Sovereign Grace Baptist Mission International

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST MISSION International – Papua New Guinea / Malawi Africa
P.O. Box 60150 Ndirande Bt. 6 Blantyre Malawi /
P.O. Box 233 – Mt Hagen (WHP) Papua New Guinea
Missionary / Evangelist:  Peter A. Halliman
Email: panagioite042gmail.com
Website:  sgbm-malawi-africa.com

Date:   10^th January 2024

Dear Pastor, Church & All Supporters,

Mt 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Mt 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

Matthew 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

Please read the rest of the accounting down to Vs. 35.

I arrived on the Second of Jan 2024, the first day into the night, I have given you an accounting.  The next couple days I was here at the property, I would like to share with you (the reader) my conditions I live under and some of the issues I have faced already.  Mind you, I had lived here for twenty years, and to reiterate I had purchased this property to build my home and live here the remainder of my life (I thought so).  The bible school building was constructed, with bathing stalls, outside toilets etc… for the pastors or students who would be attending the bible school.  Whilst I was in the process of constructing my home, I would live within the building for the bible school.

That said, I had left some things, some mechanic tools, hand tools to work the land, carpentry tools etc. on the property I had constructed two water tanks securing clean, water from the mountain.  This water was filtered through my own design.  I had left the x-military truck we purchased in the early years of the work, a second-hand Range Rover which, had seen the best of its life.  Whilst in PNG, I sold the truck had the funds put into an account and advised Eric & Edwin to use those to pay workers and maintain the property, run, and operate the Bible School.

The Range Rover was sold, and the little money I redeemed from it I gave to Eric to be used in the mission work.  I took nothing back to myself or redeemed anything for my personal usage.  I had my personal welding machine I had shipped years ago, a portable machine, meaning it had its own generator and could produce power, in which I used as a generator at the property.

After two days of conferencing with the workers, Eric, & Edwin, I discovered that one of the workers here, his name is Oliver, he had sold my welding machine and chopped the funds, nothing was said to me until I found out just a few days ago.

Note the parable Jesus told his disciples… where is the story now?  What would you have done?  Called the police, have him arrested?  To have him pay back, he cannot, to chase him or dismiss from here, yes, I can, to what end?  The offense was great, the value was more than he would ever be able to pay back, he made a big big mistake to me both lied and stole.  What now? The flesh was very quick to make judgment, however, the parable Jesus taught on forgiveness, came to mind, what can I do? What should I do?  As you muse on these thoughts, it’s only a story to you, and many Christians around the world, will say they forgive someone and then spend the rest of their lives ‘chewing’ on the very thing they said they forgave so and so.

What good is (faith) if it’s not used, when its needed? And what good is forgiveness, unless you’re willing to stop the lip service and let your life experience this doctrine!

It is one thing to say you believe it, another thing to live it, The LORD gave and has taken away, I cannot claim to believe as His child, and then not forgive others as He has already forgiven me.

There are other things that have gone wrong but that is the big one, I did not come here to set up my tent again and try to live out my life again here, twenty years I invested, and for the moment I am still very much involved in the work of PNG.  

God knows the directions, He ordains our lives, and orders the steps of a good man, it is not we who sets the compass of our lives, we get lost so easily, and the LORD must turn us around in our navigation.

May the Lord bless the work of your hands, smile upon your lives as you labour for him. I want to thank each of you for your support in prayers and finances.

I could not do the work that I do without your assistance.

In His Name,

Missionary Peter Halliman

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST MISSION International – Papua New Guinea / Malawi Africa
P.O. Box 60150 Ndirande Bt. 6 Blantyre Malawi /
P.O. Box 233 – Mt Hagen (WHP) Papua New Guinea
Missionary / Evangelist:  Peter A. Halliman
Email: panagioite042gmail.com
Website:  sgbm-malawi-africa.com

Date:   9^th January 2024

Dear Pastor, Church & All Supporters,

Acts 15:36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.

As I came out from the Terminal, I was greeted by Bro. Edwin whom some of you have met, others have not, and Bro. Eric whom some of you know by name only and receive his mission reports.  It was a good reunion, again it was like yesterday that we had parted, one thing about black people they do not show age quickly as the Caucasian race does (at least some), however, when they do start aging, they usually go quickly.

