Shortmeiers' Snippets Feb 2011

Greetings from New Jersey!!

Our final month in PNG was a whirlwind of activity. Brian spent time handing off information to the men who would take up his responsibilities. Susan was glad to have returned from the states and meet two more times with the Bible Study she led this past year. We jumped into cleaning and packing with full force right before Thanksgiving. It was so much fun to enjoy Thanksgiving with PNG friends as well as be part of some of the Christmas activities put on by the school.

We are still overwhelmed by the pampering we received from our friends and co-workers during our last week in PNG. On our final Sunday there was a Farewell Party. Many shared kind words and we received some very nice gifts. The evening also included ice cream and a short DVD presentation. Additionally, the school principal asked us to stop by on Monday before noon. We were very surprised that the school and staff were waiting for us with a very large sign and applause. Then we were shocked when a helicopter landed on the soccer field. We were told it was our “ride to town” to meet up with some field leadership for lunch. We were speechless once again. What a delight to have a bird’s eye view of our PNG home. Then our co-workers took us out for a special dinner and many others had us over for meals. We savored each minute with friends during these times and feel so incredibly blessed that this good-bye process, while very sad, went so well.

Many of you have heard us speak of Lita, our special friend for all these years. Lita and her daughter, Anuvo, came for a last sleep-over. Knowing how difficult this good-bye was going to be, Susan tried to spend as much time with Lita as she could. Susan was really thankful for one free afternoon where they could have a good long talk and spend time together crying and praying. While this has been really hard, we are encouraged that Lita is trusting God to be her strength and hope.

While most of our pictures have us smiling, there were quite a few tears shed this past month, especially as we flew over the property and had this final glimpse of our PNG home. All thanks to the Lord for bringing us to PNG and allowing us to be a part of the team reaching tribal people with God’s Word.

Return flights were good and we were able to spend a couple days in Australia – unwinding and processing all that has happened. After a family wedding this weekend and visiting one of our churches, we are excited to go to Maryland to spend the holidays with our children. Our grandson, Micah, just turned one and we are looking forward to getting to know him better. During January and February we hope to get to Pennsylvania to see Susan’s parents and visit with family, friends and churches as we are able. We are hoping to move to Florida in the middle of February.

Thank you for being part of our lives. We wish you a very Merry Christmas. We have so much to be thankful for as we remember all that was given to us that first Christmas.

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

With Love,
Brian & Susan
Shortmeier

Dec 15 – Feb 15

130 Cedar Lane (Missionary Homes)
Laurel Springs, NJ 08021
856-679-0939 (house)
434-851-6915 (cell)

after February 15, 2010
New Tribes Mission
1000 E First Street
Sanford, FL 33271
434-851-6915

It is with mixed emotions we begin this letter.  It will probably be the last one we send to you from Papua New Guinea .  It seems appropriate as we approach Thanksgiving Day to reflect on the goodness of the Lord in our lives.

October – November 2010

It is with much thankfulness we look back on these last weeks. Susan’s mother’s health had begun to decline dramatically. After talking to family members, it became apparent that Susan should make the trip back to the states. We are grateful for the good care that mom received.  Presently she is in a long term care facility closer to where Susan’s parents live so she can receive rehabilitation. The road ahead is long and uncertain however we are grateful to our kind heavenly Father who is always in charge. Susan was glad for the chance to spend so much time with her parents. After 53 years of marriage, their devotion to each other in “sickness and in health” was pretty special to watch. Susan has been really glad for the extra time spent at Kevin & Heather’s home after leaving her parents. Jared was able to come up some and Susan certainly enjoyed all her special grandma times with Micah.

November – December 2010

We appreciate your prayers as Susan once again makes this long trip alone back to PNG beginning on November 9. The remaining weeks will be busy ones as we sort, pack and get ready for our departure. We look forward to this next phase in ministry, but our hearts are incredibly sad as we anticipate the final good byes to our PNG friends and our missionary friends and co-workers who have truly become family to us after all these years. This is certainly a time of reflection and remembering and we feel so incredibly grateful to have such wonderful memories from the past twenty six years. We are so thankful for the ministries, for the blessing of raising our children in Papua New Guinea , and we are very grateful for you – those that have been faithfully praying for us and giving financially.

December 2010

We will be arriving at Cedar Lane Missionary Homes in NJ ten days before Christmas and plan to be there until February when we head down to Florida to begin working at the New Tribes Mission USA Headquarters.  We appreciate your prayers for the many details and finances associated with this big move (housing needs, vehicle needs, household items, new ministries, etc.)  NTM doesn’t pay salaries so we’ll still be dependent on whatever the Lord sends our way through you, His faithful servants.

With Much Love and Gratefulness,

Brian & Susan Shortmeier

Each November Americans take time to be thankful around tables full of good food.  As we look back over this past year, we are also grateful to the Lord in so many areas.

