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You are here: Home -> Current Fields -> Papua New Guinea -> National Conference 2008

Us with the Guest Speakers, Bro Richard Grandquist and Bro Gilbert Gomes

National Conference 2008

Uploaded 11 May 2008

There are more photos from the Conference!

21st-23rd March, 2008

The National Conference was once again held in the highland town of Goroka during the Easter weekend. Guest speakers were Rev Richard Grandquist from Mountain View, California . Rev Gilbert Gomes, his son in law, accompanied him and also spoke at the Conference. Aimer in PNG, our son Rev Richard J Carver and his family and ourselves were also present.

Friday evening

People began coming in for conference earlier in the week and we had a number of visitors from outlying areas come into the office to see us. There was an air of excitement about the conference. The weather had been hot and dry all week but we knew it was building up to a time of rain and we requested prayer for this rain to hold off just a few more days!

Friday evening was our first meeting and although there were threatening clouds, there was no rain. The crowds gathered in the large open air sports ground, in front of the platform which had been built and decorated for the occasion. The guests and the national Board members were seated on the platform and the crowd waited expectantly.

Bro Grandquist preaching with Bro Carver translating

For us to have an adequate power supply for the lights and instruments and public address system, we had to request the power company to add a power supply box. This had been done earlier in the week. As the song leader took his place and we began to sing we noticed smoke coming from the lights, a loud buzzing sound in the public address speakers and then suddenly there was no power at all! We all sat in total darkness including the crowd of some thousands!

For the next 50 minutes we waited while Brother Carver tried to discover exactly what had happened. There was no way the problem could be rectified, so a lone light and a kerosene “coleman” lamp then lit the platform, along with one microphone and a speaker were able to carry some volume, running from a small generator.

The rest of the service that night was held by lamp light and Brother Grandquist did a fine job preaching on “Faith that pleases God”. People responded at the close of his message and there were many praying, reaching out and being filled with the spirit. We could not make a count of those receiving the Holy Ghost this night because it was too dark to see!

Saturday

We were welcomed in the traditional way, with singing and a presentation of leis. The crowd showed their excitement by applauding the visitors as they came to the platform.

That morning had been a busy one as the men had tried to determine how to rectify the power supply problem. Early that morning Brother Carver and Richard jnr were re-wiring the lights on the platform and trying to replace the blown public address system. All the stores were closed due to Easter, but we were blessed by one of the brethren offering his own generator for our use. We discovered that the previous evening under the cover of darkness, thieves had moved through the crowd and stolen a generator that had been hired by the Ladies Auxillary to give them lights for their cooking stand. However there is a good end to this part of the story... read on below!

Some of the crowd at Conference

The sun was hot and many faithful people came with umbrellas and enjoyed the morning teaching by Brother Grandquist on "Miracles Never Look Like Miracles".

A total of fifty were filled with the Holy Ghost and over 70 responded to the need for baptism in Jesus name that morning.

For Saturday lunch Sister Andrea Carver had organised a lovely meal for all the Board members and their wives along with our guests. For many of the wives it was their first time to eat at a Chinese restaurant and we saw smiling faces on every side!

On Saturday evening the crowd gathered early, in readiness for the Youth service. Br Gilbert Gomes preached a wonderful message and challenged all to live for God. His own testimony was a powerful force to all. The weather remained clear and fine and we praised God for His kindness to the conference! The evening message was preached by Brother Grandquist once again on "Gold for Gold". In the darkness of the night lives were receiving the light to light their lives!

Sunday

Bro Grandquist brought his son-in-law, Gilbert Gomes, who ministered to the Youth & Sunday School

Sunday morning is always a special time because of Sunday School and their presentation. It lifts the hearts of all to see those children sing, act and quote the Word of God. Br Gomes was the guest speaker for the Sunday School and he preached so well.

This was to be Brother Grandquist’s last message as his plane was to leave that afternoon. It was a tremendous Easter message on “Resurrection Openings” and all left that morning with a great challenge to be there on that Day!

We said our farewells late that afternoon after being able to drive the guests to the Bible School complex and show them around. Their plane took off into the clouds, and we then returned for the last service of the Conference.

The evening service was one of the best attended and the crowds took up the area from front to back of the large grass area. Brother Carver preached the final message “A Slave of Jesus Christ”. This was truly a very powerful message that reached every heart and Brother Carver supplemented the preaching with a PowerPoint Presentation which visually impacted the whole crowd. At the close of the message the whole crowd could be heard weeping. Our son Richard concluded the service by recalling events in the early years of our time in PNG.

The end of the Generator Story:

It's beautiful to see the young children praying

When we found out on Friday that a borrowed generator had been stolen, we were quite dismayed. It meant that we would probably have to buy another to replace it, and still end up with nothing ourselves! But God had other plans...

As it turns out, the young men who stole the generator were looking to get quick cash for it. They tried to sell it to one of their relatives, but he was away. So on the Sunday morning of the Conference, they tried to sell it to another distant relative. This man was out, but his wife was home. She instantly recognised the generator as being the stolen one, and told the thieves that yes, her husband would be interested. She called her husband on his mobile phone and told him that the men with the stolen generator were there. He just happened to be an usher at the Conference collecting registration! In turn, he called the police, and they escorted him to his house, apprehended the thieves, and we were able to return the generator to its rightful owner! God is good!

There are more photos from National Conference 2008. Be sure to view them!

- Margaret Carver