Stories from deputation.

I will, from time to time, post stories from deputation as well. I would like to write them down here, so I will not forget them.

When we left for deputation, my children were 10,9,7, and 5. We spent 18 months traveling to churches throughout the country. During that time we saw the Lord work in many amazing ways!!

The First Week

Our first week out on deputation proved to be very eventful. My family and I sold our home and moved full-time into a motor home. I really did not have much of a choice in the matter. Living in Alaska, a place so far removed from the lower 48, a motor home was the best option for us. I purchased a 1993 Class C motor home. When I bought it, it only had 18,000 miles. The six of us learned to adjust to life in a small space. We went from 1900 square foot of living space to less then 200!

On our last day in Anchorage Alaska, the snow started falling. It was the first snow fall of the winter, and I knew I needed to get on the road and through the AL-CAN highway as quick as possible. It was October 11, 2001. After two meetings, one in Haynes Alaska and another in White horse Yukon, we headed out for the long drive through Canada. We had already driven through a lot of snow, but I was not ready for the blizzard that was coming. I left White horse very early in the morning. The snow was falling but not heavy. As the day went on, the snow was getting heavier and the road was hard to see. I was trying to go a fast as I could day as I knew I had a mountain pass to go through, and I wanted to get there before this storm closed it off.

As the daylight faded, it was almost impossible to make out the road. I simply followed faint tire tracks in front of me. Outside of those faint tracts there was no sign of any other vehicle. As we were getting closer to the pass, the snow was really falling. I would literally stop in the middle of the road, and wipe the snow off of the window, because the wipers could not keep up with it. No one was talking in the motor home. All eyes were watching outside. Keep in mind too, I am in the Yukon Territory at this time and there is no civilization around at all. As I got closer to the pass, I came upon another motor home which is stopped in the road. He is towing a vehicle behind him. I stopped and talked with the driver. He told me not to go up to the pass with out chains on my tires. He said he tried to go through the pass, but did not make it. He said he had to back down the pass!!!! I, however, really needed to get through. In spite of his council I decided to try and make it through the pass this night. I thought if I wait I will be stuck on this side for days, missing many meetings as a result. He also had summer tires on his motor home and was towing a vehicle. I had just put on brand new all-weather tires a few days before leaving Alaska, and I was not towing anything. As I started up, I was very worried the tires would start slipping. The snow was blinding. The higher we got, the fiercer the wind became. Visibility was just a few feet. I was driving around 10 miles an hour. My hands were gripping the steering wheel. I just started deputation and already my prayer life was improving. :) I was relieved when I started on a downhill stretch. I knew I had made it through the top of the pass. However, then my concern was loosing control of the motor home going down hill, on these very snowy, icy roads. About three quarters of the way down we came across a lodge, and we stopped there. I knew the worst was over and I would be able to continue on in the morning. The Lord had protected us and we made it through.

The next day was much easier driving, and after a few days of driving there was no more snow in sight. I had a meeting to get to in Winnipeg. It was a Thursday meeting, and it was looking like we would just make it in time for services, or so I thought.

About one hour out of Winnipeg, things were seemingly going well. My wife had just woken up from a nap, and my kids were quietly playing. Then I hear my oldest daughter shriek with fear. She screamed and screamed. As we were trying to ascertain what had happened, I notice my sons face is white. He had gotten into my tool box and took out the utility knife to remove something from one of my daughter’s toys. While trying to remove this, the razor slipped and cut his thumb. It severed his thumb almost completely off!!!

(I will continue this story tomorrow. Things will get worse before they get better, and then the Lord begins to work!)

Life or No life?

When Lazarus was raised from the dead, how did the people at the grave know he was alive? (I know, I know, tough question!) They saw he had life! The resurrection of Lazarus pictures salvation, as well. It pictures what God does when he gives “spiritual/eternal” life to someone who was dead in trespasses and sins.

Have you ever noticed in some churches, where the church proclaims they have seen 7500 saved, or some other amazing number, that their attendance has not changed one bit? Where are the 7500!? If the resurrection of Lazarus pictures salvation, which it does, what would the people have thought of Jesus if he was like many “soul winners” today? Suppose, after Jesus said, “Lazarus come forth!”, nothing happened. Then Jesus turned to the crowd and proclaimed that Lazarus was alive! They would have said, “I don’t see him!” or, “No one is moving, as far as I can tell, in that grave.” What would Mary and Martha have thought?

