Called By My Name

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Winter Park, Florida

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© 2014 Charles J. Micheals Published by the Aiyura Valley Historical Society

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: Pending

First Printing 2014 (Not for Sale) Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

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To the men and women who have given their lives to the work of Bible translation in Papua New Guinea.

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o one comes to the mission field expecting to be buried there. At the mission center at Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea (PNG) – headquarters for the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) – a small cemetery testifies to some who gave their lives to the work of Bible translation.

They have died due to illness, in tragic accidents on the highways or in the village, or have been killed.

However, for one family serving with SIL and who died in the village, only one small memorial plaque exists to remember this family and the seven Papua New Guinean villagers who died in March 1971.

I have written this book to give tribute to Walt and Vonnie Steinkraus, their early Christian upbringing and their motivation for Christian service to go to the farthest regions of the world to bring the Gospel to people who had never heard the Good News about Jesus Christ. Their lives helped bring the glory of God to the nations.

My thanks go to these who helped make this book possible:

 Dick and Phyllis Meier, Vonnie’s brother-in-law and sister. Dick died in January 2014.  William and Faith Steinkraus, Walt’s brother and sister-in-law.  Norman Steinkraus, Walt’s nephew (son of Sam Steinkraus).  Wilmur Gertz, Walt’s nephew (son of Edna Steinkraus-Gertz).  Marvin and Judy Gertz (son of Edna Steinkraus – Gertz).  Bill Wagner, Walt’s nephew (son of Esther Steinkraus-Wagner).  Alan and Phyllis Healey, Telfol Bible translators.

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 Al Pence, SIL PNG Branch Director in 1971.  David Cummings, former Wycliffe Bible Translator President, and his wife Ruth.  Jerry and Jan Allen, Halia Bible Translators.  Dennis and Nancy Cochrane, Duna Bible Translators; Nancy died in 2001.  Ron Carne, director of the Aiyura Agricultural Station in 1971, and his wife Joan. They are honorary members of the SIL PNG Branch.  David Carne and Hilary Carne, children of Ron and Joan; David lives in Melbourne, Australia and Hilary is a member of the SIL PNG Branch. Their other two children are Heather and Janet.  Ray and Marjorie Dubert, Biangai Bible Translators; Marjorie died in 2010.  Karl and Joice Franklin, Kewa Bible Translators.  Bruce and Joyce Hooley, Buang Bible Translators.  Marshall and Helen Lawrence, Oksapmin Bible Translators.  Jerry and Sue Pfaff, Nali Bible Translators.  Al and Susan Boush, Tifalmin Bible Translators.  Edie Bakker (Dye), close friend of Kerry Steinkraus.  Lois Ong (Healey), close friend of Kerry Steinkraus.  Yvonne Mooney, daughter of Pastor Mooney (EV Free Church, Sheboygan, WI).  Hugh Stevens, author of the book, The Measure of Greatness, written about the Steinkrauses.  Betty Keneqa, SIL PNG Archives.  Brian Moyer, Wycliffe Bible Translator Archivist.  Ralph and Joyce Fritz, friends of the Steinkrauses.  A. Edward Vinson, built the Steinkraus memorial in the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan, WI.  Keith Call and Ray Smith, Wheaton College alumni.  Kay Gesch, a sister-in-law and Ken Wyatt in editing this book.

A special word of thanks goes to my wife Barb for her patience with me during the time it took to collect material and to write this book. She encouraged me to keep working on this project and gave advice on many practical things. She also helped with editing and proofreading. Without her help, this work would not have been completed. Many others, too numerous to fully name, also helped with various remembrances for which I am grateful.

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alter (Walt) and LaVonne Steinkraus came to Papua New Guinea in May 1957. After finishing their linguistic training at the University of Oklahoma, they had found themselves on an ocean liner bound for the Territory of New Guinea, then a trust of the United Nations. They were eager to begin work among the Tifalmin (Tifal) people.

Although their first choice was the Oksapmin people, the Australian government supervising the territory would not allow them to live in that area, deeming it unsafe. They soon checked out the Tifalmin language community and felt called to begin work there. However, it would be 1961 before they were able to actually take up work there.

