Paul & Robina Wolff
Papua New Guinea & TOA Director
November 2024
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A Widow's Faith: Jakina’s Story
In the bustling city of Lae, Papua New Guinea, lives our dear friend Jakina, a widow we've known for 36 years since she was a young girl. Life has been a struggle for Jakina, especially after losing her husband. Providing even the basic needs for her five children has been a constant challenge. Jakina's heart grew heavy when her son fell in with the wrong crowd. These young men brought trouble not only to her family but to the entire neighborhood. Yet, instead of turning her son away, Jakina invited him and his friends into her home each evening for coffee and Bible study sessions. Witnessing the transformation in these young men's lives, many neighbors asked if they could also attend the evening Bible studies. So Jakina reached out to us for help, and we responded by sending our team along with a former pastor from a nearby Bible church, to lead the evening Bible study and teach God's Word. Given the frequent rains, we provided a tarp as a roof, solar lights, and copies of the Bible lessons. Now Jakina’s neighborhood has begun gathering regularly to hear the gospel. Please pray for this new study group, many of whom do not yet know the Savior. Pray that their hearts will be softened and ready to respond to the gospel. Praise the Lord for Jakina, whose persistence and love have ensured that her children and neighbors hear the truth of the gospel. Teaching Others Africa: We are highly encouraged with the progress of TOA this month. Our TOA coordinators have opened many new Bible teaching centers all throughout Africa with hundreds of new students. Angola this month... 4 new TOA Bible training centers opened with 116 students. Ethiopia this month... 6 new TOA Bible training centers opened with 299 students Malawi this month... 5 new TOA Bible training centers opened with 160 students Sierra Leone... 5 new TOA Bible training centers opened with 129 students Zambia this month... 5 new TOA Bible training centers opened Mozambique this month... 4 new TOA Bible training centers opened Kenya this month... 6 new TOA Bible training centers opened Tanzania this month... 8 new TOA Bible training centers opened Solong Bible Translation: With the first draft of the Solong Old Testament now complete, the long process of checking, editing and correcting the text continues. The printing of the Solong Old Testament is still a long way off as there are many checks and thousands of edits still needed. |
September - October 2024
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The past month has been challenging with Hurricane Helene. Today begins day number 6 without electricity and getting a reliable internet connection to work with my team overseas has been difficult.
We received a bit of flooding into our house and a mess to clean up but no serious damage. However just a short distance north of us, they have widespread flooding damage. The city of Ashville and the surrounding areas are devastated. Many roads and bridges are gone, and numerous houses were flattened or floated away. In our area alone more than 30 people have been killed and many others are still missing. Please pray for the families of those devastated by the storm. Our TOA coordinators are busy opening new Bible training centers throughout Africa. I'm looking forward to sharing the stories and photos of how God is working and building his church throughout Africa. Please keep us in your prayers, they are much needed these days. |
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August 2024
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Spending time with Grandbaby Dakota, one of our favorite pastimes.
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Teaching Others Africa (TOA) has been amazing. In the past 4 months the TOA country coordinators that I work with have been able to start 241 new Bible training points in 9 African countries. Some of the classes meet in existing community buildings, schools, or churches. Some simply meet under the local mango tree, but all of the teaching centers are bringing local churches together to study God's Word.
Thank you again for being part of the team. We could not do this work without your faithful prayers and support. |
July 2024
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Paul is feeling blessed to have his prostate surgery behind him and is back to being normal again. It is good to be full steam ahead on the ministry and not bogged down by health issues.
The team of twelve men working with Paul on TOA (Teaching Others Africa) are amazing. They are opening classes throughout Africa training Church leaders and anyone else who wants to join in the foundational teachings of the Bible so that the Word of God is faithfully and accurately taught in the local churches. Check out the following pages: Teaching Others Africa - https://www.igomission.org/teaching-others-africa.html Where We Serve -https://www.igomission.org/where-we-serve.html Not sure yet when we will depart for Papua New Guinea to continue checking the Solong Old Testament translation. Travel plans are being looked at, but until then we continue the work with our team in Papua New Guinea on our computers via WhatsApp. We are also assisting the Bible Translation team translating the bible into the Hamtai language and supporting evangelism teams traveling deep into the jungles. Thank you again for being part of the team. We could not do this work without your faithful prayers and support. |
May-June 2024
Tuesday Paul was finally able to get his prostate surgery. All went well and he is recovering quickly.
Teaching Others Africa has started strong. Our TOA coordinators are highly motivated and have already opened Teaching centers in Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Angola, Uganda, Chad, Malawi and Tanzania. We are praying that every corner of Africa will be reached with the Gospel and church leaders will be faithfully trained and grounded in God's Word. Teaching Others Africa is already making a huge impact on the churches in Africa.
The Solong Old Testament translation is going well. We are reading through the text and translating portions that have been passed over for various reasons in the past. Soon the entire Solong Old Testament will be complete and ready for checking.
The drought in northern Kenya has been replaced by heavy rains, and their gardens are once again growing. Lord willing they will have an abundant supply of food within a few short months.
Our TOA Zambia coordinator says that the drought in Zambia is still quite severe and many in Zambia are going hungry. Please keep praying for the situation in Africa.
Teaching Others Africa has started strong. Our TOA coordinators are highly motivated and have already opened Teaching centers in Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Angola, Uganda, Chad, Malawi and Tanzania. We are praying that every corner of Africa will be reached with the Gospel and church leaders will be faithfully trained and grounded in God's Word. Teaching Others Africa is already making a huge impact on the churches in Africa.
The Solong Old Testament translation is going well. We are reading through the text and translating portions that have been passed over for various reasons in the past. Soon the entire Solong Old Testament will be complete and ready for checking.
The drought in northern Kenya has been replaced by heavy rains, and their gardens are once again growing. Lord willing they will have an abundant supply of food within a few short months.
Our TOA Zambia coordinator says that the drought in Zambia is still quite severe and many in Zambia are going hungry. Please keep praying for the situation in Africa.
April 2024
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April has been a month of Highs and Lows...
This month's high point: The Teaching Others Africa program is off to an amazing start! This month we are opening many new Bible classes in 10 different African Countries. Reports from the new teaching centers are coming in, and we are having a fantastic response from the local African Churches. This month's low point: Paul ended up in the Emergency Room last week in intense pain with a urinary obstruction. He needs surgery to fix his prostate, but he can't get an appointment to see a surgeon for over a month. Praise the Lord this happened stateside, because if it had happened while we were in PNG, Paul could have died. Please pray that a slot will open, so Paul can see the surgeon soon. |
March 2024
Solong Bible Translation
Just a few more chapters to go and the first draft of Solong Old Testament will be complete. We hope in a few months to have printed copies of the complete Solong Old Testament in the hands of the Church leaders for the next phase of translation checking.
IGO Teaching Others Africa (TOA)
March 1st We officially started Teaching Others Africa (TOA), organizing the Bible Curriculum, appointing coordinators to begin classes throughout Africa, and setting up the logistics to make it happen.
April 1st We will begin sending the TOA coordinators to set up the teaching points and begin the first classes. We expect to begin classes this month in Kenya, Zambia, Chad, Malawi, Tanzania, Angola and Uganda. The whole team is really pumped up and excited to see how the Lord will use TOA to build his church throughout Africa.
Prayer & Praise
Praise for the excellent progress made on the Solong Old Testament.
Praise for the launch of the TOA Bible training program.
Praise for the many godly African Church leaders who have volunteered their time to make the TOA teaching program possible.
Pray for God's hand of protection as the TOA coordinators travel throughout their countries setting up teaching sights.
Pray for the evangelism teams preaching and teaching the gospel in remote areas of Papua New Guinea.