We are thankful to the Lord for His amazing love to us and gift of eternal life.  We are so grateful for God’s Word in our own language that can be a source of guidance, inspiration and comfort as we need it.

It has been a blessing being part of the team helping to reach tribal groups in Papua New Guinea with the gospel.  We appreciate our co-workers and are grateful that there were tribal people who heard of God’s love for them for the first time this past year.

We are grateful for those that give so we can remain in the Lord’s work, especially in today’s struggling economy.  God is always good.  But more importantly, we are thankful for so many of you who have told us in recent days how you faithfully pray for us.  Your part in our lives is so vital and we appreciate you.

These past months we have been on furlough have been full with times with family/friends and visiting so many churches and supporters.  Together and separately we have shared in about 30 different meetings about what the Lord is doing in PNG.  Thank you for your warm hospitality and interest.  We thank the Lord for His safety as we have traveled many miles by car and plane and although the path has sometimes changed course or been delayed, we have always arrived to our destination safely.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving as you count all the blessings God has given you!

With Love,

Brian & Susan Shortmeier

We have been having such a great fall spending time with family, friends and supporters and have been overwhelmed with the kindness and interest everybody has shown.  We appreciate your faithful prayers on our behalf.

We are reading and hearing so many news report talking about the flu epidemic in the states.  Heather has 7-8 weeks left in her pregnancy and at Johns Hopkins they try to be careful about the patients she deals with.  Could you please pray for her and her baby boy during these remaining weeks that the Lord would continue to keep them both healthy?  Thank you.

With Love,

Susan – future grandmom

We have enjoyed a mild first-half of summer here in New Jersey and have had good visits with family and friends. In July we enjoyed a family vacation in the Adirondack Mountains.

A cause for much praise and thanksgiving is that Kevin and Heather are expecting a baby the beginning of December. We are very pleased that this Christmas gift will arrive and we’ll have time for lots of cuddles before we return to Papua New Guinea.

Our calendar is quickly filling up—we will have church meetings or will be traveling for the next
13-14 weeks/weekends in a row. We look forward to seeing many of you soon.

Please be in prayer for two specific needs in PNG. Our guesthouse manager in Lae had to leave suddenly and we need a one to two year replacement. Additionally, my co-worker in PNG is leaving in half a year and we need a replacement for him. This is an administrative and leadership position and is very crucial. As a note of praise, a ten-year project of completing the most crucial sections of the Lamogai Old Testament is finishing up and it is hoped that it will be printed, packed and into a container on the way to PNG in the next few months.

Twenty five years ago on August 8, we headed to JFK Airport with our 6 week old baby girl and a bus full of friends—praying us on our way to Papua New Guinea. We have been so glad to be a part of the team getting God’s Word to tribal groups and are so glad to have you as a part of our team. We appreciate your faithful prayers, friendship, notes of encouragement and gifts of love all these years.

With Love,
Brian & Susan

Dear Family & Friends,

We trust you have a Happy Easter as you are able to reflect all that Jesus did for us when He gave His life for us. Thank you for your prayers concerning the gospel being presented to the Madak people. There have been some clear testimonies and we’re praying that in the days to come there will more Madak people trusting in Christ’s work on the cross.

These are busy days as we pack for our upcoming home assignment and prepare for those who will take on our responsibilities in the headquarter office. In the up-coming weeks Brian will be involved in 7-8 days of administration/leadership meetings. As soon as the meetings finish, we begin our trip back to the states.

Once again, we will spend our home assignment time at Cedar Lane Missionary Homes. We are looking forward to seeing many family and friends during this shorter furlough. Please contact us if you would like for us to have a meeting in your church, home gathering or just want to visit.

We appreciate your friendship, prayers, notes of encouragement and gifts and the faithful support you have been to us these many years.

With Love,
Brian & Susan Shortmeier

Your faithful prayers and support throughout 2008 have been such an encouragement to us. While it is easy to become overwhelmed with struggles that arise and shortages we face, we have a great God and are happy to report the things He is doing in Papua New Guinea.

There are new believers in four tribal areas celebrating a true Christmas for the first time: Bagwido, Inanbimali, Dinangat and Patpatar. It is also exciting to see tribal people reaching out to surrounding villages. Many established missionaries continue working on translation and teaching. New missionaries are in the middle of learning culture and language and some are in the process of building and moving into new areas. This week the Madak people are learning about Abraham. Please pray as they hear of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice Isaac; it is critical that they grasp the concept of substitution.

We will be coming stateside for a half-year furlough in May and look forward to seeing many of you then. Again thank you so much for your prayers, encouraging notes and support all these years.

With Love,
Brian & Susan

Most of you in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying spring – shedding heavier clothing, experiencing warmer weather & spring breezes and seeing new growth all around. While plant life and temperatures here in Papua New Guinea are fairly constant throughout the year, we too are experiencing new things.

