Have we ever questioned what it is that gives us the nourishment we need to stay alive? Most of us in our Western culture would relate to the idea of “bread” or a derivative thereof being that fundamental thing that our bodies need to sustain physical life.

Think about the Word of God in English and how many times Jesus refers to Himself as the bread of life. Think about many other places in Scripture that refer to Jesus as the bread of life.

Jesus’ passion to communicate to us that He is sufficient, the sustainer of life and all we need to be satisfied for our deepest needs, is clear to us by using the simple word bread.

What if we realized that isn’t true for a huge part of the world?

So if you are a translator of Scripture in a language for a people group who do not eat bread and see no significance in the idea of eating bread, where does that lead you as you translate?

For missionaries in the Philippines working with people who live on rice, casaba and other things as their staple it presents quite a challenge.

George Olson has to think about these things very carefully as he works with language learners and develops curriculum for helping them. He says that when someone is learning to communicate biblical truth in another language they must take into account the culture, language, traditions, and common understanding.

“In the first century Jewish culture, bread was the staple food. So Jesus saying he is the bread of life has very profound implications. He is saying He is what gives life. We should not rely on the physical bread that we need to eat to survive, but on the one true source of life - Jesus,” George explains. “This statement communicated exactly as Jesus intended it to his audience.”

George interviewed some local people and found that people believe that "bread" has religious significance because of centuries of teaching on the rituals of a church. This became ingrained in the minds of the populace so that its effect has filtered down to the majority of Christian churches.

The term bread was used in ceremonies without any clear heart meaning for the people. “A staple food is a basic component of all human cultures, so we have missed out by always forcing the translation to read from the Western point of view and always using the term bread, when a more appropriate cultural equivalent would have communicated more effectively.”

In some translations like the Palawano they have used a more generic term which means food so it reads something like, “I am the food that gives life/makes alive.”

As the challenge of translating God’s Word is seen from George Olson’s work, let’s pray for the many translators who strive to clearly communicate that Jesus is our true sustenance in life, both physically and spiritually.

Would you like to understand more about translation? Order missionary Dave Brunn’s book One Bible, Many Versions.

It’s a joy when we know someone who passes from this life has gone on to be with the Lord. But have you ever thought of rejoicing over the way a burial is actually handled?

In a Prai village, the way that a burial was recently carried out demonstrates the clear understanding the maturing believers have of the truths they are learning from the Word of God.

Dave and Fran Jordan share that culturally, “There is great fear of spirits at the time of a death. ... Prai funerals center on keeping the spirit of the deceased satisfied and preventing any malicious return.”

But the huge expense of “about a month’s salary” in order to hire two lone brave men to bury in some obscure location away from the village where no one else would go is a thing of the past for some of these new maturing believers.

“The first Christian funeral reflected their faith. No feeding of the corpse, no spirit rituals, instead singing, scriptural messages and the joy of knowing our hope in Christ and His death, burial and resurrection.”

“To the amazement of the rest of the village, over 60 of the believers went out together to the burial service. To the Prais this is a huge step of faith, which most will see as a landmark in their lives.”

Let’s rejoice with the Jordans and the Prai believers as God works a great freedom in their lives.

The Siawi New Testament and portions of Genesis are being formatted and prepared for printing now. The Bible will be printed on waterproof paper, making it more durable for the tribal believers.

Missionary Linda Krieg carefully checked and proofread the Scripture portions and is now waiting for the first printing of 250 New Testaments.

While Linda waits for the next step in the Siawi translation, she is helping the missionaries ministering among the Abaus check the books of 1 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Timothy and Philemon. She will also be helping missionary Lisa Kappeler who ministers among the Uriay check the book of Ephesians.

“Through your continued partnership with this ministry, you are helping move these two people groups closer to having God’s Word in their language, too. I hope you realize the blessing and privilege it is to be a part of that too,” wrote Linda.

Linda is now living at the New Tribes Mission Homes in Sanford and continues to work on translating the Scriptures into the Siawi language, and helps translators check and assess their translations.

She is currently translating Exodus and Jonah into Siawi and getting them ready so that her translation team can help her get ready for a check so they can be included in the next printing of 1500 New Testament and Old Testament portions in Siawi on waterproof paper. This will delay the printing some but the people really want to have Exodus and Jonah in their Bibles. Linda is asking us to pray for a way to get the Bibles to the Siawi people in Papua New Guinea.

NTM's translation fund pays for not only Bible translation, but teaching people to read and understand God's Word, at a cost of $35 a verse. Find out more.

Last Saturday, Gary Smith and his son, Caleb, set out on a great adventure. They were headed up the trail for an outreach visit to a new church in a neighboring village.

And Gary says the 3.5 hour “extreme hike” provided plenty of trials along the trail.

As they hiked, the trail led them to cross many places that had been washed away by landslides. And since a bridge had also been washed away, the hikers came frighteningly close to being swept away while crossing a higher-than-normal river. Soon after, there were the bee stings for Gary and Caleb.

It was a wonderful arrival at the village. They were welcomed with a great tribal meal of sweet potatoes, spinach and beans and then stayed up late discussing Scripture and what God has to say about discipling. They slept a few hours on a mattress shared with one of the Dinangat Bible teachers who had come along from their home village.

At 5 a.m., Gary and Caleb awoke to the sweet sound of “our host worshipping the Lord in prayer” and joined the believers of the village in a worship time.

Next on the agenda was a hike to another village. (Gary says the demands of mountain hiking were taking their toll by this time. He was sure he could feel himself steadily losing pounds as he hiked.)

In this second village, the Dinangat teachers taught evangelistic Bible lessons from materials that present God’s Word chronologically from Creation to the coming of Christ. It was a joy to observe the Bible teachers in action and Gary comments, “If I was grading them, I’d give them an A.”

