30 Jan 2009 

Many thanks for your prayers, 

Steve's surgery has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb 2, due to a more urgent surgical need of another patient.  The new date could also shift, so do not be too eager in awaiting news.   

For those of you who are knowledgeable about tropical diseases, the results of Steve's CSF tests for cysticercosis and MTB PCR were normal.   

Your prayers are a great encouragement. 

In Christ, 
Steve and Julie Lutz 

28 January 2009                                                                                     Steve & Julie Lutz
                                                                                                                                LCMS World Mission
                                                                                                                                in Papua New Guinea
                                                                                                                                lutz.travel@gmail.com

Dear Family and Friends, 

Some of you have heard and others perhaps not, that Steve had a seizure on 7 January in Ames, Iowa.  In the follow- up MRI scan, it is apparent that there is a mass in his right brain.  We are currently in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins for diagnosis and management.  At this time, it is not clear whether the mass is infectious or a tumor.  Steve will have further tests beginning this afternoon and, should it be indicated, a biopsy on Friday.   

We ask for your prayers at this time.   

In the peace which is ours in Christ,
Julie and Steve

July 2008                                                                                Steve & Julie Lutz
                                                                                                LCMS World   Mission
                                                                                                Papua New Guinea
Dear Friends,

It’s been sixty years since the first LCMS missionaries began ministry in Papua New Guinea.  Sixty years – and counting. 

Anton (LCMS volunteer, our colleague and eldest son) left for a short furlough last month and as he prepared materials to help share the story of God’s work in PNG, we took a closer look at LCMS’s first 60 years.  The little video he made puts it, “In years past, God’s love and forgiveness were made known through development, rural outreach, counseling, medicine, leadership development, Bible translation, theological training, education, agriculture, and commitment to the least of these.”  Such varied venues, and through each, God blessed His Word as it went out.  As a result, thousands trust Christ.   

Today, our mission team focuses on ministry with the Penale and Sepik peoples including the construction of the airstrip at Kaiam, HIV and AIDS outreach, theological dialog, and on a broad spectrum of  public health related work including surgery, health worker training, and physical and spiritual healing and care.  We thank God that the LCMS continues to bear witness to Jesus Christ in Papua New Guinea in such ways.  The contexts shift, but we proclaim the same message and the same God continues to make Himself known.  This would not be possible without the support of the broader Church.  That’s you who are reading these words.  Many of you pray for God’s work here.  Many of you have given gifts for our support and ministry in PNG.  Others of you find winsome ways to encourage us.  Thank you.  And we thank God for you. Yes, by God’s grace, together we’ve been sixty years in PNG  – and counting.    

We’re counting, but it’s what we’re counting that matters.  It’s not simply longevity.  Nor is it the size of the church and the number of congregations, nor money spent or numbers of missionaries come and gone.  We’re not counting results or faithfulness... nor the times we have failed.  Instead, we’re counting on God – counting on Him to make Himself known in Christ to the people of PNG.  Counting on God to gather us together as one Body.  Counting on His forgiveness and love as we live as His redeemed people today and forever.  Counting on Him for laughter and courage, for hope and faith itself.   

We don’t have to look more than two months ahead to see what more God has in store for PNG.  On 13 August, the Ipili translation of the New Testament will be dedicated!  Rev Terry and Janet Borchard plan to be here, God-willing, for the dedication. Terry Borchard has served 39 years in PNG, much of that in translating the Bible into the Ipili language.  What a joy to see that effort come to fruition, but even more to see the Bible in the hands of Ipili-speaking readers.  Terry has just undergone stem cell transplant treatment in his fight against cancer, so it is by God’s gracious healing that he will be able to be here.  We also expect Rev Ron Rall and his wife Mary Anne, as well as Rev Harvey Kath (all former PNG missionaries who served among the Ipili people) will be here for the dedication and to conduct some teaching while they are here. The Church is still building on the stones well-laid in the previous 60 years.   

Our own ministry involvements keep our lives ever full.  We’re challenged. Encouraged. Frustrated. Find break-throughs … and start again.  Pinamai, the head of the Gutnius Lutheran Church’s Five Year HIV Plan captured it well one day.  Liz, Pinamai, and I were working to find a path forward in HIV work.  After considering options, Pinamai broke into a smile and blurted, “I see light under the tunnel!”  And so it is.  The tunnels may be long and dark, but there is Light.   

