Matching Gift: Gobasi Project

A True Story

He was only a teenager when he resisted his cultural upbringing and decided on his own to put his faith in Christ—usually these were consensus decisions made by the clan.  But Sefasui didn’t wait for the clan. He knew he wanted to follow Christ and spoke up in the early morning meeting where everyone gathered before airstrip work. His decision would become the catalyst for others soon to follow.

Now, nearly 25 years later he waited alone, hoping for a plane to arrive with what he saw as help and encouragement—the missionary family that had brought his tribe the gospel.  He was told this would be the summer they would return, and he waited with expectation at the large hospital station where the plane would land with them. Instead, he was informed that the missionary and his wife were not coming, so he returned to his village disappointed.

This was hard news for us to hear, but we knew this situation was in God's hands. Our desire to help the church has not diminished!

Pastor Sefasui when Dale and David visited there in 2009. He was waiting at the hospital station for them then. Here they are all flying out to Yehebi together.

The Encouragement

Our sending church has provided us with an $8,500 matching gift toward the Gobasi project. We hope to return for two long summers to help and encourage a very discouraged Gobasi church. Now, if you give toward the project, your gift will be doubled!

Give $30, and your gift doubles to $60. Give $50, and it doubles to $100. We are very excited that we have this opportunity, but we need your help. In order for our church to  match their gift of $8,500, they have requested that matching gift funds be raised by April 1, 2013. 

Are We Excited?

Absolutely! Well...a little apprehensive, too.

Absolutely, because we feel God’s call to return to the Gobasis and help them in spiritual and practical ways. Even the apostle Paul went back to visit churches he planted, and we feel it’s important for us to re-engage and help the isolated Gobasi church again. You can’t live among a people for almost 13 years without them grabbing a hold of your heart. They need and desire the help. 

Apprehensive, because we are not the young whipper-snappers we once were. We know this will be the most physically challenging trip of our life. It will be like a perpetual camping trip with primitive living — no running water or electricity, no refrigeration, hand-washing clothes, and unbearably hot humid climate (with no AC!). Even food will be challenging for the months that we will be there. (Dale lost 17 pounds in his 6 weeks there in 2009, so it’s great for a diet plan!)

This will be the down and dirty side of a real-life jungle missionary trip.

Gobasi children standing in the church building taken on Dale and David's visit in 2009.

What are the details of your trip to Papua New Guinea?

We plan to hold services and teach through the outside false teachings. We also want to engage with the new generation of Gobasi children to ensure their understanding of the gospel. Practical repairs on the station is a great need. Repair of the airstrip is critical. Installation of water tanks is a health concern and other repairs on the station and the church buildings are needed. The Gobasis do not see much outside assistance - that we hope to provide.
 

If you would like more detailed information on what we hope to accomplish on our two proposed summer trips to Papua New Guinea (2013 and 2014), please go to the Pioneers website. The cost and project details are listed at www.pioneers.org. Click on the “Give” tab where you will find “Global Projects.” Then scroll down until you see the Gobasi Project. There is also a link there for online giving on the project page.

If you have further questions, please send us an email. We have a detailed sheet of the total project that we could email as an attachment if you wish to have that.  

A typical Gobasi woman carrying her child.

By the way, where is Papua New Guinea?

Papua New Guinea lies just south of the equator 160 kilometers north of Australia. It's located in the region of Oceania. It is a tropical climate and is hot and humid throughout the year. It can receive up to 300 inches of rainfall per year. Instead of our 4 seasons, we consider PNG to have a "rainy season" and a "dry season." 

An aerial view of Yehebi station where the Gobasi tribe lives in the isolated Western Province . The airstrip was completed in 1987 and in need of repair due to erosion.

• · Pray. We need your prayers to raise the funding. Pray that the Lord will work out all the details to get us there. Pray that we will be able to order the supplies ahead of time that we need and get them flown to await our arrival. Timing is crucial for everything to work.

• · Give. We would humbly ask that you consider giving to this project. It is a tax-deductible gift, and the Gobasis will be greatly encouraged by your partnership in sending us to help them. Never underestimate the eternal value of your gift.

• · Tell Others. We have to raise a minimum of $15,000 to cover the costs for the 2013 trip. Then to complete both trips, we need to raise a total of $25,000. If you have others interested in such a missionary endeavor, please let them know.

Where can I give?

You can give online at www.pioneers.org/give. Or you can send a check to Pioneers at 10123 William Carey Dr., Orlando, FL 32832.

Please specify that you are giving to Gobasi Project Account #150499. 

We want to thank you for your consideration of this project. We know that the Lord holds our times and purposes in His hands, and we trust that He will continue to accomplish His will in our lives.

Blessings to each of you,

Dale and Carin 

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails,” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV).