“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (NKJV) 

Easter in Ukarumpa is a special time. We start the day by attending a sunrise service, where we worship and pray for our community, the surrounding villages, Papua New Guinea and the world at large. Afterwards, we invite some close friends over for breakfast before attending the morning church service. It is a great time to connect with likeminded people and celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the tomb and His victory over sin and death. In fact, Easter is the core of our faith and, ultimately, the reason for our missionary service here in Papua New Guinea. While it is true that every day we see fresh evidence of a rapidly deteriorating world, we are nonetheless confident in the ultimate outcome of history. This confidence is not a result of our own talents, but of our faith in Jesus Christ. You see, we know that Jesus is exactly who He says He is in the Bible. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Good Shepard that lays down His life for the sheep, the Son of God and the King of Kings who will return again one day in glory to set all things right. Every Resurrection Sunday, we celebrate the fact that He has risen from the dead, is interceding at God’s right hand on our behalf, and will come again- this makes all the difference! Thank you for enabling us to share this Good News with others.

                                                        Photo credit: Leah Rigsby

Practicing hospitality...

                                                               Photo credit: Amy Evers

It is a blessing to have Ukarumpa family to spend holidays like Easter with while we are in PNG. Everyone shares the challenge of being thousands of miles away from their birth families, so it is extra special to have people with whom you can celebrate Jesus’s death and resurrection, worship at church, and, of course, share a home-cooked meal. It is so easy to take family for granted until we are far away, but we are so grateful to have brothers and sisters in Christ right where we are called to serve.

Prayer Points:

• Papua New Guinea (PNG): Pray for wisdom and integrity for those in leadership positions, and for peace in the Aiyura valley.

• Bible translation: Praise for the completed checking of the Meramera New Testament and pray the final edits and printing go smoothly.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for Scott as he transitions into his role as Security Consultant. Pray for Kathy and all of the students at Ukarumpa International School to have a healthy and productive Term 4 and finish the year well.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for the families of seniors at UIS to finish well and experience God’s peace as they transition back to passport countries with their graduates.

• God’s provision: Thank you for your prayers, and for your faithful partnership with our Wycliffe ministry in PNG. We are very grateful and we could not continue to serve here without you. We look forward to reconnecting with you while we are in the USA!

Building capacity,,,

 “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” Psalm 127:1 (NIV)

As we support the work of Bible Translation in Papua New Guinea, one of our tasks is to, with God’s help and guidance, build the capacity of our Papua New Guinean staff. While capacity building has always been an important part of our ministry here, personnel shortages have greatly accelerated the process. The fact is that fewer expatriates are coming to the field and those that do come are staying for shorter periods of time. Since our return to PNG in September of 2020, Scott has hired and trained a new Field Security Officer (FSO) and a new Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), and he is overseeing organizational changes which have allowed other qualified PNG citizen staff to assume greater levels of responsibility. Scott is now beginning a new role as Security Consultant, where he will support our staff and leadership by providing security advice and training, as well as administrative and project support. Scott will continue to serve on the Crisis Management Team and support the HR department on certain projects as requested. Kathy continues to teach science and serve as the head of department and has recently been involved in a project to make the chemical storage room more earthquake-resistant. Building capacity and continuing to make incremental improvements in each of our departments is just one more way we can honor God with our skills and talents. We are also beginning to prepare to go on a six month Home Assignment in June and we look forward to seeingmany of you while we are back in the States.

Above: Scott with the new CHRO, Nellie Tabie

Photo credit: Helen Krause

Going bananas...

Part of each Term 4 at Ukarumpa International School is a presentation on and discussion about transitions. For Third Culture Kids (TCKs), this involves those who are leaving, those who are arriving, and those who are staying here in Ukarumpa, and all of the emotions and challenges that go along with each type of transition. As much as our students have heard it all before, they are often in a different place in the cycle each time, so the message resonates differently. As teachers, we also need to hear this message, as we experience similar challenges. “Transition brain” often makes us feel like we are going bananas, as we struggle to think and plan ahead for where we are going, while still being fully present where we are. It reminds us that ultimately, Heaven is our home and we are just passing through here, so we can trust God’s presence with us wherever we are. Ironically, the fresh bananas are one of those things we’ll really miss when we aren’t here!

Prayer Points:

• Papua New Guinea (PNG):Pray for wisdom and integrity for those in leadership positions.

• Bible translation: Pray for the upcoming final checking of the Meramera New Testament before it is printed and dedicated.

• Our roles in PNG: Pray for Scott as he completes on-boarding the new CHRO and transitions to his role as Security Consultant. Pray for Kathy and all of the students at Ukarumpa International School to have a healthy and productive Term 4 and finish the year well.

• PNG missionaries: Pray for the new expatriate families in the PNG Orientation Course to stay healthyand be successful while living with local PNG families in the villages.

• God’s provision: Thank you for your prayers, and for your faithful partnership with our Wycliffe ministry in PNG. We are very grateful and we could not continue to serve here without you. We look forward to reconnecting with you while we are in the USA!

Flowers and Fruit...

“I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing”-Ezekiel 34:26

We often get focused on the particulars of our work here in Papua New Guinea. Our goal is to be obedient to God’s call, to serve to the best of our ability, and to support the work of Bible translation here in Papua New Guinea. It is humbling to know there are over 339 languages here in the Pacific, and 1,680 languages world-wide that still have no Bible translation work begun yet. That is approximately 1.5 billion people without God’s Word in their first language. But we are reminded that work is being done in more than 2,800 languages world-wide, and more than 700 languages do have the full Bible (source: Wycliffe Global Alliance, October 2022). The goal of this work is to enable people to encounter the living God through His Word, so that people’s lives, families, and communities can be transformed. Much like when we plant many flowers, we trust and pray for God to bring the fruit. We are always very encouraged to see this happening in many communities, as Papua New Guineans are being trained and discipled to share the Good News about Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross. Now, as we enter the 40 days leading up to Easter, please pray with us for these communities to go deeper in their knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ, and pray for divine opportunities for those who have not yet heard the Good News. May God bring the fruit, and receive all the glory.