We received
an invitation from a couple that lived far away from any churches. They asked
a Pastor if he could help, who then asked me and some other church leaders to
go and see exactly what they wanted. When we arrived at their house I couldn’t
help but notice how much garden space they had. They brought us out to stand in
the middle of their field as they explained.
“We
don’t have a church anywhere near us. And we want to have a Lutheran Church,
because from what we have heard, you teach the Bible the right way. And so we
want you to put a Church here.” I, and others, looked around wondering where they
meant. Every square foot was covered in plants and trees and buildings for
sleeping, or housing animals (chickens, to be exact). Someone asked for
clarification, “Where do you want us to put it?”
“Right
here,” came the reply. “But we are standing in your garden,” we responded. “Yes,”
they maintained, “dig up this portion, knock down that house, and put a Church
here.”
I was
shocked. Let me explain: In Papua New Guinea most people are subsistence
farmers, which means their main food source is what they grow. So when someone
is willing to give up a portion of their garden it means they must highly value
the thing they are getting. In this case, they wanted a Church.
While
we were talking I noticed a group of kids playing nearby. One in particular
caught my attention. His face was visibly scarred and some hair was missing. I
asked the mother, “Is this one of your kids?” She said it was, so I asked again
what had happened. “When he was little,” she explained, “he fell into the fire.”
Standing
there in the quiet of her garden I was not sure what to say. I watched the kids
run off playing together. “Well,” I commented, “he looks happy.” I turned to
the mother. “And since you want to put a church here, your boy will hear the good
news that Jesus died for his sins. He will be baptized and in the new Heaven
and new Earth we will have new bodies and see our savior face to face.”
This is the hope we have. Not in this life or the earthly treasures we so often set our hearts upon.
Thanks
be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~1 Corinthians 15:57
It is my joy to serve in
Papua New Guinea, but in order to continue it is necessary for me to receive
adequate funding. The current LCMS ‘network support’ model requires
missionaries to raise their own funds, which come from both individual donors
and congregations.
Will you please join our
support network and become partners with us as we ensure the Good News of
Jesus’s death and resurrection for our sins is spread in PNG? The following are
suggestions for donations:
Pledges or Recurring Gifts: These gifts occur monthly but can also be
quarterly or yearly. Typical giving is $20-100 monthly for individuals, but can
be set at any level. These form the backbone of our support network. To
establish a recurring gift go online to www.lcms.org/givenow/ritzman,
or call 888-930-4438 to speak with someone at the LCMS Office
of International Mission.
One-time Offerings: These monetary gifts are given one time, or as
desired. These gifts can also be done online at www.lcms.org/givenow/ritzman or by sending a check to:
The Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod Mission Central
PO Box 66861 or 40718 Highway E16
St. Louis, MO 63166-6861 Mapleton,
IA 51034-7105
Make Checks payable to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Write
‘Ritzman-PNG’ in the memo line.
Thank you. Your support
allows us to help spread the Gospel despite many difficult challenges. People
are blessed, souls are saved, and God is glorified.
Email: michael.ritzman@lcmsintl.org
Website: ompng.blogspot.com
For
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and
are justified by his grace as a gift, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus ~Romans 3:23-24
