Till All Have Heard

Remote Rescue

2012-01-14T23:44:00.001-05:00

New faces have joined the work here in PNG, and there have been a number of ministry changes made during our 3-year absence. One thing has not changed, however: Safe, reliable, air transportation is still vital to this country—not only for our translation teams, but also for the local people.

A few weeks ago, the aviation department received a radio call from a remote village saying there was a local woman with a bad infection in her leg. She needed special medical help quickly. Could we come with one of our aircraft and get her out of the village? It took our pilots a couple of days to get into that specific airstrip because of bad weather, but they were finally able to pick her up and transport her to a location where she could receive medical treatment.

Later, Jon was told that it was a three-day walk from this woman’s village to the nearest road. Without the aid of the aircraft, it is likely the woman would never have made it to a hospital. By the time our pilot saw her, she was already too weak to sit up let alone walk on rugged jungle trails for three days. We thank God that our pilots were able to help her in time. We consider it a privilege to not only be part of bringing God’s Word to the people of PNG, but to also help meet physical needs as God allows.

*Photo by Robert Noble

Christmas in PNG

2011-12-27T23:27:00.001-05:00

The Christmas season always finds us longing for family and those holiday traditions we hold dear. But looking back over the last few days, I don’t think our Christmas was that much different from previous years in the US (outside of the fact that our extended family wasn’t here).

We had lots of food….

…and snow.

We had a Christmas tree, gifts...

…and a nativity scene.

We made cookies…

…and even went “sledding”.

So what do you think? Was our Christmas all that much different from yours? <grin>

A Sock’s Tale

2011-12-27T04:35:00.001-05:00

Once there was a new, brilliant white, short-cuffed, cotton, athletic sock hanging on a rack in a department store. He was a fine Sock, and quite proud of his sturdy construction, his seamless toe, and his promise to instantly whisk away perspiration. Not that he’d ever have to face that problem, because Sock knew he was destined for great things.

And he was right, for it wasn’t long before someone came to Sock’s rack and began searching through all the varieties that hung there. Sock hung almost trembling on his hook, trying hard to gleam his whitest. His efforts were soon rewarded when he heard, “Oh, this is exactly what I’m looking for,” and he was lifted off the rack. Sock mentally congratulated himself for having been white, short cuffed and made of cotton. Obviously, he was made the best of the best, and he was right.

Sock was taken home and placed in a drawer with many other socks. At first he was outraged that he was forced to mingle with the stained, stretched out, and (heaven help him) flimsy navy dress socks. What was his owner thinking to put such a fresh, clean specimen like himself with such a motley crew? He began to wonder how the other socks came to look as they did with holes in their toes and broken elastic in their cuffs. He promised himself to never become so complacent as to end up stretched out, stained and shapeless. He would stay pristine white and shapely no matter the odds.

And he was until the day his owner took him out of the drawer and pulled him on his foot for the very first time. Sock was so excited to finally fulfill his purpose, and prepared to shine his whitest for all to see. But his efforts were short-lived, for in a matter of moments, a big, dark boot was pulled on over the top him. The boot was smelly and close. It rubbed him at the ankle and toe, and completely covered Sock’s short cuff. All day long he suffered in the tight quarters of that boot. His perspiration-whisking abilities were sorely tested, but he rallied himself with thoughts that surely this was just a onetime experience. Maybe socks needed breaking in like shoes and the next time things would be easier. He was comforted and dreamt of the washing he’d receive at the end of the day.

But the washing didn’t come that day; nor did it come the next. When sock had finally been removed at the end of his first long day on the job, he had accidentally slipped under the bed and disappeared from view. For two days he sulked on the floor. He now bore large black stains on his underside. His cuff felt overstretched. He was worried about a spot on his heel that felt thinner, and he knew the smell that made the dust bunnies cower at the far end of the bed was his own. He complained to himself of his ill treatment, but was relieved that none of the other socks could see him in his current state.

Then one blessed day, he was rescued and dropped in a washing machine. He thought, “Finally all will come right and I’ll be my lovely white self again!” He was very happy until he realized that other dirty clothes were being tossed on top of him. “Agh”, he thought to himself, “Don’t they know they’re only supposed to wash me with like colors? What if that red shirt bleeds on me?” And suddenly he remembered that no one had applied stain remover to his underside! Now he would be gray forever.

And he was right. As days went on, Sock came to resemble all the other worn out, used up socks that dwelt in the drawer. He was so often worn inside the dirty black boot, that so soon his heel was thread bare. His elastic cuff began to sag, and his general appearance was gray and sorrowful. Sock chided himself for having foolishly thought he was something special and could keep himself new.

And he was right, but only partly right. For one day, Sock was pulled out of the drawer by very different hands. Small hands carried him away and pushed a nail through his cuff. “That’s going to leave a hole,” thought Sock to himself. But then it hardly mattered anymore really. Still, he couldn’t help but be curious as to what this new task would be, and hope within him stirred. That is, until he found himself hanging from the mantelpiece—out in the open for all to see. Sock was ashamed of his saggy middle and gray hew. This was not what he was meant for. Why did they humiliate him so? Sock hung limp and completely dejected.

That night, however, Sock woke from his stupor of self pity to feel small boxes, wrapped chocolate and a candy cane shoved inside him. This was very strange. What could it mean? He waited, feeling odd with the lumpy items pushing awkwardly at him from inside. Then at first light, Sock heard a squeal and thudding feet in the hall. A young voice was shrieking, “Oh look at the sock! Look, look! Let’s see what’s inside!”

And little hands ripped Sock off the nail and hugged him close before eagerly digging through his contents. In wonder, Sock watched the pleasure each new item brought to the face of the small one. He wished he could stay there forever giving up new treasures for the impatient little hands. Never had he felt so useful and valuable. He was still gray and worn out, but it hadn’t mattered in the least. The gifts he had given had brought joy to the child. Sock never wanted to go back to that drawer, or worse, that black, dirty boot. Couldn’t he just stay here where he was loved and appreciated?

Apparently the small one had the same wish, for she was asking, “Daddy, can I keep this sock always and hang up again on the mantelpiece?” Sock held his breath and then heard Daddy’s reply. “Sorry, honey. You’ll have to find somewhere else to store your treasures. I need that sock.”

Sock was startled. He was needed? Sock realized that there were many other socks that could fill his role, but his owner didn’t want to let him go. He remembered the day he had been chosen, and his owner’s words, “This is exactly what I’m looking for.” He had been chosen, and that made all the difference. Out of all the hundreds of other socks on that rack, his owner had picked him. Sock suddenly realized that stains, holes and stretched out elastic could be worn like medals--proof that he had been chosen, and chosen again…and again.

And he was right!

Hi-ho Moonpie!

2011-12-12T06:43:00.001-05:00

One Saturday morning, the kids had the opportunity to ride the horses kept by Ukarumpa’s Pony Club. Although one of our children just wanted to “learn how to take care of the horses…not ride them”, the other rode around the paddocks as many times as she was allowed. Definitely a high point in her young life! Maybe Aunt Sarah’s equestrian blood runs through our Claire’s veins as well. But it hits me as funny that Papua New Guinea could be the place to find out. Just another reason to call this “The Land of the Unexpected”!

Long Nights

2011-12-05T08:14:00.001-05:00

I find the nights here in PNG oddly long. Odd because it feels like summer, and we ought to have plenty of time after supper to walk the dog or play catch in the nearby field—like we do during the summer in northern Wisconsin. I sometimes forget that all outdoor activities need to be completed before 6:00 PM, and that our evening meal usually takes place behind locked doors and drawn curtains.

Nighttime is so dark here. In the USA, our days and nights blend together. Street lights, security lights, road signs and store signs overpower the distant stars in most towns. Cities never really sleep in America. We buy groceries, medicine, milk shakes or even insurance policies at 2:30 AM if we so desire. With 24-hour emergency rooms, towing companies, consumer hotlines and radio stations, we can almost pretend nighttime doesn’t exist.

And I am so newly transplanted from that land of 24/7 assurance, that I find myself a little anxious every evening. “What if we run out of Children’s Tylenol? What if the water tank springs a leak? What if I just have to have a sausage and mushroom pizza in the middle of the night?” I don’t think I’ve ever indulged in a midnight pizza even when it was just a phone call away, but there is something in just knowing you could have it if you really “needed” it.

Here in Papua New Guinea it usually just waits till morning.

When my daughter was 3, she broke her arm here in PNG. The accident occurred just as the clinic was closing at 5:00 PM. Of course, there is always a doctor or nurse on call and they graciously treated Claire as best they could. The moody x-ray machine, however, revealed a break that our doctor said would require surgery and thus a medical evacuation to Australia. But because it was dark, no airplane could fly my daughter and husband to that surgery until the following morning. It was a very long night, and one I don’t wish to repeat.

So as evening sets in, I take comfort in Isaiah 60:19-20. “No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end.” (NLT) Darkness is so often used in a negative sense in the Bible, it’s no wonder the final triumph of light over darkness is a theme repeatedly found in Scripture. (Micah 7:8, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, 1 John 1:5)

In ever-bright America, the urgency of this truth was lost on me. Here in the darkness of a wet Papua New Guinean night, I catch a glimpse of the joy that dawns with that endless day.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T23:53:00.001-05:00

It’s always most difficult to give thanks when everything you think you know about yourself is being challenged, but that also happens to be the time when a grateful attitude is most critical. So this year, the Thanksgiving holiday reminder fell at perfect time for me.

Thanksgiving is, of course, an American holiday and not observed in Papua New Guinea. School is in session, the store and other departments are still open, and the planes still fly. But because of the large American population living at this center, the celebration does happen—if not Thursday evening, then Saturday afternoon. Often an American family will invite other families, American, Australia, Papua New Guinean, Korean, etc. to share in a traditional (or non-traditional) feast.

In realty, the idea of a thanksgiving feast is not solely American. Papua New Guineans too observe momentous occasions with elaborate meals of chicken, sausages, cooking bananas, sweet potato, greens and pumpkins baked in pit in the ground. My hausmeri (female house helper) told me today that the village across the river celebrated Thanksgiving in August. There had been a large fight between two clans earlier in the year. Most of the houses in the village were burned, but only 4 lives were lost. The Christians in the village were grateful to God for protecting their church and their lives.

That kind of puts things into perspective doesn’t it?

A week has gone buy since my previous desperate post about the food situation here in Ukarumpa. I am extremely thankful to be able to say that meal preparation is becoming easier. I’m grateful for a wonderful evening with friends that included crafts, laughs, and roasted chicken! I thank God for the family he has given me—children so eager for the next great adventure, and a husband who actively pursues God. And I’m even grateful to God for stretching me in a greater likeness of himself.

What’s for Dinner?

2011-11-17T07:42:00.001-05:00

Please forgive the tone of this post. I’m writing in the midst of the struggle. Although by faith I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, right now I’m having some difficulty seeing it. <hopeful smile>

There is a bit of heaven here in this mission community—especially the way families eagerly sign up to cover the first three days worth of meals for new arrivals to Ukarumpa. With all the unpacking, settling in and finding your way around the center, it’s very nice not to have to concern yourself with cooking. But when you’ve arrived on a Friday and the store is closed till Monday, and McDonalds is just a mirage from another life, the “meal list” is pure necessity.

But now the honeymoon is over and I’m struggling to make three meals a day for this family. This ought to be old hat by now. I mean, I have lived in PNG for 5 years already. And I really didn’t even take advantage of all the convenient and microwaveable foods available when we were in the States. I guess I just wasn’t prepared for the changes that have taken place in the food department of PNG during the past three years.

Yes, I knew prices were high, but $15 for a chicken! I haven’t even seen the prices for beef yet, because the store hasn’t had any since we arrived. And what do we eat for breakfast when cereal is over $9 a box, eggs are $7/dozen and oatmeal can’t be found? The answer is bananas and toast (if I remembered to make bread the day before.)

My whole day seems consumed by planning and preparing the next meal. Jon tells me to keep it simple. But what does that mean? Carrot sticks aren’t even simple when you have to be at the market between 6:00 and 7:30 AM on Monday, Wednesday or Friday to buy them. Wash them in a water and bleach solution. Pare them without the aid of a decent vegetable peeler, and slice them with the equivalent of a butter knife. (I’m serious…the house we’re living in did not have a single sharp knife—not even a dull, sharp knife. I shudder to think what I’d be doing if I hadn’t brought my own from home!)

I wonder how long the kids will accept my suggestion of “have a banana” for a midday snack?

