You Can Shake the Gates!

"I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!"- Mt. 16:18

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graphic with the words "Praying Through July 2026"

Unexpected Twists in Our Journey

July 3, 2026 / / 0 Comments

A journey spanning decades

Papua New Guinea has long been know as The Land of the Unexpected. It earned this moniker by being home to more than 800 distinct languages and the people groups who speak them. These people live in a variety of settings. Some live amidst vast flood plains, like the Sepik basin or Gulf Province. Others occupy the rugged Highlands region, which runs the spine of the country between the north and south coasts. Mt. Wilhelm reaches a height of 14,793 feet (4,509 meters). Known for its alpine lakes and bare rock faces, is PNG’s tallest mountain. Others live on Papua New Guinea’s more than 600 outlying islands scattered along the coast of the mainland—which itself is the second largest island in the world.

But these things are merely the backdrop of our journey lived with one of those peoples: the Somau Garia. Angela and I have been associated with the Somau Garia for almost 30 years. We have learned the rhythms of their lives; learned their remarkable language. Its cadence is rapid and staccato, punctuated with a soundless feature (called a glottal stop) which is merely stopping the flow of air through the vocal cords. Though silent, it changes the meanings of words, so needs a letter in the alphabet (we used ‘x’).

Unexpected turns

In those 30 years, we’ve rarely made a plan that actually occurred as planned. Just as rarely have we ever missed a major goal. Since establishing a plan that would allow us complete translation of the Somau Garia New Testament, we have experienced incident after incident that threatened to derail our plans. In 2020, two back surgeries. The pandemic. We returned to Papua New Guinea in 2021 when much of the world remained “closed” to travelers. In 2022 my wife had major surgery which took us out of Papua New Guinea for about 4 months that year. In 2023 she had a retinal tear that forced us to return to the U.S. for emergency surgery. Since that year, I have traveled back and forth between the U.S. and Papua New Guinea every 8 to 12 weeks to conduct checking, work with the translation team, etc. And in those years God has allowed us to hit every single goal that He put on our hearts to accomplish.

This year …

The unexpected. After completing a major set of checks in Papua New Guinea in February and March, I returned to the U.S. The work permit and visa I depend upon to work legally as volunteer in Papua New Guinea was up for renewal. Due to unforeseen circumstances, approval of my permit and visa have been delayed. I was to have traveled to Papua New Guinea at the end of May to perform scheduled checks of 5 of the final 6 books of the New Testament that need to be checked. If you read the last post, you’ll see that we pivoted to plan ‘Z’ for the check: Zoom.

As you prayed with us during the checks which took place in June, we experienced some unexpected reversals. For example, one weekend, the area of the U.S. where Angela and I live part of our year had severe storms that produced hurricane-force winds. Our electric was off for 34 hours. Our internet was knocked out even longer than that. I was unable to meet with the team during our outage. (Normally this would be more expected to happen on the Papua New Guinea side of things.) Also, while I was in good health, one of our Somau Garia-speaking teammates experienced profound pain and suffering throughout the month, needing frequent medical attention.

Nonetheless, we successfully completed checks of all 884 verses of 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Peter, and Jude. We had good connections (aside from the mentioned instance) throughout the month. We experienced relatively good mental clarity, resourcefulness, insight, and stamina.

As You Pray

As you pray during July, keep the following in mind and on your prayer list:

  • Ask the Lord to give me (Todd) clarity, insight, and discernment as I perform an exegetical check of the book of Revelation. It is the final book that needs to be checked by a consultant before we can begin the tasks associated with typesetting.
    • Ask for the same as I process through the Gospel According to Mark. It was published in 2007 and needs revision to make it more consistent with the work done in this later years.
  • Ask the Lord to open the doors for approval of my work permit and visas. I need to travel to Papua New Guinea later this year to participate in checks on the Somau Garia Revelation consultant check.
  • Thank the Lord for providing all that was needed to successfully check all 884 verses of 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Peter, and Jude.
  • Ask the Lord to give good health, clear minds, and courageous spirits to the Somau Garia team as they serve in their communities, churches, and families.
  • Ask the Lord to bring fruit from the seeds planted in June in each heart and mind.

Thank You

Thank you for taking time to pray with us through these things. The Lord has been hearing your prayer and answering in surprising ways. May God bless you as you continue to intercede on behalf of the Somau Garia team and for us. Blessings!

Peace, Paperwork, and the Call to Prayer

May 2, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Praying through May 2026

Perhaps you wonder what it takes to be a Bible translator. For those of us working on New Testament translation in Papua New Guinea, the ability to plod  would be towards the top of the list of qualifications. On must patiently work month after month, year after year, methodically moving from verse to verse, studying each and every one of the 7,956 verses of the New Testament, clarifying its meaning, finding ways of expressing that meaning in a language that has perhaps never had a writing system, a dictionary, or a grammar. This process often takes decades.

