I'm still here

My last week has been full, not of exciting things, but little things that need to be done.  

I've spent many hours in my room, thinning out my possessions and clothes and organizing what's left.  A garbage bag full of clothes and a box of toys, trinkets, and candles now sit in our garage waiting to go to the Salvation Army.  Another box is ready to go to the Awana Store at church.  Despite all of this work, I've got quite a bit left to do in my closet and around my desk, and I've still got to pack... 

Preparing to leave for a few years is hard work!

Papua New Guinea Language Stats

I just learned something new and I thought I'd share it with ya'll...

Papua New Guinea has the most different languages of any country in the world!

I already knew that Papua New Guinea has about 820 languages, but I didn't realize that was the most of any country in the world.  I assumed India or Indonesia would be higher on the list, and while both make the top five, neither beats Papua New Guinea.

According to this site (which takes its numbers from the CIA World Fact Book and Ethnologue), Papua New Guinea's 820 languages make up 11.86% of the world's total languages!  What an astounding percentage for only 0.08% of the world's population!

Around 300 languages in Papua New Guinea need Bible translation.  (Ninety-five percent of the world's countries don't even have 300 languages!)  Translating Scripture for these remaining languages is a monumental task that can only be accomplished by God's grace and with His help.

Would you pray for Bible translation work in Papua New Guinea, especially that God would raise up more workers to go and inspire new ways of working more quickly and efficiently?  

Answer to prayer and a meeting

Thanks for your prayers about my big box for traveling!  The dimensions on the internet meet the airline's baggage limit, but the dimensions on the box exceed it.  

Last night I took a yardstick and measured it myself, and the dimensions are even slightly less than those listed on the internet!  Now I can fly with no worries about an oversize fee and a clear conscience that I'm following the airline rules.

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Yesterday afternoon, Pastor Thomas, my mom, and I went to Montrose to meet a veteran Wycliffe missionary, Grace Fabian.  We sat with her and listened as she shared about her years in Papua New Guinea as a Bible translator.  By God's grace, Grace persevered through many trials, including the murder of her husband, and accomplished a work with eternal significance - the translation of the Nabak New Testament . 

You can hear Grace sharing about her experiences here, and you read about her husband's murder and Grace's response here.   

Thoughts from one month away...

I'm leaving for Papua New Guinea one month from today, and my preparations are in full swing...

I've had the sewing machine out, making a few skirts suitable for hiking and other daily life activities in PNG.  (It is culturally inappropriate for women to wear pants there.)  I've made my packing list and started gathering things from far corners of the house into my room from where they will eventually be packed.  I've also ordered a number of hard-to-find items online - finding the perfect item and having it shipped to my door for free has taken away so much of the shopping stress I usually have before a big trip! 

One thing I ordered was a special box to use as checked luggage when I fly.  This particular container, a Rubbermaid Action Packer, was recommended as it is sturdy, very roomy, and should be useful for food storage during my orientation program and beyond.  

The box is sturdy enough to sit on,
but light enough to be a good packing box!

When the UPS man dropped it off yesterday, I found the dimensions listed on the box were larger than those on the website where I bought it.  This wouldn't be a problem except the new larger dimensions slightly exceed the baggage size allowance on my flights.  Would you pray for me while I sort out this silly matter?  I'd really like to be able to use the box, but I don't want to be stuck paying an $100 oversize fees!  

Today was a special day for my family... one of my grandmother's (few) first cousins and his wife came to visit from Mount Pocono.  It was the first time he and my grandma had seen each other for 50 years!  We had a wonderful day visiting, comparing notes on genealogy (one of my favorite hobbies), looking at old family photos, and sharing stories.

VBS Highlights

Vacation Bible School this week was a blast!  We had a good turnout with about 100 kids attending each evening.  They learned a lot and had a good time too!

I had the opportunity of teaching the kids about missions and Bible translation.  Each night I had about 15 minutes with each group of kids, and I was encouraged that they were so interested in what I had to share!

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Monday night I taught them the basics about the Bible and languages.  They were shocked to learn that there are almost 7000 languages in the world, and that about 2200 of them don't have a written language or the Bible!  

On Tuesday we talked about what my job will be in Papua New Guinea - language survey.  An object lesson helped them understand how important language survey is to the task of Bible translation.

