Welcome to the World, Lillian Isabel Bruner!

We are so happy to announce that Grant and Sara had a beautiful baby girl on July 4 at 6:04 a.m. It was such an honor and gift from God that I (Brena) could be there for the labor and then get to hold little Lillian an hour after she was born. A week later, John and I went back down to help out which was also so special. We love being grandparents and will sure miss sweet Lillian when we head back to PNG! As always, click on the pictures to enlarge and/or read the captions.

Road Trip Finished

On June 7^th, John and I arrived back in Dallas after 3 ½ months on the road. While we were happy that the traveling was over, we were so thankful it all went so smoothly and that we were able to see so many friends and family (a small sample of pictures from our final leg is below). We are now staying here on the Wycliffe center in another mobile home until we leave on July 30^th (itinerary below).

Clockwise from top left: Kairu (our PNG “son”) and his lovely bride-to-be, Charlotte Thomas; Phil (and Darlene) Lestmann taught math to John in college; met our new little grandniece, Grace; great to meet up with some of the Nicholson family; my stepbrother, Steve Donley, and his cute little family; the sweet Elliotts

Time in TX

It’s been really nice to have a little bit of downtime since arriving back in Texas. It’s also been fun to see more friends, attend the wedding of Luke’s close friend from PNG, be able to help Grant and Sara move into a house, and have a weekend with my sister.

Clockwise from top left: a quick and fun visit with the Vosses; enjoyed a bit of time with Luke at his friend, Braden’s, wedding; the Myhrs, longtime friends!; Grant and Sara all moved in, just in time to bring Lillian home from the hospital!; Afternoon Tea with my sister, Beth; a fun weekend with the Nachtigals

Heading Back to PNG

Our time in the States is quickly coming to an end! We could really use your prayers for the month ahead:

July 18-21 – John and Grant have their Pacific Team meetings in Galveston, TX and I will stay with Sara and Lillian again.

July 30 – Drive to Tennessee and spend a few days celebrating our 30^th wedding anniversary.

August 5 – Kairu and Charlotte get married in TN! We’re so thankful we will still be in the States for the wedding!

August 6 – Fly to California to spend 1 ½ weeks with my family and attend our main supporting church.

August 16 – Start our flights back to PNG.

August 18 – Arrive at our home at Ukarumpa, the Wycliffe center in PNG.

PRAISE & PRAYER:

• Praise God for the safe arrival of Lillian Isabel! Please pray for Grant and Sara as they adjust to being a family of 3.
• Praise God that Kairu and Charlotte will be getting married! Pray for them as they start their new life together.
• Praise God that He gave us safety in our 3 ½ month road trip and so many wonderful moments with friends and family.
• Praise God that Joey and Moriah have been having fun redoing some of their new house and Joey is now working for a cabinet maker. Luke is down in Charleston for a month this summer window washing. He’ll head back to Liberty University in August for his 2^nd year. Pray for him that God will continue to work in his life and lead him.
• Please pray for these last few weeks in the States as we buy/pack and say our good-byes, our long trip to PNG, and then settling back into life there. We’ll be jumping into work once we arrive, so please pray for that transition as well.

TO BE IN TOUCH:

john_bruner@sil.org

Address during our home assignment: 4807 Ruidoso Dr., Arlington TX 76017

Phone numbers during our home assignment: John (682) 364-4015; Brena (682) 364-4009

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

VIDEO:

You are welcome to view a short video of our work with Wycliffe. It is located in our About page.

No, the title isn’t a locker combination. 😊 This is the number of months (3) we’ve been on the road, the number of couples (100) we’ve seen, and the number of different beds (30) we’ve slept on since starting our road trip in February. While we have at times felt tired from all the traveling (10,000 miles), we are thankful to God that the trip has gone so smoothly, and that we have been greatly encouraged by those we have seen along the way!

What’s Next?

Currently we are in South Carolina. On June 2^nd, we start driving back to Dallas where we’ll be staying in another mobile home on the Wycliffe center for about 2 months. We will be awaiting the birth of a granddaughter (to Grant and Sara), attending a couple of weddings as well as preparing for our return to PNG. We have purchased tickets, and we will fly out of California on August 16^th. We value your prayers for strength for the rest of our trip and for our preparations to return to PNG.

