After Ken helped with a fellow translator’s check of the book of Luke, we headed into the tribe for the long school holiday.  We enjoyed seven weeks at home in the village.  It was quite wet for what is supposed to be dry season.  The boys managed a trip to Mt. Wilhelm, PNG’s highest mountain, and a few camping trips to the bush.  The girls enjoyed camping with Ken down at the church building since it offered a shelter to get out of the rain.

Outreach

Will began two evangelistic outreaches in the spring that Ken had the privilege of helping out with during the summer.  Around 20 folks placed their faith in Christ for salvation.  Ken and Will continued to teach them over the summer and we anticipate holding a baptism for these folks at the end of the month.  Since it will coincide with a 3 day weekend here, Libby has plans to join them and follow the Lord in baptism as well.

Revelation

Ken was able to finish going over Revelation with Ruth and Umba during our time in the tribe.  Will will be working to comprehension check it as his schedule allows and Kim will work on the back translation when Will is finished with that.

Ken is excited to be drafting the last of the Pauline epistles, 2 Corinthians.  He finds it is the most challenging book he’s translated so far, but he seems to say that each time he starts a new book!  He is down to a few less than 100 chapters left to draft.

Literacy

This summer Kelly was able to start two literacy classes.  Twenty-five students, made up mostly of folks from the two outreaches, meet 4 days a week in the afternoons to learn to read and write in Kuman.  There is great excitement and it is fun to see adults who have never read before, or have only read very little, gain confidence and skill in reading their own language.  Those in the class for folks able to read in the trade language go at a much faster pace and are already sharing in the reading of the Scriptures on Sunday mornings.

Ladies Meetings

After attending a regional ladies’ conference held in the Elimbari tribe, Ruth decided to start some meetings just for the ladies.  Using notes from the conference, she hosted a meeting each week for 3 weeks to teach things pertaining specifically to women and their roles in the home, church and community.  She invited me to share at one of the meetings and I enjoyed that very much.  Since some of these ladies’ husbands are not walking with the Lord they have special challenges and very much enjoyed sharing their burdens with one another in prayer.

Family Addition

Our team relationship took on a new dimension when Zach Tallman came to live with us for the first term (8 weeks) of this school year.  His boarding home parents are new to PNG and are busy finishing up their orientation.  He will go to the dorm in October when school resumes after the first term break. 

As you can see there are some exciting things happening right now in the Kuman work.  Please continue to pray about the following items:

1)      For Ken as he works on 2 Corinthians

2)      For Will continuing to teach and disciple in the village full time as well as work on comprehension checking

3)      For Kelly and students who are learning to read

4)      For the men who continue to chose the pleasures of sin for a season to repent and for their wives who are often discouraged with the lack of growth in their husbands’ lives

5)      For Ken continuing to teach a Kuman couple who live on the mission center where we live and Kim as she teaches them to read

Thank you for the part that each of you plays in this ministry.  We are so blessed to have you as part of the team, praying, giving and encouraging us.

Ken and Kim White

Partners Will and Kelly Tallman