John and Kay Abbott, Jr.

Learning Culture and Grammar

Posted in Ministry, News Article on Oct 12th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

Currently, some of my students are learning language and culture much the same way they would if they were newly overseas. How are they doing that? Our course provides this practice through our teachers dressing up and role-playing a remote people group.

When our NTM missionaries move into a tribal village some day, they will have to learn the language and culture of those people without the benefit of some sort of language school sitting there waiting to teach them. They will need to know what to do to learn it on their own. (If you were plopped down in a remote village in a far-away country, how would you go about learning to speak their language?) Part of our pre-field orientation course is to teach missionary candidates how to do this.

For about 8 weeks, our students will study culture in this way.

There are a number of other classes we teach, all to help prepare students for learning another language and culture. One of those that we’re getting ready for right now is our Grammar 101 class. This is not a class in English grammar. This is a class that seeks to introduce our students to things that happen in languages all around the world. Our students discover that other languages are very different from our own.

Even languages that are relatively similar to English, like Spanish and Portuguese, still do things quite differently from what we are used to. For example, if you wanted to say “these little boys” in Portuguese, it would come out like this:

est-e-s menin-o-s pequen-o-s

^{this-masculine-plural kid-masculine-plural little-masculine-plural}

Notice how in Portuguese they have to tack letters on to the ends of the words to show whether you’re talking about someone that is male or female, and to show if there’s more than one. Also, notice that the descriptive word comes after the noun. It would be kind of like saying “these boys littles” in English.

Now take a language that’s really different from English, like this tribal language from South America where they use one long word for what seems like a whole sentence in our language. To say “he suddenly smelled them” they say just one word “pjɪ̹dädäreno̹a̹deje̹re̹” (This comes out of a story about a dog chasing an animal in the jungle.) In case you were wondering how that breaks down…

pjɪ̹dä -däre -no̹ -a̹ -de -je̹re̹

^{smelling finished quick past perfect he them}

To quote the NTM missionary who sent this to us, “God did a bang up job at the tower of Babel.”

Near-by Lightning Stike

Posted in News Article on Sep 5th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

Last week both our phone and internet were out due to a close-by lightning strike! This poor oak tree took the hit.

New Culture Mural Painted

Posted in Ministry, News Article, Painting and Artwork on Sep 5th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

A new mural for culture class is almost done. I’ve been working on the painting for a month or so, but still have some detail work left. John and some of the other instructors have set up some hut fronts and porches to sit on while teaching culture class, and there is a false back behind the huts so we can do “culture event skits”, coming in and out of the ”doors.”

If you’d like to see more pictures about the new mural, CLICK HERE.

Grandpa Pony, Papa Tony, or just plain Grandpa

Posted in Family, News Article on Jul 5th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

Preacher, Farmer, Welder…and Trickster! That was my Grandpa.

Here’s a couple of Grandpa’s ingenious tricks:

Grandpa’s favorite trick on Grandma:

Many hot summer, dusty days in an old beat-up car with no air-conditioner, my sisters and I would tag along with Grandpa and Grandma on their way to town. Why? Because we knew if we went along, Grandpa would stop at Dairy Queen. Now you have to realize that Grandpa’s car had a lot of rust, and so inside…well…came a lot of thick, suffocating dust! Furthermore, Grandpa would look at us and wink, as we watched him turn the heater on. Yup, you read me right. He’d turn the heater on with a sly grin directed at us, and sit back and wait to see how long it took for Grandma to complain of how hot it was outside today! It’s no wonder I get carsick easily. Just writing this brings back the thick smell of heat and dust clogging the air in the back seat of Grandpa’s car. I guess we all suffered from that trick.

Wait, there’s more. Anyone remember his trick with the tape measure?

