The Mesem New Testament

The Woman with Nothing To Give

2012-01-13T15:50:00.008-05:00

I was telling a story this week to a friend about the first Mesem book of scripture ever published. It was the Gospel of Mark. I told a story that many of you might not know, but which touches me to this day.

One morning I spoke at my home church and at the end of the service one of the ushers came over with tears in his eyes. He had ring. He said, “I don’t know what to do. This woman said to me, “I have no money to give but give this to that missionary” and she ran out so fast I didn’t get her name or anything.” Then he handed me a beautiful ring. It was delicate ring with red stones.

I was leaving the US the next day and asked my father to have it appraised but the jeweler told him that it was not his area of expertise because the ring was antique. I realized that gift, which I knew to be great was a greater sacrifice than I initially imagined.

Ultimately, we sold the ring for $220. We felt that a gift so precious needed to be used for a special purpose. In 1995, we bought the paper on which the Gospel of Mark was printed with the proceeds from that ring.

If you go to our website there is a video of that dedication and part way through I appear, much younger, dressed in PNG clothing and the story I am telling is how the first gospel was given to the Mesem, by a woman who said she had nothing to give.

I am not sure who she is, nor if she ever knew. But I know that great sacrifices do reap great rewards, and though it was sewn in her tears, it will be harvested with rejoicing. And if you who gave that ring are reading this, please get in touch….

The Scott Who Drew for the Rainforest People

2011-11-17T15:10:00.002-05:00

God has an amazing way of weaving together threads of our lives with those we've never met. Needing an illustration for the "armour of God", someone suggested I ask Karyn, a member of our Thursday Bible Study if she could illustrate the text. Twenty-four hours later, the soldier here was ready and will be included in the Mesem New Testament. Now Karyn was born in Scotland. I was born in Winchester. The Mesem who will use this picture for generations to come live in a remote rainforest area half a world away. I don't think Karyn knew last month that God would use her gifts to bless a group of people who she has only recently learned existed, and whose knowledge of them is confined to what she can see on our website. But God has done just that.

Meanwhile in Papua New Guinea, the roofing iron for Susie's house has been purchased. Christians from Canada, the US, Brazil, and Vietnam have come together to help a woman they don't know but who is related by the blood of Christ. There is something so powerful and beautiful in all of that.We're part of a family so big we don't know each other but we love and care for each other anyway. I know God smiles on that. We pass along to Susie notes from everyone who writes. She is encouraged and that in itself is a gift to us.We're still going via Gapfill.org to help with her school fees but the house is the most immediate need and we are so, so thankful that so much has come together so quickly for her. A PNG sister wrote to express her thanks on behalf of this "unseen" widow. I thought of that and smiled. No one is unseen. We might think we are, but God sees and He is not far fro any one of us.

Thanksgiving is next week. We are most blessed.

Keep on Praying Mantis

2011-08-25T17:25:00.000-04:00

I was looking through our photos the other day and saw that Neil had captured this picture when he was translating. If you look closely, you'll see that Mantis is posed right over a section of scripture. The New England sense of humor set in and I thought, "We need to study scripture and keep on praying, Mantis,or we'll never see the scripture in the hands of the Mesem.

Our final days in Papua New Guinea were not as I had envisioned them. I thought of chances to sit with friends, visit places that I have loved and take photos with people who mean a lot to me. I thought of going through the market and enjoying the produce. I had vague ideas of how to celebrate Tony's graduation, which, though it was from a long distance academy, was no less an accomplishment. He didn't get Pomp and Circumstance, there was not prom, or graduating class, but he is great guy who did a great job finishing his senior year in extraordinary circumstances.

Our time, however, did not end as we thought it would. We knew our truck had been stolen and demolished while we were in the US. We didn't know someone had helped themselves to some of our electrical equipment and personal items. It was disappointing. We were very thankful that a Lutheran missionary couple offered us use of their vehicle while we finished in PNG. Neil and Tony went to pick up that vehicle the day after we arrived back to Bobiufa. While on their way, they were held up at shotgun point. I knew we were back. It set the tone for our ending days in PNG.

While we faced a number of challenges, including the theft of Neil's computer from a locked vehicle, and ultimately, lost luggage courtesy of an airline error on the way home. (No, it has not been found, but the contents are invaluable to us). What was most tragic was the death of Susie Leo's husband. Leo was a police officer who was a very committed and loving Christian. Many of you have seen him in our pictures of "Flat Stanley" which was a project for our nieces school class. While the police world wide are known as ones who protect us, we don't always think of "police gentleness". Yet, Leo was a gentle and loving man who cared deeply for his family. He also cared deeply for missionary kids who struggled with their faith and he and Susie opened their home to many young people sharing the love of God and a bit of good kaukau with all who came their way.

I was shocked by the difficulty Susie faced in the aftermath of Leo's death. She has five children still living. (She lost her daughter to cancer last year) and she is a dear friend. Her struggles make any hardship we face pale in comparison. I talked to her via Skype this week. She's got a place to live until December and then she has to move. Our friends at GapFill.org are raising funds for her to be able to pay school fees as there is no free universal education in Papua New Guinea.

I share all this to ask you to keep praying. I have no doubt we made it home because of your prayers. I am sure that this New Testament has been prayed through to this point. What we need is to keep praying, praying for the Mesem, praying for the New Testament to be completed without further delays, pray for the finances, pray for the families of the people involved in supporting and praying for all this. We need to pray for one another. We need to pray for revival. We need to pray that the scriptures are not delayed because of any more because of extraordinary circumstances. Pray for the health, safety and employment of all involved. Pray that daily needs are met. Pray for revival. Or as we say to our friend Mantis, "Keep on Praying". We're eternally grateful and we know the Mesem will be as well.

Thoughts?

2011-03-10T20:59:00.003-05:00

This past week I've been thinking a lot about the final 18 months of Mesem New Testament translation and the ministry in which we've been involved in PNG for more than 20 years. I was actually thinking of how faithful, loving, generous, and truly amazing, have been those who have prayed and sacrificed for the sake of reaching the Mesem. There are dozens of churches, and many, many wonderful Christian friends, who have stayed faithful to answering God's call to reach the Mesem.

How many? It is said that it takes at least 100 "donors" to keep a missionary on the field. I know that the number of people who have sacrificed for this work, far exceeds that number, but there are a dozen or so families that have given, prayed and fasted, not to mention painted, cleaned, moved, stored, archived, called, and researched...just to name a few tasks....and participated in this work in ways that are known only to the Lord and perhaps to us in some measure. There are single parents, single women, couples with disabled children, pastors who are AG and pastors who are Baptist, who have stood by us for as long as we've been in Papua New Guinea. They've stayed faithful for more than 20 years to a group of people they have never met, and never seen in person. I really don't have words to adequately describe just what a gift this is to us and to the Mesem.

As "the missionary" we get to go, be with the people, and see first hand the fruit of what God is doing. The rest of the people in the ministry, those at home, don't get that opportunity. I have often wondered how we can best share the day the New Testament is dedicated with that faithful cohort. A number of friends have been saving for years to come to Papua New Guinea when that time comes. (Lord willing, summer 2012...speaking from a Northern Hemisphere perspective). Many, of course, cannot come and we really would like to know how to best share the dedication celebration with them. So I put this out here to ask for ideas, suggestions, or whatever comes to you as what might be the best way to share that day. Thoughts?

Photographs and Memories

2011-02-11T20:16:00.002-05:00

First, the photographs:
Last week Christiane sent me a number of beautiful photographs to use for the New Testament. At the same time I had a terrific conversation with Carolyn, the typesetter at Life Publisher. (Typesetter is the wrong word, "Publishing Guru" might be better!). It was exciting and wonderful to see how the New Testament is coming together in all the little details that make it a book people will treasure for generations. There's much to be done. Neil is still spell checking Acts, which is 14% of the New Testament and that will speed along the final check. When Webers return from their skiing holiday I'll be begging them for some help with the topical index as well.

At present, we are in Bothel, WA for a couple of weeks to afford us some time at Missionary Renewal Asia Pacific. This is a pastoral care center for missionaries. Although it is staffed by AGWM missionaries, members of many missions take advantage of the help and resources that are available. The transition back to the US for Tony is much greater than for us, and we are very proud of him and thankful for some time to get those college applications in while we've still got a decent Internet connection.

Then the Memories:
At this point in life, we do reflect on the many years we've spent working to this point. It's never been something we have or could have done without the Lord's Body sustaining us all the way through. We began living in a remote village without electricity, before the days of email and cell phones, waiting for those planes to fly over and drop the precious mail bag. How often friends and family encouraged us with letters and cards and packages. Times have changed and it is no longer possible to live in the deep interior. Now we live with a cell phone, have real honest to goodness electricity ( and a back up generator as the power is intermittent) and even access to the Internet. Yet spiritually we have the same desire as we did so many years ago. We still long to see a real move of God among the Mesem, one that is characterized not just by reading the Word but by being doers and hearers of the Word of God. We remain committed to the belief that if the Church of Jesus Christ did what He told us to do, it would change the world.

There's a beautiful line in John just after Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. He said, "Now you know these things. You'll be blessed if you do them".

May we be blessed.

The Bigger Sacrifice

2011-01-07T15:12:00.003-05:00

Most of you reading will know Neil's dad passed on December 8th. My father-in-law would have been 86 this weekend so his death was not unexpected but no matter what stage of life, it is still hard to say good-bye someone you love.

As parents, we joke that the one thing we don't want Tony to do is to move far, far away from us as we did with our parents. Obviously, if the Lord calls him into ministry, we can accept that and be very happy and supportive, but the reality is that as a parent, having your children move far away is difficult. When we left MA in 1987, it seemed to be a very dramatic event to me, much more so when we left for PNG the following year. The older I get I realize that what I was experiencing was even greater for my parents and my father-in-law.

I cannot help but wonder if in His eyes, they made the greater sacrifice.

Papa Geoff

2010-09-16T04:29:00.003-04:00

Papa Geoff,
OK, not the most spiritual blog update but this is kind of funny. We’ve got a dog and a cat. Tony, “the animal lover” Vanaria’s idea of course. The dog is a mix of German Shepherd and Blue Heeler. His name is Geoff. “Geoff with a G”. He’s large, pleasant, affectionate and could definitely write one of the “dog diary” entries where he records every activity of the day followed by the words, “My favorite thing!”. He’s cheerful and enthusiastic.
Sally is a small tabby who just had her first litter. She first played with Geoff when he was a small puppy, about 20 kilos ago and they still play together constantly. She’s not gained any weight and he’s about five times larger than he was before. They still play the same way they did the day we brought Geoff home. He chases her around, sleeps with a paw over her back, and eats from the same bowl as Sally. It is not uncommon for her to have hair sticking up like a stylist had applied gel to it in order to create a punk look. The cause: Geoff has been licking Sally again. They would be the picture perfect family is they were the same species.
Given their relationship, it was not a surprise that Geoff felt like a proud papa when Sally had her litter. He would go in the bedroom and lie down staring at the kittens for long periods of time. Within a couple of days he began licking the kittens and Sally just sat there while he did this. Then he began to play a new game: hide and seek.
When the kittens were about five days old we came home and couldn’t find them. We found an empty cardboard box, a sleeping Sally and a happy Geoff. We reasoned the kittens couldn’t have gotten far on their own but we hadn’t figured out what the cause was. Eventually we found all the kittens, who were rather large eyed and traumatized. They had been stashed in various places around the room. It appears that Geoff created a new version of hide and seek. He had been picking up the kittens in his mouth, depositing them in various hiding spots around the room and waiting to see if they would come and find him. The kittens seemed unaware of their role and were wet with slobber and rather limp to the touch. I think it was shock. All this was going on while their mother sat and watched, licking her paws and occasionally grooming one of the untouched kittens. Eventually, we had to lock Geoff out of the bedroom because we couldn’t trust him to leave the kittens where they were supposed to be.
While it’s not knock-down hilarious, it was pretty funny. There’s a lot of little joys like this in the course of a day and as these two extra members of our household provide a lot of humor we thought we’d share it with you all. Till next time!

