We returned to the Dom people of Papua New Guinea in October of 2015. We have settled back into ministry. Jim continues to revise teaching lessons and working on Old Testament lessons. Judy is making sure that our literacy program is all updated. It has been difficult to get any classes going. The Dom New Testament (a provisional copy) is being well used. The Dom New Testament dedication went well. Now Jim is working on corrections and revisions so that we can print a hard back copy of the Dom New Testament.
Our History
Jim and Judy met during missionary training in 1979. We married in 1980 and went to Papua New Guinea in January of 1982. Jim grew up in Southern California, but for Judy being an MK from Papua New Guinea, this was going back home. Rather than start a new work we joined one already in progress among the Dom speaking people of the Highlands. There was a local church raised up already from the efforts of previous missionaries. So after completing language and culture study in 1985 Jim began teaching and discipling the Dom Christians and gearing up for translation. 35 years later, we can look back and see the grace of God prevail despite many setbacks and trials. Our coworkers left one by one until we found ourselves alone in 2000. We have been working on our own since, teaching the Word, discipling, teaching literacy, doing medical and translation of the New Testament. The Lord has blessed us with four local churches that though small in number, are hanging in there for the Lord. In 2012 God brought Gerolf and Mailis Wuest to join the Dom work.
OUR FAMILY
We have been blessed with four children; Ilai 35, Brian 31, Darren 31 and Heather 28. Ilai lives in New York with his daughter, Kelli. Brain lives in Boise, Idaho and has his two boys on weekends. Darren and his wife Katie are attending Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Heather is also in Louisville, KY starting a counseling program and will be, Lord willing, coming to teach in PNG for a year.