Just a few more chapters to go and the first draft of Solong Old Testament will be complete. We hope in a few months to have printed copies of the complete Solong Old Testament in the hands of the Church leaders for the next phase of translation checking.
IGO Teaching Others Africa (TOA)
March 1st We officially started Teaching Others Africa (TOA), organizing the Bible Curriculum, appointing coordinators to begin classes throughout Africa, and setting up the logistics to make it happen.
April 1st We will begin sending the TOA coordinators to set up the teaching points and begin the first classes. We expect to begin classes this month in Kenya, Zambia, Chad, Malawi, Tanzania, Angola and Uganda. The whole team is really pumped up and excited to see how the Lord will use TOA to build his church throughout Africa.
Prayer & Praise
Praise for the excellent progress made on the Solong Old Testament.
Praise for the launch of the TOA Bible training program.
Praise for the many godly African Church leaders who have volunteered their time to make the TOA teaching program possible.
Pray for God's hand of protection as the TOA coordinators travel throughout their countries setting up teaching sights.
Pray for the evangelism teams preaching and teaching the gospel in remote areas of Papua New Guinea.
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February 2024
Solong Bible Translation
We are currently translating the book of Deuteronomy and Lord willing within a few short months, the first draft of the entire Solong Old Testament will be complete. Over the next year our Solong Bible teachers will read, study, and teach from it, and assist us by making notes and corrections to the text. We still have a mountain of checking, correcting, and editing ahead of us before the final draft of Solong Old Testament heads to the printer, however it is really exciting to finally see this massive undertaking nearing completion.
IGO Teaching Others Africa (TOA)
Our IGO missionary who founded the Africans Teaching Africans church leader training program many years ago in Africa is now 81 years old and his health is failing with age, cancer and other health issues. Because of that the IGO board of directors has decided that I should take the lead role as the USA director of the newly rebranded TOA (Teaching Others Africa) ministry. I will be working closely with a godly African national coworker (Abraham Kogo) who we have appointed as the African director of TOA. I will be dividing my time between the ministries in Papua New Guinea and working with Abraham in east Africa to make sure both of these ministries continue full steam ahead.
Prayer & Praise
Praise that the first draft of the Solong Old Testament is nearly complete.
Pray for wisdom in my new responsibility as the director of TOA. It is a huge undertaking as the ministry will be taking place all over the continent of Africa.
Thank you again for your faithful prayers and financial support. As the ministry grows the financial needs also grow. We couldn’t do this ministry without you.
We are currently translating the book of Deuteronomy and Lord willing within a few short months, the first draft of the entire Solong Old Testament will be complete. Over the next year our Solong Bible teachers will read, study, and teach from it, and assist us by making notes and corrections to the text. We still have a mountain of checking, correcting, and editing ahead of us before the final draft of Solong Old Testament heads to the printer, however it is really exciting to finally see this massive undertaking nearing completion.
IGO Teaching Others Africa (TOA)
Our IGO missionary who founded the Africans Teaching Africans church leader training program many years ago in Africa is now 81 years old and his health is failing with age, cancer and other health issues. Because of that the IGO board of directors has decided that I should take the lead role as the USA director of the newly rebranded TOA (Teaching Others Africa) ministry. I will be working closely with a godly African national coworker (Abraham Kogo) who we have appointed as the African director of TOA. I will be dividing my time between the ministries in Papua New Guinea and working with Abraham in east Africa to make sure both of these ministries continue full steam ahead.
Prayer & Praise
Praise that the first draft of the Solong Old Testament is nearly complete.
Pray for wisdom in my new responsibility as the director of TOA. It is a huge undertaking as the ministry will be taking place all over the continent of Africa.
Thank you again for your faithful prayers and financial support. As the ministry grows the financial needs also grow. We couldn’t do this ministry without you.
January 2024
The new year is bringing exciting new opportunities and new challenges. The Solong Old Testament translation is progressing well, the reworking of the book of Numbers is nearly complete, and we are about to dive into the translation of Deuteronomy.
After much prayer we believe the Lord is leading us to push forward with our "IGO Teaching Others" Bible training course in Africa. We will be working directly with IGO missionaries and African ministry partners who are already in place to get the program up and running. We are very excited to see where the Lord will take the teaching of His word in the coming months.
Prayer & Praise:
-Pray for the continued progress of the Solong Old Testament translation.
-Pray for wisdom as we implement the Teaching Others training course in Africa.
-Praise that the bug, virus or whatever it was that we brought back with us from Papua New Guinea has finally run its course and our health is improving.
-Praise that Paul's face is still partially paralyzed with Bell's Palsy, however it is slowly improving each week.
-Praise that the Bible teaching continues in many areas of Papua New Guinea
After much prayer we believe the Lord is leading us to push forward with our "IGO Teaching Others" Bible training course in Africa. We will be working directly with IGO missionaries and African ministry partners who are already in place to get the program up and running. We are very excited to see where the Lord will take the teaching of His word in the coming months.
Prayer & Praise:
-Pray for the continued progress of the Solong Old Testament translation.
-Pray for wisdom as we implement the Teaching Others training course in Africa.
-Praise that the bug, virus or whatever it was that we brought back with us from Papua New Guinea has finally run its course and our health is improving.
-Praise that Paul's face is still partially paralyzed with Bell's Palsy, however it is slowly improving each week.
-Praise that the Bible teaching continues in many areas of Papua New Guinea
December 2023
We returned to the USA a short while ago in order to renew our PNG visa's and recuperate. We've been quite sick for a couple weeks first with the Flu and then Bell's Palsy which caused the right side of Paul's face to droop and become paralyzed. Praise the Lord the CT scan and blood work confirmed it was not caused by a stroke.
In Papua New Guinea we just completed the process of registering IGO Mission with the PNG Government. It gives our mission team official recognition and hopefully will allow us to get 3-year visa's instead of 60-day tourist visas.
Prayer & Praise:
Pray for Paul to recover quickly from Bell's Palsy as he currently cannot fully close his right eye or mouth and his speech is muffled.
Pray for our PNG outreach teams currently deep in the bush teaching the Word and celebrating with new believers deep in the jungle throughout December.
Praise that IGO has been officially recognized by the PNG Government.
In Papua New Guinea we just completed the process of registering IGO Mission with the PNG Government. It gives our mission team official recognition and hopefully will allow us to get 3-year visa's instead of 60-day tourist visas.
Prayer & Praise:
Pray for Paul to recover quickly from Bell's Palsy as he currently cannot fully close his right eye or mouth and his speech is muffled.
Pray for our PNG outreach teams currently deep in the bush teaching the Word and celebrating with new believers deep in the jungle throughout December.
Praise that IGO has been officially recognized by the PNG Government.
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November 2023
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So much happening here in Papua New Guinea I hardly know where to begin...
-Old Testament Translation Checking -New Team Members partnering with IGO -Outreach deep in the Papua New Guinea Jungles -God dropping many people in our path with whom to share the good news -Cultural events Click button to Donate to the Wolff's
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October 2023
On our way back to Papua New Guinea.
Pray:
For safe travel and for God to keep us healthy and bold in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
For good progress as we continue checking the Solong Old Testament Translation.
Pray:
For safe travel and for God to keep us healthy and bold in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
For good progress as we continue checking the Solong Old Testament Translation.
September 2023
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Awesome news!!!! We applied for our Papua New Guinea visas and miraculously received approval letters in less than 2 hours. With visas in hand, we purchased our return tickets and will be back in Papua New Guinea in just 3 weeks.