We talked about Papua New Guinea on Wednesday night, and I showed pictures to help the kids see what life there is like.  

On Thursday night I taught the kids how Bible translation is done.  They learned these five steps: learn the language, make an alphabet, translate the Bible, teach people to read, teach people to use their Bibles.  

Tonight, Friday night, I challenged the kids to think about what part they could have in Bible translation.  They learned three things that they can do to help everyone have the Bible in their heart language: pray, give, and go.

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What a blessed week... thank the Lord for safety and for all that the kids were able to learn!  

Would you pray that God will continue to work in these kids' lives?  Pray that He would call some into full-time missions work, and protect and direct all of them as they grow up.

Solomon Islands Bible Dedication

The people of the Solomon Islands, a near neighbor of Papua New Guinea, have been celebrating recently on two counts: the 30th anniversary of their independence and the dedication of the complete Bible in their trade language, Solomon Islands Pijin.  

The government of the Solomon Islands supports Bible translation and even provided half of the funds for printing the Pijin Bible.  

You can read more about the Pijin Bible and dedication here and see pictures here.  

Let's join the people of the Solomon Islands in praising God for the Pijin Bible!

Less than Six Weeks to Go

Yesterday was the "six weeks to go" mark... and six weeks from now I'll be flying from Narita, Japan to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea!  I'm sure August 22nd will be here before I know it, but there is quite a bit for me to do between now and then...

I'm sharing during Sunday School and church at Brushville Baptist Church tomorrow.  Would you pray that God would guide my words and work in peoples' lives as a result of what I share?  

My home church, South New Milford Baptist Church, is having VBS this coming week and I've been asked to do the missions program for the kids.  The theme this year is "God's Big Backyard" which focuses on serving others.  Pray for me as I teach the kids of all different ages about Bible translation, Papua New Guinea, and what they can do to help.  Pray that seeds will be planted in the hearts of kids (and the teenage helpers) to serve in Bible translation!  

Away for a few days

I'm home again... but maybe you didn't know I was even away.

Sunday after church my parents, sister, and I traveled down to New Hope, PA where my mom grew up.  My aunt had organized a nice picnic for family and friends.  I enjoyed the food, catching up with relatives I hadn't seen for awhile, and seeing some fireworks!  

We spent Monday relaxing at the Jersey Shore.  I've always loved going to the beach, and even though the day started out cool and overcast, we had a nice time.

On our way home today we stopped to visit my mom's Aunt Martha.  It had been way too long since I'd seen her!  We had a good time talking and having lunch with her.  We got home later this afternoon.

As always, thanks for your prayers!  

Bancroft in Pictures

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I've dedicated this post to pictures from Bancroft this summer.  Enjoy!

Morning Chapel Time

	Twice a day campers attended chapel services where they sang songs and heard solid Biblical teaching.
	Uncle Jeff led the songs...
	and Aunt Martha played the piano.
	Uncle Keith taught the basics about God and the Bible in the morning sessions, as the beginning of a chronological study of the Bible.  In the evening, he shared lessons from the life of David.
	The campers did worksheets and coloring pages during the day to reinforce the lessons they were learning in chapel.
	I shared about Bible translation and missions, using pictures and videos, as well as illustrations...
	like the 'people chain,' where volunteers represent people doing all different kinds of things that support Bible translation.  The kids were eager to volunteer!

Morning Activities

	The rest of the time in the morning was filled with special activities on "the hill"...
	like the Congo Crossing.
	The carpet slide is another camper favorite!
	The zip line was a new addition to camp this year, and the campers loved it.  Here Uncle Evan, Day Camp and Activities Director, gets a camper clipped in and ready to go...
	and they're off!  The zip line carried campers over a deep gully in the woods to a platform on the other side.

Afternoon Activities

	Every afternoon the campers got to swim in Bancroft's two pools... and they loved it!
	The overnight campers got to do a "midnight" swim (really not that late) - it was a big hit!
	And what day at camp would be complete without craft time?
	The overnight campers really enjoyed their leather craft projects this year, and they made some neat things!
	Every afternoon the camp store was open.  Here Aunt Martha and I are selling snacks, drinks, and toys to the campers.
	Free time after store is a great time to eat, take a break, and have some fun!

I want to thank my sister Laura for letting me use these great pictures that she took!