But I truly do thank God for the market where the local people sell their garden produce three mornings a week. I can find just about any type of vegetable there and many tropical fruits. Prices are pretty good—comparable to your home-town grocery store. So let us eat fresh veggies, and roasted veggies and minestrone soup, beans, and more beans, and for dessert…bananas.

The upside…maybe in three years I’ll be thinner and healthier. Or maybe I’ll just resemble that banana. <grin>

We Made It!

2011-11-14T06:07:00.000-05:00

…and I don’t think the trip could have gone any smoother. We made all our flight connections (as did all our baggage) without complications of ANY kind. The kids found ways to entertain themselves during the flights and layovers, and really seemed to enjoy the journey. We all found opportunities to rest and sleep—making it so much easier to think clearly, make good decisions and exercise patience. God arranged a number of little “extra” blessings that have shown us His perfect love and provision:

Airline staff were very gracious and generous in their assessment of our “excess” baggage.
The trans-Pacific flight had fun kids’ meals for Claire and Isaiah even though we didn’t arrange for them.
That same flight was showing “Cars 2”—Isaiah’s current favorite movie.
We spent three fun and relaxing days in Cairns, Australia in a familiar place with friends we know from PNG.
We had air-conditioning for our one night in hot and dry Port Moresby, PNG.
We were able to fly in the Kodiak (for the first time) from Port Moresby to Ukarumpa.
Friends provided all our meals for our first 3 days in Ukarumpa.
Priscilla, a local friend who helped me with housework in the past, had been working for the previous renters of the house we’re living in. It was wonderful to see her again, and her prior knowledge about this house is a big blessing as we adjust to life in PNG again.
We’ve been able to spend much of our first few days here with friends that have children Claire and Isaiah’s ages. Some they remember from visits in the US, and some we haven’t seen in 3+ years. Doesn’t seem to matter though, it hasn’t taken them long to enjoy playing together!

This list could go on and on and on…!

We’re On Our Way!

2011-11-05T19:47:00.001-04:00

We’re sitting in the San Francisco airport waiting to board a 747 bound for New Zealand—leg #2 of our week-long journey to our new home in Ukarumpa, PNG. How do I feel?

Sleepy—I was awake at 4:15 AM this morning…somewhat anxious I’d sleep through the alarm.

Bored—I rather that this 7-hour wait at the airport was spent getting closer to our destination.

Nervous—Lots of unknown out in front of us. There always is, of course, but sometimes its easier to ignore when you’re safe in your own little “comfort zone”.

Sad—I watched the kids say good-bye to several close friends yesterday, and Grammy and Papa this morning.

Excited—so glad to finally start doing what we’ve been working toward for the past 21 months!

Grateful—for all the partners who “have our backs” as we step into another phase of this wild adventure. And for a big, BIG God who is with us as we ride the wings of the dawn and settle on the far side of the sea. (Psalm 139:9)

Saying Goodbye and Looking Ahead

2011-10-26T17:24:00.001-04:00

(excerpt from our November 2011 newsletter)

As you can imagine, we’re pretty busy right now—shopping for those last few items to ship in our crate, filling out departure paperwork, finding new homes for items that we won’t need in PNG, and making post-departure arrangements for our van, mail, bills, etc.. The never-ending “to do list” can cause a lot of stress and anxiety in the family, so we need to constantly remind ourselves that no matter what, God is in control! And in the past two weeks we’ve had ample proof that “nothing is impossible with God.” —Luke 1:37 What an amazing God we serve!

Things we look forward to in PNG:

Jon—working on the Kodiaks and other aircraft alongside “old” friends.

Claire—playing with friends (new & old), taking care of the kitty that belongs with the house we’ll be renting.

Missy—reuniting with friends, and establishing a routine again.

Isaiah—getting the surprises Mommy & Daddy packed in the crate (see photo on right), and seeing friends he made during our times at JAARS.

We will all miss lots of things about the US—family, freedom to travel, abundant and accessible stores to name a few. Saying goodbye won’t be easy, but remembering the people in PNG waiting to hear God’s Word in their heart language is what truly motivates us to return to PNG.

Airplanes and Paper Chains

2011-10-09T17:20:00.001-04:00

We’ve got tickets! Departure day is Nov. 5—only 27 days away! We should arrive in Ukarumpa, PNG on Nov. 11, but in the meantime we’re busy packing up our crate of belongings to ship by sea freight. Please keep us in your prayers. Stress levels are high right now as we try to think of EVERYTHING that needs to be done/bought/packed/shipped before we go!

The kids are very excited. As soon as we announced that we had plane tickets, they both decided to begin sorting through their toys. Ever since our decision to return to PNG in February 2010, we’ve told them that whatever fits in their plastic bin can go to PNG. The rest needs to find another home here in the US. It’s such a relief to see them handle that reality with a positive attitude.

And because Isaiah keeps asking if we’re leaving “the next day” or “the next day after the next day”, we encouraged them to make a paper chain to count down the days until we leave. (See photo on right.) Now our mornings involve the excitement of ripping off another link. To the kids, I’m sure, that chain represents an almost eternity until departure day. But to this mom, the clock is ticking!

Heard and Answered

2011-10-04T16:59:00.000-04:00

Praise God! He has heard our prayers and answered! Since my last posting, God has provided both the remaining $275 that we needed each month, and the $4000 we needed for traveling and shipping expenses. We believe God has thrown open the door for us to leave for PNG soon. We will continue to trust in his perfect provision despite the rising cost of living in Papua New Guinea.

Working on those travel arrangements now….

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” --Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

God’s Provision

2011-09-23T16:55:00.003-04:00

(excerpt from our September 2011 newsletter)

Thank you for your prayers as Jon and the crew worked to get the Kodiak aircraft ready for service in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The modifications are now complete and the aircraft has been dedicated to the Lord for service in support of Bible translation. (See photo on right.)

On September 23rd, the Kodiak is scheduled to fly to Kansas where its ferry tanks will be installed. These special fuel tanks will sit inside the cabin and hold the extra fuel needed to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. When the installation of the tanks is complete, the aircraft will then be ready for the long journey to Papua New Guinea. Please pray that the aircraft and crew will encounter good weather, and that each leg of the trip will be uneventful and progress without delays.

The presence of these aircraft in PNG attests to the faithful provision of our God. All three Kodiaks are completely paid for through the gifts of people who share our burden for the Bibleless people of the world. We too hope to make that trans-global journey, and help see Papua New Guinea empowered by the written Word. We’re very close to our financial goals, and thank God for the team of partners he has already raised up.

We still need about $275 in monthly pledges, and estimate that we need an additional $4000 to cover airfare and shipping costs to PNG. When we have 100% of those launching funds, and our monthly financial partnership thermometer (on right) reaches 100%, we’ll be released to return to Papua New Guinea. But we can’t go without people like you who choose to become a vital part of this ministry! Will you prayerfully consider helping to complete our team of financial partners? Please contact us if you have any questions on becoming a prayer or financial partner, or you can click here to get started. Thank you!

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” --Matthew 6:33 NLT

Scenic Stop

2011-09-13T20:47:00.000-04:00

We always enjoy stopping at the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. I think this was the first time the kids enjoyed the view with us.

On Safari

2011-09-06T23:52:00.000-04:00

The Damon family gives an A+ to Hidden Valley Animal Adventures for an engaging and interactive “field trip”. Go early when the animals are still enticed by the sound of your plastic feed cup, and you’ll be sure to get face to face with all kinds of unusual creatures (from the safety of your trolley, of course). Then take the kids to the petting zoo to meet the smaller critters and a real, live zonkey. Just a word of caution: Don’t wear white—especially if the water buffalo are still in the mood for a snack. Your nose will soon tell you, that isn’t just mud on his tail!

The Ol’ Homestead

2011-09-01T16:23:00.006-04:00

One of the best parts of visiting New York, is spending time on the Damon family homestead. The old 2-story farm house where Grandpa grew up is gone now. Just the grown-in remains of a basement still testify to its previous existence. But the acres upon acres of hills and trees just beg to be explored. Jon nurses many a fond memory of when his family used to camp out there for days on end. Real camping—the kind where you build your own shelter, cook over an open fire, drink water from the spring and bathe in the pond. (That is if you bother bathing at all….)

But now that Grandpa is getting up there in years <said with a big grin and the expectation of retribution>, his homemade camping shelter is getting a little more elaborate. Plans for a 20’ x 20’ log cabin are underway, and we all got to help a little bit on its progress. (Well, I think my only input was in the area of morale support.) We didn’t get to see it finished, but if nothing more happens at least Grandpa will have the finest tent platform in all of Western NY. <smile>

I’ll Be a Donkey’s Owner…

2011-08-27T21:04:00.001-04:00

“As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there, “ he said “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” --Matthew 21:1-3 NLT

I’ve seen various representations of this Scripture portion and most seem to portray this mysterious donkey owner as either a lackey or excessively naive. I like Dr. Joel R Beeke’s description however.

“On the outskirt of the city, Jesus sends two disciples to a nearby village to fetch a female donkey and her colt. The owner of these animals, although unknown to the disciples, is on close terms with Christ, believing in His mission. Merely hearing ‘the Lord hath need of them’ (Matt. 21:3 KJV) is enough for the man to permit his animals to be led away.” Tabletalk, September 2008.

While visiting the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte recently, I caught a glimpse of why Rev. Graham been called “the world’s best-loved evangelist”. Few people today have had such opportunities to preach the Truth to presidents, kings, and world leaders--not to mention the millions upon millions of “common” men. If God was still writing the book of Acts, I’ve little doubt Billy Graham’s name would show up frequently.

Which left me wondering…. Would my name appear anywhere? Likely not, and to tell the truth, I’m not sure I’d want it too. I can’t say I’m ready to accept all the trials and tribulations of Paul, or endure martyrdom like Peter and James. I don’t think I’d even like the fame and public life of a preacher like Billy Graham.

But I do long for the day when I hear my Father say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” So if I was in the Bible, I’d like it to be like that anonymous donkey owner. Not someone in the limelight, just someone close to Jesus that can be trusted to come through for him when given a task. And in short…that’s why we keep plodding down this road that we hope will bring us to Papua New Guinea.

Prescription: Popsicles

2011-08-16T19:37:00.001-04:00

Our son had surgery last week to remove an extra tooth growing in his upper gum. If it hadn’t been causing trouble with its neighbors, I might have suggested we leave it in there just in case. Isaiah might fall in that 30% of children that knock out, fracture or otherwise injure their hard-working chompers. Always nice to have a spare, right?

Anyway, after the procedure, the surgeon sent him home with a prescription for a pain killer and lots of popsicles. Fortunately, I was well prepared because our family consumes ice pops like a Ford Excursion guzzles petrol. <That’s for you, Anthony> And although, these frozen treats are great on a hot day, the store-bought kind consist mostly of sugar, food dyes and scary ingredients I don’t know how to pronounce. Granted…I’m talking about the store-bought kind in my price range.

So we started making our own, and found out that if you have a blender, they’re really fun to make and eat. You can freeze the pops in special molds, small plastic cups and sticks, or even ice cube trays and toothpicks. Here are some of our favorite experiments…

“You Can’t Eat Strawberries Without Bananas”

(must say with a Swedish accent)

3 cups chopped strawberries
3 bananas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons honey or raw agave nectar (to taste)

Blend strawberries and bananas together until smooth. Add lemon juice and honey and blend for a few more seconds. Pour into pop molds.

Peaches N’ Cream

3 cups chopped, peeled peaches
1 cup vanilla soy milk

Blend ingredients until smooth and pour into pop molds.

Chocolate Banana

3 bananas
2 cups dark chocolate almond milk

Blend ingredients until smooth and pour into pop molds.

Mango Mint

2 very ripe mangos chopped (or squished)
4 chopped, peeled peaches or nectarines (use that disappointing fruit you bought on sale at the grocery store)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Blend ingredients until smooth and pour into pop molds.

Summertime

2 cups chopped strawberries
juice of 2-3 limes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
4 tablespoons honey
1 cup water
1 cup ice

Blend ingredients until smooth and pour into pop molds.

This last recipe is our family’s favorite and is based on Anni Daulter’s “Pure Sunshine” recipe in her book, Ice Pop Joy. I just like the lime juice better than the lemon she suggests. Anni has lots of other great popsicle recipes. I highly recommend, “Happiness”, “Heavenly”, and “Blackberry Swirl”. Oh, and “Peanut Butter & Chocolate Classic” and….

Tok Sori

2011-07-27T07:13:00.001-04:00

During 2010, the Ukarumpa center (where we live in Papua New Guinea) and neighboring village were under significant criminal activity—house break-ins and invasions on an almost nightly basis. Of course, it was a very stressful time for the local people and our colleagues alike, but God was at work nonetheless.