Sunny Days are Here Again

2010-06-28T00:48:00.000-04:00

It’s end of June and at Bobiufa that means we have sun, sun, sun. In fact, it has rained but twice in the last six weeks. You are probably thinking that is a wonderful relief to us, but as we rely on collected rain water in our home for cooking, washing and all manners of plumbing, a lack of regular rainfall means we must either “stretch or fetch”. So when I awoke this morning and the sky was dark, I was feeling rather optimistic. Alas, it cleared and it was not long before the sun was out in full force and I was ducking for shade.
This week we are doing all the non-translation activities that we need to finish before our Mesem friends move back in with us for another month or more. We’re working on another evangelism course at the University of Goroka, and we’ve got forms for one thing or another coming out our ears, along with the usual repairs of things that just were repaired but the repair didn’t hold (Sound familiar?). We need to get some quotations on the printing of Sunday School materials as well as some courses for the correspondence Bible program in which friends have recently enrolled.
Today has had some lighter moments . I planted tomatoes and this time had the wisdom to mark it “off limits”. I learned the need for that when friends “helped” me by weeding our garden unasked. I lost my second basil plant and my third parsley to non-basil and non-parsley eaters. When I came back in, Tony announced we had a minor crisis as the dog was playing with the kittens. The dog and cat are quite close and he licks her new born kittens. Today, however, he decided to play hide and seek. He picked up the kittens in his mouth, deposited them in various corners around the house and we had to find them all again. We got the first three pretty quickly, and of course another was still in his mouth. The last one took the better part of a half hour to locate and it had found refuge beside the dresser. The dog and cat seemed unphased but at least one of the kittens was a bit rattled and rather wet from the dog’s drooling on it.
Best get back to work now but wanted to share our hide and seek adventure. It’s a great day to be alive and enjoying the life the Lord has given us.

While He Is Sleeping

2010-04-08T04:35:00.000-04:00

I lack the words to adequately desribe the last couple of weeks. Our friends, Thomas and Chrisitiane Weber, who were soon to leave PNG, after finishing the Bimin New Testament, had a house fire. Their home was destroyed. Thomas had significant burns and had to be flown to Australia where he is now in the burn unit at Royal Brisbane Hospital. I came to Australia within a day to join Christiane for the same practical reasons she did that for me three years ago.
On the bright side, after a week of praying and seeking the Lord for his healing while Thomas “was sleeping” through surgeries, he woke up and his first word, ever so slight and said with great effort was “Coffee”. If you don’t know him you might think he was in bad shape but everyone who knows him knew it was a good sign.
A bit of history:
In 2006, when Neil nearly lost his life as the passenger in a truck accident I felt like I was living in a movie. It had been a very hard year. Neil had broken his collar bone in an accident. Tony had broken his arm. I was diagnosed with a cancerous condition and had surgery (praise God it was later changed to a “misdiagnosis”). Then close friend had a terrible stroke. A road collapsed under Neil when he was teaching a friend to drive. The next month someone else close to us was diagnosed with HIV. Four weeks later another dear friend died. While waiting for her burial, we got word my cousin Rosaria had cancer and I went to Germany. I was back less than a week when Christiane came over to pray with me and I said, “I feel like a sponge held under water too long. I can’t take one more thing”. When she knocked at the door that night with Thomas alongside I remarked, “So, one more thing?
Had Webers not been there in Australia I am not sure what I would have done. Had friends in the US and Europe not rallied with the necessary practical needs I don’t know how I would have made it. But you did rally and God, I pray, has blessed you back a dozen times over. Now I see Webers and I feel it was somehow easier to be the victim than it was to be along side. I would never want burns but I hate to see those I love suffer. We feel like we can’t do anything. We know we need God.
I read a good quote recently. It said that the early church prayed ten days, then Peter preached ten minutes and three thousand got saved. Nowadays we pray ten minutes, preach ten days and three people get saved. We want to pray Thomas and his family through to an amazing recovery. We have given and loved but we must pray. We feel so dependent when we pray. What did WE do when we prayed? Nothing but God is working. As our brother sleeps and heals, let’s pray.

Powerless no more!

2010-02-04T19:35:00.004-05:00

Is it wrong to love a generator? If so, we’re guilty but oh, so thankful!

Power outages have been a frequent concern here at Bobiufa and while we were in Brisbane our house was without power for more than two weeks. Needless to say everything in the refrigerator went bad and as the house used power for the water supply that was also not available. Obviously, we need a generator for the computers and printers, not to mention water and refrigeration. Getting the generator proved to be more a challenge than we thought. Due to the outages, the ATM machines have been down and the banks have been closed for days at a time. When they have been open cash withdrawls have been limited. Credit cards are not being accepted, so cash is the only way to pay for anything from a new computer to a new generator. Neil had to stand in lines for up to three hours a day for three days in a row to get enough cash to buy the lovely little Yamaha seen here.

Of course generators do not run on love alone but they like to drink gas and oil. However, the power loss has been accompanied by bad weather which has caused flooding and roads and bridges have also been closed making the supply of fuel in the highlands very tight. It took another day of waiting in line to get the oil and the gas to get the generator running but this past weekend Neil fired it up and we had charging computers, water running in the sinks, and even the milk stopped curdling! It was a thing of beauty! In fact, we’ve only had about six hours of power in the last three days so the generator is a real blessing. Thanks to all of you for all you do to provide the tools we need to keep doing the work to which the Lord has called us. The great thing is that no one person can do it all, so it is only collectively, as His body that His will is accomplished; that way only Jesus gets the glory. That’s how it should be.

So as the lights flicker and the power fades we go downstairs again to hook up the cords once again…….

Reflections on Waiting

2009-12-02T03:29:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow marks the beginning of our fifth week of in Brisbane, waiting for our visas. No one can turn time in Brisbane into a hardship. It’s a lovely city and we brought work with us so we stayed busy thus far. We do, however, want to get back to PNG and begin preparing for Christmas and the people who will come to us at that time.
Waiting is an interesting activity. It almost always seems to be a “waste of time” and if I pretended we were not a tad frustrated it wouldn’t be honest. I have, however, prayed about what God has for us in this waiting period. Glimpses appear here and there: a meeting with a long time friend from PNG who is struggling to sense God’s presence; the hairdresser whose husband said he would come to Australia for his family but has decided to stay in their country of origin. All over there are people, God’s image bearers, who need someone to come alongside and say, “He is there. He is listening. Wait and see what He will do”.
Waiting for something as mundane as a visa, reminds me how much our waiting for temporal things Is not like waiting for Christ. Biblical hope is not a wish that something might happen that, should I not cross my fingers hard enough or say the right words, could fall through the cracks. Biblical hope is the expectation of that which is assured. Our hope cannot fail because of the One who made the promise.
So we wait in Brisbane and enter the Advent season, a time of waiting for a promise assured by the Maker of the Universe. These weeks between Thanksgiving and Advent can remind us of a time when all the world stood waiting for the child whose coming made a new star appear, wise men traverse the globe, shepherds rejoice, kings quake, angels sing and senior citizens proclaim salvation to all those in Jerusalem who were waiting for the Messiah.
Celebrating as we wait,
The Vanaria Family

Brisbane

2009-11-03T19:07:00.003-05:00

Brisbane

On Wednesday October 28^th we flew to Port Morseby to bring our residential visa application to Pastor Felix. On Friday the visa was lodged in the capital and we flew to Brisbane where we make a second application for our visa in PNG. The entire process should take less than three weeks and then we will head back to our home, celebrate Thanksgiving, and start Advent with our first group of Mesem friends by our side checking the completed translation work.

Brisbane is a great city to spend time in while we are waiting. The Internet works, so the long download of email takes a matter of seconds. We can add messages to the blog and update friends of the work from here. We’re adding some video taken in PNG. We’re in a handy DHL spot so we can get our new credit cards and debit cards to replace what we lost in the most recent “wallet walkabout” that happened at the market. The thief got a lot of cash (Neil had just withdraw money to pay the men) but thankfully the credit cards were not a problem.

Of course the Internet is not our only past time here. Tomorrow Neil goes back to the embassy and we’ll go along as in all these years I have never been in the PNG embassy. Brisbane has a lovely river winding through and a wonderful outdoor mall area where a book lover can sip cappuccino and pass some time. I’ve got the New Testament with me of course, and have finished Acts and should be done with 1 Corinthians this week.

Tony is happy and has found a gym near where we are staying that has a $3 fee for shooting hoops or playing a pick-up game. He will be 17 in December and though we’ve heard the teen years are supposed to be bumpy we’ve not had many bumps and we appreciate the good humour and versatility he has demonstrated in all our travels.

I will update you again as soon as we have more news.

Fresh Pork and the House Blessing

2009-09-21T00:18:00.000-04:00

House Blessing
Greetings again from Papua New Guinea where we are setting up once again to resume our work with the Mesem. We've moved from Ukarumpa to Bobiufa among the Bena Bena people where there is a gated area of 11 houses. A dear friend, Oprah Peter found the house for us and we were shocked at the size of the place which soon came in quite handy as we had 24 friends come for the "house blessing". In Papua New Guinea when you take up residence in a new house it must be "blessed" with prayer and food shared with friends and family. Twenty-four of our PNG friends from Ukarumpa came and prepared a mumu which was then served to an additional 33 Bena Bena men and women who live nearby.

At the conclusion of the meal it is normal for there to be speeches expressing appreciation and recognizing new friendships. One of the Bena Bena men got up and said, "When you came this week we thought you were just new white family. Now we see you have a very large family and we promise you that we will take very good care of them (us)". That sounded like good news.

Even as we set up we have some paperwork issues to still be sorted out. Neil's diploma was sent via DHL to PNG yesterday (Thank you Marybrigid) and we understand that is the last remaining paper to be needed. Neil is in the bush visiting with the Mesem and our nephews, Tony and Dan, who have been saving for the last couple of years to visit this beautiful country. They are both quick to adapt and people speak the trade language to them when they see them because they look like they've lived here all their lives.

Tony is at a retreat and will take a PMV back to Bobiufa on Wednesday. We plan to depart PNG on October 30th for Brisbane as we must be outside the country when the actual permit is issued. (Just as we were outside the country when the application was lodged). We have all our paperwork in order for the visas and this should be a simple transfer of permits as Neil has held a work permit for many years here.

As soon as I can edit the film footage we will post the way one gets "fresh pork" here. Those with a week stomach...beware!

House Blessing

2009-09-21T00:14:00.000-04:00

House BlessingGreetings again from Papua New Guinea where we are setting up once again to resume our work with the Mesem. We've moved from Ukarumpa to Bobiufa among the Bena Bena people where there is a gated area of 11 houses. A dear friend, Oprah Peter found the house for us and we were shocked at the size of the place which soon came in quite handy as we had 24 friends come for the "house blessing". In Papua New Guinea when you take up residence in a new house it must be "blessed" with prayer and food shared with friends and family. Twenty-four of our PNG friends from Ukarumpa came and prepared a mumu which was then served to an additional 33 Bena Bena men and women who live nearby.
At the conclusion of the meal it is normal for there to be speeches expressing appreciation and recognizing new friendships. One of the Bena Bena men got up and said, "When you came this week we thought you were just new white family. Now we see you have a very large family and we promise you that we will take very good care of them (us)". That sounded like good news.
Even as we set up we have some paperwork issues to still be sorted out. Neil's diploma was sent via DHL to PNG yesterday (Thank you Marybrigid) and we understand that is the last remaining paper to be needed. Neil is in the bush visiting with the Mesem and our nephews, Tony and Dan, who have been saving for the last couple of years to visit this beautiful country. They are both quick to adapt and people speak the trade language to them when they see them because they look like they've lived here all their lives.
Tony is at a retreat and will take a PMV back to Bobiufa on Wednesday. We plan to depart PNG on October 30th for Brisbane as we must be outside the country when the actual permit is issued. (Just as we were outside the country when the application was lodged). We have all our paperwork in order for the visas and this should be a simple transfer of permits as Neil has held a work permit for many years here.
As soon as I can edit the film footage we will post the way one gets "fresh pork" here. Those with a week stomach...beware!

