Longing for Home

Living in limbo is hard. Although transition is an unavoidable part of the missionary life, it doesn't make it any easier. They say that home is where the heart is, and we are certainly thankful for the time we have had with my (Adam's) mother. But when you are living on a temporary basis, your heart starts longing for that place you can truly call home, where your fondest memories reside, where you have marks on the doorframe indicating how tall your children were at different times in their lives, where you remember the story behind each of the decorations you put on the wall.

Two months ago there was a rainstorm north of Pittsburgh, where we are currently living. Rain is something that feels like home to us because it rains all the time in Papua New Guinea. We love the sound of the raindrops hitting the tin roof, and because we collect rainwater in a large tank as our clean water source, when we have downpours I start feeling like a rich man, collecting all of the free water that will keep our tank full for weeks to come. During this particular storm, Asher went outside with an umbrella and sat in the rain. It reminded him of home, and he wanted to experience the sound, the smell, and the feel of the rain. It is amazing how God can use something as simple as a rainstorm to stir our hearts for home.

Asher sitting in the rain

But as much as we long to be home in Papua New Guinea, we are struck by the realization that our true home lies elsewhere. Our time of limbo here in Pennsylvania has reminded us that we are only temporary residents here on earth. And as good as it will feel to be "at home" again in Papua New Guinea, it pales in comparison to what it will feel like to one day be "at home" in heaven. In just three short months we will return to Papua New Guinea, and we pray that our Bible translation work will allow many others to one day find their homes with us in heaven. Thank you for making that possible!

Translation Work
During our time in Pennsylvania, I have continued working with the Enga translation team. Genesis is now complete and ready to record. Exodus is now complete and ready to record. Consultant checking for Leviticus begins this month, and I am currently completing my advisor check of the book of Numbers. Not only that, but Martin Harty, despite being legally blind for years now, continues to draft other books of the Old Testament with the help of his granddaughter. He just completed his draft of Job, which means the only books remaining to be drafted are Song of Songs, seven of the minor prophets, and portions of 1 Chronicles, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. It is amazing to consider what the Lord has done and how faithful He has been from the very beginning!

Update on Martha's Visa
Martha's visa application was officially lodged with the Papua New Guinea government on September 21. Visas are usually approved in about 52 business days, which would put us at December 1. While the PNG government is usually pretty good about approving visas within that time frame, please keep praying for Martha's visa to be approved without delay. We are scheduled to leave for Papua New Guinea on January 4, and we would love to be able to travel together as a family.

Jacob and friends on Mt. Washington

Hydration Station
Just before Jacob began classes as Pitt this fall, he got an invitation from the head of the Athletic Training department to come to a special meeting. Only he and five others from his cohort were selected to participate in the meeting, and they were asked to be discreet about it. At the meeting he found out that the six of them had been chosen to man the hydration stations once a week at the Steelers practices. Jacob has been assigned to work with the defensive backs. Basically, he follows them all around the field pushing a cart and making sure they stay hydrated. It is an excellent networking opportunity for him, and he is enjoying the chance to work with top-tier athletes. Besides this opportunity to work with the Steelers, Jacob has been getting connected with the Chi Alpha campus ministry at Pitt. He is in two small groups, a pickleball group, and a basketball group. Just last week, he and some friends rode bikes to Mt. Washington overlooking Pittsburgh, even sharing Jesus with a woman they met along the way! God is good!

Pray for Martha's Visa

We recently discovered that Martha will have to reapply for her visa. We had originally hoped that we would be returning to PNG this summer, but when Adam’s mom was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, we felt it best to extend our time in the States until January. At that time, Asher will have completed a full semester of his junior year and will be able to transfer to his high school in PNG without losing any credits. However, a couple of weeks ago, we were informed that, although Martha's visa had been approved for a three-year period, she had to enter PNG within six months of her visa being approved (which would be October 7). So we have to reapply. Thankfully, we still have time to get her visa approved before our departure on January 4. But please pray that there will be no delays.

Pray for Our Kids
The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of back-to-school activity. Jacob moved to downtown Pittsburgh to begin attending the University of Pittsburgh. We moved him into a house with nine other guys who serve with the Chi Alpha ministry on campus. Chi Alpha created their own welcome week activities, and it was an intense time of meeting new people while playing games, eating meals, attending sports events, and participating in his athletic training orientation. The week ended with a great worship night. Jacob began classes last week and is settling into a new routine. Asher also started school last week, and we have returned to the world of packing lunches and checking homework. One exciting thing for Asher (and us) is that he is now driving himself to and from school. What a difference a year makes! Bella is also back at school. We dropped her off at Taylor University this past weekend. It was a joy having her around for a couple of weeks. This was a hard goodbye since we will not be seeing her again until Thanksgiving. Please pray for the kids to have a great academic semester, but most importantly, pray that their faith will grow and that they will choose to walk closely with God.

