January 2025 – Sovereign Grace Baptist Mission International

January 15, 2025April 7, 2025

December 2024 Report (Continued)

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
Tanggi Mission Station – North Koroba, Hela Province, PNG
Missionary / Evangelist: Peter A. Halliman
Email: panagioite04@gmail.com
Website: sgbm-malawi-africa.com

Date: 14^th Jan 2025

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.

December 2024 Report Continued from last report (Ending of November)

I took a few days to gear up, prepare not only the vehicle, but the camping gear, food, medical supplies, messages etc. The day of departure arrived, 0300 hrs I departed Mt. Hagen with five four men in the vehicle. I have to share these small details, yet very very important to me, the demister/blower (works)!! The air-temp (hot or cold) works, the coolant system did not overheat, nor did I have to stop and top up with water that I was carrying (for that purpose), the engine did not over-heat, the list goes on, no one can know (except the Lord) what it means to me, to drive a vehicle here in PNG, that simply performs with no breakdowns. I could actually pack the rear canopy with needed things, like food, supplies, camping equip etc. rather than carrying a workshop and spare parts with serviceable materials such as grease, oils, break fluids etc…

It had broken daylight as I drove up a large mountain, we were about one-third of the way, as we started ascending the mountain (most of the time its low gear), I felt the brakes were really spongy, this didn’t make sense as the day before the departure, I bled some air out of the braking system and topped up the fluids, no problems, or issues.

Using mostly gearing and light break pressure, I turned off the main road onto a secondary road, not far into the drive, as I was approaching a very sharp curve, almost a U-turn type, with a steep downhill grade, I applied the brakes, and to my surprise the brake pedal went to the floor, meaning the brakes went out completely (no brakes), a quick response to gear down, humanly speaking saved the vehicle from overturning, and or going off the road, down the mountain. Is GOD Sovereign? Yes, did GOD know the brakes would go out? Yes, did HE allow this? Yes, to what end? Only GOD knows!!

I brought the vehicle under control, carried on in low gear, a few kilometres we were off road onto a (gravel/dirt) road. As I ascended a small hill, finding a place the vehicle would stop, I applied the handbrake (something about Land Rovers) you don’t use the handbrake for emergency stopping as the handbrake applies pressure to the rear-prop shaft, this could be very dangerous. I inspected the vehicle, brake fluid had leaked out onto the two rear wheels, the master-cylinder was leaking and air bubbles visible. I knew.

the problem, but no spare parts to fix, miles away from home, many mountains I had crossed to this point, many more to cross. In PNG you are either going up or down, very few places where you run in a straight line. I had the option to turn around, return to Mt. Hagen calling off the trip, or pursue the task ahead of me. What would you have done? And what reasoning would you have given? There are many times in the life of a believer, in the ministry and field of service that our LORD wants to (test) the temper of our metal…What is the point of having a (razor) if you never shave?

I had prayer, told the men we were pushing forward that this was simply a test. Several mountains between nine to twelve thousand feet elevation were in front of us, many roads are built with a twenty-seven to thirty percent gradient, if you don’t understand what that means, it is prohibited in the U.SA. to construct standard roads beyond twelve percent this is maximum. Most highways are six to eight percent gradient, remember this the next time you drive across the USA, the Rockies, Sierra-Nevada mountains, the smoky mountains etc.

There are no guard rails, safety measures, runaway ramps nothing, you go off a mountain in PNG, you probably will not live to tell it. Many prayers were said, constant vigilance to vehicle condition, Eng R.P.M. became vital in the driving. This would cure many people today driving whilst using their phones, come to PNG and try that!!!

In time, we reached the last stretch (sixteen miles) of off road, to the mission station, this stretch has been heavily affected with tribal fighting, the law-and-order issue has escalated to a point the government doesn’t even bother to try and suppress the killings.

It was near late afternoon, not much daylight remaining, however the LORD gave us safe passage through this troubled area.

1 Thessalonians 2:18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

The day had been long, journey challenging (faith tried) however, GOD safely brought the vehicle to the mission station. Do not underestimate the physical side of things that take place in our lives.

The very next morning, I was up early, at the old mission station, no power, running water, rather open fires, bucket carried water for bathing, washing of dishes, and mountain-spring water for drinking (carried also to the house). It takes people to help with these domestic chores, most will offer their lives to help out.

I had an appointment that had been made before the Bible Academy was closed, to be at a location one hour drive from the mission station, Northward for a church organisation.

Today was the day. I and others prepared there were the same four men who would accompany me and once we were prepared, I managed to get the vehicle turned around, drive out to the main road, and carried on until we arrived at the venue for the church organisation. The preaching service lasted quite some time (all church services in PNG) are lengthy.

