Graduation at Living Light Foursquare

With the close of our school year here in PNG we celebrated the graduation of Living Light Foursquare Bible College.  It was a wonderful time of celebration for the 34 students who graduated.  We had a wife and husband, brother and sister, and a father and son combo all graduate together.  The highlight of the ceremony was at the closing we had all the students stand in a line to be anointed and prayed over by fellow pastors and leaders.  It has been such an honour to the principal this year to these dynamic students.

Principal Paul praying over graduating students

Now many students will go their different ways as they are assigned to places of ministry in the Capital City, in the surrounding Central Province, and as far away as Solomon Islands.  Solomon Islands is a neighbouring country  where Foursquare missionaries from PNG have been sent and have now started a fast growing Foursquare Church.  Francis (pictured with me on the left) was sent from Solomon Islands, has now been trained up, and is  being deployed back to Solomon Islands for Pastoral Ministry.  Another student Rama is going back to KK (a village in central province) to become a children’s pastor to over 500 children in a church where revival has broken out.  Thanks to Foursquare Missions Press we were able to able to send both Rama and Frances back to their villages with Children’s Gospel Boxes filled with curriculum, puppets, evangelism bracelets and lots of other great resources.

Paul and Frances (student from Solomon Islands)

Paul with Rama and Roa (from village of KK). Rama is going back to be the children's pastor and Roa the associate pastor.

Mason also graduated this month, from Kindergarten!  We are so blessed at how much he loves life here in PNG.  The Living Light Foursquare Academy here at our church has made him grow and become an amazing little man of God.  For stories and pictures go to Carina’s blog: www.missionarymommy.wordpress.com.

Mason holding his diploma and his brother

A week after graduation, the whole family and I travelled to Goroka in the Highlands.  Carina and I were the speakers at the Foursquare National Pastor’s Kids (PK’s) Conference.   My friend Eli Taki, a fellow pastor’s kid whom I grew up with in Kainantu as a child, is now a successful business man and God has put it on his heart to organize and run conferences for Foursquare Pastor’s Kids.

Carina and I with Eli and his wife Celia (their new baby Chloe)

Hundreds of PK’s came from all over PNG, and Carina and I were thrilled to be preaching and ministering together to fellow Pastor’s Kids.   The first night we could feel the hardness of hearts and walls being put up, but the presence of almighty God broke through.

Carina teaching the morning sessions

Paul teaching the night sessions

Over the four day conference, tears were shed as the healing touch of God broke the hearts that had given in to bitterness and unforgiveness. We prayed over many who rededicated their lives, and wanted refreshing in the Holy Spirit.  Many PK’s shared how they had never knelt in worship to the Lord before.  Some also shared how God healed anger they had towards their parents and the church.  To close the week we had the PK’s turn and pray over each other, many received prophetic words of encouragement and we pray that the seeds planted will continue to grow.  As the praying ended the prayer turned to praise and dancing.  We love to sing and dance in the local dialect and see the joy of God in the faces of the PK’s.

Foursquare Pastors Kids worshiping the Lord after great breakthrough!

During this Christmas time, we would like to give a special thank you to all our supporters.  Thank you for your generosity, prayers, emails and packages.  Even though we are on the other side of the world, your love for us has caused us to still feel like we are close.  May God give you a wonderful Christmas and a hope-filled new year,

This is a super short video of Paul and the national youth pastors praying over the village crowd that came forward to receive Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

This month I travelled up to Chimbu Province (deep in the  highlands) for a national youth leaders conference.  I had been really licking my chops to get some time with the 500 +  youth leaders that came from all over the country.  A great need in PNG is training and equipping the national leadership, so I was very excited to have a week of training time with these gifted youth pastors.   The hosting village had a beautiful opening ceremony – with traditional tribal dress and dance, and performance.  It is customary here to have a large opening ceremony for conferences and events- it is always remarkable to see how each province and tribe is so diverse.   As you can see in the photos the people from the Chimbu province get really into the event and put on a big show!

Chimbu girl in traditional tribal dress. What an elaborate head peice!

Chimbu papas playing bambu flutes for opening ceremony

For my first session with the youth pastors,  God really put on my heart to train them on how to lead others in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  In Foursquare PNG we believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts but many of the leaders are not confident in releasing it properly.  There are many false doctrines that circulate the country and some leaders fear those things in their church.  However, God did not call us to operate out of fear or confusion.  God’s word is clear on the promises and operation of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.  That morning I had the youth leaders and senior pastors lead each other into the baptism of the Holy Spirit (if they had already received it, they prayed for a refreshing).  Many leaders were baptized in the Holy Spirit for the first time.  I even got to pray with members of the worship team to receive the Holy Spirit for the first time!   Since this conference was an open air event, a large crowd from the nearby villages sat in the back observing us. The presence of the Lord was so strong and I really felt that He wanted to move in the lives of the people watching.  I ask for those who are saved in the crowd if they wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit to come down  or if anyone wanted to receive Christ to come forward  and then receive the Holy Spirit.  The crowd from the back came forward and I called upon the youth leaders that just practiced on each other to come lead them in the ministry time.  It was a marvellous first day as we saw the Spirit of God  move and change the lives of the leaders and then change the lives of the crowd that had gathered to watch.  I had a great week with the leaders and we are continuing to pray and believe the training they received will go back and ignite a fire in the Foursquare churches and youth groups across the country.

Paul instructing youth pastors how to pray for the Holy Spirit

Paul and youth pastors praying for village crowd to recieve Jesus and the Holy Spirit