Our time in the UK has seemed to fly by. We kept ourselves busy with visiting friends and supporters for 2 months, and then we it easier for a few weeks and allowed ourselves to just live in the UK. Now we find ourselves in a planning phase once again for an upcoming journey.
With my work on the literacy program finishing (for now), I’ve been able to get into the work I’ve been looking forward to, translating Genesis 1. When I say translating, I only mean the first step, the exegetical draft into the Kovol language. I am incapable of properly translating without Kovol people alongside me.
With last week’s video looking at what heart language in, this week’s video from NTM PNG answers the question: why use heart language?
We haven’t been the only missionaries busy learning heart language. We are blessed to work with others who have been through the same marathon as us to learn to speak a minority language to a high standard.
In a country as linguistically diverse as Papua New Guinea, what even is heart language though? This video from NTM PNG takes a look at the question.
I’m well aware of the trap of needing to say “I’ve been busy” to justify our living off the charity of others. I try to avoid that mindset, though, as being busy doesn’t necessarily mean being effective. Busyness can (but doesn’t have to, of course) lead to a lack of focus, a false sense of progress, and a ministry defined by what we do for God rather than what he does through us.
With the goal being a mature church among the Kovol people, the Kovol language is an essential, indispensable tool. We, as missionaries, needed to learn the unwritten Kovol language. A friend of ours put together a video to think about how that works, and Kovol features in the video 🙂
The Kovol team, consisting of our two families, works as part of a larger team in NTM PNG. A friend of ours put together this video that is worth seeing to get the big picture idea of what we’re working towards.
Our family has been in the UK for about a month now, settling into our third home in 4 months. Whenever a member of our family talks about home, we always need to ask, “Which home do you mean?”
Interestingly, the answer varies, but is most commonly “Kovol”. Despite the challenges of living there, that’s where we feel the most comfortable. For Steve, that is where his work and purpose are. Gerdine knows the house there inside and out, knowing the place for everything. Oscar thinks of his friends Louis and Timon and the daily spontaneous play. Alice and Millie think of the teddies left behind to “look after their room”.
Over the last 2 months, I’ve been able to spend the mornings “on the code face” chipping away at the problem and I’ve got to the point where I can say “it’s ready”. Ready doesn’t mean of course, bug-free, with all the bells and whistles but it’s ready for others to test.
Have you ever thought about what we must sound like to God sometimes? We always seem to have something we need from him. We have daily needs, wants, and an ever-present anxiety about the unknown future.