(If you haven’t read our newsletters, you might be confused about what we are talking about here! We’ve posted them all for you to read!)
The situation around our little valley continues to improve by leaps and bounds! Another revival took place in another neighboring village just recently. Led by Pastor Willie and others, nearly the whole village responded to the message of peace and hope that was brought before them!
In truth, it has been a long time since our Organization has felt this secure, peaceful and free. Our members are not afraid of travelling around the valley, our employees do not have to fear coming to work, and our neighbors are beginning to see the benefits of peace and stability. If you are one of those who has been praying for us and our work, then take heart, because the answers continue to come!
The attitude of peacefulness currently permeating our valley has given us an excellent opportunity to build relationships. One of the greatest challenges facing PNG as a country is its sense of identity. The reason tribal tensions grow so quickly is because people consider themselves clan members first, country members second or third or fourth, etc. In an effort to change how the local people view themselves and their community, I am leading an effort to use soccer to bring people together.
On the 24th of this month, our Organization will host the 1st ever valley-wide soccer tournament. Each village is bringing a team or two to compete in this day-long event. In the background, I will be assessing the talent pool in the valley and with the assistance of some others, picking a valley all-star team to compete in regional and national events! We want to convince the valley to get behind this team as a representation of the whole community, and not just individual villages or clans! Giving the community something positive to move forward with is key to maintaining a stable community.
This is something that I am excited about and proud of! The team is starting from scratch and in need of gear and uniforms. Much of what they need can be purchased here in PNG so we will be seeking corporate sponsors as things progress.
Please pray for wisdom for us as we select the players because jealousy is a huge source of tension around here. Because of the identity issue, if a village does not get represented on this team, there may be repercussions. And please pray that the future team members will really catch hold of this idea and take it back home with them. Lastly, pray that a wise community leader will rise up to take charge of this program and carry it forward when we leave!
It would be great if you could send them a note encouraging them to be ambassadors for peace. Just fire off a quick email to us (calebandadrienneweir@gmail.com ) and I’ll compile them for later use! Thank you for continuing to be a part of our ministry here in PNG.
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