The Next Steps: We were able to cover a lot of ground in our discussions last week, but there is still so much preparation to be done. Because we live in different parts of the country this important planning is going to be a challenge. We have asked our leaders to help us find a way to come together all in one location! There are a few different options for us to consider and we would like to ask you to pray specifically for a solution to this geographical challenge!

Once we are all in one location our stratgizing can begin in earnest! But that will depend heavily on knowing which tribe we are going to allocate in. Will you pray with us for a swift conclusion to this question! There are a number of different people involved in this decision with us. Pray that we would all clearly see the way ahead on this extremely important point!

In the meantime we continue to do what we can to prepare for our life in the jungle. We have pruchased some of our building supplies and Benjamin will be working to organize them. This will include putting a coat of polyurethane on 70 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood boards. These will be used as flooring for our bush house. There are other supplies that we will need that we haven’t purchased yet. We will be making these purchases as we are financially able to do so. We have a catalog of these supplies available at this link for those of you who may be interested in helping us with this project.

We can clearly see how the Lord has faithfully prepared us for this moment in our lives, and we can’t wait to see how He continues to equip us for this ministry. Thank you for the indispensible part that you play in this ministry. You have been “wanbel” with us from the start and have faithfully and generoulsy expressed that in so many ways. Thank you is not enough!

This Tuesday we begin a week of special meetings with David and Robyn Parry and Bart and Emily Allen in the Madang province. On Tuesday morning Benjamin and David will help load the wives and children onto our mission plane and they will fly on ahead. Instead of chartering another flight for just two guys, we have decided that the men should go by ship. It will take about 12 hours by boat but it is significantly cheaper than flying and a bit of adventure besides!

These meetings in Madang province are designed to help us go through the process of establishing ourselves as a Church Planting team. Over the next nine days we’ll spend nearly all our time together as families – sharing meals, fun and fellowship and getting into some pretty deep discussions (us adults). We want to determine how much unity we share in the areas of doctrine, managing relationships, child rearing, finances, work ethic, marriage and ministry philosophy. Our conversations will touch on other topics besides these but will be focused on answering the basic question of compatibility between our families.

Even though we have all received the same missionary training we cannot assume that we will automatically make an effective Church Planting team. We’ve been encouraged by our leaders to consider this decision as one of the most important of our missionary careers. Many families set out to accomplish great things for the Lord on the mission field, but because of tension arising out of their relationship with coworkers they never get that satisfaction. We want to do all we can to avoid such a scenario and believe that spending time together in open and honest discussion will help us arrive at a confident decision.

We have 10 children between us – pray that we’ll be able to strike that magic balance of time with kids and time without kids. Pray for the ladies as they plan and prepare meals together. Pray for the men as they prepare and lead our discussion times. Pray for the kids as they log lots of time playing together. Pray that we’ll be able to be ourselves with each other – that we’ll be able to discuss things freely and get beyond the potential awkwardness. Please pray, most of all, that we will know the Lord’s direction and will confidently follow it!

Thank you so much for praying with us through this important time!

We’ll keep you up to date as we are able.

Benjamin and Missy Hatton

Learn more about the process of locating an unreached people group with which to work: Home Early – Survey Success

We’re super glad to be back in our own home after several days out-of-town to see our mission Doctor about Tiernan’s tummy. After a round of antibiotics we were given the “all clear” to come home and on Monday morning we boarded our mission plane and took one of the last flights home before things shut down for the holidays. Tiernan has been making progress with less bloating. One of the things we’re doing is keeping him off any dairy products for the next two to three weeks. It seems to have been making a difference. Apparently after a bad infection the gut can be damaged rendering it temporarily lactose intolerant. So far Tiernan has been doing great with the new diet restrictions.

When Benjamin traveled home last month to visit with his Dad who is battling a rare case of cancer of the liver, he was able to share a report in several of our supporting churches about what the Lord is preparing us for this coming year. For those of you who didn’t get a chance to hear from Benjamin we’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to David and Robyn Parry and Bart and Emily Allen.

One vital piece to the success of our tribal church planting venture is a solid church planting team – a team of dedicated, like minded, highly motivated, mature in the Lord missionaries who are willing to sacrifice what is necessary to bring the Gospel message to people who would otherwise never hear the goodnews of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Parry’s and Allen’s we believe that we have found this vital piece. Over the past few months we have been talking and visiting with each other discussing the exciting potential of joining in this ministry together. So far the Lord has confirmed what all our hearts have been feeling and that is a confidence that our gifts, strengths, weaknesses and personalities combine to form a strong church planting team.

