Kurt, Johanna, Kassia, Lukas and Matthias

Our family in Papua New Guinea | 2012

Ukarumpa and Aiyura Valley

Ukarumpa is SIL's center of opperations in Papua New Guinea and where we live and work.

Miniafia New Testaments from the dedication in 2010

"God is a Miniafia Man," the loincloth-clad speaker exulted! "Before He was English, and American, and Australian. But today He has become Miniafia!"

Doini Island

Photo by Tim McIntosh (SIL PNG's boat manager in 2008) | Many of the 100's of islands in PNG can only be reached by boat.

Where do you play when you live on an island?

Children from Nubwageta village playing near the shore.

Miniafia New Testament Dedication

New Testament dedications in PNG usually include elaborate processions to welcome the Bibles.

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

{Metzger Ministry Update} April 2011 | "An eternal prize"

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (NLT)

Dear friends and family,

Thank you for being such an encouraging team to us as we serve here in Papua New Guinea (PNG). We have been busy the last several months.

Kurt had the opportunity at the beginning of March to travel to Port Moresby (the capital of PNG) for his work. There he was able to help at the SIL regional center with their computer and internet connection needs. The kids and I (Johanna) missed him greatly, but we were thankful to know that he was able to support the Port Moresby staff.

Kurt was also able to help here in Ukarumpa to install network access, via fiber optic cable, to our new National Training Center (this is where SIL’s Translator Training courses (TTC) and Strengthening Tok Ples Education (STEP) courses are taught).

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(National Training Center dorms, dining hall and fiber optic cable install)

Kassia (6) is enjoying her time in kindergarten and has taken off reading and writing in English. She loves to read in her bed on her own and likes for us to read to her as well. Lukas (3) continues to grow and make us laugh daily with his Spanish accent as he speaks in English. Matthias is seven months now and is trying to crawl and smiling constantly.

The kids keep me busy at home but I also enjoy being able to help our Latino colleges translate their newsletters from Spanish into English or edit their letters in Spanish. I have also been able to help translate a new document that our SIL PNG branch is producing called “The Word”. It is sent to many weekly and gives a glimpse of what the work of SIL is in PNG. SIL PNG has been publishing this document in English and in Spanish. If you would like to take a look at it, check it out on our blog: www.kurtandjohanna.com

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(from left to right: Matthias; Kassia)

As we write we are in the middle of our biennial SIL PNG Branch Conference. We are working through how we can best get the Word of God translated into the 300+ languages in PNG that as yet do not have it. Please join us in prayer as you think of it how we can effectively do this task.

Praise:

  • For YOU our great partners who pray and support us so faithfully.
  • Our health has improved much since we last wrote and we have adjusted to the food and water here in PNG.
  • Kurt’s trip to Port Moresby to help at the regional center with his computer skills was much appreciated.
  • Kurt’s involvement in installing network access to the new National Training Center.

Prayer:

  • For the upcoming New Testament Bible Translations here in PNG in 2011.
  • For Kurt as he makes more trips in the country to help regional centers with network access, and for Johanna and the kids as they stay home.
  • For our biennial SIL PNG conference.

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(Lukas loves playing with Matthias)

Thank YOU for being a faithful part of our ministry and the work that God is doing in Papua New Guinea.

Blessings,

Johanna (for Kurt, Kassia, Lukas, and Matthias too)

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