A group of eleven people were organized into a new Baptist church, and several others joined by statement of faith. A meal was prepared, (PNG mumu), afterward I drove home, taking care as with no brakes the driving was slow. The LORD had blessed the day, the new church was organised with a new pastor, one of the students in the Bible Academy.

To be continued….

In His Name,

Missionary Peter Halliman

January 10, 2025April 7, 2025

December 2024 Report

Date: 04/Jan/2025

Dear Pastor, Church, & All Supporters:

Mt 25:15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Mt 25:16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
Mt 25:17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
Mt 25:18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

Mission Report for December 2024

I had given the students their semi-final exam for the school period they had attended on Monday the 11^{th of} November the students each one took their journey back to their villages. I now had a window of opportunity to do ‘other jobs’ that had been put on hold for weeks, some jobs months had been waiting. I am always surprised to hear people say, ‘I didn’t have time for this or that’, I completely understand the generation we live in; however, God did not give some twenty-four hours in a day, and others HE gave thirty-hours! We all have the same amount, it’s all about how you manage the time, God’s people would do well to (redeem the time) for the days are evil!

A local church building needed help in putting a concrete floor in, the LORD has blessed the work with a heavy-duty truck, therefore I carted river stone, gravel & sand from the river to the building about ten miles in-between, twenty from the house. It’s all manual labour, I take men who have a willing spirit to work (they don’t get paid) I don’t have the budget to hire extra help. An entire day is consumed in loading fifteen ton of material. This is also unloaded by hand, rain or shine the work continues, we don’t just pack it in because the rains come. I live in a tropical rain forest environment, no one talks about it being hot in a desert, and no one in PNG talks about the monsoon rains.)

The next two days, we mixed (by hand) the concrete, poured the floor, this is not a big deal in developed countries, however when its hand labour, and (your involved) the finished job has a different meaning. I went from one job to the next, the Bible Academy building was built rough, with roofing sheets, however the floor needed concrete, so this too was mixed and poured. I am in the middle of this work simply because there isn’t anyone amongst the workers, men all of whom assist – that has a working knowledge of the ratio mixture.

After several days of curing, I set to the task of cutting out concrete tiling on the floor and painted with a two-tone concrete floor paint, it does look nice and adds light to the building.

Further to what has been said, I acquired the material to construct three pulpits-podiums for the three church buildings. The previous pulpits they had were simply made stands, however, this is 2024 not 1960 and there needs to be some upgrading to the church building. The timbers were hand planed, sanded and joinery was used to put together these pulpits.

I was reminded and am every time I work with rough timber, how the tree itself grown wild, without restraint, no guide, cultivation except the rawness of life. Rugged, tough, hard, and often times unprofitable (the tree) until, someone comes along carefully cutting the tree, selection is made for the proper cut to obtain the (best) boards, rough sawn, selection again, carefully dried, hand planed, sanded…what was once hidden to the natural eye, now becomes a showcase to all those who look upon it. So, too, we all were (wild) without restraint in our life of sin, how the LORD elects, takes us out of the jungle of life, cuts out, places us in Christ, through His work we are planed, sanded, made to become a polished trophy in God’s Kingdom. All those who look upon our lives, those who have been redeemed by His blood, clothed with HIS righteousness, we shine for His glory.

Anyone reading this who has been around carpentry, there is rough, finished, and joinery, I have done all the above, but, enjoy mostly the joinery as it reminds me very much indeed of many biblical truths.

I had a few days remaining to start preparing for my twenty-one-day mission patrol in the bush, many things I had to set in order, not only studying for messages to be preached, but also the physical, human side of preparations.

This will be detailed in the next report (s).

I want to thank each of you for your faithful support, I could not do what I do, without your assistance in this great work, His work!

In His Name,

Missionary Peter Halliman

January 9, 2025April 7, 2025

November 2024 Report

Date: 03/Jan 2025

Dear Pastor, Church, & All Supporters:

I am writing this missions letter from Malawi, Africa, after two months of being task saturated and going off grid for twenty-one days it has been difficult to keep up with the mission reports. My schedule and workload has changed, of which, I will also detail, however I want to go back and catch you (the reader, supporter) up to date from November, and then into December. I will have to break up the reports and put them into series, as there is too much to detail in one sitting.

November 2024 – This month I was coming to closing of the Bible Academy with the students, for six full months I had taught two classes, seven to eight hours per day, five days a week, until the middle of November. I have written much about how this school runs, the requirements, duties, and syllabus. Amongst the many chores and tasks, I had seen to it that the students were cared for, physically, medically, and spiritually.

