In 2007 my application for MAF was accepted and PNG was my destination. God had called me to the mission field as a single, I was happy and content with that. But before I left Australia, God promised me that He would provide me a wife on the mission field. Something that I knew I had to trust Him with and to be patient. Over the years it has been my goal to focus on my relationship with God and grow in contentment being single. There are no single missionary ladies in Mt Hagen and I did not go surveying the land, but whenever I prayed about it, God continued to remind me to trust Him and to focus on my relationship with Him. I knew that when the time was right, I would have to take action and things would most likely happen very quickly.
1. Becky with a patient, Moru
I first saw Becky at the Kudjip Nazarene Hospital Christmas service back in 2008. Becky is from Oregon, USA and is a doctor. Like many missionaries at Kudjip, I knew of them, but did not really get a chance to meet them or get to know them. Over time I heard a lot of good things about Becky. One MAF friend Nikolai, made a comment about her last year in February and that’s when I started to become interested in getting to know her. Later that month I returned to Australia for furlough. Upon my return from an extended furlough, I found out that Becky was leaving PNG. During my time in Wewak during September, recovering from burning out I was praying about a few things. One of them was Becky, which I was burdened by. I didn’t want to waste the opportunity in getting to know her before she left. So I asked God to lead me and provide opportunities to get to know Becky if that was His will. I didn’t want to miss out on the woman He has for me due to pride. During that time I was being prompted to email her, but I didn’t.
2. Damsel in distress -My lockwire injury (felt like a little bit of a sissy being in the ER with a small injury)
Come a month later in October, one day before traveling down to Sydney with a PT6 hot section. I had a freakish accident removing lockwire from a bleed air valve on a Twin Otter engine. It was in a restrictive place, but I ended up piercing a piece of the stainless steel wire through my left middle finger nail, I still can’t explain it. At first I wanted to pull it out, but once I saw that it had gone through, thought maybe I should get it looked at. Our first aid officer, our Engineering Secretary did not like witnessing my injury. In the end our Engineering manager took me into town to see our medical officer, Jenny. She made the decision to take me out to the mission hospital at Kudjip to get attention as I required an X ray, thanks Jenny. It is around 45 km drive out to Kudjip from Mt Hagen, a long distance when traveling in PNG. I was taken to the ER at Kudjip where out of all the mission doctors there, Becky was the one treating patients in the ER. I had an X ray to make sure the wire was not bent and then she removed the lockwire with my own pliers. On the way home I knew that God had provided an opportunity to meet her despite not obeying the previous month, but also a reason to make contact. Again being prompted that night I emailed Becky to thank her for treating me.
3. Lunch at Rondon Ridge
While I was in Sydney, Becky and I communicated through emails and once returning caught up during Kudjip’s monthly English service. She was due to leave PNG after the first weekend in December. Becky was looking at joining SIM to serve as a mission doctor in Africa or Nepal following a much needed break back home in America. During the next three weeks God prompted me to take the lead at different times and things worked out really well. Becky and I had three intense weeks of getting to know each other. Early on it was obvious to both of us that we both liked each other. I went out to Kudjip one Saturday to have lunch with her while she was on call and witnessed her work first hand again. The next weekend a group of the Kudjip ladies came into town, the following weekend Becky came into town to see what my life and work is like and the last weekend I spent out at Kudjip. It was an intense time and hard not to get other people’s attention in the mission community what was going on. It was also a challenge being culturally sensitive how we spent time together. During that time I got to know Becky more and more, and discovering over time how beautiful she really is.
4. Saying goodbye with uncertainty ahead
After the last weekend in Kudjip and Becky running the children’s Christmas play. We had to say goodbye at Hagen airport that Monday morning. I am normally pretty good with goodbyes, especially as they happen frequently as a missionary. But not knowing if I would see Becky again or what God had next for her, it was a lot harder to say goodbye than i had expected. I knew that I had to trust Him no matter what was going to happen in the future. Over our brief time in getting to know each other while in the same country. Becky easily met my essential requirements in a woman. She is a Godly woman, loves Jesus and is called to the mission field. But over our time together I discovered she met my non essentials too, which is not as important. God worked in so many ways and in so many little details over that time which I was so grateful for His goodness. And I am sure He was at work long before we met. He really blew my expectations of getting to know Becky out of the water before her departure, His answer far exceeding my prayer.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
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