Following the teaching, it was time to head for home on the long, hard trail. But as they prepared to leave, God sent a deluge of rain, and the villagers begged them to stay for fear of more landslides and even higher water levels in the river.

“I’m so glad God orchestrated for us to stay another night,” Gary shares. “We got to visit more with the second village and we heard amazing testimonies from believers there.”

The next day, Gary and Caleb and their Dinangat companions hiked back down to the first village. After another good meal, they enjoyed a time of worship songs with a man who played along on his guitar.

“That night, we fell asleep listening to him continue to sing and pray,” Gary says.

At 5 a.m. the following day, they enjoyed yet another worship song concert before heading down the trail.

This time, when they arrived at the swollen river, Gary and Caleb and their Dinangat friends decided to build a make-shift bridge. “A bridge over troubled waters,” Gary quips. “I just about crawled over it.”

“We came to a really bad place on the trail that had washed away. We watched the ground moving underneath as our guide trampled across it. Caleb crossed fine,” Gary relates, “but I found myself giving in to fear. I felt frozen. Thankfully, God helped and I went across as fast as I could.”

Once across, Gary turned around to look at the unstable ground they had just walked across—just in time to see another landslide start down the steep mountain. He turned his heart to the God Who had faithfully accompanied them every step of this dangerous journey and fervently thanked Him for His amazing protection.

Then Gary thought back to an unforgettable scene from their visit to the second village. “In the middle of the Creation to Christ teaching … this man started sobbing. The lesson was about Jonah and the people of Nineveh repenting. … After the lesson, sitting in his house, I asked him why he cried. He answered, ‘I was overwhelmed, thinking that now as an old man I am able to hear this wonderful truth after believing lies for so many years. I cried because if you missionaries had not come, I still would not have heard. I am so thankful you have come.’”

Gary shares, “Tears welled up in my own eyes at the weight of his words. May God stir the hearts of others to become part of this kingdom work. It is truth. It changes lives! We have seen it with our own eyes and hearts!”

Is it worth all the trials on the trail? Is this task worth the years of sacrifices, the dangers and hardships, the risks and disappointments to bring the Good News about Jesus to unreached people?

Gary’s heart answers a resounding “Yes!”

Is God is calling you to be part of His kingdom work? Find out how.

The newly revised Hamtai New Testaments are ready to be inspected and shipped. Six thousand copies will be put on a container by a local ministry team in Conneaut, Pennsylvania, headed to Papua New Guinea.

Tom and Corinne Palmer worked with the Hamtai people for many years. And now even in the USA, Tom will have an intricate part, flying to Pennsylvania to help see that the inspection and shipping process is done.

He will be joined by Jon Frazier from the Communications Department of NTM USA in Sanford, Florida. They must spot check and re-bag 2,000 Bibles a day.

Jon says, “This is a great opportunity to work with the local churches and youth groups in the Conneaut Lake area. Normally this checking process is done in Sanford. This will save several thousand dollars in shipping for us so we are so thankful for co-workers there that will help.”

The Bibles will be put in plastic carrying bags ready to be bought by the people. Tom and Corinne ask for prayer that, “Each family will see the importance of their children having their own copy, costing probably the equivalent of $3 to $5.”

Once in country, trucks will transport them to the place where a dedication ceremony is being planned by the church leaders.

Your gifts can help fund not only Bible translation, but teaching people to read and understand God's Word, at a cost of $35 a verse. Find out how.

The idea of translating the Bible is so complex and such a long term job that it takes some pretty committed and faithful people to accomplish.

But what about doing all that hard work knowing that the people whose language you are translating don’t even know how to read their own language?

Ricardo and Sonia Madero write, “The Cubeos need to learn to read and write in their own language so that they can read the Scriptures in their own language too.”

They’ve been working hard this month with a new program called “Literature Helper” that has all the potential of helping them develop a good dictionary and readers for the Cubeo people. They’ve had a visit from a literacy expert who has helped them discover this new technology.

Ricardo says, “Without these resources it would have taken us months to find the repeated letters and syllables we were looking for. Technology has its good advantages!”

Let’s pray for wisdom as 22 readers are developed.

NTM's translation fund provides not only for Bibles, but for materials and more needed so people can read and understand God's Word. Each verse, and all those helps, comes to $35. Your gift can make a difference today.

Julie Martin calls herself a “realist.” She admits it is easy for her to focus on the negatives instead of celebrating the positives. Sometimes when she looks at the Akolet church, she tends to look more at the considerable challenges and at the growth that still needs to happen.

“But when I really look,” Julie writes, “what do I see? I see a lot of good things and feel the need to share them with you!”

“I see Dina dancing,” Julie begins. After the lesson last week from Ephesians 1, this precious older woman got up and danced for joy, a “slow shuffling sort of dance.”

There was no music and no one else was dancing. The believers around her laughed.

But Dina responded, “My insides are happy! So happy! I’m thinking about the lesson … about Christ one day ruling and we will rule with Him … and everything will be so wonderful. So I just had to dance.”

Then there was Skola who came somberly to Julie a few weeks back with a “problem.” Julie’s mind sorted through the possibilities—would this be a request for money or medicine or food?

But Skola’s problem involved her father-in-law who was ready to die soon. In spite of sharing the gospel with him, his heart had remained hard and this was of great concern to Skola. And besides her concern for Watingo’s soul, since she had cared for him for years the family wanted to reimburse her financially. Skola was having a hard time convincing the family that she just wanted to help and did not want any money.

Skola had come to Julie to share her need for prayer and godly counsel.