(Photo Courtesy – Wheaton College Archives)

The road to New Guinea was a long and challenging one for both Walt and LaVonne. They had grown up in Christian homes. Walter Leinhart Steinkraus was born to Dan and Malvina Steinkraus on November 24, 1925.

Walter grew up in the farming community in Gladwin, Michigan, located in the rural northwest lower part of the state. Walt was one of ten children, but the oldest of the three boys. He was the first to finish high school and attend college. His was a farm family, with hopes pinned on Walt to take over the farm due to his father’s crippling arthritis.

Life was hard for Walt as a youngster. Farm chores, building and mending fences and milking cows were a daily affair. Walt’s mother was a strong Christian; when Walt was born, she dedicated him to the Lord’s service as a preacher. Every day she read the Bible and every day the family sang hymns after breakfast, 7|Page

all in German since the family spoke very little English. That godly influence affected Walt because at age 11 he went forward in a revival meeting and professed faith in Christ. That profession also aided his younger brother Sam to do the same two days later.

1929 - The home of Dan and Malvina Steinkraus in Gladwin, Michigan from 1926 – 1934. (Photo Courtesy of Bill Wagner)

Dan Steinkraus family. Front Row L-R - Sam, Daniel (father), Violet, Malvina (mother), William.

Back Row (L-R) Esther, Edna, Marie, Margaret, Lillian, Walt. (Photo Courtesy of Wilmur Gertz)

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1929 – Family barn of Dan and Malvina Steinkraus in Gladwin, Michigan. Hulda Hartfil (sister of Malvina) and Steinkraus Children (Photo Courtesy of Bill Wagner)

2013 – Old family barn of Dan and Malvina Steinkraus in Gladwin, Michigan now owned by another family. Chuck and Barb Micheals. (Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

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Photo 1929 - L-R - Sam, Walter, Margaret, Marie, Esther, Edna and Lillian Steinkraus with cousins Gordon (on the Trike) and Oscar Hartfil (on the stump.) (Photo Courtesy of Bill Wagner)

2013 – Old family barn of Dan and Malvina Steinkraus in Gladwin, Michigan now owned by another family.

(Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

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Walt enjoyed school and did well academically. He graduated from Gladwin Rural Agricultural High School in June of 1945 – 16th in a class of 53 seniors. He also was the first in his family to reach this milestone.

After graduation from high school, Walt enrolled at the Coyne Electrical Institute. It was an electrical trade school in Chicago, Illinois, where his older sister was working. Growing up on the farm made this education a natural area for Walt, since farming always includes fixing and building and even tinkering with electricity.

Coyne Electrical School, Chicago, IL. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Halfway into his time at this trade school, he wrote his parents, telling them that he felt God was calling him to full-time Christian work. At first he wondered if this was his own feeling and desire, or if God was really calling him, since he didn’t know how he could take care of the farm and also get the training he would need for Christian work. He committed his thoughts to the Lord in prayer and waited for the Lord to show him the path to take.

Shortly after Walt wrote home, an opportunity came up for his father to sell the farm and move to Phoenix, Arizona. The weather would be better for him there. Soon, Walt was back home helping his 11 | P a g e

family pack and move. His parents purchased two duplexes, renting them out while living in one unit themselves. William, a younger son, took over helping his parents in the Phoenix area. That allowed Walt time to pursue Bible training at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He wrote on his application to Wheaton, “My desire is that He may always be preeminent in my life.”

1945 - Walt - High School Graduation.

(Photos Courtesy of Bill Wagner)

1954 - Walt - Wheaton College Graduation.

(L-R) Edna, Walt, Margret, Sam

While waiting for his acceptance, he helped with the wheat harvest in various places in the country. Soon he received word that he was accepted into Wheaton. He returned to the Chicago area, also taking up odd jobs in the fruit and vegetable fields. Eventually he worked for an air-conditioning company. All this work helped Walt pay his way through college. The largest share of his tuition came from a job at the Copeland Construction Company.

Through-out his college years, Walt studied hard. He didn’t show any interest in girls, but he developed a passion for running. Soon he found himself becoming a respected long distance runner at Wheaton College, often running bare foot. The discipline of running and the endurance it required was a great asset in New Guinea, where he had to take difficult hikes to various villages.

