December | 2015 | johnandbrena

MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Bruner house! Christmas overseas means things are a bit different than Christmas in America. We still set up a tree (with all the ornaments we carry around with us), hang our stockings, and cook/bake the usual things, but we spend the day with friends rather than family. Also, all the offices and the one and only store close for 2 weeks so things are quiet and calm. There’s something wonderful and simple about that, but it can also make us feel a bit lonely and distant from people and traditions back home.

Here’s what’s been going on lately:

The school year is already half over for the boys!?! Joey and Kairu have been applying for colleges, so please continue to pray for their future direction.
They have also been cleaning rain tanks and recently went on the Senior Retreat down to the coast (photos below). We’re thankful God kept them safe and that they all had a great time together!
Kairu is spending the Christmas week with his family in a city about 2 hours from here. Unfortunately on the way there, the bus he was in was held up and his wallet and bag were stolen.
Luke is starting a car wash business during this 5 week break and spending time with friends.
I (Brena) have been baking for the Coffee Houses and Teas and generally cooking for us and guests.
John has been mentoring the PNG men who are training to be translation consultants and also preparing for his trip to Solomon Islands in February when the Fataleka team will do the final read-through of the New Testament. He also just started an online Greek course as a prerequisite to a Master’s program in Bible Translation that he is considering enrolling in.
Grant is spending Christmas week in Colorado with his girlfriend, Aspen (who we had the pleasure of meeting on our recent trip to the States), and her family. He will spend the rest of his break in South Carolina with John’s brother, Dave, and his family.
And in a few days we’re driving down to the coastal town of Madang with another family for several days of vacation. We’ll stay at the Wycliffe guesthouse, eat out at restaurants, and swim at the beach. Madang is a lot like Honiara, the capital of the Solomons, so I’m sure it will bring back a lot of memories. And this will be the first time John and I have been back to Madang since 1997 when we attended the Pacific Orientation Course with baby Grant! Please pray that God will keep us safe as we drive and while we’re in the town.

So THANK YOU, dear friends, for being a part of our lives and work here in PNG this past year. We couldn’t be here without your prayers, financial support, and loving friendship. We love you.

class of 2016

the traditional senior photos on the senior trip

wow, does this bring back memories of our years in the Solomons!

To Be In Touch:

PO Box 1 (134), Ukarumpa EHP 444, Papua New Guinea

john_bruner@sil.org

To Give:

https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/Bruners

Thanks for your prayers as John and I flew to the States for Seed Company meetings. It was a whirlwind of a trip (a little too busy for our liking) but special and fun in a lot of ways. Here are some of the highlights:

We were encouraged and inspired through the Seed Co. meetings. We saw a number of old friends and met many new colleagues.
We got to see Grant 7 days out of the 13 we were in the States! His Ultimate team had a tournament in the city where the meetings were held, and then he was able to spend a few days over the Thanksgiving break with us. It was a special gift from God.
We were able to spend time with John’s parents, two of John’s brothers and some of their kids, and my sister and family.
We ate lots of good food and I had a break from cooking. :)
The boys did great while we were away.

So thank you for praying. Pray for us now as we settle back in and get back to our jobs.