Praying for Wisdom: a New Role with New Challenges

Photo Credit: Steve Johnson

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”  -James 1:5 (KJV) 

Missionaries, particularly in support roles, will often say that they are trying to train up and equip nationals to assume their positions. After a little more than 8 years, Scott has succeeded in doing just that. On April 29th, Scott’s former Assistant, Mark Oboko, assumed the role of Field Security Officer (FSO). Mark has 22 years of security and corrections experience, and over the last year he has proven his ability to run Ukarumpa center’s security operations. Mark works well with the local police and has already added valuable expertise and cultural insight to the security team. With Mark assuming the FSO role, Scott has transitioned to the role of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). He will also still continue serving as the Crisis Management Team Leader and as an occasional teacher at Ukarumpa International School (UIS). As some of you may recall, four years ago Scott briefly served as interim CHRO. So, while the role is not entirely new to him, there will still be a significant learning curve. Prayers for both Mark and Scott would be appreciated as they navigate these new challenges. Please also pray for Kathy, as the school year wraps up with many “last” events for her senior girls, like AP Exams, Banquet, Awards Night and finally, Graduation. Transitions are never easy, but with Jesus as their sure foundation, each one can step out into the unknown in faith, knowing He is with them

Celebrating a baptism

Few things are more encouraging than seeing individuals make a public declaration of their decision to follow Jesus Christ through the act of baptism. It was particularly gratifying for Kathy to witness one of her senior girls make this commitment recently at the Ba’e river. Each student must make their own decision to follow Jesus, even though their parents are missionaries, and it is a privilege to speak into their lives and point them to the truth of God’s Word. And how many girls get to say they were baptized in a river in Papua New Guinea? :-)

Prayer Points:

 • Papua New Guinea (PNG): Praise for a decrease in Covid measures and restrictions in PNG.

 • Bible translation: Pray for the language teams working in remote villages, for safety, productivity and positive relationships. 

• Our roles in PNG: Praise God that Term 4 at UIS is half-way over and we continue to teach in-person. Pray for wisdom for Scott as he serves in all of his various roles. 

• PNG missionaries: Pray for the new members who are beginning a 3 month PNG orientation course this week, to be good learners and gain useful language skills and understanding of PNG culture. 

• God’s provision: We thank God for allowing us to continue to be flexible in our roles, to remain healthy, and to serve in whatever capacity is needed, for such a time as this. 

Thank you for your prayers, and for your faithful financial support of our Wycliffe ministry in PNG. We could not continue to serve here without you!

What a privilege!

Photo Credit: Pat Whitehead

We celebrated the Bibles and Scripture portions that were translated, dedicated and distributed in the last two years, including audio Bibles and dubbed Jesus Film videos. The dots on the map represent the language areas continuing to receive God’s Word throughout PNG, as translation teams faithfully continue to serve. Even a pandemic could not stop God’s Word and His work from continuing to reach every language and every life!

Conference 2022- See what God has accomplished!

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17

Once every 2 years (3 years in this case, due to Covid), all of the translation teams and people serving in the various regions come to Ukarumpa for a biennial conference. The theme of stewardship this year was fitting, as translators and support workers alike recognized all that the LORD graciously allowed to be accomplished since 2019, as each person sought to innovate and continue to move forward in the work. And the results have been amazing: 4 full New Testaments (NT) dedicated, 1 NT revised, 8 Scripture portions published, 13 audio Scripture portions distributed, 4 Oral Bibles translated and 7 Jesus film videos dubbed - that is 37 different language groups being impacted by receiving God’s Word since 2020. As language teams from each region reported on all the trials and triumphs of the last two years, we prayed together as a community of believers who are dedicated to seeing every language group receive access to the same hope and truth of God’s Word that we often take for granted. We were also given the good news that Bibles are being typeset in 20 more languages in 2022-2023, so more dedications are on the way. Our times of praise and spiritual emphasis were the most sweet, singing and worshipping together as a diverse community of believers in Jesus Christ from so many denominations and countries, but all unified in one purpose. Please continue to pray that this amazing work will continue and that we will serve faithfully in our roles to support this effort, all for God’s glory.

Photo Credit: Lynda Wick

Prayer Points:

  • Papua New Guinea (PNG): Praise for a decrease in cases of Covid Omicron variant in PNG.

 • Bible translation: Pray for the language teams meeting at Interact this week to be encouraged and equipped to renew their work.

 • Our roles in PNG: Praise that Term 4 begins this week and we have remained in-person all year so far. Pray for wisdom for Scott as he serves in his various roles. 

• PNG missionaries: Pray for encouragement and safe travels as translation teams and regional managers travel back to their language areas next week. 

• God’s provision: We thank God for His continued grace and mercy in keeping us healthy, providing for our needs and allowing us to continue to serve each day in faith. 

 Thank you for continuing to hold us up in your prayers, and for your faithful financial support of our Wycliffe ministry in PNG. We could not continue to serve here without you!

Managing Risk in the Land of the Unexpected

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” 

                                                                               -Psalm 20:7

Scott serves in many roles here in Ukarumpa. His primary job is Field Security Officer but he also serves as Crisis Management Team Leader, Covid Response Team Member, Critical Incident Debriefer and an occasional teacher at Ukarumpa International School. As you might imagine, no two days are exactly alike. On any given day, Scott may meet with village leaders, the police, other missionaries, business people or local government officials. He might be investigating a security incident, organizing an event, posting travel advisories, reviewing the government’s latest pandemic measures, providing training to new people, conducting a security assessment or facilitating training or a crisis management meeting. This means that Scott is on call 24/7/365. Thankfully, he has been blessed with a solid team. Our Center Security Manager, along with three contracted Gurkhas, run the day-to-day security operations of the Ukarumpa center. On the Crisis Management side, Scott is blessed to have a diverse team composed of other missionaries and Papua New Guinean staff who work in Translation, Medical Services, Aviation, Staff Care and Communications. The days go by quickly in Ukarumpa as projects and emergencies flow into one another, but God is gracious and gives Scott and his teams the strength and wisdom to manage risk in the land of the unexpected. Sometimes, this even leaves him with the time and energy to offer a women’s self defense class for the community!