Being a missionary is a job of constantly learning, constantly evaluating what you thought you knew, and looking at things in a new light, or at least a new frame of reference. If you stop learning, you stop being effective.
How did I get started on this incredible journey to work with national co-workers to reach the unreached and translate the Bible into a tribal language?
People ask us why we're attempting to translate the whole Bible and not just the New Testament. When we were young missionaries in training, we thought, "Hey, PNG has the whole Bible in the trade language, so we only need to translate the New Testament into the heart language." We have since needed to repent of that.
It's a big job -- learning someone else's language and culture so that we can speak to them clearly. Where does anyone begin? In NTM we know where to begin because we have consultants, and training, and helps in English. But what about the local churches whom we are assisting here in PNG, where do they start? Let me tell you a story which started this summer . . . .
Languages just take time – particularly when you are dealing with the shades of meaning level. I mean in English can you explain to someone else the difference between raise and lift? They are very similar in meaning, but we use them in different contexts.
Raise your hand. Raise the bar. I want a raise. Raise the roof.
Lift your hand. Lift the bar. I want a lift. Get in the lift.
(I could go on . . . raise a crop, raise kids, raise . . .
Recently we went almost 8 weeks without measurable rain. Fortunately we still had some in the tanks. But what if there was no water? What if you saw others readily able to get a drink, but you could not? In many ways we westerners are like people who when we are thirsty for God's word, we can turn to the scriptures at any time.
It always interests and amuses me when our home church pastor uses a movie clip or a story from some film as a sermon illustration. Recently however, Anji and I again watched the movie The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King. Near the end of that movie there is a scene that […]