Vincent is a successful real estate agent with a passion for his church! Let's visit Papua New Guinea's capital city to see how Vincent and church members are making a difference in their community.
Located nine miles from the center of the city, the Nine Mile district was known as one of the worst areas in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. But if you keep looking, you will catch a glimpse of change, progression, and hope. In this neighborhood, a new Seventh-day Adventist Church has brought a sense of pride to the “Nine Mile” community.b
“This place has been one of the worst places in the city. Nobody liked to come here. When they heard the name Nine Mile, the fear was going to their hearts. But then we as leaders needed to come together, we needed to pray. At those times our wives and children should never walk freely. Even sometimes they are disturbed here. Some people were even killed in our own church grounds too. But this has changed. In that way, God has blessed us a lot. Now we can see our wives and children walk freely for nightly programs.”
The current Adventist church is overflowing and cannot fit more people. Church leaders, like Vincent, have a heart for the people here. Vincent is a successful real estate agent who is very involved in the church’s activities.
As the new Nine Mile Seventh-day Adventist Church is constructed, church leaders, like Vincent, go into the community to get to know the people who live here. He talks with the people, gives them Bible studies, and finds out what needs they might have.
“There are very many poor people around here. Even though our country is rich, but we have many poor people around here so we have to go out. Many people don’t know about Jesus.”
Although many of the church members have low incomes, they work hard and save to give to the church building project.
The new church’s presence has already attracted the members of the community to ask questions about the Adventist faith.
“And when we build a church, a big church like this, in the center of a settlement like this, we know that it will reach out to them and tell the truth because Jesus is coming very soon again.”
This new church will hold more than one thousand people.
One of the people who will be attending this new church is Jack. Not long ago, Jack’s brother was very sick. He had been studying the Bible with Adventists and decided he wanted to be baptized. Jack’s brother was too sick to go to the church so the members rolled a water tank to his house.
Jack had been thinking about the Sabbath issue for some time. As he saw his brother being baptized, he decided he also wanted to become an Adventist. Jack was baptized in this portable water tank outside of his home and has contributed greatly to the new building project.
The Nine Mile Church has already made a huge splash in this community through their actions. When the new building is completed, it will be able to accommodate everyone who wants to worship with them on Sabbath. Please pray for construction of this new church building. And pray for the members of this church as they continue to share God’s beautiful message.
“In Papua New Guinea, we really need to know more about Jesus. That’s why we want to ask the world to pray for us so that all our neighboring communities here will know about Jesus!”