Besides a wonderful growth in joy and compassion, Julie sees other progress in the Akolet church.

They are reaching out to others in compassionate ministry. Believing husbands are disregarding tribal customs and are humbling themselves to help and serve their wives. Believers are overcoming the fear of what others think; they are growing to live active discipleship lifestyles.

So this is what Julie sees when she looks intently at the Akolet church. She sees God at work transforming lives and a culture, bringing hope and joy and love where once there was only hopeless fear.

“I could go on and on,” Julie writes, “but you get the idea. We serve a very mighty God and He is at work in the hearts and lives of Akolet believers!”

Are you hungry to make an eternal difference? Maybe God has an unreached people group for you to reach with the Good News about Jesus. Find out how.

As the Dinangat church has become more mature and established, missionaries have discussed some of Satan’s attack schemes for any church.

“What I’m most afraid of is that the church will stop growing and start just playing church,” one missionary shared.

Ongoing growth in Christ is the remedy against playing church. So the missionary team and Dinangat church have prayed and worked to encourage that growth. And God is answering prayer.

The growing Dinangat believers, in response to God’s work in their hearts have in recent months, begun an evangelistic outreach in a neighboring village. And the hunger for the truth in that village is growing by leaps and bound, Ralf Schlegel writes.

The Dinangat Bible teachers have presented about half of God’s redemption story so far. As the story has unfolded, this needy village has grown steadily in the understanding of Who their Creator is and people are increasingly hungry for a Savior.

They are faithfully attending the Bible teaching to hear about that promised Deliverer who will be introduced as Jesus, God’s Son. Please pray for this village that they will “truly understand and believe in the work of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ,” Ralf asks.

Believing Dinangat women are growing, too, as evidenced in the women’s Bible reading time. “Their bodies lean forward and their eyes and ears are fully open as they listen to God’s Word. A wonderful sight!” Ralf notes. “There are so many things they have never heard about which they now get to hear and grow in.”

The Dinangat Bible teachers are themselves maturing as believers. As they study the qualifications for church elders in 1 Timothy, “they hear about being blameless, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, being able to teach, being gentle, not quarrelsome, a father of obedient children … and it is quite overwhelming for them. … They know they will have to grow in many areas to be able to do this,” Ralf writes.

There is continued growth evidenced in the literacy program. Last week they presented a “reading challenge” which has brought new excitement and incentive to improve reading skills.

There is also growth seen in individual lives and families who are learning the grace of forgiveness in Christ. This can come at great cost, as ongoing pain makes it necessary to forgive daily. But as the realization of Christ’s forgiveness grows larger, believers grow in their ability to trust God and forgive others who wrong them.

Ralf shared a verse that is much on his mind these days. “Speaking the truth in love, (we) may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

“Growth is important … but it is sometimes hard,” Ralf shares. “Please pray for the Dinangat church; that believers will never just start to play church and stay the same … but that they will keep growing and growing and growing.”

You can use the same discipleship lessons in use among the Dinangats, the follow-up to the popular and proven Firm Foundations: Creation to Christ. Find all the Firm Foundations materials in the NTM bookstore.

As missionary Porter Hampton tries to explain how big God really is, Anton begins to giggle and laugh.

Was he miscommunicating God’s eternal omnipresent power?

Then he remembered the last time he saw that in Anton. “We all went to the beach. He’d never seen the ocean before and culturally they are fearful of big water. At the beach he got almost drunk-like, giddy laughing and carrying on.”

The idea that God is everywhere all the time was contradicting Anton’s people’s belief that He is distant and just comes down to check on things. So his realization that God is here all the time and everywhere else too was so impacting with a healthy fear that he just had to giggle.

Porter reports that, “As we talked about the fact that God exists by His own power and has no need for anything that we have need of, Anton said, ‘If it’s like that then my thinking is that He created the world and food and all this stuff for us!’ While that point is made in a later lesson that we had not yet talked about, it was neat to see him reasoning things out like this.”

As the process of developing lessons progresses in Anton’s part of the world called Nagi land, there are plenty of interruptions that make it hard to keep going sometimes.

There was the airstrip in a nearby village that needed some work and then the big meeting with one of the head men, both very important but slow the flow of developing and checking the next lessons.

It doesn’t seem to matter how long Porter studies the language he is always surprised by how some things just seem impossible to say. If there are not words to express different ideas about time and when something is being or has been done, how would you say that the time had come to punish?

What about the Trinity? After spending lots of time trying to come up with their own way of explaining it in their session with Porter, he clarified that God would be the only one who can tell us the truth about it since He was there from the beginning, to which Yan responded, “Yeah! That’s the part I want to get to!”

Discussing creation starting with one man, they wondered about his color and hair. And where did all these others come from?

Anton and Yan were quick to conclude that the trees and plants were created by God so that as they died it made great compost for their sweet potatoes. Porter says, “I almost laughed, but then realized that I haven’t mentioned that there was no sickness or death in the beginning.”

When it was taught that God created all the animals, the Nagi people were afraid that they were stealing God’s “stuff” by killing and eating plants and animals. They were relieved to remember that God had left man the responsibility over all He had created.

They were still concerned as to whether they were doing something they shouldn’t by realizing things weren’t the way God had intended.

Even the idea of being left responsible, Porter had to make sure what they understood by that. In Nagi when you give someone the responsibility for something it can mean that you leave the work for them. At some point it can mean to leave them or can be interpreted as being left behind.

So he asked, “Do you mean that God left the work for them to do or that he left the man and woman and went somewhere else?” To which Anton quickly replied, “No! God was still there. There is nowhere that God is not so he didn’t leave them!”

