Big deal, right? It was for Takido, a Dinangat man in Papua New Guinea, and missionary Gary Smith.
Yesterday was the first day for any Dinangats to ever begin learning to read and write their own language. Gary and his co-worker, Jeremiah Markley, began teaching 14 people.
Referring to Takido, Gary wrote, “Today tears welled up in my eyes as a man my age learned how to hold a pencil for the first time in his life. … After class he too choked back tears as he told me how happy is to be in the class.”
Many of the Dinangats were so excited to be able to learn reading and writing that there was not room for all who wanted to learn. “People actually started crying because there was no space anymore for them to be a part of that first class,” wrote Ralf Schlegel, Gary’s co-worker.
One of the women in the class went home in tears of joy over what she was learning.
Gary, Ralf and Jeremiah, and their wives – Esther, Elli and April, respectively – make up the missionary team to the Dinangats. Their goal is to plant a church, and teaching the people to read and write is a key part of that effort.
“Becoming literate is the necessary step to being able to read God’s Word,” Jeremiah wrote.
Please don’t take for granted the ability to hold a pencil … to read God’s Word … to pray …
Pray with us >>
Disclaimer: This personal ministry website is provided by New Tribes Mission (NTM) as a courtesy to its members. NTM makes no warranty regarding the accuracy of the information on these pages. Opinions expressed are provided by members in good faith, but are entirely those of the member and do not necessarily represent policy, doctrinal position, or opinions of NTM. If you encounter information that you consider questionable, please e-mail the NTM web team.
GET INVOLVED
