Celebrating Papua New Guinea’s 50th Anniversary…

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34 NIV

It has been an exciting lead up to the 50th anniversary of independence celebrations that will be taking place around the country this year. Cultural shows in Goroka and Morobe will draw huge crowds this week, and there are community programs at the local national high school and primary school here in the Aiyura valley on Tuesday. Flag raising ceremonies at Independence Hill near the National Parliament House in Port Moresby, to our own flag raising here in Ukarumpa, will signify national pride, unity and thanksgiving. It was particularly poignant to gather together, nationals and expatriates, to sing the national anthem, and have one of our Australian missionaries participate in the raising of the PNG flag in Ukarumpa, who was here as a student 50 years ago for the very first PNG flag raising. Ukarumpa International School also recognized the holiday by encouraging students and teachers to wear PNG colors and traditional costumes to school and gathered together to pray for the nation. At a combined Tok Pisin and English church service, the speaker reminded us that “as the church goes, so goes the nation” and we were exhorted to seek God’s Kingdom first in everything we do, building up and encouraging the body of Christ around us. He acknowledged that his beloved nation has very real challenges for its future and encouraged us to pray for the leaders of both the nation and the churches to seek the LORD and His plan for this beautiful and diverse country. That is our prayer, not just for PNG, but for our own beloved country as well. Please join us in praying for the nations to seek the LORD with all their hearts and souls.

Finishing Term 1 at UISSC…

It has been a busy term at UISSC and all of the students have been working hard to start off the school year well. Kathy is always grateful for each and every one of her students, but it has been a special privilege to pour into her PNG students. We pray they will be the future leaders of their country, firmly rooted in the truth of God’s Word and possessing the critical thinking skills and knowledge to celebrate their culture even as they look to the future. Pray for all of the UISSC students who attend the Encounter spiritual retreat this year, that they would grow more deeply in love with Jesus and would seek Him above everything else.

Prayer Points...

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for peace and unity in PNG during the 50th anniversary of Independence on September 16th.

• Bible translation: Praise for the Urim Bible dedication; there was great rejoicing in the large crowds that turned out for the event, which was well received.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for a strong finish to Term 1 at UIS and for the upcoming student spiritual retreat. Pray for continued wisdom and discernment for Scott and his team in his new role as SIL Global Child Safety Director.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for good health and positive learning opportunities for the new families living in the village as part of their PNG orientation course.

• God’s provision: Thank you for being an integral part of our ministry, through your prayers and support - we thank God for you every day!

Serving in Bible translation for a year or for decades…

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  - Galatians 6:9 NIV

One of the joys that we have experienced while serving here in Papua New Guinea is getting to work alongside other followers of Jesus. The LORD has brought each person here for a season, and seeing their faithfulness and obedience is an encouragement to us. Some are only here for a year, but they make a huge difference. Our friend Nat (bottom row, second from the left) has been a lovely addition to our Bible study group, has served faithfully as a recruiter in Human Resources, and volunteered constantly to serve in many other ministries during her year here. Retired and in her 70s, she is still serving the LORD faithfully, even when He called her to move to PNG for a year, and we have been deeply inspired and encouraged by her. We also said goodbye recently to our friends the Whiteheads, who have served here as translators for over 50 years. They began their ministry with the Menya people before the country achieved independence in 1975, dedicated their New Testament several years ago, and spent the last few years continuing to serve the community by training more national translators from other language groups in Bible translation techniques. Our other friends, the Parkers, just finished their 20 years of service here, supporting Bible translation by teaching and working in Aviation. It doesn’t matter if God calls you to serve for a year or for a lifetime, being obedient to that call to serve, whether right in your home church, community or here with us in PNG, is what matters. It is a joy to serve the LORD, even on the difficult days, because He has already promised we will reap a harvest if we persevere and don’t give up!

A new school year begins…

We are already five weeks into our new school year at Ukarumpa International School (UIS) and are thankful for the good start made by our students and faculty. Kathy is enjoying teaching Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science to grades 9-12. Her students are participating in laboratory exercises and projects as they learn more about the complexity and design in creation. Every day is a new opportunity to look with awe and wonder at God’s creativity surrounding us; we just need to open our eyes to see it and appreciate it. Stop and observe something lovely or new in your neighborhood - it is a choice we make to recognize the beauty and be grateful.

Prayer Points...

 • Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for peace and unity in PNG and preparations for the 50th anniversary of Independence on September 16th.

• Bible translation: Pray for the upcoming Urim Bible dedication in September, for transformation and joy as this community receives God’s Word.

• Our roles in PNG: Praise for a good start to the new school year at UIS. Pray for continued wisdom and discernment for Scott and his team in his new role as SIL Global Child Safety Director.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for good health for families serving in our community, and praise for the healing received by those who have recently experienced medical evacuations.

• God’s provision: Thank you for your faithful prayer support and encouragement. We are grateful for you every day and you are an integral part of our ministry.

Mission Partners: It takes a team to support Bible translation

“Without counsel purposes are disappointed; but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” -Proverbs 15:22 KJV

If you have been following our ministry, you know that we work with Wycliffe Bible Translators USA and that we serve in support roles in Papua New Guinea (PNG). What some of you may not know is that we also work with the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). SIL, established in 1934, and Wycliffe, established in 1942, were both founded by Cameron Townsend to serve the cause of Bible translation. We and many of our colleagues are Wycliffe USA members assigned to SIL in Papua New Guinea. We are honored to serve as members of both organizations and plan to continue to do so according to God’s will for our lives. Another organization, also established by Cameron Townsend in 1948, is JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Relay Service). JAARS is based in North Carolina and provides aviation, maritime and other services in support of Bible translation. When we fly on mission aircraft, we are flying with JAARS-trained pilots. Some of the teachers at our school are sent from Teach Beyond, another mission organization that provides educators to serve at international Christian schools. Since PNG is the most linguistically diverse country in the world, it takes quite a team to support the work of Bible translation. That team consists of people with a multitude of skill sets from a multitude of organizations. As Christians, we all have the common goal of seeing God’s will and work to be done to the ends of the Earth. If you feel called to serve overseas, please pray first and then contact us; we are happy to answer your questions and refer you to recruiters. Thank you again for your prayers and support of the work God is doing here in PNG!