It’s something to praise God for that there is not a questioning as to whether God’s Word is true or not. They are remembering from lesson to lesson the important things that connect what God does with His character.

There is also a demonstration that as Anton and Yan work through these lessons with Porter they are interpreting new scripture by what they have already learned in previous lessons.

Let’s pray that these Nagi people continue to comprehend the truths of God’s Word with childlike faith that makes them giggle.

With this kind of progress and understanding we want to pray that the interruptions for Porter and his lesson planning and checking are few and far between.

Susie Locklin knows very well that God has not called her to do something easy. There have been many adjustments and challenges in moving to West Africa to become a missionary. And sometimes it’s been downright discouraging.

But recently God provided Susie with three weeks of change. A brief relocation for a season of rest and refocusing. And she is grateful.

“He gave me a wonderful break away … and now I’m looking forward to going back,” she expresses gratefully.

A change of scene provided time for fellowship with other missionaries—many who she had heard about but never met. “It was great to meet so many other people who are also in West Africa to reach the unreached … whether through working in an office or living in a village among unreached people,” Susie shares. “It’s nice to have faces to go with the names I’ve been hearing.”

She enjoyed lunch one day with some missionary ladies. As a side note, Susie writes, “I had a hamburger that day … it came with French fries. … The different part was that the fries were in the bun with the burger patty!”

Other fun times included getting to sleep in and enjoying the special treat of ice cream.

While Susie visited missionaries, attended meetings and explored missions libraries, she got a new feel for what the next few years of her life may look like.

She will return to the home of her host family. And then, “after a little while the plan is to move into a little house. … I’m looking forward to the new adventures that will hold!” she writes.

Susie knows very well that there will be more adjustments and challenges in her future. But she knows that the God Who has led her this far will continue to be faithful. Her longing is to walk with God and follow His leading even in times when she doesn’t know what that will look like or  “when I don’t have any idea what I should be doing.”

Susie shares her heart’s desire in all this. She just wants to “be able to shine for Jesus in a way people can understand.” Even, she says, when it’s not easy.

As a missionary pilot it’s critically important to keep up with safety regulations and be evaluated often in order to land on those dangerous airstrips in jungle locations.

Daren and Cindy Spence, who have spent the last 10½ years both preparing and serving in the Asia-Pacific region, are very aware of just how critical this has been.

Daren has benefitted from the chief pilot coming from Arizona, the NTM Aviation center, to fly with him in order to evaluate and encourage him in safety practices.

Daren has been asked to take up the responsibility of the international chief pilot for NTM. He will now be the guy who has the job of evaluating new pilot candidates and doing pre-field flight training. He will also visit all the countries where NTM serves through a flight program, flying with the pilots to maintain higher flight standards.

This aspect of support can directly affect the work of tribal church planting.

Good pilots and mechanics are needed to keep the missionaries supplied and doing their job in the villages. Emergency medical needs or just necessary breaks are dependent in some countries on these mission planes being flown and maintained.

These aviation missionaries have given their lives to support the process of churches being planted and maturing.

The flight programs in the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America will all be blessed and benefit significantly by Daren’s experience and expertise as an excellent jungle pilot.

Now being based in the US will not change the Spences status as faith missionaries. They are trusting God to provide as He always has through partners who team up with them to see this job done.

Let’s partner with them in prayer and support for what God is doing in and through them.

You can help provide flight services to missionaries in remote locations. Every $250 sponsors an hour of missionary flights.

Not hitting water hasn't stopped God.

Drilling for a well had to stop in the village where the Nahuatl people live because of problems with the machinery.

While there was great anticipation and hope that hitting water would be what showed the power of God, the missionary team is seeing Him use this very situation to build their confidence that they do not have to be concerned with God’s reputation.

Rachel Chapman, a missionary among the Nahuatl people of Mexico, understands that God has a plan and will take care of Himself, glorifying Himself in His own way, and often far beyond what we imagine.

Rachel and the team are clear that there is so much to give thanks for as God shows His power in their lives and in the lives of young families in their village in ways that some might look at as weak.

“Agustina stopped by to visit Pete and Liesl Hypki, Rachel’s coworkers, while Pete was teaching Milo the Bible.” She says that Agustina listened very intently and told Liesl that she has heard some of the Bible but would like to know more about it. She clearly doubts the traditional beliefs in her world and wants the Truth.

Please pray as team member Katie Moore and Rachel begin teaching Agustina through the Bible chronologically. Pray for the salvation of both Milo and Agustina as they hear the Truth that can set them free.

There’s good news for Rachel with her desire to start a literacy program that will help those like Agustina and Milo read a future translation of the Bible in their own language. The experienced missionaries in the area of languages who help with the learning process were out for a visit and “were very encouraged with our progress here and helped us make plans to continue advancing.”

This reminds us that our definitions of weak and mighty or powerful can be very different than God’s. We can pray that the team in Nahuatl land is encouraged by 1 Corinthians 1:27, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.”

Even though there’s no physical water yet, we can thank God with Rachel that He is faithful to continue to use the Living Water to encourage this team to press on.

God is at work in the Siar church. Chris and Erin Lujan are deeply encouraged. And it hasn’t been limited to the Siar church, Chris says.

“I believe that as God has been working in the life of the Siar church, He has been working just as much in my life. He is doing a work in me,” Chris shares. “As the Lord reminds us of the things that He has done in the church and in us, we become more and more encouraged and thankful.”

As God works in and through their own lives, Chris details some of the signs of growth that he and Erin have been blessed to see in the Siar church as it matures in Christ. “The church is becoming more and more convinced of the truths of Christ,” he says. “Convinced of His unconditional and eternal love for them, convinced that they have a new identity in Him … convinced that they eternally belong to Him, convinced that by faith alone in His work alone they are saved … convinced that there is no other way, convinced that suffering is for their good …”

For Chris, there is only one explanation when he sees Siar believers so convinced of these essential truths. “That is God working in them,” he affirms.

