Near & Far

Over the summer, we drove over 5,000 miles, traveling East to the coast, North to Wisconsin, and as far West as Denver, Colorado. It was encouraging to be with friends and family. At the same time, our lives have been more frenzied and packed than they have been in a long time.

Stopped on I-65 for nearly 3 hours because of an accident

We recently encountered an article about the experiences many missionaries have during furlough (also called home assignment). “The Life Cycle of a Home Assignment” is a valuable read for anyone who desires to better understand missionaries’ experiences in this unique and sometimes misunderstood work.

The author describes furlough as “an extremely stressful and demanding element in the cycle of missionary life but also a source of great joy, [and] encouragement…” That combination of joy and hecticness describes much of our experience. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones, even as coordinating travel, appointments, and visits can be demanding.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30

As we mentioned in our Spring newsletter, we have transitioned to a new sending organization, Ripe for Harvest (RFH), an organization dedicated to sending missionaries to “propagate the gospel and further the cause of the kingdom of God.” We are grateful to be able to continue doing much of the same work we have been doing while we continue serving with many of the same colleagues (particularly our work with SIL PNG, a Bible translation organization that has been actively working on the ground in PNG for the last 70 years).

I (Harold) will continue to serve as a translation consultant, review translations, and teach and coach translators so they can produce accurate, clear, and natural translations of God’s Word.

Steve (RFH President) and Brenda Hines

Missions Debrief

As furlough began, one of our “first steps” was attending a missions debrief at the Center for Intercultural Training in North Carolina. A mission debrief is an opportunity for the entire family to reflect and process some of the unique experiences and challenges cross-cultural workers face. We were able to do it with several other missionaries, and it was guided by facilitators who have decades of experience working cross-culturally.

A’zalea and Andrew’s class during the debrief

During our first term, we experienced abuse and betrayal and also witnessed injustices being done under the banner of Christianity. It was a surprise to us, but it is, unfortunately, not uncommon on the mission field. We found this interview with Silas West helpful in understanding our situation. Debriefing these situations in a safe space allowed us to begin processing some of our experiences and to reflect on how God can use our pain for good. We continue to pray for God to bring about justice and relief for the oppressed.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” II Corinthians 1:3–4

Connecting with Partners

From North Carolina, we continued on to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to meet with supporters. After that, we had a brief rest in Indiana before traveling West to Colorado and spending nearly a month there. Our plan for the fall and into the winter is to remain mostly in Indiana and Kentucky, as we continue to meet with existing partners and other individuals and churches who might be interested in partnering with us in the work of Bible translation.

While in Pennsylvania, we were gifted tickets to see Joshua
at the Sight and Sound Theatre

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8–9

We praise God that He has been faithful to care for our financial needs in the past and are trusting that He will continue to do so in the future. Many of our monthly partners have continued supporting Bible translation through our transition to Ripe for Harvest. Six of them even increased their commitment!

During our first term, it was a blessing to have a significant part of our budget covered through a fund that was used up at the end of 2025. Because that source of funding ended and with the recent increases in cost of living, we are considerably short of our monthly budget. Some of you have given one-time gifts throughout the year, and we are grateful that has helped to cover some of the shortfall. Thank you.

Harold consultant checking the Adzera translation of Mark (Dec 2025)

Our goal right now is to have commitments for an additional $3,325 a month. We have precious partners who give anywhere from $10 to $1,000 a month. Some of our partners give $250 every quarter. Others give $1,000 once a year. Our average partner gives $100 a month. We’d love to invite you to give at whatever level and timing God leads you to. We believe the work we are doing helps Papua New Guineans better understand God’s Word so they can be transformed by it.

If you aren’t already partnering with us, would you pray about investing in Bible translation through our Ripe for Harvest ministry?

Invest in Bible Translation

How to Pray

• A’zalea and Andrew are in 4th and 3rd grade at a local school in southern Indiana. Since they were little, we have prayed they would grow to love God and love others.
• Pray for Justine and I to grow in communication with each other and for wisdom in parenting our children.
• Pray that we will meet our ministry budget goals necessary for us to continue our service in Bible translation. We look forward to how God will continue to provide.
• Pray for high-level conversations that are happening between leaders in SIL PNG and various other translation organizations. Pray that outside funders and agencies will listen well regarding the stories and contextualized needs of the local people and those who are serving on the ground.

How can we pray for you?

Thank you for linking arms with us. Harold, Justine, A’zalea, & Andrew