How Much Do You Value Your Education?

Proverbs 22:6 “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (NIV)

It has been a genuine pleasure to begin my second year teaching at Ukarumpa International School. The school exists to provide a quality education for the kids of Bible translators and the staff who support them. But missionary kids (MKs) are only a part of our student body, as we reach out and enroll kids from the the wider Papua New Guinean community. The average level of education completed in PNG is Grade 6, which significantly limits the opportunities of adults for varied employment. The Papua New Guinean students I teach in Grades 7, 8 and 10 know this and are truly appreciative

of the education they are receiving, thanking me each day for teaching them. The mother of one bright, Grade 7 girl asked to meet with me last June, just to tell me how much she appreciated me and the school. She tearfully said how much her daughter would miss it, as she would be unable to return this year due to financial reasons. We prayed together and I boldly asked God for a miracle, so this lovely girl with such great potential could continue her education at UIS. I cannot express how overjoyed I was to see her smiling face in my Grade 8 class this year! God is working in powerful ways here, preparing these young girls and boys to be future leaders of their nation. Thank you so much for your prayers and partnership that are an active, vital part of this process. 

Students at UIS

The international flags on the middle school lockers reflect the cultural diversity at Ukarumpa International School well. Many different nations and cultures come together in a robust learning environment where Jesus Christ is the central foundation and binding common ground. Please pray for good relationships between students and each other, their teachers, and the community in which we live. 


-Kathy

Saying Goodbye to a Mentor and Friend...

This week the Ukarumpa Community and indeed the entire Aiyura Valley said good bye to Arua Tepi, a good friend, mentor and co- worker who supported Bible Translation efforts for 34 years. Arua spent his last several years working as the Assistant to the Security Operations Manager and he excelled in his work. Even though I was his manager, it was he who mentored me; helping me to understand cultural differences, improve my Tok Pisin and keeping me focused on the big picture of what God is doing in Papua New Guinea.  Shortly after my arrival, Arua came into my office and asked if I was OK with him conducting prayer walks around the center during the overnight shift. You see, Arua had a good understanding of physical security and its limits in a mission environment. More importantly, Arua understood that God has no limits and his life reflected that reality. 

Arua had a sixth grade education and yet could just as wisely counsel Ph.D’s as he could contract security staff or market vendors. Despite the fact that Arua was from the Southern Highlands and not local to the Aiyura Valley, he was able to make peace between opposing parties. During Arua’s memorial service, many people came forward to tell how he’d led them to Christ, mentored young people and come to the aid of several others in difficult circumstances. While we mourn the loss of our mentor and friend, we take solace in the fact that he is in the presence of Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. One of Arua’s favorite verses was 1 Corinthians 15:58:

“Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (NIV) 

-Scott

Frost and Drought in PNG

This article makes a good point about the cascading impacts that these kinds of issues have on people. Please keep this matter in your prayers.

http://www.pg.undp.org/content/papua_new_guinea/en/home/presscenter/articles/2015/08/26/frost-and-drought-strikes-papua-new-guinea.html