HIV and AIDS continue to grow as a major focus of ministry at this time.  In the past few months, Liz Neuf and Linda Davis (LCMS volunteers with HIV Initiatives) have conducted in-service workshops for teachers and developed curriculum resources for area schools.  On the health side, ARV treatment medicines are now available at Immanuel Lutheran Hospital.  That is a very positive step for those needing treatment and should also be an impetus to improve home based care in our area.  The largest unmet arena is, sadly, still the church.  We’ve assisted the health, education, and community sectors in our area to step up to the mark and address the issues surrounding the HIV epidemic as they can, but the church has yet to find its role.   Please keep all of these initiatives in your prayers, but in particular, pray for the Church that it would see HIV and AIDS as another context in which God’s love needs to be known and through which His gracious Word will be heard.     

The Penale Airstrip project continues one dump of dirt after another as the first mountain is scratched away.  If the rains hold off and the tractor keeps chugging along as we pray it does, we project an opening in Dec 2009 … or maybe a year or so after that.  It’s quite impossible to predict.  Right now, Chris Rall and David Lutz (son of the Rall family mentioned above and our youngest son) are working with the Penale people on the airstrip.  Anton is the primary field supervisor, though Steve just spent 4 weeks at Kaiam while Anton is in the US.  We continue to wrinkle our brows just a bit every time we call it an “airstrip project” since we know that so much more is happening.  Our mission presence there has stirred the church, started a school, provided sustained health care, introduced new crops … and downstream, a new Bible school has started.  Not to mention how world views are subtly being shifted as we see through each other’s eyes.  God uses all of these blessings to care for the Penale people and to draw each one to Himself.   

Each one.  One of those is Elizabeth, the wife of Lutheran evangelist Rubin at Munduku.  As Steve traveled down the Karawari River last week on his way home from the airstrip site, he heard rumors about the horrendous Elizabeth.  Shhh.  Did you hear – she delivered twins and then threw them in the river. Shhh.  The rumors were rampant but twisted the facts.  In truth, Elizabeth had delivered twins.  And they had died.  She had been only three months pregnant when she miscarried the babes, probably due to severe malaria. Elizabeth was alone on the trail and was slowly bleeding to death because of an incompletely delivered placenta when she hastily buried the two developing bodies so the dogs wouldn’t tear at them.  By the time Steve arrived, the rumors hadn’t died, and fortunately, neither had Elizabeth.  He was able to give her antibiotics and antimalarials and educate her and her family regarding followup care.  We pray that God will continue to heal Elizabeth from the miscarriage as well as from the abuse of the rumors. 

On a family note – we are delighted to announce that our daughter Laura will be married on November 29, to Nathan Hall in Farmville, Virginia.  This will shift our furlough to December – January so we can celebrate with them.   

May God continue to bless and strengthen each one of you for His service.  

With joy in Jesus Christ, the One we count on, 

Julie and Steve Lutz
salutz@online.net.pg                                    Anton Lutz furlough contact: alutz@online.net.pg
PO Box 803, Mt Hagen                                    
Western Highlands Province                       Linda Davis web site:  www.lifewithlinda.net
Papua New Guinea

Excerpt from "Good News from the Field" - February 2008

2.      Good news from Steve and Julie Lutz in Papua New Guinea. 

"LCMS long-term missionary Liz Neuf has worked tirelessly this year to press for concrete steps forward in HIV services in our district. Through the efforts of Liz, Steve, Dr. Saulip and hospital staff, the United to Be group and others there has been progress. Rapid testing for HIV is now available at the hospital, a postexposure protocol is in place, and a Voluntary Counseling and Testing center is operating with trained hospital and volunteer counselors. Linda Davis, a second LCMS long-term missionary and also a deaconess intern, arrived in November to assist in other aspects of HIV/AIDS ministry. We pray Liz and Linda's efforts will continue to bear fruit in changed behavior and attitudes which will minimize the negative impact of HIV in Papua New Guinea. 