Bobiufa

2009-09-10T22:40:00.000-04:00

Bobiufa

Life has many twists and turns but the road to Bobiufa is bouncy and dusty on dry days and a muddy, slippery track this morning. We’ve settled in small housing cluster called Bobiufa among the Bena-Bena people. It’s a large house with beautiful landscaping and quite secluded.

We had many friends welcome us back and much help settling into our new place. Susie Leo spent hours yesterday removing the cockroach eggs from the house, a blessing for which I cannot describe my thankfulness. We got a washing machine installed, and though we have so much more to move to get the office up and running we are trying to move quickly so that we will soon “be back in business”.

Tony and Danny, my brother Bob’s sons, arrive tomorrow. A pig kill and mumu has been arranged by PNG friends who also have provided for a ride to the coast for them for the final week that they are in country. I plan to keep the camera rolling while they are here and capture as much of their adventure as possible. I try to look at life through their eyes, as though I were new here and I do realize how many things will be a surprise to them. We plan to use their muscles to move a few more things and then take them for a Mesem “nature walk” as we visit friends down in Morobe.

Right now I am using a “hot spot” in town where I can buy a card and get 30 MB of data for K20. Our Internet trips will be fewer and fewer now that we are farther from town until we can get a landline. I like the quiet aspect of the place and yet I confess I am a bit afraid of the lonliness that can set in when one is confined to a small area behind a fence and can’t communicate much. Unlike the village where we have people with us 24/7, Bobiufa is great for Tony to study and an excellent place to read books and do gobs of work, but not such an easy place to get to know the neighbors. The house is by necessity quite secure, being behind a gate, which is behind another gate, and has a steel bedroom door.

There’s a lovely coffee garden behind the house. In many ways it is the perfect retreat center. Feel free to drop in. I will have a coffee pot waiting for you and perhaps, extrovert that I am, happy for the company as well.

Final Hours, Farewells to Friends

2009-08-31T12:09:00.003-04:00

Forty-eight hours from now we will do what we've done so many times before: meet at the international lounge, hold hands with family, hug friends, cry and board.

Saturday the usual cleaners and movers were there to bail us out and toss the mustard and kill whatever new life form had hatched in the frig. Meanwhile others played "traffic jam" in the Joyner's basement. What are friends for? Loyalty in face of insanity. I am sure that is one of their many functions.

Indeed few people are as blessed as we are when it comes to friends. There are so many people who participate, move, haul, pray, fast, cry, love and stick with us that they are as much a part of this as we who physically show up in Papua. People see us. They don't see all of those who make it possible.

Truthfully, I hate the final hours. I would rather get on the plane and go. I don't want to cry any more. I don't want to say good-bye for the fifth term and pretend this gets easier. Actually, it gets harder the older I am. We have many things ahead which have their own challenges.

We got a bit of news yesterday, the minor stuff of logistical headaches. Our truck has been in a shop for six months and we didn't know. This is not extraordinary, but we have to replan every thing we just worked out for during the last few weeks for how we can possible get done all that needs to be done in the time we have. I am hyperventilating already.

There is a verse in Psalm 37 that says, "Do not fret, it only leads to sin". That verse gets me in trouble as I am laid back by US standards but a middle aged female international "fretter" in that incidentals like knowing where I might live in two weeks is a stress point to me. I was never big into camping. Give me Vivaldi, a nice restaurant and a fine book and I am right at home. This might prompt you to ask how we have managed to do what we've done for 21 years and the answer is 'grace'.

I have thought much lately about the personality of Jesus. What did He seem like to others? We have remade Him into our own model. We think He cleansed the temple without raising His voice. We think of the verse "For the joy set before Him , He endured the cross" and forget the joy is a perspective, not an emotion. Yes, I've heard it say it is an emotion, but I guess that it depends on how one percieves it. He sweat drops of blood and begged His Father for an alternative as He faced the "joy set before Him".

There are many questions I have for the Lord when we get home. For now, it's enough to say, He has gone ahead of me in every way. In every joy, sorrow, emotion, parting, transition, all this He has done. He has crowned me with His love, righteousness, loving kindness. He has blessed me with good family and good friends who have not faltered.

Well it's now 48 hours and 28 minutes till we leave for the airport. Maybe I will write again tommorow. I need to find my socks and the hair gel got tossed. See, I have a goal this afternoon.

Packing and Sorting

2009-08-19T14:10:00.004-04:00

Today Neil is delivering: delivering boxes for storage and items for eBay. (We reason Tony will outgrow his snow board and want the money for those new basketball shoes he ordered last night). While I find moving more difficult the older I get, there is something to be said for packing and sorting. You look at something and ask, "Do I really NEED this?" or "Will I remember if I throw it out?". Traveling light is a priority as any seasoned traveler knows. It's good preparation for life.

These last two years have been full of uncertainty as to how we would proceed. We are thankful for the understanding, support and love you have shared with us as Neil returned to PNG, and we began to make the necessary adjustments to see this work completed in the manner we believe the Lord desires.

Door have opened, door have closed and a new picture has emerged as to how the Lord would have us minister in our remaining time with the Mesem. While truthfully, it would have been much simpler to keep doing what we've done in the past, it was not the most effective way to minister in the time that remains.

We will be relocating when we return. That will take time and involve a lot of energy we had hoped to save for something else. Yet we have a PNG friend who has already found a house with security, wired for electricity and handy enough to the transport routes we need to travel to the Mesem. Mesem men have begun translation checking in the village and this responsibility prepares them for continuing in that role and ultimately pursuing Old Testament translation in the future. We will have freedom to host Bible studies and engage in outreach in a way previoulsy not available. He has closed old doors, and opened new avenues.

We'll keep you posted on the sights we see on the journey and thank you for traveling with us this far. In 1987, we left home with these verses as a theme and I share them again here from the 84th Psalm:

Blessed are those whose strength is the Lord
Who have set their heart on pilgrimage
As they travel through the Valley of Bacca they make it a place of well watered springs
The autumn rains also cover it with pools
They go from strength to strength
Till each appears before God in Zion

It's a go

2009-08-14T16:07:00.002-04:00

The good news: September 2 departure for Papua New Guinea with an arrival on the 4th.! We are really looking forward to returning to PNG and the subsequent visit of our nephews, Tony and Danny. They arrive on September 12 for a three week walk through Mesem wonderland. We'll be visiting Mesem friends as soon as they have recovered from jet lag and they get to see the glories of the 90 meter waterfall, a common site in that area.

We do need to set up house upon arrival and with the end of the New Testament work so close at hand we are taking a minimalist approach to "home decor". If we can set up enough so our nephews have mattresses on which to sleep and we've got a stove it will be a victory.

The work permit has not arrived and we checked with the embassy who encouraged us the process from this point out should be very swift so we are thankful for your prayers in this regard.

PNG, here we come...

Are We There Yet?

2009-07-29T17:30:00.002-04:00

Not quite.

Going, going, going....

2009-07-19T22:36:00.002-04:00

We're two weeks overdue from our previously scheduled departure date. God uses times that seem 'wasted' to us for many good things. Indeed July has had many blessings.

I got to visit my college roommate and the one who sends all our newsletters, Joyce Turner. Joyce has made a huge difference in furthering the New Testament. Tony met a young man who is seeking God while playing basketball. We were able to enroll him in an online accredited high school so he will have the freedom to hike with his cousins, Dan and Tony when they come to PNG in September. I could stay with my mother so my father and dad would be free to visit Sicily. We could work with other missionaries still itinerating to create media presentations of their work. We've had a chance to get away for four days, albeit rainy, in northern Maine.

Now we are waiting and praying for a SPEEDY return of our work permits so we can process our visas to PNG. Our nephews are coming in September and we need to be in PNG and settled in good time before they get there. Our lease is running out here. Our housing and security situation in PNG is uncertain. There is much to pray about. There is much to trust God for.

The photo is taken of the streets of Boston on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. I love the city of Boston. The extra couple of weeks have allowed us to enjoy these wonderful things.

The closer we have gotten to completing the New Testament the more obstacles we have had to completing the New Testament.We ask you to pray that the documents we need will be here this week, and we can return to PNG within the next four weeks. Some things will only resolve with prayer. Please pray for resolution to our visa and know we pray as well and with thanksgiving for God's extra blessings as we wait.

Pilgrim's Progress

2009-06-30T10:51:00.003-04:00

This month we celebrated 30 years of marriage. For the better part of that we've been in Papua New Guinea. This year finds us waiting to return, living in a semi-packed state with as much in boxes as possible without totally disrupting normal life.

As Tony is at a gathering of friends in Texas, it seemed a good time to get away and just recover from the non-stop movement of the past five years. At times, when enough things happen, you just "numb out" and keep going. Personally, I've been doing that for a long time. Anyone who has moved forty times or more recognizes numbness as a great way to approach another move.

So to celebrate we headed up to Maine. Maine is easy, relatively inexpensive and it's not crowded. There is something about being in a place that is simple and quiet that puts life back in perspective. The ocean is vast. We are small. A very clear reminder of our great impact in the universe. The birds abound. Each is cared for individually by Our Father in Heaven. I even had to laugh to myself as I went through a plate of steamers and enjoyed a lobster the next day, that those "Levitically unclean foods" I so enjoy are a reminder that it is "for freedom that Christ set us free". Back to bondage? No way.

When we got home we had a bit more news of things overseas. Neil's work permit is "all set" but for some official transcripts which apparently now need to be notarized. Neil is out doing that now. The issues of housing, safety and schooling remain unresolved and the fist two issues may not be resolved until we are actually in PNG. Yes, I wish it were all settled. No, I don't enjoy living in a state of perpetual transition. Yes, I remember that we are looking for a better city, one whose Builder and Maker is God. Yes, I feel like I am getting a bit old for this. Yes, we are supposed to live our entire lives as pilgrims and strangers on the earth.

Still sojourning, and praying for the next stop on the pilgrimage.

Psalm 84

Pearly Gates and Redeeming Pain

2009-06-15T15:50:00.003-04:00

While we've been waiting to receive our work permits to PNG, I've been reading Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven". I really enjoy the book and it's made heaven sound more attractive than I have pictured it when I hear it described as a perpetual song service. It will indeed be magnificent and reflect the Creative One whose Glory will be seen in every detail.

In the twists, turns, ups and downs of the last five years, I, to be totally honest, have asked God if He would reassure me that there is something redeeming in all that has transpired. While I will admit this is not super spiritual I have asked,"Would the world fall off its axis if we went from A to B without something being excruciatingly painful?" We haven't cornered the market on difficulty, but most honest people have asked the same question at some point in their life. I have reviewed events and said, in all truthfulness, "It was less painful getting hit by the car".

Then I realized something about gates made of pearls. Pearls, are of course, born from a painful foreign substance that gets lodged in the oyster's shell. Oyster's don't get up and say, "Let me go find something uncomfortable so I can make a pearl". It's one of those thing that "happens" to the oyster and there's not much the oyster can do about it. I'm not an oyster (really) but I can imagine that "pearl making" is not a wonderful experience.

I looked at the gates in a new way. How amazing and redeeming that the entrance to that great city is by passing through gates which in part are made of a substance born from pain. Born from His pain. Born from ours. Yes, there is something redeeming and even eternal and glorious in that.

Imitation and Redemption

2009-05-12T16:37:00.005-04:00

Today at the Southern New England Council we celebrated the Lord's Supper. That ordinance of the church has always held special signficance for me. Today as I held the bread and the cup I was thinking, "We are alive because of the unwarranted sacrifice of Another. We were redeemed because One who did not desereve the blame carried our blame. I live from the sacrifice of another."

One of the statements that I have often heard but has left me feeling unsure is the saying, "If you had been the only person in the world, Jesus Christ would have died for you". I have had occasion to think about the "cost" of seeing someone come to Christ. There are some sacrifices that come more easily than others. There is no sacrifice we are asked to make in ministry, that Christ Jesus did not make for us. Do we lack good housing? He had no where to lay His head. Are we criticized for how we carry out the work to which God called us? So was He. His family thought He was wrong and self promoting. ("If you want to be a public figure…). Anything we might "suffer" so has Christ Jesus.

