Changing seasons and consistent service…

“Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”                                              Acts 14:17 (NIV)

As the Southern Hemisphere transitions from spring toward summer and we move from dry season to rainy season, we are reminded of how dependant we are on God’s mercy, sending the rain for our water tanks and for the crops grown by all of the surrounding villages. The rainbows we have enjoyed recently remind us of God’s promises, and His consistency, to be with us and provide for us. It fills us with gratitude, that we can continue to serve here in support of Bible translation. This year, we have seen so many New Testaments dedicated, the culmination of decades of faithful service. This makes a total of 229 New Testaments that have been dedicated, and the work is not finished; there are 136 languages currently engaged in translation and more that are still waiting to begin. Our number of workers is smaller now than it was when we arrived 10 years ago, but God is still using those who are faithfully serving to accomplish His purposes. Please continue to pray that God would send more workers to the field; the harvest is ripe and there is much to do. Thank you for praying for us and all of our colleagues faithfully continuing to serve here, for good health and strength to continue the work until it is complete.

Ubuvala checking party…

One of the direct ways we can invest in Bible translation is to help check the proofs before they are typeset and sent to the printer. Even though Kathy doesn’t speak Ubuvala, she could still contribute by looking for correct formatting of footnotes, pagination, illustration captions and quotations. It was a great opportunity to spend part of her break between school terms serving directly in Bible translation, and it is exciting to know that another New Testament will be sent to the printer soon. Pray for the hearts of the Ubuvala speakers to be joyfully open to receiving God’s Word in their language!

Prayer Points...

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for wisdom and discernment for government leaders and peace throughout the country.

• Bible translation: Praise for the Nara and the Saliba New Testament dedications this month. Pray for God’s Word to transform lives and hearts in these language groups.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for Scott, the Security team, and the Crisis Management Team, for wisdom and safety. Pray for Term 2 at UIS to continue well, and for healthy students and teachers.

• PNG missionaries: Praise for the PNG Orientation course participants completing their village living experience, and for having new families here to invest in Bible translation in PNG.

• God’s provision: Thank you all for your faithful prayers, love, partnership and support- we couldn’t serve here without you.

Be a part of an amazing team…

Photo credit: Anita McCarthy

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, 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.”  1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

When you give yourself fully to the work of the LORD, you need to know what you are striving towards. The goal of our organization in PNG is to see God’s Word available in every language, in every life. At Ukarumpa International School, we invest in our students, seeking to develop Godly learners for life (learn more at ukarumpainternationalschool.org). These goals intersect when translation teams, pilots, doctors, managers and national workers rely on the school to provide a high quality education for their children, so they can continue in their ministry work. These goals overlap when we get the privilege of witnessing our students choose to be baptised and make that public declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ and the power of God’s Word to transform their lives. Serving with such a dedicated team of like-minded people, passionate about seeing both of these goals achieved, has been a privilege and a blessing to us. Please pray for our team of talented faculty, staff and administrators at UISSC, that we would stand firm and continue to serve faithfully. Please pray that God would send more teachers and administrators to serve our many needs for next year. We know that our labor is not in vain!

Grateful for community…

We are so thankful for the diverse community of people that God has brought to serve together here in Ukarumpa. Representing many countries, languages and denominations, we live, work, pray and worship together as part of the body of Christ, seeking to do His will in this place. We’ve been blessed to be a part of people’s lives during the season that God has placed them here, and many have poured into us spiritually. Thank God for the community He has blessed you with and let them know you are grateful!

Prayer Points:

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for wisdom and discernment for government leaders and peacethroughout the country.

• Bible translation: Praise for the Feni New Testament dedication on 16 September and pray for the Tabo NT revision dedication on 28 September. Pray for God’s Word to transform lives and hearts in these language groups.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for Scott, the Security team, and the Crisis Management Team, for wisdom and safety. Pray for Term1 at UIS to finish well, and for the students as they prepare for their Encounter Spiritual Retreat.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for the PNG Orientation course participants while they are living in villages in near Lae, for safe travels, good relationships and good health.

• God’s provision: Thank you all for your faithful prayers, love, partnership and support!

Know God by knowing His Word…

 “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 KJV

We are privileged to be a part of a weekly Bible study in Ukarumpa and are currently working our way through the book of Judges, an Old Testament history of ancient Israel before the establishment of the monarchy under Saul and then David. The book follows a cycle: Israel is at peace with God, but over time the people walk away from the covenant to pursue their own way, God then punishes Israel, often by an invading army and Israel calls out to God, who raises up a leader (Judge) to deliver them out of chaos. Then, in the absence of an existential threat, the people once again forsake God, setting up the next cycle of peace, folly, crisis and deliverance. As we reflect on the Old Testament history, we see that not much has changed in human nature. We have better technology which makes our lives easier, but we are still in rebellion against our Creator. People still want to have their own way, even when that way leads to their own destruction. We still have idols, which often take the form of money, power and popularity. We try to solve our problems through external systems while ignoring our own sinful natures. We are under the mistaken impression that electing this or that person to office, making more money, getting in shape, or getting a better job will somehow make things right again. It won’t. Our broken condition is spiritual and ultimately requires a spiritual solution. If you have never read the Bible, in its entirety, we encourage you to do so. We’ve read the Bible multiple times and try to incorporate it into our daily living, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. There are reading plans to help you complete it in a year or less and God’s Word will change your life for the better if you let it.