A lot of you reading this have probably experienced Grandpa Pony’s measuring tape. Grandpa was a farmer, and never without his handy measuring tape tucked in his overall’s pocket (he was definitely an overall wearer). As the unsuspecting victim would sit watching TV, Grandpa would slowly and quietly feed his measuring tape out and over the head of the unsuspecting. I’m telling you, he became quite good at keeping that tape stiff to reach from where he sat to the top of a head some 10 or even more feet away! Then he’d tickle that poor soul’s head with the tape, quickly and quietly using the auto button to return the tape, and of course pretend to be doing something else, so that the unsuspecting, after scratching his head and looking around to see what had ruffled his hair, had no idea what had just attacked him. Of course we got used to it, and knew who the culprit was, but it became just as fun to watch him do it to some new victim.

Also a Man of God

My Grandpa was not saved until in his 40’s, my age now. And he was one of those who was on fire for God from that point on. Very outspoken, he used every occasion he could to tell others how God could change their lives, just like God had changed his. He pastored a small church, spoke at camps, did VBS’s, juvenile detention Bible studies, went to Alaska to help missionaries, and the list goes on until his passing away when he was in his 90’s.

One of his Favorite Object Lessons:

One of his favorite object lessons was to pull a bill from his wallet and hold it up in front of a bunch of kids and say, “If you want this come, and get it. It’s a free gift.” I watched him do this many times, and it always turned out the same…all the kids would look at each other, glance up at him to see if he meant it, and then after several moments, one brave kid would jump up and grab it, all the while looking around to see if there was some “string attached.” Then Grandpa would explain that it was truly a free gift from him, just like salvation is a free gift from God. The kid kept the money, and all the kids learned that God has a free gift, no strings attached, for those that accept it.

Some of his favorite sayings:

Keep Looking Up – He’d say this, and write it on his letters

Don’t miss heaven by a foot – meaning the difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge

He’d talk about his chest falling down to his drawers – his “chest of drawers”

He always had schwan’s ice cream bars to pass around…then when you’d eat one he’d look at you and say “Why you puttin that under your nose?”

He’d ask if you’d “heard about the gospill” – used this in the hospital to the docters and nurses.

In his later years, When asked “how do you feel” he’d always wiggle his fingers, meaning “so-so”

I learned alot from Grandpa

I still remember distinctly the day my Grandpa asked Reverend Moritz (AMF Missionary over several churches) if my sister and I could teach VBS for some of those churches that year. We were only 12. To make a long story short, my sis and I were quizzed for a good part of the afternoon by a somewhat skeptical Reverend Moritz, and ended up teaching VBS alongside Grandpa for the next 8 or 9 years! And we weren’t the only ones Grandpa would get involved, he would get lots of other family and friends involved, too. We enjoyed doing Bible studies, Nursing Homes, and Juvenile Detention centers with him. His example, and desire to see us involved in spreading the gospel was contagious, not only to us, but to anyone he met. I know his impact on my life played a part in me deciding to become a missionary.

For more pictures of Grandpa, click here!

Painting Projects

Posted in Ministry, Painting and Artwork, Prayer Requests on Jun 17th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

Please pray for two new painting projects I need to do this summer: One is for church VBS, and one is a background scene to use in the Culture course. I would appreciate your prayers that I do a good job on both.

To view some painting projects, CLICK HERE

To view some mural painting projects, CLICK HERE

The Joking Chins of 2009

Posted in News Article on Jun 17th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

If you want some crazy fun, mix a bunch of Missionary Kids with Bible lessons, singing, swimming, crafts…and JOKING CHINS!

Three kids lay on their backs, their heads hanging over the edge of a table, chins pointing up toward the ceiling. Put a pillow under the neck so it is more comfortable. Then, using white sheets and clothespins, make it so only the mouth and chin sticks out. Then comes the fun part - using black craft paint, put a couple dots for eyes and smaller dots for the nose. I like to add hair or a moustache on a couple for variety.

Have the “chins” open their mouths really wide! Then have them do funny things with their chin, like stiffen it, or pucker it. Today, we had them tell jokes and sing happy birthday! The best joke was voted on by the class. Hilarious!

