Unexpected

Papua New Guinea is famously known as the Land of the Unexpected. Surely some clever marketing writer came up with that phrase to sell tours to a country positioned just off the equator, far from North America or Europe. Having lived and worked in Papua New Guinea off an on over the last 29 years, I can confirm that the title is well deserved. The spine of Papua New Guinea geography is a range of impossibly rugged mountains, cut by deep ravines and raging rivers. It is geologically active, earthquakes as regular as its torrential rains. Move away the central cordillera toward the coast and you encounter vast plains containing meandering rivers, oxbow lakes, and swamps. Most of the country is ringed by world-class reefs.

The people are as rugged as the environment which they inhabit. Tough and resourceful, they overcome conditions that would break most other people. Their languages and cultures are among the most diverse in the world—over 840 living languages and many more that have begun to fall out of use. Each language constitutes a distinct culture. Each people group, with its language, struggles to maintain a sense of ethnic identity and cultural heritage in a world that grows “smaller” every day. The advent of cellular communications and alternative power sources has given younger people challenges that their fathers never needed to grapple with. They are being drawn away from ethnic identity toward national identity.

Context

It is in this context that Bible translators minister. Each of the peoples that speak those 840 + languages represents a people called by God to be represented at the Throne of the Lamb that was slain, casting their crowns at his feet in worship. Many of those peoples see the value of having God’s Word in their heart language. Others see Bible translation as a means of preserving their language and culture. Bible translators, by and large, have training in linguistics and anthropology, in addition to Biblical languages and expertise used to amplify the resources, skills, and abilities of local speakers.

Yet this very context is that which introduces the unexpected into every interaction, every plan, and every relationship. It is this unexpectedness that moves us far deeper into prayer and intercession than we might choose to in any other context.

Answers & Challenges

If you were involved in praying through March, you know that I (Todd) departed Papua New Guinea mid-month and that the Somau Garia team returned to their villages. Each of us have been working separately in the mean time. God has been gracious to us in the working. Prior to leaving, the team and I successfully completed the consultant checks of the books of Hebrews and James. In the weeks following those checks, we worked on editing 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Peter, and Jude. Shortly after arriving in the U.S., I was able to generate and send the files of several New Testament books to Papua New Guinea for the team to use in a literacy course that was scheduled for late March, to take place in Somau Garia villages.

That was Plan A, anyway. Then the unexpected happened. The New Testament books were printed. Arrangements were made for the literacy course. People were appointed to travel to the provincial capital to pick up the materials and to accompany the literacy specialist to the village. A few days prior to the course, however, a group of people from another language group came to one of the Somau
Garia markets situated along the Ramu Highway to confront a man who was married to one of their women. The confrontation resulted in the death of the husband. Somau Garia people responded to that death in a very traditional way—reciprocity. Though they didn’t kill anyone, they did burn a 12-passenger van belonging to the people who killed the husband.

Now it is unsafe for Somau Garia people to travel to and from the area. Somau Garia representatives are unable to travel to the city to pick up the printed Scripture portions, the literacy specialist is unable to travel to the area to conduct the literacy course. People are on edge.

Pray!

As you pray during April, please pray:

• that cooler heads will prevail and reconciliation can be made between Somau Garia speakers and those who killed one of their men.;
• that the way will open for the scripture portions to be delivered to the Somau Garia translation and literacy teammates for use in local churches and during the literacy course
• that God will use this series of unfortunate events to bring people to a recognition of their need to be in relationship with the Prince of Peace
• that the current work I (Todd) am doing in checking the meaning of 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Peter, and Jude will get into the hands of the translation team for their input and corrections—and that in a timely fashion, that we will be ready for checks which are scheduled for June
• that I (Todd), as the exegete, will be energetic, focused, and attentive as I examine the drafts of these books—and that I will be wise, discerning, and insightful in my suggestions for necessary changes to the drafts.

Thank You!

Thank you for praying through these requests. I know that God will allow our prayers to bear good fruit for the Kingdom.

Blessings!!