>Hi
Thanks for popping in and please remember to check out the other links on this page. We have a few prayer points and a photo album with much more photos! Also you can get some info on our work here in Papua New Guinea.
We recently had the opportunity to Visit another tribal group called Elimbari. It was a wonderful opportunity to have fellowship with many Christians! Previously NTM missionaries have worked here and it was great to be with some national Christian leaders! Here are a few pictures of our visit with them.
Here we are visiting with a man called David. He is one of the leaders of the Church planted by New Tribes Mission in Elimbari. They are currently busy translating New Testament lessons into their own language (tok place) that was previously only available in Tok Pisin. We really spend many wonderful evenings with them. They met in the evenings to visit with us, teach us of their culture and sing in their own language! This was really amazing and brought tears of joy to my eyes!
This is just some of the kids that’s always around. Due to the fact that whites are very unknown here we often draw crowds where ever we go. Just recently we counted 22 people in one little round house all just sitting and observing us. If we walk around they also follow us and we often have big groups of even 40 or 50 people and children following us.
When we visit tribal locations there is no running water or power. We had to do all our washing in springs like these.
We had the opportunity to go up on Maunt Elimbari which is the second highest point in this region. We climbed a thousand meters this day and enjoyed a great view.
Here I am standing at the top of the peak. In the past the people of this area would bring their dead up here and through them into the caves that is found on this peak. As we progress in language we are hearing more and more strange but culturally relevant stories. I recently heard that people say that on this specific peak grows a certain tree, if you cut it then blood will flow from it’s centre and you will be marked for death! Lightning will strike you and you will be killed. Many such stories do the round and these people really live in fear!
The people really treated us well at Elimbari and provided us with so much food. Here they are preparing a huge Mu Mu and this would be cabbage leaves with tapiok inside. Something I struggle to get down!
On this specific visit we slept in an old office of one of the previous missionaries and we actually had no rats and other insects in our house! Me and Simon shared a bed!
Eventually we went back home on a Dina PMV which is an open truck. They can squeeze up to 45 people on such a truck.
Finally we caught a town bus which brought us close to home! As you can see we really come close to the people and their culture and without doubt this is a wonderful way to learn language!
Thank you very much for your prayers and letters of encouragement. You are the people making it possible for us to learn this language and culture. Every day we understand even more the need for continual prayer support. As we face these people and the situation they are in we realize than only God can make a difference, through the working of his Spirit!
Therefore pray with us for miracles!
Thanks for giving, writing and praying, may God richly bless you!
And as the Papuan’s would say:
‘lukim ju sampla taim‘
Most People are brought to faith in Christ, not by argument for it,
But by exposure to it.
Please follow the link to our photo album for more photos.