"Now Lord?"
Part II
(You will need to read Part I of this story, for this to make sense.)

I began praying about the village of Kudukudu every day. I was praying for the Lord to open a door to plant a church there. (I believed that was His will.) I told no one of this prayer. I did not put it in a prayer letter. I did not mention it to one person on the island. I never told any one about the Lord working on my heart about this village.

Three weeks had now passed and I was still praying about Kudukudu. Then on a Wednesday in early July of 2004, a man was standing at the end of my property. I had never seen him before. I walked out to him and introduced myself. He told me his name was Len. (Len is in the picture above. He is wearing the hat.) He told me the day before he was in a PMV, (a PMV is a truck which carries people, similar to a bus in the U.S.), and saw me in my truck. He said everyone in the truck began talking about the white man. He heard some say that I was a Baptist missionary. Len then asked me if that was true. I said, “Yes, I am a Baptist missionary.” Then he told me how in the 1970’s he was living on another island and met a Baptist missionary there. He was able to spend some time with him. He then returned to New Ireland. He said he began praying for God to put a Baptist church in his home village. He said he had been praying about this for well over 20 years! He told me how as soon as had heard the day before that there was a Baptist missionary on the island, he determined to go immediately and talk to him. I then asked him what village he was from. He said he is from Kudukudu and could I please come there and start a church!!!!!! I stood there stunned at his reply. I then told him how I was in his village three weeks earlier getting Kuni grass. I told him how I was praying about his village everyday. I told him how not even three hours earlier I was praying/asking the Lord to open a door to Kudukudu!

Len ended up being the first man saved in Kudukudu, followed by his wife trusting Christ for salvation. He was also the head of the local politics in the village, and this opened the door for the church to be planted.

Now, as of March 2006, 30 to 40 adults in the village have trusted Christ and come to church every week. Each week the work is growing. Each month two to three trust Christ for salvation. The past two months have seen over 60 in attendance each week, and the last two weeks there have been over 70 in attendance! That might not sound like a lot, but keep in mind there only about 700 to 800 people in the area.

The Lord truly is wonderful in his workings! When I look back and see how the Lord led in the start of the work in Kudukudu, it amazes me.