Praise: For the all the legal paperwork going through so quickly. For the provision of 2000 pounds of rice to help the Solong believers through the drought. Pray: For the Old Testament Translation checking. We hope to check through a large portion of the Solong Old Testament over the next few months. For open doors to share the gospel with the many people we will be crossing paths with in the next few weeks. For the duplicating and distribution of micro SD cards loaded with our Bible Translation, Bible Curriculum, preaching, teaching, gospel music, videos and much more for the people of Papua New Guinea to carry God's Word on their phones wherever they go. Click to Donate Donate
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August 2023
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This month was an emotional ride. First my mother passed away. She lived a long 93 years and was a huge influence on our lives with her godly example and steadiness. She was looking forward to her “homecoming” so the funeral was bittersweet.
The translation work is still progressing ahead, we are up to Numbers chapter 14 where the people of Israel rebelled against God once again after the spies returned, so God promised them 40 years of wandering the desert as punishment for their sin. Lord willing, our plan is to return to Papua New Guinea in 5 weeks to continue checking the Old Testament translation with our Solong team. This month we received a donation for a full pallet of rice for the hungry Solong people. As usual God’s timing is impeccable, and a ship is sailing for Solong in 2 days. So in a few short days the Solong believers will have over 2200 pounds of rice. If the drought continues long term like it did in 1997-98 we will plan on sending additional pallets of rice as needed. |
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July 2023
A few days ago we got word that the El Ninyo drought has become very severe this year. All the gardens out in Solong have dried up and are dead or dying. Because of that, Food has become quite scarce. Pray that we will be able to find a ship running to the South Coast of New Britian so we can send pallets of rice to help feed the people until the rains return. Each pallet holds one ton of rice and will cost us about $1,600.
We finished fixing the Solong translation of Leviticus and have begun the book of Numbers. We are very encouraged to see the progress. Once we complete Numbers and Deuteronomy we will return to PNG and continue the Old Testament translation checking.
It was such a blessing to be here for the birth of grandchild number 6. Little Dakota Wolff is healthy beautiful baby girl.
We finished fixing the Solong translation of Leviticus and have begun the book of Numbers. We are very encouraged to see the progress. Once we complete Numbers and Deuteronomy we will return to PNG and continue the Old Testament translation checking.
It was such a blessing to be here for the birth of grandchild number 6. Little Dakota Wolff is healthy beautiful baby girl.
June 2023
June has been a good month. Working through and fixing the Solong translation of the book of Leviticus is coming along great.
We also had a new arrival in the family. Our granddaughter Dakota Annmarie Wolff was born to Josua & Lindsey on the 23rd. She is a beautiful and healthy little girl.
Our last two chicken projects are almost full grown so will be producing eggs/income for our PNG team within a month. Sadly, some kind of sickness came through and killed quite a few of the chickens about 6 weeks ago.
We also had a new arrival in the family. Our granddaughter Dakota Annmarie Wolff was born to Josua & Lindsey on the 23rd. She is a beautiful and healthy little girl.
Our last two chicken projects are almost full grown so will be producing eggs/income for our PNG team within a month. Sadly, some kind of sickness came through and killed quite a few of the chickens about 6 weeks ago.
May 2023
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The Melanesian Tok Pisin "King of Glory" evangelism lessons that we helped translate in partnership with Rock International are now in print and are currently being distributed throughout Papua New Guinea. The accompanying video has also been dubbed into Tok Pisin and will be released soon.
We finished revising 10 more chapters of Leviticus and have them ready to check when we return to New Guinea in a few months. A very busy and productive month. |
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April 2023
The new thing this month is the start of several new Chicken Projects. With very limited ministry funding it has been a challenge to continue to fund the ministries of all our national PNG missionaries. Providing a sustainable way for them to support their families while they remain in full time ministry has been one of our biggest challenges. Providing laying hens for each of our national missionary families has proven to be the most effective way for them to receive a steady income for several years while they serve the Lord full time. Our team of national IGO missionaries are such a blessing, they are eager to serve the Lord and are wonderful partners in the ministry. Thank you for supporting the ministry of getting the gospel and God's Word to the people of Papua New Guinea. |
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March 2023
Over the past several months in Papua New Guinea we made excellent progress on the translation checking. We were able to complete the checking of Genesis and a large portion of Exodus. We discovered that our translation of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy needed major work, so we decided to return the USA for several months to allow us the time to work through the books of the law and produce new Bible lessons to go along with the translation. If all goes according to plan, we expect to return to Papua New Guinea in October along with a whole new set of Bible lessons in both Solong and Melanesian Tok Pisin. |
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February 2023 Our life has been a whirlwind of activity since we departed the USA for Papua New Guinea in January. The Old Testament translation checking is going full steam ahead. Prayer Requests: To remain healthy while in PNG - Robina has been feeling ill for a few days and we are both covered in dozens of welts that look and feel like bed bug bites. Also pray that along with the translation checking, that we also get good quality time with our different IGO team members here in PNG. |
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
We are so excited... only 3 weeks until we depart for Papua New Guinea. Life has been a little crazy with buying and packing supplies, preparing for the upcoming Bible translation checks, doing end of the year bookkeeping for IGO, and trying to find time to visit each of the churches that have supported our ministry in the past. Thank you so much for being part of the team reaching the people of Papua New Guinea through your prayers and giving. Please Continue to pray with us: - For additional financial support to purchase a used vehicle. a generator and office equipment. Praise: - Our PNG coworkers gardens are finally growing again after drought and fire destroyed most of their food supply. Click to Donate
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November 2022
November has been busy; missions conferences, fund raising, planning and packing for our return to Papua New Guinea, and making sure all the prep work is done for the upcoming Old Testament translation checking.
Prayer: Financial Needs...
We still need additional financial support to purchase a used vehicle. a generator and office equipment for printing and binding lessons and teachers manuals.
Praise: For rain...
It has been extremely dry and our PNG coworkers gardens were destroyed by fire. The Lord gave a good amount of rain this past week, so they are able to replant.
Prayer: Financial Needs...
We still need additional financial support to purchase a used vehicle. a generator and office equipment for printing and binding lessons and teachers manuals.
Praise: For rain...
It has been extremely dry and our PNG coworkers gardens were destroyed by fire. The Lord gave a good amount of rain this past week, so they are able to replant.
October 2022
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October has been a difficult month. From the moment we purchased our tickets to return to Papua New Guinea, it seems like spiritual warfare kicked into high gear. Our close friend and ministry partner in PNG passed away leaving a gaping hole and sadness on the PNG team. Added to that are health issues and/or personal struggles throughout all of IGO's team. Thankfully we know the one who is ultimately in control, and He is working out everything for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
I Posted the following on Facebook in Memory of the tremendous legacy left behind by Makai: For nearly 30 years Makai and I have been more than brothers. He brought us in and made us a part of his Solong family, he showed tremendous grace and patience as he taught us the language and culture, he was one of the first to respond to the gospel and the first to be baptized, he became a valuable member of the Bible translation team and has been the key Bible teacher out in Solong for many years. He will be greatly missed, but I am confident that we will be together again soon because his hope and trust was in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. |
September 2022
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The big news this month is that the Lord allowed us to find reasonably priced airline tickets back to Papua New Guinea. With our tickets now in hand, we will be spending the next few months making preparations so that we can do as much translation checking as possible. We will need to set up an office to print the materials needed for the Bible Teachers and strategize for upcoming outreaches in Papua New Guinea.
Prayer Requests: - Pray for Makai and his family. Makai has been our main Solong Bible teacher for many years and is now very sick. He is not expected to live much longer. - Pray that our return to PNG will go smoothly and we will accomplish loads of |
August 2022
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We received word that Papua New Guinea is ending their Covid travel restrictions, so we are researching options to get back to Papua New Guinea and begin the next phase of checking the Solong Old Testament translation. All travel options we found so far are more than three times the price they were just two years ago. Pray that we can find reasonably priced airline tickets so we can stay within our budget.
