MADANG, Papua New Guinea: Work was fun for the missionary team preparing the first books for the Inapang literacy program. As they worked together, Bill Housley and Daniel Moore pumped out the stories and wives Kelley and Elizabeth couldn't keep up.
Consultants Sandy Mikolavich and Lori Morley had flown in to lend their experience to the project, and Inapang friends gathered around to lend helping hands. Each day, the story-tellers came, others drew pictures for the books, and the women cooked a huge mid-day meal so the team wouldn't have to stop and prepare their own lunch.
The Inapang reading program is now streamlined into three little primers.
"Now we buckle down to finish entering the info into the computer, process, print, and get ready for the first Inapang literacy class in November," wrote Kelley Housley.
As the Inapangs gathered around, Kelley tested them with a "same and different" book. One of the young men said, "That is so easy. I already know how to do that."
It presented an excellent opportunity for Kelley to talk about team work. She said, "if you know something already, it is your duty to help someone who doesn't know it. You become a teacher when you help someone else. That is how the community will learn to read."
With that encouragement, the young man started to help Kawanganam, an older woman who was struggling with the material. In doing so he was going against two cultural norms -- one which deems women, especially older ones, as ignorant and unable to read and write, and another of keeping knowledge a secret for their own social purposes.
"You can do it," he said, encouraging the woman. "Look at it hard and point to the one that is different."
"Praise the Lord who is able by His power alone to overcome the human heart and all the cultural entanglements that fasten it to the prince of this world," wrote Kelley. "These small glimpses into His amazing power give us renewed hope in the power that His written Word will have here in the lives of the [Inapang] people."
Please pray that the missionary team will make continued progress in translating Scripture and preparing Bible lessons and literacy materials.
And pray that God will work in the hearts of the Inapang people to be ready for the presentation of the Gospel.
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