If our mission truck could speak, it would be full of stories: stories of car-jacking, delivering loads of cargo and traveling many hours on rutted highways, tires spinning in slippery mud. We inherited Dale Goodson’s 1990s-era truck in 2007 when his family returned to America. Though it is one of the older vehicles on the road, it continues to faithfully carry out its duties, transporting missionaries and their cargo. Its extended cab has a back seat that doubles as a trunk. When our two girls were living with us, they sat in the back seat while we packed groceries around them.

Laurie and I are praising God for the new missionaries who are coming to help us reach the Gogodala! One young couple from Brazil, Charles and Lara Cabral, recently joined us, and next year the Sliger family will be here with their three children. But with the arrival of more missionary staff comes the need for another vehicle. The pickup truck is useful to keep as a second vehicle, but an SUV is needed that would meet the demands of the mission including safety, security and reliability on the roads. When we visited the used car lots in town, cars were either nearly as expensive as brand-new vehicles, or they didn’t meet our passenger and cargo-carrying needs. Early on, we realized that we would need a vehicle that could seat at least seven people. Right now, we have to use extra care when packing suitcases, boxes and travel bags in the bed of the pickup to deter thieves from snatching things when traffic is slow—a common occurrence in PNG. Considering all these factors, we decided the best option would be to purchase a brand-new seven-passenger Kia Sorento SUV, which also provides good cargo space. While the price of a new vehicle seems expensive, the value of safety to missionary families cannot be overemphasized.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We are also thankful for the donors who gave many years ago so that Dale could purchase our current truck. Their investment is still paying dividends today.

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