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June-July 2022 This month we began a "read through" of the entire Solong Old Testament. Making sure that all bible verses are accounted for and that there haven't been any accidental deletions made throughout the editing process. Praise the Lord we were able to send a large amount of rice to help alleviate the food shortage of our team out in Solong because of the drought. Rainy season will begin soon so we are praying that their gardens will once again begin to grow and produce plenty of food. Our work on the Solong Old Testament translation continues. We are trying to finish up the final 8 chapters of Ezekiel. Prayer Requests: - Papua New Guinea. Pray for our national co-worker Jim Jora. He is a faithful bible teacher and is also heading up the Old Testament translation into the Hamtai language of Papua New Guinea. His daughter Linen has gone blind. We were able to help him take Linen to the capital city of Port Moresby to get brain CT scans. They found that she has a tumor blocking her optic nerve and they are trying to determine what they should do next. - India. Our India team asked us to come spend July and August with them in India to teach pastors conferences, however the Indian Government cancelled all travel visa's because of Covid, so we asked them to postpone the conferences till later this year to give us time to work out travel details. |
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May 2022
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This has been a difficult couple of months for our folks out in Solong. There has been almost no rain for the past five months, so their gardens have dried up and food has gotten scarce. Praise the Lord that our Solong folks have the ocean to get fish, but the folks inland don't have that resource and are really suffering.
The cell phone tower out in Solong near our village was recently repaired, which is a very good thing as I once again can talk directly to our Solong team out in the tribe. We are trying to finish the first draft of the Solong translation of Ezekiel. We are making steady progress, but it has been very slow going. Click to Donate
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April 2022
The Lord opened the door for Robina and I to visit Israel this month with a couple of IGO board members. It was an amazing trip. We now have hundreds of excellent photos, the very best of which will be included in the Solong Bible translation and Bible lessons written for the tribal churches.
Now we are back in the office pouring through the translation of Ezekiel. Today I am focusing on chapter 22:18 where it says that the rebellious people of Israel "are like the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted." It amazes me how we can be chosen by God as his special treasure (Deut 14:2) and still willfully mess things up by chasing after everything except God.
Remember who we belong to and take pleasure in knowing him.
Now we are back in the office pouring through the translation of Ezekiel. Today I am focusing on chapter 22:18 where it says that the rebellious people of Israel "are like the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted." It amazes me how we can be chosen by God as his special treasure (Deut 14:2) and still willfully mess things up by chasing after everything except God.
Remember who we belong to and take pleasure in knowing him.
March 2022
Our final read through of the King of Glory book revealed another 600 mistakes. With those cleaned up, the book is now off to the printers. The next step is to find a New Guinean with a great voice who is a natural reader in order to record the book and dub it into the King of Glory movie. Looking forward to using the King of Glory materials in our outreach ministry.
With that project complete we are back to translating the book of Ezekiel. Our focus currently is on Chapters 18-21.
Gods Justice, a funeral song, the rebellion of Israel, and the sword of the Lord being polished and sharpened for slaughter. As it says in Hebrews 10, it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.
With that project complete we are back to translating the book of Ezekiel. Our focus currently is on Chapters 18-21.
Gods Justice, a funeral song, the rebellion of Israel, and the sword of the Lord being polished and sharpened for slaughter. As it says in Hebrews 10, it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.
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February 2022
After many weeks of work, we completed the translation corrections on the King of Glory book. The last step is for us to do one final read through cover to cover to check for any spelling and punctuation errors that managed to slip through before it goes to the printers. The final step is to take the transcript to Papua New Guinea to have it recorded into Melanesian Tok Pisin for the lessons to be made into the King of Glory video. The video will be an excellent evangelism tool in our PNG outreaches.
Janauary 2022
Robina and I are currently working with several other mission agencies to check the new translation of a series of Tok Pisin Bible lessons called the King of Glory. Once the translation is complete it will be printed in books and then made into a movie for evangelism outreach efforts throughout Papua New Guinea. The work is going well and I'm looking forward to providing another excellent resource for our Bible teachers.
My guys recently returned to Lae and I'm waiting on a report of all that happened over the holidays.
My guys recently returned to Lae and I'm waiting on a report of all that happened over the holidays.
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December 2021
Merry Christmas & a very blessed new year!!!!!
Next week our entire Solong translation & Bible teaching team will be heading back out to the tribe to celebrate Christmas & the new year. They will take a boat load of Solong language bibles to all the villages up and down the coast to make sure that everyone who wants a bible will have one in their own language. As usual there will be celebration, dramas and bible teaching. Christmas out in Solong is a wonderful time, blue skies, calm seas, happy hearts and feasting on seafood.
Next week our entire Solong translation & Bible teaching team will be heading back out to the tribe to celebrate Christmas & the new year. They will take a boat load of Solong language bibles to all the villages up and down the coast to make sure that everyone who wants a bible will have one in their own language. As usual there will be celebration, dramas and bible teaching. Christmas out in Solong is a wonderful time, blue skies, calm seas, happy hearts and feasting on seafood.
October-November 2021
We've begun revising and editing all our Creation to Christ lessons in English so I can update our lessons in the Solong language.
Our other major project going forward is the book of Ecclesiastes. We are going verse by verse - word by word getting the translation ready as a teaching draft.
Keep praying for the Solong Translation progress, and also for each of our IGO teams in Papua New Guinea, India, Uganda, Korea & Vanuatu.
Our other major project going forward is the book of Ecclesiastes. We are going verse by verse - word by word getting the translation ready as a teaching draft.
Keep praying for the Solong Translation progress, and also for each of our IGO teams in Papua New Guinea, India, Uganda, Korea & Vanuatu.
August-September 2021
This past month Covid knocked both Robina and I off our feet. It was a lot worse than we expected and we were very sick for several weeks. Praise the Lord we are doing much better and hoping to get back to full strength soon.
Our Vanuatu missionaries are quite discouraged. Both families expected to back in Vanuatu this fall, but all options to get back via Australia, New Zealand and Fiji have closed down tight and Vanuatu isn’t allowing international travel into the country for now. Please pray for the Lord to open the doors in His timing, to get our teams back to their ministry locations.
Robina and I need to get back to Papua New Guinea as well so we can continue checking all the Old Testament books we have been translating. I’m very pleased with the progress we have been making, but all our work needs to go through the checking process for accuracy and clarity.
Our Vanuatu missionaries are quite discouraged. Both families expected to back in Vanuatu this fall, but all options to get back via Australia, New Zealand and Fiji have closed down tight and Vanuatu isn’t allowing international travel into the country for now. Please pray for the Lord to open the doors in His timing, to get our teams back to their ministry locations.
Robina and I need to get back to Papua New Guinea as well so we can continue checking all the Old Testament books we have been translating. I’m very pleased with the progress we have been making, but all our work needs to go through the checking process for accuracy and clarity.
June-July 2021
June & July have been very active months. We continue translation of the book of Jeremiah, and continue looking for a way to return to Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu without spending weeks in lockdown and the current exorbitant flight costs (Air Niugini is currently charging 10x the normal price to fly to PNG).
Last month's IGO board meetings, Vacation Bible School and adding new members to IGO was a big encouragement.
Welcome to Ryan & Sylivia Vance who joined our IGO team working in Uganda.
The family also threw a "survived cancer" party for Robina to thank the Lord that she is still with us.
Last month's IGO board meetings, Vacation Bible School and adding new members to IGO was a big encouragement.
Welcome to Ryan & Sylivia Vance who joined our IGO team working in Uganda.
The family also threw a "survived cancer" party for Robina to thank the Lord that she is still with us.