Over Easter 2011, one of the village pastors conducted an evangelistic crusade. As a result, the criminals wanted to apologize to the director of our organization in PNG. The village pastors recognized, however, that the young men would still need to make a public apology to all the people who were impacted by their former criminal activities. Praise God that public apology took place on July 2, 2011.

On that Saturday a number of our colleagues went to the neighboring village. The local pastors prayed and preached from God’s Word. The former criminals presented a drama that demonstrated how they had turned their lives over to Jesus, and they closed with a song that spoke of Jesus as being their only friend. Then each young man publicly apologized for his crimes and the hurt that he had caused. A few made a point to apologize directly to the owners of the houses they had broken into.

The village community then gave a tremendous gift of garden food—their traditional demonstration of love. It took two vehicles to bring the gift back to Ukarumpa center where it was presented to all our colleagues during the Sunday morning meeting.

The worship service that morning overflowed with testimonies of how God was at work in their own hearts! Some of our colleagues recognized and repented of their lack of faith and belief in how God works through prayer. Some commented on a lack of balance between justice and grace and forgiveness by the missionaries at the Ukarumpa center.

But as the director stated in his report of the recent events in PNG—”We are all on a journey” of spiritual growth—those serving in PNG, the Papua New Guineans themselves, and even those here at home who support the work of Bible translation through gifts, prayers and encouragement. Our prayer is that this story of revival in PNG will be an encouragement to you as you make that journey.

*Adapted story and photos taken from a report by Tim Lithgow, director of SIL-PNG. The pidgin term “tok sori” means repentance, or an apology—literally “talk sorry”.

Cherishing the Ordinary

2011-07-08T22:05:00.001-04:00

Thursday was just one of those days where I had to stop and thank God for making it ordinary. Ordinary doesn’t happen often in our family. We really don’t do normal around here much. Probably because “here” changes so often. Nothing very special happened yesterday….

In the morning Claire and Isaiah participated in the summer activities held for the missionary kids here at JAARS. They meet with other kids to play games, do crafts, learn Bible verses and swim. Now that Isaiah is riding a two-wheeler without training wheels, they go by bike. I think that’s one of those “rites of passage” for a boy isn’t it? Some pretty Big Stuff parked his bike in front of the activity building that morning!

Jon also went very eagerly off to ~~play~~ work at the aviation hangar. A spankin’ brand-new Kodiak airplane sits in its shade while “Mr. Project Coordinator” happily oversees its preparations for Papua New Guinea. It’s even got that “new car” smell. I know. I checked. And we know what that smell does to the male species—suddenly the whole world is a much brighter place. <grin>

Mommy meanwhile enjoyed the quiet alone with the Bible and a cup of Scottish Breakfast Tea. Time for reflection on a chapter in Matthew turned out to be very helpful when a friend called later to chat. (I love it when God arranges real life application of something I just read in his Word.)

I washed dishes, wrote e-mails, and fetched children. We all ate lunch together. The kids and I played games. I refereed bickering matches, picked up dirty laundry, looked for missing toys, helped Claire make chocolate chip cookies, and ate too many. We apologized to the neighbor boy, washed four very dirty feet, watched PBS Kids, read bedtime stories and listened to the thunder.

At the end of the day, (after kissing two watermelon-scented foreheads goodnight), I determined to record this day and save it under “Days I Want to Cherish”. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t all fun, and it definitely wasn’t spectacular. It was, however, blissfully ordinary and for that I find I’m very thankful.

“You Would Never Make It”

2011-06-21T19:12:00.001-04:00

Excerpt from our June 2011 newsletter

“Begin walking before first light, and walk hard all day long. Spend the night in a small village in the bush. Awake early to spend the second day walking up and down rough trails in the mountainous rainforest of Papua New Guinea. For an Onobasulu man in Walagu village, this is the only way to get to the nearest road. If he takes his family, it will take longer.

One such man looked Beverly Mosley in the eye and said, “You would never make it.” She smiled and answered, “That is right. That is why the JAARS airplane brings me and picks me up.”

The Onobasulu people are excited about working with Beverly to translate God’s Word into their language. But the only way she can get out to this remote village in the Southern Highlands Province is by mission aviation. She travels by plane with her work materials, food, and other personal supplies. “Believe me,” she says, “you would not want to try walking with your study Bible, or a stack of literacy materials, for a couple days through the rainforest.”*

The aircraft pictured above is one of two Kodiak aircraft that serves Bible translation programs like the one taking place among the Onobasulu people. The Kodiak’s specific design makes it very useful for mission work in rugged conditions.

You may remember that Jon helped install some modifications on the second Kodiak before it was ferried to PNG last October. Soon a third Kodiak will be arriving at JAARS to receive these same modifications. Jon has the opportunity to spend the next several weeks helping get this plane ready for Papua New Guinea. Working at JAARS is not our ministry assignment, but Jon will be helpful to both the JAARS and PNG aviation departments. This opportunity also provides Jon with some good experience working on the very aircraft he’ll be maintaining in PNG.

We’ve put thousands of miles on our van this past year visiting friends and churches to talk about our work with Wycliffe. God has given us a wonderful team of people who support us prayerfully and financially. We thank God for them every day. At the same time, we plead with God to complete our team. We had hoped to leave for Papua New Guinea by July, but we still need about $769 in monthly support. Our new goal is to leave by January and to reach this goal we need new opportunities to share about our ministry in the next months. Please pray that God will help us find these opportunities and bring in the needed support. That is our highest priority. In the meantime, we are grateful for the opportunity to support Bible translation by helping prepare this Kodiak aircraft for service in PNG.

*Photo and adapted story by Beverly Mosley. Reprinted with permission from JAARS.org.

He Rides 2

2011-06-19T20:44:00.001-04:00

For months, Isaiah has wanted to cruise the parking lots on 2-wheels like the big boys. We’ve attempted to take the training wheels off his bike, but he couldn’t get past the fear factor. Then today I noticed that Isaiah was balancing really well on the neighbor boy’s scooter. He was even turning corners without putting his feet down. Jon decided to help him try once more, and this time Isaiah held his balance on the first attempt. Yeah! That scooter was the perfect stepping stone to 2-wheel independence!

S.S. Badger

2011-06-06T17:32:00.001-04:00

On our way from Wisconsin to Michigan, we took a short cut across Lake Michigan on a real steamship. The S.S. Badger is the lone survivor among coal-fired steamships in the US, and is the largest carferry to ever cross Lake Michigan. She makes the 60 mile trek from Manitowoc, WI to Ludington, MI in about 4 hours.

That means you have 4 hours to explore the decks, watch movies, color the wall in the playroom, tour the ship’s museum, eat snacks, play bingo or all of the above. So…drive through Chicago traffic or sip coffee on the lower deck of the S.S. Badger? Hmmm.…

Last Day of School

2011-06-03T16:20:00.000-04:00

Today Claire and Isaiah finished Grade 1 and Preschool respectively. Our study theme for the year was “Exploring God’s World”. We’re very proud of them for sticking to their studies despite all the traveling we’ve done this past year. Isaiah’s accomplishments include learning to recognize the numbers 1-10 and practicing the sounds of the alphabet. Claire continues to improve in her reading and writing skills. She can now read several Dr. Seuss books all on her own, and authored several short stories. They both successfully memorized 36 Bible verses, and probably know more about US geography than most kids their age. <smile> But if you ask them what their favorite class is, more than likely they’ll answer--“PE”! (Physical Education) Of course, that’s the one Daddy teaches….

We Won’t Forget

2011-05-30T13:39:00.000-04:00

We were proud to be able to accompany my grandparents to the Memorial Day parade. My grandfather served on a Destroyer in the South Pacific during WWII. My grandmother also trained as a nurse to serve with the WAVES. It was very touching to see several people come up to them during the parade to thank them for their service.

They’ve shared some good stories with us about life during WWII and what it was like to serve on a navy ship with Kamikaze planes falling from the sky. Hearing those tales makes us even more grateful for their loyalty to our country and God’s protection of their lives! A big thank you to all our service men and women who face similar dangers everyday. We won’t forget those who gave everything for our freedom.

Spring Again…and Again

2011-05-24T08:42:00.001-04:00

Spring came to North Carolina in early March and we enjoyed the blooming Dogwood, and spending as much time outside as possible. The temperatures were just starting to reach into the summer-like 90s when we packed up the van to head north and prolong our Spring.

Right now we’re spending four weeks on my grandparents’ farm in Wisconsin where temperatures are still brisk, and trees and flowers are just starting to bloom. We’re grateful for the opportunity to visit with some of my extended family and make ourselves useful in the process.

The farm doesn’t keep animals anymore (other than a few timid barn cats), but there is always work to be done to keep the buildings and grounds shipshape—brush to cut, rocks to clear out, grass to mow…. The wide open spaces, and physical labor seem to agree with some of us in particular. <smile>

Proclaim His Greatness

2011-05-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thank you for participating in this 15-day Prayer Challenge, and for joining us as we pray for the expansion of God’s Kingdom through Bible translation. We trust that God has heard our prayers and is already acting in ways (seen or unseen) to the glory of his holy name.

We also hope the stories we’ve shared have refreshed your spiritual walk, and maybe opened your eyes to “mustard seeds” in your own life. Too often we forget what God has done for us in the past and we get impatient when he doesn’t act the way we want him to now. We can doubt God’s love for us even though He has shown himself faithful time and time again. Remembering God’s past provision, however, can help us trust him for the future. So let’s…

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.

     Let the whole world know what he has done.

Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.

     Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.

Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord.

     Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

Remember the wonders he has performed,

     his miracles, and the rulings he has given,

you children of his servant Israel,

     you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.   --1 Chronicles 16:8-13 (NLT)

Bedtime Stories

2011-05-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 15 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

Usi, a mother of two, came to help me (Missy) with household chores on Friday mornings, but did not speak or understand much English. I needed to practice my Pidgin, and she needed cash to buy soap and kerosene, so the arrangement worked out well. I knew God had brought Usi into my life, but I was a bit nervous about this. I make friends here in the States very slowly. So how was I going to build a relationship with another woman that didn’t even speak the same language?

At first, I kind of dreaded Friday morning. It was always such a struggle to communicate more than the basic, “How are you? How is your family? Can you please help me hang up the laundry?” I wanted to show Usi that she was important to me, and not just for the work she did.

In PNG it is customary for house help to receive tea or coffee at 10:00 AM from their employer. So after praying about it, I decided to use that time to sit down with Usi and try talking about her home, garden etc. After the first couple of weeks, my limited vocabulary was exhausted and I could tell Usi was bored and uncomfortable. In desperation, I prayed to God for help, that I didn’t know how I was going to reach out to Usi with Christ’s love.

Later that week I talked with Ruth, our neighbor’s house help. Ruth spoke a little English and told me how she had recently learned to read the pidgin Bible. That gave me an idea and I asked Ruth if she would come for tea the following Friday and help me read a story from the Gospels.

So the next week after Ruth, Usi and I finished our tea and snack, I brought out my Pidgin New Testament and read the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Ruth followed along with me, correcting my pronunciation often, and Usi listened attentively.

The following week I did as I had done before and read the parable of the four soils. Only this time after I was finished reading, Usi started talking to Ruth in pidgin. I caught pieces of what she was saying and realized they were discussing the parable.

The next week I read about the sinful woman anointing Jesus’ feet, and again I realized that Usi was repeating the whole story back to Ruth and I in her own words, and Ruth was correcting her from time to time.

By the fourth week, I was curious as to what Usi was doing, so I asked her, “Usi, would you like to read the parable this time?” Usi shook her head no and said, “I can’t read and my husband won’t allow me and my children to go to church. The only time I get to hear God’s Word is when you read from it on Friday mornings. Since my children can’t be here to listen, I’m repeating the stories so I can go back and tell them. They like for me to tell them stories about Jesus when they go to bed.”

Please pray:

That through Bible translation, the Kingdom of God would continue to permeate the areas of the world without God’s Word.
That God would prepare hearts to receive the seed of his Word.
That God would meet our financial need to his glory and the strengthening of our faith.

Thank You, Debbie

2011-05-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 14 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

Carolyn London, author of “The Littlest Airplane”, “Mr. Jeopardy”, “Mr. Bicycle”, and other children’s stories, sent this letter to a child who gave her allowance for missionary work.

Dear Debbie,

When your very good gift of 25 cents arrived the other day, Uncle Paul and I knew that a little girl who sends her whole allowance to the mission field wants something special done with her money. Of course, Uncle Paul and I always thank the Lord Jesus for the gifts He sends us, and we always ask Him to help us use them wisely.