But there is more to translation than being tucked away in an office, studying. Vitally important is the development of deep, inter-dependent relationships. In the mission world we call this incarnational ministry. We do life together, cry together, rejoice together, sing together, work together, dream together. This kind of relationship is very compatible with Melanesian cultures.

As we close in on finishing the translation checking of the final books (1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Peter, Jude, and Revelation), it seems that the enemy of our souls has intensified his opposition to our work. He has attempted to disrupt our work at every level. You will have read last month that he, along with the fallen nature of a bunch of people, incited a great deal of violence in the Somau Garia speaking area. Pray that God will bring peace and restore civility to the peoples and villages adjacent to the Ramu Highway, that they might cooperate with one another for everyone’s good. Pray that the fallout from the previous violence will subside and order will return to these societies.

Parallel to his attacks, my work permit and the attendant visas expired between scheduled checking sessions. These are necessary for us to enter and work in Papua New Guinea. Our applications are in process and we are waiting for approval. Pray that our paperwork will be approved sooner than later and that we will be able to travel to Papua New Guinea later this month, as scheduled. The enemy can certainly use delay to disrupt the work God has laid before us–and God can certainly use delay to build the faith, hope, and love of those who give all things into his hands.

So, as we kick off the month of May, we find ourselves plodding along, hoping that the Prince of Peace will intervene in the mayhem of this world, that the Holy Spirit will raise the awareness of government employees who also plod along day by day, making it possible for people like us to enter and work in Papua New Guinea.

Thank the Lord that he has provided for our deepest needs—through Jesus Christ His Son. Thank Him also that He has provided us the resources to continue working—even when things are not proceeding according to our plans.

Perhaps this is your first visit to our website. To learn more about who we are and what we do, explore the various pages listed at the top of this page. You’ll find our story, latest news, prayer needs, photos, resources, how to donate, etc.

Thanks for stopping by! We appreciate your time!

Calendar and clock image with text: "Moving from 2021 into 2022"
December 14, 2021 / / 1 Comment

As the pandemic continued to interrupt international travel and the months dragged on, Angela and I had some weighty decisions to make. When should we attempt passage to Papua New Guinea? What risks were involved in returning to a developing nation amidst a global pandemic? How could we help when we did return?

James says this of weighty decisions:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1:5, ESV

Ignore this exhortation at your own peril. We gave it due diligence. After prayer and discussion, we decided that our daughter should remain in the States and that Angela and I should return to Papua New Guinea.

We juggled translation responsibilities (including final exegetical checks of Acts via video-conferencing), preparation of the stacks of documents needed for travel during the pandemic, purchase of necessities for the move, and, of course, moving out of our house.

As our To-Do list dwindled, our excitement (and silent dread?) swelled. The silent dread was for all the good-byes, the inescapable change, adjustment, and the deep dive into the unknown. Our excitement? We were returning to friends, co-workers, and worthy work.

I will spare you the finer details of the trip. It was 50+ hours, involving five major airports and a few hours in a bush plane over jungles, oxbow lakes, and rugged mountains. Then there was the 14 days of quarantine at a mission base above 5,000 feet in the New Guinea Highlands.

View from the Kassam Pass into the Ramu Valley of Papua New Guinea
The view from the Kassam Pass into the Ramu Valley, at the junction of Eastern Highlands, Morobe, and Madang Provinces.

Crossing the Planet

Hopes and Plans for 2022

Proverbs 19:21 reads: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” The person seeking to follow in the footsteps of Jesus must pray, plan, and push on toward the upward call to which they’ve been called.

Henceforth, we’ve put some major way points on the calendar for 2022. We invite you to pray with us as we attempt to achieve these things in Jesus’ name.

  • Comprehension check of Luke’s Gospel
  • Comprehension check of Acts of the Apostles
  • Train translators and pastors on the translation of and pastoral application of Hebrews
  • Consultant check Luke and Acts
  • Train translators and pastors on the translation of and pastoral application of Revelation

Pray with Us

We invite you to pray with us regarding moving this proposed milestones ahead. As you pray, consider the reality that the completion of work on Luke and Acts constitutes 27% of the New Testament. By the end of 2022 it is possible that over a quarter (more) of the New Testament will be accessible to Somau Garia speakers!