Below is a sampling of photos from the most recent leg of our trip (click to enlarge). Unfortunately, not every person and picture taken can make it in!

We appreciate your prayers!

Brena & John

TO BE IN TOUCH:

john_bruner@sil.org

Address during our home assignment: 4807 Ruidoso Dr., Arlington TX 76017

Phone Numbers: John (682) 364-4015; Brena (682) 364-4009

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

We set off on our big road trip on February 20^th, and now, 4500 miles later, we are about halfway through. We’ve seen almost 60 couples/singles and shared about our ministry in a couple of churches. Thank you for your prayers! Things have gone really well for the most part. Below are a few highlights and a few pictures (click to enlarge). Too bad we can’t include pictures of everyone we’ve seen!

Highlights:

• Narrowly missing snow and rainstorms all along the way!
• The scenery (we had forgotten how vast and beautiful America is!)
• Our van has been comfortable and has held up!
• Gracious hosts and meeting with so many wonderful friends and family (some whom we haven’t seen for at least 20 years!)
• A little “just us” break along the way to rest and recharge.
• Finding great coffee shops along the way.
• Not feeling as tired as we imagined we would be by this point.

We appreciate and value your friendship and continued prayers!

Brena & John

TO BE IN TOUCH:

john_bruner@sil.org

Address during our home assignment: 4807 Ruidoso Dr., Arlington TX 76017

Phone Numbers: John (682) 364-4015; Brena (682) 364-4009

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

We have really enjoyed our 3-month stay in Dallas so it is with a bit of sadness we plan to leave on Monday, February 20^th for a 2-month-plus road trip to visit family, friends and churches. We will travel to Southern California for about 3 weeks and then up the west coast. Then we will make our way across the U.S. to the east coast by the end of April and spend about a month in South Carolina. We then plan to drive back to Texas for part of June and all of July so that we can be here for the birth of our granddaughter and get ready to head back to Papua New Guinea. We are excited to see so many friends and supporters, but we also realize that it will be tiring and we may need to adjust our ambitious schedule. We’ll keep you updated!

Our time in Dallas has been spent with new friends…

old friends…

and lots of family!

The Seed Company (the Wycliffe affiliate organization that John works for) just hired a new Field Project Manager (FPM) for the Pacific team and it just happens to be our son, Grant! Back in May 2022, John mentioned to Grant that an FPM had recently retired and Seed Company needed to replace him. Grant started to inquire about the position and after many months of talking to people, praying, and applying to both Seed Company and engineering companies, he was offered the Seed Company job and he accepted it. He will be managing different translation projects in Papua New Guinea that are funded by Seed Company. He will be based in the States but will also make trips to visit the projects. It still seems quite strange to think that Grant and John are on the same team…but nice too!

Thank you for your prayers and partnership with us. You are a blessing!

Brena & John

PRAISE & PRAYER:

• We have been so blessed during our 3 months here in Dallas. It’s provided times of quiet and rest and also times to catch up with family and friends. I (Brena) have enjoyed regular meals and coffee times with my sister. We’ve been able to see Grant and Sara a couple of times which has been so special!
• I needed to have a breast biopsy recently because they found a suspicious area on my mammogram. We are praising God that the area was benign, and that I got the results back in one day! Just in the nick of time to pack up and leave on our road trip. God is kind.
• We are thankful for Grant’s new job with Seed Company and that he gets to be a part of Bible Translation! Pray for him as he learns this new job.
• Please pray for Grant’s wife Sara and baby, that they would remain healthy. Praise God, too, that Sara was offered a Breast Cancer Clinical Pharmacy Specialist job at MD Anderson hospital in Houston, TX.
• We are thankful that Joey and Moriah were able to buy a house in Charleston, South Carolina! They have been fixing it up to move in at the end of this month.
• Pray for Luke as he continues his second semester at Liberty University. Pray he would find direction in choosing a major and that his time there with friends, classes, and work would be just what he needs.
• Please pray for us as we make our road trip:for safety, energy, and encouraging times with the people we see.