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In 1952 Walt placed 6th in the Loyola Invitational Cross Country meet and won a medal. He also won a silver medal for 2nd place in the two-mile run at the 1953 Central Association A.A.U. Championships. At one time, his running coach, Gil Dodds, thought Walt had the ability to be a national champion. In his senior year at Wheaton, Walt participated in a national collegiate four-mile meet. While he didn’t win that race, Dodds described Walt as having something deep inside that seemed natural.

Wheaton College cross country runners. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

At Wheaton, Walt also found time to attend the Foreign Mission Fellowship meetings. There he began to learn about missionary work and the need for missionary staff. He began to think of becoming involved in overseas mission work.

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After graduation in 1954, he attended Fort Wayne Bible College, where he took a class in Phonetics and was challenged by Wycliffe Bible Translators in the areas of descriptive linguistic and cultural anthropology. He soon became excited about the possibilities of joining the organization as a Bible translator.

The following summer he attended SIL, the Summer Institute of Linguistic school at the University of Oklahoma, to be trained as a Bible translator. There, on the tennis court, he met a friendly, vibrant and energetic student – LaVonne Schreurs.

Vonnie’s grandfather, Theodore Konings’ 600 acre family dairy farm in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin.

(Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus).

LaVonne Jean Schreurs’ growing-up years were not all that different from Walt's. She was born to Arthur and Nora Schreurs on November 26, 1928, and grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Theirs was a farming community, which made LaVonne love and appreciate rural life. However, what LaVonne liked most was the freedom she had in her community. She was surrounded by dairy farms and fields for hiking, ponds for skating, Lake Michigan for swimming, and local "ranches" for horseback

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riding. Her grandparents, Theodore and Martha Koning, had a 600 acre dairy farm on the shores of Lake Michigan in nearby Cedar Grove, Wisconsin where she spent many hours daydreaming of life ahead.

Like her grandparents, LaVonne’s parents were successful at what they did, making many these activities possible. Their desire was to create a godly and happy life for their daughters.

Arthur and Nora Schreurs (Photo Courtesy of Phyllis (nee Schreurs) Meier

Vonnie’s childhood home, Sheboygan, WI (Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

LaVonne grew up with one sister, Phyllis. “Phyll” was her best friend, who was just 15 months older. Together their growing-up years were enjoyable. The carefree life in a rural community was more important to LaVonne than either her educational instruction or her church instruction, which she thought was mostly about reciting answers to questions and filling her head with knowledge. The concept of needing to have a personal relationship with Christ and understanding a need for her own sins to be forgiven by Jesus did not occur until LaVonne’s college years. What LaVonne (Vonnie) enjoyed most was making friends, hanging out with them and having a good time!

A habit that Vonnie started at age 12 and continued through her life was that of writing a daily diary. This habit would serve her well, as she later needed to keep detailed notes of her linguistic work and preserve these notes for others to use. It also helped shape the book, Measure of Greatness, written about Walt and Vonnie by Hugh Steven. Some of the material for this book was gained from Hugh’s book.

Until her sophomore year in high school, Vonnie saw little practical use of education. This mattered very little to a young woman full of life and vitality with a passion for sports and riding horses and tending to 15 | P a g e

her work in the garden. However, in her last two years at Central High School in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, she improved academically and took school seriously and graduated as 81st in a class of 393 students.

However, her life was soon to change. Her sister Phyll attended a Christian Brethren Assembly. There she became a Christian after being asked if she was saved, to which she answered, “No”. Soon after the Good News was preached to Phyll, the joy of a new life in Christ filled her, and Vonnie became the focus of her attention.

By this time, 1947, Vonnie had graduated from high school and was enrolled at Rockford College in Rockford, Illinois. Early that fall, Phyll and a friend, Virginia Felton, drove to the college and spent the night talking to Vonnie about her need for Christ as Savior. While Vonnie responded “yes” to the invitation, she was far from convinced.

Vonnie accepted an invitation to attend Wheaton College’s Homecoming Week just to prove to herself that evangelical Christianity was not for her, but for religious fanatics. However, after the weekend, Vonnie realized she needed to make a decision to accept or reject the Good News of Jesus Christ. She returned to Rockford and studied the Bible. After reading II Corinthians 5:17 and a few other verses, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.

II Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

That night, October 19, 1947, God also impressed on her heart the desire to serve Him on the mission field. She wrote in her diary, “I’ll trust Him to send me where He wants me to go.”

After finishing her first year at Rockford College, she lost her interest in the all-girls school and applied to Wheaton, where her sister Phyll was going to attend. However, while her sister was accepted, she was not accepted. So she enrolled during the summer of 1948 at the University of Wisconsin. In the fall she applied to and was accepted for nurse’s training at West Suburban Hospital in Chicago, thinking it would be a good way to express her Christian love for helping others.

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Nurse’s training got her involved with Wheaton College students affiliated with the hospital and with nursing students from around the world. Vonnie finished her training, received her R.N. degree in 1951, and enrolled and was accepted at Wheaton, where she received a B.S. degree in 1952. Her path never crossed Walt’s at Wheaton.

Vonnie still exhibited her carefree and dreamy life in college. If given a choice between study and fun, Vonnie usually chose fun. However, her activities were sometimes limited by the motion sickness that plagued her throughout her life.

Vonnie Schreurs (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Then one evening Vonnie attended a showing of the Wycliffe Bible Translators first film, “O for a Thousand Tongues”. In that film, the story was told about Bill Bentley, a Bible translator to the Tzeltal people of Mexico. While attending linguistic classes at SIL in February 1941, he met Marianna Slocum, who was being trained as a Bible translator. They fell in love and planned to be married that August. However, six days before the wedding, Bill died. Feeling dazed, she wondered if she should go to the field alone and if she should take up Bill’s work.

Marianna called Cameron Townsend and asked if she could go and finish the work Bill began. Cameron answered, noting later, “Who would have the heart to say ‘no’ to such a request?” So she went and in 1947 she was joined by a nurse, Florence Gerdel. Together they translated the New Testament. Soon there were not only hundreds, but eventually thousands of believers in the place where Bill Bentley had found few.

The film ended with a verse from Revelation 7:9-10 and a call by Wycliffe’s founder for young people to join the work going on in Amazonia and around the world. Vonnie could not see how her life would in many respects mirror the story she had heard, but she was moved and left that night resolved to become involved.

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She soon voiced her intentions to study linguistics at SIL and then join Wycliffe to become a Bible translator. Her friends laughed. She seemed such an unlikely candidate for mission work. However, God had called her and she was willing to go. However, she first needed to prepare to go.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!

Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV)

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raduation from Wheaton came in the spring of 1952. Vonnie told her family that she planned to attend the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, where she would take the SIL linguistic classes and then go to Columbia Bible College in South Carolina. In the summer and fall of 1953 those plans turned into reality. In the summer of 1954 she returned to Norman, where her love for linguistics and Bible translation work grew. She continued her studies at Columbia Bible College that fall where her love for God’s Word and prayer flourished.

After finishing her second summer at the SIL linguistic school, Vonnie applied to Wycliffe Bible Translators with a desire to bring God’s Word to an unreached language community somewhere in the world. Vonnie was not the top student at SIL. However, her persistence at study, her grasp of linguistics, her love for God and His Word, and her ability to get along with people resulted in her application being accepted by the Board of Directors.

Vonnie was thrilled. Her next step was to attend SIL’s jungle training course in Mexico, headed up by Earl and Betty Adams, to prepare her for work overseas. On New Year’s Day, 1955, Vonnie boarded a train from Sheboygan to Laredo, Texas where she spent the night. In the morning she met up with other Wycliffe members. They cleared Mexico customs and took another train to Mexico City, where SIL had a headquarters. Eventually Vonnie made it to “Jungle Camp” in southern Mexico, albeit not without a few experiences of motion sickness.

This remote and rural camp was just the thing to excite Vonnie. Her love for hiking, horses, swimming and adventure were realized. Her interest in meeting new people and learning about their culture and language filled her days with interest. However she also experienced the trials of cross-cultural living and 19 | P a g e

the rigors of mission work. As part of her training, she listened to tapes by Cameron Townsend, founder of SIL and Wycliffe, and recorded a short note in her diary based on II Corinthians 1: 3-5:

“Difficulties are a blessing in disguise. When we have hardships and trials, it is God Himself who offers us comfort. And in turn we can help others because God’s grace is sufficient for every need.”