"Steve continues to serve as consultant doctor/surgeon at Immanuel Lutheran Hospital. His roles as a youth mentor and community advocate and speaker about alcohol abuse, violence, and dead-end tactics to make one's point known are also highly valued. In October, Steve was able to conduct elective surgery on nine Hewa patients at the Wanakipa Health Center, rather than flying them all in for care at Immanuel Lutheran Hospital. It was gratifying to see the plans to improve localized health care bear fruit. 

"While Steve was at Wanakipa, Neti Jonah, the wife of Pastor Jonah and mother of young children, was killed after being accused of being a 'sanguma.' Jonah and Neti were new Hewa graduates of Timothy Lutheran Seminary and serving at their first missionary posting in the Paiela. As we heard the horrifying news over the radio, my heart was immediately with my friends. You see, many Hewa people believe a 'sanguma' is a woman who is host to an evil spirit which has the power to kill others. For many, the only plausible measure they can imagine to protect their community is to kill the woman. We spent considerable time in 2006 struggling to understand this phenomenon and long to assist the Hewa church in illuminating this part of their worldview with the Light of Christ. I thank God Steve was in position to be with the Wanakipa church leaders and community in the immediate aftermath of Neti's death. We point to Jesus, the One who is with us in the midst of tragedy. We proclaim the One who has not cast anyone from His love, the One who has not left even the most remote corner of creation outside of His power. Trusting Christ, the doubt and fear caused by beliefs in other spirits diminish."
_____________________________________________

 LCMS WORLD MISSION   
 1333 South Kirkwood Road 
 St. Louis, Missouri, 63122-7295, US      
 Telephone: 1-800-433-3954 
 Fax: (314) 965-0959
 E-mail: mission.info@lcms.org
 Web site: www.lcmsworldmission.org
 Ablaze! Movement: www.lcms.org/ablaze

Ablaze!   March  2006

Dear Friends,

Have you heard of Ablaze!?  Last November when we last wrote, Steve, Anton, and I were on our way to Hong Kong to participate in the “Asia Ablaze! Summit” with nearly 300 other folks from around Asia. Ablaze! is an initiative of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod - World Mission to kindle a movement to make Christ known around the world.

The folks at the Summit were enthusiastic. We stoked the coals and fanned the flames in all manner of metaphors of fire.  The workshops shared what is going on in mission work around Asia with the LCMS and partner churches.
It was good to be there. 

The hillside’s on fire
Back in PNG, folks are becoming aware of Ablaze!   The women of the Gutnius Lutheran Church, for example, recently had a week-long Region Conference on the theme “Women Ablaze!  New Life: New Vision.”  Their ‘take’ on Ablaze! is not solely as a rallying call to evangelize those who have never heard of Christ.  They also see that those living in fear of sorcery, those whose anger flashes out in violence, those at the other end of the striking blows, those despairing from hopeless illness, those who are victims of injustice, those of us proud of our righteous living – whether inside or outside the church walls – each need to know – hear – experience – and share (!) the Good News of God’s forgiveness and saving love because of His Son, Jesus.  That’s the fire of the Spirit, enveloping the entire hillside.

We are truly thankful for how God is using the Penale airstrip project as a spark to stir the faith of others, and not only the faith of the Penale people themselves.   *  We have had one group of our neighbors approach us, asking if they could be a volunteer team to assist the Penale people.  *  Bishop Nik of the Gutnius Lutheran Church has sent three pastors to the neighboring people groups to the Penale to begin evangelistic work which they were unable to do without the mission focus of the church being shifted that direction.  *  Hundreds of you, yes, Hundreds of you in the US have given gifts making it possible for the Penale airstrip to go ahead, as well as supporting our financial needs and those of the broader LCMS World Mission needs.  We praise God for how the fire is spreading. 

We see the same ‘it-can-no-longer-be-contained’ fire growing within the ‘United To Be’ HIV/AIDS group.  In one of their recent gatherings, one young man noted their drive to ‘do something.’  “We’re ready to help those who are HIV positive ... but no one has stepped forward to ask for help.”  What a blow!  Yet, as the conversation progressed, the group realized they had homebound neighbors who would appreciate visitors and help with cutting fire wood or other tasks. .. And then, as their excitement grew, the group considered the patients whose families could not (or would not) assist them in the hospital.  By the time we left the meeting, they had a plan in place to actively seek out and support those who needed extra care and attention, whether HIV positive or not – which is an enormous step in breaking the stigma of HIV, as well!

