Funniest looking Monkey on the Planet

 From December 4th

In Borneo we had a chance to see the Proboscis Monkey.  

These guys are not in a habitat; they are in their native mangrove environment! 

Thank you for your prayers while we were in Indonesia! Our time with the youth, kids, children’s ministry seminar, and church services all went well. We saw God move in many wonderful ways in so many lives. 

Lorena enjoyed teaching all the kids in the elementary school and high school that one of the

Indonesian churches ran.  Most of these kids come from unchurched poor broken families in the 

neighborhood and are here on scholarship by donations of generous local church members. 

Brian speaking to the high school kids in Indonesia

Preaching in one of the Indonesian churches

Since then, we have been to a gathering of all the missionaries in Asia working with Iris Global, whom we are also a part of. We enjoyed an encouraging 3 days together in beautiful Kuantan, Malaysia. A T-shirt we all received said, “If you don’t quit, you win.”  We like that! 

We are now in Sabah, Borneo - teaching, visiting, and encouraging pastors and leaders in the 4 Square denomination at the request of our Malaysian friend who oversees all the 4 Square churches in SE Asia. One of the church members we had the privilege of praying for had been in an accident 3 years ago where a 50lb sack of cement landed on her back. She has been hunched over ever since, with continual back and stomach pain, along with great difficulty getting up and down from a chair. But everything changed for this beautiful lady!  Jesus touched her - now she can stand up perfectly straight and has no more pain!  Praise the Lord!

Standing up straight for the first time in three years!

We are now in Sandakan visiting another pastor and some of his church members. Interestingly, we experienced Christmas caroling with their youth group for four hours, literally climbing up steep hills in the hot humid jungle to these homes!  This was definitely a new experience for us!  At each home the pastor asked how we could pray for them.  We enjoyed that added tradition! 

  

 

Hiking up Hills / Christmas caroling

Before leaving the topic of Sandakan, we must show you the funniest looking monkey on this planet that happens to only live in the mangroves here in this region of Saba (pictured above). 

 

This is not a preserve or a zoo, btw.  This is their wild habitat. The owners of this land feed these Proboscis Monkeys and built this platform so they would come here.  It was a little unnerving to be so close to them, but also quite amazing! Btw, the way they talk is like belching! So funny.  

 

Ministry continues in Mozambique.

We are getting closer to reaching our goal of distributing 20,000 books of John, Galatians and Ephesians.  Pictured here are pastors receiving copies in their heart language of Lomwe. They also received enough to distribute to their church members who can read in that language.

Prayer Request:

Soon we will be going to Thailand and ministering to the Sea Gypsies with our Malaysian missionary friends, Jonathan and Cally Kwok. They have been ministering to these 5,000 gypsies for 10 years, and are eager to have us come pray over them. Most of them are animistic, but also mix in Buddhism and ancestral worship. Please pray with us that the Holy Spirit will touch their hearts as we minister and pray for them.

Lots of love,

 

Lorena and Brian