Tyler and Emily in PNG

Another eye opener into the culture and ways of Papua New Guinea. Do they really eat the inside of a tree?

Last September, I went to Dallas for 5 weeks for missiological training in preparation for coming to Papua New Guinea for 18 months. This was required for my status as an Short Term Assistant. During these 5 weeks, I took 4 classes dealing with Anthropology, Linguistics, Biblical Reflections on Missions, and Foundations of Ministry. I was introduced to many great mission minded authors and read many great books geared to cross cultural ministry. One of the book I read was Cross Cultural Conflict by Duane Elmer. Before I left for Papua New Guinea in January, I ordered some books that I wanted to read to further my education on cross cultural ministry. One of the books I read recently was titled, Cross-Cultural Servanthood Serving the World in Christlike Humility by Duane Elmer. I read this book during my 5 week stay in the village this past April. I recommend this book to anyone seeking to serve others. After all, this is the goal, to serve God through serving others.

I want to capture some key highlights that touched my heart strings from the first three opening chapters of the book. I will present at a later time, the 6 step process of servanthood defined by the author.

The first page of chapter 1, the author states a quote from Stanley Haueras and William Willimon, “We are not called to help people. We are called to follow Jesus, in whose service we learn who we are and how we are to help and be helped.”

This grabbed my attention right away, we are not called to help people. Really? Then what is serving? Isn’t serving others, helping others? The quote is not finished, as I continued to read, it becomes more clear. We are called to follow Jesus. Thus following Jesus we learn how to help others and be helped. We first set the focus on Jesus and let him direct our paths. If we serve Christ first, we indeed will serve and help others.

Jesus talks about the Sheep and the Goats in Matt 25. The people are confused and asked, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick of in jail?” Jesus replied, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, you did it for me.” Matt 25:37-40 We serve Christ, by serving others.

So what is servanthood?

Servanthood is culturally defined – that is, serving must be sensitive to the cultural landscape while remaining true to the Scripture. This is both the challenge and burden of servanthood. Servanthood is not an easy task. Sometimes it can be a burden, it can involve suffering, and it will be challenging at times. Once again, as disciples of Christ we are called to serve Him.

How do we serve others?

We serve other people by entering into a relationship of love and mutual commitment. Jesus came into our human context (incarnate), ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’ John 1:14. To make Christlike disciples of nations we must develop relationships with others centered around Christ.

The author continues to set the tone of servanthood with the illustration of the robe and the towel.

Jesus clarifies the two roles: robe – representing the Lord and Christ roles – he shares with no one, for he alone is worthy and the towel – representing the humble, obedient, suffering servant – a role he modeled for us throughout his life.

The disciples never seemed to get it until it was too late. They envisioned themselves wearing the robe, enjoying prominence, perks, privileges, and royal status. For the last three years the disciples had been following the most powerful man in the world, literally touching and holding the robe of Jesus.

However from the beginning, the nativity, the scene announces humility, lowliness, weakness, and exposure. The last image of Christ as he hangs on the cross displays humiliation, suffering, failure, and to some, defeat. Through the ministry of Jesus, his life suggests anything but a life of humble service – the life of the towel.

In biblical times, when a robe was given to another it was considered a special honor. After three years of being with Jesus, the disciples were still pursing the robe – prominence and status. Jesus alone claims the title of “Lord” and shares it with no one. The lordly model is not for his followers, we are to follow him by his servant model.

Greatness is not the goal. Service is the goal, and greatness is defined by Christ in his lifelong exercise of servanthood: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” Matt 20:26.

The greatest expression of humility was displayed in John 13. Jesus washed his disciple’s feet. Foot washing was generally performed by the lowliest servant. Jesus does the unthinkable, the King of kings and Lord of lords, bows to his knees and without a spoken word humbly washes the feet of his disciples.

Jesus told the disciples, “You also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” The example has been clearly defined for the disciples to understand and live. The robe of royalty is not pictured here however the display of greatness through humility is shown for all to follow. Disciples of Christ are to follow him only in his humble, obedient servant role.

What is humility?

