What does it take to reach tribal people? Update on the Siar tribe.

What does it take to reach tribal people with the gospel?  On July 5, the missionaries in the Siar tribe began teaching the Creation to Christ lessons to the Siar people. What are some of the things that they have done do arrive at this place?  It was over 10 years ago that the missionaries started their missionary training. After 4 years of training, they spent 1 year raising financial and prayer support.

After they arrived in Papua New Guinea, they spent about 8 months learning the national language of Papua New Guinea.  After that they spent 4 years of living with the Siar people, learning their language and culture.  Next they figured out what alphabet would be needed for the Siar language, they designed and produced a literacy course so that they could teach the Siar people how to read and write their own language, training some of them to teach and carrying on the literacy program. At the same time they were translating portions of the Old Testament and then moving into the New Testament, and writing Bible lessons in the Siar language.  Through all of their activities in the tribe they have worked hard at showing God’s love to the Siar people, building relationships and becoming friends with them, so that they would want to hear the message that the missionaries have brought.  On the 5th of July, (PNG time) they started the 70 Chronological Bible Lessons going from Creation to Christ.  They have been meeting twice a day, four days a week, and God’s Word is having an impact on the Siar people.

One of the Siar people described the last 5 days of teaching as the pounding waves of God’s truth being unleashed in their lives but the calm must be coming.  Another person, Yolita said, “the teaching was so heavy that after the teaching I felt like I had worked all day in the garden, I just went down to the river to wash up.”

You may wonder, “Why are you telling us this?  We don’t know these people.” That’s true; you may not know them, but your prayers and gifts to the Lord are having an impact on the Siar indirectly.  Gay and I are returning to ministries in the accounts office and in the school for missionaries’ children.  If these ministries were not functioning – then the missionaries out in the tribe could not be doing what they are doing there, or they would be greatly slowed down.  We are sharing their story so that you can be praying for the Siar people, and the missionary team there – and be more directly involved with these people whom you are already impacting.  I also want you to be able to share in the joy we will experience when they come to know the Lord.  Thank-you for praying for us, for the Siar people, and for the missionaries who are sharing God’s message with them.