Let me tell you what happened to your money. First of all, when you sent it to SIM and asked them to send it to "Uncle Paul and Aunt Carolyn" in Nigeria, the staff got busy. One person went to the bank and said, "Please see that this 25 cents is sent to Nigeria."

Someone else wrote a letter. This is what the letter said, even though it might not be the exact words:

Dear Treasurer of the Mission in Nigeria,

Debbie has given a very wonderful gift so that boys and girls can hear about Jesus. When her 25 cents has been transferred to Nigeria, please give it to Mr. & Mrs. London.

One day the Treasurer in Nigeria went to the bank and got your money. It doesn’t look like the money you sent. It has been changed to Nigerian money.

Uncle Paul went to the SIM bookshop. He bought some tracts that were written in Hausa, some in English, and some in Yoruba. Uncle Paul paid for the tracts with your money. Anyone who reads them will know how to believe in Jesus and be saved.

After we bought the tracts we went into town. Lots of boys and girls in Jos can read, so we knew we’d find some who wanted your tracts. Pretty soon we saw a little girl bringing water to her house. I asked her if she could read. “I read Yoruba,” she said. So she took one of your Yoruba papers.

A man stood in a shop nearby. When he saw we were giving out tracts, he ran out quickly and asked, “May I have one?” He accepted his tract in the polite African way of receiving a gift--with both hands. We tell the boys and girls that is the way they should receive God’s Gift--with both hands. They shouldn’t try to get God’s gift of eternal life with one hand and hold on to the world with the other.

In a few moments a little girl came. She was carrying a teapot on her head. Heads are very useful things. They are not only good to think with; they are also good to carry with. The little girl had been gone only a few seconds when some other children came by. One little girl carried her baby sister on her back. These boys and girls were very glad to have papers that told them about Jesus. They all took their papers home to read to their mommies and daddies.

So you see, Debbie, your gift is telling many people about the Lord Jesus.

We hope you will remember to pray for all the boys and girls in Nigeria.

Love,
Uncle Paul and Aunt Carolyn London

Story and clipart from SIM International’s website under “Resources & Downloads”.

First Ever Book

2011-05-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 13 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

The small group of Maiadom people—726 in all—from Papua New Guinea had prayed for fifteen years for some mission organization to translate the Scriptures into their mother tongue.

As a vernacular translator trainee, Eka Andrew attended a workshop to enable him to create storybooks and eventually translate Scripture in his own Maiadom language. When his storybook was done, Karla Sligh, the language survey specialist who guided him through his project, asked Eka, “Do you realize that you just made the first book ever in your language?” At first he looked at the floor and simply grinned. Then, a wide smile spread across his face, as the full impact of her question struck him. Perhaps he could be part of the answer to his own villagers’ prayers. He shook his head and laughed to himself for the next five minutes.

Emotion welling up inside her, Karla herself began to realize the implications of that moment. She and the workshop staff had just had a part in helping the Maiadom people expand their world.

Please pray:

That through Bible translation, the Kingdom of God would continue to permeate the areas of the world without God’s Word.
That God would prepare hearts to receive the seed of his Word.
That God would meet our financial need to his glory and the strengthening of our faith.

Eureka! No One Is Indispensable

2011-05-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 12 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

Story by Nita Grainger from www.thewordislife.net.

As our vehicle negotiated dirt roads and dried-up riverbeds that led to our destination, red dust swirled around, penetrating our eyes and ears, and leaving our noses dry and bleeding. Somehow, I had forgotten how the harmattan winds blow sand from the ever-encroaching Sahara at this time of year.

Other memories, however, came unbidden. Painful things. Memories of leaving Nigeria 18 years before, struck down by a mysterious illness that left me weak and bed-ridden with fever for weeks.

My husband Peter and I had responded to the need for a Bible translation in the Izere [ee-ZAY-ray] language, spoken by 50,000 people in Nigeria's Plateau State. Local people built us a mud house where we could live, learn the language and lay the foundations for Scripture translation.

After only two years, though, my illness effectively terminated our career overseas. It left me with a profound sense of failure. We both felt we had achieved so little: an alphabet and literacy materials, some grammatical analysis and good relationships with the church and local people. But we had hoped to do so much more.

Last year we had the opportunity to return to Nigeria where Peter, now pastor of a large city centre church in Scotland, was to speak at a spiritual retreat for a group of Bible translators in Nigeria. Peter was keen to return to see how the Izere work had progressed. But me? Well, I had to face those painful memories...

One of the hardest parts of leaving Nigeria was the long wait - five years! - for someone to take over. But the prospect of meeting our successors, Rich and Janice Gardner, had persuaded me to return. We were delighted when they told us they had organized a visit to our old home, and a trip to a remote location to show the JESUS Film in the Izere language.

The dilapidated state of our house and the village, and the news that my faithful, young house helper had died, saddened me. Nevertheless, the warm welcome and affirmation from pastors and friends brought a sense of closure.

Next morning we set out for a village six hours' drive away to show the JESUS Film, stopping en route at many places where people had already seen it. We sensed its impact already when groups of new believers came to greet us. In some villages, half of those watching decided to follow Christ - 700 in one village alone!

Night closed in as we arrived. Our audience was smaller than expected, due to a wedding taking place that night. Still, it was with a sense of joy and praise that we saw 70 respond to the invitation to follow Jesus. They were told about follow-up arrangements (starting at 6.00 a.m. the next morning) where they would be grounded in the basics of the faith. About 20 young and committed Christian men have volunteered to disciple them, cycling from village to village.

With the New Testament translation now well underway, God's Word is becoming available. The people will not only see Jesus as a historical figure, but also walk with Him every day, as their seed of faith is watered and grows.

The church is growing and I can now look back with a deep sense of gratitude that we were able to play a small but foundational part in making it possible. With a sense of awe, I have realized afresh the incredible truth that God chose to communicate the gospel through people, yet none of us is indispensable. God knows where to put each of us.

This I Can Do

2011-05-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 11 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

An old man in Kayao village in Burkina Faso wanted to contribute to Bible translation work in the Buamu Cui language. He brought a goat to the head of the translation committee and said, “Behold, this she-goat is for you. Take it, and use it for food for the translators. This is my participation in the translation. I can’t participate any other way, because I didn’t go to school, but this I can do.” Praise God for the desire he planted in the heart of this man.

Please pray:

That through Bible translation, the Kingdom of God would continue to permeate the areas of the world without God’s Word.
That God would prepare hearts to receive the seed of his Word.
That God would meet our financial need to his glory and the strengthening of our faith.

Street Child to Visionary

2011-05-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 10 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

by Bud Larsen from: Rev. 7, Every Nation People Language, Spring 2008, vol. 3, issue 2

In Bible translation work, when we commit what we have learned to faithful workers who have the vision to train others, there’s no telling where God will lead them. My wife, Marlys, and I are community development consultants. Among other things, we teach about the holistic needs of communities, how to respond to physical and social needs, as well as spiritual ones.

In many parts of the world, music and drama serve as effective tools for community change, celebration and learning. While teaching a course in guitar building and tanning for Dani people in the highlands of Papua, we met Akhy Logo, a young Dani man who had grown up in an orphanage in the city of Wamena. He showed up unexpectedly at the course and stood outside the window of the classroom, watching closely what was being taught.

About three years later we returned to Sentani on Papua’s coast where Akhy was living then. He made sure he was part of the course. Akhy wrote songs, recorded CDs, learned how to make guitars and ukuleles, and developed a keen aptitude for computers. He also had an uncanny ability to learn English and was making a small income as an English tutor. In the evenings Akhy, Marlys and I would spend hours developing a plan for his vision to minister to street kids in Wamena.

Our course finished and we returned to the U.S. About a year later, Akhy wrote to tell how he and his brother-in-law had organized and registered with the provincial government a yayasan—an organization built on the vision of local people to meet their community development needs. They named it Tiranus, which comes from a place mentioned in Acts 19:9 (Tyrannus in English) where the apostle Paul held daily discussions with disciples in a lecture hall.

Akhy envisioned a school whose curriculum included guitar building, writing and recording music, computer skills, math, English, and Bible—all subjects that had helped him go from street kid and orphan to confident visionary and teacher. Over 200 Danis applied, but his staff decided to start small with only 15 people, beginning classes in a little, donated Papuan-style house.

During our next round of training workshops, we included 14 eager Tiranus students and, in addition to instrument building, recording, and improving their English teaching skills, we helped them get a grant to buy five computers and install electrical wiring in their classroom. We set up a musical instrument-building workshop under a tarp behind the classroom and, together, made guitars, ukuleles, three-stringed fiddles, and a string bass. Students practiced writing and recording what we call “songs that teach and inspire” for worship, for changing attitudes, and for learning and remembering.

When we returned to Sentani in January 2007 for more workshops, Akhy told how a large church there had invited Tiranus to play their hand-made instruments and sing their songs. The congregation was amazed that Papuans could actually build guitars—something they thought could only be made in factories. They took many photos and asked many questions.

Now after their second year of classes, Tiranus is expanding. While Akhy’s brother-in-law and others remain at the Sentani site (doing development work, as well as completing the Wolok translation—a dialect of Dani), Akhy has packed up computers, books and tools and sent them to Wamena with the help of YAJASI* airplanes. There they have begun building their permanent school near the orphanage where Akhy grew up.

Teaching street kids computer skills, English, guitar building and song writing may not sound much like Bible translation and literacy work, but as a byproduct of the Word working in the heart of a young visionary, it has offered an unusual opportunity to Dani orphans and street kids.

* YAJASI is a JAARS partner in aviation.

Worry is NOT an Option

2011-05-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 9 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

My education had hit a brick wall, and it was obvious that Missy and I would need to move to North Carolina to pursue further aircraft maintenance training. Doubts crowded in anyway.… North Carolina was a long way from Minnesota. We knew no one in the neighborhood of my future school. Missy would need to find a job somehow, but could we find one to provide for our needs? Would she get health insurance benefits? Would we be able to get along with one vehicle? And really…why were we doing this again?

We were obeying the call the Lord had placed in each of our hearts years before—to help the Bibleless people of the world get God’s Word in their own language. So believing that “where God calls, he also provides” we decided to trust the Lord with the details.

We packed up and moved our few belongings to a one bedroom apartment in the small town near the school. After settling in, the first order of business was to open up a checking account at a local bank and then start looking a job for Missy. Unfortunately, we had no idea where to begin.

We picked a bank close to the laundry mat to make errand-running more efficient. While in the process of opening an account, the bank representative asked what brought us to her small town. We ended up sharing our story with her and mentioned that Missy was looking a job.

A few days later I returned to the bank to make a transaction, and one of the employees asked if Missy was still looking for work. I said, “Yes!” and she gave me a job application to take home. Missy quickly filled it out, and within a couple of hours of returning it to the bank, she was called in for an interview. Before the bank closed for the day, she had a position as a teller-trainee.

Not only was her pay sufficient to meet our needs, but her hours allowed us to successfully maneuver our schedules using only one vehicle. And to show us how perfectly God had control over all the little details…. Missy’s health insurance benefits began her first day of employment—which was the day after our coverage in Minnesota expired!

God means what he says in Luke 12:29-31:

“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” (NLT)

Please pray:

That through Bible translation, the Kingdom of God would continue to permeate the areas of the world without God’s Word.
That God would prepare hearts to receive the seed of his Word.
That God would meet our financial need to his glory and the strengthening of our faith.

On the Wings of Prayer

2011-04-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 8 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

Serving is much more than just doing a job; it includes ministering to the body of Christ. Ken Van Weerdhuizen realized this one Sunday evening as he listened to Simon speak in church.

Simon, a translator working in Asia, had come from another country to the Philippines to attend a translation workshop. Having traveled for several days, Simon arrived in the Philippines totally exhausted; but he still needed to make one more flight before he reached his final destination. He could hardly bear the thought. This flight, however, proved to be different. After boarding the small plane, the pilot paused to pray before taking off. Through that prayer the Lord revived Simon.

Ken listened to his Simon’s story in stunned silence. That day was still vivid in his memory as well. Ken had been that pilot. It was his third flight to Cagayan de Oro that day. He was tired, sweaty and worn out from loading and unloading cargo, and he still had two more flights to complete before heading home.

After the passengers were buckled into the twin-engine airplane, Ken prayed, asking the Lord to bless and protect the flight and to be with each passenger. “I have tried to make this my normal practice whenever I make a flight,” Ken said. “But sometimes I am so rushed and tired that I just want to climb in the airplane and get going. That’s how I felt that day.” Yet, the Lord used the half-hearted prayer of a tired pilot to minister to another of His servants.

