NEWS AND PRAYER REQUESTS

FROM JOHN AND BONITA PRYOR

Missionaries with Pioneer Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea
John and Bonlta remain In the States, tending to medical needs before returning to PNG. Bonlta Is

trying medication to regulate her hormones and will also need a dental crown. Please pray for them to have
peace as they await God's timing In their return and for the resolution of the conditions that are keeping them
here.

Josh's knee surgery on March 15 was successful. The doctor was very pleased. He continues with the
crutches and physical therapy. He has had a job lead or two, but nothing has developed yet. Please continue
to pray for a quick, complete healing for Josh and for his job search, that God would lead him to where He
wants him to work.

Please continue to pray for Jesse, Karle and Naleh and for the new baby that they are expecting
September 15. Pray for an uneventful pregnancy for Karie and a healthy baby.
Maso, their national co-translator, was able to get word of the village situation to John and Bonlta
through fellow-missionary, William Butler. From his report:
His progress on 2Peter \\as been hindered by so many other things requiring his time. Please pray that he
will be able to devote the time necessary to this project.
He reports that attendance at Sunday worship and Sunday School are both down. In part due to the
weather and sickness, so pray for the people to regain a zeal to meet together to study God's Word. Pray
for the church leaders, that they might remain strong and provide the leadership that the people need.
There has been a lot of fevers and malaria, affecting both young and old, and there Isn't a good medicine
supply at Samban. Bonlta had been providing much of the medical care for the people when she was there.
One of the young men of the village, Moses, Is In the Madang hospital with congestive heart failure. He Is
only 28 and a good friend of the Pryor boys. Please pray for his recovery In particular. The little girl I
wrote about last month, DIborah, Is still In Madang and apparently not doing well. Please continue to pray
for her recovery and for her family. Some of the pregnant women are having trouble with their deliveries,
but they have had no serious complications yet, for which we thank God.
This Is the rainy season In PNG, and It has been quite wet, resulting In lots of mosquitoes(which carry

disease) and snakes, as well as some food shortages. So please pray for all the people of Samban and the
surrounding area.

Petrus Gongglp, a member of the village bigmen checking group, died recently. Please pray for his family
and that God would raise up other men to take his place In the translation work.
On a personal note, our daughter, Katie, Is preparing to go on a medical mission trip with FAME to
Honduras May 16-25. We would appreciate your prayers for her as she makes her preparations and for her
throughout this trip, that God would use her to do His will. Pray, too, for her health and safety.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness, your love and encouragement, your prayers and your gifts to
this Important ministry to bring the Word of God to people who do not have It In their own language. May God
continue to bless you richly.

JOHN & BONITA PRYOR

FORWARDING AGENTS:

2401 Rhea Road

Bruce & Mary Ann Graff

173 W. Lebanon St.
Nashville, XL 62263-1410

Knoxvllle, TN 37920
e-mail: b1pryor@earthllnk.net

Phone: 618-327-3234

e-mail: graff@charter.net

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News
Forwarding Agents:
Mr. & Mrs. Brace Graff
173 West Lebaooa Street

Nashville, IL 62263-1410

E-Mail: graff@charter.Bct

John & Bonita Pryor

p.O. Box 997. Madang SU. Papua New Guinea

November, 2002

"And on earth peace among men..."

Luke 2:14

This was the message of the angels

who announced the birth of Jesus. His coming
would bring peace.
Jesus underscored this message
shortly before He returned to His heavenly
home:"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give
to you; not as the world gives, do I give you. Let
not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."
John 14:27

Paul wrote about this peace to the

Philippian church: "And the peace of God, which
surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:7
Over the last several months, this mes

sage of peace has meant a great deal to us

peace in the midst of the loss of dear friends,
health concerns, and an uncertain future. We
returned to the U. S. last October to assist our

son Joshua in securing his massage therapy

license and check out some medical concerns
for Bonita. It turned out that Bonita also needed
some extensive dental work. When Bonita was

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during this time.

