Today we would hear some of the crowds singing the little song, “Jesus loves me this I know because the Bible tells me so,” for lack of anything else to say. Jesus was taking them deeper and more personal building a foundation to send them into all the world with the gospel so He asked, “But, who do you say that I am?”

In John 14:9, Jesus asked this question of a disciple, “Have I been with you so long and yet you have not known me, Philip?” Jesus wants us to know who He is and what He is to all those that trust Him for salvation and dependence on Him.

This question, “Who do men say that I am” comes in the context of Matthew 16 where Jesus is dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees ideas about trusting God and not man. In verse 5 we see the disciples were worried about not having bread with them and in verse 6 we hear Jesus say, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And the disciples reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” What in the world were they thinking?

Then Jesus laid into His future missionaries with these words, “Oh you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?” The Pharisees trust in works and doing all the right things man’s way, but Jesus wants them to understand the bread is no big deal with Him.

If we can just remember as missionaries all the great things He has done in the past and keep our eyes on Him, He will supply the bread, wheat or the green stuff we call money to meet our needs. Question, who do you say Jesus is, could it be that we have been with Jesus so long and yet do not know who He is?

As missionaries we need to remember and understand the loaves. When we do not understand the loaves we can become fearful in times of trouble, Mark 6:52 and begin to reason among ourselves and with ourselves things that are not true about Jesus and His word, Matthew 16:7. 

Remembrance is the fuel that powers faith from the past to the heights of the future and things hoped for and not seen. Remember Jesus, the same yesterday, today and forever and the Savior of all those that believe the gospel message. Jack Housley

These seven men will be meeting together with Pete and me every two weeks for a time of fellowship, prayer and refreshment. They also will be having Sunday morning meetings and two or three teaching classes each week in different areas. Heti said, “They knew what was right but just had not been following what they had been taught”, sounds so much like a lot of us at times.

My soul burns with passion to see these believers grow into the body of Christ in ways that would glorify God on this mountain and in the valley below. Pete and I do not know the Bena language and Pigin is so limited in many ways. Knowing this, we take much comfort working hand in hand with the Holy Spirit who has no language limits even in this very difficult Bena talk place until our Bena missionary who knows the language returns. Keep praying, God can and will do mighty things for those who put their trust in Him who said, “Go ye, and I will be with you.”

Janie fed us rice and tin fish and we all left satisfied and excited about what God will do in the future. Over the years I have had many tribal men ask me to get them a missionary, one even wanted to buy a missionary from us. I realize one can not buy a missionary and the only ones that last are those that are sent from the hands of the Lord of the harvest into His harvest.

What can God do with seven men? Jesus took twelve and turned the world up side down. His power has no limits known unto man, what He has done for others He will do for us that ask in Jesus’ name. PLEASE PRAY, what a tool in the hands of the Saints.

Walking her to the small plane, we laid her frail body behind the seat for the ride to the hospital. Could I ever forget those yellow eyes and the emotion of the moment that pulled deep with in my heart and made me feel so helpless?

We all wondered if things would go well with her and that question was answered a few weeks later when the plane carried her body back to be buried among the family she loved. This time it was not the warmness of a body I felt as we carried her but the cold lifeless black plastic bag of death.

These were the times that make me so pleased for all the hard work George and Bob had put into learning the language and planting a small church among these once wild people. Her husband would miss his wife and the children would miss their mother but this dear little lady would miss hell, she had believed the good news that had saved her soul.

May our God give each one of you the passion and heart to get the language that opens the door to preach the wonderful message of life to those God sends you to? How can they believe if they have not heard? How can they hear without a preacher? How can they preach if they are not sent? How can they hear if the preacher is not speaking their language?

Paul wraps it up so well, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things.” I am praying you will be that person with beautiful feet.

I saw the man from well down river late that afternoon as the sun was laying down to rest among the mountains that stood tall along the beautiful river. We had heard of this tribe living near by; it had been said they still made beds for some of their dead and let them rot in the open air. “No nose” as he would be later called by me was waving an old white shirt, shouting above the roar of the outboard engine.

Knowing a stop this late in my trip would put me running the river in the dark caused tension, but my curiosity won out. I needed to know what was on his mind. “We need a missionary to come live with us”, he said before I could shut down the engine. “Look at us we are walking about in the jungle just like wild pigs.”

Telling him that we did not have a missionary to send to his tribe began a dialog that would last for several years. Finding missionaries that would be willing to live among this primitive group of people would take time, but I encouraged him that we would try. That was in the 1980s and little did I know what it would cost to reach this tribe with the gospel message.

It was late 1988 when I hiked over the mountain range from a near by river with my young son Bill where we started a building project for the three new families that would begin the work among this tribe. The excitement I felt then still reminds with me after all these years; this will be one that is finished.

Today 2009, after seven missionaries living and working in this tribe we have one family left to finish the work. Happy to say, “No Nose” believed the gospel as well as many more in the tribe. Thanks to all that have labored among this tribe; thanks to each of you as well that has prayed for the people of this tribe. We are almost there but the young church will need much more prayer to mature in the faith in the coming years.

What does it cost to reach a tribe with the gospel? We need people, prayer, and finances.
Most of all we need the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of these primitive men and women. Please pray for the Lord of the harvest to send more labors to the fields that will have a heart to stick it out until the job is done, Matt. 9:37.

It was September the 8th 1983, I will never forget because it was our 16th wedding adversary. Janie, the four boys, and I had just flown out of the tribe the day before and were looking forward to a few days to relax with the boys before they flew back to school.

Bob Kennel’s voice came on the mission radio with these words. “Cowboy, I have some sad news, your house has burned to the ground and all is lost.” I must admit if you had hit me with a ball bat it would have had the same affect, my breathe was gone. The Devil meant it for harm, but God had some wonderful truths to teach me, He meant it for good.

Now like most I had danced around Romans 8:28, but not to the point where it had any affect on my life at that time even though I had been a missionary on the field several years. I do not want to make light of the hard time I had, but sometimes it takes the bad times for me to see the good that our God has already in place.

As the small mission plane circled the airstrip taking me back to see the damage I made up my mind there would be no tears from my eyes this day, I had it all in control. As I opened the plane door and stepped out it all broke loose, too much work had gone into that house and what little we had was smoking in the ashes gone forever. Like some of you that are facing the loss of many things I was over come with grief, how could this happen to me a missionary miles from my home?

God used you, His people, to rebuild my house and replenish what was needed. He used Bob Kennel and George Walker to plant a thriving church in Bisorio and He used Romans 8:28 to build a faith in me to keep me looking to Him 25 years later. My friends we need not fear the hard times, but we must fear the good times that can draw us away from God. May God bless each of you and keep you strong in the coming days.