Did you know? Biblical writers had to invent a new word, tapeinophrosune, to describe the humility God possessed. Tapeinophrosune – lowliness of mind, gentleness of spirit and meekness of attitude.

In summary, we are never more like Jesus than when we serve others.

(Much of the text above was taken directly from Cross-Cultural Servanthood by Elmer)

How to make roofing shingles PNG bush style.

Last time I posted, I started to feel ill however I was hoping it was something small and it would pass quickly. This past week I was sick all week with a cold/cough/virus something. I am feeling much better now and believe I am on the way to recovery. I still have a slight cough and not back to 100% yet. I have not missed any work but I have rested well every night which my body needed.

The sage of obtaining my PNG driver’s license continues. Last week Tues (May 10) I went to apply for my driver’s license. You first have to go to the Traffic Division to apply then you go to the provincial office to pay, then you go to another office to get your picture taken. My task was to do all this in one day. Well, as of today, I am still waiting to complete the last step in the process. On Tues (May 10) after paying K60 for a 3 yr license, I find out they are not taking pictures until Thurs, May 12. So I go back Thurs morning to a line of 20 people ahead of me. Before joining the line, hoping this would be a quick thing I got a call from the office stating that an internet client of PBT could not access the internet. I told the office I was getting my license and would be there as soon as I could. Now after 45 mins of standing in line, I have not moved an inch I decided I have better things to do than stand in line this morning. I left and went to the PBT office thinking I can get my license another day.

Fast forwarding to this week, as I said I have not been feeling well but on Thursday I felt good enough to go try again to get my license. (FYI: You can only get your license on Tues and Thurs.) The drivers license office opened at 9am so I wanted to be first in line and not have to stand in line behind 20 people for another 45 mins. I got there 10 till 9am and waited. The door finally opens and I enter to find another sign reading, ‘Sorry we will not be taking driver license photos until 1 pm today.’ Ah, frustrated yet again. Here it is drizzling rain, I rode my bike, skipped work in the morning, and still not feeling well all to find out my plan has failed.

The sage will continue next week, when I will give it another shot on Tues for a chance to get my photo taken. I will repeat the process and try to be first in line yet again.

Prayer Requests:
Health – God to restore my health and quickly get over this sickness
Driver’s License – I will be able to obtain my license this upcoming week
Continue to understand the IT networks and systems here in the office

Praises:
Starting to feel better, as I believe the worst part is over

You didn’t know what you were missing. Bathing in a cold, creek in Papua New Guinea.

As of Friday at 10:00 am PBT orientation was adjourned. The class of 2011 has graduated from the first official orientation held by PBT-PNG! Well, since there is no IT person currently in country working in the office as soon as I stepped foot in the office last week, I became that guy. Nonetheless, I had to balance both orientation and becoming ‘Jack of All Trades’ as my job description states.

This past week on Wed there was an internet emergency. Around 10 – 11:00 am the internet was lost. Here in PNG, we have a very expensive satellite modem with blazing speeds of 512 KB/s download and 256 KB/s upload. To help the IT challenged, speeds in the USA for broadband now range from 3 MB/s to 15 MB/s. You are anyway from 6 to 30 times faster than us here in PNG. To help divert the high cost of the equipment and service, we have four other clients who share our bandwidth. Bottom line, yes we have internet, yes it is slow, but we are thankful for what we have. Now on Wed I come to the office and hear rumors that the internet is not working. In the IT world users give you very broad analysis of the problems they are having. The internet not working can be numerous things from the personal computer to the internet router to the network cable to the internet modem itself. Since my knowledge of the PBT office network is minimal at this point, I have no other decision but dive head first into the problem. I track the problem down to the other internet router in the Publications office (another building adjacent to the office). The conclusion we come up with is the cable connecting to the two building for internet is not working. Before running a new cable or splicing into an existing cable I research the issue further. Luckily I find an unused cable that runs between the two buildings. I can use this cable to fix the problem. Now the problem is fixed and all missionaries and staff can check email.

