SIAWI TESTIMONY TIME
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| The Siawi worship team leading believers in songs of praise to God. |
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September 2, 2009
by David Bell
Close your eyes and picture a new church building in your mind.
Is it made of brick and mortar with a tall spire protruding from the top?
The Siawi church in Papua New Guinea met Sunday in a building on stilts, with a thatched roof and bark floor. There were no pews, no fans or air conditioners (though they would have been much welcomed if there was power to run them), no hymn books and no speaker system.
A speaker system would have been a blessing so the speaker’s voice could have carried over the howling dogs, crowing roosters and crying babies.
Despite the physical differences there were some similarities to a church in the USA as the meeting opened with prayer, songs of praise were sung and there was a time for testimonies.
One testimony in particular was noted by missionary Linda Krieg.
A Siawi woman started to share about a fight she had with her husband’s third wife and the husband yelling at her.
The woman’s daughter loudly whispered to her that this wasn’t something to share in church, but the mother continued.
Linda observed that the woman was right to continue. "It was testimony material."
The woman had remembered a verse of Scripture about not letting the sun go down without dealing with anger. She said the Lord helped her through her anger.
"Isn’t that what it is all about?" Linda wrote, "Allowing God’s Word to change our lives, molding them to the image of Christ?"
Linda has translated much of the New Testament and a comprehension check of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 2 Timothy, James and 1, 2 and 3 John is scheduled for this month.
Please pray that God will give wisdom to the translation team so that God’s Word will be clearly and accurately produced in the Siawi language. Pray too that the Scriptures will continue to speak to hearts and change lives. |
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