Close the Gap

November 29, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Uria Village, Madang, Papua New Guinea – Rainy Season, late 1990’s.  It was a season of tragedy. Among other things, the wife of one of our dear friends died in childbirth. The hike to the village where she was to be buried was three hours’ hike away, across a couple of ridgelines, and I (Todd) was sick with what I thought was malaria. Angela would stay home in Uria with the kids and I would attend the gathering.

storm clouds gathering

Storm clouds were gathering as I prepared to leave with my Somau Garia neighbors. I stared at the dark clouds and into the dark jungle and prayed. The bush treks around Uria are stony and slick, narrow and uneven. About an hour into the hike, I was feeling nauseated and dizzy and became disheartened by what I saw ahead.   Before me was huge gap in the path—six feet wide and a hundred feet deep. It was beginning to rain. I stopped in my tracks and considered what to do. It was either turn around and add hours to the journey or take a leap of faith, as it were, and keep going.

Angela and I are in the process of resourcing the translation of the Somau Garia New Testament. We have been hiking this path for a few years now. We’ve just come around a corner and are staring at a gap in the path—just wide enough to be scary, just short enough to be doable.

Fortunately, we don’t travel alone. When I was hiking the path to the funeral, one of my friends leapt across ahead of me in order to “catch” me on the other side. In resourcing the translation of the Somau Garia New Testament, we need ministry partners who will either repair the path or leap across and “catch” us.

During the remainder of 2014, we are asking the Lord to close the gap between the current commitments that have been made toward resourcing the translation of the Somau Garia New Testament and what is still needed.

Would you consider being one of those God is calling to close the gap?

If you are interested in joining the prayer and provision team click here to join the provision team or click here to email us with your name and email address to join the prayer team.

Thank you for prayerfully considering your part in making the Word of God available in the Somau Garia language.

Breaking Through the Barriers–Day 9

October 9, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Breaking Through the Barriers Graphic Day 9

 

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” –1 John 4:18

The long history of false gods and bodange to shamanic religion has created a fatalistic fear in Somau Garia (and many other Melanesian) culture. There is an ever-present fear of reprisal for breaking taboos. Examples of reprisal: being waylaid and consumed by demon monsters en route to the place of the dead, sudden death while sleeping, sickness, or ruined crops. Ask God to break through the barrier of fear to establish the reality of his love for the Somau Garia people.

Breaking Through the Barriers–Day 8

October 8, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Breaking Through the Barriers Graphic Day 8

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions . . .” –Galatians 5:19-20

All mankind has at one time lived in the flesh. Where idolatry (e.g, bush god) worship is present, a priesthood of those gods’ devotees is also present. Among our closest neighbors lived five shamans (people who use ritual to manipulate the non-physical realm)–some claiming to do good, some evil. Ask God to break through the barrier of sorcery and the bondage it creates in peoples’ lives. Ask God to set the Somau Garia free of bondage, freeing them by the Truth of the Word.

Breaking Through the Barriers–Day 6

October 6, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Breaking Through the Barriers Graphic Day 6

“The word of God is living and active . . . discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”–Hebrews 4:12

Garia Mark for Web

The Gospel According to Mark (see above) has been available in the Somau Garia language since 2007. Ask God to break through the ignorance of his word, his character, his power, his salvation by means of this slender little book. Ask God to break through the barriers of illiteracy  and inaccessibility to his word that these precious men, women, and children might know Him who died for them.

Sunrise, first day of the week, Atlantic Ocean, Florida coast, rejoicing in the Lord.

Please Pray–May 20, 2014

May 20, 2014 / / 0 Comments

There is movement in heavenly places, as there has been for some time in regards to making the New Testament accessible to the Somau Garia people of Papua New Guinea. There has been more visible evidence of that movement in our lives lately. Momentum is building and things are starting to move forward at a healthy pace here. It is more important than ever that we bring prayer to bear on this season of ministry–as we ramp up to moving overseas.

Sunrise, first day of the week, Atlantic Ocean, Florida coast, rejoicing in the Lord.

Sunrise, first day of the week, Atlantic Ocean, Florida coast, rejoicing in the Lord.

  • Pray that God will continue to make us aware of churches or groups of people that He wants to join us in this historic opportunity to make the New Testament accessible to the Somau Gare people.
  • Pray that we will exercise wisdom and discernment in knowing how best to convey the blessing, opportunity, and benefit to the Kingdom of God in seeing this through.
  • Pray that there will be no hindrance to getting on the field this year.
  • Thank God for allowing us to see the movement in the heavenly places and to be encouraged by it.
  • Thank God for moving in the hearts of men and women, in churches and families to provide for this vital need.
  • Thank God for showing us the full extent of his love in both the death of Jesus–and his resurrection.

Prayer Update–April 15, 2014

April 15, 2014 / / 0 Comments

“You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.”

1 Peter 2:4-5, NLT

Strategy

Not long after we set out to return to Papua New Guinea to finish translation of the Somau Garia New Testament, I sat down and ran through a little exercise . I wrote vision, mission, and strategy statements. I’ve written many over the years, whether starting a new ministry and taking one in a new direction. My Primary Strategy statement is actually my Primary Strategy word: prayer. We do lots of activity in relation to obeying the call to return to PNG, but our primary strategy is solely prayer.

