Our Mesem Coworkers
This is Funkeka Wenge. Her name means beginning. She is the daughter of Yohanuc who first brought the gospel to the Mesem people from the neighboring Nabak. Funkeka understands the scriptures better than any other Mesem speaker with whom we have worked. Although she has no "formal" eduation she reads and speaks five languages. Remarkably, she cannot write and so to translate she needs some to sit with her and take down what she translates. (The apostles had scribes!). Recently however, her daughter, who had been doing this with her, moved to another area and is no longer available to help her mother. Yanga is hoping to get down to her area and work with her to revise the Book of Acts. Before we left PNG Funkeka said, "Come back and finish so I can dance at the celebration of the New Testament".
Yanga Tumbe is a man who may not be know well in the world, but who knows God. He calls himself, "God's bushknife and axe". When he sees someone struggling who should be helped by clan members, Yanga will stop his own work and help them. "It's a little thing" he says. Yanga has a severaly handicapped daughter who normally would not be well cared for in the harsh conditions of the rainforest. But Yanga washes her daily and carries her wherever he goes. They story of how we came to know Yanga and the insight God gave him that began the "breakthrough" in the Mesem translation can be read at http://themesemnewtestament.blogspot.com where we recount the Lord's speaking to Yanga and how our friendship began. Please keep him in prayer. Few others share Yanga's profound devotion to the Lord. He does struggle to read, and he wrestles with understanding scripture but all that he understands he practices wholeheartedly.
Munga Dick is the son of Hedzule who was a spiritual leader in
Samanzing and who gave the ground on which our house is built. Dick has a quick mind and has become really interested in the scriptures. He has learned to type and can enter Mesem text on Alphasmart machines thus saving the need to rewrite everything by hand. He was to be heavily involved in the work this year but his marriage cause strains as marriage is a clan decision and so he and his new wife face some challenges in meeting all their family obligations. Please pray for Dick that he can settle the issues within his family and resume his translation work. He has spent a lot of time in scripture and with that knowledge can have the wisdome to be a future church leader.
Kandalo is another of our coworkers who has been an amazing gift. Initially he was assigned to us because he was not married and didn't do work that was considered worthwhile in the language area. Although he was not esteemed at all among the Mesem, he became increasingly interested in the Gosepel and of his own accord laboured through a very difficult Bible study on the Book of Romans. He has since married, has two children and has gained much respect in the community as he is now seen as a man who thinks and will work with us.
Evangelism Resources
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Lost At Sea
Divine appointments are often the difference between being found - or lost at sea. Take a second to read just how important each one of us is in the Kingdom of God and the divine appointments that just might be heading your way.
