It has been almost a year since we returned to PNG and one of the big changes for us has been having Esther and Simon living in a boarding home and attending the mission school called Numonohi Christian Academy (NCA) located near Goroka. Esther is in 10th grade and Simon is in 7th grade. They both continue to do well and really enjoy the school. We have seen them really grow this last year but we still need God’s mercy and grace every day so please keep praying. We’ve heard that some of you are praying for the need for teachers and dorm parents at NCA. We are glad to report that some of those needs have been met for now. But some have not been met and new needs are constantly coming up so thanks for continuing to pray. During spring break when our kids were home in the tribe we enjoyed a visit from some friends (Monte & Kim Sutton -pictured) who work at the centre where NCA is located. Monte is a HS math teacher and Kim is a nurse and they have been helping out in PNG temporarily as associate missionaries.
We had a wonderful Easter service in the tribe. We had been going through the newly revised course 1 Bible lessons and had just finished teaching on the Passover. We postponed the scheduled lesson and asked our 2 Simbari teachers to jump ahead to the lesson on the resurrection and ascension of Christ. The Passover was a perfect starting place for them as they presented Christ as our Passover lamb who died in our place but then conquered death by rising from the dead. There were several who heard a very clear and powerful presentation of the Gospel for the first time. It was a real encouragement to see and hear how clearly the teachers communicated the Gospel without our direct involvement. Our teachers have now resumed teaching course 1 on Sundays which has been strengthening each ones understanding of foundational truths. Please pray for God to use this teaching of His word to transform the lives of those who are hearing.
Now that the course 1 Bible lessons have been completed we are working on finishing up the drafts of the Old Testament Bible portions that we use when teaching the Bible lessons. Up till now we have been teaching using rough translation drafts which is not really a good idea. So we’re taking some time to complete these O.T. portions before beginning with the translation of Acts. David is doing the primary translation, our co-worker Lori Morley is doing content and comprehension checking, and Shari does the final “back translation” needed for the final consultant check. If you’ve seen our video that should sound familiar. 🙂 We are so thankful to be able to work together like this and we are making good progress. Pray for continued good health and humility as we work together.
David and Shari Ogg
(Esther, Simon, Rachel & Jason too)