We were privileged to attend the 60th annual Goroka show, where tribal singers
and dancers from many provinces come to perform in traditional costumes and
headdresses. It was crowded, visually stunning and quite a sensory overload.
Wherever we looked, we saw different tribal costumes and heard different
languages as each group sang traditional songs. It was a taste of Revelation
7:9, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one
could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the
throne and in front of the Lamb”. But the sobering reality is this: not all of the
people we met have access to God’s Word in their heart language yet, and some
of the songs and dances we heard reflect warfare, fertility rituals, and
animistic beliefs. Romans 10:14
reminds us, “How, then, can they
call on the one they have not
believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they
have not heard? And how can they
hear without someone preaching to
them?” Yet, God’s Word promises
that people from every tribe will be
represented at His throne in the
end; please continue to pray for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reach every tribe and language!
Staff and students at Ukarumpa International School dress up in PNG colors
and styles for the 41st Papua New Guinea Independence Day celebration.
Photo credit: Bob Noble
Meeting a tribal dancer at the Goroka Show.
Photo credit: Kristy Johnson
