Hefner Update Sept-Oct 2008

We Hefners are homebodies. We like to stay put. Just thinking about packing and going to and fro on rugged roads and hanging out in airports makes us tired. We would much rather stay in one place – preferably home! In spite of those preferences, the months of August, September, October, and November have been and will continue to be filled with a lot of traveling – across Senegal, into Guinea, and even across the ocean to Papua New Guinea! Here’s a little peek into what the Hefners are up to…

August – At the beginning of the month Lenaya spiked a very high fever that continued for 9 days. We suspected malaria at first, and tried treating it with malaria treatments two times with two different medicines. Her fever persisted. On day 9, Lenaya still had a fever of up to 105 degrees, so we called an emergency medical flight and flew to Dakar as a family and immediately saw a doctor and had some tests run. Through wisdom given by God, the doctor prescribed a special antibiotic for Lenaya, even before the results of her tests were in! It was really neat to see the Lord so obviously watching out for her and guiding the doctor’s decisions. She was diagnosed with e-coli and we spent 2 weeks in [city] while she recovered. Many of you back home were praying for Lenaya, and for that we are incredibly grateful. We went back {home} for 2 weeks, and then…

September – Aaron flew to Papua New Guinea for a church-planting workshop. This was quite a lengthy trip (3 ½ weeks) and because of Lenaya’s recent illness we didn’t feel comfortable with Lindsay and the kids staying in the village alone. So, once again, we packed up and ventured on the rugged roads. Aaron had a wonderful time in PNG visiting different tribal works, talking with other church planters, and being taught and trained by experienced missionaries. He was greatly encouraged by seeing how the Lord is building His Church in other parts of the world. We trust that things that he has learned during his time there will be very beneficial to the entire NTM West African team. After...spending a couple of weeks at home…

October – Aaron will pack his bags yet again, this time traveling to Guinea, W. Africa (just below Senegal) along with a few other members of our NTM Senegal team. While attending a conference there, Aaron will have the opportunity to share the things that he learned while he was in PNG. This will be a shorter trip – 1 week – and after he returns we will be going back{home}…and hopefully staying put for a while!

Prayer and Praise

We are so very thankful for the Lord’s protection and healing of Lenaya. His care for our family was evident in very tangible ways – providing the right doctor, the kindness and care of our support team, health and strength for dad and mom in spite of very minimal sleep. Thank you to everyone who was praying for us during that time.

Aaron’s trip to Papua New Guinea was not only a beneficial time of learning for him, but also a time of refreshment and encouragement. We are thankful for the friends he was able to spend time with and the blessing he received through seeing first-hand the work that the Lord is doing there in PNG.

Being able to homeschool the kids is such a blessing to Lindsay. She loves watching the kids learn, and also learning along with them. It is a joy to be able to give Elijah and Lenaya an education based on the Word of God. We thank the Lord for this opportunity!

Please continue to pray for the young man who began meeting with Aaron in August to hear Bible lessons. When we return to the village (beginning of October) our desire is to continue these meetings with him and continue on until he hears the full message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In our absence, {our co-worker} has met with him a few times (upon his request!) and gone over some of the Bible lessons. Pray for continued interest and understanding.

Pray for Lindsay’s health. She is still struggling with regular spells of unwellness. We hope to have thorough testing done when we are on furlough this next year. Please pray for strength as she continues to care for the family and do language and culture study.

Please pray for us as we seek to raise Elijah and Lenaya according to God’s Word. Pray for wisdom, consistency, patience, and humility.

As we come to the end of our first term on the field, our hearts are heavy for our friends {here}. Things are not as we desired that they might be, yet we trust in the goodness and wisdom of our great God. Please pray for the people {here}…and the other 110,000 {tribal} people of West Africa.