Levi and Robyn Lenz are full of praise to God for all He is doing.

The past few weeks have given the Lenz family so much to praise the Lord for that they hardly know where to begin.

For starters, Robyn says, there is God’s lovingkindness.

They’ve seen that in their oldest son’s battle with a new tropical virus, Chikungunya Fever, which brings joint pain, severe headaches, a consistent high fever (in Michael’s case, 103 – 104.7 degrees), chills, full body rash, nausea, dizziness and other assorted miseries. To make matters even worse, at one point, there was a misunderstanding involving a medicine dosage which resulted in additional complications.

God is gracious. Michael has fully recovered “with no signs of ever having such an illness,” writes Robyn. And Robyn and Levi saw God showing up in big ways during this hard trial and are thankful for His tender care and provision.

Robyn shares, “The Lord provided such a wonderful team of co-workers to surround us at this frightening time … with their prayers and acts of love and service.”

There was also a recent incident where a bicyclist turned abruptly in front of the mission vehicle that Levi was driving. At the sight and sound of the impact, Levi was horrified to think of the possibilities. But when he stepped out of the car, he saw God’s mercy clearly. The cyclist stood beside his mangled cycle, but only had a slight road scrape on his left elbow that never even bled.

The local authorities found the cyclist to be at fault, but encouraged Levi to pay him “sorry pay”—a cultural gift given to someone in hardship as a peace offering.

“Praise the Lord with us that this situation was not worse,” Levi writes.

Levi and Robyn are also praising God for His power to transform lives. They are very thankful and excited to see God’s grace changing the lives of North Wahgi people as God’s Word permeates and reforms their hearts.

Recently three translation co-workers shared with missionary Dan Hulley that they had been talking together about their habit of gambling at the local market. They began to feel this was not pleasing or honouring to God. These men are now seeking to be accountable to each other and to the missionaries as they ask the Lord to deliver them from this stronghold in their lives.

Levi and Robyn are encouraged to remember that God can break down any stronghold in a life “no matter how deep or how long it has had its grip.”

Another cause for praise, says Robyn, is the progress in the careful process of translating God’s Word. “Today,” she writes, “was the first day of our translation evaluation and so far the feedback has been really encouraging! … We’re praying each day through as more than 700 verses in Scripture are being checked for accuracy, content, clarity and comprehension. Lord willing, the first booklets with portions of God’s Word will be printed and given into the hands of the North Wahgi people in the coming months!”

Seeing God powerfully at work is heart-warming. Levi and Robyn and their family are praising God for many things He has done, and they are thrilled and thankful to be a part of His work in the North Wahgi people, alongside co-workers Dan and Rachel Hulley and Andrew and Nelli Wilson and their families.

Robyn sums it up beautifully, “We’re excited to be spectators!”

Want a close-up view of God’s work among unreached people groups? Maybe God is calling you to serve as a missionary.