April was very full with administration and leadership meetings. Lots of visiting, meals, gatherings and the PNG NTM Headquarters team moving into our newly renovated offices. (please pray as some electrical issues are worked through and that we would be up and running soon – presently a few offices are still without power) We thank the Lord for the unity and direction God has given the men during the last set of meetings. We have the best co-workers and even in challenging moments enjoy working together.  Tomorrow we begin filling in as Government Reps for a couple weeks in Port Moresby. We sure appreciate your prayers as we learn some new tasks.

We sure appreciate your faithful gifts and encouraging emails. Below are some updates from the three tribal groups that have been teaching through Phase 1 of the Chronological Bible Lessons.

With Love,

Brian & Susan Shortmeier
New Tribes Mission
Box 1079, Goroka, EHP, 441
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Brian-susan_shortmeier@ntm.org

Inanbimali (Brooks & Nina Buser, Tony & Tara Sutton, Tim & Courtney Shontere)

THIS IS VERY EXCITING AS WE NOW HAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD. We started teaching Saturday evening at about 5:00 pm and the lesson and questions went until about 7pm. We had over 95% of the village population there and by the grace of God it was incredibly quiet, which is absolutely amazing. Imagine about 300 people gathered with small kids, fighting dogs, chickens and many other distractions I will leave to your imagination. It was the quietest teaching session that we have ever had!! Each of us six adults have gotten to spend individual time with a few folks and we have had some very clear testimonies of faith. Pray for the team as they spend time individually talking to the Inanbimalis.

Anastasia told Nina right after the meeting, “ I have wasted my life. I have been believing lies. I can do nothing on my own to get to God’s side. Jesus did that for me.” She kept having to walk out of the teaching house because she was crying so much. We am looking forward to getting with her soon and hearing more of what she believes now.

Kelley said that when he heard the lesson on the Pharisees that it “courted him”, which means it convicted his heart. He said a lot of us here are Pharisees.. We didn’t think that anything was wrong with us. But now I see very clearly that we are dirty(sinful) on the inside. Jesus was the last offering that ever needs to be made. And I believe that he was the sheep that took my place.

Dinangat (Gary & Esther Smith, Jeremiah & April Markley, Ralf & Elisabeth Schlegel)

This week was ground breaking in a lot of ways. After weeks of teaching on man’s sin problem, that no matter how hard we try, we cannot clean ourselves up good enough to be worthy of God and that only by Jesus can we come to Him, it looks like many are really starting to understand what that means on a personal level. Last Tuesday one of the head religious men from the region came and held a 4 hour service after we had finished teaching that morning. He taught about what it takes to be a Christian, and for that many hours, this very nice and well meaning man fed our village a main course of do’s and don’ts that will make you acceptable to God. We wondered how they would respond.

We didn’t have to wonder very long. After a powerful message on Wednesday teaching that Jesus is the ONLY way, my language helper turned to me and said, “So many people have been teaching us what is not true. Now we have seen what the Bible says. We know that we are sinners, and nothing we can do can save us. We’ve been taught that if we go to church, give offerings, give to the poor, pray and read the Bible, then one day we will go and be with God. But this is not true. It is good to do those things, but they cannot save us. Only the Kidaak Amna can save us!” Then Basa got up and spoke, so beautifully encouraging the people in their own language in a way that we as foreigners cannot do. But he basically exhorted them all that they need to stop believing in themselves and praising themselves for what they do, but to believe only in Jesus!

We are just around the corner from telling them the answer to the question we’ve been hearing so much these last couple of weeks; “What will the Kidaak Amna do to save us from our sin?” We have just 5 more lessons until we begin the Gospel presentation of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Please continue to stand with us! God is faithful, He is doing as He said He would, and we are at the edge of our seats to see what He will do in these next 2 weeks!

Bagwido (Brian & Andrea Holmquist, Mark & Holly Woodard)

We trust you are enjoying the goodness of our LORD this day and this week! We are enjoying the ‘fellowship of believers’ that exists here amongst our Bagwido friends. This week our coworkers, the Holmquists, left the tribe for a medical furlough and it was certainly hard to see them go. We are all in the re-adjustment phase of being the only white family here in the village; you can especially be praying for our kids as they re-adjust to this new season of life. Also, would you pray with us as Mark will be meeting with a core of the leaders of the village, who are now solid children of God, to discuss how and when they would like to meet, as a ‘group of God’s kids’. As you may know, we have had religious groups in this village for many, many years. Because of this, worshipping God for who He really is and apart from just being a ritual is going to take some time and teaching. But we are excited as we embark on this new phase here! Pray for wisdom for Mark as he goes into this meeting Sunday evening (early Sun AM for you there in the USA). He will also be meeting with the men of the village every Wednesday night. Please also be in prayer for Holly as she will begin meeting with the ladies on Monday nights for a Q/Answer time and some reading of Scripture. We are feeling our inadequacies bigtime, as well as feeling like there are never enough hours in a day! So we continue to trust you for your prayers, and the Holy Spirit for His daily wisdom as we interact with our tribal friends here.