Paul and Bella Gervasi are back in their Sekadau village after a year of home assignment.

Paul returned to the village last month to get things ready for Bella’s arrival six days later.

“I got our new generator hooked up, set up water filters, put up our mosquito net, started our freezer and fridge and began unpacking the things we had stored while we were gone,” Paul wrote.

In the process Paul was given a royal welcome by black ants that had moved their colony from the nearby woods.

“They don’t really do anything, but just having thousands of black ants all over the inside and outside of our house is unpleasant,” Paul wrote. “Also there is the issue of the smell. They stink! I was up in our attic spraying the ants when Cori [the Gervasis’ daughter] went into our bedroom. The ants were coating one wall.”

“Quick get a camera!” Cori yelled.

“I guess taking their picture never occurred to me,” Paul wrote. “Anyway, it was a fitting welcome back to the jungle.”

Other than the ants and a few problems that need to be sorted out, Paul and Bella are finding things pretty much the way they were when they left.

The Gervasis’ plans to visit each family in the church have been slowed somewhat because most of the people are out of the village harvesting their rice fields.

“Once we visit and hear from most of the folks here we want to make a plan for teaching,” Paul wrote. “We also want to begin teaching in some new outreach areas.”

Two existing outreach areas have finished evangelistic Bible lessons and seen people place their faith in Christ.

“It has been a blessing to visit with them and to begin teaching them again,” Paul wrote.

As the Gervasis settle back into ministry there are a few adjustments they have to make.

“One of the things we are enjoying adjusting to is having our daughter, Cori, and her co-worker, Naomi Christenson, join our team and move in next door,” Paul wrote. “It has been a while since Cori lived in a tribe, and Naomi has never lived interior, so they are figuring things out.”

Please pray for the team as they work together to minister to the spiritual needs of the Sekadau people.