The next day, Thursday I get a call stating that one of our clients has no internet access. To make the long story short, the cable we thought was dead was actually the cable leading to the client. We plugged their cable into the switch and their problem was resolved. Now finally all parties are happy. This problem still puzzles me and that my original troubleshooting was wrong. Come to find out, the cable we thought was dead was actually two different cables. One went to the client and the other went to the IT office. If you are not confused by now not worry, I am still trying to figure out the schematics myself.

The final reason for the failure was the cable that connected the switch in the Publications office to the switch in the IT office was unplugged. Either someone disconnected during troubleshooting before I arrived or the cable came loose from the connection port. The staff has mentioned cables do come ajar from the switch thus clients loosing connectivity.

As always, one things leads to another, so my next task will making sure all connections are secure.

Prayer Requests:
Continue to pray for my transition into roll as IT Specialist
Build relationships with missionaries and national staff in office
Safety as I travel to and from work on my bicycle

Praises:
Internet has been fixed
Good Health
Health

Tour of village house and living arrangments

Oceanfront in Madang

I have been reading through 1 and 2 Corinthians and this morning I read 1 Cor 15:58. Paul has been answering questions about the resurrection body and what will happen to our bodies when we die. Paul closes the chapter with these final thoughts and words:

“Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is worthwhile.” 1 Cor 15:58 (italics added)

I started to ponder and think about this passage Paul told the church. Kingdom work is not a part time job. Making disciples is not a 2 hat job. We don’t put one our ‘disciple making hat’ then take it off when we are finished with the ‘disciple making session.’ When God calls you to surrender your life to him it is a full time job. Paul states “give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.” To advance the Kingdom of God we are called to serve, love, and obey him all day and every day (24×7). The gratification comes in knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain, it is worthwhile. Do not give up the kingdom work as our eternal payday is coming soon. The check has been written, signed, and is coming as the sound of trumpet.

Lord, help me to give my life fully to the work of the Lord daily. For I know this is worthwhile labor in the Kingdom.

First Encounter Story

My first morning in town, I decided to take a walk along the ocean view road just 1 block from my house and within 5 minutes of leaving the property this PNG man came running up to me. You always have to be aware of your surroundings and situations as an expatriate in PNG or any country outside USA. I was not frightened but I was aware and cautious of this man. Anyway, this was a friendly man. His name is John. He asked me the general questions any national would ask a white man in PNG. Where are you from? What are you doing here? What time and day is it in America? How did you get here, boat or plane? Etc. My initial thinking was for a nice, peaceful stroll and not wanted to deal with outsiders first thing in the morning. However, this national man followed me for 30 minutes. Finally he popped the question. Can you help me? He was asking for money to help with this specific project. I asked what is the project. He said the project is for a fish pond. I said, sorry I don’t know about this project. He went on to talk about some professor which I wasn’t able to follow. Since I didn’t give him a firm answer about helping him on the fish pond project, he asked me again. This time I told John, Sori mi no inap helpim yu long dispela projek (Sorry I can’t help you with this project). He walked away soon after that.

I had my first encounter of many to come about asking for money. I tried to be nice and listen to his story. Other missionaries here have said some nationals do have legitimate needs. As I reflect, I think we need to give a listening ear and not just slam the door on all strangers. I think Jesus would listen. We are to be respectful and courteous to others. I look forward to engaging in more conversations with strangers in the future. The bright side, it gave me a chance to practice my Tok Pisin and language skills!

PNG Top Driver

Prayer Requests:
Adjusting to new surroundings, environment in town and PBT office
Sustaining health

Praises:
Smooth transition from POC to town
Purchase of new bicycle

Why should we support Bible translation? After spending five weeks in the village of Karadou, within the language group of Amele, I have seen firsthand a people group who loves God but does not have God’s Word in their heart language.

One of the main purpose’s for village living is to gain more fluency in the trade language of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Tok Pisin. PNG officially has two languages, English and Tok Pisin. English is used by the educated, businessman, and political figures. The everyday language spoken amongst the 6.5 million people in PNG is Tok Pisin. However there lies a problem, 6.5 million people also speak over 800 languages. The Madang Providence where Pioneer Bible Translators (PBT) serves, there are over 170 language groups thus making it the most dense language providence in the country. The focus of PBT is to bring the Word of God into their heart language. For a person to hear or read God’s Word in their language is very special. Let me try to explain.

