Meeting Bible translation teams gives us Perspective...

As we have met and spoken with more Papua New Guineans, we have begun appreciating how integral their “tok ples”, or native language, is to their tribal culture and identity. This is why having the Bible in their “heart language” speaks to them more deeply and profoundly than trying to study it in English, or Tok Pisin, the trade language. Our friends from the Pacific Orientation Course, the Vargas family, will soon begin a translation project in Alotau, and we are seeing first hand their preparation. Moving their family out to a village and beginning the daunting task of learning a new language and starting a translation project is a great step of faith, and we are blessed to be a part of their prayer team. We were also tremendously encouraged last Sunday night, as a translation team spoke at the evening service about the 40 years they have spent in PNG, translating the New Testament into two unrelated languages in two different regions of PNG. Seeing their video of the Bible being dedicated and distributed in these villages to men and women eager to read the Word of God in their heart languages was inspiring, as was the complete humility with which this couple gave all the glory to God for enabling them to be used for His work and purposes. Perspective- this is ultimately why we are here!.