I know these anecdotes don’t sound too significant in light of what you may be used to.  However, in PNG there is virtually no concept of ‘volunteerism.’  People do not generally seek out ways to help people with whom they do not already have a relationship.  In the US where time is at a premium, an interaction in which ‘time’ is given is a gift.  In PNG, where time is plentiful but basic needs are not secure, an interaction which strengthens relationships through which those basic needs will be secured for the future is valued.  Volunteering in the sense of serving another without thought for one’s own future, is foreign indeed.

Update on the Penale Airstrip project:
Feb 13 – son David, Pastor Peter Pyandea, and nurse John Emba flew to Munduku and took the Karawari River upstream 2 days to reach Kaiam Village where the airstrip is located.  They worked their first two weeks with 30 Penale men to build a storage house / temporary health center, and make preparations for the arrival of the first major load of food and tools.  John began providing health care for the women and children!  What a blessing!
Feb 28 -  Anton, Bishop Nik, and Tony of the Gutnius Lutheran Church and flew with 3,997 kg of food (mainly rice & tin fish), wheelbarrows, tools, and house supplies to Kaiam on a Russian Mil 8 helicopter and joined the Advance Team at Kaiam.  Together they are overseeing the first prolonged work team of 80-100 Penales on the airstrip.  The heat and humidity are oppressive; the rains plentiful; the task of calculating and distributing the food is socially challenging.  The ‘work mark’ these days is to finish felling and removing the final trees, stumps and roots from the airstrip.  (Establishing necessary drainage, earth moving, leveling is all still ahead.)  It will take some weeks to work into a pattern.  David had a nasty 2:00 a.m. encounter with a 6 inch centipede and had some pain for the next two days from the bite, but otherwise the supervisory team has been healthy. 

Update Lutz health:
In other health news, we Lutzes have quite a saga, but all with ‘best case scenario’ outcomes, by the grace of God.  Anton had blood in his urine from an unknown source around Christmas time.  He went South to Townsville, Australia, where they identified and removed a  kidney stone.  While that was underway, I became aware of a ‘claudication’ in my right leg – a problem with the circulation.  We made arrangements for Steve and me to go to Townsville to have it checked out, and while there, Steve would have a nagging hernia repaired.  While awaiting the date for our appointments, Steve herniated a disk in his lower back, affecting the sensation and strength in his right leg.  We were quite the pair with matching gimpy right legs, but still able to stroll down the road!   I am writing from Australia, having the tests behind us.  Both Steve and I have the problems we suspected, but neither will be definitively assisted from surgery, so we will let God in time continue the healing without surgery.  I’m thankful that my problem doesn’t appear to be a sign of more significant artery disease and I’m content for now to observe it and find ways to live healthfully with it.  Steve is back to Plan A and hopes to have his hernia repaired within the next few days. 

Fires on the hillsides:
On New Year’s Eve, it is our custom to climb Radio Tower Hill at midnight and see in the new year from the promontory overlooking Mambisanda and Wapenamanda. And it is the Enga custom to build fires on the hillsides at midnight on New Years Eve... and ours, to count the fires.  This year, I thought of Ablaze! as I turned and saw fires circling us on the distant hillsides.  Twenty seven of them this year, shining out above the low lying fog cover; each representing a small cluster of kids, having fun in the midnight dark, lighting tires to make their statement to the world that they were part of the fire burners that night, seeing in the new year.  It jostled my mind:  we, too, each of our congregations, each of our mission outposts, each of us individually, are little fires in the dark, saying “we
are here”, “God is here”, “we’re doing our part to keep the fires lit.” Thank you for having your fires lit on the hillsides!  Thank you for your prayers and letters and financial support which makes it possible for the blaze to be seen and felt in Papua New Guinea. 

May God’s fire burn within you so that you cannot contain His love and are compelled in all you do and through all that you are, to make Him known.

To His glory,

Julie and Steve Lutz
LCMS World Mission in Papua New Guinea