The FACT is when Jesus gives life, when God saves a soul, there is LIFE!!!!!! I remember taking a soul winning course as a young Christian. I became very confused during one of the sessions. The session was about how to get your “convert”, (that is all many of these people were: “MY” converts), to church. They stressed going back to the person’s house every week until they finally come. This made no sense to me at all. I did not know much Bible at that time, but I did know when God saved me, no one ever had to beg me to go to church. I had a desire to go. I had a desire to hear preaching. I had a desire to read God’s Word. I truly did not understand why a newly saved person would have to be begged to come to church. Well, the fact is, they don’t. Jesus did not stand outside the grave, begging Lazarus to come out. Nor did Lazarus tell the people, “No, No, please leave my grave clothes on! I like them!”

When a person is saved, God moves in. (Romans 8:9) When a person is saved, God gives life. (Ephesians 2:1) When a person is saved, he is a new creature. (II Cor 5:17) When a person is saved, he desires the Word of God. (I Peter 2:1,2) You can not tell me, based on these scriptures, after a person is saved, his life simply remains the same. I am not saying he will jump out of bed the next day running for the church house. What I am saying, is the scripture clearly teaches us a saved man will begin to desire God. Yes, he might need encouraged, but not begged. Yes, he still has a sin nature, but praise God, he now has a divine nature too.


We do not need to not stop soul winning, but we need to proclaim the gospel in truth. Not allowing numbers to be the emphasis, but truth. Oh, how we need the wisdom and power of God in proclaiming the gospel. Oh, how we need to preach with power (I Cor 2:4,5). How we need to preach “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Missionary Kid Insights

The following is a story my daughter, Rachel, wrote for English class. She wrote on her life her in Papua New Guinea. I thought it would make a good post.

(The Photo below is of Rachel and Heather holding a python skin we found underneath our house.)



English Rachel Faith Mcgovern

Our life in New Guinea.
What we usually do on an every day basis is…
When we get up in the morning we, of course, read our Bible and pray. All of us read the Bible, except baby Levi. Then, we all make our breakfast, except Levi and we four older kids start school. When we do school, we all chose seats usually in the living room because the dining room is too hot, but Daniel does it in his room. Daniel is in ninth grade. Heather’s grade is eighth. I’m in sixth grade. Bethany is in fourth grade. We all start at eight o’clock. We three girls usually end at eleven o’clock. Daniel ends around twelve.
After school, I usually get the computer and play Incredibles or Nancy Drew. Heather and Bethany watch me. Daniel’s usually doing school. By the time I’m done with the computer, Daniel’s done with school. Sometimes, Bethany and I play Trouble. Then, we eat dinner. After dinner, we all go into the living room. Then, the baby has his bath and is been put down for the night. Then, we have devotions. Right now we’re learning about prayer. We haven’t finished it yet. Later, we three girls go to bed at eight thirty. Daniel goes to bed at nine. Mom and Dad go to bed at ten when the power goes out.
When we get up on Saturday, Daniel gets ready to mow the yard. Heather, Bethany and I get ready to rake. It takes a long time. We have a pretty big yard. When we’re done working, we all take showers. Then, sometimes we four kids play a game like Life or Monopoly. Sometimes, we just play hide and seek. Other times, we just read. When we play with Levi, he loves it when we say “uh-oh." When we get up in the morning on Sunday, we dress in some of our best clothes. Then, we leave for church around eight thirty. The drive to where we have our first service in Sohun takes about twenty minutes. There we have one Sunday school class. Then, we just shake hands. We hurry because we have to hurry to Kudukudu. The preacher in Sohun is Pastor James Abel. His wife is Sister Linda. His daughter is Lois. There are about sixty people at Liberty Baptist Church, [The name of the Church], altogether. The men sit on one side, and the ladies on the other.
It takes about thirty minutes from Sohun to get to Kudukudu. Kudukudu is right on a beach. The name of the church is Kudukudu Bible Baptist Church. We have two services, then a reading and writing class. The first services are just a thirty minute Sunday school. We always have the same song every Sunday before Sunday school. Its page is three sixteen. “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” My favorite verse is the second one. After that we have the main service after a little fellowship. Then, we have a little fellowship. Then we have the “Rit na rait” class. While Mom and Dad teach, Heather and I watch the baby. We do the class in a little hut. I think I would like to sleep in a hut. But only for one night.
Bethany and Daniel help Mom and Dad with the, “Rit na rait”, class. Mom and Dad do a new letter every week. Then for the writing they give them a book. Then they write in it. We do it because there’s a lot of Christians who need to read the Bible, but they can’t. After that we have a little fellowship. Then we leave for the fifty minute drive home. On the way, we stop by Sohun. Then we talk with who’s there. They finish earlier than we do. Then we go home. When we get home we always have tacos or taco salad.