Jesus was despised, rejected and ultimately tried on fasle charges by human beings so confused about the nature of God that they were concerned about taking the bribe money they returned to Judas less they do sometihng unlawful but crucified the Son of God. As they taunted Him to “save Himself” He was actually saving us. As much as we would like the redeeming of souls to be easy, it is not. It cost Jesus everything. It will certainly cost us something. If we are not willing to count that cost, we will probably never see people come to Chirst.

Several years ago I heard a man saying something that has stayed with me ever. He said, “There are many things we can fail to do and call still ourselves Christians. But we cannot neglect these things and call ourselves imitators of Christ”.

Nine weeks and 52 years

2009-04-21T00:52:00.002-04:00

It's very late at night or very early in the morning, depending on your time zone. Either way, April 21 is Neil's birthday. His card was accidentally left on the vendor's belt at Stop in Shop while I did a "self check out" (to get rid of coins) but at least I remembered his cake. Today he is 52. If you know the story of the last four years, you know that today is a miracle. Today is a gift from Jesus to me and Tony and all who know my husband.

Of course, being a woman, it reminds me that in another five months, I will join him with this elite number of years given by our Lord. Anyone who has followed what God has so gracefully preserved us through, will celebrate that we are alive, walking, and still in ministry. This is evidence of God's grace, favor and of the faithfulness of so many of His people. Yes, God wants the Mesem to have His Word.

It is nine weeks till, Lord willing, we plan to depart for Papua. We are still waiting on our visas and still waiting on our housing and Tony's school situation. We are working daily on the New Testament here and in another week I leave to begin work on the "Fire Bible" in Melanesian Pidgin, a translation of the New Testament in the trade language that includes explanatory notes. It's a three year project, and I am thankful to be able to be involved in something that impacts so many lives in Papua New Guinea.

There are many unknowns tonight. We don't know so much of what awaits us when we go back. This we know: God is waiting. His Word is alive. His Spirit is working. We know the Mesem want to have the scripture and are hungry to receive it. We know God called us. Dear friends, in an age when human reason has so often supplanted faith, love and hope, we ask you to remain steadfast with us in prayer that Jesus' Name is made great among the Mesem and that His glory is revealed here in an ever increasing way that leads to revival.

Fingerprints and Paperwork and Living on the Edge

2009-03-21T11:40:00.004-04:00

Spring is a time of renewed hope for man many people. Gone are the dark, cold days of winter. There is more sunlight, birds sing again, the grass begins to transition from dark brown and muddy to something we remember called "green". We know, here in the Boston area, that while we were wrapped in layers of warm clothes just yesterday, in a few weeks time the humidity will give us a Florida-like feel.

Springtime in New England also causes another emotion to awaken within me: moving angst. I know that is not terribly spiritual, but it's the truth. Every spring when we are in New England I know that in a few weeks time all I own will be in a suitcase and I will be travelling again. It is also a time for paperwork in various forms: fingerprints to be sent off with work permit applications, medical work to be copied and taken abroad, school results to be exchanged with a new institution, address changes, bank changes, driver's license changes, auto transfers, insurance cancellations, insurance renewals, insurance changes, and of course, the inevitable visa process which accompanies the work permit. In short, spring means paperwork.

It also means a limited amount of time to say good-bye again. This time we will not be gone for as long a period as in the past, but our parents are in their mid-80's and we've not been home much in 20 years. Lives are increasingly busy and finding time to get together is harder as well. I looked at the calender the other day and realized that I knew what we were doing all but two weekends between now and when we hope to depart. I also thought, "Gee, I'm getting kind of old for this". I think I said that in 2003 as well.

Life has a tendency to cycle. The first time we left was heart wrenching and I was kept going by those verses from Hebrews 11 that speaks of those who long for a better country, "whose builder and maker is God". Twenty-one years later I find myself struggling to leave for different reasons and I need to remind myself that I still am a "stranger and foreigner" in the course of a long sojourn towards Zion. In fact much of the past year I have been coming to grips with the fact that this particular departure is a step of faith similar to the one we first made when we started. We never "get off the hook" in terms of needing to walk by faith. If we do, we are probably camping out in the wrong place.

One of the best adages we heard this furlough was from Dale, who is a fellow missionary. He was telling us of a time when he and his wife came through a storm and thought maybe the idea of itinerant preaching looked pretty good, not to mention a lot less stressful than what they had just been going through. His son said, "Dad, if you aren't living on the edge, you're taking up too much room". That was a comment that confirmed to Dale and his wife it was time to head back into missions.

I like that comment. Yeah, we are getting older. I have yet to meet anyone who is not. The goal is not to be blinded by paperwork, discouraged that we don't move as fast as we once did, or that we wouldn't mind having a home of our own sometime. The goal is stay on the edge and in the words of Ps. 84, " to go from strength to strength till (we) appear before God in Zion".

Death Doesn't Win

2009-03-04T17:56:00.003-05:00

In November of 2008, I had the privilege of sharing at Evangel Assembly in Wilbraham. The vantage one has from the pulpit is the ability to watch the faces of everyone seated in the congregation. And so, when it was my time to speak, I had the opportunity to view everyone and watch their expressions as I shared.

I've watched as people sat forward in rapt attention, and truthfully, I've watched while others fell sound asleep. That morning a woman caught my attention because she was seated in a wheelchair in the aisle, quite clearly in the end stages of cancer. Her husband was beside her as well as her son. I didn't realize the young woman who had been assisting me for much of the morning was her daughter. The name of the woman who was sitting in the wheelchair is Laurie Poulin. I say "is" because Laurie, though not in our midst, is very much alive and her testimony continues to impact others.

That morning as Laurie listened intently, I could not help but notice how fully she participated in worship. It was early in December that she moved on heaven to wait for us and her funeral was extraordinary. People were crying openly, sharing freely, and remarking how encouraging it was to be with Laurie, how deeply she would be missed, and how great had been her suffering. And we sang songs, chosen by Laurie, about the Lord who ransomed her from death, has healed her completely, and with whom she is celebrating even as I write. I have been to many funerals over the years, but this was truly a celebration of Jesus and Laurie's faith in Him.

In keeping with her wishes gifts given to her family were designated so that Evangel Assembly now joins us as we prepare to return to Papua New Guinea to resume ministry among the Mesem. Laurie's husband Mike, is seen here next to Neil, along with the rest of the Poulin and Vanaria crowd. We'd been together in December to say good-bye to Laurie, but though her time of pain on earth is finished, the days of her testimony are not. Her work for and in the Lord will live on till He returns. Generations of Mesem will know Jesus better, because a woman who lived in Wilbraham, MA prayed for the Mesem even as she fought her own battle with cancer.

Laurie was 45 when she shed her earthly body. In the eyes of many that is a life "cut short". Laurie didn't just live a full life, she lived a complete life. She knew where she came from and she knew why she was here and she knew where she was going. Death didn't win. Jesus did. Laurie did. The Mesem did. And for Mike, and his children, who have shown their faith in the midst of tremendous sorrow (for faith does not diminish our sense of loss) there is the certain expectation of reunion in the future.

Death where is your sting? Grave where is your victory? Taken from you by Jesus and all who believe. We don't just win, in Jesus, we triumph.

Cornelius from Italy

2009-02-06T12:30:00.005-05:00

For many years, people have wondered how such nice people, ended up with such incredibly long names. Some years ago Neil was given an award at a conference for having the longest name of anyone present. This is one of the chief reasons he goes by "Neil". We were in fact, engaged, before I realized his full name was Cornelius.

My family in Italy has often asked yet in Acts chapter 10, we read about the outpouring of God's Spirit on the household of Cornelius, the commander of the Italian Regiment. I just finished revising that chapter of Acts this morning and it was a joy to read.

Many things come to mind about the character of God when we read the story of Cornelius.

1. Cornelius was a generous, praying man, who feared God. He was not, however, a Jew.
2. Peter was a generous, praying man, who feared God, and was not a Gentile.
3. Peter needed God to speak supernaturally to him before he would "lower" himself to go to the home of Cornelius.
4. Cornelius thought that Peter was his better. Peter may still have had some ideas like that since rather than humbling greeting Cornelius he restated his old prejudices and how God had changed his mind.
5. God poured out His Spirit on the house of Cornelius and that experience transformed not only the converts but the onlookers so that Peter was now a defender of those he might once have shunned. (They should be baptised, who can object?)

The thing that struck me once again is the Loving Unity that occurs when God enters the picture. That is not remotely like uniformity nor agreeing in all matters. Cornelius was still uncircumcised and served in an army that was politically opposed to the convictions of Peter's countryman. Peter was not about to join the ranks of the military to show solidarity with Peter. According to the laws of the land at that time, Cornelius, from man's perspective, would have been one to have authority over Peter. From the perspective of the spiritual, Peter had God-given authority to BLESS Cornelius.

As we translate the New Testament we spend hours on passages we would normally read in moments. This can be a wonderful gift as we have the chance to meditate on what the Word contains. When we do meditate, we see how petty is the human heart, and how magnificent is the nature of God.

God grant us the strength, the prayer support, the courage, to speedily deliver this Good News to the Mesem.

2009: The Year of Ministry Urgency

2009-01-08T09:46:00.005-05:00

Looking at Tony, I realize we have indeed been with the Mesem for nearly 16 years. He was born our first furlough, and was six months old when he began a Mesem. Our friends tell us that he is fully Mesem since he grew up there, while Neil and I must settle for being "part Mesem", having worked in another region in PNG prior to moving to Samanzing, and of course, we were both well into our thirties when we began working there. I think if it were not for the amazing changes in our son, it would be hard to believe so many years have passed, but they have indeed.

As we reported in our last newsletter, the Mesem are very excited to have a date of 2011 for completion of the New Testament and we are really asking people to pray for this that there are no more obstacles, hindrances, hassles, or setbacks as we bring this part of the work to completion. We need God's Spirit to enable us, and protect us, as well as to enlighten and empower the Mesem people who read the Word and work along side us.

As in any ministry, without some plan of how to go from A to B, a work with the best of intentions can flounder. There is a clear plan in place, which we believe the Lord has given. Likewise, it can be a terrible mistake in any ministry, but more so in missions, to assume you will always have an open door. We really believe that time is limited and there is great urgency to complete the translation that the church might be equipped to move forward.

This week I put together my CV and passport sized photo and Neil is sending them off to the church leadership in PNG who will write to request our visas for return. January is a slow month because many Papua New Guineans travel home for the holidays and as travel is quite challenging (in other words, it takes a long time), a Hilda that would be brief here, takes longer over there because the amount of work involved just to get home and back again is considerable. We don't expect to hear for several weeks, but are confident that the Lord, who has guided this transition will expedite our visas.

We've been asked many questions about our timing for return. Tony is 16, so he is a sophomore in high school. He has faced extraordinary pressures for the last five years and he asked that he not change schools in the middle of the year. Our lease ends in June, and given that we don't yet have our visas in hand, and our living and education plans are not finalized, we will remain in the US till Tony finishes the school year. This does not delay completing the scriptures. At this point when so much of the scripture is already drafted and being revised we can really make as much progress here as we can overseas by concentrating on computer related tasks that don't require we have Mesem speakers with us. In fact, since we are not in PNG some of this work we can do more efficiently since we always have power and have fewer interruptions during the day.

Neil is developing a spell checker. The language didn't have a written form when we started and people wrote words as they thought they should be spelled. Of course, not everyone wrote them the same way so for any given word there are numerous spellings. Neil is standardizing the spelling and then the entire New Testament will be spell checked for consistency. The same will be done for "key terms" like "baptism" and "grace" which have also changed over the years. While Neil works on that, I have continued with the book of Acts, which has been moving very quickly or very slowly depending on our schedule. I am pleased with what we have so far: a draft of the entire book and the first six chapters completed with the seventh to be started today. Luke was a rather prolific writer, so his chapters are long and he has a lot of them. Neil will tackle Luke, and I will be completing Acts.

So it is with some humour that I am nicknaming 2009 "The Year of Urgency". In reality, we always live in urgent times: we don't really know how long we have to live or how long the doors will remain open in Papua or anywhere for that matter. So we ask that you pray for us, and we for you as well, that we would live "redeeming the time". This is the mindset with which all believers are to live, and our prayer is that all of us will have a sense of expectation for the great things God will do through us in this coming year.