Jacob with the Pitt Panther

Dropping Bella off at Taylor University

Asher's first day of school

Pray for Rain
PNG has been going through a severe drought for the past several months. As a result, people are not able to grow the food they need in their gardens. Please pray for rain so that people will have enough to eat.

We know that God is in control and that we can cast our cares upon him. So, we humbly ask you to join with us in prayer for these requests. Thank you so much for your prayers and for your faithful partnership in the work of Bible translation!

Exodus Is Done

I often joke with Martha that whatever book of the Bible I am currently working on is the hardest book of the Bible to translate. This was especially true for the book of Exodus. The first 20 chapters weren't so bad, but the last 20 chapters were incredibly challenging, especially the laws of Moses and the detailed instructions about the tabernacle. It had me pulling my hair out, and at my age I don't have that much hair left to pull! Most English speakers struggle to read and understand the second half of Exodus even when reading from a good English translation. Nevertheless, the Enga translation team did an outstanding job on the book of Exodus, including the difficult chapters. As I checked their work, I was consistently impressed by how well they handled difficult passages. Of course, I made many suggestions for improvements along the way—that's my job—but it is exciting to see the team that I have worked with for thirteen years exhibit so much growth in their translation abilities. 

Consultant John Miller checking Exodus with the Enga team

After completing my own check of the book of Exodus, I arranged to have a consultant named John Miller do the required final check with the Enga team. In the weeks leading up to the check, John asked me hundreds of questions about the translation. Once we had ironed out all that we could, John met with the Enga team face-to-face to check the book verse-by-verse. John found that the translation was very well done, and the changes we needed to make were minimal. Praise the Lord that another book of the Bible is complete, one that tells the dramatic story of God rescuing his people from slavery, just as he continues to rescue each of one of us from slavery to sin as we repent and cry out to him for his mercy and forgiveness.

Prayer Requests
As I mentioned in our last newsletter, we have bought our tickets to return to Papua New Guinea in January. I wish we could go sooner, but it would be difficult to move in the middle of Asher's school semester. (School in PNG has already started for this academic year.) Please pray that the final preparations for our return would go well and that God would provide all the financial support we will need to sustain us during our next term on the field. Please also continue to pray for my mother Heather's health. She has made remarkable improvements after being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in March. Pray that she will continue to improve. Pray also for Jacob as he starts his fall semester at the University of Pittsburgh. Entering Pitt's accelerated master's program in Athletic Training is a dream come true for him, one that he has worked incredibly hard to achieve. Please also pray for the Enga people. There is a severe drought right now, and people's gardens aren't producing enough food. Thank you so much for your prayers! We appreciate your partnership in the work of translating the Bible into the Enga language!

We Bought Our Tickets!

We have bought our tickets to return to Papua New Guinea! This is truly an answer to prayer. Just six weeks ago, Martha and I were going on our evening walk around the neighborhood, discussing whether or not we should give up on the possibility of returning to Papua New Guinea. My mother, who was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (a bone marrow cancer) in March, had just spent a week in the hospital and could barely walk, even with a walker, and she could only go upstairs and downstairs with someone by her side. Since one of my sisters lives in Seattle and the other in Vermont, my mother has no family close by to help her. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “Those who won't care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers” (NLT). So Martha and I were nearly ready to give up on the possibility of returning to PNG, because it was looking like we would need to stay in Pennsylvania to take care of her.

Since that time, however, my mother has made remarkable improvement. The treatments she is receiving for Multiple Myeloma are proving to be very effective. She is now walking on her own without a walker or even a cane. She is driving herself to social events, and this past weekend she was outside for a number of hours working in her garden. This is all an answer to prayer.

So we have purchased our tickets to return to Papua New Guinea on January 4. Months ago we had initially been hoping to return this month (July). But when my mother got sick, everything was put on hold. Now it is not feasible for us to switch gears and return in just a few short weeks. (Asher's school in PNG would have started on July 21.) We don't want to pull Asher out of school mid-semester this fall, and we also want to confirm that my mother continues getting better in the coming months. So I will continue working from home until January 4, and then we will return to Papua New Guinea. Praise the Lord for answered prayer!

