“The Word” is a weekly photo and caption, from Papua New Guinea, detailing the impact of Bible translation.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
"...it tasted so sweet, like honey on bread!"
"Darasi's Testimony" -- This Papua New Guinea man, Darasi Bafimi, who worked for many years to translate the New Testament into his own language of Agarabi, testifies to the power of one's own language to speak to his heart like none other.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Praise God for His Faithfulness -- September 2010
 | “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” - Psalm 46:10 (NLT) (to left: Molima NT Dedication) |
Dear Friends and Family,
$540 per month?
"I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God; first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done." - Hudson Taylor
During the past week we received word from the Wycliffe finance department in Papua New Guinea (PNG) that they had determined a final monthly quota for us to return and serve in Ukarumpa starting this November. The amount we need to receive per month needs to be increased by $540. We were disappointed at first because we had been given a smaller increase as an estimate at the beginning of this year. Then we realized that this was an opportunity for God to show himself strong in our weakness. For us it seems impossible to increase our support level by this much in such a short amount of time, but with God nothing is impossible! Wycliffe will not release us to leave for PNG until we are able to raise a 100% of our monthly quota.
Our Wycliffe administrators have asked us to explain to our partners why there has been such a large increase in our monthly support level and why it is so sudden. The PNG finance department has been doing a detailed study of member’s cost of living. They just recently completed the study and realized that the cost of living used to estimate a member’s financial support level was 35% less than what it should be. Food and utility costs have increased dramatically in recent months and will most likely continue to increase in the future. Here is a quote from the finance department -- “At the moment in the store, an item that was costing 7 kina a few months ago costs 13 kina. Canned goods that were 6 kina are now 8 kina.”
If you feel that God is calling you to be part of our ministry serving Bible Translation in Papua New Guinea, please let us know. You can find information on how you can donate to our Wycliffe ministry on the sidebar “Ways to Give.”
God answers our prayers!
We have many things to be thankful for this month and we would like to share them with you.
- First of all we want to praise God for the birth of our son Matthias Andres Metzger Penaloza on August 8th, 2010. Thank you to all of you who prayed for a healthy pregnancy and for a good labor and delivery. God heard your prayers and labor and delivery went quickly and smoothly and we are now joyful to have Matthias as a new member of our family.
 | (from left to right: Matthias with Johanna’s parents; Matthias with aunt Miriam and cousin Ashleigh; Matthias sleeping) |
- Praise God for the Molima (pictured at top), Yopno and Surasunga New Testament Dedications that took place in PNG during July and August. We celebrate with these people God’s word in a language that speaks to their hearts for the first time!
- Thank you for praying for our move to another house at the end of June. The move went as smoothly as possible and we are hopeful we won’t have to move again until we return to PNG.
- Since the end of June, Kurt has been able to help at the SIL Dallas Network Services department and is thankful for the opportunity to serve while they have been short staffed.
- Our trip to Maryland in the month of July went very well. We were blessed to be able to visit several of our partners there and visited with Kurt’s family. We also visited a supporting church, Mount Paran Presbyterian Church, and were able to share an update on our ministry in PNG.
- On August 6th, we were able to send our belongings to North Carolina to be shipped PNG. Believe it or not, Matthias was born that Sunday, August 8th, and we sent everything on Friday without having a clue that this little one would come two weeks early. But God knew, and we thank you for praying for us as we packed our things.
- We also want to thank you for praying for our return travel to PNG. Through the generosity of our partners we have received about 50% of the funds needed for purchasing our tickets. If you are considering a special gift toward our return travel, please include a note with the gift specifically designating it “for Metzger’s return travel to PNG.”
- On September 3rd, we received Matthias’s birth certificate. Praise God! Now we can apply for his US passport and PNG visa.
Lord willing, our plans!
Our desire is to return to PNG in November as planned. Tickets are less expensive if we travel in November, but prices will go up if we travel from December on. Also, our PNG Branch will begin the renewal process of all the members work permits and visas in January of 2010 and we would like to be in PNG before the process begins. If we are still in the US by the end of January, we will have to do all the paperwork related to the visa renewal ourselves and get many medical tests that are not required when we are in PNG.
Please Pray!
- Please let us know how we can pray for you! Pray for us as we do the paper work required to be able to return to PNG with Matthias. Now we can apply for his US passport and lastly (but not least) his Papua New Guinea visa so he can travel back with us.
 | (from left to right: Matthias with Johanna’s mom; Lukas thinking; Lukas and Kassia with uncle Peter) |
- Ukarumpa has had more and more break-ins occurring. Please pray that this will stop and for wisdom for the PNG Branch Directors in talking to village leaders to gain their cooperation in solving the problem.
We truly look forward to returning to our ministry in Ukarumpa. We feel privileged to be a small part of what God is doing to bring His word to the Bibleless people of PNG. We could not do it without our ministry partners that faithfully pray for us and support us financially. Kurt is excited to get back to his job at the Communication and Technical Services Department as a Network Administrator and I (Johanna) cannot wait to settle back at our house as a “new” mommy of 3 children.
In His hands,
Johanna (for Kurt, Kassia, Lukas and Matthias too!)