Pray for the Mesem. Please pray this work all the way home.

Yesu Klisto Laladn Kã Bʉsi

2008-12-23T14:10:00.003-05:00

Yes, dear friends, there is a way to say it's Christmas time in Mesem. The words are literally Jesus Christs' Being Born Time Is. The word "la" which means, "arise, stand, born, happen" and several other things depending on the context is a word in Mesem that I quite like. I like the idea that "laladn" can mean not only birthday, but also arising. That the name of Jesus "arises" in this land and in the land of Papua New Guinea has been our long standing goal and prayer.

As I write this Neil is at the nursing home conducting a service and I remained home with our injured son to write, cook, pick up pine needles and ask God for new direction for the year 2009. Even as I do these things, I am reminded of an expression my friend Elyce used when she prayed for us and for the Mesem. Elyce would say, "Lord make Your Name great among the Mesem".

So this Christmas we bless you, are thankful for you, and pray that God's Name is made great in all the earth.

The Mesem "Magic" Stone

2008-12-18T18:08:00.003-05:00

Many years ago a village elder told us the story of a magic stone that the spirits in the rain forest had given to the Mesem people as a gift. Whenever the Mesem went hunting with the stone, they were guaranteed success. They would go out, set their traps and be guaranteed success the following day. We asked what had happened to the stone, and were told that no one knew where it was, but it was suspected it had been taken by people living in an area closer to the coast.

So, it was with great surprise that a friend of Neil's approached him and told Neil that he had the stone in his possession. He asked that it be taken to the US to undergo tests to find out the source of it's power.

The stone is safe and will be evaluated for age and we are amazed at the detailed work on the stone given that no metal tools were known in Papua New Guinea until last century. We'll keep you posted on what we learn but many of you heard us tell this story some 15 years ago when we began working with the Mesem. It's quite the modern day mystery!

A Quick Update

2008-12-05T15:43:00.003-05:00

Three weeks ago, Yangga Tumbe, our dear brother in Jesus and Neil, stood side by side on a mountain in PNG and shared this moment for a photo. Yangga has long stood by our side since that first day in 1995 when he knocked on our door and asked, "Do you believe in binding satan in Jesus Name?". He told us that after months of frustration, God had told him to come and see us. After months of frustration on our end, the answer to our prayer came at our door and knocked!

Yangga's valuable insights into Mesem culture helped us to better understand the obstacles faced by our Mesem friends and their animistic world view. Yangga continues to be a pillar in the Christian community among the Mesem.

Neil is home and an update will soon appear in your mailbox (just after I get the expense report turned in). The goals of this trip were for the most part accomplished. We have some outstanding prayer concerns that continue to be a matter for intercession but we are rejoicing that the Mesem have told us that they are anxious for a 2011 typesetting deadline with 2012 as the prayerfully anticipated date for the Mesem New Testament dedication.

More to come. Rejoicing in the One who exploits the darkness.

Home Again

2008-12-01T19:30:00.002-05:00

At this writing, Neil should be 36,000 feet above ground, or sleeping in an airport somewhere. It was a wonderful experience on Skpe to talk with Jerry Jacob who spent two of the last three weeks with Neil, and get a feel first hand for the situation to which we will be returning in just a few months.

Neil had a very productive time with the Epistles of John and Jude and reception to the Gospel of John was very positive. Likewise the people were very pleased to meet Jerry for the first time and here him give his full support to the task at hand and his desire to see us be able to give our full attention to translation and reading through the scripture. Pastor Giegere Wenge also attended the meeting, thus lending his continued support to this endeavor and confirming that although we officially work under a different covering, our ministry will remain much the same as it has always been and we are working together for the glory of Jesus Christ. There was further enthusiasm where we shared our prayerfully chosen "deadline" of 2011 to have the scripture checked and ready to be brought back to the US for typesetting. The time has come for the Word of God to be in the hands of the people.

It's been a long road and never without challenges. I was reading Paul defense of his ministry at the end of 2 Corinthians. It's a pretty exhaustive list of "things that could go wrong" so that in weakness, the power of God would be evident. While I have yet to be shipwrecked (I once boasted I never had come down with dengue and got it three months later so I'll qualify with 'yet'), there were quite a few things on his list I have experienced to some degree and found difficult. Yet even as Paul clings tenaciously to his integrity and his calling, reinforcing principles found throughout scripture, he also boasts in the sufferings with which he was entrusted. His ministry as an apostle would not be valid without them. That's quite a statement, from quite a man, who was the best travelled, most liked, most disliked, and, since he could preach all night, undoubtedly the longest winded missionary of first century fame. Somehow, the trials fit into God's picture for finishing well among the Mesem.

Neil will be home in 30 hours. I'll write more later. Thanks for reading. Thanks for praying.

Today's Meeting

2008-11-24T18:30:00.002-05:00

Tuesday is an important day for the future of the ministry among the Mesem. While we can never know God's reasons for allowing specific things to occur, we do see how God has used challenges to redirect and to bring together the Mesem in a way that previous has no occurred. Jerry Jacob, the area director for Oceania in AGWM, will be with Neil and Giegere Wenge, Director of Education for the Lutheran Seminary and a long time friend, as the three travel to Hobu to address the ministry of Bible translation and Bible teaching among the Mesem. They are "wanbel" as is said in PNG: they are of one heart and one mind concerning the Lord Jesus and the ministry in which we are working.

The Mesem area has traditionally had just one church, which is Lutheran. More recently, Mesem speakers who have moved to town have joined Assembly of God churches. This has caused friction due mostly to different "misunderstandings" of the gospel. To see the leadership of the two churches stand together in prayer for the Mesem, for us, and for the translation of the New Testament and the continuation of the Bible Correspondence Program is a powerful statement.

Please join us in prayer that all that occurs, brings glory to Jesus.

Photographs and Memories

2008-11-19T16:18:00.003-05:00

Today's photos did wonders for me. I confess, I was down about the truck, Wayung's continued oppression and the loss of the wallet and contents. Neil has come through a great deal and loves the rain forest and the people and the land. He finds these other hassles a necessary part of life, and indeed it is. I am a bit slower to rebound, as I find, after many years, I am very tired. At times I have asked, "Could we possibly have an uneventful time?".

So when Neil sent the photos this morning from the capital of PNG, I was really thrilled. I saw our house in the village. Tony was raised there. We tackled home schooling together there. I had the "joy" of skinning my first sheep there. I guess it has been the place of a many "firsts" and many tired and difficult evenings and many nights of saying, "God I thought I knew you but know I have seen you face to face". I would be poorer had I never lived in Samanzing.

I hope as you have the time, you will go to the photo gallery at www.vanaria.org or www.vanaria.info and look at the pictures of the people for whom you have prayed, and given and participated in giving the gospel not only to them but to their children, and should He tarry, to their children's children's children.

If you ever get time, do read Elizabeth Elliot's book No Graven Image. I believe it is the truest missionary book every written. It's supposed to be a novel, but anyone who has lived the life can tell you that she expresses there what so many of us feel, but which often is left out of books that require that the ends be neatly tied together. Nothing is neatly tied together in life. Jesus death was not neat. It astounds, confuses and offends. To those who choose to embrace His sacrifice, it also saves.

To pull together my thoughts: those closest to us realize that the last several years have been a painful and at times nonsensical journey. The unbelievable has been believed, the outrageous has occurred and when we cried out for help, it has seemed that God did not answer in the way we would have anticipated, but brought us along a new path. But when I look at the photos of the places we have lived, and to which, Lord willing, we shall again soon return, then I realize that the entire picture is so grand, involves so many people, and like most things of an eternal and perfect nature, doesn't make perfect sense from a mortal, finite perspective. But if Christ would have died to save just one, then for me, and thee and all of these, it is worth it.

Photographs are a wonderful thing. They let us visualize what we know in our heart.

In Neil's Own Words

2008-11-17T09:48:00.007-05:00

Here are some excerpts from Neil's email that gives some summary of the events of the past few weeks. I have shortened some sentences and added explanatory notes so if it's in black, then I edited it for explanation. I deleted information that really wouldn't make sense unless one lives there.

In the morning - while at Lae I went out to get a coffee & some window cleaner for the truck. One of our kinsmen from the governor's family was watching the truck while I was at Samanzing; he had his family and while on the way back from getting the coffee and window cleaner the rear drive shaft came mostly off. Fortunately, there were wrenches behind the back seat of the truck and I was able to remove the remaining u-joint, pick up the shaft from along the side of the road and using the front wheel drive only, get myself back to the Lae G/H in time for my bus to Nadzab.

Once I sort out the wallet issue (missing a large sum, credit cards, licenses), I'll figure out what to do with the truck.

Joel "had a psychotic episode" after about 4 days. Actually, he started slipping off after two days and by day three Dick decided to chain his feet together. That was the morning after Joel came up the the house around 1:00 AM and slammed the door so hard I thought it would break. At the first crash I woke from a sound sleep and jumped to my feet - from out of the sleeping bag - ready to fight whoever was coming in. By the third strike of the door I realized it was Joel. So I did nothing - absolutely nothing. I did not get back into bed, I did not take a step, I did not sit or kneel, I didn't even check the time of night as I was thinking any sign of life from inside the house would only encourage him. Eventually he wandered off.

He spent the rest of the time hobbled; his feet tie together with a chain. It was pretty sad, but Mungnga Dick is pretty sympathetic. He feels like satan is purposely attacking Joel simply because no one did more for the community than Joel. At least it was nice to hear someone say something nice about Joel.

My speech at Ogao, Bilima, Hobo & Samanzing went pretty well. Every one seems sympathetic. Most people think it is a good idea for Jerry to come and also tell the story. Dick explained people are just glad we will be coming back. He said - and Yangga too - that people had been bothering them since last June asking if we really intended to come back.
(We have never been gone for a full year and it has now been 15 months since they last saw us. That was still within the recovery period of Neil's accident.)

People also seem to universally like the idea of having the NT completed by 2011. I asked Dick what he thought he might do once we were done and he said he wanted to teach people about what the Bible says. He gave me - for you, because you lead Bible studies, a diagram he drew on his own based on Hebrews comparing the world before and after the birth of Christ. It's pretty interesting.

Yangga reports the big issue at the last parish conference - last December - was adult literacy. So may be something is there. This is very positive, as it indicates they would help themselves in terms of teaching adults to read. We have prepared the material ages ago and it is ready for them and would help us continue our focus on completing the scriptures in the next couple of years and providing Bible teaching as well.

So all in all, all has gone pretty well. It really felt good rolling through those epistles.

The walk out of the village was not as bad as I was anticipating. I spent a night at Bilima on the way out. So last Saturday I was there and told them our whole story; and our plan to finish by 2011. In the morning I shared a message at church. And in the afternoon I finished walking out to Hobu. I was a little slower than in the past, but not by much. Yannga helped up Bung Mountain; he carried the computer up for me. But from there on - the next four hours it was just me and all my gear.

Everyone in the Mesem world sends you there morning, mid-day, afternoon and night. (There should learn a faster to way to 'say hi'. That means they told him to say oluga-gasiga- mbuga) They seem to be kind of impressed that you got ordained. (I had been a licensed minister for about 24 years-obviously, I make decisions slowly). They were all anxious to hear Tony stories. They have no doubt that he is taller than me as they feel like he takes after you. But they all agree that he will be like me in one important way. When I tap the top of my head and say he'll look like me later, everyone laughs and so far no one has disagreed.

Well, I am counting days now. Two weeks from today I am on the plane home. It is still much too far away and I am trying just to focus on each leg that remains, 5 days POM, 4 or 5 days Lae, then Ukarumpa, then back to Port Moresby, then I'm outta here.

Will write soon. (I'll send some pics, too)

Neil Arrives in Port Moresby

2008-11-17T08:32:00.003-05:00

After a long weekend of waiting for news, an email came through this AM that Neil has safely arrived in Port Morseby (aka "POM") to meet Jerry Jacob, the Oceania director and our news boss. Jerry is a wonderful guy who works in Fiji with his wife Karen and has spent many years on the mission field in settings similar to ours.

