Hello friends,

We know it’s been a lil while since our last update…the past couple months have been all over the place (as I am sure it has been for many of you too) and we have been trying to plan for the upcoming teaching. We first of all want to again, thank you sincerely for your faithful support over the years and even AMID the Covid-19 issues God has used you all to remain faithful in supporting us and His plan to see the Dem reached with His “true talk.” So humbling. So THANK YOU for being a part of that!!

The past couple months here have been full of this and thats. Our main translator who was stuck off island for 3 months earlier in the year because of Covid, had to fly back to South Africa for passport issues that couldn’t be taken care of here in Indo. He was stuck out of the tribe again, for another month but fortunately he was able to continue translation and it didn’t slow down the work too much. 

Also, Bri was able to make it out to Jakarta and get her dental work done, praise the Lord for working out those details and providing those funds. 

Tarisi, who was sent out on an emergency flight with retained placentas after giving birth to twins was able to come back 3 months later and be reunited with her young son, Doliron.  And Teh, The man who was shot through the intestines was also brought back in finally after 2 months of being stuck out in town too.  We were so thankful to have them both back and in one alive piece!!! 

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At this time, we are making preparations to begin the chronological teaching in January. I know, we have said this before many times. However, in the past it was always a “hope,” and this time it seems like things should and are actually falling in place, praise God.  The necessary scriptures needed for 70 lessons have been translated, the lessons are being written and going through the comprehension checks with language helpers to ensure clarity and accuracy. We have cleared and leveled the land for the teaching, along with had wood cut for the framing of the building and the roofing is here in Dem-Land ready to go. Woohoo!

To say that our team is getting excited is an understatement!  We are so very excited for this time.  I mean, this is the reason our family left America over 10 years ago. To present the chronological story of a Redeemer who will adopt people from the Dem tribe into His Holy family!! And for them to hear this story in their very own language for the first time and for the Lord to use our family, our team, is extremely humbling.

Of course, with all the excitement comes other emotions, as we have many of our Dem friends who have been stuck out in a different town because of Covid and can not get back into Dem at this point.  Please pray that the Dem will make it back in time for the teaching so they can hear the story as well.

As for update since last video we sent, the war has officially been over for some time now, but even after it was over there still was tension between both sides and we began to worry if this would affect who all came to the teaching. 

However, we had a tribal-wide invitation to come and clear the land for the future Dem “Bible Talk Building” (what we call it in Dem), and many from both sides came and worked side by side and that actually was the first time many from each warring sides were together since the war in May.  It was so encouraging to see and was kind of the “ice-breaker”, and since then we feel much of the tension has subsided.

Our other co-workers the Tealls who have been stateside most of this year have just returned to Dem-land. We are excited that our whole team is here and will be together for the next 6+ months and we can all join in the teaching and discipleship of the future Dem church. 

We wanted to let you know that we admit, we aren’t good with updates and we sincerely apologize for that. However, when we begin the teaching we will try and give update every week or so on how it’s going and really try to involve you all in this time. You all, by praying and financially supporting us have invested into the future Dem church. And we can’t thank you enough. We will try and put up videos and pictures so you can feel a part of the process and see what is currently taking place and what all is happening. 

Our prayer is that you all wouldn’t take this lightly. This is mind blowing to us when we think about the fact, that soon, these people who have been enslaved to the lies and fear of spirits and gods who are distant and impersonal, will soon hear the truth! And we pray the Spirit of God will move and bring many to Him!!!

Part of what I’m (J) going through daily is reviewing lessons with a language helper who has been with me for years now. His name is Yao. We recently went over a lesson that talked about what all the Creator created. We talked about how the Creator created the angels, (His helpers) and the world, and all that that entails. We talked about how after the one boss angel (Lucifer) rebelled against the Creator and became an enemy, and it was at this point where lots of the Creator’s helpers, (angels) followed satan and were cast out of heaven and then those angels became satan’s helpers (otherwise known as the evil spirits they know). 

It was here where we talked about the spirits that are here on earth, and how they were not created that way during creation. God did not create evil/bad things, only good. So, if these spirits that are here on earth are actually satan’s (the Creators enemy) helpers, then they must not be good things. They, in fact are enemies of the Creator. 

I could see his brain trying to process and think this through. Remember, the Dem and their everyday lives revolve around appeasing these spirits. In order for them to have a good harvest, or their pigs to not get sick, or their children not to die, they need to appease the spirits. So, for him (my language helper) to actually think through the idea of these spirits are actually, enemies of the Creator is a very big thing for them to think through. 

This was just one instance where as we go through lessons I can see him thinking through things and it makes me excited for what he will be hearing soon. These language helpers of ours will be the first ones to hear the complete story and the Gospel message and we pray they all come to accept it and believe it. If you wouldn’t mind praying specifically for these 3 guys- Yao, Eriak, and Tinus, these are the main guys we have been using for comprehension checks of Bible translation and lessons. These could become the first Dem believers and Lord willing they will be able to convey the importance of this talk to the rest of tribe leading up to the teaching. 

Please continue to pray this next month or so leading up to the teaching that as many Dem people as possible will be able to make it back here in time for the teaching. 

Please pray for the language helpers as we go through lessons they will hear the true Gospel themselves before the rest of the tribe, and this could be taking place this month even. 

Please pray for all the details that need to come together in the next month or so. And please pray for them to be receptive and faithful to coming each day. That’s good enough for now. Thank you again so, so very much! 

J for the Stokes family. 

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These are some projects we would like to include you on:

Bible Talk House & Recorder Project- 

            We wanted to share this before hand, but life just keeps going and we are trying to keep upJ  We have purchased the roofing, and paid wood cutters for the Bible Talk house. 

            We (our team) also have just purchased special MP3 players that are water proof and solar powered for the Bible lessons. Our hope is to put each day’s lesson onto the MP3 player for the people to take back and listen to the lesson at night in their huts, or in the gardens as they take a break from working. This is going to help them remember the lesson and even for others who might not have come to the teaching that day, for them to hear also. These players were bought in Singapore and were pretty expensive. 

All of this, plus our team personally buys all the medicine for the tribe, along with copying the books for the literacy classes, has begun to put our team account into the hole. We aren’t complaining as God has and is providing. However, we have been told numerous times if there are specific needs such as this to let people know. So that is what we are doing. 

If any of you would like to contribute and help with these big projects or like more information on the building or MP3 players, please email us so we can give you the information for our team’s account (not our personal one). 

Thanks again! 

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