Dear friends,
It's hard to believe we've been here for 2½ months already! These first weeks have been full of new experiences as we've adjusted to life here, begun building relationships, and started getting a better feel for what life and ministry will look like.
We wanted to share a few glimpses of what we've been up to, something we've been learning, and a few ways you can pray for us. Thank you for continuing to walk alongside us and be part of this journey!
Life lately
One of the biggest adjustments so far has been learning to use less water. We were told that the dry season here has been drier and longer than usual, and that became abundantly clear when the rain barrels that supply the running water in our house dried up. We secured permission to pump a small amount of water from the station’s well into our barrels, but we learned very quickly how to be more conservative with our daily use. This involved evaluating our routines for washing dishes, washing clothes, bathing, and even how often we flush the toilet!
We're beginning to be more comfortable speaking in Tok Pisin with our neighbors. Our conversations are very simple, but we are starting to make new friends! However, we're still learning how to be busy without being rushed. As we heard from a local recently, “the white man cares about time; we do not care about time.”
Paul was recently surprised by how the Lord answered his prayer for fellowship. He’s been walking for exercise every morning from 5am-6am, and asked the Lord, and asked others to also pray, for him to have fellowship during this time. Within a week, he started regularly seeing a local man who walks the same route to work every morning. They talk about simple things, like how many children they have and what work they do, but they are consistently seeing each other.
Paul did not expect his fellowship to be with someone he could barely communicate with, but what an awesome way for the Lord to answer this prayer! It's been a reminder that the Lord hears our prayers and that our brothers and sisters in Christ are truly present here.
Pizza night!
A story from the past couple of months
One experience that has particularly felt meaningful for us happened on a recent Sunday, when a friend that we’ve been getting to know invited us to church. She is a widow and former pastor, who is from a nearby town and speaks very little English. She invited us to church (and gratefully, a fellow missionary couple who could translate for us), and we were very excited to attend.
We walked about a mile from our home to the church, which sits near the hydro-electric plant that powers the missionary station. Upon arriving, she introduced us and also asked us to share our testimony. She explained how grateful she was that she met me and that I helped her get out of pain from her toothache. I was able to speak for a few minutes about the Lord’s deliverance in my life and his calling to bring us to Kudjip. The congregation was really encouraging and loved hearing us share. She had the four of us pray over several people at the altar, and then had Paul close the service in prayer.
After service, they gifted us with three very large bags of fresh fruits and vegetables! We felt very loved and welcomed. Through this experience, we've been reminded that it is an incredible thing to feel a part of God’s family, even so far from our home country!
We're still very much in a season of learning, but we're grateful for moments like these that help us understand why God brought us here.
Our family with the Hydro Church
Our family with Pastor Susana and her grandchildren, and our fellow missionaries, Jack and Emma; Rachel and Pastor Susana; and a small portion of the gift of produce we received from the church.
What ministry looks like right now
At this stage, much of our focus has been on learning how to juggle our roles here with taking care of our family, discipling our children, and making time to spend alone with Jesus.
Over the coming weeks and months, we're hoping to make more strides in learning the language, and continue to build upon new friendships--both with the missionaries and the local people. We're learning that all of this takes time, as many worthwhile things do! We're trusting God to guide us as we learn patience in these new situations.
There's still plenty we don't know, but we're thankful for a community of believers to support us, both here and back home!
A little more from us
We recently recorded a short video update for our church, where we share a little more about life and ministry here during the first two months. If you'd like to hear directly from us and see a bit more of where we are, you can watch it here:
Watch our video update: Hello from Kudjip
We hope it gives you another glimpse of what these first few months have been like!
How you can pray
We'd be grateful if you would pray with us for these things over the coming weeks:
Rain: Pray for an end to this year’s dry season so that crops can grow, the river would fill, and our rain barrels would be full.
Funding for the hospital: Pray that the hospital will receive the funding it needs to function normally in the months ahead.
Guidance in a church home: Even though we don’t have a vehicle, we are very blessed that there are several places to worship with a church body within a few miles of our home. Please pray that the Lord would guide us in knowing which church body should be our home church.
Funding for us: We are still raising funds ($6,684.53 still needed) to provide for our food and housing for our first year here and then additional funds for our six-week required home assignment next year. Please pray that we would have everything we need, and consider donating or increasing your donation if you are already a supporter!
We're also thankful for our friends and family in the United States who have set aside time to talk with us, and for the financial provision to be here. Thank you for praying for us and for being part of what God is doing here.
Paul and the kids enjoying their homemade jumpropes!
Thank you again for your prayers, encouragement, and support. It means so much to know that we're not doing this alone. We're grateful to have you alongside us, and we'll look forward to sharing more as we continue settling in and serving here.
With love and gratitude,
Paul, Rachel, Gideon, Opalina, and Belladosia Equihua
Our website to donate directly to us:
https://www.equihuafaithdental.org/donate
Our page through Church of the Nazarene, to get a tax-deductible donation:
https://give.nazarene.org/pledge/prequihua
