Return to Papua New Guinea
David has been drafting portions of the Old Testament and is on the last chapter of the book of Genesis. Now we are just a couple weeks away from returning to Papua New Guinea. We are thankful for the time we have had here to be with our family, friends and churches. We are thankful for the healing of David’s dad John after having broken his neck. He is doing remarkably well. Pray for us in these coming weeks as we have to put our life back in a suitcase again and say goodbyes soon. That is always one of the hardest things about being a missionary.
Vehicle Needed
After arriving in PNG we will no longer be living right at the mission school but at a different mission center about 10km down the road. Please pray about our need for a used diesel 4wd vehicle for PNG to help with the trips back and forth to the school and for picking up and dropping off our translation helpers as we work toward finalizing the draft of the Simbari New Testament. We have about half of what we need but are still short approx. $15,000. (if you would like to make a one-time gift to help with the purchase of the vehicle you can make out your gift to NTM or Ethnos360 and designate it for: “Ogg’s PNG Vehicle” and mail to 312 W. 1st St., Sanford, FL 32771 or if you want to give online click on the “GIVE” link above.)
Translation Helper Grateful For God’s Word In His Language
We received a recording from one of the Simbari translation helpers a few weeks ago. It’s a good reminder of what is important and why we are returning to PNG. Here is the transcription:
“I would like to say thanks to God that all the work of translating His talk into the Simbari language has come down to this point. So first I would like to say thanks to God that even though this work has been overwhelming for me sometimes and I have felt tired of doing it, the strength of God and the power of the Holy Spirit have been active in this work and I want to say thanks.
I also want to say thanks to you, David and Shari Ogg, because I know our Simbari language is hard, but this strength of God surpasses every kind of earthly human strength. And your hard work in the Simbari language has come down to the place of bearing fruit. So I say a big thanks to God for you two. This work has not been in vain. Also in order to make this good news of Jesus become clear, God has truly placed this talk into your hands so that it will become clear, and I say a big thanks for that.
Before, I myself did not have the knowledge of God. I went to church and I thought that made me a smart man and I thought that I was close to God, but that was not true. So I want to say thanks to God that you two heard the call of God and this decision that you made to choose the Simbari tribe, you made that decision in God’s sight. I am a fruit of the work that you did, and not just me but also many men and women who have trusted in the death and resurrection of Jesus and have become His children, we are all your fruit, and I want to say thanks for the work you have done. Lori and Dennis and Jeanne as well. They started the work but God has put the responsibility of the big work on you two and you two have been finishing it. So I have a big thanks to say to God. Whatever work God has given you to do, you are finishing it now. God himself will bless us and reward us for our labor.
So in my heart I rejoice greatly and that is why I send this talk to you. That is how I feel, and this knowledge that I have in my life is because God himself has opened the door for me and I have come inside this knowledge of God. In 1 Corinthians 1:24 Paul spoke clearly and said that God called Gentiles as well as Jews to receive eternal life and that Jesus is the power and wisdom of God. This talk pierced my heart and I want to say even more thanks to God that now we have entered into this knowledge of God and we feel joyful. So now I want to say thanks even though there is still a little more work we need to do to finish the translation. But God has helped us with the biggest part of the work that we have finished and I want to say thanks to you two, David and Shari.”