Small Word, Big Beginning

2011-04-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 7 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

Hluti.

When Emile Agoussou typed this word on his computer one day in March of 2004, he stopped to smile at the computer screen. Emile knew this small word was the start of something big—the start of the first draft of the first book of the Bible to be translated into Aja.

For the Aja translation team, many steps led up to the day they began drafting the book of Ruth. Three Aja men, including Emile Agoussou, were specially chosen to begin receiving training in the work of Bible translation. They learned to type, to use a computer and to write their own language. From there, they proceeded to learn some of the principles and techniques involved in Bible translation.

Finally, they began to learn about some of the differences between the Hebrew and Greek cultures and Aja culture. They had never seen a mustard seed, so an expatriate brought some from his home to show them. To learn to communicate the message of the Scriptures clearly and effectively to their people, they needed to know what they were reading about.

After months of training, the translators were ready to begin using their new skills. Starting with the book of Ruth allowed them to begin with a story—excellent training ground for the new translators. In Aja, the book of Ruth is called “Hluti”. And so the word “Hluti”, represented a beginning for the Aja people of Benin. God speaks Aja, and now the Aja people will have the opportunity to hear His Word in the language of their hearts.

The first draft of the book of Ruth is complete, and the Aja team continues to grow and develop their translation skills as they work to give their people more of the Scriptures in their heart language.

“We praise God for this modest beginning,” a Wycliffe member involved with the project writes. “While there have been challenges along the way, God has been faithful in bringing the project this far and we know that he will continue to be faithful as the translators move on to the next book, and the next, till the Bible can be read by Aja people in their own language.”

--adapted from a story by Kate Van Wynen from www.wordislife.net.

Please pray:

That through Bible translation, the Kingdom of God would continue to permeate the areas of the world without God’s Word.
That God would prepare hearts to receive the seed of his Word.
That God would meet our financial need to his glory and the strengthening of our faith.

Now We Pray as a Family

2011-04-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 6 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

Bernardino Romero, from the town of Ccasccas, Peru, says, “In my home, we are now praying as a family, something we had never done before. My daughter, Lidia, attended the children’s Bible classes in our community and after hearing a lesson on prayer, she returned home and asked, 'Daddy, why don’t we pray in our home?' I didn’t know what to say. Lidia is constantly reminding us that we must pray in every circumstance and our family has adopted the custom of giving thanks for our food before every meal.”

In many Quechua communities, children’s ministry has been practically non-existent. Often children are left to shepherd the animals while their parents attend church. The children in Bernardino’s community, however, meet regularly with teachers who have been trained by ATEK, the Quechua Scripture promotion organization. Spiritual values are being taught in Quechua, using lessons, materials and songs prepared by the teachers. The community is noticing the impact this program is having on their children.

The Granny at the Workshop

2011-04-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

(Day 5 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

--Story as told by Margaret Beckett

We gave a whole afternoon to visiting the village chairman, greeting him with utmost respect, asking after his family, his business, his farm - and then moved on to politely explain the aims of the proposed workshop.

Yes, he understood absolutely: the workshop would run over three Saturdays, we would teach in the local primary school, and we needed Rangi people who could speak, read and write Swahili. Both Muslims and Christians were equally welcome; in fact we really wanted an even number from both parts of the community.

He beamed delightedly. Yes, of course he would sort out a suitable group to attend, and yes, yes, he would be very pleased to officially open our first day. We made our farewells and returned encouraged to our office in the town.

She was there on the first day, shuffling a little in her walk, due to age, and poor sight, but very happy to be there. Before long, our elderly participant was snoozing away as the workshop proceeded. What a waste, I thought, she has only come because she knows she will be given food at lunch time.

On the second Saturday there she was again. This time she seemed to listen, at least for some of the time, but I was sure she couldn’t see very well, so therefore she was not at all a suitable candidate for the class. During the writing session, I helped her by writing the sentence she spoke to me. How do I help the village chairman to understand that this woman was not suitable for the class? I thought to myself.

The final day arrived. There had been a gap of several weeks since the second workshop, as we had not been able to use the school any earlier. I wondered who would come. There she was, walking towards the school. She had a few sheets of paper in her hands, torn from a school exercise book, and her literacy workbook, carefully covered with newspaper to protect it. "I can't see well," she explained, "and I never learned to read or write. I wasn't sent to school, you see. I was out with the goats every day. But I do know a lot of stories." She held out the pages, full of very carefully printed writing in the Rangi language.

"How did you do this, Grandmother?" I asked.

"I sat with my grandson for many evenings, I told him the old stories I heard from my father, then I told him again slowly, and he wrote them down for me."

Now we visit this grandmother often. She is a rich source of knowledge about the Rangi people, their traditions and the way they understand the world.

The story illustrates for me how easy it is to import my Western understandings, my too-quick judgments, when life here is so different - and God has different plans than I do. Please pray for this old woman; God knows who she is, and He knows her needs. She is a widow, living in one room of a courtyard house, near one of her nine children and some of her grandchildren, following a mix of African traditional religion and a world religion. She is representative of many Rangi women in this area.

--Photo of a Kirangi woman by Arlene Moe

Please pray:

That through Bible translation, the Kingdom of God would continue to permeate the areas of the world without God’s Word.
That God would prepare hearts to receive the seed of his Word.
That God would meet our financial need to his glory and the strengthening of our faith.

A Literacy Class Gives Birth to a Church

2011-04-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 4 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

In the Ngomba area in Cameroon, the project coordinator opened an adult literacy class with about 20 people. Normally on Fridays, he would take the blackboard back to the office. But on one Friday, he left it for the learners who had requested it for their practice over the weekend. They were touched by the coordinator's willingness to trust them.

They were also moved by the fact that he would always want to start and close his classes with prayers, and teach them praise songs. This gave him an opportunity to share about Jesus Christ and the church. He also shared about the Bible translation ministry and the difference they will witness as they hear God speak in their mother tongue about things affecting their daily lives.

Their response was immediate and they soon formed a church which quickly grew to over 200 people. Most of the people in this new church had previously either not attended church or had stopped going. The church continues to grow.

Saving Pennies for God's Word

2011-04-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 3 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

"I'm sad that I won't have enough money to buy a New Testament when it's printed,” said Gerold with regret to Takashi. Takashi and Yeako Nakamura had been living among Gerold’s people since 1989, translating God’s Word into Maiwa.

Takashi knew that there are not many cash crops in the area, and that Gerold has to pay school fees for his four children. Yet he felt the Lord prompting him to respond with a challenge, "If you start saving money now, it will be easier for you. We still have a lot of time."

Gerold considered these words and concluded, "This is good."

After that, Gerold started putting aside small amounts of money wherever he could. He has already paid for a New Testament and now is saving money to buy copies of God's book for each of his four children. Others heard what he was doing and followed his example.

Because of his initiative, more than 100 people have already paid for a copy of the Maiwa New Testament. All of them are eagerly looking ahead to 2012, the year the Maiwa translation team hopes to present the completed New Testaments to the people.*

Please pray:

For Takashi and his co-translators as they go through the final steps of checking the translation for accuracy, clarity, and consistency.
That through Bible translation, the Kingdom of God would continue to permeate the areas of the world without God’s Word.
That God would prepare hearts to receive the seed of his Word.
That God would meet our financial need to his glory and the strengthening of our faith.

*Adapted from a story by Karen Weaver at www.thewordislife.net.

Doll Shoes

2011-04-24T07:00:00.007-04:00

(Day 2 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

As a little girl, I (Missy) had a beloved doll named Mandy. Mandy came with a beautiful wardrobe of handmade and store-bought clothes, but my favorite part was her shoes. Unfortunately they liked to slip off and hide under the bed, between the sofa cushions, or in the darkest reaches of the closet. Because of their tendency to wander, Mandy rarely wore her shoes outside.

But one day Mandy had a tea party to attend, and it was imperative that she be dressed for the occasion. So donning her fashionable foot attire, she accompanied me on a grand tour of the back yard. Went it was all over, Mandy’s shoes were missing. I searched everywhere but they were nowhere to be found. Life as I knew it came abruptly to an end.

Distraught I went inside and begged my mom for help. After the anticipated, “Did you look here…” questions, she asked me if I prayed. “Pray?”, I asked in surprise. “Yes,” said my mom. “Pray and ask God to help you find the shoes.” I wondered how God would help me find my dolls shoes, but pray I did. The shoes didn’t magically appear, but I must have felt better because I managed to forget about incident for a few hours.

Later that day, I had an urge to play on our swing-set. While flying back and forth through the air on a swing, I noticed a little pair of plastic slip-ons sitting ever so neatly on the top of the slide. To this day, I don’t know how they got there. I’m as certain as I can be that I had checked that slide for the missing shoes. How could have I have overlooked them so carefully placed as they were? I believed God worked a miracle and found them for me, and Mom and I gave Him full credit for the discovery.

The bigger miracle, however, is how God used that event to plant a mustard seed of faith in my heart. There is no doubt in my mind that God cares about the little concerns in my life. I can entrust all my burdens to Him. All those concerns about moving, finances, my children’s welling-being, etc.—He’s got them. He’s glad to help and he has never failed!

She Called Him a Coward

2011-04-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

(Day 1 of 15-day Prayer Challenge)

In the summer of 1917, William Cameron Townsend had completed his junior year at Occidental College in Los Angels, California. The United States had just entered the First World War. Townsend, along with many of his classmates, had enlisted with the National Guard. He thought he was on his way to fight in France.

Before he was to leave for France, however, he had occasion to visit a retired lady missionary. She caught him up short when she bluntly called him a coward. She said, “Here you are going off to war and leaving the mission field to us women!”

Townsend was stunned. She was right. God was leading him to go to Guatemala as a Bible salesman. But he saw no way he could back out of military service once he had enlisted. he went to his recruiting officer. The officer took a long look at the frail, skinny Cameron Townsend. he said, “Sure, go ahead, Townsend. You’ll probably do more good selling Bibles in Guatemala than shooting in France.”

When he arrived in Guatemala, Townsend asked one man, “Do you know the Lord Jesus?”

“Sorry,” he answered, “don’t know him. I’m new around here myself.”

Cameron Townsend’s biggest burden was the realization that more than two-fifths of Central Americans didn’t even speak the national language, but rather fragmented dialects of the Mayans. His concern grew particularly for the largest Mayan language family, the Cakchiquels.

One old Cakchiquel village chief asked him, “Why haven’t you come sooner? We have heard that you have told this wonderful story in other nearby towns, and we have been wondering what sin we have committed against God that kept Him from sending you to us.”

Townsend later wrote in his journal, “The fault is not theirs. God has sent, but we have refused to go!”

Townsend went on to translate the New Testament into Cakchiquel. Through that experience, he developed the scientific translation technology Wycliffe linguists have applied in over a thousand language groups around the world.

From “Two Thousand Tongues to Go” by Ethel Wallis.

Again please pray:

1) That through Bible translation, the Kingdom of God would continue to permeate the areas of the world without God’s Word.

2) That God would prepare hearts to receive the seed of his Word.

3) That God would meet our financial need to his glory and the strengthening of our faith.

A 15-day Prayer Challenge

2011-04-22T17:05:00.001-04:00

“Then Jesus said, ‘What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.’

He also asked, ‘What else is the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.’” (Luke 13:18-21 NLT)

What do mustard seeds and yeast have in common? They’re tiny but when placed in the right environment, they grow and yield tremendous results! As Matthew Henry wrote, yeast “works silently and insensibly, yet strongly and irresistibly.” God’s Word works that way in the hearts of those who receive it. Quickly yet gradually, the flavor of the gospel will infuse their entire being. “For the word of God is alive and powerful.” (Hebrews 4:12a NLT)

Unfortunately, not everyone receives the Word. Some deny its message, some don’t understand the message, and some have never heard the message. For those of us that speak the major languages of the world, we don’t have any excuse. God’s Word is in a language we can understand. But there are still 340 million people in this world that do not have the Bible in their own language.

We want to help change that.

Our vision and the vision of Wycliffe Bible Translators is to see the Bible accessible to all people in the language they understand best—giving that seed or yeast of the gospel a chance to work its mystery so that one day the Kingdom of God will be visible in all His creation.

The work of Bible translation work is advancing, but is often fraught with obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles look overwhelming. Right now we lack $861/month of our ministry budget for returning to the work in Papua New Guinea. From God’s point of view, however, this is nothing. The true challenge is remembering to look at this amount from God’s point of view. God seems to enjoy using what we might consider small, weak or insignificant to ultimately bring his will to pass. He reminds us:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.

