The end of a long wait

“We’ve been waiting for you for years,” the Siar people told missionaries Chris Lujan and Lane Sanford when they landed on a small island off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

The people handed the missionaries a letter received from the leaders of New Tribes Mission in response to their request for a missionary in 2003. The letter stated that there were no missionaries to send at that time. But the Siars did not give up. They kept the letter and patiently waited.

When a team came looking for a place to settle among the Siars in 2006 and people heard that the men and their families wanted to live among them, learn their culture and language and translate God’s Word in order to give them the Gospel message, they were warmly welcomed.

Preparations began to make the dream of the Siar people come true.

Chris and Erin Lujan and their two small children and Lane and Karrie Sanford and their three children moved into the village and began making friends and studying the culture and language of the Siar people.

Each day revealed more and more about the Siars and brought the team one step closer to being able to fulfill the people’s dream of hearing God’s Word. Soon Jon and Melissa Jackson and their five children joined the team.

Several years of long, hard labor helped the missionary team become comfortable and proficient in the Siar culture and language. As they understood more clearly they began the next step of preparation for the chronological teaching of the Bible.

“At the end of the day,” wrote Chris, “we are seeking to see Siar world views evaluated, changed, displaced and replaced by God’s infallible worldview that is found only in His Word. Having a solid foundation to understand the story of God is the best way for the Siars to know and experience God.”

The men are translating the Scriptures into the Siar language and in July of this year all the Siars will have an opportunity to listen to the message God has prepared for them.

Already some who are helping with the translation and lesson preparation are beginning to see the light. Recently when Lane was reading about Joseph in Genesis 39, a village leader stopped him.

"Lane, please stand up in front of us and read that out loud so we can all hear it," he said.

As he read, the leader shouted, "Yes, yes, this is it. It is clear and we are finally hearing God's Talk in our language and it is clear! You meant it when you told us before that you came for this. It is really happening!"

For the rest of the story follow along as the Siar people hear the Good News at ntm.org/news.