April-May 2021
Many of the believers in our India pastors network have been struggling to find enough food to feed their families. Last week we were able to send money, buy and distribute 3,300 pound of rice. Our India team is praising the Lord for all of you, and your continued generosity to the ministry of IGO
The US Government has now forbidden all travel to India and added both Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu to the "Do not travel to" list, and Uganda to the "Reconsider travel" list. So all the countries where IGO is currently working has major travel restrictions in place... which makes our missionary work complicated. Praise the Lord for our national co-workers who are still on location. With internet access we are able to continue constant communication with our teams.
My PNG team and I continue to translate the Solong Old Testament. This month we have been working through Jeremiah. Some passages present a challenge for us to be clear without cumbersome descriptions. For example "uncircumcised ears" in Jeremiah 6:10
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear?
Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen;
behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it.
Keep praying for the Translation progress and that the Lord would open up our countries to travel in HIS timing.
The US Government has now forbidden all travel to India and added both Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu to the "Do not travel to" list, and Uganda to the "Reconsider travel" list. So all the countries where IGO is currently working has major travel restrictions in place... which makes our missionary work complicated. Praise the Lord for our national co-workers who are still on location. With internet access we are able to continue constant communication with our teams.
My PNG team and I continue to translate the Solong Old Testament. This month we have been working through Jeremiah. Some passages present a challenge for us to be clear without cumbersome descriptions. For example "uncircumcised ears" in Jeremiah 6:10
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear?
Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen;
behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it.
Keep praying for the Translation progress and that the Lord would open up our countries to travel in HIS timing.
March 2021
We just finished translating the first draft of the book of Hosea into Solong and will now get it ready for the needed content and comprehension checks. Next we will dive into the book of Jeremiah.
Continue to pray that the Covid travel restrictions will finally be lifted so we can get back overseas without the huge expenses of special repatriation flights and quarantine. Australia was finally beginning to slowly open back up, however because of a few new Covid cases, they once again began cancelling flights.
Thank you all again for your faithful prayers & financial support.
Continue to pray that the Covid travel restrictions will finally be lifted so we can get back overseas without the huge expenses of special repatriation flights and quarantine. Australia was finally beginning to slowly open back up, however because of a few new Covid cases, they once again began cancelling flights.
Thank you all again for your faithful prayers & financial support.
February 2021
I had the privilege of spending a good bit of time on the phone this morning with Pavan, our Indian coworker in south central India. He recently returned from an outreach in the far north of India on the border of China and Nepal and was very excited about the wonderful response to the Gospel.
I was able to send an additional $1000 to India this month toward the purchase of land to build the pastor training center near Hyderabad. We are still thousands short to complete the purchase... please continue praying with us.
Travel restrictions are slowly easing and thousands of dollars in emergency food has been distributed. It is a blessing to be a part of this awesome ministry in India.
Robina and I would like get over there soon so we can work with Pavan face to face and help coordinate the ministry teaching.
I was able to send an additional $1000 to India this month toward the purchase of land to build the pastor training center near Hyderabad. We are still thousands short to complete the purchase... please continue praying with us.
Travel restrictions are slowly easing and thousands of dollars in emergency food has been distributed. It is a blessing to be a part of this awesome ministry in India.
Robina and I would like get over there soon so we can work with Pavan face to face and help coordinate the ministry teaching.
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January 2021
2021 has started off with a bang. All IGO Mission year end bookwork is complete and our focus is 100% on what the Lord has for us in the new year.
As I read through God's Word, passages dealing with fear keep coming up. This morning in Psalm 118, I read in verse 6... The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
The only hope for this world is the gospel, and we need to press forward sharing the gospel with boldness and urgency. I had to quit listening to the news as current world events can easily discourage and distract us from the mission at hand.
I am so blessed and thankful to have a great team of Godly people surrounding me in IGO. We keep each other accountable and focused on the mission God has laid out for us.
In Papua New Guinea, Bible teaching, evangelism, translation and discipleship continues with my awesome team on the ground. There are no better partners in the gospel than national men who have given their lives to ministry and continue the work no matter what the world throws at them.
We are highly encouraged and we thank each of you for being part of the ministry through prayer & giving.
As I read through God's Word, passages dealing with fear keep coming up. This morning in Psalm 118, I read in verse 6... The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
The only hope for this world is the gospel, and we need to press forward sharing the gospel with boldness and urgency. I had to quit listening to the news as current world events can easily discourage and distract us from the mission at hand.
I am so blessed and thankful to have a great team of Godly people surrounding me in IGO. We keep each other accountable and focused on the mission God has laid out for us.
In Papua New Guinea, Bible teaching, evangelism, translation and discipleship continues with my awesome team on the ground. There are no better partners in the gospel than national men who have given their lives to ministry and continue the work no matter what the world throws at them.
We are highly encouraged and we thank each of you for being part of the ministry through prayer & giving.
December 2020
Merry Christmas & A Blessed New Year
A BIG thank you to all who have prayed for and supported our ministry over the past year. The Lord has truly blessed us and has shown us that each new day is a precious gift from our Creator.
With a new wave of Covid-19 cases, Australia is once again locking down tightly, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu will follow suit. What that means is we won't be able to return to PNG any time soon. So for the beginning of 2021, we will continue as we have the past 8 months. Translating the Solong Bible and directing operations from our US office.
Blessings and prayers to each and every one of you.
A BIG thank you to all who have prayed for and supported our ministry over the past year. The Lord has truly blessed us and has shown us that each new day is a precious gift from our Creator.
With a new wave of Covid-19 cases, Australia is once again locking down tightly, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu will follow suit. What that means is we won't be able to return to PNG any time soon. So for the beginning of 2021, we will continue as we have the past 8 months. Translating the Solong Bible and directing operations from our US office.
Blessings and prayers to each and every one of you.
November 2020
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The holiday season is here. Thanksgiving is done and Christmas is fast approaching. Please watch the attached video and consider if it would be possible to give something this Christmas towards the purchase of land in India for IGO to build a pastor training center. Having this property would be a huge boost to the ministry of IGO in India
We just completed translating the rough draft of 2 Chronicles in the Solong language, now begins the long process of checking it again word by word paragraph by paragraph making sure it is accurate and flows naturally in the Solong language. Pray that the quarantines overseas will finally end so we can get back and do the work face to face. Also pray for our PNG team as they continue to teach God's Word in many locations. |
October 2020
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Another month goes by...
The last few days have been eventful... Wednesday night tropical Storm Zeta passed through, knocked down a tree onto the corner of our house, and knocked out the power and internet in the entire area. PTL the power finally came back on last night. On top of all that I'm barely able to walk due to a severe case of gout in my ankle. In spite of the events of the last couple days, the translation of 2 Chronicles into the Solong language is going well. Praise the Lord for the great progress Our PNG Bible teaching team is beginning to face resistance rooted in jealousy. Please pray for the PNG team to boldly and fearless continue to proclaim the gospel of Christ. Our Vanuatu team is still waiting for the quarantine to end so they can begin the outreach over there. Pray that the Covid restrictions would end quickly so the Vanuatu team can get over there and begin that ministry. Pray for the India team as we are still thousands of dollars short toward the purchase of the land for Pastor training and Medical work. |
September 2020
Greetings from the Carolina's. I wish that were, "Greetings from Papua New Guinea", but until the Covid lockdowns end overseas and normal flights begin once again... it means staying put and continuing the ministry from home.
In Papua New Guinea our bible teaching team deep in the jungles between the Gulf and Morobe provinces have just returned with exciting stories of how God is opening hearts to receive the truth.
The draft of 1 Chronicles in Solong is complete and we have begun the work of translating 2 Chronicles.
