A LETTER FROM THE MISSIONARY REV. KUYT

Wamena, Baliem, June 29, 1962

Dear Brother Van Zweden

It has been a long time ago since you received a letter from me. As far as I can remember I wrote to you on board of the “Orange”, being on my way to Dutch New Guinea (Papua Barat). Our mission-team arrived safely and each one of us went to his field of service, till the time would come that we can start our own work.

I remember that I wrote about my views of real Scriptural missionary work. Since the time of the calling by the Lord of Paul, he went to Arabia and further on to Tarsus his native town. In the Acts of the Apostles, the 13th chapter, we find a congregation in Antioch in Syria. It has been a long time ago that the Lord called Paul. I think, he probably has thought that it was very long ago since the Lord called him, and up to now he sees nothing of the fulfillment. So often the Lord leads through a way which we do not know. But the Lord is faithful and He will fulfill His promise.

The congregation at Jerusalem has heard that Antioch has accepted the Word of the Lord and they sent Barnabas to Antioch to see the grace of God. In this city he remembered Paul whom he met already. Then he goes to Tarsus and there he finds him. Together they go to Antioch and the Lord blessed their ministry abundantly. Many come to know the Lord by the work of the Holy Spirit. Here in this town a great change would take place, because in Antioch will start the worldwide evangelism. It seems that nobody thinks about this, but the Lord is preparing His servants that they may go in His time.

On a certain day upon which the congregation has come together, the Holy Ghost is going to speak. Barnabas and Paul have to go far away to the Gentiles. The whole congregation has heard the call. Well, humanly speaking we would say, that the apostles were in their place in Antioch. Their ministry was blessed very much and a lot of people were gathered to become children of God. Even nowadays there are many people who think still the same. There is so much to do in Holland and America, that we cannot go to the Gentiles. But here we notice that the Lord’s thoughts are higher than ours. Barnabas and Paul have to go and they go, called by the Holy Ghost and blessed by the congregation, read the first verses of Acts 13

According to Rom. 15 it was the wish of Paul to preach the Gospel where the name of Christ was@

not named before. And so on his second missionary journey he would go to Asia. But then we read that the Spirit stopped him. He is not allowed to go to Asia. Paul is not disappointed and changes his way to go to Phrygia. But again he is not allowed to go, read Acts 16. He perhaps was more or less doubtful now, because he does not know what to do. How wonderful, however, the Lord’s ways are. In a vision it becomes clear to him that the Lord called him to Europe and through a lot of tribulation and enmity, the Lord gave him hire for his labor. The Lord sends him to Corinth a most godless city. How great, however, is the grace of the Lord. In the midst of the most terrible sin and wickedness He knows His own, elected before the foundation of the earth. The Lord has many of His people in the town of Corinth.

Here we see, beloved readers, how wonderful the ways of the Lord are. And I think these same principles are true for this time. The Lord is still calling His servants and is still sending them into this wrecked world with the good tiding for poor sinners even unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

There are many of the Lord’s servants who knew to be called by the Lord, but how long they had to wait before they were sent in His labor. We find an example in Paul. He had a desire to go to them who never heard and still sometimes the Lord guided him to a place in a different direction. As I said, this is also true of this time.

In the meantme the Lord guided me to Wamena in the central highlands of Papua Barat, the New Guinea name of the Papuas. Here I am doing survey work to find a place for our work. In my next letter, the Lord willing, I am going to tell you about this work and the difficulties we face in finding an adequate area.

I hope you will be all praying for this work and that the Lord might give soon a place where we can do the work He gave to do to His church. The congregation of Antioch was fasting and praying for Barnabas and Paul. And we can be sure that these apostles have felt the power of prayer. When they went through enmity and tribulation, they knew: — but there is a congregation which is praying for us.

Well, kind regards to you all.

Please send “The Banner of Truth.”

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