Papua New Guinea:  Many people think of Rural Nazarene Health Ministries (NHM) as simply impacting lives through Rural Health Centers, patient care, and community and church involvement.  This is, of course, the primary area of ministry, but it often surprises us how God expands this to so much more!

Peter and Gabriel flying to the celebration at the Imane Health Center.

One such example is the story of Peter Bill.   Peter was associated with a politician who was supposed to come to the 2010 opening of an extension to the remote Imane Health Center.  The politician was unable to come, so sent Peter as his representative.  Peter traveled to the event by airplane with our Rural Health Director, Gabriel Mahisu and a team from NHM.

During the celebrations for the opening of the new extension, Peter was impressed by the work of the church in the community, the baptism of new believers during the ceremony, and the preaching of holiness.

Baptism of new believers during the ceremony at the Imane Health Center.

Peter and Gabriel continued to stay in touch and soon became friends. Even though the Imane Health Center was not in Peter’s immediate area, he began to help Gabriel with logistics in this region.  He even asked Gabriel for a Manual for the Church of the Nazarene as he was interested in the Articles of Faith and the structure and accountability of the church.

Eventually, Peter asked Gabriel about how Peter and his family could join the church.  Since there wasn’t a Church of the Nazarene in Peter’s area, he and his family decided to start one and asked for Gabriel’s help.

This is the mission of the Church of the Nazarene – to make Christlike disciples in the nations.

You won’t want to miss next week’s continuation of this story, to see the great things that God has done!  

See more at this link: http://nazpng.org

— Submission: Dr. Scott Dooley.