From January 10th – 19th our three families will be meeting together to discuss, and finalize this decision about establishing a church planting team together. We have a compiled list of questions from many experienced church planting teams that will aid us in our discussions. Real honesty and humility are required between us in all of our upcoming discussions. In a very real way we are going to be laying the foundations of a future church as we make commitments to one another to be unified in the Spirit and in ministry together here in PNG! We’re depending on you to pray with us during this vital time. We are hopeful that after January 19 we’ll be able to begin looking to the Lord as a team for a tribal location to begin ministry in! What a way to start 2012 – we couldn’t be more excited.

Thank you for the part you all play in making this a reality for us and for faithfully giving each month and praying us on. Please continue to pray for Benjamin’s Dad, James and Tiernan.  These two are heavy on our minds and often in our prayers.  Thank you for joining us in praying for their good health.  We are so thankful for how the Lord has used each one of you in a special way to bring us through our first year in Papua New Guinea in such an abundant way!

After sleeping on it and seeing Tiernan again today the doctor has decided to prescribe an antibiotic and see what happens. He has heard nothing from other doctors that has made things any clearer. Having gone full circle in pursuit of the right diagnosis we’re back to waiting and seeing! Can you pray with us that Tiernan responds really well to the antibiotics and that we’ll be given the clear to head home on Monday! We’re so grateful for an excellent missionary medical team here in PNG that we can lean on in times of need. While it is impractical and expensive, it is worth the investment to have the peace of mind and confidence to continue on in the direction the Lord is leading us. We will keep you informed!

Thank you for praying with us. It is so good to hear from so many of you who are assuring us of your prayer support and have taken the time to share your concern with us. Thank you for sacrificing financially for us to be here and giving so faithfully to what the Lord is doing in our lives here in Papua New Guinea.

Gratefully,

Stranded in Sydney: I arrived an hour late in Sydney which carved my layover time down to 20 minutes. Delta and Air Niugini don’t work together so I had to get my bags, run through customs and check-in again in order to make my connection. Needless to say there wasn’t enough time and I was left stranded in Sydney. I needed to get in touch with my travel agent but I couldn’t get the pay phone to make an international phone call. As a last resort I flipped open my laptop and discovered free wifi in the terminal. Thank God my niece, Joy Cusimano, was on Facebook and she gladly became my ‘middle man’. She was able to track down my travel agent and we began to swap emails immediately!

Credit Card Fiasco: Our travel agent was able to book me on a domestic flight to another city and on to PNG, but when I arrived at the domestic terminal to purchase my ticket I found our credit card had been frozen. We didn’t alert the credit card people to my travel plans and so they locked it up thinking that attempted expenditures in Australia was suspicious. I got back on to our travel agent via email and free wifi in the terminal (only airport in all my travels to offer that service – thank you Lord) and she paid for the ticket using our Discover card from the US. This got my ticket purchased, but when I attempted to check-in I was charged a $30 baggage fee! Of course I had no money and no other way of paying. I offered to wash dishes or even donate my new Nike tennis shoes, but the Qantas lady let me off but gave me a good scolding for not being prepared. I ate my humble pie willingly and rejoiced to be moving forward again.

Fathers and Mothers, Brothers and Sisters: In the Gospels Jesus talks about his disciples inheriting new family members amidst the sacrifice of leaving their own. Fellow New Tribers living in Cairns, Trevor and Estelle Burns, treated me like a son and came and picked me up from the airport. They brought me to their home and put me up for the night, fed me the next morning and got me back to the airport on time – and all this on the first day of their Christmas vacation! Now that’s family treatment.

Port Moresby And No Further: I was able to get on to Port Moresby a day late, but was not able to make a connection home. There were only two options for me – be put on standby for a sold out flight the next morning or buy a ticket on the next available flight home, December 27th. It would take a miracle to get on that flight. There were already 125 people vying for the 101 seats. I would need a personal favor from the pilot to get on that plane.

It’s Who You Know: Missy called me just before supper time to inform me that our miracle had happened. The pilot for the flight I was on standby with is an old friend. My parents sang in his wedding years ago. He used to fly for New Tribes Mission and was more than happy to pull a few strings for me. It was a great feeling to get a hug from the pilot as he strode through the departure lounge early this morning, and an even bigger thrill to sit in the jump seat in the cockpit for a dawn departure headed for home!

Back To Normal: There are no words for how good it feels to be reunited as a family again. We’ve spent the day just being close to each other and taking the time to tell the stories of all the missed moments of the past month. The well was dry and now it is full again – I pray that in the abundance of each other’s presence we wouldn’t lose sight of just how precious the gift of family is. Thank you so much for they way you have shared our sorrows and delights in this intense time.