We are still praying for the necessary funds to purchase 1+ acres of property in India just north of Hyderabad to begin a pastor training compound and medical center. We still need an additional $19,000 to proceed with that project.
In Papua New Guinea our bible teaching team deep in the jungles between the Gulf and Morobe provinces have just returned with exciting stories of how God is opening hearts to receive the truth.
The draft of 1 Chronicles in Solong is complete and we have begun the work of translating 2 Chronicles.
We are still praying for the necessary funds to purchase 1+ acres of property in India just north of Hyderabad to begin a pastor training compound and medical center. We still need an additional $19,000 to proceed with that project.
August 2020
Our work on the Solong Old Testament translation work continues, still working to finish 1st Chronicles. Praising the Lord for programs like Dropbox and Whatsapp so that we can continue to work with our PNG team in spite of the Covid lockdowns. No word yet on when travel to the South Pacific will flow freely so we can depart for PNG and Vanuatu.
We started two new Chicken projects this month. Lord willing that will mean two more members of our PNG ministry team will be partly self-supported for their ministry work through the sale of chicken eggs.
We started two new Chicken projects this month. Lord willing that will mean two more members of our PNG ministry team will be partly self-supported for their ministry work through the sale of chicken eggs.
July 2020
In Papua New Guinea our team of Bible teachers are preparing to teach in another location deep in the jungle. Please pray for safety and responsive listeners.
A new missionary family just joined the IGO team and will be heading to Vanuatu when the Covid lockdowns end... Congratulations Alex & Sarah Henkoski, we are so happy to have you on the team.
We are still hoping to raise and additional $22,000 needed for the purchase of land in India to begin a training center for Indian Pastors.
Our house nearly flooded last week with a massive rainfall and water filling the patio and lapping on the glass of our back door. Praise the Lord the rain stopped before it came into our kitchen/living room.
A new missionary family just joined the IGO team and will be heading to Vanuatu when the Covid lockdowns end... Congratulations Alex & Sarah Henkoski, we are so happy to have you on the team.
We are still hoping to raise and additional $22,000 needed for the purchase of land in India to begin a training center for Indian Pastors.
Our house nearly flooded last week with a massive rainfall and water filling the patio and lapping on the glass of our back door. Praise the Lord the rain stopped before it came into our kitchen/living room.
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June 2020
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Tragic accident. Elliot was struck and killed by a logging truck a few days ago. He was the second Solong believer who has died in the past two months. Elliot loved the Lord and was a gentle and loving father. He will be greatly missed by the Solong Church.
In spite of the lockdown and the tragic deaths, the Solong Old Testament Translation keeps moving forward. We have begun translating 1 Chronicles. I'll be checking chapters 1-6 shortly. Great news regarding Robina. The first of this month we were finally able to get an appointment for Robina's PET CT Scan. It came back all clear. The cancer is gone and we are rejoicing. |
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May 2020
A Solong believer Rapme suddenly died last week out on the island. We sent a boat load of family members from Lae across the Vitias Straight to mourn with her husband and children. She was fairly young and strong so her death was a shock to us all. The weather has been very wet with rough seas, so pray for the group as they travel across many hours of open dangerous ocean.
We are still trying to get Robina in for a PET Scan and doctor visit. The covid shut down over the past couple months has made it difficult to get it done. We will give an update when we have more news. |
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April 2020
Papua New Guinea
Because of our 2018 land purchase along with plenty of rain, our ministry team in Lae are now able to grow plenty of food to keep all of them well supplied. So in spite of the current lockdown, no extra food supplies were needed in Papua New Guinea.
Vanuatu
A typhoon recently hit Santo Island and we are trying to find out the situation on the ground to assess the needs of our IGO Vanuatu team.
Uganda
Our IGO team in Kampala have begun a second distribution of food to help out our network of pastors and church plants during this difficult time.
India
Our ministry partners in Hyderabad have been able to purchase and distribute 2 tons of rice over the past few weeks to the churches in our India network. Photos of the food distribution in India are below.
Because of our 2018 land purchase along with plenty of rain, our ministry team in Lae are now able to grow plenty of food to keep all of them well supplied. So in spite of the current lockdown, no extra food supplies were needed in Papua New Guinea.
Vanuatu
A typhoon recently hit Santo Island and we are trying to find out the situation on the ground to assess the needs of our IGO Vanuatu team.
Uganda
Our IGO team in Kampala have begun a second distribution of food to help out our network of pastors and church plants during this difficult time.
India
Our ministry partners in Hyderabad have been able to purchase and distribute 2 tons of rice over the past few weeks to the churches in our India network. Photos of the food distribution in India are below.
March 2020
New this week...The corona virus arrives in PNG - The city of Lae has just closed down schools, food markets, domestic flights and local businesses. PNG is not equipped to handle an epidemic, so the virus could be very devastating. Hopefully the recent reports that the virus is treatable with Chloroquine are true, because Chloroquine is one drug which is readily available in all areas of New Guinea due to widespread malaria.
Our teacher Jim is continuing his teaching in villages deep in the jungle. He is asking for prayer that his voice would hold out. With this group he has 3 more weeks of teaching from 6am till 4:30 every day.
Our teacher Jim is continuing his teaching in villages deep in the jungle. He is asking for prayer that his voice would hold out. With this group he has 3 more weeks of teaching from 6am till 4:30 every day.
February 2020
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Translation Checking continues in 2 Kings with my Solong team. We continue to tweak and improve the accuracy of the initial translation.
The Hamtai group has begun their outreach teaching in the far corner of the province. The teachers were greeted warmly by the locals with flower lei’s and lots of excitement about the upcoming teaching. We are so very happy that solid foundational bible teaching is spreading further and further out from Lae thanks to a faithful group of men. There isn’t enough money in IGO’s budget to fund the projects long term, so we are excited that money has come in to start another layer hen project so that that consistent funding will soon be available for another faithful teacher for his ministry via the sale of chicken eggs. |
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January 2020
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2020 had a great beginning. Our Solong Team arrived back in Lae after a month out in the Solong Islands. They announced to everyone that Robina and I would be back in PNG in May ready to continue working on the Old Testament translation and work with all the Bible teaching teams. It was a surprise to us, because we didn't give them the "May" date, but it could work. Robina gets another PET CT Scan in April and by May we could have the all clear to go back overseas.
Last week we were able to get some R&R enjoying God's beautiful creation at the ocean. |
December 2019
Merry Christmas
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We are doing great and rejoicing in Robina's continued recovery. Next month Robina has a final checkup and we will begin planning our return to Papua New Guinea when we get the all clear from her Oncologist.
This week my Solong Translation team have taken our tiny boat in Lae and have traveled across the dangerous open sea to go back to the Solong tribe. All the Solong believers want to spend the Christmas holidays together celebrating and teaching the new bible materials we produced. They should be out in the villages for about a month. Our Vanuatu team is still waiting for government approval for long term missionary travel visas to stay in Vanuatu. Please pray that the visas come through soon. Pictured below. One of our faithful ministry partners, teacher and translator, Jim, leading a bible conference for the Hamtai Christians & a photo of me involved in a consultant check on our Solong Bible Translation. |
November 2019
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Happy Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for this year... Robina continues to get stronger and her chemotherapy side effects are slowly fading. If all continues to go well, we plan to return to Papua New Guinea very soon.
The progress on the Solong Old Testament translation is going great. We are currently in 1 Kings going verse by verse tweaking and editing the translation to improve its flow and accuracy. Thank you all for being part of the team reaching and discipling the people of Papua New Guinea with the gospel. |
October 2019
October is always a busy month… Fall missions conferences, family weddings and a funeral, medical appointments, Solong Old Testament translation checking and watching IGO’s new ministries begin to take shape in India and Vanuatu.
