The plan

Thomas and Jonathan Rodgers are preparing for
a 3-week mission trip this August 7-28
to Papua New Guinea (a small island located north of Australia).
Papua New Guinea

The brothers will be working with some heavy equipment the Lord has miraculously provided to finish installing a runway on the side of a mountain at the missionary compound in Aibai, PNG. Aibai is a small village where our friends the Mike Berbin family and a team of other missionaries lead medical, educational, and church ministries.

Both Jonathan and Thomas have experience using such heavy equipment; Jonathan owned a large landscaping company for a number of years, before entering the ministry himself in North Carolina. Thomas learned to operate the equipment while working for Jonathan, and has gone on to use bobcats and bulldozers frequently with his own renovation and property maintenance business. While the runway in Aibai has been "started", it needs to be graded, extended, and then topped with soil from another property to encourage a grass surface and prevent washout.
Partially completed airstrip at Aibai
(the airstrip is located to the left of the Aibai mission compound; note the goats and man standing on the near end of the large airstrip, and the washout lines currently crossing the property)

It will take the men all of their 2.5 weeks on the ground to complete the task, and hopefully will allow the Berbins to see the answer to 15 years of work and prayer, when they fly in and land on the new airstrip. For the first time they will be able to avoid the hazardous road trip to the village when they travel back to Aibai early this fall after their current furlough in the US.


the current method of reaching the Aibai village:
a hazardous mountain trip over washed-out roads
and precarious bridges, through areas favored by theives;
this trip takes 6-8 hours *on a good day*.

The trip is highlighted by the raw beauty of the Papua New Guinea mountains.


How can you help?
Please pray!
-for Thomas and Jonathan to have safety as they travel and work

-for the equipment to work efficiently (no breakdowns!) during the short time alotted for the trip

-for preaching opportunities while the brothers are there - teaching the gospel to some who've never heard

-for safety of their wives and children staying behind in the States

-for financial provision - each brother is raising $4500 to cover trip expenses

Want more information? Email us





Sunday, August 22, 2010

Travel Update #16 - A Day in the Lord's House(s)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22 - We had a wonderful day of worship in the Lord's house. Jon and I stayed home for the first service (while the team went to Kilau, another small village nearby with a 2nd church the missionaries attend). We attended the morning service at Aibai. We were told that service started at 11am. At 10:40 Jon shouted across the house "Hey man, I hear singing!" So we dropped everything, grabbed our Bibles, threw on our shoes and quickly climed the hill to church. As we approached the building we could see Matt Crain standing outside. Uh Oh...we thought for sure we were in trouble. So we quietly and meekly appologized for being tardy. He couldn't figure out what we were talking about! Apparently the music director, Jimmy, starts at random times depending on how many people are present! Knowing that sure made things a bit easier!
We sat through a nice strong song service and then the preacher got up. Wow! This man, David Seeno (a national assistant pastor from Kilau) is a great evengelist. He was "shucking some corn." The exciting part, for me at least, is that I understood a lot of his sermon! I was thrilled! It made the service so enjoyable!
Tonight Jon, Matt and I sang a trio at church services in Kilau and Aibai, and Jon was able to preach both sermons. What a wonderful time with the believers in both villages!
ok, gutnait!
Thanks for your prayers,
 Thomas and Jon

Note from Katie: Thomas called briefly my Sunday morning, his Sunday night, from the front porch of the Berbin's house where he and Jon are staying, though the Berbins are here in the States on furlough. It was after 10pm there, and the sun had set and a pretty full moon had risen - so bright that he could see from the porch Mount Elembari glowing in the distance. Thomas told me that they feel rejuvenated from their Sunday day of rest and worship, and are ready to get to work tomorrow and see what they can get done before leaving New Guinea later this week. 
This picture isn't from Thomas-though I know he'll bring one back!
This was taken by Jon Berbin last year, from the Berbin's porch,
of Mount Elembari.

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