TO BE IN TOUCH:

john_bruner@sil.org

Address during our home assignment: 4807 Ruidoso Dr., Arlington TX 76017

Phone Numbers: John (682) 364-4015; Brena (682) 364-4009

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

Happy New Year! We can’t believe it’s already 2023 and two months of our home assignment are already finished. Thank you for praying for our adjustment back to life in America. It’s been nice to get settled in a mobile home on the Wycliffe center in Dallas. It has everything that we’ve needed, and we’ve enjoyed the peace and quiet here. The housing department even loaned us extra mattresses and bedding so that our kids could stay with us over Christmas! We are so grateful for that time together and a bonus was having the whole Peters family (with kids and grand kids) together, not to mention getting together with some of the local Bruner family as well. Before Christmas we were able to go down to Houston and spend a few days with Grant and Sara, and after Christmas I (John) went with Grant and Luke to Big Bend National Park for 4 days of camping, hiking and off road 4-wheel driving.

So great to have Luke, Sara, Grant, Joey, and Moriah with us

The whole Peters clan at Christmas

It was great to catch up with 3 of our Bruner nephews and their families.

Sightseeing with Grant and Sara in Houston

Our remote camping site at Big Bend. Not a landscape I am used to!

On top of the highest mountain in Texas

Happy News!

Grant and Sara are expecting a baby girl in late June! We’re so happy that we’ll be grandparents and also that we will still be in the States when the baby arrives.

The Months Ahead

We are now planning out our remaining time in the U.S. before we head back to Papua New Guinea at the end of July. During our next month in Texas, we hope to catch up with supporters and friends, and then the end of February we’ll begin our road trip to the west coast and then back east again. I had been planning to go to the Solomons this month to do consultant checking, but that trip has been postponed because the translation team hasn’t been able to get the book they are working on ready.

Video – Take 3!

Before we left Ukarumpa in November last year we (with the expert help of our colleague Susan Frey) put together a short 3-minute video. We hope it will help you better understand our ministry with Wycliffe.

Thank you so much for your gifts, prayers, and friendship. You are a blessing to us!

John and Brena

PRAISE AND PRAYER:

• We have been thankful for a quiet place to live for a few months before we start our travels.
• It was special being with our kids and extended family at Christmas.
• We are thankful that Grant and Sara are expecting, and we would appreciate your prayers for good health for Sara and baby.
• Pray for safety in driving and good connections with friends and supporters during our upcoming trip.
• Pray for Luke as he starts his second semester at Liberty University in Virginia. He is still unsure about what he wants to major in.

TO BE IN TOUCH:

john_bruner@sil.org

Address during our home assignment: 4807 Ruidoso Dr., Arlington TX 76017

Phone Numbers: John (682) 364-4015; Brena (682) 364-4009

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

After some late drama before leaving Papua New Guinea, John and I (Brena) had an enjoyable week of travel through Australia (visiting friends and sightseeing) before we arrived in Dallas, Texas on November 10^th.

The drama: The afternoon before we left Ukarumpa John was on top of the carport roof washing the outside walls of our house. He accidentally stepped on a fiberglass skylight panel, fell through, and hit his head on the concrete floor. The first thing he remembers is walking out of the x-ray room at the clinic and wondering how he got there! After several hours of assessment, the doctor gave John permission to fly out the next morning. The side of his head was swollen for about a week and his shoulders are still sore, but we’re so thankful he is alright and that God allowed us to leave on schedule.

Since we landed in Texas, it’s been a whirlwind of activity: a visit from our son Grant and his wife Sara, a visit with John’s brother, sister-in-law, and some of their kids, my sister Beth and I flying to Minot North Dakota to pick up the van we will use during our home assignment, the long (four day) but fun drive back to Dallas, John in Seed Company meetings that whole week, Luke arriving from Virginia for a week, Grant and Sara arriving for Thanksgiving, spending Thanksgiving day with some of the Andrews, and recently moving over to a mobile home on the Wycliffe center in Dallas where we’ll be for a couple of months.

