Early in the morning on Friday, May 24, a major landslide covered a large area near Mulitaka in Enga Province. We were about 250 miles away in Ukarumpa when the landslide took place. Our home in Enga Province is about forty miles east of the landslide site, and so it was not affected. None of the Enga translators live near the landslide area, and so they were not affected either. I (Adam) had visited the landslide area only once before, back in November 2017, when we showed the Enga Jesus Film at Mulitaka.
We are very saddened by the news of many lives being lost, but we know little more than what is being reported by international news agencies. The two people I know in the immediate area were thankfully not in the path of the landslide, but they did lose many relatives. Please join with us in praying for those who have lost loved ones and been displaced by the landslide. Please also pray for guidance and direction as we have been planning an event to distribute the Enga New Testament near the landslide area on July 11. At this point, we don't know if that event will still happen. I know that some of you may have a desire to help the people affected by the landslide, but we are still trying to determine what Christian aid organizations are on the ground. Consequently, at this time we are not able to accept donations toward the landslide relief efforts.
 |
| Landslide near Mulitaka, Enga Province |
Bridge Collapse
On Monday, May 27, we arranged to have a truck pick up 2,560 Enga New Testaments, 2,304 Enga-English New Testaments, and 1,440 Enga New Testament Audio Players, and transport them to Enga Province in preparation for the first dedication on July 2. The truck picked up everything with no problems and made its way to Enga Province. When the truck was about two hours from its final destination, I received a call from the driver informing me that a bridge had collapsed, making it impossible to complete the delivery at this time. We made the decision to have the driver backtrack to Mt. Hagen (which is about 50 miles east of the delivery destination in Enga Province) and store the container in a safe facility while we wait for the bridge to be repaired. (The collapse of the bridge was unrelated to the landslide.) Supplies and equipment to aid in the relief effort for the landslide also have to pass over this bridge. Thankfully, repairs to the bridge have already begun. Please pray for the repairs to be completed quickly so that the Enga New Testaments can be delivered and relief efforts to the landslide area can be expedited.
 |
| The collapsed bridge and ongoing repairs |
Critical Need for Teachers
The Ukarumpa International School (UIS) that Bella and Asher attend has a critical need for teachers during the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. The high school needs teachers for English, Social Studies, Math, Religion, Art, Science, and Spanish as well as for electives like Photography. UIS has small class sizes, and the students are well behaved and do their homework. It is an extremely different experience than teaching in the United States. Living in Ukarumpa is like living in a small town or village. There are about 200 other expats here. It is a great place for a teacher who is retired or who no longer wants to teach in the US school system but would still love to teach and make a difference. There is still so much work to be done, and the school is an integral part of making sure that work continues. Please pray for this need and share this information with anyone you know who might be interested in teaching for a year or two to support Bible translation in the beautiful country of Papua New Guinea. Please feel free to ask us any questions, and be sure to check out the following links for more information. (Please note that Ukarumpa International School is affiliated with TeachBeyond.)
How TeachBeyond Supports Bible translation in Papua New Guinea
Ukarumpa International School videos
Learn More at TeachBeyond
