who had come along with her. She wanted to get paid for her potatoes.
After supper, I did play the keyboard a while. Then washed up.
December 22. Thank the Lord for a nice dry day today. I still have a lot of stuff in my chest, very tight, with a raspy sound, so did not go out today. Serah came at 8:00 and prepared the food before youth meeting. There were about 58 youth today which was much more than we expected as there is a touch football tournament going on at Ahninyauntapeq.
Gibson brought several more bundles of bamboo.
Lilian and Tanya finished cleaning the flower garden after youth group this morning.
Played keyboard again this afternoon after working on translation and computer for a while. Thankful for the comfort of many of the songs. Ran across a new one in the Majesty Hymnal about peace, by Carlene Clark.
Sweet peace, the gift of the Spirit,
Gives rest in the eye of the storm;
Though night winds may rage all around me,
His comfort and love keep me warm.
This peace defies all man’s reason,
Its bound’ries exceed time and space;
God promises peace to His children,
Who trust His unmerited grace.
So rage, ye tempests of fury --
For ushered on wings of a dove
Comes peace, the gift of the Spirit,
A token of fathomless love.
Peace divine that the Father planned,
Peace made mine by the Spirit’s hand,
Peace that no one can understand -
Sweet peace, the gift of God’s love.
"I will strengthen thee." Isaiah 41:10
God has a strong reserve with which to discharge this engagement; for He is able to do all things. Believer, till thou canst drain dry the ocean of omnipotence, till thou canst break into pieces the towering mountains of almighty strength, thou never needest to fear. Think not that the strength of man shall ever be able to overcome the power of God. Whilst the earth's huge pillars stand, thou hast enough reason to abide firm in thy faith. The same God who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the sun, and trims the lamps of heaven, has promised to supply thee with daily strength. While He is able to uphold the universe, dream not that He will prove unable to fulfil His own promises. Remember what He did in the days of old, in the former generations. Remember how He spake and it was done; how He commanded, and it stood fast. Shall He that created the world grow weary? He hangeth the world upon nothing; shall He who doth this be unable to support His children? Shall He be unfaithful to His word for want of power? Who is it that restrains the tempest? Doth not He ride upon the wings of the wind, and make the clouds His chariots, and hold the ocean in the hollow of His hand? How can He fail thee? When He has put such a faithful promise as this on record, wilt thou for a moment indulge the thought that He has outpromised Himself, and gone beyond His power to fulfil? Ah, no! Thou canst doubt no longer.
O thou who art my God and my strength, I can believe that this promise shall be fulfilled, for the boundless reservoir of Thy grace can never be exhausted, and the overflowing storehouse of Thy strength can never be emptied by Thy friends or rifled by Thine enemies.
"Now let the feeble all be strong,
And make Jehovah's arm their song." —Morning and Evening