Both John and I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed and in culture shock, but I am reminding myself that this is typical of being in transition. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to get much easier with practice 😊. But as I shared on Thanksgiving, I’m thankful John is alive and that God got us through all the work of leaving Ukarumpa. And now as we have moved again and are getting settled, I am reminded to take one day at a time, to remember God’s love for me, and be thankful for all the many gifts He’s already poured out on us. Thank you for praying and we would appreciate you continuing to do that.

Below is a gallery of pictures from the past few weeks. The pictures and text are small, but just click on them and they’ll enlarge!

PRAYER:

• Praise God that John wasn’t hurt worse in his fall and that we were able to leave Ukarumpa when planned.
• Praise God for a good week in Australia and that we’ve already been able to see a lot of family since arriving in the States.
• Praise God for a safe and fun road trip from ND to TX and that God provided a reliable van for us to use during our home assignment.
• Pray for our continued adjustment back to life in America

TO BE IN TOUCH:

john_bruner@sil.org

*NEW ADDRESS: c/o Andrews, 4807 Ruidoso Dr., Arlington TX 76017

*NEW PHONE NUMBERS: John (682) 364-4015; Brena (682) 364-4009

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

What is Home Assignment? We leave in about a week for our Home Assignment, which we often refer to as “furlough.” The purpose of home assignment is to reconnect with supporters and family, raise additional support (if needed), get restored physically, spiritually, and emotionally, and also continue to do some work.

Where will you be living during Home Assignment? For the first few months we’ll be based in Dallas, Texas, so that I (John) can attend meetings and work on preparing a check for my trip to the Solomons in January. After that we will be traveling around America visiting supporters and family. Hopefully we can connect with you! (*Make note of NEW address below.)

Will you have a car? Yes! There is a ministry in North Dakota that rents cars to missionaries at a very reasonable price. Brena and her sister will fly there to pick up the car and then drive it down to Texas.

Do you like Home Assignment? That would be both “Yes” and “No.” It is really nice to have a break from the stresses of living overseas, see family and friends, eat out, etc. But home assignment also has its stresses: living in a new house and neighborhood, adjusting back to American culture and technology, finding a church to attend, etc. And a stress this furlough is that we will be traveling for nearly 6 months without a “home.”

What are you specifically looking forward to on Home Assignment? Me: seeing our kids and extended family and friends, driving and running on smooth roads. Brena: spending time with our kids and extended family, getting a break from her work, going out to eat, going on road trips with me, going on an initial road trip with her sister.

What will you miss about PNG? Me: interacting with the Papua New Guinean interns I manage, motorbike rides in beautiful surroundings. Brena: the slow simple life, being in one place/not having to move, the pleasant weather, only 1 store to shop at.

Will someone stay in your house here in PNG? We’re not sure. It will be available to rent, but because there are so many empty houses on our center, it’s hard to know if ours will be rented.

When will you return to PNG? The end of July 2023, Lord willing.

A somewhat old picture, but can’t wait to see these 5!

TO BE IN TOUCH:

john_bruner@sil.org

*NEW ADDRESS: c/o Andrews, 4807 Ruidoso Dr., Arlington TX 76017

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

Solomons Trip (by John):

After nearly three years since my last trip to the Solomon Islands, it was good to be able to return in September to check the book of Exodus for the Luqa language. After speaking only Papua New Guinea Pidgin for the last few years, I was a bit worried that I would struggle to speak Solomon Pidgin again, but thankfully I found within a few days it felt completely normal. Unfortunately, I got sick twice during the three weeks I was there and the head Luqa translator got sick as well. We missed a few days of checking, but we were able to check 20 chapters of Exodus and I plan to return in January 2023 to complete it.

Katena and Altruicia Tarakabu (below right) are training to be Translation Consultants and they both spent several days observing and practicing checking under my supervision. When they complete their requirements, they will be a great help in covering consultant checking needs in the Solomons.

