READING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
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| Mengen women are learning to read so that they can read God`s Word for themselves. |
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May 29, 2008
by Christina Johnson
Six Mengen women -- three with little or no previous education -- are learning to read and write their own language.
Missionary Rebecca Preheim is teaching these women and is excited to see their progress.
"Just a few weeks ago they were holding their books upside-down and didn't know how to use a pencil," Rebecca wrote. "They are doing really well and it is exciting to think that they will now be able to read God's Word for themselves."
Before Rebecca and her co-workers began teaching literacy, not a single Mengen man or woman could read their own language. That's because, before Rebecca and her co-workers devised a way to write the Mengen language, it was a spoken language only. And now Rebecca and her teammates are continuing to work on translating the Bible into the language of the Mengen people of Papua New Guinea.
If you've ever tried to teach someone to read your own language, you know that's tough enough. Can you imagine teaching someone to read another language? How about figuring out how to write a language, and translating God's Word?
Is it worth all that effort?
"Many of these ladies have never heard about Moses and how God saved the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt," Rebecca wrote. "[It] should be exciting for them to read for themselves and to understand a bit of the power of God."
And that is why New Tribes Mission's specialized training prepares people to learn a culture and language, develop a writing system, teach literacy and translate the Bible and lessons and reading materials: for the glory of God.
Please pray:
The staff members at the two New Tribes Bible Institutes and the Missionary Training Center are catching their breaths. The end of the spring term means some time off, but it also means it's time to get ready for the fall term. Curriculum has to be reviewed and revised, lesson plans prepared, facilities repaired and cleaned -- and more -- so everything is ready for the returning and incoming students.
While that might sound a bit mundane, keep in mind that the work these staff members do will glorify God again and again. The students they train will plant churches among tribal people who have been in darkness for centuries, and those churches will plant other churches. Pray that this summer will refresh our trainers and the other staff members, and renew their commitment
The master plan for the expanding Missionary Training Center campus is proving more complicated than was expected. While it would have been nice to have it completed last month, it is more important to have it right. Pray that it is both complete and correct, soon.
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