The lessons all required translation, the typing, printing all was done in house, copies were made via town printers. All the exams I made one by one from the lessons taught, many weeks of lessons taught, all students wrote their own exams, of which, Saturdays were dedicated to grading papers, studying for Sundays and full board preaching on Sundays as well.

I want to share some good news, and encouraging too, there has been a dry spell in the mission work / amongst churches, and ‘the calling of God” unto men. Most of the older generation has died out, leaving a generation that I have known, but did not grow up with, or minister too, as I was in Malawi all those years. There have been four young men who gave their testimony that the LORD had called them to preach. God uses many things, ways, events, and even people to guide, solidify, and even help to make clear (this calling), I do NOT agree nor endorse, anything outside of the (direct calling of God) to His man, however I do believe God uses those things I have mentioned, to confirm this calling many times. I strongly believe, that as the hard (Truth) of God’s Word has been taught, & preached, God used this in His own way to impress upon these men, His calling for their work in life.

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Why is it so many men who answer the call to God’s ministry, then after a short time, they abandon the ministry? God never has called ‘seasonal pastors’ or part time (substitute) missionaries, not sure where this comes in at, except (man-made laws).

I am thankful that God has called these young men, they are His labourers, not mine, however they were put into my care to tutor and teach. The days quickly passed as I was also gearing up for many jobs which, had been put on hold for months whilst I was teaching full time in the bible academy.

The students sat for their examinations the last two days of their school (at least) for a season. The last Sunday that all the students were with me, we congregated at one of the local churches, within Mt. Hagen area, of which, I preached. That following Monday was their day to find transport to return to their respective villages.

I had I.D.’ made for each of the students with the mission to assist them along with a letter endorsed by myself (with the mission letterhead) to enable the students to buy wine in Mt. Hagen and transport back to their churches for the L.S.

Much that is taken for granted in developed countries becomes a major issue in other third-world countries. As you the reader consider all this, remind yourself that I am not pastoring a local church where I make suggestions to the members, and they in turn go out and do themselves. Let me put it on a level you can understand, Mr. Pastor, you operate a bible school for the church members, you pay for their food, buy their medicine, take them to the hospital (pay the bill), or you perform the medical procedures, you construct the quarters for the member-students to be housed in whilst at school, you make sure they have bedding, water, food, some kind of power to study, ready, charge their phones etc… the list goes on, they are people and have people needs. You Mr. Pastor, you are the teacher, you study, you translate because the lessons are not in the vernacular of the people.

You type out the lessons, print out a master copy and go to town to make copies, come back and stand (not sit) for seven to eight hours teaching, you don’t just hand out the papers and tell the students to read this section and study… no, no, no you teach, you make it clear, you break it down to baby food. Then after all week of teaching, you have your Sat off, not again, you have no Sat off, you have to do your own shopping, pay your own bills, cook your own food, and clean up your own house. You have to make sure you study for tomorrow as it is the LORD’S Day, and Heaven has no place for (lazy so-called Christians.

Sunday is full board, none of this thirty-minute preaching, the people will not stand for it, and want to be fed, you don’t wear out the people with Scriptures either, you preach, make plain, you give the understanding, cause the people to be attentive as did Ezra in his day. You Mr. preacher, make up the exam papers based on the lesson taught, you don’t just put yes and no questions to make it easy for yourself, or the student! You grade the papers over the weekend even when you have to stay up late, knowing tomorrow is class.

This schedule is repeated week after week, your budget is not increased, no member gives you anything, everyone is looking to you for the completion of this task, to help with labour, giving on oneself in physical chores yes, they are ready, but the financial side its laid on your shoulders. Question… how many of you are willing to do this? If not, why not? And if you do, what level do you do it on?

I am simply sharing with you what I face in the mission work here in PNG, I don’t have the income of many, yet what comes in (all) goes out at the end of the day, I just rely on the LORD to feed me, house me, and keep me strong. I have no complaints, only to give thanks unto our LORD, and to thank His people for giving what they do. I appreciate the prayers, (if indeed are true prayers) for the work and myself, perhaps more than the money itself.

I know how to live on sweet-potatoes and pumpkin leaves for greens, days on end, God knows what I do, fail to do, and do do….

The month of November was heavily loaded for me and only by God’s grace I was sustained, only through His mercies being new every morning, through His gifts of health, strength, the energy, and His H.S. guiding me in teaching the (Truth) as I know it to be, I have been able (in Him) to accomplish six and half months of teaching, training to and with these students. Most of them are pastors, the four young men recently called to preach, and a few young men who assist their pastors in church work.

Our Lord changed the world with Eleven men, perhaps I will be used to change the country of PNG with these thirty-four men (students)!

May our Lord bless each of you and keep you in the centre of His will.

In His Name,

Missionary Peter Halliman