The very first day in the village, we sat under a mango greeting and meeting all the village people and families. As we began speaking in Tok Pisin they were eager to share with us the Tok Ples (Amele, their heart language) word equivalent.

English                  Tok Pisin              Tok Ples (Amele)
Morning               Moning                Até
Noon                     Belo                       Acir
Afternoon           Apinun                 Dewa
Night                     Gut Nait               Vicoo

So right away they were pressing on us their heart language in just a few simple day greetings. It was special for them to teach us ‘their’ language and just not the trade language of the country. As the village living experience continued my Tok Ples word list continued to grow. When we were hiking on the trails to get water, go to church, or go to another village; I passed another person on the trail I would greet them in their Tok Ples. Their faces would light up, ears perk up, and they would reply back with hesitance the same greeting. They were thinking, this white man knows my language. Right then I had broken down barriers and I was starting to enter their culture and language. In just a simple word, I was not just another outsider but I was one of them.

This made me think, if they had the Bible in their heart language how would they react. Would their eyes and ears perk up like they did when I spoke their language? God is the Father of all languages and He speaks all languages. When the people from the village of Karadou worship the Father, he knows their cries and praises.

This language group does not have a New Testament Bible. I have heard they do have NT books in the works. However, they do have a Tok Ples church songbook. They do sing in their heart language at church but the general service is spoken in Tok Pisin, not Tok Ples.

Bible translation in the vernacular allows the Spirit to transform lives. The vision statement for PBT is ‘Transform lives through God’s Word in every language.’ The Bible is a transformation tool. When people can hear or read God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and mercy their lives are changed. Bible translation is a very hard task and can require a lifetime commitment. Remember to lift up Bible translators around the world.

I am starting to gain an understanding for the depth and challenging needs of translating God’s Word. A nearby village to Nobnob, where Pacific Orientation Course (POC) is located, the village of Kamba is struggling to come up with the vernacular words for Savior and Kingdom. Key words like these are the everyday challenges that face translators.

Please pray for these strategic PBT prayer requests:

• That God would inspire great progress in the 49 translations PBT has started
• For Tay and Waran projects to finish the New Testament (both PNG language groups)
• Pray for Vision 2050, that every person on earth will have enduring access to at least the New Testament in print, in audio form, or even via cell phone, by the year 2050

Out of the bush at last and back to civilization as I know it. First, I want to thank God for a wonderful five weeks in the village. The allocation to the village was a perfect fit and I slipped right into the family culture. I give all glory and praise to the Father.

I also want to thank you for your many prayers as I was immersed into the native culture of the people here in Papua New Guinea. I am a firm believer that prayer must be a priority in our daily lives. One of my daily prayers is Eph 6:18 ‘Never stop praying, especially for others. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people’ (CEV). I believe through your faithful prayers, God sustained me and provided for me as He has promised he would. Thank you for covering me in prayer during the past five weeks.

Praises:
–          Excellent health and no injuries (two students did come down with cases of malaria)
–          Wonderful was-family
–          Over 100 people came to watch the Jesus Movie for the first time (2 showings)
–          Furthered my confidence and level of Tok Pisin language

My brother has shared with me a passage that he has been holding strong to and I have also been mediating on the same passage. Ps 91 – The Lord is My Fortress. The Lord promises us safety from deadly diseases, dangers at night, and arrows during the day. God will command his angels to protect us wherever we go. The Lord says, ‘If you love me and truly know who I am, I will rescue you and keep you safe. When you are in trouble, call out to me. I will answer and be there to protect and honor you.’ Ps 91:14-15. Yes, if we call out to God he will answer and be there. What a comforting passage and reassurance that in fact He is the Great Shepherd.

As I move forward and close this chapter of Pacific Orientation Course 2011, please be re-mindful of the words from the servant Paul. Continue to pray for me and the ministry of Pioneer Bible Translators.

Prayer Requests:
–          Transition from POC to PBT
–          For the people of Sihan and the Amele language group which I was apart of for 5 weeks
–          Continue to pray for good health

(I will be posting more stories, pictures, and videos this coming week.)