IGO India: We are getting a lot of enthusiastic responses from Indian church leaders. We have begun teaching a foundational bible curriculum 6 hours a day for 6 weeks and then send the church leaders back to their home areas to teach the material to their congregations. The response has been phenomenal.
IGO Vanuatu: IGO is now a registered mission in Vanuatu. IGO will be partnering with many churches and other mission groups in Vanuatu to equip the local churches and partner with them in evangelism.
Robina’s recovery is going well. She is looking good and is full of energy, but is still grows tired quickly and struggles with short term memory loss and neuropathy/loss of feeling in her hands. She has another CT scan on October 30th and will continue to get one every 6 months for a couple years to make sure the cancer is not returning. We are hoping that they will soon be able to remove the port on her shoulder blade so she will be able to travel overseas with me without the danger of infection.
One of the big blessings of spending more time stateside for Robina's treatments is the privilege of spending time with our grandson Elijah and other family.
October is always a busy month… Fall missions conferences, family weddings and a funeral, medical appointments, Solong Old Testament translation checking and watching IGO’s new ministries begin to take shape in India and Vanuatu.
IGO India: We are getting a lot of enthusiastic responses from Indian church leaders. We have begun teaching a foundational bible curriculum 6 hours a day for 6 weeks and then send the church leaders back to their home areas to teach the material to their congregations. The response has been phenomenal.
IGO Vanuatu: IGO is now a registered mission in Vanuatu. IGO will be partnering with many churches and other mission groups in Vanuatu to equip the local churches and partner with them in evangelism.
Robina’s recovery is going well. She is looking good and is full of energy, but is still grows tired quickly and struggles with short term memory loss and neuropathy/loss of feeling in her hands. She has another CT scan on October 30th and will continue to get one every 6 months for a couple years to make sure the cancer is not returning. We are hoping that they will soon be able to remove the port on her shoulder blade so she will be able to travel overseas with me without the danger of infection.
One of the big blessings of spending more time stateside for Robina's treatments is the privilege of spending time with our grandson Elijah and other family.
September 2019
The big news this month is that Robina's cancer is in remission and the chemotherapy treatments are done . Robina had her final dose of chemo last week and rang the bell to a lot of celebration and cheers at the Hospital. Our hope is that cancer is behind us now and we can get back full time into the ministry.
Chris at our house in Papua New Guinea has his own distraction with a little guy demanding his attention.
In spite everything, the Solong Old Testament translation keeps moving forward. Now that the teaching draft of all the minor prophet books are complete, we are going back through 1 & 2 Samuel making corrections and edits.
Thank each and every one of you for being part of the team reaching the Solong people and Papua New Guinea with the good news of Jesus Christ.
The big news this month is that Robina's cancer is in remission and the chemotherapy treatments are done . Robina had her final dose of chemo last week and rang the bell to a lot of celebration and cheers at the Hospital. Our hope is that cancer is behind us now and we can get back full time into the ministry.
Chris at our house in Papua New Guinea has his own distraction with a little guy demanding his attention.
In spite everything, the Solong Old Testament translation keeps moving forward. Now that the teaching draft of all the minor prophet books are complete, we are going back through 1 & 2 Samuel making corrections and edits.
Thank each and every one of you for being part of the team reaching the Solong people and Papua New Guinea with the good news of Jesus Christ.
July 2019
Robina has now completed three round of chemo treatments and will begin round 4 next week. Tomorrow they will give Robina a PET CT Scan to see how much progress has been made in killing the cancer cells. We are praying all the cancer will be gone.
We are really looking forward to beating this cancer so we can get back to Papua New Guinea and complete the translation checking currently in progress.
We finished the initial translation of the book of Amos last week, so when we complete Hosea, all the minor prophets will be translated and ready for checking.
Robina has now completed three round of chemo treatments and will begin round 4 next week. Tomorrow they will give Robina a PET CT Scan to see how much progress has been made in killing the cancer cells. We are praying all the cancer will be gone.
We are really looking forward to beating this cancer so we can get back to Papua New Guinea and complete the translation checking currently in progress.
We finished the initial translation of the book of Amos last week, so when we complete Hosea, all the minor prophets will be translated and ready for checking.
June 2019
This has been a very difficult month. First discovering that Robina has lymphoma, then surgery, chemotherapy, repeated scans and blood tests.
Friday Robina received her second round of chemo. She handled it very well but it is taking a toll on her so we would appreciate your continued prayers. The oncologist wants to do a dose of chemo every 3rd week for the next 4 months.
The hospital called this week and said to me, “do not panic, but since you guys are self-pay, we need to inform you that each dose of Chemotherapy costs $60,000.00” on top of the hospital and doctors fees. Praise the Lord for the many compassionate Christian folks we are working with to try and figure out how to handle all this.
On top of caring for Robina, I have enjoyed continuing to work with my Team in Papua New Guinea doing corrections and edits to the Solong Old Testament. I wrote a note this week thanking each of them for their faithfulness in working with me on the Bible Translation. Chris answered back yesterday thanking me for allowing him to be a part of this work. He said that working on the translation has really inspired him, especially Samuel and David and their relationship with the Lord.
This has been a very difficult month. First discovering that Robina has lymphoma, then surgery, chemotherapy, repeated scans and blood tests.
Friday Robina received her second round of chemo. She handled it very well but it is taking a toll on her so we would appreciate your continued prayers. The oncologist wants to do a dose of chemo every 3rd week for the next 4 months.
The hospital called this week and said to me, “do not panic, but since you guys are self-pay, we need to inform you that each dose of Chemotherapy costs $60,000.00” on top of the hospital and doctors fees. Praise the Lord for the many compassionate Christian folks we are working with to try and figure out how to handle all this.
On top of caring for Robina, I have enjoyed continuing to work with my Team in Papua New Guinea doing corrections and edits to the Solong Old Testament. I wrote a note this week thanking each of them for their faithfulness in working with me on the Bible Translation. Chris answered back yesterday thanking me for allowing him to be a part of this work. He said that working on the translation has really inspired him, especially Samuel and David and their relationship with the Lord.
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May 2019
Events both exciting and horrible: - 2 major earthquakes hit Papua New Guinea a 7.3 and a 7.5 in the last couple weeks. There were many landslides but still don’t know the full extent of the damage. - We have a new addition to the team: My key translation helper and his wife just had their first baby. Both mama and son are doing well. - Also this morning we got a call from Robina’s doctor letting us know the result of the CT scan they gave her yesterday. The CT scan showed a large tumor which has wrapped itself around her pancreas and intestines. We are now waiting a call from the Oncologist to find out what kind of cancer it is and if it has spread elsewhere. PLEASE PRAY!!! |
April 2019
Prayer Request: Please pray for Robina. For several months she has been suffering with severe bouts of pain in her belly and back. Her doctor originally thought it was gall stones but the ultra sound showed that her gall bladder is clear & healthy. We still don't know what is causing the problem.
Praise: When our computer crashed in Papua New Guinea last month, the hard drive was undamaged. So all the new translation work is safe. The new computer is up and running and we are continuing the work on the Old Testament translation.
It has sure been a blessing to have our grand baby Elijah close by. He has been our greatest gift this year.
Prayer Request: Please pray for Robina. For several months she has been suffering with severe bouts of pain in her belly and back. Her doctor originally thought it was gall stones but the ultra sound showed that her gall bladder is clear & healthy. We still don't know what is causing the problem.
Praise: When our computer crashed in Papua New Guinea last month, the hard drive was undamaged. So all the new translation work is safe. The new computer is up and running and we are continuing the work on the Old Testament translation.
It has sure been a blessing to have our grand baby Elijah close by. He has been our greatest gift this year.