There is something else very encouraging happening in the Siar church. They have been studying through the book of Colossians. They have discussed Epaphras, who was changed by the gospel and who earnestly desired for others to have that same hope in Christ. And coming from that study, the Siar believers are suddenly ignited with excitement about evangelism and outreach.

Chris says the Siar church is actively making plans to reach out to a village that is a six-hour hike from their location. “There are a couple of families up there that want to hear the gospel. … God has stirred a hunger in those families. … The church is extremely excited about the gospel spreading … into a new language group.”

The groundwork of preparation for Siar believers to be ready to share the Good News will take some time. “There is need for the believers to stand in unity, freshen up in this other language and clarify spiritual terminology in this language,” Chris writes. “It looks like they will start teaching in September some time.”

Chris and the Siar church know very well there is an adversary who “doesn’t want this village to hear the truth and is already doing all he can to attempt to put the brakes on,” with opposition or trials. “Please pray that the Lord will continue to create more of a hunger in the hearts of (the people of the village) and that He would prepare them for the truth.”

Prayer is something you can do, in fact, something you can start right now. You can commit to ongoing prayer for the people of this village who so desperately need to hear the Good News about Christ.

You can pray, also, for God’s continued grace and encouragement and growth in the lives of Siar believers.

Chris writes, “Please pray for the Siar church. Pray that it would continue to grow to be more like Christ every day.”

Sometimes Bible teaching from a tribal believer finds powerful application in the life of a missionary. Last Sunday morning, this was especially true for Gary and Esther Smith.

During Bible teaching time, a Dinangat Bible teacher, Felix, read and taught on Psalm 46:1-2: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”

That particular morning, Gary says that he and the rest of the people of the Dinangat village had in their recent memory some vivid insight into the significance of those verses. They were in fresh remembrance of their dependence upon God as a refuge.

Abundant rains have recently resulted in several significant landslides in their area.

The resulting damage has extensive. They have seen the destruction of essential gardens, fish ponds and even the missionaries’ water source, which not only supplies their homes with water, but also with electricity.

“So when Felix read these verses … we were all reminded of God’s wonderful protection of us,” Gary writes. “God did indeed help.”

For Gary, there are many clear glimpses into God’s help and care. He has provided wisdom and strength to work through the trials. And He has provided strength for the extensive clean-up and repair project that resulted from the landslides.

After several days of hard work digging out, the vital water source is now back in operation. Not only do the missionaries depend on this water source, but many in the village do as well. Gary shares, “We are back in business … we have fresh water in the village once again.”

Gary and Esther Smith are thankful for God’s protection and help during the landslides and in the time of cleanup and repairs. More powerfully than ever, they recognize the impact and truth of the words they heard Felix share that morning, “God is our refuge and strength.”

Last week a group of Tigak people heard the final lesson in the chronological Firm Foundation Bible study series.

Paska and Robin, two Tigak Bible teachers, have been teaching two foundational lessons every Sunday for many months now. This is the first time the Tigak Bible teachers have taught through the lessons completely on their own.

It appears that Popot, Tamal, Gava. Sagapan and Marta have all understood and believed in the finished work of Christ to pay the penalty for their sins.

Aimee Hedrick and Beth Carlton went over Sunday’s lesson with the ladies each Wednesday. The ladies read the Scriptures together and asked questions. They were so thankful that they began to understand God’s Word. Sagapan and Marta and others have shared how they have heard stories their whole lives and have even gone to church, but never understood God’s Word. The chronological teaching has helped them to put the pieces together.

Paska, one of the Tigak men who did the teaching, wanted to send his sincere gratitude and thanks to all who prayed for him and his brother, Robin, as they taught.

Missionary Aimee Hedrick asked that everyone continue to pray as they have not yet talked to all those who heard the lessons and are hoping that others have understood God’s message for them.

The same lessons that were carefully adapted for the Tigak people have also been adapted for a Western audience, and made available to you. Get Firm Foundations lessons.

We’ve all heard of surveying land for building roads and other things, but do we often think of surveying the harvest fields that Luke and John talk about in the Word of God?

Elijah and Moira Hall have given a lot of thought to the process of a surveying journey. It’s definitely about the Lord of the harvest, the spread of the gospel, and about a people.

Following a homemade map, with the help of internet maps, Elijah has gone from village to village appraising the situation. He and missionaries experienced in surveys, who have come to help him ascertain the condition of these people, then outline where and how they live.

They see the soy plantations, small farms, wooded areas and how the “winding, unmarked roads are like a maze” that get them to people who live in thatched roofed huts.

He sees that they work their fields simply, with hoes.

Elijah says, “They drink terere (Paraguayan cold tea served in a special horn with a metal strainer straw, passed from one person to the next) together as they talk” with the chief.

They ask defining questions like, “What does the chief think about his people helping us learn Mbya language and culture? Have his people lived here for very long and about how many families are there?”

Gifts are given and they drink more terere.

Elijah asks the farmers dwelling near the indigenous communities questions like, “Is there land available in the area? Do they think it’s a safe place to live?”

More terere drinking. Maybe they’ll get an invitation.

Sometimes the survey team sleeps in tents, on the ground or maybe a little place resembling a hotel “complete with bedbugs” but out of the rain.

Elijah and Moira sense that they may be coming to the end of their survey time as far as where they might set up home and engage with these people. It will take another missionary who will come give a second opinion about a possible location to begin their work.

