New Target Date

It has been a great privilege to be home in California and share with you what the Lord has done amongst the Kuyu people over the last four years. We made initial contact with the Kuyu people in 2020, built houses in 2022, and immersed ourselves in their language and culture. Our team is finalizing the Kuyu alphabet and praying that in 2025 the first Kuyu people would learn to read and write in their own language.

We feel grateful to have shared with so many of you in our home the extreme joys and deep lows over the past few years. Your unwavering support and partnership have allowed us to continue our work even amid unforeseen challenges, including those related to Morgan’s health.

In December 2022, shortly after we settled into Kuyu, Morgan began experiencing health issues related to toxic mold exposure. Our bush house was covered in unescapable mold, triggering severe skin issues, internal infections, insomnia, and other neurological symptoms. Despite working closely with our doctor in Papua New Guinea, her condition didn’t improve. After months of various treatments, our doctor urged us to seek specialized care in the U.S.

Since returning, Morgan has been under the care of an immunologist and mold specialist to detoxify her body and support immune recovery. Initial tests revealed dangerously high mold levels, a severely compromised immune system, and damage to major body systems. With targeted treatments, therapies, a rigorous diet, and a controlled environment, Morgan has made steady progress. Although we were initially told this journey could take 12-18 months, the waiting and uncertainty have been difficult for our family. Each time we received test results, we remained hopeful, only to be advised that further recovery time was needed, as a premature return could jeopardize Morgan’s health and long-term recovery.

The most recent bloodwork in October showed that Morgan’s inflammation has decreased and her mold levels have dropped significantly. Of the 14 different mold species, 12 have returned to a controlled state. However, our doctor strongly recommends an additional three months of treatment to target the remaining mold species and allow Morgan’s body to continue healing.

In light of this recommendation and through prayerful discussions with our team and church elders, we’ve decided to delay our return to Papua New Guinea until early April, awaiting the results of Morgan’s follow-up tests in February.

This decision has not come easily and is not one that we make lightly. We feel the weight of our Kuyu friends’ eternal destinies; however, we know that this journey is a marathon, not a sprint, and that this season of waiting is not in vain. There have been many days spent wrestling with God in our hearts, trying to make sense of it all. Though our hearts long to return, we find assurance in God’s providence. Even if we can’t yet see the purpose in our struggles, we hold fast to what we know of His unchanging character and trust Him beyond our circumstances.

Ten years ago, we began this journey with a vision of seeing a church planted among the Kuyu people, and though God doesn’t need us to accomplish His work, we are honored to be co-laborers in His field. As we prepare to return to Papua New Guinea in April, we are hopeful for long-term ministry, but it is impossible to know for certain how her body will respond. We are wholly committed to this work and will continue forward in faith as long as the Lord allows.

For the next few months, we will be assisting in a temporary role with Ethnos360, speaking at churches, colleges, and conferences to mobilize the next generation of church planting missionaries. 

We deeply appreciate your prayers, support, and understanding as we navigate this process. Thank you for being a blessing to our family and those we are able to serve.

Trusting in Him,

Michael and Morgan LeBlanc