After more than 50 years of missionary labor among the Yagaria people in Papua New Guinea, believers gathered Saturday to dedicate the Yagaria Bible.
A lengthy procession of more than 3,000 people sang praises to God as they made their way to the area where they would sit through a sun-scorched, five-hour ceremony.
But five hours was nothing compared to how long they've waited for this day.
NTM missionaries began a ministry among the warring, cannibalistic tribe in the mid 1950s. Today the Yagaria community has a thriving church and has established its own training center to send missionaries to neighboring language groups.
A complete silence pervaded the ceremony except for appropriate times when the people cheered in thankfulness to the Lord.
"It brought tears to my eyes to see these people gather in mass celebration for the Word of the Lord," wrote missionary Aaron DeRidder, who viewed the occasion from his spot under a makeshift lean-to.
"It was very moving. Praise the Lord for these wonderful people who will be rejoicing around the throne with us some day."
And pray that God's Word will continue to be uplifted among the Yagaria people and spread to their neighbors.
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