I hadn't planned on writing another update on Pastor Richard and his family.  However, so many of you have written me on facebook or emailed me and asked how they were doing and if I had another update coming.  So I decided I should just write out something on here for all of you to see.

The reason I hadn't planned on writing an update, is that although this was obviously a big deal in their lives, its not something they have had time to stay fixated on.  Here in PNG life has to go on.  There is no time to sit and dwell on the past.  Now some of you may be thinking that given what happened to Caroline, it is cruel to suggest that they shouldn't dwell on it (it has only been a month).  But there are things that go on here that make it impossible for them to not move on.  Like the fact that 2 weeks ago Richard's half brother went and did something stupid that caused a fight to break out between two tribes.  And although no one from Richard's immediate family group got injured, 4 people total died in the fighting between the two tribes.  Because of the fighting and the fear that they would also be killed, Richard and his extended family couldn't leave their homes for almost a week.

Then in the wake of the fighting that was just getting calmed down, Richard's half brother went and got caught stealing K4,500 (roughly $2,250) from someone from another tribal group.  In order to stop another fight from breaking out, Richard himself went and hunted his half brother down, tied him up, and took him to the prison.  The cultural thing would have been to protect his half brother no matter what.  But Richard told me that the only way his half brother was ever going to stop doing these things long enough to learn not to do them would be if he got killed or was in prison.  So he hunted him down and took him to the prison and filed a report himself against him.  However, as the police officer took him from Richard and was walking him back to the cell, apparently he twisted the police officer's arm and escaped.  Inside the prison.  When he found out, Richard said lets go get him in your police car before he gets too far.  To which the police replied that they had no vehicles available at that time.  So Richard's half brother escaped.  And here in PNG, the police rarely ever go and track someone like this down.  So now he is just out there and we are waiting to see what stupid thing he will do next.

So that is the update on Pastor Richard.  Now you see why it has been hard for them to dwell on the past.  I have been passing on your comments and prayers to Richard and he has been so appreciative.  We would like to ask that you continue to pray for us as well.  It has been great to be here and work alongside Richard during all of this.  We have been able to encourage him and he continues to encourage us when we have problems.  That's one of the many reasons that we are working so hard to get our account back up.  Currently our account has dipped down into the red and we are facing having to leave PNG and head back to the States early if our account doesn't come back up.  Please take a moment to pray about Pastor Richard and his family, our ministry here in PNG, our account, and how God can use you to help out.  If God is leading you to help in some way head over to our Partner With Us page.  Thank you so much for your concern for the work here in PNG

It has been a week now since I posted the prayer request about our good friend Richard and his daughter Caroline.  Since I posted that last week, Over 600 people from 19 different countries read about Richard and Caroline on our blog.  As I was telling Richard about that the other day, he almost started crying.  He said, "I can tell that people have been praying for me.  God has been guiding me and giving me strength and wisdom.  Can you tell them thank you for me?"  So here is my way of saying thank you to all of you, by sharing with you how God has been working in this situation.
Last week, a lot of parents at the school that Caroline goes to called for a meeting with the school board.  At the meeting, there were a lot of people in attendance.  Parents, school board members, a lot of community leaders, and Richard.  Although it is culturally normal for all community leaders to speak whenever there is any sort of meeting, Richard was asked to speak first.  He got up and told the story of what happened, then went on to speak passionately about the need for everyone to work together to stop this sort of thing from happening.  After he finished speaking, it was decided that he had spoken so clearly about what needed to happen that there was no need for anyone else to speak.  The school board said that they would make a decision of what to do based only off what Richard said.  That decision is yet to be announced.
Yesterday (Sunday) at church, the place was packed.  It is my opinion that mare people are coming because of what they have seen in Pastor Richard.  After a great service, Richard finished off by saying that he wanted everyone to know that his house was always open.  He said "if you want to talk, come see me.  If you are hungry, come and I will give you food.  If you have no where to sleep, my house is always open."  And everyone knew that he really meant it.
So thank you for praying for Richard and his family.  I can't say that Caroline is completely over what happened, but that isn't to be expected this soon after.  But God has definitely been answering your prayers as he has worked in this situation to grow His church here in Papua New Guinea.
Thank you also for praying for Erica and I as we help minister to Richard and Caroline and the rest of the family.  If you want to hear more stories about what God has been doing here in PNG, check out our latest newsletter by clicking here. 

We would like to share a prayer request with you.  In this picture is Pastor Richard and his family from the Mt. Hagen Church.  Richard's wife is Dorothy and the kids are (from oldest to youngest) Caroline, Mark, Georgina, and one to be born any day now.  Richard is a graduate of the Christian Union Bible College and continues to work closely with us.
Last week Wednesday, as Caroline was walking home from school, she was attacked by some men.  I will spare you the details, but Caroline was left emotionally and physically damaged.  After everything else they did, they then tried to drown her so that she wouldn't be able to tell on them.  Luckily, Caroline lived and found someone to help her.  As you can assume, Richard and Dorothy were furious and of course concerned for Caroline. 
As soon as we found out, Erica went to find them and help drive Caroline and her family to the hospital.  A medical report was filed and tests were done to make sure that she had not ended up with HIV.  Thursday, Richard and a few men went down to the elementary school to talk to the Headmaster (Principal).  They wanted to inform him of what happened and talk to him about what could be done to prevent future problems (it turns out that Caroline is the 6th girl in a row to have this happen to them just outside the school property).  Unfortunately, the Headmaster got defensive and called some of his relatives.  They came and chased Richard and the others off, beating them up and leaving two of them with serious injuries.
Now, the culture here is very much an eye for an eye type of culture.  The police (although a police report was filed) will do nothing about this.  So culturally, what would normally happen is that Richard's relatives would all go and beat up/kill some of the people related to the Headmaster.  This would result in a tribal war and who knows how many would die.  So immediately a whole group of men headed down the road towards the school to go start a fight.  But they had to pass by the church that Richard pastors and Richard was there waiting for them.  He got them to stop and he calmed them down and told them he didn't want to start a fight.  He told me later that he just kept thinking of the church members, the ministry he has worked hard to develop, and the new Christians that have just recently gotten saved.  He said that he knew that it would all be for nothing if he went and started trying to get revenge.  And so no fight started.
However, Richard is still in a very difficult position.  What would you do if that happened to your 8 year old daughter and the police did nothing?  Richard is still trying to get the Headmaster to talk to him about what can be done.
Please be in prayer for Richard and his family right now.  Richard told me this morning that Caroline wakes up screaming at night.  And she is afraid to go near any stream or river.  Also pray for the Mt. Hagen Church that Richard pastors.  They had a special prayer yesterday in church because they feel that Satan is fighting against them because of all the people that are getting saved recently.  and continue to pray for Erica and I as we try to help in these kinds of situations.