They could be close to the time when they will be able to locate close to this people group and begin the long road toward sharing with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let’s pray today with Elijah and Moira as they seek the right opportunity to be His ambassadors.

Surveys help strategically place missionaries where they can be effective. You can help fund these people group assessments.

The first meeting of its kind has just been held in a village where Frank and Mirjam Tertel work among the Abau people.

The purpose of the meeting was to get together as leaders with their wives in order to encourage one another and pray.

Nomo and Aniowa opened their neatly swept, bark-floored home to the leaders of their maturing church. Sitting in a big circle, they were challenged by the Word from 1 Timothy 3. Nomo wanted to encourage everyone there to think again about the qualifications of leaders in the church.

There was the reminder to “walk straight,” honoring God with their lives and testimonies.

As they prayed in small groups, Maikel told God: “God Father, help me to be like Paul. Paul was content in whatever situation he was in. I want to be like that. When I’m hungry, I want to be content and rely on you and when I have plenty, I want to be content and keep trusting you.”

Frank shares that, “Not too long ago the Abau Bible teachers had studied the letter to the Church in Philippi and written their own sermons about the different passages. One of these passages was about Paul’s contentment. This must have really spoken to Maikel.”

The main focus now is on completing the New Testament translation. They have 11 books left. They must have the translation co-workers available to make progress.

At times they say, “Our heads hit the wall … and we realize how incapable we are without God’s help and wisdom.”

Pray for those faithful co-workers in order for the translation to continue and that God would help them break down those walls they often hit.

“I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see the believers growing in their faith. It is an awesome work we are involved in and we would not want to trade it for anything!” Frank says.

There is a confidence that if the missionaries had to leave for any reason there are enough mature believers that would continue to care for the body there and “carry on strong.”

We can praise God together for what He’s done in this maturing church. They are taking very seriously the privilege we have been given to, “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

You can help fund Bible translation around the world. Find out how.

Greg and Heidi Greenlaw and their family are always up for a visit back to the tribal village that was once their home. “It’s a different experience,” Greg writes, “part tent-revival, part world-aid and part family camp-out.”

But this visit was even more. It was a time for renewed assurance of God’s ongoing, faithful work in Nakui believers. It was seeing the Nakui church, not only growing in numbers, but taking God’s Word seriously.

It’s not church programs that are drawing many new faces to the church, Greg says. Instead, it’s the transformation clearly visible in the lives of Kibo, Suse and Sobai, Nakui church leaders.

“These three are treating their wives in a very different way than their fathers did before them,” Greg explains, “and they have happier families as a result. Their lives are bringing them credibility and are attracting nearly all the younger couples in the village to hear what they have to teach each Sunday.”

Greg says that also it was easy to see increased maturity in the interactions of Nakui believers with one another. Traditionally, he says, the tribe has divided themselves into kinship circles. “Think Hatfields and McCoys,” Greg writes. But this visit, there were examples of people who, when circumstances demanded it, had forsaken their blood families for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

This growing bond of unity in believers is most encouraging. “The sprig is growing,” Greg observes, “not just taller, but thicker.”

The Nakui church is, not too surprisingly, experiencing some persecution. One of the village’s leaders is vocally opposing the believers and at times heckles them on Sunday mornings.

“This is fantastic,” Greg observes. “He heckles to discourage them, but God is using it to galvanize their identity as a church.”

For Greg and Heidi, the Nakui church feels much like an 18-year-old who they have sent off to college. They have wondered often to themselves in years past how the struggling believers would make it on their own.

And three years ago, the picture was not encouraging.

“With only a few exceptions, the Nakui church was an unreliable group of pew warmers (stone sitters, log loungers?) in 2010,” Greg shares. So he is rejoicing to see that in those three years, God has worked in their hearts to make them “more genuine in their faith and more faithful in their service.”

It was a journey back to their old home that brought the Greenlaw family much encouragement and joy.

“As ever,” Greg adds, “we have only God to thank.”

The Banwaon translation check of the book of Romans is complete.

And Albert and Lynne Castelijn count it an “enormous privilege and enormous joy” to work on this Bible translation.

They are particularly delighted to think of the Banwaon people reading promises like these in their own heart language: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, not things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

This translation check is tough going. In order to faithfully convey truth, the process must be much more than simply a matter of switching words from English to Banwaon.

Albert spends very long days reading a passage to two tribal co-workers, who think the passage through and speak back to him what they understand it to mean. Then, in English, Albert tells the translation consultant what they have said. He carefully scrutinizes the passage to determine whether they have understood it entirely.

Then there is re-reading and more discussion, Lynne writes. “Did they get this point?” “Maybe this word needs to be clearer—or changed.” And finally, “That’s great—they got it exactly!”

The translation group sits long hours in heat and humidity, focusing intently. The tribal co-workers are not accustomed to this. Their days are usually full of farm work. Sitting on a chair for such long hours in deep concentration is very hard work for them.

The book of Romans, so beautiful and full of rich truth, is also very complex. Translating it was not a simple task.

But God, in answer to many prayers, graciously gave endurance, clarity of thought and insight that only He could provide.

Albert and Lynne’s heart desire in translation work continues to be “an excellent translation that glorifies God.”

Except for a few last-minute tweakings, the Romans translation project is done. Soon the Banwaon people will read these 16 chapters of God’s revealed truth for themselves.

Lynne writes, “Pray that they will be blessed as the rich truths of Romans strike deep within their spiritual consciousness and understanding.”

You can help translate God's Word for unreached people groups around the world. Find out how.

This week, Brooks Buser and five Yembiyembi believers saw the last section of the Yembiyembi New Testament checked, approved and almost ready for print.

“What a day!” Brooks shares joyfully. “Thank You, Lord!”