The Luqu Translation Team (L) Katena and Altruicia Tarakabu (R)

Handovers (by Brena):

We are very close to leaving on our 9-month home assignment (furlough) in the States, so I have been doing all my “lasts”; last Cafe, last haircuts, etc. I have also been documenting all my work as well so that I can hand my jobs over to others. I was wondering if anyone would offer to take on some of the things I do, and thankfully several people have! Krista Fox and Joel Neudorf (below left) have offered to keep the Cafes going while I’m away. Do you notice I’m “handing” over a coffee cup and a cupcake? 😊 Krista is a mother of 5 and her husband is a pilot. Joel works in the computer department. I’m so thankful they’re willing to give it a go. Melina (below right) has offered to take over my Fellowship Family Coordinator job. The coordinator finds families who live on the mission center who are willing to welcome and give orientation to people who have just arrived here. Melina is a mother of 5 as well and her husband teaches music at the school. I’m thankful for Melina!

Krista Fox & Joel Neudorf (L) Melina Blake (R)

PRAYER:

We will send out another update very soon explaining a bit more about our home assignment – the purpose, where we’ll be, and what we’ll be doing. Until then, we would appreciate your prayers as we finish up here. There’s always a LOT to do to get your house ready for possible renters and tying up loose ends.

TO BE IN TOUCH:

john_bruner@sil.org

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

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

INTERNS

The last couple of months have been busy for John with managing interns in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Many of them have needed extensions to their internships because the Training Center in Ukarumpa where we live was closed for nearly two years because of COVID. John has also worked on getting two translators from Solomon Islands started on new internships. One of them, Miriam Zeke, will be training to become an Exegetical Facilitator and the other, Solomon Wara, will be training to become a translation consultant. Solomon previously was an Exegetical Facilitator intern and it is exciting to see him now training to be a consultant!

Miriam Zeke & Solomon Wara

The Greek 1 course started two weeks ago at the Training Center and it was great to see that all 15 students and one of the mentors are Seed Company interns whom John works with! And one of the other mentors is Korry Reuben, a former intern (second from right). It is really nice to see all the interns active again after the disruptions of COVID.

The students in the Greek 1 Course, all of whom are interns John works with!

STAFF CARE

I, Brena, have been keeping busy in my roles with Staff Care. I have been putting on Cafes every other Saturday and recently put on a Tea for expat ladies who work out in villages. My supervisor and his wife recently left for the States and it was sad to see them go. They had been in vital roles for the mission community here so they will be greatly missed. John and I have also been facilitating a Marriage Course with 7 couples. It is a video series so it has been quite easy to do. It’s designed to be like a date-night for the couples so they have times for discussion in private rooms along with being served a dessert and hot drink. We’re enjoying the time with these couples and hearing again all this good information!

(L) My lovely friend, Sunyoung, at the Village Ladies Tea. She and her husband have been working with the Nama people since 2010. (R) Colleagues at a recent Café. Thanks to YouTube and the internet I’ve been learning the art of coffee making, so over the years the Café menu has expanded from hot specialty coffees to iced drinks, chais, and flavored syrups! It makes me happy to see people enjoying their treats and time with each other.

My supervisor and his wife, Carl and Pam Campbell who recently returned to the U.S.. They are already greatly missed!

The Monday night Marriage Course

PRAISE AND PRAYER

• THANK YOU for praying for decisions and plans regarding our upcoming home assignment (furlough) starting in November. We have purchased airline tickets and made arrangements for a vehicle and a place to stay for the first couple of months. We are praising God for these things working out so easily.
• John will be making a trip to the Solomon Islands for 3 weeks in Sept/Oct to do consultant checking of the book of Exodus for the Luqa language. He is looking forward to going as he hasn’t been able to make trips to the Solomons since January 2020. Pray for him as he does the preparation work for checking.
• Grant and Sara recently moved to Houston Texas, where Sara has started her pharmacy residency in oncology.  Please pray for Grant as he looks for and decides on a job.
• Luke is at the moment getting settled into a dorm at Liberty University in Virginia. Please pray for him as he adjusts to college life.
• Pray for Kairu as he adjusts to a new job and living situation in Tennessee.
• Pray that a new Staff Care Manager will be found.
• Pray for us as we plan and prepare for our time on home assignment.

