Tuesday, December 1, 2020

God is still in control, even in 2020…


Thank God for our ability to return to PNG 

This year has been an interesting time for us, and likely for you as well. In March 2020, as we were about to return to PNG, international travel stopped and countries closed their borders due to the global pandemic. Over the next 6 months, we and many of our colleagues kept trying to return to the field and finally, on our sixth try, we were able to return to Papua New Guinea on a World Food Program flight from Malaysia. As we look back on 2020, we are thankful. God provided for us through His people in so many ways: housing, vehicles, friendship, funds and opportunities for service to keep us busy and productive. So yes, 2020 has been eventful and unusual, and some would even say unprecedented, but through it all God has been in control. As we enter into 2021, we encourage you to seek His will for your life and to allow Him to use you wherever you are.


Getting released from quarantine with our fellow returnees


 Scott is happily back to his role as Field Security Officer and Kathy is back teaching at Ukarumpa International School. Scott also got to be a ‘guest earthquake’ to test student projects  and had too much fun!


We are praying for you and your family. Thank you for your prayers and your financial partnership with our Wycliffe ministry; you allow us to continue to serve in our roles in Papua New Guinea.

Seeing God at Work…

Bible Translation: God's promises being fulfilled

We know that 2020 has been a challenging time for everyone, and we have been praying intentionally for each of you throughout this year. One of our prayers has been for wisdom, to see where God is at work in the midst of the difficulties, and to give Him the honor, glory and praise He deserves, despite our circumstances. Where have you seen God at work this year? Even with all of the restrictions to global travel due to the pandemic, we have seen 21 families able to return to their ministries in PNG and continue to serve where God has called them. Lord-willing, there will be another 10 families returning in December; please pray for their COVID tests to come back negative, and for their safe and smooth travels. 

In Papua New Guinea, God has worked in amazing ways this past year. Even though some personnel needed to return to their passport countries due to the pandemic, Bible translation still progressed. Work moved on-line and remote for several months, but now translation teams are returning to their villages. School was also remote for several months, but now classes are meeting in person on campus. We do not take this for granted; to date, there have been 7 deaths attributed to COVID-19 and 599 confirmed cases in PNG, and we pray for God’s continued mercy and protection. 

We continue to be extraordinarily blessed to serve in Papua New Guinea, and we invite you to be a part of this team effort. Would you prayerfully consider joining our Wycliffe ministry team as a prayer and monthly financial partner so that we can continue to serve in our roles in PNG? The story of Christmas is simple, yet profound: God sent His son Jesus to be Emmanuel, God with us, and through Him, reconciled us to Himself. Jesus was the hands and feet of God on this earth, and He calls all Christians today to follow in His footsteps. We continue to serve in Papua New Guinea as His hands and feet in obedience to that call. We are deeply thankful for the team of faithful people that He is using, both in the US and PNG, to make this possible. Come, o come, Emmanuel!

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 

-Matthew 1: 21-23 (NKJV)

Blessings,

Scott & Kathy Watson

2020 by the numbers...

‣ 142 PNG languages with Bible translations currently in progress

‣ 188 language personnel serving in PNG

‣ 216 New Testaments completed & dedicated

‣ 204 support personnel serving in PNG

‣ Personnel from 18 countries represented

‣ 252 PNG national employees serving

‣ 5 New Testaments: Nali (50%), Fanamaket, Vitu, Ura and Gizrra are dedicated this year

‣ 9 training courses are offered, from Basic Exegesis and Hebrew to Anthropology, Hands-on Linguistics and Translator Training 1&2

‣ 1 Jesus film script in the Tigak language is printed and recorded

‣ Ukarumpa International School (UIS) receives its accreditation from WASC through 2026

Thank you again for faithfully praying!

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Praise and rejoicing...



“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the 
nations, “The LORD reigns!” 1 Chronicles 16:31

It was a day of praise and rejoicing when we were released from our 2 week quarantine, along with the other 3 couples who returned on our flight. Since then, 10 more families have been able to return to Ukarumpa, and are currently in quarantine, with the hope of another 7 families returning in November. This has not only encouraged the other missionaries serving here, who now have more colleagues to share to load with them, but also our Papua New Guinean friends and coworkers. Hegio and Nene sat with Kathy and told her how concerned they had been for our safety and health, and how they had prayed for us. They also shared how they had listened to God’s Word in their language, which they had received from us on a solar-powered player before we left, and how much it had encouraged them and their extended family during this pandemic. “We hear the Bible in mixed Tok Pisin and English in church, but when we hear it in Kamano Kafe, it goes right to our hearts and changes us!” they said. Thank you all for continuing to be a part of transforming peoples lives, one heart at a time.

Autumn or Spring?

While we do miss seeing the fall colors in New England, we were also very happy to return to beautiful spring flowers here in the southern hemisphere! It has been lovely to see our hibiscus and bougainvillea blooming, and the red amaryllis are in season. We even have yummy pineapples growing in the backyard! All of this new growth and life has been a great encouragement to us, and reminds us each day that our lives are in our good Father’s hands.

Prayer Points

 • Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray against the spread of COVID-19 throughout PNG and pray for peace and wisdom.

• Bible translation: Praise for the arrival of the completed Gizrra New Testament and pray for preparations for the Bible dedication in December.

• Our roles in PNG: Praise for being released from quarantine and being able to return to our work in security and at school!

• PNG missionaries: Pray for the next wave of families returning to Ukarumpa who are in quarantine and transition.

• God’s provision: Thank you for allowing God to use you as part of our team! Your kindness, faithfulness and generosity have enabled us to successfully return to Papua New Guinea.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Travel Update

It took 72 hours, 5 flights and all of your prayers to get us back to Papua New Guinea— we are so grateful to all of you, and to God's mercy and grace, for allowing us to return.  We have been officially cleared to quarantine in our home in Ukarumpa and will spend the next 14 days cleaning, unpacking and getting reconnected to the community here.  They welcomed us so warmly and we are deeply grateful to be back.

Photo Credit: Paul Stewart

Thank you for partnering with our Wycliffe ministry— you and your family enable us to continue to faithfully serve Bible translation in PNG!

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Trusting His Direction...


 “This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” 

-Isaiah 48:17


We said last month that His loving plan, in His timing, is the best option and that we would continue to seek Him and His will to be done in all of our circumstances. He has been teaching us greater patience and perseverance, to find joy right where we are, while still seeking to serve and go deeper in relationship with Him and those around us. This is the fruit of the Spirit that He wants to grow in every believer: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control (Galatians 5: 22-23). Much like the wonderful summer fruit we’ve been enjoying while here, it is best when mature, and we’ve all been challenged to grow deeper during this season of waiting. But God not only teaches, He directs the way we should go, and often surprises us. So join us in praise for our new flight with the United Nation’s World Food Programme, via Kuala Lumpur, on September 15! This was a most unexpected opportunity and can get us and another 4 families back to PNG over a month sooner than any commercial flight we’ve found. Thank you for your prayers - they are making all the difference.