At the end of every month, we go to a town on the island to get supplies. It’s called Kavieng. It’s about five hours away by car. If the road’s good, it’s only about four hours. We sometimes stop at a beach that’s halfway to Kavieng. There we stretch our legs. It’s only about two hours more. When we get there we first go to the New Tribes guest house. That’s where we are staying. When we get everything into the house Mom and Dad go to the store, to get us something to eat. After we eat we go to the Thruns. They have five children. The oldest is Meagan, 12, then Amy, 9, Katie, 7, Caleb, 5, Then Jared is three. We play with them whenever we go to Kavieng. We usually go on Wednesday. So, we go to church around four o’clock. We have one service there. Then we play with the Thruns while the parents fellowship. Then we go back to New Tribes to go to bed.
The next day, we spend all day in Kavieng. We don’t leave until the next morning. We play with the Thruns while Mom shops. While Mom’s shopping, Dad goes to the bank. He also goes to the Hardware store. When they are done shopping, they pick us up. We go back later for dinner. Then, we go back to the Guest House. We all go to bed. In the morning, we leave for home. It always seems longer on the way back home. When we get home, Mama stays upstairs to unload the stuff. When we’re done Mama makes a quick dinner.
In our little town, there’s only one little plane that brings mail. It only comes twice a week if they don’t cancel it. The two days are Thursday and Tuesday. Sometimes we just send our mail to Kavieng. The airport is just a little dirt runway with a little building. They have a little bench outside to put the luggage. The guy who works at the post office picks it up at the airport, if you want to call it that. There’s just a little building for a post office.
No it’s not your normal American life. Never the less, I love it!

Divine Delays
John 11:1-45


I am still preaching through the gospel of John and have been in this book for over one year now. This week I am in John 11, and I will probably be here for a few weeks. This chapter has really challenged me this week. I am looking forward to preaching this Sunday. I have not finished my message for Sunday, but I would like to bring out one of my points for this post. That point is Divine Delays.

In verse 6 of this chapter, we see Jesus waited two days, after hearing that his beloved friend Lazarus was sick, before going to see him. Now, Jesus was around 30 miles from Bethany at this time. It will take Him one full day to travel to Bethany. (Bethany sits about two miles from Jerusalem.) Mary and Martha, Lazarus sisters, sent word to Jesus to come and help Lazarus. However, Jesus waited two days. Why?

Why, when trouble comes, does it seem God sometimes waits before helping? Why do we see so many verses telling us to “wait upon the Lord”? (Psalms 25:3,5,21, ch 27:14, ch 37:7,9,34, Proverbs 20:22, Isaiah 40:31) I think we can see the primary purpose in John 11. Although what we see in John 11 is by no means exhaustive, it is a major reason for divine delays.


There is much I could say on this, but for the purpose of this blog, I will try and keep it short.

Why divine delays? In John 11:7-14, Jesus still has not left for Bethany. He informs the disciples it is time to go, and He tells them that Lazarus is dead. Then in verse 15 He says He is “glad” He did not go earlier. What? Is He saying He is glad Lazarus is dead? First reaction, one would think, Jesus was not much of a friend. The reason why he was glad lies within the verse itself and verse 4. In verse four, upon hearing that Lazarus is sick, Jesus makes it clear that this “sickness” has happened for the Glory of God! As a result, Jesus will be glorified! The glory of God is what life is about. It is what brings joy to the Lord. Anything that brings glory and thus joy to God, needs to catch our attention as God’s people.