TO BE IN TOUCH

john_bruner@sil.org

PO Box 1 (134), Ukarumpa EHP 444, Papua New Guinea (OR send to: c/o Andrews, 4807 Ruidoso Dr., Arlington, TX 76017 because of COVID delays in airmail)

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)

We have been busy the last couple months, both in America and in Papua New Guinea (PNG). In May I (John) traveled to the U.S. for Seed Company meetings. Our Field Operations division hadn’t met in person in almost four years so it was nice to get reconnected with colleagues! I was happy that our meetings were held in North Carolina as that made it possible for me to see our 3 boys and 2 daughters-in-law before and after the meetings. That made the over 100 hours of travel a little less painful!

The Seed Company Pacific team (part of Field Operations)

KORRY:

About a year ago, I had asked for prayer that Korry Reuben, a former consultant intern, would be able to become more involved in translation consulting. Just last month he was hired by the translation center here on a six-month trial basis to do consultant checking and training. I’m supervising Korry and it has been great to see him enjoying being more involved in the work of Bible translation!

EXIT INTERVIEWS:

Part of Brena’s job with Staff Care is doing exit interviews for those leaving on furlough or leaving for good. It’s a way for the missionaries to debrief their time in PNG and also for Staff Care to hear what people have been struggling with and hopefully find a way to fix the problems. While I was gone, Brena did a number of interviews. Here she is with Jo Miller. Jo came at age 55 to teach at the elementary school. She’s been here 15 years and feels like it’s God’s time for her to retire. The community will miss her. It’s people like her who allowed us to come to PNG after our time in the Solomons was over.

OUR KIDS:

Grant and Sara will be moving this month from Charlottesville, Virginia to Houston, Texas because Sara was matched to MD Anderson Hospital for a year of residency for oncology pharmacy. Pray for them as they adjust to living in a new city and pray that they will find a good church and make new friends.

Joey and Moriah are residing in Charleston, South Carolina. Joey is finishing up his business degree online and working part-time and Moriah is an assistant to several pastors at East Cooper Baptist Church. Please pray for them as they continue to adjust to married life and make plans for the future.

Joey & Moriah (left) visited Sara and Grant up in Virginia over the Easter weekend.

After several years of working, Luke has decided to start college. He was accepted to Liberty University in Virginia and received a scholarship for full tuition. Please pray for Luke as he transitions to a very different life and pray that God would direct him to a degree that suits his gifts and interests.

Luke on his 21st birthday

Kairu just graduated from Cornerstone University in Michigan with a degree in Bachelor of Science, Pre-Dental. We are proud of him! Please pray for him as he tries to find a job in the dental field and also decides on a graduate program in dentistry either in America or Australia.

Joey and Moriah were able to attend Kairu’s graduation in May

PRAISE AND PRAYER:

• We’re thankful that I had a good trip to the U.S. connecting with colleagues and our kids. Brena did fine on her own while I was gone (keeping busy with Café’s, haircuts, interviews, etc.), so we’re thankful for that.
• Thank you for praying for Brena’s talk to the teens few weeks back. There were only 15 teens there, but she did well in sharing how she has experienced God’s unconditional love and grace in her life as she has lived with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
• Thank you for praying for Brena’s need for more help at her Cafes. 5 new people signed up recently.
• Brena’s boss (Carl Campbell, the manager of Staff Care) is retiring in August. Please pray that another person comes along that can take over his responsibilities. Carl and his wife Pam will be greatly missed here!
• We would appreciate your prayer for our kids and the requests mentioned above.
• We plan to leave for America in November for a 6-month home assignment (since it will have been a 2 year term overseas). There’s quite a bit of planning that goes into transitioning back to our home country; finding housing and a car, figuring out how to see many of our supporters who are scattered all over America, spending time with family, and fitting in work. We trust God will make the details come together as He always has in the past but we would appreciate prayer.
• On my return to PNG, Brena and I were able to take a little time in Port Moresby (the capital) for some R & R and to celebrate 29 years of marriage.

TO BE IN TOUCH:

john_bruner@sil.org

PO Box 1 (134), Ukarumpa EHP 444, Papua New Guinea (OR send to: c/o Andrews, 4807 Ruidoso Dr., Arlington, TX 76017 because of COVID delays in airmail)

WEB ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

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

MAILING ADDRESS FOR PARTNERSHIP:

send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)