Though there is still some proofreading and formatting to be done, the diligent and painstaking project of translating this portion of God’s Word into Yembiyembi is essentially completed.

It was early 2004 when Brooks and Nina Buser first moved into the tribe began learning the culture and language of the Yembiyembi people.

“It’s been nearly nine years,” Brooks reflects.

And what a nine years it has been. It has, he says, involved five laptops (the intense heat and humidity are really hard on laptops), three centipede bites, 17 airstrip floodings and tractor breakdowns, nine cases of malaria, three believer baptisms that included hostile spears and bushknives present from those in opposition, dozens of graduates from the Yembiyembi literacy program and four full, ongoing presentations of the gospel through chronological Bible teaching in three years’ time. There has also been diligent discipling of new believers and of Yembiyembi church leaders.

Brooks has no idea “how many gallons of sweat and tears” have been invested in those years. But it’s all worth it. Finally there is a complete New Testament translation, along with Yembiyembi elders and Bible teachers mature in Christ and ready to carry on His work in the tribe.

“The church is doing well. … We continue to be encouraged about where it’s going,” Brooks shares.

The anticipation is for the Yembiyembi New Testament dedication to be held on October 8, 2013, “so mark your calendars,” Brooks writes.

“All of these things and more came through God’s sustaining mercy and grace,” Brooks expresses. “To Him be the glory!”

Join in the chorus of praise to God along with Brooks and Nina Buser, their co-workers, Tim and Courtney Shontere and all of the Yembiyembi believers.

You can help finish God’s project of taking His Word to the Yembiyembi people. You can pray for His work in completing all the details involved in delivering a finished copy of the Yembiyembi New Testament to the Yembiyembi church. You can also give to this project toward the remaining costs of seeing this translation printed and shipped.

Aaron Luse says that it took quite awhile for the news of the resurrection to get to the Patpatar people.

 “A couple of thousand years, actually,” Aaron writes.

Aaron ponders back to the first Resurrection Sunday and reflects, “That first Sunday, when the angel said, ‘He is not here for He is risen as He said,’ … changed history. … and I am guessing that the days that followed, when people received the news, were days that changed individual lives.”

Aaron likes to think of that Monday and all the days after it as days of proclamation of the resurrection truth and the glorious news of the gospel.

Last year around the season when we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, the gospel was first shared with the Patpatar people.

Joyfully, the triumphant news of Christ conquering death and offering eternal life and light finally reached these people who had walked in darkness and hopelessness for many long generations.

As the Patpatar people have heard, during this year, the unfolding of their Creator’s Good News, His grace has brought many to respond in repentance and faith in the work of Christ for them. Individual lives have been transformed. Patpatar culture has been impacted.

So much about this transforming work of God has been deeply encouraging.

Yet, as was the case in the early church, there have been some setbacks and discouragements.

“We have struggled with disappointment when tribal friends turn their backs on the truth of God’s Word or when things don’t go as planned,” Aaron writes.

In fact, in hard seasons, the difficulties may at times even seem to outweigh the blessings, he shares candidly.

“Yet we are encouraged and challenged to continue on when our perspective is focused on Christ and the fact that it is His work—and we simply get to have a part in it.”

It took a very long time for the gospel to reach the Patpatar people. And Aaron and Lori Luse are confident that the same rich grace of God that orchestrated the long process of taking it to them will see His work completed in Patpatar hearts for His glory.

“For those of us who have trusted Christ as Savior,” Aaron writes, “we live in the power of that Resurrection Sunday. And now …we live in the Monday of proclamation.”

Because, he reminds us, the sharing of the Good News of Christ’s death and resurrection and all He has secured for us is our ongoing call as believers in Jesus.

Would you like to help a missionary share the Good News with an unreached people group? Find a missionary you can partner with.

“We get to see God’s goodness on a regular basis here,” Eric Hedeen writes.

A recent journey to visit co-workers at a tribal village was no exception.

On a recent Tuesday morning, Eric and co-worker Tim Shontere, who is a church-planter in the Yembiyembi tribe, were to catch a flight for the first leg of their journey.

They arrived at the missionary aviation hanger to find out initially that the flight had been cancelled due to scheduling issues. However, the pilot cheerfully offered to change his schedule for the day and graciously bumped Eric and Tim’s flight to the front of the line.

“The Lord is good!” Eric affirms.

It was only a 35-minute flight to the small bush town with the airstrip where they landed. Once there, they experienced another blessing of God’s care for them.

Eric says that he and Tim had a few hours to kill before the boat was to arrive to pick them up. Even though the little village is “fairly developed by bush standards,” Eric and Tim didn’t have a lot of options for killing time while waiting for the boat. They decided to wander down to the river and once there, ran into a missionary couple from another mission organization who have ministry in that village. The friendly couple opened their home and the four spent time together sharing about their various ministries.

“It was an encouraging time and completely unexpected,” Eric notes.

Once again, God was at work in the details.

When their boat arrived, Eric and Tim were surprised to see it come ashore just 50 feet from the back door of their new friends’ house. “We simply stepped out their back door and jumped in the boat. What could be easier?” Eric says.

The five-hour trip upriver was smooth and uneventful and cloud cover even kept it from being too intensely hot.

Upon arrival, they were welcomed at the river’s edge by the Pei church-planting team and a majority of the 150 friendly and helpful villagers.

The church-planting team of missionaries that God has moved to the village to begin the task of learning the language and culture of the Pei people is composed of Justin and Lauren Rees, Chris and Evie Jones and Candace Swift.

“Our main purpose for making this trip was to help establish this church-planting team in the whole process of learning the culture and language of the people … three months from now, we’ll head back in to see how they are doing.”