It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” (Isaiah 55:8-11 NLT)

We’re issuing a challenge.

During each of the next 15 days we are going to share a story focused on how the Lord has used something small, weak or insignificant to accomplish His greater purpose. Out of a tiny mustard seed grows a tree! As you read these stories, we ask that you pray 3 things:

1) That through Bible translation, the Kingdom of God would continue to permeate the areas of the world without God’s Word.

2) That God would prepare hearts to receive the seed of his Word.

3) That God would meet our financial need to his glory and the strengthening of our faith.

Also, please consider how you have seen the Lord work in your own life. Do you have a mustard seed story of your own? If so, please share!

Birthday Season

2011-04-21T14:16:00.001-04:00

When the birthday seasons arrives at our house…as it seems to every year whether we like it or not <grin>…the most important question is always, “Can I have a party?”

Parties aren’t this mom’s strong suit, but I felt we couldn’t pass up a dream come true for both Claire and Isaiah—not when we’re living next door to so many of their friends. So we threw a party for both of them. I wasn’t sure it was possible to combine a princess and race car theme, but strangely it worked well. The guests, both boys and girls, seemed to enjoy it. Actually, as long as you have cupcakes and plenty of prizes, you can’t really go wrong….

Waiting for God’s Word…

2011-04-06T21:21:00.001-04:00

Tahanuka, an elderly man from Papua New Guinea (pictured right) had been looking forward to reading the Scriptures in his own Yopno language. He was concerned that he might not live until God's book arrived with the complete New Testament and Psalms. When the Gospel of John was published several years ago, he bought a copy and read it frequently. Since he was advanced in years and looked forward to his home with Jesus, he asked translator Wes Reed to highlight Scriptures about heaven for him. Wes highlighted John 14:2 ‘I go to prepare a place for you,’ and other verses that talk about his eternal home. It was with great joy Tahanuka attended the New Testament dedication in August 2010. Tahanuka praised God for the privilege of holding the Living Word.^*

The Yopno people are just one language group, but there are about 830 different languages in PNG alone. Our colleagues are currently working in 175 language programs and there are another 250-300 languages that still have translation needs. There’s still lots of work to do!

Of course, Missy and I aren’t Bible translators, but God has given us skills that support the work of Bible translation. Click here for more on our roles in Bible translation. But in order for us to return to PNG, we need 100% of the monthly budget that has been determined by Wycliffe to meet our cost of living. You can see from our little thermometer on right that we’ve got a bit to go. Click here if you’d like to do something about this percentage. <grin>

Even Claire and Isaiah feel the urgency to return to PNG. One day they came to tell Missy "good-bye". They were leaving for PNG to teach people how to translate the Bible. Both were toting very full backpacks. Claire packed pencils and paper, and Isaiah packed his piggy bank and a gun! <smile> We got the feeling that they’d had enough talk about going to PNG, and were taking matters into their own hands!

Please pray that God would complete our team of financial partners so we can rejoin the work in Papua New Guinea. Click here to let us know you’re praying. It’s a huge encouragement to know we’re backed in prayer by the family of God.

We keep Matthew 6:33 at the front of our minds. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (NLT) God never fails his promises, and if it is his will we will return to PNG. Nonetheless, it breaks our hearts to think there are more Papua New Guineans like Tahanuka who are waiting...waiting for God’s Word in their heart language.

*Photo and story adapted from www.thewordislife.net by Karen Weaver.

Goodbye House

2011-03-31T21:15:00.001-04:00

We’re happy to report that the closing on our house went through today without a hitch! As much as we loved living there, it’s a relief that it is finally sold. We feel like we’ve just taken another huge step toward returning to Papua New Guinea, and we’re praising God for his awesome provision and for answering our prayers!

Saying “goodbye” to our house was bittersweet, but over the years we’ve learned that it’s OK to feel both sad and excited by change. Our missionary training has taught us that we need to show our children that it’s OK to mourn loss, and to be sensitive to our children’s need to say “goodbye”. So in the spirit of “Goodnight Moon”--

“Goodbye house, goodbye mouse. Goodbye room, goodbye broom. Goodbye wall, goodbye hall. Goodbye swing…goodbye everything!”

And I’m feeling just sentimental enough to take the appearance of these crocuses just a few days before we left to mean “goodbye” in return. <smile>

Honey, I Packed the Kids…

2011-03-06T14:14:00.001-05:00

I mentioned in the previous post that we had “Give Away” boxes, “Save for Later” piles, and “Take to PNG” bins. In light of the fact that things are mysteriously disappearing from our house, Claire and Isaiah have taken measures to assure they will get sorted correctly. <smile>

Letting Go

2011-03-04T22:22:00.004-05:00

My green, pot-bellied teapot with knitted cozy has journeyed from the “Give Away” box to the “Take to PNG” bin and back, with only a brief visit to the “Keep for Later” pile. Ahhh! What do I do with it? I know…put it back on the frig and decide later.

We’ve done this soooo many times now, it ought to be getting easier. Our house has been on the market for over a year, and we were prepared for its impending sale. We wanted to make the transition easy, and got by with what we had whenever possible We didn’t spend money on things that wouldn’t follow us to PNG. We even told family not to give us stuff they hoped we’d hang onto for years. It just can’t happen in this lifestyle and sometimes it hurts.

Like now…. Claire’s set of English tea cups from Great Grandma just isn’t going to survive the boat ride across the Pacific. Isaiah’s bag of homemade Lincoln logs from Grandpa would fare very nicely, but they would probably never come home again—not with the new restrictions on importing wood into the US. Yes, these are the thoughts that weigh heavily on my brain right now!

There are a number of factors to weigh in each decision:

“Who gave it to me and how will they feel if I give it away?”
“If I keep it will it just become a burden?”
“Is it practical for use in PNG, or just another item that emphasizes our differences with the local people?”
“If I save it for ‘later’ will later ever come, and in the meantime, how long will it burden someone else?”
“Will my children be emotionally damaged if they aren’t allowed to keep it?”

After agonizing over many a decision, I often default to giving it away. My rational is that it will hopefully go to someone who can truly maximize its potential. <grin> Besides, God gave us everything we have, and has always provided for our every need. Why not share the blessing! But if I sound a wee bit off my rocker, send up a prayer for this slightly frazzled missionary wife and mother who is learning to let go again. And maybe you’ll want to think twice about giving that set of heirloom, hand-painted anvils to your friend who just joined “Way-Out-in-the-Middle-of-Nowhere Mission”. <big grin>

PS—If you were holding out for the tea cups or Lincoln logs, they’re permanently assigned to the small but critical “Save for Later” pile.

A Step in the Right Direction

2011-02-17T20:08:00.001-05:00

We got some good news yesterday…. We have a buyer for our house! Hallelujah! Even our realtor acknowledges God’s hand in this contract, and told us that a recent wind storm convinced the buyers that they needed a home on a permanent foundation! The closing is scheduled for March 31. We are very excited, and so grateful to our partners for their “persistent widow” prayers!

Upon hearing the news from our realtor, I went from being ecstatic to overwhelmed in a matter of minutes. There’s a lot to do in the coming weeks and at the moment I’m not sure where to begin. We knew (or hoped) this transition was coming but it’s difficult to prepare for it. Keep praying through the closing, because we know that things can still fall through. And please pray for us as we begin packing, and making plans to move…somewhere. We have options—we’re just not sure where we’ll be going next. It’s always an adventure, isn’t it?

So the waiting is done for the time being. Good thing I’ve finished that sweater! <wink>

Did the Thermometer Drop?

2011-02-05T13:35:00.001-05:00

If you’ve been checking in with us from time to time, you might have noticed that our little financial partnership thermometer has dropped since January. As disappointing as it is, we’re grateful that it does NOT mean our partners are bailing on us. <wink>

What it actually means is that we have just celebrated the anniversary of our membership with Wycliffe. And as is the case for all members, part of the celebration is reviewing our ministry budget for the next year. <I saw you cringe, when you read the word “budget”!>

We have some input when making this budget, but mostly it’s put together by our very wise (and patient) finance people. When figuring how much we’ll need monthly to live in Papua New Guinea during the next year, they take into account increasing airfare, rises in energy costs, the increasing cost of health care and insurance, and among other things, the current devaluing of the US Dollar. I don’t envy them their jobs, especially these days when they must deliver a lot of disappointing news. We are, however, extremely grateful for their assistance!

It would be easy to blame the economy for the delay in completing our team of financial partners, but in reality our God isn’t affected by the economy. He’s so much bigger than that. If he wanted, he could arrange for us to win the lottery, or drop a gazillion euros in our laps or something equally spectacular. It is pretty amazing that he usually allows his Church to be part of the miracle! Whatever method he chooses, it will be in his perfect time and to his own glory--as it should be!

Waiting…

2011-01-24T23:03:00.001-05:00

I’m just being honest here…. Sometimes the waiting is really hard. And in general, I think I’m pretty good at waiting. Just give me a book, or better yet, my knitting and I can wait indefinitely. Well, maybe not indefinitely, but at least until I feel like I’m wasting time. Ha!

I mean…we pray like crazy. We send out newsletters. We travel all over the country, and make the most of every opportunity share about Bible translation. Hey, we even write a blog! <grin> But still we wait.

We wait for our house to sell. We wait for our financial partnership to reach 100% so we can leave for Papua New Guinea. We wait for those “cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:1) to become dollars in our “launching fund” account. But nothing seems to happen…and we wait. My sweater is growing, but I confess, I’m starting to get impatient and wonder if we’re wasting time and resources.

God has his ways of reminding us, however, that his ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8) We know God has a wise and loving purpose for keeping us here. And there is always work we can do for others—if only to love, serve and pray. We thank him for the opportunities he’s already brought our way. In the meantime, we will continue to trust in God’s perfect timing and wait.

The following hymn by Bradford Torrey says it better than I can.

Not so in haste my heart!
Have faith in God, and wait;
Although He linger long,
He never comes too late.

He never cometh late;
He knoweth what is best;
Vex not thyself in vain;
Until He cometh, rest.

Until He cometh, rest,
Nor grudge the hours that roll;
The feet that wait for God
Are soonest at the goal.

Are soonest at the goal
That is not gained with speed;
Then hold thee still, my heart,
For I shall wait His lead.

My God Is So Big

2011-01-16T15:50:00.001-05:00

When we put Claire and Isaiah to bed at night, we often sing a familiar chorus to them. “My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!” Simple words but, oh, so powerful! When we felt the Lord leading us back into Wycliffe in the beginning of 2010 it was a huge step of faith for us. We are in awe of his amazing provision for us, yet not surprised that he’d keep his promise so perfectly. We have traveled many thousands of miles, and have had many opportunities to share about what God is doing in our lives and through Bible translation. We thank God that we can look back on 2010 and see example after example of God’s love and faithfulness.

Christmas Eve saw the dedication of the Takuu New Testament on Mortlock Island in eastern PNG making it the 9th New Testament dedication for 2010. Last year, Tom Puaria, translator for the Takuu language (pictured right), told some people in training as translators, “I want to see all those people overseas who helped make it possible, and thank them! These people have never seen us, but have given money and prayer so that we could have God’s Word! Just look at the love of God shown through them…Let’s thank God.”* And he did. And so do we, because you and your partnership with us help make Bible translation in PNG possible. Thank you!

*Quote from: The Word is Life

Our Twelve Days of Christmas

2010-12-18T00:06:00.002-05:00

12 Christmas wreaths

11 chocolate yummies

10 sticky fingers

9 funny faces

8 snow angels

7 snowball fights

6 toboggan rides

5 late night Christmas videos

4 parade watchers

3 hungry kids

2 trips to the mall

and 1 perfect Christmas tree!

The Butterfly and the Cocoon

2010-11-29T13:01:00.001-05:00

written and illustrated by Claire (age 6)

Barbie the caterpillar went to bed one night in her warm cocoon. In the morning, the sun came up, but Barbie didn’t want to come out of her cocoon. She said, “It’s too cozy in this cocoon with my Buddy. I just want to sleep some more.”

But her mom and dad said, “If you don’t come out of your cocoon you won’t go to the restaurant with us.”

“OK, I’ll come out,” said Barbie. “But first I have to straighten my cocoon.”

When she was done, she came out and realized that she had pretty pink and purple wings. Then she went to the restaurant with her mom and dad and had mashed potatoes and peas.

The End

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?