When he completed his physical therapy in
June, Joshua decided to begin his massage therapy
practice in Stiliwater, Oklahoma. Our plan was to get
Joshua settled in there with John's mom and return to

PNG. The night before we arrived in Stiliwater, John's

mom rolled over in bed and the nerve in her right leg
got twisted or something. She was in terrific pain and

walked the floor that night. Over the next 2-3 weeks,
her right leg continued to be extremely painful and
gradually became weaker and weaker. Since that
time, we have taken her to two orthopedic doctors, a
neurosurgeon, a pain management doctor, a physiatrist, a neurologist, and a podiatrist. They have or
dered various tests that have yielded the same result:
they have not been able to pinpoint what has caused
all her pain and the nerve damage in her right leg. We
would appreciate your prayers for her healing
In the midst of all this, we have felt peace that
God has placed us here for obvious reasons. We also
have peace knowing that God has all this under control
and that as time goes by we will see what course we
need to take. Where would we be without the peace
that the angels announced that starry night in Bethle
hem? May you experience God's peace during this
holiday season.

nearing the end of her various treatments,

Joshua tore his ACL playing basketball and was

WE HAVE A NEW

unable to work fulltime for about four months fol

GRANDSON!

lowing his surgery. During his recuperation

Elijah Maikel

time, we learned of the deaths of three of our

(pronounced Michael)

dear village friends: Maikel Kanja, our longtime

was bom to Jesse and

workman and neighbor and friend; Moses

Mukok, Bonita's adopted younger brother and

Karie on September 9.
Eli weighed 7 lb. 7 oz.
and was 20" long.
Naleh is a doting big
sister. We praise God

close friend of Jesse and Joshua

(pictured at right); and Arapina

Wangi, the lovely Christian wife of
one of our pastors. It was difficult
to be so far away from our friends

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for this wonderful addi

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Maikel Kanja, our dear friend

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worker with PBT/PNG

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funeral, shared a

;.. - The way God worked it all

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out for him to be able to

be there is truly amazing

and only something God could do. The following
is an excerpt of what he said about Maikel:
/ talked about three pictures that Maikel had
given us.
First, as a man concerned about his

famiiy. Ever since we got back from furiough

Maikel has been on the radio several times talk

ing to Lusko, encouraging him to live right and to

come back home. I don't really know about his
other children, but I imagine he was the same

with them. In that way, he was like God who

be ready to do whatever work Christ should give us

and also always be ready to defend His interests
and His church against any who might seek to de
stroy them.
Finally...! said that the most important
picture he had left for us was how to live as a child
of God. When I first met Maikel, he was not a

Christian, and this was a major concern for you

guys; so you asked people to pray for him. And
people all around the world did pray and rejoiced
when Maikel came to Jesus. And he began to try
to live as a child of God. In that way, Maikel
showed us the way to come to Jesus. The road is
open all the time for us ... to come back to Him.

In conclusion, yes, Maikel Kanja died, and

we are here to plant his body. But his spirit lives
on and has gone to be with God who created him.
Although we wilt say Maikel has left us, if each of
us will look at what picture Maikel left us or what
talk he gave to us that helped us and hold on to it,
Maikel will continue to live on with us and in this

community. Even though he is dead, he wili con

tinue to show us his pictures and speak to us.

never stops caring about us no matter what we

have done and is always encouraging us to do

the right thing and to return to Him.
Secondly, Maikel showed us what it

Prayer Requests:

means to be a loyal person.... Ever since you

t Please pray for John's mom that she will be

(John and Bonita) went to Samban, Maikel has

been stuck (loyal) to you and has watched out
for your interests. When you were there, he did
whatever you needed him to do. When you

; j healed and return to further service for the

weren't there, he took care of and watched over

your house and your interests.... In that way,

Maikel showed us how we should be tied to Je

sus Christ and loyal to Him. We should always

Lord.

* Pray for wisdom in our return to PNG.

* Pray for the church in Samban, that the people
would be encouraged and strengthened.
=* Pray for Maso as he continues to work on
rough-drafting the Epistles.