Making Progress

Elizabeth smiles as she works through different aspects of grammar and culture during her evaluation.

Without a doubt

The most excitement that we have seen from our friends here in Pal for a while was during and after the evaluations that we had last week. For them to sit down with us and our consultants and to be taken methodically through different communication tasks highlighted the progress that we have made during these long months of language study. Sure the results were encouraging for us as well– basically we are about half-way to a level of fluency that would allow us to begin literacy courses. That said, we still have a ton to learn about the way that our friends think and understand the world around them. We’d sure appreciate your prayers for us as we hear their stories and ask questions – we need careful discernment to clearly see the hearts and minds of our friends.

Nate’s grammar check was a bit of a party… and he wouldn’t have had it any other way. Robert (in the red shirt) and Jason (black shirt) were a great encouragement to us.

Highlighting

Often it is with a romanticized view that we imagine life in another land. That is particularly true for one reason or another of our western view of tribal life. Think about it – how many ‘tribal’ themed items do you see on a daily basis (tattoos, art, music, etc.). Well living here isn’t always so very cool. I’m not complaining for me, please understand. Here is a story that we heard recently from a missionary doctor serving in this country:

A young American couple was traveling through PNG and decided (*their choice*) to have their baby in the bush... due to complications and lack of communication from their location, the young mother died. When the complications began, a man was sent on the 2 day hike for help and succeeded in setting up an emergency flight and it did arrive in time for the dehydrated baby and young father to get out to medical attention.

Why am I sharing this story? Because there were both a birth and a death in Pal today. Because an old woman friend is unable to walk on her sore riddled foot. Because of the number of cases of pneumonia that we see on a regular basis… and these are only their physical ailments…

Wait a second… where is the ‘Merry Christmas’ and  ‘Happy New Year’? It’s not that we do not wish you all the best, it is just that the true gift of Christmas – that which we have experienced- can be so much more valued by us all when we realize how blessed we are who have it available to us. So, as you experience the wonder of Christmas this week, would you seek the Lord with us that He would bring the miracle gift of salvation into Pal in a meaningful and real way. We so long for the day when we will be able to say of the Pal people:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (Isa 9:2 ESV)

Thanks so much for your prayers and support. We certainly thank our Savior for you all.

By His Gift,

Nate for the fam.

PS: We’ll be taking a hiatus on the updates for a couple of weeks – work here in the bush is especially heavy over the holidays and over the new year.

Posted via email from PNG Time