2010-11-26T19:53:00.000-05:00

Wondering what happened to that airplane Jon was working on at JAARS in Waxhaw, NC? Well, after Jon and the others completed the modifications, the Kodiak aircraft was flown to Moundridge, KS. A crew from Weaver Aero Int'l then installed a ferry tank and made other preparations for flying it over half-way around the world.

On November 3, it left Kansas to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, the Middle East, and South Asia. Praise God! On November 19, the Kodiak arrived safely at the Aiyura Valley airport (near where we live and serve on the Ukarumpa center). It flew 87 hours between Kansas and Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. While it was in Port Moresby, it received its new registration of P2-SIR, and will probably be called “Romeo” henceforth.

A small crowd was on hand to welcome Romeo to its new home in Aiyura Valley. They praised God for its safe arrival and dedicated it to the Lord’s work. Soon, it will be put to work alongside its twin “Bravo”.

We thank God for the opportunity to help prepare this Kodiak for its service in PNG. Lord willing, we’ll get to see it in action soon! The aviation department in PNG is seriously short of aircraft maintenance technicians right now, so we’re eager to get back there and continue the work. Please join us in praying that God would expand our team of partners to cover the last 26% of our monthly financial budget. Pray also that our house would sell and free us to return without the concerns of caring for a home here in the US. Thank you so much for your partnership in prayer!

If you’re interested in learning about why the Kodiak is the perfect tool for supporting Bible translation in Papua New Guinea, watch the following video clip.

Kodiak Tour

Bountiful Bananas

2010-11-15T22:58:00.001-05:00

It still strikes me kind of funny that now I pay around $0.49 a pound for bananas when in Papua New Guinea at times I couldn’t give them away. They grew in our backyard and in everybody’s backyards for that matter. And when a bunch was ready for harvesting you hoped this time they’d ripen slowly instead of all 104 turning brown at once! Sometimes you had to get creative in your uses for ripe bananas if you didn’t want to just throw them away. Now it’s rare that I have any left over for baking. But when I do, this is our family’s favorite way to use those brown, spotted and mushy fruit-fly attracters. The mushier the better…!

Dressed Up Banana Cake

Combine and beat:

1/3 cup oil
1 cup sugar (or less)
2 eggs

Add:

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine separately:

2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons nutmeg

Add alternately to the first mixture:

3/4 cup milk

Beat well. Pour into well-greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle on top:

3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes.

Hopeful Creation

2010-11-08T23:44:00.001-05:00

So we’re back home for ~~about a month~~…~~a couple of weeks~~…an undetermined number of days. I woke up this morning feeling strangely like I’m on vacation. Must be the result of sleeping in my own bed for a change. I could have stayed under those covers for much longer, but the sun comes up an hour earlier now, and so does our rooster (aka Isaiah).

This rooster requested pancakes for breakfast. Fortunately, I saw it coming and made the batter the night before. Pancakes are essential to Isaiah’s “settled in” feeling. He rates our many “homes” by the frequency he gets pancakes for breakfast. According to his Sunday School teacher, they figure into his top six things to be thankful for—falling right after “motorcycles” and right before “his sister”. Actually, I was quite surprised Claire made in the top 100.

It being the gorgeous autumn day that it was, Claire’s and Isaiah’s PhyEd teacher determined class would be held at Holliday Lake State Park. This park boasts a 6+ mile trail around the lake, and each time we visit we try to hike a little further than we did before. I estimate we walked 3 miles this time, and with minimal complaining about tired legs. I’d like to say that our kids’ appreciation of the great outdoors kept them going, but it was probably the snacks.

The trail was ankle deep in crunchy oak leaves so any wildlife we might have seen heard us coming a mile away. Undeterred, Isaiah stuffed his pockets with acorns of various sizes and Claire adopted a pet rock. The said pet accompanied us on our hike for a lot longer than I would have guessed, until it decided it would rather take a swim in the lake. According to Claire, rock is currently looking for its baby rock on the bottom of Lake Holliday.

The teacher in me can’t help but point out how all the plants and trees are letting go of their babies…or seeds and getting ready for winter. We find berries, acorns and pods of various sizes. These seeds will fall to the ground, get covered by dead leaves, and hopefully rise up to new life in the Spring. The browns and golds of dying leaves and plants dominate the landscape we see right now. But there is hope for new life yet to come.

“…with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay….We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.”

--Romans 8:20b-21,23b

Maybe that’s why I love autumn so much….

The Bliss of the Animals

2010-10-30T12:04:00.001-04:00

“For the bliss of the animals lies in this, that, on their lower level, they shadow the bliss of those—few at any moment on the earth—who do not “look before and after, and pine for what is not,” but live in the holy carelessness of the eternal now.” (Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald)

Claire and Isaiah just watched the animated version of Charlotte’s Web and it hit me that Wilbur was not one of those “blissful” animals. Once he learned that he was destined for the dinner table, he lost the will to live. Neither his comfy mud hole, his well-supplied feeding trough, nor even his barnyard friends could cox him out his misery. How could he enjoy a good roll in the mud knowing what autumn had in store for him? Not that I blame him….

I’ve got plenty of less ominous concerns that often keep me from enjoying today:

We’ve got a house in VA that no longer feels like home. No houseplants to die while we’re gone, no scented candles or décor to match the current season, and even the kids’ artwork on the fridge is saying, “I’m so last year!”
When asked, “Where will you be?” or “What will you be doing?” I have to just shrug my shoulders instead of pulling out my day-planner like the well-organized person I’d like to be.
I can’t shop for bulk-sized groceries items like thrifty Americans should because the cereal will go stale before we get home again to finish it, and there isn’t room in the van to take it with us.
I have to run to Wal-mart during the first snowfall with the rest of the unprepared mob to buy boots, hats and mittens instead of finding them months in advance at a thrift store or garage sale. Who was to know that we’d even be in a place where we’d need winter gear?

This not knowing what or where we’ll be from one day to the next sometimes drives me crazy! I find myself wanting to argue with God, “How am I supposed to plan what we’re going to eat and drink and wear like a responsible wife and mother when I don’t know where you’re going to send us next?”

Oh wait…something about that sounds familiar. Didn’t Jesus already say something about that? Yeah, here it is in Matthew 6:31-34. “So don’t worry about these things, saying ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

That’s a pretty straight-forward answer! The worrying about (and dare I say) the organized planning of my future is NOT MY JOB! It’s God’s responsibility and when I look back it’s easy to see he has done a right fine job of it too. I’ve never wanted or lacked that which I truly needed, and I’ve been blessed with a whole lot more besides.

So what is my job? To “live in the holy carelessness of the eternal now”—seeking God’s Kingdom and living righteously. Whew! That gives me a lot of freedom to enjoy today and whatever God puts in my path—the fun and the challenging. With God’s enabling…this I can do.

“It Just Sounds So Good”

2010-10-14T22:48:00.001-04:00

Since 2004, the Taylors have been living and working with the Nukna, a Bibleless people of Papua New Guinea (PNG). They recently completed a revision of the Nukna translation of Genesis 12-22, and the next step in the process is called “village-checking”. The translated portions are read aloud to the people in the village to test the clarity and flow of the text. We’ve been receiving email updates from the Taylors while they have been in the village, and we want to share how God has been speaking to the Nukna people through the newly translated Scripture. The Taylors write:

“It was so exciting to be reading a passage, and hear the people laughing at the right spots, or smiling as I or one of the village men read. I would ask them, ‘Why are you all smiling?’ And they would answer, ‘Because it just sounds so good. We've heard this story before in Tok Pisin (the trade language), but we've never heard it like this before!’

As we were checking Genesis chapter 21, which tells the story of Hagar and Ishmael dying of thirst in the desert, and God hearing their cries and revealing a well of water to save them, a large downpour with thunder and lightning hit the village, the first heavy rain in almost three weeks.

One of the village leaders said to me, ‘It has been so dry lately, and we have been very worried that the food growing in our gardens would dry up and die. But just like God heard Hagar's cries for water, He has heard our cries for water and sent this rain.’

Wow, great timing, God!”

Reading Matt’s story renews our excitement for Bible translation, and we look forward to returning to PNG to support the work through aviation. Ask us how you can help bring God’s Word to the Nukna people and other Bibleless people of Papua New Guinea. Bible translation requires a lot of team work, and God uses ordinary people like you and me to accomplish this task.

Pink Glasses are Chic

2010-10-13T19:45:00.001-04:00

Look who got glasses today!

After several weeks of reoccurring headaches, and complaints that reading made her tired, we decided to get Claire’s eyes checked. She’s a bit farsighted, has astigmatism, and needs to wear her glasses all the time…BUT we think she’s even cuter than she was before!

Teamwork on Two Wheels

2010-10-06T20:08:00.001-04:00

So sometimes the kids do get along. Actually, they usually play together pretty well, but this made me just plain proud of them….

To Be Useful

2010-09-29T23:08:00.001-04:00

We’ve been at JAARS for the past six weeks and we’re finding out what a blessing it is to be useful.

As we mentioned before, Jon has been helping to get the new Kodiak airplane ready for its assignment in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Installing a fire detection system and HF radio were planned projects, as was building a tow bar and making cargo nets. Replacing a fuel tank was not! During an inspection one of the mechanics discovered that one of the brand new fuel cells was leaking. A very good thing to discover while the airplane is safely on the ground—not flying over the Atlantic on its way to PNG!

We also thank God for the opportunity to be useful to other families we’ve met here at JAARS who are planning to minister in PNG. Some families are in the training stages and some are just starting the application process, but all have lots of questions about what life is like on the other side of the world. Our five years of experience in PNG have come in handy!

There’s still a bit of work to be done on the Kodiak, but we’re hoping the plane will be in PNG by the end of October. When the Kodiak is ready to begin that long journey, our family will return to our home in Virginia. But Lord willing, we’ll see it on “the other side” one day soon!

A NASCAR Kind of Morning

2010-09-19T15:00:00.001-04:00

Trip to Hendrick Motorsports Museum = $0

Souvenir Mark Martin #5 car = $8

Visit to the Charlotte Motor Speedway = $0

Morning spent living one little boy’s favorite fantasy = Priceless

10 Reasons We Love Homeschool

2010-09-16T23:09:00.001-04:00

Maybe you’ve noticed our “We love Sonlight” gadget to the right. Sonlight Curriculum Ltd. is the name of the company where we get a majority of our home-schooling materials. And although it is true that we love Sonlight and we love homeschooling, some days I need to be reminded. Today is one of those days. So here goes….

We’re free to teach our children about God and his creation from his precious Word.
Homeschool travels well, and we can adjust our schedule to meet our family’s needs.
We get to do “field trips” during non-peak times.
No bullies!
We can tailor our teaching methods and materials to meet our children’s learning needs without the fear of them developing a complex because they are “ahead” or “behind” the rest of their class.
We get more time to observe and encourage our kids as they explore interests, and develop skills.
Our children’s social development involves interaction outside just their peer group. (Who’s idea was it anyway that the best way to develop socially was to stick a bunch of equally socially immature kids in a room together for 6+ hours a day?)
No hour-long bus rides or school pick-up queues.
Our children learn together, and we learn right alongside them.
Our school goes way beyond textbooks and tests. We’re transferring our beliefs and values onto our children while instilling a life-long hunger for learning.

Let’s Ride!

2010-08-31T14:19:00.001-04:00

During the past couple of days, Claire took a big step in her quest for independence. She can now officially ride a bicycle without any assistance. She’s mighty proud, and I’ve been hard-pressed to keep her inside. It’s amazing how quickly she can finish school when there is a bike outside just calling her name!

Betty

2010-08-30T14:20:00.001-04:00

The daughter of our friends, Orava and Leah, from Papua New Guinea went to be with Jesus on Sunday evening. Betty had struggled with a heart condition for many years, but you would’ve never know by her faith, love and bright smile.

We miss you, Betty, but we’re so glad you are completely healed and at home with Jesus. We look forward to seeing you again one day!

The Kodiak

2010-08-25T21:01:00.001-04:00

Almost a year ago, the aviation department in Papua New Guinea started using a new type of aircraft, the Kodiak, to service translation programs within the country. This airplane, specifically designed for missions work and rugged environments, is quickly proving its worth. Eventually the PNG branch would like to utilize several Kodiaks to fly the majority of the workload. The current “workhorse”, the Cessna 206 airplane, requires Avgas, a type of fuel that is expensive and easily contaminated. In June, the price of Avgas went up 25%. The Kodiak, however, uses a less finicky fuel (Jet A) which actually decreased in price!

In May, I spent a week in Sandpointe, ID at the Quest Aircraft manufacturing plant getting some maintenance training on the Kodiak. At the time, the frame of the PNG branch’s second Kodiak was still being built.