Many of you have asked about Tiernan. He continues to suffer from a bloated stomach and loss of appetite. It seemed, over the weekend that all of this had passed and Missy decided to not go to see the doctor. Now it seems to be back, and we are again entertaining the idea of flying to the clinic again, whether all of us together or Missy and the boys on their own. Looking to the Lord for wisdom!

Sincerely

There is an opportunity for Missy and Tiernan and Silas to fly up to see the doctor on Monday morning (the day I arrive home) so we’ll miss each other by 3 hours! As I left  to begin my journey home we weren’t really able to settle on a decision over the phone – but a few minutes online at 38,000 has given us the opportunity to decide together what’s best. Be praying for Missy as she takes the boys up to see the doctor. Our full family reunion will have to be delayed for a few days more. Missy will come home on Wednesday, but Judah and Gianna will be there to welcome me!

Saying goodbye to my Mom and Dad wasn’t easy, but with a heart this full of gratitude to the Lord there is little room for sorrow! This month has been such an incredible gift – from the tremendous generosity that has underwritten the cost of the travel completely, to the calm on the day of the surgery, and God’s amazing grace every day since.

Yesterday we sat through our final follow up appointment and consultation with the doctor in charge of Radiation Oncology at the University of Michigan. They have confirmed that James has a very rare cancer of the liver that has a high recurrence rate. They have recommended treatment that includes both chemo therapy and radiation, and we are very thankful that it sounds like it will be very manageable with slight fatigue and nausea being the worst of the symptoms he’ll face. This treatment regimen will likely begin in January. Between now and then James needs to continue to gain weight and exercise so that he is as healthy as possible, as quickly as possible.

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers said in support of our family. We’re continuing to pray for joy in suffering, an eternal focus, a passionate and useful present, health and healing, opportunity to serve, and the hope that comes from a developed Christ-like character, that comes from enduring and persisting with thankfulness under the God ordained trials of this life. As the cancer has left a mark on my father’s body we are asking the Lord to leave His marks on our souls; He is answering this prayer already!

Exciting days lie ahead of us in PNG. We’ll take time to share all the details with you soon – after the reunion!!

Thank you will never be enough,

Benjamin and Missy

While James has made a terrific recovery from the surgery, the pathology report shows that there is still cancer in his liver that the doctors were not able to remove.  We are praying that the chemo therapy treatment and radiation is hugely successful so that James can be among the 10% of people that beat this cancer. 

But we are also forced to consider the reality that the putting of of James body might be soon.  These are the words Peter uses in his second epistle.  Benjamin and James enjoyed reading through it just the other day and these verses encouraged James heart.  Peter new his time was close so he was determined to stir up the sheep on towards maturity in Christ and fruitfulness.

James wants to have the same focus in these uncertain days.  While we can’t be certain of how the cancer treatment will go we can be certain that God is good and that His ways are perfect!  Please continue to pray with us and for us.  We have been overwhelmed by the response of so many fellow believers at hearing about James cancer.  There have been many tears, and I expect there will be plenty more but in it all we are finding God’s grace to be sufficient.

Meanwhile, Missy and the kids have been slogging it out on there own in PNG without Benjamin.  They have also know the sufficient grace of God, but we are all looking forward to being together again soon.  Thank you for continuing to hold Missy and the kids up in prayer. 

You are deeply appreciated,

Benjamin and Missy

We were able to reach all of the main villages on the route we had planned, and were able to connect with all of the right people in each village. The data collection process went really well as the people were very cooperative and eager to answer questions. While we weren’t hosted as well as we had been on previous survey’s the people were more than willing to provide guides to take us from village to village! On one hike we had to cross the river 7 times. At least three of those crossings were nearly chest deep with strong currents. Our helpers were able to carry our bags across for us without getting them wet! But we didn’t have as much success keeping ourselves dry!!

The bottom line conclusion from this trip is that we have identified yet another people group without the Gospel. They are tangled in a web of confusing lies that have been expertly woven by the Father of Lies to keep the Light of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ hidden from their view. Where do we go from here? A full report will be written about this survey and will be submitted to our field leaders. They will evaluate the information in the report and will begin to determine what the best strategy is to reach these people. As the field strategy develops we’ll have a clearer picture of what our options are and will begin to be able to make personal plans for allocating with one of these people groups. All of this takes time, but this process has been given the highest priority and we believe that we’ll have some clear options to consider by Christmas, if not before.

