“We preach Christ crucified . . . .” I Corinthians 1:23
Lance & Robin Hellar
Haqwangke
Papua New Guinea
February 2010
Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
Matthew 11:25-28
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Dear Friends,
The last prayer letter we wrote from the field before returning to the U.S. for an extended period of time began with the texts of Scripture above. Having just returned to the work in Papua New Guinea, I would like to quote from that prayer letter because my comments on these verses capture so well the purpose of missionary work:
This morning as I preached from these two passages, it was like hearing the gospel for the first time. I had left early, before the sun reached into the mountain valley in which we live, and hiked about an hour to preach to a little over a dozen souls at the village of Tamayalyeqali.
Here in this remote mountain tribe of Papua New Guinea there are the wise and the prudent just as in the rest of the world. Why? Because this is natural man - wise in his own wisdom, prudent in his own understanding but ignorant of the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. But God in mercy deeper than the deepest sea, and grace surpassing our highest comprehension, chose a particular people to Himself before the foundation of the world. Here we find distinguishing grace! “Why would this be?” some may ask. The Son Himself gives the answer, “Even so, Father for so it seemed good in Your sight.” If it is good in the sight of God, then we can be assured it is very good. It is to these that the Son wills to reveal the Father. In God’s perfect time, the truth of the gospel comes, and the Spirit works in the heart with power and with effect. The man who could run with horses is made to see himself as he truly is – a vile, wretched sinner, foolish in his own wisdom, weak in his own strength. He sees that every thought and intent of his heart is only evil continually and the burden of his sin is like a mountain upon his shoulders, crushing him under its guilt.
This sweet command of Christ rings in his heart, in his soul, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In wonder and astonishment he sees that his iniquity has been laid upon Christ, that Christ was made an offering for his sin, and that all that he is in need of is answered in Christ who is made unto him “wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” In this glorious reality he mounts up with wings like eagles and soars in heavenly places in Christ. He runs, not in his own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ. He runs and is not weary. He walks through this life often under the burden of great trials and afflictions. He walks but does not faint, confident of a full, perfect and complete salvation in Christ alone.
The Work
As we return to the work of the gospel in the Menyamya region of Papua New Guinea I can’t help but reflect once again upon the wonder of grace that would call a wretched sinner such as me into a ministry of such glorious privilege and honor.
The Lord has so graciously preserved His work here. There is clear evidence that He has built Tom up in the faith, strengthened him, encouraged him, taught him, and blessed him as he has faithfully ministered the Word to the small group of believers and preached the gospel of saving grace to a larger group of unsaved people who gather each week at Qwakngwe. One woman who has heard the Word for many many years – almost from the time we first moved into this tribe – professed to be saved while we were away. Her name is Ngkwanaqa.
In these coming weeks I will be seeking open doors to preach the gospel in places throughout the tribe. A young woman named Yekuyakulaqa, who professes to be saved, was married into a village hamlet up the river valley while we were away. I visited there this week as this may provide an opportunity to begin a regular meeting at this location of her husband’s clan. There are many barriers to the gospel so, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course.” Everywhere we go, people are very welcoming to Robin and me and seem genuinely pleased that we are back. We thank the Lord for this, and pray that He will stir up hearts to want to hear His Word.
Lord willing I will make a trip into the Menya tribe in two weeks and will have some knowledge of the work there after that. The day we arrived in Menyamya, Haki was medivaced to Lae because of an ongoing stomach ulcer problem. We were able to see him briefly and I cannot express what a joy it was to my heart to see again this faithful servant of the Lord, and look forward to laboring together with him in the work in the Menya.
What a wonderful blessing too to return to the field and be met by my parents Cliff and Martie Hellar. The Lord has been pleased to marvelously bless their labor in the gospel of 48 years in the Keyagana tribe and a multitude of people has been saved. Eighteen churches have been established throughout the tribe and five more Keyagana language churches have been established in several towns in Papua New Guinea. I know of no other work that more closely mirrors the pattern we find in the New Testament. This past June I was speaking with one of the visiting pastors for our conference at Rescue who asked after my father. I responded that there was no one I knew who I respected or admired more than my father, not just because he was my father but because his life and ministry in the service for our Lord Christ has been so profoundly admirable, according to the grace of God in him.
The Family
While it was hard to be away from the work here, we are so thankful to the Lord for taking us back to the U.S. to care for our children. We know that the Lord always does what is right and good. We are thankful He is sovereign, aren’t you? Taylor is in his last year at the University of California Santa Barbara and will graduate in June with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. Claire is in her third year of English Literature at the University of California Los Angeles. Ryan is in his first year at Harvard in Cambridge Massachusetts and will decide his field of study next year. Our little girl Jennifer (who is not so little anymore at 12 years old) is of course with us. All of the children are doing very well. The Lord’s mercy to us as a family is so great.
In Closing
We intend to return to the U.S. for a couple of months over the summer. During that time we hope to visit a number of the churches and individuals who support the work of the gospel here in Papua New Guinea. We look forward to our fellowship with you as the Lord allows.
