Songs of joy in the jungle
The Mengen people of Papua New Guinea are singing to their Savior.
They used to sing to their dead ancestors, but after receiving the Gospel, they gather every day in different huts to sing praises to God. With the traditional beat of a drum and several repetitions, the jungle now reverberates with:
“Let’s all lift up God’s name. We believe that He is the Father of All Strength.
He sent His Son to die and redeem us from our sins!
God, you are very big. You are very strong. We place our trust in you.
God our Father is very big. He is over all things.
The angels and all of us people worship Him.
The Lord God created us and put everything here for us.”
The singing is often accompanied by testimonies of how God is working in their lives.
One tribal man shared how he was recently coming home alone from his garden. Culturally, Mengen people have always considered traveling alone very risky because they fear the spirits of the forest.
But now as he walked along, he prayed and thanked God for everything Christ had done for him. He said he experienced such a tremendous joy that he suddenly burst into song — and into tears. He said his joyful song about God’s mercy and forgiveness became so loud it echoed through the forest.