Now that airplane has left the factory and sits in the hangar at the JAARS center in Waxhaw, NC. Our family will spend the next several weeks at the JAARS center while I help to install some modifications on the airplane that will suit it for its particular work in PNG. The goal is to have the airplane finished by October in time for its ferry flight.

I thank God for the opportunity to support Bible translation in PNG now by using my recent Kodiak training; even as we continue preparing to return to Papua New Guinea ourselves.

Coming Home

2010-08-16T16:31:00.001-04:00

After a 3 1/2 week trip to some of Great Lake States, we came home to find our yard rivaling the grasslands of the Serengeti. Our “lions” thought it a great place to prowl around and stretch legs too long cramped in the car.

It’s good to be home…for a few days anyway. The reunion with toys and books is like Christmas all over again for the kids. I’m happy to mess around in my own kitchen, and hang clothes on the line again. But as much as we enjoy our house, it’s starting to feel like a burden…or maybe an anchor—holding us back in our plans to return to Papua New Guinea. Maybe it’s necessary for me to feel this so I don’t mourn the loss of our home when we do eventually get back to PNG. Maybe God has other plans for it…or us for that matter. I don’t know, but in the meantime our house is going back on the market to see what happens.

God Speaks Yopno

2010-08-09T10:24:00.002-04:00

A colleague from Papua New Guinea recently sent us this photo. Last week the Yopno New Testament was dedicated. Now these young ladies can enjoy reading God’s Word in their heart language.

"I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a might shout, 'Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!'" Revelation 7:9-10 (NLT)

“Pure Michigan”

2010-08-08T00:44:00.001-04:00

Despite the misadventure of getting rear-ended in Gary, IN, we finally made it to Grand Rapids, MI to spend some time with Missy’s parents. Grammy and Papa only recently moved to this Great Lakes state and we’re discovering some of its many treasures. The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is definitely worth a visit. Just make sure to set aside the whole day and wear good walking shoes.

It’s a very friendly place. We even got to hang out with Mr. and Mrs. Meijer…

…and Fluffy the fire-breathing dragon.

Claire egg sat for BIG momma robin, and filled in as a human sundial.

Isaiah found his avatar…

…and before we left, we tried the floating salad and rock candy on a stick.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

2010-08-01T00:02:00.001-04:00

Jon recently had the privilege of representing Wycliffe Bible Translators at the world’s greatest aviation celebration in Oshkosh, WI. A team from JAARS (an organization committed to providing technical support services and resources to Wycliffe) had a booth at the air-show and brought a couple of their aircraft for display.

Jon was on hand to answer questions about the aircraft, but his favorite part of the experience was being able to talk to so many people about the ministry of Wycliffe and explain how the aircraft help make Bible translation possible.

Just the Right Bible

2010-07-31T23:06:00.001-04:00

We’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately so my access to the internet has been sporadic, but I’ve been meaning to post a video that a friend brought to my attention a few months ago. It was made by some colleagues in Papua New Guinea and is a great reminder how blessed we English speakers are to have the Bible in our own language—a gift we too easily take for granted.

Flower Girl and Ring-bearer

2010-07-11T21:27:00.004-04:00

Our good friends from Discover Church—Nick and Carrie tied the knot yesterday. It was a beautiful wedding and our family was honored to be asked to participate. Claire and Isaiah acted as flower girl and ring-bearer respectively.

For Claire, the chance to dress like a princess was a dream come true. Isaiah, on the other hand, usually just wants to do what Claire is doing until he finds out it involves lots of people watching him. During the rehearsal we had a couple of false starts, but Isaiah eventually made it down the aisle hiding behind his hands. Ominously, Saturday morning dawned with Isaiah’s announcement that he didn’t want to “carry a pillow”. Mom and Dad were forced to pull out some positive reinforcement.

2:00 PM couldn’t come fast enough. I was almost a nervous wreck trying to keep a white shirt, and a white dress WHITE till then! I have to ask, who’s idea was it to leave chocolate chip cookies in the church lobby for my four and six year old to find? <wink> We did enjoy them though….

In the end, both kids played their parts wonderfully, and were pretty adorable if I do say so myself. When Isaiah reached Jon who was waiting for them at the front of the auditorium, he whispered, “Do I get my remote controlled car now?” Nothing like “positive reinforcement” to get a boy to smile while dressed up in a shirt and tie!

We Don’t Ever Want to Forget

2010-07-07T21:28:00.001-04:00

We recently received this encouraging story from the president of Wycliffe Bible Translators and thought you might enjoy it as well. As a side note…we met Andrew Sims at JAARS about 6 weeks ago.

The single-engine plane circled and landed in a remote village in Southeast Asia. As translators Andrew and Anne Sims stepped out, they were immediately surrounded by several hundred Ketengban men and women—all dressed in full celebratory dress with feathered headdresses, and even some with bones in their noses, and plugs in their earlobes. Brandishing bows and arrows, hooting, chanting and dancing, they swirled in and around Andrew and Anne, honoring them by draping net bags around their necks.

Andrew and Anne were caught completely off-guard. Even though they were responsible for the Ketengban translation project and this was Anne’s first visit since the New Testament dedication 11 years earlier, they hadn’t expected such an exuberant welcome. They were further baffled when they noticed that not everyone was celebrating.

Off to the edge of the crowd stood a somber group of about eight young men. Like everyone else, they were dressed in full traditional regalia, but they were also covered in white mud from head to toe. They stood expressionless and silent, never moving, never joining in the celebration.

The elders explained: “Today we celebrate your return, Andrew and Anne, you who brought God’s words to us in our own language. But we don’t want to forget what life was like before we had the Word, so we asked these young men to cover themselves with mud and to stand apart, silent and somber. They represent the lives of all of us before we understood God’s words to us. We were like dead men walking. We didn’t know God or His Son. We lived in guilt and fear and constant warfare, always under the power of the evil spirits, who terrified us and caused us to fear one another as well.

“Now we are alive in Christ and free from our dark past. We are insiders, part of God’s family—no longer outsiders silently watching from afar. But our children don’t remember what it was like to be outsiders and walk as dead men, because they were born after the coming of God’s words. We want them to understand our past so they will fully value what they have with Jesus and will always give thanks to God. We older people don’t want to forget how much God has changed us either!”

They haven’t forgotten, and they haven’t kept the good news to themselves. They’ve reached out to half a dozen neighboring language groups—bringing people to Christ and planting churches. They’ve also committed themselves to getting more of the Word into their own language. The New Testament, dedicated in 1998, was not enough for them. Two teams of passionate, highly motivated mother tongue translators are working on a shortened version (45%) of the Old Testament, with the careful guidance of Andrew, who now works as a translation consultant with The Seed Company.

Through computer assisted adaptation, the Ketengban are also sharing their New Testament with the speakers of Lik, a closely related language. Andrew is working with mother tongue translators of that language, using the Adapt It software program to go from the Ketengban New Testament to the Lik. They will polish the resulting draft until God’s Word is as clear to the Lik people as it is to the Ketengban.

The Ketengban have it right: Against a background of darkness, light shines more brightly. If you don’t have your own memories of the darkness and fear outside of God’s family, I’d encourage you to tuck away the Ketengbans’ story for those occasions when you need a fresh appreciation for all that God has done.

In Deuteronomy 4:9 (NLT) Moses says to the Israelites: “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.”

Hang on to those memories. Pass them on to your children and your grandchildren, your colleagues and your partners. Let the memories enrich your personal walk with Christ, and let them give you a renewed passion for sharing the Good News with those still struggling in darkness outside the family of God. --Bob Creson

Caneadea, NY

2010-06-30T15:03:00.005-04:00

Our current road trip took us to Stevens, PA to see some good friends, and then on to the Damon homestead in Western New York. We'll be speaking a couple of times while we're up here, but in the meantime, there’s always lots to do at Grandpa and Grandma’s house!

The Un-burnt Bible

2010-06-22T20:32:00.002-04:00

You can be sure that wherever God is at work, Satan is setting up resistance. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), opposition to the work of Bible translation often seems to take the form of squabbles and clashes between language groups or villages. Such has been the situation among the villages near the Ukarumpa center where we lived. Although, none of our expatriate co-workers have been in any real danger, our local friends and their families have suffered greatly. “Raskols” (trouble-makers) have destroyed their crops, burned their homes and threatened their lives.

Despite the grim news from PNG, we know God is not just idly sitting by while his people flounder in despair! A co-worker recently sent us this encouraging story.

“The most amazing testimony came from Pastor Karl who held a bilum [string bag] with a Bible inside. The house had burned, but the bilum and the Bible were intact. The bilum had only one small burn spot. He referenced Jesus' words in Matthew 24:35, ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’ And he said, ‘This is what we're doing in translating the Bible in our language, giving the people something that will not be destroyed.’ This is such an encouragement...a local Pastor who has seen God's hand, has caught the vision and is saying ‘we’ in regards to Bible translation. Is God not blessing His work in this valley? There isn't a raskol around who can stop what God is doing. This was so evident by the hope expressed in the hearts of the people today.”

God is at work in the hearts and lives of the people of Papua New Guinea through his written Word. Amen! Testimonies like the one above fuel our desire to return to PNG and support the work of Bible translation there.

(This story is an excerpt from our June 2010 newsletter. Please contact us if you would like to receive this newsletter by email.)

Black and Blue

2010-06-19T22:24:00.001-04:00

For weeks my calendar has alerted me to the fact that June 19 was the day Morris Orchard opened for blueberry picking. My family and I have already consumed several quarts of the store-bought version this summer, but everyone knows they can’t compare to the “pick-your-own” variety. <smile>

We learned last summer that if you want good berries, you’ve got to get there before the “jam-makers” sweep the bushes clean. So armed with hats, sunscreen and bug repellent we journeyed to my favorite spot in Virginia. Really, the drive is beautiful! Morris Orchard sits at the base of High Peak Mountain in a perfectly pastoral valley.

It was a pleasant surprise to learn that blackberries were ripe as well. It’s so cool that they’re on thorn-less vines. Makes it easy for the kids to help pick.

We quickly filled our quota and our cravings—although the blackberries are addicting. Fortunately, the owners recognize that children of all ages are by default going to get purple fingers and mouths while picking. We took our black and blue plunder home to be baked and frozen if they didn’t get eaten first. My only regret is that we missed the day’s supply of soft peaches. I’m telling you—you’ve got to get there when the doors open at 9:00 AM!

Sonlight Box Day

2010-06-18T14:03:00.001-04:00

After helping Home Works get their new facilities ready for the open house on Monday, we came home to find a large box waiting for us on our front step. The contents of which are next year’s homeschool books and supplies. Those big boxes cause quite a stir in our house.

Claire told us afterward that getting her school books in the mail was even better than getting toys. Go figure!

Natural Bridge, VA

2010-06-16T21:59:00.001-04:00

Just got back from a 2-night camping trip to Natural Bridge, VA. A National Historical Landmark, and can you believe we forgot our camera! Fortunately, photos of this amazing rock structure abound. At dusk, the park puts on a light display choreographed to the “Story of Creation” and ancient hymns. It’s rather curious considering it was all about “millions and millions of years ago” earlier in the day.

Our family enjoyed a few days together away from phones, computers and the demands of preparing to return to Papua New Guinea. Swimming…hiking…hotdogs…swings and slides…the deepest cavern on the east coast…and my favorite—the campfire. There’s something therapeutic about sitting around a fire sharing stories…or maybe it’s just the marshmallows.

Our Acre

2010-06-11T23:01:00.001-04:00

In the 14 1/2 years that Jon and I have been married, we’ve lived in 17+ different dwellings. That’s not counting multiple stays in a particular place or stays of less than one month. So to be in our own home right now with our own yard is a BIG deal to us.

We’re home for a couple of weeks right now and finding excuses to work on our acre—mulch the rhododendrons, pull weeds in the driveway, plan to put in a few flowering bushes along the edge of the woods…. Practical Me thinks it’s kind of a waste to go through so much effort while the house is up for sale. But the Rest of Me gets a whole lot of satisfaction outta seeing the stunning blooms adorning the house. I didn’t even plant them, but they’re in OUR garden—however temporary that may be.

Rest Time

2010-06-11T22:08:00.001-04:00

An afternoon rest time for the kiddos is a daily occurrence in our home…or it is whenever we can swing it. For one hour, Claire and Isaiah are assigned separate rooms where they are allowed to read books or play quietly. On a good day, it’s a chance for mommy and daddy to get some quiet time. On the average day, however, it looks more like this. I’m pretty convinced that parents enjoy these wooden trains the most.