During August we’re focusing on having faith in God’s provision, however that comes. Each of the posts published this month will be about the manners in which God has chosen to provide for the authors. Please see the Prayer page to read our strategic prayer request for this month and to see how we, as a branch, are trying to have faith in God’s provision.

By Brian Paris

In my last post I said that logistics is the most unpredictable side of survey. This isn’t only true for survey, but for all aspects of working in PNG. Getting from one place to another for any reason in Papua New Guinea can be quite a headache. The more modes of transportation involved, the bigger the headache.

That is until God brought Bobbies to us. Bobbies is an Mbore businessman (the Mbore New Testament is scheduled to be dedicated next year). Bobbies’ business is based out of his home in the Lower Ramu. He employs 22 people full-time, mainly to drive and maintain his fleet of three cars and multiple boats. We have used Bobbies on four trips so far and have arrangements for another three. One time we asked him to pick us up in a village on the Ramu River. He told us his boat would be there at 7AM. The team jokingly started taking bets as to when the boat would actually arrive, guesses ranging from 8AM to noon. At 645AM his boat flew up the river to meet us. We left the village at 7 and went straight to his house where we jumped into one of his cars and came to town. With anyone else this could have taken 2 full days of travel.

To be able to count on one man to reliably transport us in this area is a great comfort to us here. We are getting ready to launch a new project in the area involving four language groups. Between his cars and boats Bobbies can get us to almost every village in these groups.

Once when Bobbies was in the office going over dates for a trip he was helping us with, I told him I felt good knowing we have a friend out there, someone we can call in an emergency. He responded by saying, ‘My house is available, my cars are available, my boats are available.’

You can join us in thanking God for providing one key piece of the logistics side of the new project in the Lower Ramu before we even asked. Also pray for Bobbies. Pray that the intense contact we anticipate having with him, his family, and his employees over the next several years will have a positive impact on the them and us, and that ultimately we would glorify God.

Brian serves as a language surveyor and administrative assistant.