2011 I had just arrived in the village of Angguna to work alongside my teammate Martha Wade for several weeks. During my first night there, panicked people brought a child to Martha’s house. He was slumped over, and his head was bleeding. In the cacophony of...
Mamata, I got to watch you grow and make your mistakes along the way; Scrubbing floors with your little one at home, like so many everyday. Another poor choice: a second baby, with still another man. Wishing for more, looking for love, trapped in the cycle of strife....
Baby Jesus, when Mary birthed you in Bethlehem, I don’t suppose you noticed that your wardrobe was lacking. You probably had two changes of clothes, just like little Senna next door. His mother got pregnant out of wedlock too, you know. So you were Tchotcho, your...
It was Christmas Eve. I wasn’t in much of a holiday mood, though. The selection of potential gifts for our children had seemed pretty sparse in the local shops. Our artificial Christmas tree looked so pathetic cowering in its corner, and the abundant ornaments hanging...
“Where did this happen?” “Near Bethlehem.” “What kind of place is Bethlehem?” “A small village.” “What appeared in the sky?” “An angel.” Christmas was approaching, and the Apal people were about to hear Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth in their own language for the...
Our God is merciful. Every day He lovingly provides for the needs of His children. With the unusual situations they face, missionaries are in a position to be keenly aware of these daily mercies. Martha Wade is a Bible translator in Papua New Guinea. The village where...
God told us to find rest, but how can we? One of God’s instructions to His people — indeed, a clear command — was to rest. What a welcome idea this must have been to the newly liberated Israelite people, who had lived in slavery their entire lives...
Write a blog for Pioneer Bible Translators? “No problem!” I said. After all, I’ve been with Pioneer Bible Translators for nearly two decades. I could tell stories of how I overcame my shyness to answer God’s call to missions. I could share awkward fundraising...
I am on a dry, cracked dirt path. The raised, bumpy part I walk on is only wide enough to go single file, so I carefully watch the flip-flops in front of me as they flap, flap, flap on the feet of my friend. I copy her every step as she picks the most level places and...
My phone rang. It was Sepa, my village father. It was late and I was tired. In addition, I was still working to bring my Tok Pisin language skills back up to where they’d been before a year in the U.S. took its toll on them. I answered the phone anyway. Sepa was...
“You will be my witnesses,” Jesus told His disciples soon before He ascended to heaven. “But first, wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.” Wait? This was the beginning of Jesus’ plan to change the world? It’s certainly not the way...
We didn't know what was going on, really, but just decided we should get in line because that's what everyone else was doing, and deep down, no one really wants to look out of place, right? The smiling faces and the beat of the drums let us know that this was a happy...