Now, let’s go to Lazarus’s grave; a man who has been dead for four days. Mary and Martha have both already talked to Jesus. Upon meeting him, both said the exact same thing; “If thou hadst been here my brother had not died.” Oh, how true that statement is. Based on verse 14 and the comments of Mary and Martha, I believe had the Lord arrived in Bethany before Lazarus had died, he would have healed him. Now, I have other scripture to back that statement up, but not the time here to expound on it. One might think, “well that would have been a good thing.” It would have been a good thing, but not the best thing. Too many times we settle for good things, but not the best things in relation to our Christian life.

Put yourself there at the grave side of Lazarus. People are weeping, even Jesus is weeping. Some Jews are even wondering why Jesus did not come sooner to heal him (vs 37). Now in the midst of the weeping, Jesus tells the people to remove the stone from the grave. Again, put yourself there. Picture the emotions. Think of all the curiosity aroused as Jesus said, “Take ye away the stone.” Then, Jesus begins to pray to the Father. Everyone hushes as Jesus prays out loud for others to hear (41,42). He then yells with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” All eyes, no doubt, are fixed on the grave. It is utterly silent now. All of the sudden, the sound of movement, from within the grave, is heard. Gasps ripple throughout the crowd. Then, in complete amazement, the people see Lazarus walking out of the grave bound in grave clothes!! People are stunned by what they are witnessing. Their eyes slowly turn from Lazarus to Jesus Christ, with a heart that is in complete awe of his power and strength. God is Glorified!!!! This heart action of those who with awe dwell upon at the Power of Jesus Christ brings him glory. As a result many believe upon Jesus Christ; again, this action glorifying God. (vs45)


Now we see why Jesus was glad. He knew what was coming. He knew their sadness would be turned to joy! He knew they would see the glory of God. He knew the disciples would have their belief strengthened (vs14). He knew many would turn to Him for salvation as a result!

What if Jesus had not waited? What if He had went before Lazarus died and healed him? Yes, many would have rejoiced, but not with the passion that they now rejoice. Yes, God would have received some glory, but not nearly the amount of glory he did receive. Yes the disciples would have been strengthened, but not even close to the extent that their faith was strengthened as a result of what they witnessed.

Are you beginning to see the purpose of divine delays? God desires to be glorified by us. He enjoys (vs14) showing himself strong before us. There are times when God does delay from answering our petitions to him, but just wait, and you will see his power and strength! Just wait, and you will be able to stand in amazement at the power of God. If we are not willing to wait, then we limit to what extent we see the glory of God. (vs 40) It all comes down to faith. Faith is the vehicle which enables us to wait on God. (Heb 11:6, John 11:25,26,40.) Do you trust in God: Then wait. He is in control. When we don’t understand the actions of God, just trust him.

Jesus truly is the Resurrection and the Life!

Psalm 27:14b “…..wait I say on the Lord.”

From a Hut to a Mansion!

(This is the story of a friend of mine named Rusawe. He is now with the Lord.)

One Sunday after services, Bro James asked me to go and visit with a man (Rusawe) who had not been in church at Sohun for quite some time. I had seen Rusawe before, once or twice, but that was all. James told me he used to always come to church, but he had not seen him for several months. I told James of course we can go and see him, and so we went to see him. As we walked up to his hut, he saw us and began to cry. At this point, I did not know what to think. We sat down with him and he told us he had been very sick. He said he just ran out of medication and needed help in getting some more from our “haus sik”. I told him I would come back the next day and take him to get medications. His house is about a 45 minute drive for my house. All together to pick him up and take him to the haus sik and back home is almost 4 hours of driving time on rough road.

As I took Rusawe to the haus sik, we talked. He had a strong desire for his children to know the Lord. Not one of his six children were saved, all of whom are adults. I told him I would come and talk with his children. I enjoyed his company as we traveled to the haus sik. Once we arrived at the haus sik, I asked one of the nurses what was wrong with him. I did ask Rusawe, but he did not know. He simply knew his symptoms and that the drugs helped with those. The nurse told me he has liver failure. This can be a common problem from taking years of malaria medication. By the way, there is no doctor at this haus sik. The nurse told me he needed to get new medication every week. I agreed to take him every Wednesday morning to get his medicine.