Eric and Tim spent much of the two days in talking to the team about “the nuts and bolts” of learning culture and language in a tribal village. They walked them through getting into the village to practice different techniques for learning.

Another opportunity they had to serve and encourage the Pei missionary team was more in a practical area.

“Only the Rees’ house is more or less finished,” says Eric, explaining that the other two missionary houses still have a considerable amount of work to be done on them before they are completed.

Candace’s house still didn’t have solar panels installed and her chest-style freezer was not working.

“We had a bit of extra time … we offered to tackle those projects …  and so, by the end of the day, Candace had her panels up, her freezer nice and cold and a few other small projects were done as well.”

“It was nice to be able to be a blessing,” Eric shares of their time helping the Pei church-planting team.

On the return trip, the river portion of the journey was completed in a rather exciting way. They traveled in the dark with a young boy sitting on the front of the boat shining a flashlight to light the way. Eric has grave doubts that the flashlight did any good at all, but God was in the details. By His goodness, “we didn’t hit anything of significance,” Eric observes amusedly.

In fact, God took care of every detail of their journey. And Eric came away thankful and hopeful.

“We are very excited to see what will happen over the next year or two as this team learns the culture and language from scratch,” Eric writes. “They have a huge task ahead of them just to live in this remote village, much less to learn the culture and language.”

Eric and Tim were deeply impressed during their visit that the Pei people in the village desperately need to hear the gospel.

“These people need to hear,” Eric writes, “which is why we do what we do.”

Do you want to do what Eric is doing, and help reach tribes and transform lives? Discover opportunities.

As missionary Andy Shaub worked with Milton to build a kitchen for the Awa conference, he was happy to report how much God used that project and the ensuing conference to encourage him and his wife Chrissy.

He never anticipated all the culture and language he was able to gain as they worked to prepare.

The kitchen was very practical with hearth, dish washing station, sturdy counter, shelves, and even 2 benches for the cooks. There were plenty of small green bananas stocked on the shelf for use.

A pig was brought in on hoof and then butchered. Delia, along with two other ladies, faithfully prepared meals and served even though that wasn’t something she would normally take responsibility for.

Visiting Quichua from the high sierra did a drama about the Crucifixion. They played their traditional music and played games with the Awa people. There was a mutual appreciation even though their languages are very different. They showed their love and appreciation to one another by exchanging produce, corn, barley and beans.

There was even the desire of the ladies to be hospitable and welcome others to stay in their homes.

Milton and Paulino taught the Word faithfully. There were skits, a movie, and just a freedom for sharing mutually, Andy said. The believers took part in the Lord’s Supper and thanked God for His work in them.

In preparing for this conference Andy and Chrissy weren’t sure what to expect. They were so pleasantly surprised with how God used it to demonstrate the growth and maturity in so many of His believers.

The work of making disciples is being accomplished among the Awa.

Continue to pray for what God is doing in and through Andy and Chrissy and the Awa people in their region of the world.

You can help missionaries make disciples among the world's unreached people groups. Find a missionary to partner with.

They were working hard to get ready. The conference was to be held in their village for the first time. There was great excitement.

Then it happened. A break-in. A chase. A jump into the river. Rough water and his body floats away.

A police report was filed.

Now compensation for the death has to be made. The boy’s clan blocks the roads. Vehicles are vandalized and people beat up.

The Kuman church leaders try to help. Another attack and close escape for that leader.

The people are living in fear with threats and pressure from the dead boy’s clan.

Will and Kelly Tallman live among these Kuman people where the young man died in the rough waters of the river. They were in the village when this all started. God allowed them to get out before the fighting began.

Please pray for the Tallmans and the Kuman believers and their leaders as they work to resolve this situation peacefully. Let’s pray they get to have that conference that they were looking forward to.

Sitting in the Amazon with missionary Lindy Drake, Gustavo views the Bible lessons for Ephesians.

In his office in the United States, Barry Spor has the same lessons open on his screen.

Conversing back and forth about the lesson in the Guanano language, reading, making comments and suggestions for change, edits appear immediately. They work on the texts until they are both happy with the results in order to continue the translating of Bible lessons and checking by the missionary team.

“Progress was only limited by the coming and going of our internet signal, but even that couldn’t dampen my wonder at what was happening!” Lindy says.

The excitement over technology is an amazing change from Lindy’s February 2011 update where he expressed frustration. He had said of all the languages he’s learned he couldn’t seem to get the language spoken by his computer. The difficulties that arose in the past using his computers for translation and literacy were hard to work through in order to keep going.

Gustavo is encouraged too by how continuing to work on the editing with Barry via this computer program is growing his understanding of the truths from God’s Word. He likened his deeper understanding to how the people in his tribe clear jungle paths:

“When we make new trails in the dense undergrowth of the jungle, we move quickly, just breaking branches as we go, so we can find our way back. Someone trying to follow that path of broken branches can get lost pretty easily.

“If we are going to use the path repeatedly, then we use a machete and take time to clear the brush and undergrowth away. That well-made path is easy for anyone coming behind us to follow.

“When I heard lessons from Romans taught for the first time, it was like making a broken branch trail in the jungle. We were moving through the truth pretty quickly, and I was just getting the gist of what God was saying. If anyone wanted to follow me, or learn the truth of Romans from me, he would have gotten lost pretty easily.

“But since working on these Bible lessons, and carefully thinking about and expressing God’s truth in my language, I feel like we are clearing a wide and straight path through the jungle. Anyone who desires to come after us can easily follow.”

Let’s keep praying for Gustavo and others as they are learning while helping with the lesson planning from the Word of God.

You can also share Firm Foundation Bible lessons from Romans--no translation needed! Find out more.