Sunday, July 1, 2012

Ukarumpa Village

Ukarumpa is the Wycliffe center of Bible translation operations in Papua New Guinea, and it is where we are based when we are not in a village. Ukarumpa gets its name from the village that is situated just across the Ba'e River over an old, dilapidated bridge. Historically, missionaries have not always had the best relationships with people from Ukarumpa Village because many of the younger men have been known to cause disturbances of many kinds. In the past year, however, the leaders of Ukarumpa Village made a formal apology for all of the disturbances and vowed that the village would change their ways. This opened the doorway for a small group of missionaries to begin a Bible study in Ukarumpa Village which many of the young men who have caused problems have been attending. I (Adam) have been privileged over the last two Sundays to be a part of the group going to Ukarumpa Village and building relationships. Although my primary ministry will be in the work of Bible translation, I am excited about this opportunity to mentor our neighbors in Ukarumpa Village and encourage the younger men as they seek to follow Christ. Please pray for us as we reach out to our neighbors across the Ba'e River. Please also continue to pray for us as we consider a long-term allocation among the Enga people. (See our June update for more information about the Enga people.) Thank you, as always, for your prayers and support!

Gadsup women crossing the bridge that connects Ukarumpa to Ukarumpa Village