Longing for our home in Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea

Lessons Learned
When I spoke at Taylor University's chapel in April, I told the students that trusting in God never seems to get easier. No matter how many times God comes through for us and proves himself faithful, we stubborn humans are still so prone to worry and doubt. The past year has been full of unknowns. Will Asher's school in Papua New Guinea have enough teachers to continue operating? Will Jacob and Bella get the financial aid they need for college? Will we be able to pay for college? Will people understand our situation and continue supporting us as we wait to return to PNG? Will my mother get better so that we can return? If she doesn't get better, what will Martha and I do? Where will we find jobs? Will we make enough money to survive? If we do go back to Papua New Guinea, will Jacob and Bella be okay? Will my mother be okay? The past year has been full of unknowns and uncertainties. And I know that we are not unique. You have worries and uncertainties too.

Last fall, as I hit rock bottom worrying about things, particularly paying for Jacob and Bella's college in light of rule changes to the FAFSA that could have a very negative impact on us, I checked my email. There was a message saying that we received a $10,000 donation out of the blue from people we hadn't seen or talked to in about fifteen years. I could almost feel God smiling down on me, saying, “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?” While it is easy to look back on all the times God has been faithful, it is so hard to believe that He will do it again. But this year God has been teaching me to continue trusting in Him and believing that He has a plan for my life, even if I can't see what the future holds. He simply calls me to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness while letting Him take care of the rest. Thank you, Lord, for your patience and faithfulness!

Our new driver

Asher got his driver's license
After finishing six months and 65 hours of practice driving, Asher took his driver's test on May 7 and passed! That day, the two drivers before him and the one after him all failed, so we are thankful that Asher was able to pass. Asher is now looking forward to driving our 1989 Toyota Hilux in Papua New Guinea. Of course, this will be a whole new learning curve as he drives a manual transmission truck without power steering on bumpy dirt roads. But if he can handle driving the PA Turnpike, driving in PNG shouldn't be a problem.

Drop Your Guns and Pick Up Your Bibles

In April the PNG Council of Churches Christian Women's Group launched a campaign called Lusim Gun Kisim Bible (Drop Your Guns and Pick Up Your Bibles). This campaign involved Peace Awareness in all the districts of Enga including the distribution of Enga New Testaments in certain locations. In the video below, students are carrying Enga New Testaments draped with an Enga flag while chanting “Lusim Gun Kisim Bible.”

As part of the campaign, people all across Enga Province were surrendering their guns to the police to show their desire for peace. My friend Max told me that people are tired of all the fighting and want to repent and ask God for forgiveness. In the photograph below, men are holding guns wrapped in leaves as a symbol of peace prior to surrendering their guns to the police. In Papua New Guinea, guns are highly restricted, and most people who own guns have them illegally. This was their chance to make things right and turn away from violence.

Guns wrapped in leaves prior to being surrendered to the police

In places where Enga New Testaments were distributed, people were interested in reading Scripture in their own language. The young man pictured below was just one of many people who received an Enga New Testament as part of the Lusim Gun Kisim Bible campaign.

 Reading the Enga New Testament during the Lusim Gun Kisim Bible campaign

The Lusim Gun Kisim Bible campaign brings to life the words of 1 Corinthians 10:4, which says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful in God for tearing down strongholds.” In Enga the verse reads like this: “The bows and spears we hold for fighting do not originate from this down below ground. The strength of doing God's work for him lies within those bows and spears. That strength breaks down the strong fences of the enemies.” It is exciting to see people exchanging guns for the Word of God. Please pray that the Lusim Gun Kisim Bible campaign will help usher in a new era of peace in Enga Province.

Speaking at Taylor

On April 10, Adam had the opportunity to speak at Taylor University's Chapel service. Chapel at Taylor is unlike most Christian schools. Attendance is not required, but the Chapel services are always full, so much so that Taylor is in the process of building a large auditorium to accommodate the 1,300 to 1,500 students who attend each service. Speaking on the theme of Surrender, Adam shared the story of when he trusted in God to help him rescue two women who had been falsely accused of practicing sorcery (a story we shared on our blog shortly after it happened). The Taylor students, who are normally quite boisterous, were so quiet for most of the service that you could hear a pin drop as Adam had them on the edge of their seats. While the Taylor students appreciated Adam's message, for us as parents one of the highlights was seeing Bella introduce Adam. She did an amazing job. If you would like to see the Chapel service, click on the video below. Bella starts her introduction at the 16:39 mark.