Please be praying with us in all of this. There are some giant decisions in our not too distant future. We need wisdom from the Lord to be able to make the best choices. Along with wisdom we are also waiting on the Lord for the necessary funds to be able to proceed. The cost of allocating into a tribe is hard to estimate but you can get a more detailed picture by looking at our Bush House Building Project brochure. Just click the button below:

As always, we want to communicate to you all how grateful we are to be on the receiving end of your faithful generosity. We could not be in this exciting place in life and ministry without your help. It is a privilege to represent you here in Papua New Guinea – and someday right in the heart of a people group yet to be reached with the Gospel. Our sincere thanks!!

Benjamin and Missy

On Tuesday Benjamin will accompany Tony and Dennis on a week long assessment of the Alfendio people group. Tony and Benjamin have been working together doing People Group Assessment work since last May, and Dennis is a believer from the Yembi Yembi tribe who will bring a much needed PNG perspective to the effort. This trip will be the second assessment of five that have been scheduled for different people groups in our area between now and Christmas. We are trusting the Lord to be able to begin working among one of these people groups in the new year.

The first village the guys need to visit is only accessible by helicopter. They will be shuttled in from another airstrip close by and then will spend the week making their way through each village in the language group. They have two and a half days of hiking and another full day on the river to get to their rendezvous point and catch the plane home. The trail will take them through 6 villages in all – four of which belong to the Alfendio language group. They have planned their week as best they can, and are relying on the Lord to put them in contact with the right people on the ground.

If you remember the last survey we were praising the Lord for the guides Thompson and Peter who where a huge help to Benjamin and Tony. We’re trusting that the Lord will guide us to the right helpers and “people of influence” in each of the villages that the guys visit this time. There are so many factors on a trip like this that are totally out of our control. Pray that Benjamin, Tony and Dennis will manage to stay safe and healthy. Pray that the Lord would give them the ability to think clearly while being physically worn out. Pray that they would remain culturally sensitive and that their communication would be clear. They both feel the burden of responsibility as they lay the ground work for a team of church planters to possibly follow.

We can’t overstate the great privilege we feel that we have being here in Papua New Guinea so close to expanding the reach of the Gospel even further. Thank you for making this possible through your faithful prayers and gifts. You are an amazing encouragement to us.

Benjamin and Missy

Judah is our first born. He is growing and learning more and more about the responsibility that comes with being the first born these days! When Dad was away on the last survey Judah began taking care of his own shower each night. Mom and Dad can send him and his brother, Tiernan, upstairs each night and in short order they both come down squeaky clean. AWESOME!! Judah is also holding down a steady job as the Super Duper Pooper Scooper. He takes care of the “progress” the dogs leave in the yard each day! He gets 20 Toea (cents) per heap of “progress.” We’re so thankful for his incredible cheerfulness and pure love for life. Pray that the Lord would help Judah to keep learning the discipline that is necessary for big responsibility.

Gianna, the fearlessly sweet lady of the bunch, is eating up every opportunity to explore and try new things here in PNG. She is more often up a tree when she is out to play with her friends than on the ground. She loves to speak Tok Pisin as often as she can – the people here love to hear her talking and they simply love it when she wears the traditional ‘meri blaus.’ All of this seems to come easy for Gianna. She has a knack for fitting in with her surroundings and picking things up quickly! We are so thankful for the eagerness and confidence the Lord has given Gigi. Pray that she would keep learning the humility and softness that will allow her confidence to be an encouragement to others.

Tiernan, our little Irish prince, amazes us with his ability to keep up with Judah and Gianna. He is undaunted in the face of so many of the challenges that come with trying to keep up with the big kids. He is always considering things, and very often has little profound insights that surprise us. Tiernan turned 5 in May. We hope this is the year that, in his deep thinking, he comes to an understanding of what Jesus Christ has done for him. We are so thankful for the sharp little mind God has given Tiernan. Pray that he would continue to face his challenges without hesitation.

Silas is our baby – but hardly that, anymore. He certainly doesn’t see himself as the smallest in the house. He is brimming with capability, and is a living demonstration of what it is to be totally secure. His lack of inhibition keeps us all laughing and living more fully ourselves as a result. What impoverished lives we would live if he weren’t a part of our family! We are so thankful for the joy that is Silas! Pray that we would be consistent with him and give him the discipline and love that will continue to allow him to thrive.

Thank you so much for praying for us as a family! We are the recipients of God’s incredible mercy and grace. We know that this is, in part, due to the faithfulness of you who remember us in prayer and we are so thankful. We have enjoyed an incredible season of good health, and have had no emergencies so far! Thank you for all the treats and special ways you have shown your concern for us. It is a privilege to benefit so from your generosity.

We have patched together some random pictures and video of our family that we hope you enjoy.  Just click on this link.

It is a privilege to be serving the Lord here in Papua New Guinea.

Thank you for helping to make it all possible.

Benjamin and Missy – Judah, Gianna, Tiernan and Silas