We thank the Lord for you and your fellowship in the gospel. Our desire and prayer for you is “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9, 10
In Christ,
Lance & Robin
Lance & Robin Hellar
Haqwangke
Papua New Guinea
February 2010
Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
Matthew 11:25-28
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Dear Friends,
The last prayer letter we wrote from the field before returning to the U.S. for an extended period of time began with the texts of Scripture above. Having just returned to the work in Papua New Guinea, I would like to quote from that prayer letter because my comments on these verses capture so well the purpose of missionary work:
This morning as I preached from these two passages, it was like hearing the gospel for the first time. I had left early, before the sun reached into the mountain valley in which we live, and hiked about an hour to preach to a little over a dozen souls at the village of Tamayalyeqali.
Here in this remote mountain tribe of Papua New Guinea there are the wise and the prudent just as in the rest of the world. Why? Because this is natural man - wise in his own wisdom, prudent in his own understanding but ignorant of the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. But God in mercy deeper than the deepest sea, and grace surpassing our highest comprehension, chose a particular people to Himself before the foundation of the world. Here we find distinguishing grace! “Why would this be?” some may ask. The Son Himself gives the answer, “Even so, Father for so it seemed good in Your sight.” If it is good in the sight of God, then we can be assured it is very good. It is to these that the Son wills to reveal the Father. In God’s perfect time, the truth of the gospel comes, and the Spirit works in the heart with power and with effect. The man who could run with horses is made to see himself as he truly is – a vile, wretched sinner, foolish in his own wisdom, weak in his own strength. He sees that every thought and intent of his heart is only evil continually and the burden of his sin is like a mountain upon his shoulders, crushing him under its guilt.
This sweet command of Christ rings in his heart, in his soul, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In wonder and astonishment he sees that his iniquity has been laid upon Christ, that Christ was made an offering for his sin, and that all that he is in need of is answered in Christ who is made unto him “wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” In this glorious reality he mounts up with wings like eagles and soars in heavenly places in Christ. He runs, not in his own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ. He runs and is not weary. He walks through this life often under the burden of great trials and afflictions. He walks but does not faint, confident of a full, perfect and complete salvation in Christ alone.
The Work
As we return to the work of the gospel in the Menyamya region of Papua New Guinea I can’t help but reflect once again upon the wonder of grace that would call a wretched sinner such as me into a ministry of such glorious privilege and honor.
The Lord has so graciously preserved His work here. There is clear evidence that He has built Tom up in the faith, strengthened him, encouraged him, taught him, and blessed him as he has faithfully ministered the Word to the small group of believers and preached the gospel of saving grace to a larger group of unsaved people who gather each week at Qwakngwe. One woman who has heard the Word for many many years – almost from the time we first moved into this tribe – professed to be saved while we were away. Her name is Ngkwanaqa.
In these coming weeks I will be seeking open doors to preach the gospel in places throughout the tribe. A young woman named Yekuyakulaqa, who professes to be saved, was married into a village hamlet up the river valley while we were away. I visited there this week as this may provide an opportunity to begin a regular meeting at this location of her husband’s clan. There are many barriers to the gospel so, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course.” Everywhere we go, people are very welcoming to Robin and me and seem genuinely pleased that we are back. We thank the Lord for this, and pray that He will stir up hearts to want to hear His Word.
Lord willing I will make a trip into the Menya tribe in two weeks and will have some knowledge of the work there after that. The day we arrived in Menyamya, Haki was medivaced to Lae because of an ongoing stomach ulcer problem. We were able to see him briefly and I cannot express what a joy it was to my heart to see again this faithful servant of the Lord, and look forward to laboring together with him in the work in the Menya.
What a wonderful blessing too to return to the field and be met by my parents Cliff and Martie Hellar. The Lord has been pleased to marvelously bless their labor in the gospel of 48 years in the Keyagana tribe and a multitude of people has been saved. Eighteen churches have been established throughout the tribe and five more Keyagana language churches have been established in several towns in Papua New Guinea. I know of no other work that more closely mirrors the pattern we find in the New Testament. This past June I was speaking with one of the visiting pastors for our conference at Rescue who asked after my father. I responded that there was no one I knew who I respected or admired more than my father, not just because he was my father but because his life and ministry in the service for our Lord Christ has been so profoundly admirable, according to the grace of God in him.
The Family
While it was hard to be away from the work here, we are so thankful to the Lord for taking us back to the U.S. to care for our children. We know that the Lord always does what is right and good. We are thankful He is sovereign, aren’t you? Taylor is in his last year at the University of California Santa Barbara and will graduate in June with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. Claire is in her third year of English Literature at the University of California Los Angeles. Ryan is in his first year at Harvard in Cambridge Massachusetts and will decide his field of study next year. Our little girl Jennifer (who is not so little anymore at 12 years old) is of course with us. All of the children are doing very well. The Lord’s mercy to us as a family is so great.
In Closing
We intend to return to the U.S. for a couple of months over the summer. During that time we hope to visit a number of the churches and individuals who support the work of the gospel here in Papua New Guinea. We look forward to our fellowship with you as the Lord allows.
We thank the Lord for you and your fellowship in the gospel. Our desire and prayer for you is “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9, 10
In Christ,
Lance & Robin
Home Address
Rescue Baptist Church
P.O. Box 232
5201 Deer Valley Road
Rescue, CA 95672-0232
U.S.A.
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