I don't know how else to describe the feeling we get when we are in Dao with these people after a time of absence except for that when we are here things just feel "right". Like we are finally back in  the correct part of the gigantic puzzle of what God is doing. Like we are where we are meant to be....where we need to be. Such is the case with this remote Indonesian jungle that we call our "home". These same jungles that used to be one of our greatest fears to enter into because of the stone age, weapon carrying people that resided in them, have now become one of our greatest joys to return to because of the work that God is doing in these same people that we once feared. Do they still carry their weapons and look like they just stepped out of the stone age? Yes. But the words that come out of many of their mouths give testimony that they are completely different than that of what they were in the past.
 

"Jesus, our older brother. Jesus our older brother. He opened the eyes of those that could not see.
Jesus, our older brother. Jesus our older brother . He brought healing to those that were sick.
Jesus, our older brother. Jesus our older brother. He brought sanity to those that seemed insane.
Jesus, our older brother. Jesus our older brother . He gave life to those that were dead.
Jesus, He is our older brother. Jesus He is our older brother "

Paatoma sang  these words to a beautiful Dao melody along with his wife and the other believers that were gathered this morning. "The Creator gave me that song while you were gone to America"  he said to us later on. "It was His gift to me as a lay in my hut one night. I heard it sung to me in a dream as I lay sleeping. When I woke up in the morning and had realized what happened I sang it for all the others in my house. The Creator gave that song to me. It was His gift to me!" he continued on almost laughing with joy as he talked.
 
After they sang the song this morning, Paatoma (Top Left Picture)  and a younger guy named Payomenaa (Top Right Picture)that he is training gave one of the most solid messages we have heard yet from John chapter three. They talked about how Jesus is the one that has cleared all our debts and accusations that God had against us and how He is like the bronze serpent that Moses held up in the wilderness so that people would be spared from the results of their wrong doings. Paatoma illustrated this point by taking  a black writing pen and placing it on the floor in front of him while he said "We are like this dark colored pen, our hearts darkened from all our wrongdoings, God seeing that we have done wrong as He looks at us". Then Paatoma took a white piece of paper and placed it over top of the black pen so that it could no longer be seen. "Jesus is like this completely clean and spotless piece of paper place over top of the pen so that we can't see it anymore. Because Jesus has covered over our wrong doings through his sacrifice on the crossed wood, now God sees us as clean and spotless in His sight because of what Jesus has done."

According to what the Dao people told us as they came up to greet us and welcome us back this last week, there is now Bible teaching going on in five different villages. Five different Dao men are teaching God's Word in five different places where not but a few years ago it had never been heard or spoken. There are also small literacy classes going on in most of these places. People that we have taught are teaching other people even up to two days hike away in a different dialect. God's word continues to spread out and God is doing His work in His own way and in His timing in the Dao culture and people group.
 
Meanwhile Jennie and I are getting back into full time Bible translation and Bible lesson development here in our village so that we continue to do our part to feed the flame and get new scripture portions and teaching material into the hands of the Dao believers and teachers. Our son Moses (His first helicopter ride - Top Center Picture) received a grand welcome from the Dao people and is adjusting well to Dao life. In their prayers in the Sunday gathering this morning they thanked God for bringing him to the Dao valley with us. As of yet, Moses doesn't seem to have been affected by any of the sicknesses we have come across in other people during our first couple weeks in Indonesia (Which include Dengue fever, Malaria, Measles & Meningitis). We thank God for His protective hand on our family thus far.
 

Please pray for us as we continue the transition back into full time Bible translation, lesson development and teaching. Pray that God will keep our family healthy so that we can continue on doing the work that He has for us to do here. Pray also for the Dao believers and teachers as they teach in the other villages and also in our village and continue on with the outreaches they have started. Pray for our friends, the Grant family as they are experiencing some health issues and are seeking medical attention and heading back to Canada. And finally, we want to let you know that we appreciate you and your prayers for us and the Dao people very much. God uses you to play a unique and crucial part in this ministry and we thank God for you.