Mom & Dad Floating out of Awan on a Banana tree raft
Willie's House
Awan Village Welcoming Committee
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Photo's are Finally Here
Crossing the Mighty Markham River in order to reach the village of Awan, Willie's Home!
Traditional Clay Pots cooking a Sunday Feast in Awan village.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Update Two...
We have been living and sleeping in the villages for the past week and a half experiencing the real PNG. It has been very challenging for us as well as enlightening about their daily life. We have been relatively healthy except for one day last week when I got violently sick for about one day. I only missed one speaking session and my dad did a great job filling in for me.
Mom & Dad have been mightily used in healing ministry here! They have seen many miracles of instant healing. Many deaf ears opened, sight restored , and much more.
The youth confereence was a great success. Many youth have received new vision and desire to pursue the call of God on their lives. It was a great time of sharing in ministry with other pastors from PNG. The office opening was also great. We have connected with alot of different ministries here and God has done alot of firsts while we are here. Firsts for them and firsts for us. The best thing though has been all of the friendships and relationships built. We have had many times of the rich presence of God under the mango trees in the villages at unscheduled times of God's desire to touch and bless the people here.
One more thing for now. One village, Guinaroo, has decided to donate a large portion of land to the vision of building a Bible School Here. This vision for a new Bible School to be opened in PNG was birthed back in CFNI with Willie and Scott and has grown. The donation of approx. 300 acres of land is a huge step forward and will be legalized in the coming months.
We are in PNG for one more day and then go to Australia for a few days before we return. We will try to post some photos and more details in a day or two. Thank you for all the prayers and support!
Mom & Dad have been mightily used in healing ministry here! They have seen many miracles of instant healing. Many deaf ears opened, sight restored , and much more.
The youth confereence was a great success. Many youth have received new vision and desire to pursue the call of God on their lives. It was a great time of sharing in ministry with other pastors from PNG. The office opening was also great. We have connected with alot of different ministries here and God has done alot of firsts while we are here. Firsts for them and firsts for us. The best thing though has been all of the friendships and relationships built. We have had many times of the rich presence of God under the mango trees in the villages at unscheduled times of God's desire to touch and bless the people here.
One more thing for now. One village, Guinaroo, has decided to donate a large portion of land to the vision of building a Bible School Here. This vision for a new Bible School to be opened in PNG was birthed back in CFNI with Willie and Scott and has grown. The donation of approx. 300 acres of land is a huge step forward and will be legalized in the coming months.
We are in PNG for one more day and then go to Australia for a few days before we return. We will try to post some photos and more details in a day or two. Thank you for all the prayers and support!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
We've arrived and we're doing well...
We'll we've arrived and we're doing well. Communication has been a little harder to get to so this is our first post since being here.
We've had to cross a few rivers and mountians to get to our first sight but we've made it. So far we have had two churches that have never work together come together. At our second sight we had another six churches come together as well.
There has been a lot of "first" for them in ministry as well as our team but it's been great to see how God is bring us to new places in ministry.
Today we arrives at the youth conference. We are excited to see what's next and what God is going to do through us and the church.
Please keep praying for the team and the churches that we are working with.
Pictures will be coming soon once we get better communication lines.
We've had to cross a few rivers and mountians to get to our first sight but we've made it. So far we have had two churches that have never work together come together. At our second sight we had another six churches come together as well.
There has been a lot of "first" for them in ministry as well as our team but it's been great to see how God is bring us to new places in ministry.
Today we arrives at the youth conference. We are excited to see what's next and what God is going to do through us and the church.
Please keep praying for the team and the churches that we are working with.
Pictures will be coming soon once we get better communication lines.
Monday, June 9, 2008
One Week till Lift Off!
As the departure date grows closer there is a sense of excitement growing both here and in PNG! Here is the rough version of the schedule for those who want to keep up.
-The 19th & 20th of June will be arrival and greeting days with special ceremonies involving lots of tribal dancing and singing. All of this in the city of Lae
-The 21st & 22nd will be special church services in Markham involving baby & child dedications, possibly a marriage ceremony, and a special Sunday Communion service.
-Then it is off to the Western Highlands & Mount Hagen for the National Youth Conference the 23rd thru the 27th.
- The 28th thru July 2 will be back in Lae for the Grand Opening of the new District Church Offices & Leadership conference.
-The 19th & 20th of June will be arrival and greeting days with special ceremonies involving lots of tribal dancing and singing. All of this in the city of Lae
-The 21st & 22nd will be special church services in Markham involving baby & child dedications, possibly a marriage ceremony, and a special Sunday Communion service.
-Then it is off to the Western Highlands & Mount Hagen for the National Youth Conference the 23rd thru the 27th.
- The 28th thru July 2 will be back in Lae for the Grand Opening of the new District Church Offices & Leadership conference.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
An Incredible Opportunity!
I have been asked to speak and minister at two conferences for the Lutheran Renewal Denomination in Papua New Guinea this June 17 through July 6. The first is a National Youth Conference and the second is a District Church Leadership Conference that will coincide with the opening of long over due offices for the regional church leadership. Through the discussion of what is needed in the church there my Dad and Mom (Ron & Betty Cowley) were consequently invited as well and are going to play a major roll in the conferences and ministry. What a blessing for me to help fulfill my parent’s callings to be used of God outside the US!