During the Wednesday morning drives, Rusawe and I became close. Every Wednesday he would have a stack of bananas or something else for me, to show his appreciation for helping him. Each week when we arrived in Namatanai, he would always buy me a Coke. He would not let me buy him one, but he always insisted that I let him by me a Coke. Keep in mind, the price of that Coke, to him, would be more than a day’s wages.

One Saturday I decided to go by and visit Rusawe. I was hoping some of his children would be there and I could talk with them. When I arrived, however, none of them were there. While talking with Rusawe, I realized that I had never heard his personal testimony of salvation. I was tired though and had thoughts of just going home after a few minutes of small talk. As I stood to leave, I was STRONGLY impressed to ask him his testimony. I sat back down and told Rusawe how I had never once heard his testimony of when he trusted Christ. I asked if he would tell me of that time. He then began to tell me of his faithfulness to church and belief in God. He told how he has tried to live a good life and follow Jesus Christ. I was shocked at what I was hearing. Before this day I never once even questioned whether Rusawe was saved. I always assumed he was. When he finished I told him I wanted to show him some things from Scripture. I presented the gospel, and showed how salvation is in Christ alone. I showed how he must repent and put his faith solely in Jesus Christ for salvation. Then with tears running down his face Rusawe put his trust in Jesus Christ for salvation instead of his actions. I wish all of you could have seen face as I gave him the gospel. It was if someone turned on the lights for him. I left that day rejoicing. Oh how close I was to not asking him his testimony! We need to be ever sensitive to the leading of the Spirit in our life.

The next day, after church, I traveled to visit with Rusawe again and rejoice with more about his salvation in Christ. When I walked up to his hut, I greeted his wife and her countenance was sad. I saw Rusawe lying down awake, but he did not respond to my presence. His wife told me, “tingting bilong em i pol olgeta.” Translation, he has lost his mind. I tried to talk with him, but he was not able to think coherently. I told his wife I want to take him to the haus sik and they told me no. They said he needed to stay where he was. Soon he will die. My thoughts immediately went to the day before when Rusawe trusted Christ. I think of how close I was to leaving and not asking him his testimony. I think of the Lord’s mercy, in giving him clear thinking all the way up until the time he accepted Jesus Christ.

Three days later, men showed up at my house and told me Rusawe has died, and to please come to the village. My emotions were mixed. I was sad to see him go, but rejoiced to know he was with the Lord. To think this man, who never left Papua New Guinea, who never knew a life outside of village life, was now walking on streets of gold. To know he left his hut, the only type of home he ever knew, to receive a mansion in glory. WOW! As I arrived in the village multitudes from the village were there with his body. There is no morgue here. There is no funeral director, or mortician. The family simply takes care of everything themselves. The people build a casket out of bush material, and dig a grave.

Before the body was placed in the grave I held a service, which is normal here. I was able to preach to around 500 people, including all of Rusawe’s children. I gave Rusawe’s testimony and preached the gospel. After the preaching it was time to put Rusawe’s body in the grave. As they placed the casket in the grave, the wailing began. One of Rusawe's sons (Tulsin) threw himself down and I pick him up. He was just wailing. Tears began to go down my face as well from the grief that is present. The wailing went on for quite some time, and then it eased, bit by bit.

In the following weeks, two daughters and one son of Rusawe made professions of faith. The one son, Tulsin, is very faithful still. He has a strong desire for the Lord. I look forward to reuniting with Rusawe in heaven!


John 14:1-3
John 16:13, Acts 10:19,20

Serving with Joyfulness and Gladness of Heart

(Deu 28:47,48) Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.


These verses really caught my attention this week. Here, God says judgment will come as a result of not serving God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart. Think about that!!! How often we simply serve God as a result of duty. Our joy is not in God. Many Christians are serving the Lord but NOT with joyfulness and gladness of heart. This is wrong and the Lord is not pleased with this. What a thought! The Lord is not pleased when we are not pleased in Him

The Lord does not want us simply to serve him because it is our duty. He wants us to serve him because we find joy in Him. I do not want my service to be about duty, I want it to be about love. I do not want my convictions from the Bible to be a burden, but rather a joy. Oh, how we need to delight ourselves in the Lord, as the Psalmist pointed out to us.