Neil's arrival occasions a further prayer request for a misplaced valuable that would be the cause of some significant logistical concerns. (How's that for oblique wording?) He was trying to see if he could recover the item and so had little time to write and update on the rest of his time with the Mesem.

Now that Neil and Jerry and in POM, they will be meeting with church leadership on the national level and then fly to Morobe Province to do the same. Phil and Kim Rojak, who have long served in Melanesia but will be serving their first term in PNG, will be heading out in May, Lord willing, and Jerry will be looking at the ministry opportunities and well and the settings in which our two families will be working. Phil is a nurse by profession and Kim is gifted in compassion ministries and their experience and expertise will be a great blessing.

I anticipate hearing more from Neil today and will be able to report on the rest of the time with the Mesem and how God has answered in recovering the item we are praying about.

Picture Essay

2008-11-08T19:07:00.002-05:00

The Far Side of the Moon

2008-11-06T12:29:00.003-05:00

When I was a kid I was fascinated by the space program and like most Americans, there was not a single space mission that we did not follow with anxious anticipation. It was always a tense time when the astronauts would circle the moon and for a period of time it was not possible to have any radio contact with earth.

I jokingly refer to Neil's current situation as being "on the far side of the moon". It is always hard to explain that even in this day and age of cell phones and email, there are places in the world where it is not possible to send or receive a message short of a human being physically carrying the message from one point to another. So it is that as of last week, Neil has been incommunicado with us and will remain so until he emerges from the Mesem area in two weeks time.

This is a good picture of what it means to bring the gospel to people everywhere. While radio and TV and cell phones are marvelous things, God came to us personally, in the flesh. He went in person, touching, reaching, living amongst us to communicate with us on a personal level. He came down and spoke to us face to face. Bringing the gospel to all people everywhere still requires that some of those who bring the message go to places that are otherwise unreachable, and bring the Good News that God longs to be reconciled to us.

We appreciate your love and prayers while Neil is in a place where we can not get word of his well being and we appreciate all the more that Jesus came in the flesh to seek us out and to enter into our world to tell us He longs for us to return home to Him.

The Accapella Arrival and the PIlgrim's Progress

2008-10-28T16:22:00.006-04:00

We returned from our first field term in 1992 and Neil wanted to arrive secretly and spend the entire night going from house to house soaping the cars of our friends with the words "Their Baaackkk!". I still can't remember if that's from a movie or an advertisement that was touting insecticide but either way, it would have been great fun.

Our return that furlough was probably the most amazing welcome I can ever recall. There were over sixty friends at the airport and after we greeted everyone, someone started singing accapella till many joined in the refrain from Amazing Grace:

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come
Tis grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace will lead me home".

Neil is "home" in Papua New Guinea tonight and heading to the village tomorrow. He got to Ukarumpa and visited friends, picked up the Gospel of John, 1, 2, 3 John and Jude and purchased supplies. The computer adaptor was left behind in the rush so Johanna had a new one made and he was able to send this photo from the Smith's computer before he headed out. Here he is with our friend Susie and her husband Leo, who buried their oldest daughter recently. Susie worked in our house enabling me to work on translation and we became quite close friends and daily prayer partners. Their faith is amazing.

Before Neil left, we had the blessing of attending Minister's Institute in Falmouth for three days. We had never attended before and it was refreshing to our souls. I sat there at one point and felt really joyful. It's been a long time since I have felt joyful. I have had moments when I could see the light on the horizon, but not a time when I had a clear sense of vision for what lies ahead or even a renewed sense of energy. There was a tremendous focus on waiting on God and prayer and I needed that message to remind "my help comes from the Maker of Heaven and Earth.

So now we enter the time of silence when it is not possible to get messages in or out. I have a number of meetings over the next few days but Tony has been super helpful and we are reading through Mark together. Those who know the history of the work, know that every time we have tried to bring scripture to people, something extraordinary has happened to challenge or delay the delivery of the scripture. We cannot give up now with the New Testament so close to completion and the people so eager for the Word. So I look back at and remind myself that God who oversaw the break-ins, assaults, accident and robbery and sees all that transpired before and after, is the same Lord who has promised to "see us home".

I love Pslam 84 where we are told "Blessed are those who strength is the Lord, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage". My own strength is long expended but His is not. OK pilgrims...let's go.

October and November and What God Makes New

2008-10-22T17:34:00.002-04:00

Tommorow Neil leaves for Papua. In recent years, the months of October and November have been full of intense emotions for our family: the burning of the village, waking with paralysis in Bangkok, terminal diagnosis of Rosaria, the horrific accident that nearly has scarred our family, a painful anniverary last year and now Neil returns to a place that has been the center of our lives, and your prayers for years. He arrives on the anniversary of at least three pivotal events in our lives. The last week of October and the first week of November have been so full, I feel that were I to write all the events down, it would seem so unlikely that as one friend said, "It sounds like a Frank Peretti novel".

We just returned from "Minister's Institute". It is three day and two night retreat for Southern New England Ministers and it was a time of prayer and worship unlike anything I have experienced in recent years. We stayed in an attitude of prayer for nearly three hours. There was again the reminder of the scripture, "I will restore the years the locusts have eaten".

No one doubts that past Octobers and Novembers have been marked by tragedy, setbacks, assaults, and more. But God has given us a promise. Believing that promise he returns. This time tommorow, Tony and I will be like all of you, holding the ropes for Neil, as he goes down to mine for "gold".

All of you have stood so faithfuly with us and with expectation in prayer for the Mesem people. There is a Bible correspondence program. Mesem people have professed that Jesus is the only way. There are schools for teaching not only reading, but the Word of God. This has happened only because you have stood on the promise of God to answer prayer. His Character is such that He has done just that.

Tommorow we say good-bye to Neil and we have little ability to stay in contact. (We have no email and we do not know who has our satellie phone making it unlikely Neil will be able to purchase a SIM card). By prayer, we are as close to Neil and our Lord, just as you have stood so closely by us. We are trusting that the Lord will make this October and November different than any other: we are trusting He will restore the years/months, that have been so difficult for us in the past.

"Faithful is He who has called us, Who also will do it".
Pace, Kath

Rally the Troops to Pray

2008-10-16T01:04:00.002-04:00

With Neil's departure for PNG at hand, I would like to ask you to please commit this trip to daily prayer. It's not the "trip" that is the issue but the battle that takes place whenever we are ready to deliver more scripture. Those of you who have been part of this work for years, know full well the amazing events that have occurred whenever we have been engaged in delivering scripture or seeing people come to acknowledge the Lord. Your prayers have made the difference.

While in PNG Neil will be dealing with several challenging issues ranging from technical issues (where are the Neos and are they functioning?); to deeply spiritual issues (divisions among the people all based on false understandings of Christianity); to other more personal issues that will impact our future work and how we will carry it out upon our return. We are asking you to pray like never before that God speaks clearly and gives us assurance and peace about the direction we need to take to complete the New Testament so the Mesem need wait no longer.

On a personal note: he will be in PNG on the annivesary of accident that nearly claimed his life. The severity of that injury and the months of physical recovery and the toll of emotional stress have only been endured by the grace of God and helped by your prayers. You have stood with us for years. We ask that as we continue down the "home stretch" that you ask others to join us in prayer as well. Please refer them to the website, or ask them to write us personally for details if that helps them pray with more confidence.

We want to see Jesus Name made great among the Mesem.

If it's Sunday it's church, if it's Tuesday it's the nursing home, if it's Wednesday then..

2008-10-07T15:26:00.005-04:00

OK, I'll be honest, sometimes I forget where we are from one week to the next. This is not because I don't enjoy travelling and being congregations all over New England but because with so little time remaining till Neil departs the calender is colour coded with colours on top of other colours so I can hardly read what I've penciled in on any given day. (To those of you who have seen my writing, you might argue that the colours have nothing to do with it). Yet, I do see we are committed for 14 of the 16 days till her departs. If it gets to be a bit of blur, then it's a good blur. It's the blur of churches that care, of retreats to prepare for what lies ahead, and meetings to share the easy yoke and light burden of sharing with Jesus in seeing His Name made great among the Mesem people.

So if I stumble your way, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, know I've been travelling a bit but that I'm so thankful for your care for us, and for the Mesem. (And if you feel so inclined, a bit of Gingko for the memory would help). Day by day we make progress translating, more commit to pray and we see that the Lord has opened new avenues of ministry.

Thanks for hanging in with us. Our God is faithful

Back to Papua New Guinea

2008-09-30T19:31:00.003-04:00

It is with great joy that we can report Neil's scheduled return to Papua New Guinea (PNG) on October 23. Well, he begins the journey on the 23rd but more likely will get to the Mesem closer to the 28th. The flights alone total 24 hours in the air, and once he arrives he has to get from the capital, to Morobe Province, and from there he'll need to purchase food and supplies to bring with him into the rainforest. Those supplies are not just our personal staples, but basic first aid items that are needed by so many of our Mesem friends; malaria medication; tools to repair those things on which the harsh environment has taken its toll. One of the many things he will carry with him is the Gospel of John, completed just prior to our furlough last year as well as four other epistles for the people to read for the first time. It is hard to explain the joy we feel that the Mesem can resume reading the scriptures, studying each book they receive for the first time, asking questions and discussing these things with Neil. It's an answer to prayer...the fervent prayer of the many friends and churches who have stood so faithfully with us for two decades and those who have joined us with such commitment in recent months.

While Neil is gone, I will continue to work on Acts, continue the nursing home chaplaincy, Alpha, and the weekend preaching schedule. As I know that Tony never reads this blog I will boast as his mom that he will continue to concentrate on school, basketball (he just took home his first MVP) and accompany me as I speak in churches in Southern New England. I am immensly proud of him. He has endured a great deal in the last two years and yet from the time of Neil's accident onward he has continued to demonstrate a quiet strength as he takes on the increased responsibilty that comes with becoming a young man.

On a personal note: over the years we've heard coworkers share some of the difficulties communicating their struggles to those at home. We realize that there are good reasons for this: time, distance, living cross culturally for extended periods and other factors. However, what I want to say here for all the world to know is that we have been blessed with the most supportive and loving group of friends and churches who have cheered us on through every obstacle that could possibly arise. Our “support base” (or better stated “the Body of Christ from a variety of church traditions) has blessed us, prayed for us, and stood fast and believed with us when it seemed that all of life was an uphill battle. Not only were you the hands of Jesus to us, we find that our best “cheerleaders” have been the very ones the Lord has used to help us keep going when we thought we didn't have another step within us. On behalf of my family and the Mesem people I want to thank our friends from a variety of church backgrounds who together with us rejoice that there is “one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, one God and Father of all”. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. And He shall surely accomplish His will.

You Do All Things Well

2008-09-14T15:21:00.005-04:00

It was a year ago in August that we arrived in the US. We were exhausted. The death of friends and family overshadowed what was already a year of constant stress. Yet we had experienced God's mercy in Neil's miraculous survival when his neck was crushed in a horrific accident and he was so severely injured that plastic surgery was necessary to ensure his survival. The robbery that occurred while Neil and the driver were on the roadside was almost a "non-event" as it paled in comparision to everything else that happened. To be honest, I thought to myself, "There is nothing left to take and I have nothing left to give". While it would be wonderful to say that as human beings we never hit that point, it would not be honest. Only One does "all things well".

One year later I want to say to our God, "You do all things well".

Last year I couldn't see how to move an inch forward. It had to be done, but there was still so much to do and no inner strength with which to do it. Yet we are told that His strength is made perfect in weakness and so we have experienced it. I remember when one of our leaders said to us, "You might feel like you are falling, but you are falling into a safety net."

One year later, as the tickets are booked for Neil to bring scripture back to PNG, and I am working on translation again, and we have been commissioned, and I have been ordained, and Tony is reminding us to pick up friends for youth group....what can I say but "He does all things well".

Neil needed the extra time because we faced enourmous stress when we returned to PNG and in attempting to complete the checking of Matthew there was never a moment when he was without emotional pressure which would have helped him to physically heal. I needed the extra time to just recover from having lost my friends, my cousin, and nearly my husband. Emotionally and spiritually, I was spent. Tony needed time to have a year that was free from assault, injury or seperation from us due to trauma. God knew we needed time. He gave it to us and He did it in a way that built us up, caused no loss to the Meem and as usual: gave time for others here in the US to come to Christ.