We set off on foot walking to catch public transport, as I have stated I do not any longer have any vehicle here in Malawi.  Soon a minibus came along we boarded and set off for Blantyre where I would need to take come of some business (exchange currency).  If anyone reading this has ever been to a third-world country and travelled via public transport, you will understand my words, if you have not, there is no way I can translate the (realness), of this concept to you.  There are stages that the vehicles stop at, letting off people, waiting to board again, it’s a long process to even travel a short distance, the heat can be realised, every space is utilized and where seating capacity for fifteen passengers in a minibus it is common to have twenty or twenty-five.  Not everyone in these countries knows what a bar of soap and a bucket of water will do!  If you get the front seat, good for you, if it’s the rear seat, you need to have a good window open.

Midway to town (about ten miles) to town I discovered that I did not have my carry bag which I have all my documents, (passport), driving Lic, many other important documents, and government issued I.D.’ besides the cash money I was able to bring for exchanging once I had arrived.  My mind raced to where it could be, after two days of sleep deprivation it is not hard to forget something.   The problem was, when I had passed through Immigration, I was to clear Customs, in which, they have a scanning machine that all bags are passed through, on the other side, I had someone a (customs) officer who assisted me and as the bags came out, he took the two check in, and I took my laptop case with my coat, the small bag had not yet cleared and by the time I was outside the Terminal my mind was not on what I had left behind.  

I left Eric with the baggage, Edwin and I returned to the airport again, getting clearance with the airport security and a customs officer, I was escorted back into the customs area where I found my handbag placed within the holding office.  I identified the bag, and it was released to me, a big, big sigh of relief and a prayer of thankfulness to the LORD, was given.

Edwin and I set off again, soon we were joined up with Eric, where we took a public vehicle to town and made an agreement (this vehicle was not a minibus) but more like a private taxicab though it’s not registered as such.  In town I met up with some money changers… for those who are sending support to Malawi to Edwin and Eric, may know first-hand from me the challenges they face or not, the currency exchange and other details which, have been obscured for some years.  The going exchange rate is (One USD to Two Thousand MK – Malawi Kwacha).

I exchanged five hundred USD which, gives me (1 million) Malawi Kwacha, the notes are now in denominations of (5,000.) I learned also that the (older US 100.00 notes) are not accepted within Malawi by Immigration, no foreign exchange bureau, or bank or even the black market will accept these older bills.  I said to the exchange bureau, looks like to me if the money is good enough for the most developed country in the world, should be for a ‘donor country’!  Malawi contributes nothing to the international community; they are takers not givers.

None the less, I have some 100.00 notes that are not good here, but that is ok, they are good in many countries and most importantly the US banks.  

We proceeded to the ‘only’ Big Grocery shop which, was built new whilst I was still there back in 2004.  I didn’t have much time in the day, as most of the day was far spent, I bought a few groceries, (non- perishables) that could last me a few days, as I don’t have electricity or a fridge here.  I had packed light so some things I would need to secure, such as a bathing towel, soap, detergent for clothes etc… 

I called a Malawi friend of mine, he is self-employed now, as a generator mechanic, I had given him some work in past years as he helped me with one of my generators.  His name Charles, he wanted to meet me, and came to the car park of the grocery shop.  I had finished my shopping, long story short, he agreed to help me with transport out to my property, which is about thirty-two miles from the property I have.  This was a big, big blessing to me, being late in the day, it would have been very late in the evening had we taken a minibus making different transitions between stages.  GOD’s grace and mercies are innumerable.

We arrived where the vehicle had to halt, the hike up the washed-out road (handmade) eight years ago, was washed out, and non-negotiable with a vehicle.  Some of the workers, that have lived on the property all these years to help preserve and offer security (there are) three, they met us where the vehicle dropped us off.  Charles started his drive back to Blantyre, as we walked by headlamp and torch light to the property.  

It was late, it had been a very long day for me, however, as it is many times in my life, living under these conditions, water had to be heated for bathing, food had to be cooked, and therefore no matter how tired you may be, certain chores must be performed.

I had left a foam pad (mattress 6”) with a mosquito net, the mattress was cleaned laid on the cement floor of the building, mosquito net suspended and set in place, and by eleven pm I was in bed.

A long journey indeed, many obstacles to negotiate and some challenges to face to what end? For whom and for what? Would you do this?  