The Challenge & The Vision
Papua New Guinea (or PNG) is directly North of Australia. PNG is a very tribal, diverse, and rugged country. With over 700 languages & people groups still to this day. It is not even considered "third world" but rather termed a "Least Developed Nation Status" by the UN. However there are seeds of something great about to sprout and come forth there. The Lutheran Renewal Denomination of PNG has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 20 or so years. It is a "spirit-filled" off shoot of the Evangelical Lutheran church and now has over 1,000 churches and hundreds of thousands of members!
However, it has reached a crossroads and that is where this first of multiple future trips comes in. Recently they have realized God was calling them to do more than just reach their own villages. They have desired to step up into greater ministry that has more influenece, effectiveness, and to answer the challenge of the Great Commission. One great step has been to form a Mission's Department with designs on reaching out to all of their country and being an influential force to all of the South Pacific Island Nations. However, with only a handful of the pastors having any real bible school training and very limited resources this vision needs some measurable steps of change to make it a reality!
However, it has reached a crossroads and that is where this first of multiple future trips comes in. Recently they have realized God was calling them to do more than just reach their own villages. They have desired to step up into greater ministry that has more influenece, effectiveness, and to answer the challenge of the Great Commission. One great step has been to form a Mission's Department with designs on reaching out to all of their country and being an influential force to all of the South Pacific Island Nations. However, with only a handful of the pastors having any real bible school training and very limited resources this vision needs some measurable steps of change to make it a reality!
The Goals & Making It Happen
Step 1 is a shift of thinking and faith in the youth. We are partnering with the church there to open up a world of possibilities for the PNG youth to pursue and believe God for. This National Youth Conference called "Days of Power" will be casting a big vision for what this generation can truly partner with God to accomplish. We desire to inspire the youth to seek God about their unique gifts, callings, and talents. Helping them to learn how they can cultivate them and use them for great and Godly purposes.
Step 2 is training the Leadership of the Church in Godly principles of ethics, leadership, stewardship, & being a people of vision with faith supporting it. This generation we seek to release into greatness needs Godly mentors, teachers, and authentic spiritual Fathers and Mothers. We must make deposits of spiritual significance in these leaders right now. Then they can be released into giving out these God watered and fertilized deposits to all the young ones in need of true discipleship.
Step 3 is physically equipping the church better. The church there is currently very isolated and desperately needs better communication with outside resources and ministries. So we will be providing the new church offices with laptop computers, printers, air conditioners, and digital cameras. This is just a start to help them be more organized and present themselves to future missions and ministry partners. These new partners coupled with God’s direction and provision will enable them to do things like start a Bible School, take short term missions trips, build safer permanent structures to meet in, and so much more.
Step 2 is training the Leadership of the Church in Godly principles of ethics, leadership, stewardship, & being a people of vision with faith supporting it. This generation we seek to release into greatness needs Godly mentors, teachers, and authentic spiritual Fathers and Mothers. We must make deposits of spiritual significance in these leaders right now. Then they can be released into giving out these God watered and fertilized deposits to all the young ones in need of true discipleship.
Step 3 is physically equipping the church better. The church there is currently very isolated and desperately needs better communication with outside resources and ministries. So we will be providing the new church offices with laptop computers, printers, air conditioners, and digital cameras. This is just a start to help them be more organized and present themselves to future missions and ministry partners. These new partners coupled with God’s direction and provision will enable them to do things like start a Bible School, take short term missions trips, build safer permanent structures to meet in, and so much more.
How to Get Involved
More than anything We greatly desire your prayers and intercession on our behalf. When the body of Christ is unified around common goals the potential for greatness exists. We desire to go to PNG in God’s Power and Authority, to see God work mightily through us and change lives forever!
Should you be led to help us financially provide for our expenses and the things we are equipping the Church there with, here are a couple of options:
1) If you would like your donation to be tax deductible write your checks to Ephrata Community Church and please leave the memo line blank. On a separate piece of paper please indicate the donation is for the Cowley family mission trip to PNG. The church address is 70 Clay School Rd, Ephrata, PA 17522.
2) If you do not desire tax deductible status for donation and participation you may simply make the check out to me, Scott Cowley. My address is 3434 Tribune Dr. Apt. # 410, Dallas, TX 75224.
Should you desire to donate to the trip some other way please contact me to make arrangements. (See email address above for contact info.)
Also there will be future trips and other ways to get involved that we will post here as it becomes available.
Should you be led to help us financially provide for our expenses and the things we are equipping the Church there with, here are a couple of options:
1) If you would like your donation to be tax deductible write your checks to Ephrata Community Church and please leave the memo line blank. On a separate piece of paper please indicate the donation is for the Cowley family mission trip to PNG. The church address is 70 Clay School Rd, Ephrata, PA 17522.
2) If you do not desire tax deductible status for donation and participation you may simply make the check out to me, Scott Cowley. My address is 3434 Tribune Dr. Apt. # 410, Dallas, TX 75224.
Should you desire to donate to the trip some other way please contact me to make arrangements. (See email address above for contact info.)
Also there will be future trips and other ways to get involved that we will post here as it becomes available.
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