August 13

Immediately after breakfast I was on my way to the government office. I enquired of the time of the start of their work day. The “office” is open at 8:30 a.m. and they are to start work at 8:45 a.m. While I waited, a man struck up a conversation with me. His name is Tamusi and when he is in town, he shares the same office with Mr. Marc Avai (the man I had come to talk to). By the time 9:00 a.m. came, Tamusi said he would go the Mr. Avai’s house to see what time he would be coming to the office. Tamusi came back in about 15 minutes and said he was not home. I found out later that he had gone down to the wharf to see his wife off. She had to go do her part for a funeral…the death of a close relative of hers.

I went back home without the letter, but went back in the early afternoon and found that he was at his house. As I mentioned before, the electric company had not been paid by the person in charge of paying the bills, so his office complex it without power to run his computer and printer. He was at the house typing out the speech the governor is going to give tomorrow. He took a minute to tell me about this and that he would make sure he completed my letter, even if it took him past closing time (4:06 p.m.).

I stopped off at the hospital to see if I could use the computer to send out an E-mail. Kaddie, a secretary for the nurses’ station uses a computer to do her work that has dial-up connection. It is as slow as a turtle, but if I have enough time it gets the job done.

Just as I was finishing, I got a call from Mr. Avai. He said he was finished with the letter! Only one hour after I had left his house, and now he is done. He told me he was in the office and would be there for another 20 minutes. It was now 4:00 in the afternoon: men’s prayer meeting. I quickly went to the church and told them of the answered prayer and asked if I could go and get the letter, for time was of the essence to conclude this answered prayer. Bro. Jerry rejoiced with me and sent me on my way while they commenced the prayer time.

Upon reaching the office at 4:15 p.m. Mr. Avia said he had looked once again at the letter I had submitted to him last week. He saw that I had stated in it that I was leaving on Monday, and realized the urgency of the matter. Setting aside the speech for the governor (he was 3 quarters through), he drafted the letter with his signature giving us the unconditional use of this old European built house for the Baptist Church in the “hinterlands of the province”. The letter states that he “recognizes the good works of the Baptist Mission” because of the example Matt Allen has been in the Gulf Province. Mr. Avai concludes his letter like this: “I trust that you [Mark Helzerman] will do greater works through the leadership of our God Almighty.” This is the first “house” Father has given to us. Now He will allow us to bring our family over to this “land of the unexpected” as we expect greater things that He will do through us.

The praying part of the prayer meeting was just about to start when I returned to the church building. Bro. Jerry allowed me to read it out loud to them all. They rejoiced with me again, for it was an answer to prayer. We concluded the prayer meeting and then went out to visit a few people. As we were walking along, I thought of the spiritual and physical blessings I have been given by Father on this journey. Although it has been a hard time of being away from the family, God has begun to fulfill His promises to me.