For the LORD, for His glory, and for the good of His people!  I don’t understand when GOD’S people will tell me that it’s so difficult for them to get to church, or do the LORD’S Work, when most things they have work, and function nicely and they are for the most part not put out in any awkward way.

May the LORD give you understanding as you consider His blessings upon your life where you live and worship.

In His Name,

Missionary Peter Halliman

End of Part Two

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST MISSION International – Papua New Guinea / Malawi Africa
P.O. Box 60150 Ndirande Bt. 6 Blantyre Malawi /
P.O. Box 233 – Mt Hagen (WHP) Papua New Guinea
Missionary / Evangelist:  Peter A. Halliman
Email: panagioite04@gmail.com / Website:  sgbm-malawi-africa.com

Dear Pastor, Church, and All Supporters,

Ro 15:22 ¶ For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.
Ro 15:23 But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;
Ro 15:24 Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

As I write this report, I am in Mulanje District, Malawi where I had purchased some property and built a Bible school building some ten years ago, I last had been here in 2016 and since that time, I have made several attempts to return to visit the mission work, brethren, and churches that were established. Through the twenty years I laboured here.

I will begin this report as the journey began, for nearly four weeks I continuously worked on securing an air ticket for Malawi Africa, everything was out of reach for me and off the rails, from four to eight thousand USD, not sure how other missionaries travel or maybe they don’t’ (?).

I committed this to the LORD’S will and as I laboured to find a proper ticket, on the appointed time, a return ticket was available to me for just over two thousand USD. I secured this and at the same time began to file for my paperwork to enter the country again.  For those of you who have not travelled Internationally, you MUST comply and satisfy those governments where you are in transit and final destination.  Governments do not care what denomination, nor what you say you believe biblically, rather what they do care about is the revenue they will receive from you.

For most of my twenty years living in Malawi Africa, I had obtained a (Permanent Resident Visa) same as a Citizen status.  Being out of country for now eight years, that has expired, therefore, I had to apply for a simple visitor’s visa (doesn’t’ seem fair) does it after one has poured twenty years of their life into a country and thousands of USD into developing people’s lives!

The safe way is usually via ‘official websites’ that will facilitate this procedure of visa application, processing and return documentation.  I have used these services before so it’s not new to me.  The application was filled, documents uploaded, fee paid (173.00 USD), that was on the 6^th of Dec 2023.  Being the timeline it was, I requested a visa to be expedited.  

Remember in all this that GOD is Sovereign and yet allows the devil to work as he does, again all this is for HIS glory.  All was in order, email confirmation etc… I was told a response would not be returned unto the 28^th of Dec 2023.  I wrote two letters to the contacts I had again explaining my past experience in Malawi, the delays of the holidays etc. and the urgency of this action.  No reply, nothing, I called the website number no response, therefore I felt I was either being duped or would lose my ticket in as much as my ticket was non-refundable and if no visa for entry than how do you travel?

Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

I wrote another letter to the E-Visa website with attention to the management explaining that they were already late in assisting me, and that I needed my money refunded, if this was not corrected, I would open a case with the Int. Fraud-department in D.C.  

I contacted the Malawi government Immigration, and they assured me that I would be granted a ‘visitor’s visa’ upon arrival as long as I was a US Citizen and had a passport valid for one year.  

Because we are GOD’S servants and people does not mean we are to be the doormats of the world.

That answer came to me on the 29^{th of} Dec 2023, I put my things in order, packed lightly and on the 1^st of Jan 2024 departed out of Atlanta, GA for Malawi Africa.  The flight pattern took me through Ethiopia, I was reminded of Acts 8 and that long journey the Ethiopian Eunuch would have taken to Jerusalem, how wonderful God’s grace is in finding HIS people and bringing them unto salvation!

Just over twenty-four hours (counting layby) in Ethiopia I arrived in Blantyre Malawi, the weather was quite warm from what I departed out of, I didn’t need my jacket anymore, the memories began to flood my mind, the noise, smell, landscape, heat, almost a careless way of approach to legal business, (TIA) this is Africa!

I cleared Immigration with no issues, it only cost me ($50.00) USD, not 173.00 there was an Immigration officer, Customs Officer, and Police Officer all who recognized me and addressed me by name, as though it had been yesterday that I had departed.  As in PNG, Africa too, time means nothing, to them it really was only yesterday.

To be continued…

By His Grace,

Missionary Peter Halliman