Christian are you serving God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, or is it duty, tradition, or trying to gain the favor of God? The truth we see from Deuteronomy 28 is that it is not simply our service that pleases God, but when we have joy in our service for God. Oh, how we need to find joy in our LORD!

Flash Flood, Tires, Nails

Flash Flood, Tires, Nails
(The following story took place on the morning of March 11, 2006)


Saturday is usually my day to head out to Kudukudu and visit. This morning, I left my house about 8:00am. It was partly cloudy and very humid. I knew it had rained the night before, but I did not know how much. Here when it rains, it can really pour. If you are out in it for just a few seconds, you will be completely drenched. I come across one area where a flash flood has hit the night before. Trees are down, and the landscape has been changed. As I approach the small river which had flash flooded the night before, it is still incredibly high. There is a small cement bridge which crosses this river. Two large trees have fallen from the flash flood and are up against the bridge. Parts of their branches are covering parts of the bridge. I really wish I had my camera with me. It is safe to cross this bridge, but I am amazed at the damage done by this little river to the landscape. Water is very powerful! I continue with my drive, and I come up to another river with a small bridge. Here there is damage as well from flooding, but not as severe as the last river. The bridge is covered with debris, but is passable. The next river I come up to does not have a bridge. The bridge was washed away years ago, from another flash flood. As I approach this river, I quickly realize there is no way to cross. Not only is the water way to high, but there are trees and more debris in the river. I decide to turn my truck around.

On my way back home, I pick up some people heading to the market. Within seconds, the back of my truck is full of food from their gardens. I come up to a village called Racesa and my truck enters a large ditch. Little did know that the ditch was full of nails, put down by some of the men in the village to incapacitate trucks. Only one tire is hit, but it has two large nails sticking in it. I pullover and change the tire. While changing the tire, I catch a lady, who I was taking to the market, stealing a book out of my truck. Stealing is a HUGE problem here. They really believe “what is yours is mine”. After changing the tire, I head out again. As I am about ½ mile from my house, I enter another large ditch, and again I have another tire punctured with a nail. I think my tires have nail magnets on them. The benefit of this is, I do not need to buy nails. :) I now no longer have a spare tire. I decide to inch in to Namatanai to the “tire shop.”

Now, please, when I say tire shop, do not confuse this place with a Goodyear tire shop. There is no building here. There is no place to sit down and have a soda while you wait. There is no man with a uniform and full set of tools to quickly fix your tires. No, No, No! There is not even a tube or a patch for my truck. There is man there who has very little experience at fixing tires. He as a large metal bar with a flat end, a rubber mallet, pliers and of course the one ingredient that makes this place a “tire shop”, an air compressor. When I arrive, I remove the one flat tire which was still on my truck. In total, I have three tires for him to fix. By this time, I am covered in sweat, filthy from lying on the muddy ground to jack up my truck and weary too. (This past week I had Malaria again, so my body was not quite 100% today.)

I walk to some of the trade stores to see if I can find tubes for my tires. As I am walking everyone is curious as to what happened to the white man. One, he is walking with out his truck. Two, he is covered in mud and sweating. I just smile and wave or make polite conversation. I am able to find one tube, and this tube is for a 15” not a 16” tire, which mine is. I am thankful for the 15”, though. For the other tires I manage to find patches to repair the damage. Upon returning with the supplies, I notice one tire is beyond repair. The man takes the tube and the patches I found, and makes the repairs to the other two tires.

It is quite the experience just watching how they fix tires here. They have no fancy machine to remove the tire from the wheel. This is all done by hand. Then, replacing the wheel and tire is quite the challenge as well. For all you tire workers in the States, please, when you go to work on Monday, be sure to kiss the machine that removes the wheel from the tire. It is making your job so much easier. :) For those who will visit their tire shop this week, while you are sitting down, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading an 8 year-old magazine, realize how boring your life really is. (LOL)

After the two tires are repaired, I head to my house. The morning has just finished, but I am ready for a shower and a nap. As I enter into my house and tell my family about my morning, I notice it is no big deal to them. After all this is PNG, and todays events were just a normal day!