Committing to Pitt
Last month we asked you to pray for Jacob as he considered which university to attend in the Fall. We are happy to report that Jacob has now committed to the University of Pittsburgh, where he will pursue an accelerated Master's degree in Athletic Training. Because he has already completed two years of community college, he will be able to earn his Bachelor's and Master's in just three years at Pitt. When Jacob made his decision, he did so thinking that he would not get any financial aid, and indeed the first financial aid offer he received from Pitt awarded him no grants or scholarships. But after we appealed to the Financial Aid office, they ended up awarding him a substantial amount in grants. And just two days ago, they surprised us by awarding him an additional grant from discretionary funds they had available for the coming school year. Not only that, but the Lord made a way for Jacob to live in a house near campus with student leaders in Pitt's thriving Chi Alpha campus ministry when he starts school in the Fall. God is so good, and he has answered our prayers. Thank you for praying with us!

Jacob visiting the University of Pittsburgh

Translation Work
Adam completed his check of Exodus earlier this month, and the book is now being reviewed by a consultant to prepare for an in-person check with mother-tongue Enga speakers that will happen in June. In addition to responding to the consultant's questions about Exodus, Adam is now checking the book of Leviticus. Ritual laws about sacrifices and purity can be challenging to translate, so please pray for Adam and the team as they work through these difficult books.

As always, thank you for your prayers and support. We couldn't do what we do without faithful friends and partners like you.

Literacy Class Approved

Earlier this year Rev. Frank Paiyak, one of the Enga translators, received permission from the Gutnius [Good News] Lutheran Church to add Enga literacy to the curriculum at Timothy Lutheran Seminary in Enga Province. Most Enga speakers are never taught how to read their own language. If they go to school, they are usually taught how to read in English. But English is the third language for most Enga speakers, and the spelling rules for English are incredibly difficult, even for native English speakers. Consequently, Enga students have difficulties learning how to read or write well in the English language.

Unlike English, the Enga alphabet has a consistent one-to-one correspondence between letters and sounds, making it much easier to learn how to read. And, of course, it is generally much easier to learn how to read your own language than it is to learn how to read a foreign language. Consequently, with just a little instruction and practice, Enga speakers can quickly learn how to read the the Enga New Testament.

Enga literacy class at Timothy Lutheran Seminary

In America we say that nothing is certain except death and taxes. In Enga, we have unfortunately come to realize that nothing is certain except spiritual oppression when good things start happening. Soon after starting the Enga literacy courses at Timothy Lutheran Seminary, fighting erupted in the areas around Frank’s village. His family had to flee, and he was prevented for a time from to going to the seminary to teach. Thankfully, through God’s faithfulness and provision, Frank was able to temporarily relocate his family to the seminary grounds. They are now safe from the fighting, and Frank is again teaching the Enga literacy courses. Recently Frank made a video of the deputy principal of the seminary talking about how much the students and seminary teachers appreciate the Enga New Testament and the opportunity to learn how to read in Enga. You can watch the short two-minute video below.

Translation Work
Over the past couple of months, I have made good progress in checking the Old Testament. I finished checking the book of Genesis in February, and it is now ready to be recorded. After finishing Genesis, I began working my way through Exodus. The first part of Exodus went very well, but I am now checking the chapters that describe everything related to the tabernacle. Most English speakers have difficulty reading these texts in English, and it is quite challenging to translate them into Enga. The translation team has done a wonderful job drafting these texts, but it is some of the most difficult translation work we have encountered. Thankfully, I am making progress, slowly but surely, and I hope to finish up Exodus some time this month.

Graduation Bibles
My friend and coworker Stanley Piokol was recently able to distribute Enga New Testaments to the graduates of the Foursquare Church’s Disciple Leadership Training School in Yaramanda, Enga Province. In the picture below you can see Stanley standing with the graduates, who are wearing the four colors of the Foursquare Church. It is wonderful to see the Enga New Testament being distributed far and wide in ways that Martha and I are not directing.

Distributing Enga New Testaments to graduates

Family Update
My mother Heather has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma (a form of blood cancer). Thankfully, her doctor anticipates being able to treat the disease and keep it under control for a number of years. While we are saddened to receive this news, we are so thankful that it happened while we are here to help her. The initial treatments are the most taxing, and so we are blessed that we can walk with her through the most challenging portions of her treatment plan before returning to Papua New Guinea. Please pray for my mother in the coming weeks.

In other news, Jacob has been accepted at the University of Pittsburgh and has also received very good scholarships to Slippery Rock University and Messiah University. His plan is to pursue an accelerated Master of Science in Athletic Training. Please pray for him as he weighs a variety of factors to make a decision about which school to attend. Please also continue praying for Martha’s work permit and visa applications to be approved. We hope to hear back some time in April. Thank you for your prayers!