Tie-Dye

This year we tried a couple of new ideas, like adding marbles and coins inside our rubber bands.

Marshmallow Shooters

These are always a huge success! I’m guessing the ants think so too, since not only do the kids make these shooters, but they have a “fight” with them in my yard.

For more pictures of all the fun we had, click here!

Spring 2009 Missionary Training Center Graduates

Posted in Ministry, News Article on May 15th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

After years of preparation and specialized training, students are graduating from New Tribes Mission’s Missionary Training Center! While this group may be small due to course changes, they pack a powerful representation of Christ’s love to the world. So…Pray with them as they delve into new geography, culture and language!

Blue Bird Reality Show Part III

Posted in News Article on May 6th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

What a busy few weeks for the Papa and Momma Bluebird! They have been bringing bugs and worms to at least 3 baby birds.

Today I woke up to the sound of chirping and fluttering wings beating against our living room window. To my surprise, it was a baby bluebird, attempting his first flight out of the nest. Unfortunately, he was trapped by his own ignorance. He fluttered against the window, thinking he was getting somewhere, or thinking it was open sky, but to no avail. The papa bird kept flying to it, and then back to the nest, chirping for the baby to follow, but the poor thing couldn’t figure out what to do.

It didn’t take long and the little baby was tired, and sitting on the edge of our window. I snapped a few pictures, then tried putting a dark pillow against the glass so he would not think he could fly that direction.

Thankfully it worked, and the little guy flew off!

You know, it’s easy to learn lessons from the bluebirds. This little young bird had no idea that his first attempt at flying would lead him straight into a trap of his own making; a trap that he could get out of easily if he only knew how. He was sure he was going in the right direction, only he was getting nowhere. He was being warned by his dad that it was wrong, but that didn’t keep him from trying.

I’m reminded of the prodigal son, whose “first attempt at flying” on his own took him down the wrong path, into a trap caused by himself.

“There is a way that seems right unto a man, but in the end, it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:20

You might say humans are sometimes a bit “bird-brained”.

To see more bluebird reality pictures, CLICK HERE!

Go Fish!

Posted in News Article on Apr 29th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

John enjoys fishing when he gets the chance. So do a lot of other people around the world.

Of course, we all like to eat the fish John catches. Below is the fish batter recipe we use for John’s normal catch of white bass, black bass or crappie. It was given to me by some of our previous students who are now missionaries in Thailand:

RECIPE:

You will need three bowls, in the first you need flour, Lawry’s salt and black pepper the amount of each is up to you, and your taste preference. In the second bowl you need eggs and milk mixed, in the third you need crushed ritz crackers, the finer the better. You can put the crackers in the blender to make them fine. Then dip the fish in the liquid, then the flour mix, then the liquid again, then the cracker mix. Fry in oil, turning the fish to brown each side until crispy and cooked through. If I don’t have ritz crackers handy, the fish still tastes good using another bowl of the flour mixture instead of the crackers.

There are many other ways to prepare fish around the world. Some of the best fish I have ever eaten was in Indonesia, and it was roasted whole over a fire pit, and served with the head still on.

In many remote areas, fishing is a lot more than a hobby, it provides food on the table, or much needed income. And it may involve fishing without a pole and reel.

Many methods are used to catch fish: nets, spears, root poisons, fish stunners, and more. In some areas it is a group effort using huge nets and everyone shares in the catch.

Jesus picked several fishermen to be his disciples. Andrew, James, John , Peter, and possibly some of the others. A famous saying of Jesus is found in Matthew 4:17 and again in Mark 1:17 where he says to “follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

Missionaries become “fishers of men” as they focus on planting churches in places where little is known about God the creator and His Word.

UPDATE! Part II of the Bluebird Reality Show

Posted in Family, Ministry, News Article on Mar 25th, 2009 | Discuss This Post

Click here to view more pictures of the bluebirds!

I especially like the fat, fluffed out bluebird, and the one where it is flying with wings spread out wide…

NTM