March 2019
This month in Papua New Guinea was both amazing and also very difficult. My translation team has gotten very good at finding problem areas in the Solong text and helping me tweak the translation to make it very clear. The translation checking was going full steam ahead until one day my laptop decided to quit. Nothing we tried would get it running again, so after a couple weeks the translation checking came to an abrupt end.
We had some really good strategy talks with my local IGO bible teachers. Some are having difficult times, but God's Word continues to be taught so I am very encouraged.
My first night in PNG sleeping in the hammock convinced me that hammocks are for the young, so I switched to a mattress on the floor. I brought an old camping fan to blow air directly on my face. The air on my face allowed me to sleep really well in spite of the muggy heat. No running water, so a cold bucket shower behind the house each evening cooled me down & helped me feel clean & fresh.
Some side projects... We were able to get Chris his drivers license so that when we do eventually find a vehicle for the mission, we have a ready-made driver. We also continue to do many finishing touches to the house. With the house high on stilts, it was doing a lot of rocking and swaying. It took some time, but we finally found a welder to come out and weld bracing between the posts, so the house is finally a bit more solid.
So in spite of a nasty stomach bug... a dead computer... the house solar system dying... the pouring rain and muggy heat, we STILL managed to accomplish much of what we had hoped to do on this trip. However, without a working computer, we had no choice but to cut this trip short to go replace the laptop and recover the translation data.
This month in Papua New Guinea was both amazing and also very difficult. My translation team has gotten very good at finding problem areas in the Solong text and helping me tweak the translation to make it very clear. The translation checking was going full steam ahead until one day my laptop decided to quit. Nothing we tried would get it running again, so after a couple weeks the translation checking came to an abrupt end.
We had some really good strategy talks with my local IGO bible teachers. Some are having difficult times, but God's Word continues to be taught so I am very encouraged.
My first night in PNG sleeping in the hammock convinced me that hammocks are for the young, so I switched to a mattress on the floor. I brought an old camping fan to blow air directly on my face. The air on my face allowed me to sleep really well in spite of the muggy heat. No running water, so a cold bucket shower behind the house each evening cooled me down & helped me feel clean & fresh.
Some side projects... We were able to get Chris his drivers license so that when we do eventually find a vehicle for the mission, we have a ready-made driver. We also continue to do many finishing touches to the house. With the house high on stilts, it was doing a lot of rocking and swaying. It took some time, but we finally found a welder to come out and weld bracing between the posts, so the house is finally a bit more solid.
So in spite of a nasty stomach bug... a dead computer... the house solar system dying... the pouring rain and muggy heat, we STILL managed to accomplish much of what we had hoped to do on this trip. However, without a working computer, we had no choice but to cut this trip short to go replace the laptop and recover the translation data.
February 2019
A very eventful month... The Solong translation of the Old Testament minor prophets is nearly complete. I'm busy doing final edits and printing copies to take with me to Papua New Guinea for the Bible Teachers to teach from. So many details and preparations to accomplish before departing for PNG.
I just received word that Beta, one of our faithful Solong Christian ladies has passed from this life and has gone to her reward. She will be greatly missed by all the Solong Church. She was a great help and encouragement to all she came in contact with.
Construction continues on our little "hut on stilts". Progress has been slow but they are doing a beautiful job.
We are hoping to do two more "chicken projects" during this trip to PNG. One for the Solong and another for the Hamtai bible teachers. Our first project is doing wonderfully and producing many eggs that are sold at market to finance the work of the gospel.
A very eventful month... The Solong translation of the Old Testament minor prophets is nearly complete. I'm busy doing final edits and printing copies to take with me to Papua New Guinea for the Bible Teachers to teach from. So many details and preparations to accomplish before departing for PNG.
I just received word that Beta, one of our faithful Solong Christian ladies has passed from this life and has gone to her reward. She will be greatly missed by all the Solong Church. She was a great help and encouragement to all she came in contact with.
Construction continues on our little "hut on stilts". Progress has been slow but they are doing a beautiful job.
We are hoping to do two more "chicken projects" during this trip to PNG. One for the Solong and another for the Hamtai bible teachers. Our first project is doing wonderfully and producing many eggs that are sold at market to finance the work of the gospel.
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January 2019
Airline tickets have been purchased & travel documents are in hand. Now we are busy getting everything ready to head back to Papua New Guinea the first of March. We will continue checking through the Solong Old Testament Translation & work through Bible lessons with our local Church leaders & teachers. A huge praise is that we will no longer need to pay thousands per month in rent for housing as our Solong team have almost completed our little "hut on stilts". Pray that we can find a good cheap used vehicle to purchase as IGO's block of land is quite a distance from Lae town. |
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December 2018
Excellent progress being made on the Solong Old Testament, the first draft of Zechariah is complete. Also construction has finally begun in Lae on our little Hut on Stilts. Very soon everything will be ready for our return to PNG to continue checking the Old Testament books being translated. I am really looking forward to spending time with all the bible teachers to see how the bible classes are going. One class will be graduating in January from the bible course.
Excellent progress being made on the Solong Old Testament, the first draft of Zechariah is complete. Also construction has finally begun in Lae on our little Hut on Stilts. Very soon everything will be ready for our return to PNG to continue checking the Old Testament books being translated. I am really looking forward to spending time with all the bible teachers to see how the bible classes are going. One class will be graduating in January from the bible course.
November 2018
This week we are working on the minor prophet book of Haggai. It is a short book and very encouraging as Haggai was one of the few prophets that the people actually listened to and obeyed the words of the Lord.
In Papua New Guinea the building materials have finally been purchased and transported up to the property, They surprised me by building us the nicest outhouse's I have ever seen in Papua New Guinea... complete with a cement floor, PVC commode and even a lid. More gravel was delivered yesterday so they can begin setting posts for the main house.
This week we are working on the minor prophet book of Haggai. It is a short book and very encouraging as Haggai was one of the few prophets that the people actually listened to and obeyed the words of the Lord.
In Papua New Guinea the building materials have finally been purchased and transported up to the property, They surprised me by building us the nicest outhouse's I have ever seen in Papua New Guinea... complete with a cement floor, PVC commode and even a lid. More gravel was delivered yesterday so they can begin setting posts for the main house.
October 2018
Progress continues on the OT Translation... working through Habakkuk this week. Our House posts finally arrived on site and timber cut with a chainsaw was also transported up to the new property from the island down the coast where it was cut. Soon the building of house number two (our house) will begin.
Thank you all for your faithful prayers.
Progress continues on the OT Translation... working through Habakkuk this week. Our House posts finally arrived on site and timber cut with a chainsaw was also transported up to the new property from the island down the coast where it was cut. Soon the building of house number two (our house) will begin.
Thank you all for your faithful prayers.
September 2018
We plan to head back to Papua New Guinea to continue the Translation checking as soon as we have a shelter for Robina and I on IGO's new property. Chris has built himself a house out of poles & plastic... Drinking water storage containers purchased... toilet hole dug... timber cut with chain saw... solar power ready. Still waiting on posts and roofing tin. In the mean time, work is progressing well on our translation of the minor prophets.
Also shown are chickens purchased for one of IGO's Bible teachers. The eggs produced by the chickens provide ministry income for them to self sustain the ministry.
We plan to head back to Papua New Guinea to continue the Translation checking as soon as we have a shelter for Robina and I on IGO's new property. Chris has built himself a house out of poles & plastic... Drinking water storage containers purchased... toilet hole dug... timber cut with chain saw... solar power ready. Still waiting on posts and roofing tin. In the mean time, work is progressing well on our translation of the minor prophets.
Also shown are chickens purchased for one of IGO's Bible teachers. The eggs produced by the chickens provide ministry income for them to self sustain the ministry.
