A Whole Lot of New!

Hi Friends!

A lot has happened since most of you last heard from us. Not to spoil any surprises in this update, but we have new teammates, a new state, a new church – and Lord willing, a new plan to return to Papua New Guinea. That's a whole lot of "new!"

Let’s start though with a little bit of a recap, since it’s been a number of months since we’ve sent out an update.

Last year in October 2022, we returned to PNG for about 6 months to wrap up our former teams’ work there. It was both a fruitful time and a hard season of endings, and we saw God’s grace through it all.

We returned to the USA in March 2023, and began settling in, including going off mission support and getting fulltime jobs. Based on everything we could see, we anticipated that it could easily take 5+ years before we might have teammates and be in a position to return to PNG. Our goal during this time was to “do the next right thing” and be faithful in a new season, while still praying and being open and ready to uproot again if and when God provided a way back to PNG. We have prayed daily for the Pano people, who we love dearly and still long to see reached.

During this time of re-settling, we also began the process of leaving our former sending church and looking for a new home church. We love the people there, but God had made it clear that for the good and unity of that church body as well as for the health of our future ministry, it was better if we didn’t seek to be sent out again from there. (We don’t plan to use this post to explain further but please feel free to contact us if you have questions or a need for further conversation about this decision).

So there we were, in the process of re-settling in multiple ways. And then, a big surprise that was nowhere on our radar!!

NEW TEAMMATES

Several months ago, we were asked to consider working with the Zach & Cassidy Cann family, current missionaries in Papua New Guinea. 

The Canns have been serving in PNG among the nDo people group for over 8 years, and they recently lost their teammates. The Canns asked if we would be willing to come and spend 5-6 years serving with them in the nDo people group, to see the work they have started there - which includes Bible translation, literacy courses, discipleship, and teaching – completed and see the nDo church established.

We started praying about this new possibility, and there were a number of things that excited us about it.

1. We’ve been praying for the work among the nDo people group for a number of years and were excited about the possibility of being part of seeing it continue and finish well.
2. We got to live next to the Cann family for over 5 months while we were in PNG last year, and they became friends who we love and respect. 
3. We’re uniquely positioned to step into roles on the nDo team with almost no orientation needed. We’re fluent in the national language, we’ve completed all of the training for serving in PNG and learning a tribal language, we’re acclimated to and comfortable operating in the culture, and we even have current entry permits and work visas for PNG. Lord willing, we could hit the ground running in nDo.
4. Since we had already been expecting it to be 5+years before we might return to Pano, this new opportunity doesn’t really change our availability or the likelihood of us returning to Pano if God opened that door in the future. We don’t know if He will choose to open it, but we continue to desire and pray about that possibility. If anything, we could be better positioned to return to Pano one day if we’ve already been continuing on in the mission work in PNG, as opposed to being settled in the USA for numerous years.
5. The leadership of our mission organization and of the Cann’s sending church are all in favor of us teaming together.

We really saw God's hand in this new open door and were excited about the possibilities it represented. 

We had a chance to visit the Cann family and have some
in-person team talks in AZ a couple months ago, when they
were back in the USA for the birth of their fourth child.

Here's the most recent photo of their family:
Zach, Cassidy, Jude, Oliver, Annie, & Ellie

A NEW CHURCH AND STATE

As we prayed about this new possibility of joining the nDO team, we also were continuing to pray about finding a new sending and home church. We were clear that we weren't going to take any steps to return to PNG until we had a home church that we were confident in having send us out. God answered that prayer so beautifully!

In just one week from when we're finalizing this update, we will be moving to Stuart, Florida where our new church, Community Baptist Church (CBC), is located. Community Baptist has been supportive of the Cann’s ministry for many years, and were also financially supporting our former team, CGBCI team Pano and our church planting efforts in PNG. Community Baptist has already sent out another family to work in PNG as well, and they desire to be part of helping us prepare and re-launch to PNG to Lord willing work with the Cann family. Even beyond "re-launching us" though, they've already proven their desire to be a part of strengthening and encouraging us in our growth in and walk with the Lord as we start taking steps to prepare for returning to PNG. 

So, what does “re-launching” look like?

A NEW PLAN TO RETURN TO PNG  

1. While we are aiming and planning toward returning to PNG, we will be taking some months when we first arrive in Florida to focus on connecting more deeply with the church family and leadership there. We aren’t just looking for a church to send us. We want to have deep, healthy relationships where we are known and can be both encouraged and exhorted.
2. Eventually, we’ll move back into a phase of official support raising. It’s a blessing that some of our previous supporters have chosen to already start supporting us again, since we have a need to raise funds for our move to PNG and for re-purchasing housebuilding supplies there. (Click here for more information about joining our financial support team).
3. While we’re in Florida and then on the road for support-raising, we’ll be having continued discussions with our new teammates and begin preparing for the move back to PNG and hopefully a quick transition into the nDO people group to serve with the Canns.

We really don’t know what God’s timeline will be each of these stages. As we’ve talked with our pastors, they affirm that they’d like to see us return to PNG within 10-12 months, if possible. That’s certainly not a guarantee though, and we’ve learned a lot over the past several years about holding any of our plans or timelines very loosely before the Lord.

Please pray for us as we finish packing and saying goodbyes in Ohio, move to Florida and develop relationships there, begin meetings and support raising, and have further team meetings and discussions. 

In all these matters, we reflect often on Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his ways, but the LORD establishes his steps.” We believe our desire to serve in PNG is from the Lord. Pray for clear leading as we follow Him, and that our hearts would be joyful and surrendered to whatever He has for us in these new plans and locations.

In His Service,

Josh and Autumn Miller