Yet, one year later, we are back at work full time with the Mesem New Testament. The situation in the Mesem area is such that working with the AG will only widen the acceptance of the New Testament among the Mesem. So three tired and discouraged people who left Papua New Guinea last year are now refreshed, supported, affirmed and able to focus on the only goal that really matters: That the Name of Jesus Christ is Exalted Among the Mesem.

I read yesterday, "A moment of God's favor is better than a year of our labors". Amen Lord. Pour on your favor, Oh Lord, that your Name is glorified.

Moving Forward and other Furlough Idioms

2008-09-04T08:40:00.002-04:00

It seems that every furlough we learn new terms or expressions we missed out on when we were oversees. Remember, "Murphy Brown, not"? I can still remember asking, "Who is Murphy Brown and why would someone end a sentence with "not"?

So we are "moving forward" now and I like and understand this expression very well.

Neil is looking to travel to Papua New Guinea and has begun the process of checking flights. He'll coordinate that with our regional director who will visit the ministry among the Mesem, as well as key church leaders in our province and in the nation. Neil is planning to return with 1, 2 and 3 John, and Lord wiling, Jude, just in case he has some "spare time"! After a year away we expect there to be a lot of eating, talking and catching up, Melanesian style, before they get down to the business of studying the translated scriptures.

On the home front Tony continues to pursue basketball with a joyful enthusiasm and I will be working on the New Testament as well as taking speaking opportunities on the weekend. Right now my big computer challenge is to get a file typed in unicode to open with the correct characters when I switch between OpenOffice and Word.

It's been a "journey" which sounds heaps better than saying, "This has been a trip" :) but we know you who have so faithfully prayed for and followed the events that have occurred the closer we have come to completing the scripture, are well aware that it was a truth said in jest when Elyce coined this work, "Frank Peretti Live". At times I have debated whether to chronicle the last four field terms and have concluded that had I not been there, I would probably think the writer was embellishing the story. Not so, it's all true.

As we pray this ministry "home", lets celebrate as we watch the Lord accomplish what we could never do ourselves.
Faithful is He who has called you, who also will do it.

My Desk Blotter

2008-08-29T15:36:00.003-04:00

During much of the 1980's we were employed full time in secular vocations. Anyone who thinks the ordinary working man or woman works "9 to 5" is not yet of age for a full time job. Everyone other adult knows that our "full time" jobs are very intense not only in terms of our time, but our emotions, and our the intellectual challenges we face in the workplace. Keeping our Christian witness on the job is one of the great priviledges and challenges anyone can face.

The last three years of my secular employment in the US, Neil and I were in the process of making the transition to missions. We were involved in ministry in the local church and been recognized as clergy by our governing body, but we continued in our regular jobs until the time was right to go overseas and serve. At times I felt a great tension inside between my need to give my all where I was living and my anticipation of the ministry that lay ahead. An accountant from Boston who loves theology, reading, teaching and fine dining, does not easily make the move to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea. The idea was daunting and in truth, "pushed the envelope" of my sense of what I could and could not do.

God did not, of course, call us to do what we can in our own strength accomplish. He called us to what we can in His strength accomplish. So, for the last three years I had a note jotted on every page of the blotter on my desk. It was the simple quote from Thessalonians, "Faithful is He who called you, who also will do it".

It has been one year and two weeks since we arrived in the US in the midst of many uncertainties. It has been 20 years, to the day, since we began our orientation in Madang, Papua New Guinea. If you had asked me 20 years ago if I thought I would be able to survive, much less thrive, in PNG for two decades, I would probably have said "No". If you had asked me a year ago today if I thought within 12 months I would be revising the Book of Jude so Neil can bring it to our coworkers in a few weeks time I would have said, "Maybe. If the Lord wills it so".

The path has not always been easy, smooth, nor clear but it has been His path. He knows where He is taking us and He knows the way to get there. I am confident He can take us all the way home.

Faithful is He who called us. He is doing it.

More than 5000 Served!

2008-08-20T09:51:00.002-04:00

I remember when McDonald's reached the "more than one million served" mark. That was back when the stores were glass and the arches were really high. It reminds me of a conversation that Tony and I had the other day that gave me a perspective on the Mesem translation I had not previously had.

We were going to the Boy's Club, of course, and he was spinning a basketball in his hands. I was telling him about some revision I had been doing in 1 John and how at times I feel like this has been a very, very long race. I joke that we are in "mile 34 of a marathon". I was just really feeling very weary and I confess, I am not the best at juggling translation, itineration, and two other outside ministries all at the same time. Tony's comment to me was, "Mom, did you ever think of how many people God can save among the Mesem?". I said I had, because "There are 5000 Mesem people". He had one of those, "Gee, isn't she thinking?" looks and put it in perspective, "It's not just the Mesem now, Mom, what about their kids who get saved through the Bible and all who come after".

I am slow or what? He was completely right of course. The English Bible has been revised many times over as has that of every major language. However, had Tyndale and Wycliffe not translated....well where would we be today? Generations are affected by this work, not just those who live to see the first completed New Testament.

Tony is in PA now and Neil is out visiting churches. I'll go back to 1 John with a renewed sense of purpose.
Blessings, Kathy

God's Boast

2008-08-13T16:43:00.004-04:00

The Continued History of the New Testament among the Mesem People

I've been reading an excellent book called "The Gospel According to Job". The author has many wonderful lessons learned from Job but the one that struck me today was that Christ did not pay enough to outweigh our sins. It's not as though He paid just a bit more than our sins cost. He paid so our sins are forever eradicated. Job's point for all the pious platitudes of his friends was that he had a Redeemer. There are many chapters of the book of Job dedicated to religious people trying to justify Job's misery and suffering. If there was a reason he deserved the suffering he had, then they were a bit more righteous than he was, they were a bit more deserving of God's blessing and protection. As good at their reasoning sounds, defending God for being "fair", they did not understand that Job was the man of whom God boasted.

Ah..what does that have to do with the Mesem people? Why do the Mesem live with so little help, so distantly removed from medcine, roads, and the availablity of scripture? What have we done that we merit the blessing of having scripture in our languages, having trained pastors who can read, having the means to make decisions about how much effort will be put into reaching the lost? Is it because we are just a little better? I think not.

What amazes me still is the Mesem men and women who live every word of the Bible they understand and do so without hesistation. If they understand it, then they live it. I believe these are the ones of whom God boasts.

The Gospel of Grace

2008-07-29T13:21:00.005-04:00

The Real History of the Mesem New Testament Part 3
We started our second term having completed the Gospel of Mark and the Book of James. The next goal was for a clear and evangelical use of the translated materials. Neil chose to translate Romans. What books spells out so clearly the truth of salvation by faith alone?

The translation of Romans proved to be tremendously challenging and fruitful. It took almost three years to get the manuscript to a place where it was in publishable form. (The Gospel of Matthew and other Pauline espitles were being drafted during this time, so other work was taking place.)

Neil and the men spent hours going over verses and talking about the meaning. One day in particular Esonuc stopped me and said, "I thought we tried very hard to be good and follow God and go to heaven. Know I know that was wrong thinking. True thinking is beleiving in Jesus". As Neil read translated portions to different clans some assumed the gospel of grace was a mistranslation. It was such "good news" that when people heard it they either reacted by saying, "No, this can't be true" or they said, "If this is true...then it is GOOD NEWS!".

The community also participated in the greatest and most daunting cooperative project in their history: the construction of a sixty meter long bridge to span the Sankwe river. With the guidance, materials and funding provided by MAPS workers (short terms missionary workers from the Assemblies who donate their time on construction projects like this one), the Mesem people provided weeks of physical labor and worked together with our MAPS friends build an amazing bridge. Prior to that time the bridges were made of bamboo and frequently washed away by rising waters. The bridge was named "We have made this with our own hands".

Other tests came our way in the form of surgeries and the need to make two trips to Australia for a spinal fusion for Kathy as well as a gall bladder surgery. We periodically joked that removing all non-essential organs might be a way to prevent future trips. Nonetheless, on each trip we met people who didn't know the Lord or wanted to come back to him after many years. Once, a store manager in a mall spoke to Kathy and her friend Grace Fabian and asked them as they shopped, "Are you two Spirit filled Christians?". This was the source of some humour between Kathy and Grace as they come from totally different doctrinal backgrounds, but the Lord used that "chance meeting" in a mall for them to pray with the manager who was seeking God's help for her life. The fields are white with harvest...we just need to look around.

Another continued concern was Joel. His behavoir grew increasingly violent. Likewise there was renewed tension with the cargo cult among the villagers. A portin of the village set up a new hamlet and accusations of sorcery began to circulate.

At the same time, we began to make plans to build an office for future work. We needed more space, a place to hold Bible studies and to teach classes in reading. Teachers had been trained during our first term, but now we needed to teach others to correct Bible studies as we initated a correspondence Bible study program. As we finished our third term in PNG, our second with the Mesem, we believed we were entering into a time when we would begin to see the "fruit" of the work that was the cooperative effort of so many

Another Step on the Journey

2008-07-02T20:05:00.003-04:00

I am writing from Springfield Mo where we have just finished another day at School of Missions. We are preparing for our return to the work of Bible translation with the Mesem. It's been a journey.

Our first term Michael Card gave us permission to use his song "There is a Joy in the Journey" for our slide show. It's a great song about the learning to love the places God brings us and knowing freedom in obeying Him. Since coming to MO we've seen friends with whom we trained 20 years ago who are continuing with us and doing the same work to see that no one in the world has to hear God's Word "second hand".

When we return to MA, I will continue to chronicle the "True Story of the Mesem Translation". Those are stories that need to be told. They are the markers that remind us God is faithful, He will do what He said, and "Faithful is He who has called you, who also will do it".

Pray that the Mesem work can resume quickly. We are anxious to get back to it. In the meantime, God is not idle and His Spirit is moving. It's His Name on the line.
Joyful on the journey,
Kathy

The Real History of the Mesem New Testament: Yanga and Yohanuc

2008-06-12T12:28:00.001-04:00

The Real History of the Mesem New Testament: Yanga and Yohanuc

The first great obstacle to translation was not the attacks or the illnesses. Yes, they were hassles. Our obstacle was we had no one who would work with us. The village elders assigned a group of men and all left the village within the first week. We kept praying and asking people to work with us, but every day it seemed was spent doing medical work, lending tools, fixing something for someone and suriving. Translation seemed it would never begin.

Joyce Turner organized friends to fast and pray.

One Saturday a man we had not met before came to our door and asked, “Do you believe in binding spirits in Jesus Name?”. We invited him to eat with us.

His name was Yanga Tumbe and he had returned to the area 2 years prior to share the gospel after coming to faith. He felt he had no one listening and prayed about what to do. The Lord told him to come and talk to us. That night Yanga explained a dynamic of Mesem spiritual beliefs about which we knew nothing: the Mesem had a strong allegience to a spirit named “sankumtulung” (we don't capitilize their names purposefully). They believed that if they honoured this spirit's name, and treated him well with offerings, he would look after them. Saying his name aloud was disrespectful, which explained why we had not heard the name before. The people used euphamisms to refer to him. That night the three of us agreed in prayer to bind sankumtulung.

The next day Yohanuc Wenge, who we had asked to assist on several occassions said, “Let's work together”. In a way that only God could have forseen the man who brough the gospel to the Mesem was also instrumental in beginnings of the translation of the Word of God for the Mesem people.

The Real History of the Mesem Translation Part One

2008-06-10T12:16:00.000-04:00

This is an effort to record the events that have taken place during the Mesem translation, term by term so that we might remember, pray and perservere.

Time is not recorded in Papua New Guinea (PNG) villages the way it is recorded in the western world. So the exact year when Yohanuc Wenge first heard the Gospel in his Nabak village and chose to believe in Jesus is not known in this temporal realm. It is certainly known in heaven. German missionaries had brought the gospel to Finchafen and from there Kote speakers carried word inland of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (The spelling of Kote uses non-English characters, however the “o” is an “a” with a charet above.) There were huge language barriers and much was not communicated but the saving knowledge of Christ was proclaimed so that when Yohanuc understood the message, he decided to move the neighboring Mesem language area and begin to tell The Story.

