Over the past few weeks it has become clear that our return to Papua New Guinea (PNG) will be delayed due to the Coronavirus. Some of our fellow missionaries have attempted to return to Papua New Guinea, only to have their flights canceled. One couple even began the journey, only to have a connecting flight canceled midway through the trip. After scouring the Internet for potential flights, we discovered that it is nearly impossible to fly to PNG right now due to travel restrictions in the various countries that we could fly through. Not only that, but even if we could book a travel itinerary to PNG, there is a high risk of us getting stranded in a foreign country if a connecting flight were to be canceled. And even if we could make it all the way to PNG, as things currently stand, we would have to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for two weeks at the cost of approximately $5,000. To make matters worse, due to the Coronavirus we have been delayed in receiving our travel visas. Although we now have approval to send our passports to the embassy in Washington, DC, we don't know how long it will take to get our passports back with the visa stamps. To complicate matters further, the policies of the high school Jacob attends in PNG state that he must be enrolled either for the entire semester or not at all. Since school begins August 12, we have come to the conclusion that we just will not be able to make it back to PNG in time for him to enroll. As a result, despite our best efforts to return to PNG in August, we have come to the conclusion that our return will be delayed. We have consequently enrolled the children for the fall semester at NorthStar Academy, an accredited online Christian school, and we hope to return to PNG in early January. Both Wycliffe USA and our supervisors in PNG agree that, due to current travel restrictions and school enrollment policies, it is best for us to remain in America for the fall school semester.
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Still enjoying our time in America even with the restrictions
(Jacob, cover your nose!) |
Thankfully, I (Adam) am able to continue translation work remotely. Because we are far along in the translation process for the New Testament, we qualify for remote consultant checking. So over the past month or two, the Enga translators and I have been working remotely with a consultant to check Romans and 1 Corinthians, and we have other books lined up to check in the coming weeks and months. I am in touch with the Enga translators on a daily basis as we send and receive project notes. And so even though the Coronavirus has delayed our return to PNG, the translation work continues on.
We are so thankful for your continued partnership as we wait to return to PNG. We were quite disappointed once we finally came to terms with the fact that our return would be delayed. The kids miss their friends, and we miss our home. But we are encouraged by your faithful prayers and partnership. Please be assured that even though our return to PNG has been delayed, the work continues to move forward.
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The Enga Translation Team
(left to right: Martin, Frank, Nete, Maniosa, William, Rueben) |
Prayer Requests
Please pray for our family to not just endure the next few months, but to thrive. Pray that the kids will do well in school, and that we will have quality family time together. Pray as well for the people of Papua New Guinea. Up until a couple of weeks ago, it seemed that the Coronavirus was not spreading in PNG. But now there is an outbreak in the capital city of Port Moresby, and at least one report of a case in another major town. The capital city is now in a two-week lockdown. Finally, pray for the translation team. Pray that their computers will work well and that the virus will not spread to where they are. Pray against every and any attack of the enemy that seeks to disrupt the completion of the Enga New Testament. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