Your Place in this Strategy

This puts those of you who choose to pray with us in an honored and challenging position then, doesn’t it? You’re faithfulness in prayer is a foundation stone of this ministry. Jesus himself lives forever to intercede for us and He rightly holds the place of the chief and only cornerstone. Since prayer is the central, the only strategy that has any lasting value, our participation in it is absolutely vital.

DCP_2861

It seems then that this foundational activity is all the more effective if our prayer is focused, aligned with God’s purposes for it, established upon the chief cornerstone–Jesus. Prayer begins with assigning worth to God for his character and his deeds. It proceeds to a heartfelt gratitude to Him and flows into intercession and petition.

As you pray:

  • Thank God for faithfully pruning, cleaning, and preparing his servants–that we all might be more fruitful.
  • Thank God for providing.
  • Thank God for putting people and events in motion that will culminate in the Somau Garia people having access to the Word of God in their heart language.
  • Ask God to open doors that cannot be closed.
  • Ask God to bring to fruition his purposes for this season of ministry and life.
  • Ask God to provide for getting back on the field and actively involved in translation.
  • Ask God to protect us from harm as we proceed toward the goal of our faith.
  • Ask God to protect, provide for, and ignite passion within the hearts of the people working on the Somau Garia translation.

 

Old Photos and New Life

April 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Memories sit on the shelf of the mind quite often collecting dust and serving little purpose, like old family photos placed in a hall closet and forgotten through most days. There they sit until relatives land in town for a few days or one of the kids is home from college. Then they see the light of day.

I’m pulling a few of those memories from the closet today as I reflect on something that happened thirty-two years ago today (April 11, 1982). It was that Easter Sunday that I surrendered my life, my rights, my past, present, and future to Jesus Christ. I was buried with him in baptism and raised again with him to new life.

Why was that? Why would I have made that decision? How did it really change anything?

Walk to the shelf with me. Let’s pull out one of the photos from years earlier. The photo is shadowy. There is a six year old boy, wearing pajamas. His sallow face is swollen, hair tussled. A small pair of plastic-framed glasses lay on the night stand. He is kneeling under the table, eyes squeezed shut, hands folded. It looks as he could bolt at any moment, running for his life. There is a caption below: “Please God, I don’t want to die.” He had been told a few hours before that he might only have six months to live.

How about this one. Look at this. This photo is of an eight-year-old boy, sitting on the bench seat of a moving truck. He is holding a Orange Crush soda in his hand, his big eyes gazing up at his dad, grinning like a possum eating sweet potato. He gets to ride with Daddy on the first leg of the trip south to a new home. That new home would end up being southeast Kansas. Caption here: “What will life be like there? Will I fit in? Will they like me?”

What’s this? In this photo our little boy is alone, face tear-stained, shaking. Small towns can be cruel. Sometimes older siblings can be too. This photo was “taken” just after he was left at home, everyone else headed out for pizza and fun. Caption here: “Why?” Pause for a moment and consider this one. Lonely, alone, hurting, fearful, sick, desperately looking for . . . acceptance. We place this photo back in the box. How depressing. But wait . . .

Here’s an interesting one. There is our boy sitting in a church pew. The cushions were red, the hymnals that sort of 70’s burgundy that found its way onto Lincoln Continentals, velvet suits, and church hymnals in those days. The crowd is small–must’ve been a Sunday night–definitely. The preacher at the edge of the picture isn’t wearing a tie. Definitely Sunday night. White knuckles. Right there in the center of this photo. Our little boy is white-knuckling the back of the pew in front of him. He has talked to the preacher. He knows about Hell . . . and heaven. He knows about sin and its wages. He knows the price of rejecting God. Yet, the knuckles are white, the boy stationary.

What’s this one? This photo is different than the others. It is effusive, almost glowing. Can photos glow? In this photo the boy is dressed in white. His hair drips, water running down his chin. Is it water or Spirit? His eyes are bright, his face no longer sallow but warm and ruddy and alive. He smiles and feels clean, pure, new, and empowered. It seems like it must be the same boy from the other photos, yet not. There is still fear in this photo, yet it is a holy fear, not one born of dread and death. Oh yes, Easter Sunday. 1982.

That photo was taken 32 years ago today. Death died that day in me and became Life. Dark was dispelled by Light. Lost became found. Rejection was redeemed by the One who had been rejected without cause. Loneliness was removed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit came to make a new home in me.

Aged Todd Portrait Photo

I thank God today that He looked at my sickness, my loneliness, my pain and buried those in the grave. I thank God today that by the power of the resurrection and by His Spirit he raised me to eternal life, lived in Him. I thank God today that he has given me opportunity upon opportunity to put hands and feet on “thank you.”

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