The Bible was translated into Kote which over time became a trade language in much of Morobe Province. People learned to speak it of necessity so they could trade with one another and it was in this language that liturgy and teaching materials were made available. Kote, much like the Latin of the church in which I was raised, became the language of faith. To the extent one learned it well and could read this language, they had access to the scripture. As Melanesian Pidgin grew in usage in PNG, Kote use declined. It is unusual among the Mesem to meet anyone under 55 who can read and speak Kote.

A translation project was initiated in 1987 by a family from CA. They built a house and an office underneath but serious health issues arose and they had to leave permanently before they were able to begin translation of the scriptures. The project was idle for two years until we made a visit in 1992 just a few weeks prior to our first furlough. It is our prayer that what you now read, wil cause you to understand why we so need prayer for this task to be accomplished. If we did not believe God desired it for the Mesem, we would have stopped long ago.

Our first visit was to see if Samanzing, the main Mesem village at that time, was the place God wanted us to go. I was pregnant with Tony, but at 98 lbs, no one could tell from looking at me. We went and met with the leaders of the village who assigned a well educated (eight grade leaver) to assist us with learning the language. He was smart and pleasant and after four days we seemed to be settling in.

The first weekend, Pastor Pien asked Neil to come and preach. I was alone in the village when the same man who was supposed to be helping us had the first of a series of “psychotic episodes” that have continued to harass the work. He became violent, was tied with metal bindings so tightly his hands swelled, and when he broke free he ran to our house. I was warned he was coming and barricaded myself in the house saying, “Well, this is going to be a fascinating place to work”. He banged on the door, screamed and threatened to burn down the house and “that child you have”.

I will now list the events that occurred on subsequent visits:

First post furlough visit 1993: threatened with house burning by the same man
Second village stay: Two men enter the house and make threats
Third village stay: Woman chants and dances around the house and has to be removed from the village. Another man has a “psychotic episode”.
Four village stay: Kathy becomes ill with dengue.
Next attempt to return to village: Kathy becomes ill with hepatitis so Neil goes alone
Neil returns and is also ill with hepatitis. (The vaccine came out the following year).

Because we were too ill to be in a remote village we tried to resume working from the mission station at Ukarumpa. The week the co-translators were to arrive Kathy came down with pneumonia.

While trying to continue work on the first gospel an attempt was made to snatch Tony. The man was caught before he got a quarter mile from the house.

It is now March of 1996 and we returned to the village. We were subject to an assualt that required us to leave again. The day after we were back to the mission station our son and his cousin, Silvio, went missing. After a search they were found going into a river area about a mile from our house. They said they saw something frightful that told them to run and they kept running.

Neil returned from the interior three days later. After good mental health, a cotranslator had a pyschotic episode and had to be removed from the mission station.

We completed the Gospel of Mark and it was dedicated. The day after dedication a man threatened us to stop angering the spirits. Neil began translating James and Kathy was found to need surgery.

That was our first term. What followed, continued and grew in intensity. God has a plan, and it is never accomplished unless He makes it happen.

The New Testament: Waiting to Happen

2008-05-29T20:23:00.002-04:00

Today is Thursday and we have found a place to live, praise God! We have volunteers to help us with the move and will proceed as soon as our application is accepted. Then off to School of Missions for two weeks in July and early June followed by missionary renewel, a four day retreat with the Lord about Whom around Whom all missions center.

Many have asked when we believe we will resume full time work on the scriptures. We are praying for a completed budget by August so when we move in our next apartment we will not be spending so much time going from place to place but be able to give our full attention to the Mesem New Testament. Our priority is to complete the work well, and to do it with haste. We need your prayers. Most translators set three typesetting dates before a New Testament is completed. We have already experience much adversity in many forms and now desire a speedy completion for the sake of Truth among the Mesem people.

Recently, Nancy, a very dear friend and encourager, wrote to say that she was moving to assisted living and could offer just her prayers for us. I don't know that anyone prays more faithfully than she does (but feel free to try). I believe, as Neil has so often said, that in heaven, the Lord will judge this as a work completed by the Body of Christ.

Thank you for loving us through this and pray with us that we might resume the work full time as soon as possible. We are waiting to hear from an number of churches and praying that we will be where we need to be to continue on for the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Joyfully,
The Vanarias

Gems While We Wait

2008-05-21T17:19:00.003-04:00

Like most people we find waiting difficult. We are anxious to complete the New Testament but first many things must come together. We need a new place to live having spent the last 9 months in a wonderful home provided by wonderful friends (whose photo, I hope, I have inserted properly...and these are but a few of you). We work at finding new partners to share the task with us, churches that will "pray this one through" with us. While we do these things the New Testament must "wait" till we can give it our full attention. I confess, when I am totally honest, I so want to just push other things aside and get back to work on it. But my timing is not God's, my time is His, but not my sense of timing.

Friends have left me with "gems" while we wait. One said, "Always remember it is God's Name on the line, not ours". At the time, I was wrestling with another ministry that while not Bible translation, was indeed resulting in a number of people coming to Christ. This "gem" reminds me that the results are His, the reputation is His, and the timing is His.

Later, as other challenges presented themselves, another dear friend pointed out it was intersting that God brought Israel from a rich land, Egypt, where they were slaves, to a desert place where they were free. How true is this in our lives? It is for freedom that Christ set us free!

The picture is bigger than we are, and God is doing something greater than we can imagine. While we wait, there are gems to be gathered up and lessons learned. At times in "desert places" we learn the real meaning of freedom since there is nothing left to distract us :). The Mesem will get the New Testament at the right time, and we will keep on following, knowing we have been blessed with great companions on the journey.

Time to go to evening worship.

Vanarias and the Mesem

2008-05-14T23:26:00.002-04:00

In recent weeks many friends have visited this blog and been seeking to find the website for the Mesem New Testament in Papua New Guinea. To make this easier we include the link here www.vanaria.info. It seemed smart to go with something short and easy to remember!

And I promise to change the photo on the "contact us" page so it looks like us again. We will even include Tony, the center of our personal Vanaria tribe.

Thank you dear friends for being with us in this journey towards the completion of the New Testament.!

The Voice of Truth

2008-05-02T18:45:00.003-04:00

Tonight I am home alone while Neil and Tony go with a dozen others to a Christian concert. I am enjoying the music of Casting Crowns and in particular the song "The Voice of Truth".

When did it start? Surgeries, attacks in the village, sorcery allegations, Neil's accident? A surge of difficulty came at the time when we were sure the Mesem New Testament would be completed.

At times the discouragement has been overwhelming. It would not be true to pretend otherwise. So I find the cry of my heart echoes that of the singer of "The Voice of Truth". There are so many circumstances, challenges, trials et. al that say, "This can never happen. Give up." or "You must be doing something wrong for it to be so difficult". But the song tells of Peter who in the midst of a storm had the Lord bid him to step out of the boat. Step out of the boat in the storm? What sense is there in doing that? The boat is the place of safety! Yet there was the outstretched hand of Jesus bidding him to stand above a storm he did not create and could not control.

"The Voice of Truth of tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says do not be afraid
The Voice of Truth tells me this is for My glory
The Voice of Truth says do not be afraid
Of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of Truth".

Recently I met an amazing young woman who is one of the most mature and whole people I have met at her age. What brought her to that place? Brain cancer. How does that fit in with God's plan? I don't know but I know that speaking to her I can see Jesus' in her life and shining in a way that is not superficial but rings out from the core of her being.

Why does it take so long? I don't know. I know God is doing something greater in all of us than we know and that He is responsible for the furthering of His Kingdom and the Greatness of His Name. How do our storms and those that delay the Mesem translation fit in God's eternal plan? Such things are too marvelous for me. I only know we have a God who knows and we trust that He "who began a good work in (us) will perform it" till the Day of Jesus Christ.

The music has changed again...Your Love is Extravagent.....

How long does it take?

2008-04-24T13:07:00.003-04:00

How long does it take to complete a New Testament? Well, that depends on what you are trying to do. It took 90 scholars 10 years to translate the NIV. Those scholars were translating the Bible for English speaking people who could read fluently.

Our job has entailed taking a previously unwritten language, reducing it to writing, teaching others to read their own language and then begin translating the New Testament. The concepts of the New Testament are complex and many words that are used in in English such as "justification" or "belief" do not have a lexical equivalent in Mesem. So we worked with the people to find how they expressed these concepts in their language. So the process of translation involves a lot of study and interaction with others to learn how to properly use their words to express God's Word as revealed in the scripture.

I often compare translation to making a snowball (not that anyone makes snowballs in Papua New Guinea but we are from New England where we have plenty of snow). The more snow you have, the easier it is to make a snowball. To make a large snowball you have to start with a small amount and then as you roll it along the ground and gain momentum the snowball becomes increasingly large as there is ever more mass with which to gather more snow. As we now have all of the New Testament drafted, we have more material with which to work. We have used all the word at least once and tried to express all the concepts that are written there. So now we need to go over all that is drafted and revise it: the same words need to be used to express the same concepts throughout the scripture. We need to be sure that people understand what the text means. If people read a passage and don't understand the meaning, then we have failed to translate it correctly.

It's important to remember that the Pharisees did not kill Jesus because they didn't understand what He was saying but because they did understand and didn't want to hear it. As is written in the Book of Jame, "You say you believe in God, you do well. The devil believes also...". We translate the scripture and people have the choice to read and believe, or they might choose to ignore it, or they might be like the Pharisees, understand it but not like what it says. Only God's Spirit can work in people's hearts. Our job is to be faithful in making sure people can hear the message and have a chance to know and hold in their own hands the Words of Life.

Why?

2008-04-16T22:42:00.004-04:00

Why do the Mesem need the New Testament?

I think it we all had to learn ancient Greek to read the Bible we would be very frustrated. Not to mention Hebrew! For the Mesem, there are no Bible DVDs, or programs to help them. They have the scriptures translated in their own langugage. Are they worth is? Yes!

No one people group is great enough to glorify God's Name. In fact, unless someone from every group is there, the symphony of song and joy will be incomplete! We need the Mesem people to join with us in eternity and they also want to join.

Why we ask? As John Piper has expressed it so well, we desire that the Lamb of God have the full reward for His sacrifice.

A New Testament Waiting to Happen

2008-04-15T12:13:00.002-04:00

Hello and welcome to our first post in The Mesem New Testament blog. We wanted to find a way to keep you fully informed as we enter what we pray is the final phase of the completion of the Mesem New Testament. So what is Mesem and where is Mesem are two things that you might ask.

Well the Mesem live in Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is the second largest island in the world and is north of Australia and adjacent to Indonesia.

No one knows exactly how many Mesem people live in that region as births and deaths are not officially recorded but we believe there to be at least five thousand Mesem people. (Three thousand voted in the election..so five thousand is conservative as children obviously don't vote.) They live scattered through a large geographical area from the low coastlands to the high mountain rainforest in the Sarawaged range. There are at least 12 villages with other small hamlets in the language area.

When we began working with the Mesem in 1993, the first alphabet was being finalized as the language had been previously unwritten. From 1993 until 1997 we concentrated on starting schools and translating the Gospel of Mark, as well as providing simple first aid to many in need.

After a year of home leave to New England, we returned in 1998 and together with our Mesem coworkers and friends, built an office, a sixty meter bridge, and continued training teachers and translating the scriptures. We started correspondence Bible courses at that time which made Bible study available to people to whom we couldn't go because of distance. (There are no roads so hiking is the only way to get from one place to another in the Mesem region of Morobe Province.)

The entire New Testament is now in rough draft with half of it in publishable form. About seventy percent is in good first draft and the rest..well we need to be able to get back to work on that as soon as possible. Just last week we got a letter from the people asking how soon we can return to Papua New Guinea and finish the New Testament. We have hundreds of photos and stories but this is a blog and not a book! However, if you are interested in anything in particular do email us a nkvanaria@gmail.com and we are happy to answer your questions.

Our next post will answer the obvious question: why? For now, enjoy the photos and feel free to contact us with questions.