Vonnie left jungle camp eager to be assigned a language community as soon as possible. Her preference was Brazil or Peru, Brazil being her first choice, even though the work had not yet opened there. She wanted to skip the third summer of SIL at Norman and go directly to the field; however, the word came back that she needed to attend the third summer. She acknowledged in her diary, “… Romans 12 and 13 a great blessing. His will be done.”

The summer of 1956 saw Vonnie back at SIL in the throes of study. Yet she still found time to “be Vonnie” and sought out sports to engage in – especially if Harry, her current boyfriend, was around.

That same summer, Walt Steinkraus was attending SIL for his first linguistic studies at Norman in Oklahoma. He noticed Vonnie. She at first, was interested in both men, but after a frank discussion with the two, she decided that Walt was the one who really caught her attention. God’s Word had given direction in this decision and her prayers for wisdom were answered. This new romance changed Vonnie’s study habits: They greatly improved.

Toward the end of the semester, Walt applied to Wycliffe as a Bible translator. He too was accepted as a member, but assigned to the Pacific area. The romance continued. Vonnie traveled to Prescott, Arizona, with Walt to meet his parents. She found them likeable. However, it was time for her to travel back home to Wisconsin and get ready to go overseas.

As fall approached, Walt decided to go back to Chicago to attend Greek classes at Wheaton College.

Vonnie found a way to meet Walt and his brother William, who was also a student at Wheaton. There, she told Walt of her acceptance to serve in Peru. He later visited Vonnie’s parents.

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After that visit, Vonnie’s parents and sister wondered what Vonnie saw in Walt, since he was so shy and quiet. However, while Walt didn’t show much emotion, Vonnie’s sister did notice something that Vonnie had seen in Walt – a depth and sincere dedication to his calling as a missionary.

Over the next few months, Walt and Vonnie wrote many letters and wrestled with their relationship, since they seemed to be going in opposite directions. Walt was sure Vonnie was the one for him, but Vonnie wasn’t so sure. At other times, Vonnie was sure and Walt wasn’t. However, God was directing their steps.

In January 1956, Vonnie had her tickets for Peru in hand and felt torn. Her love for Walt had grown and yet she felt compelled to go to Peru. After much prayer, she decided to move ahead and go to Peru, leaving their relationship in God’s hands.

On January 5, 1956, she departed for Peru and soon found herself in Lima. After some initial language learning and cross-cultural training, Vonnie boarded a small SIL mission airplane to Yarinacocha (Yarina), the SIL jungle base in Peru.

The Center Director, Harold Goodall met with Vonnie to discuss finding a partner for jungle work. Vonnie shared with him her feelings for Walt and he encouraged her to be in prayer and to search the Scriptures for answers. Meanwhile, the search was on for a work partner for Vonnie.

At Yarina, Vonnie’s nursing skills were quickly put to work. The need for a center nurse quickly consumed her time. Vonnie enjoyed her work and so did the local people and other missionaries whom she treated.

The nagging feelings for Walt and the desire to do tribal work continued. Letters continued between Vonnie and Walt as they wrestled with God’s will for their lives and work.

Eventually, Walt wrote Vonnie a letter stating that he was accepted to work in New Guinea and that he was on his way to jungle camp in Mexico. He hadn’t told Vonnie, but he had written to Wycliffe asking permission for her to come to New Guinea. If they allowed it, he would pursue marriage plans with her.

If they refused, he was prepared to go to New Guinea alone since he was sure of his call to go there.

Walt finished his jungle training. In the summer of 1956 he found his way back to SIL, Norman, for his second semester of studies with a renewed calling to go to New Guinea. Vonnie was saddened by the 21 | P a g e

news, as her love for Walt had grown during their time of separation. In her response to Walt, she said she would be prepared to leave Peru if God had intended them to be together.

She quoted Job 42:2 in her reply.

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (NIV)

Vonnie began a period of fasting and prayer, and Walt too sought the Lord in His Word and in prayer. On August 25, 1956, Vonnie noted in her diary that she was ready to go and follow Walt to New Guinea if this was the Lord’s will.

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ycliffe directors wondered about the wisdom of having Vonnie leave Peru. After all, she had hardly settled in there and hadn’t yet made it out to a jungle language area. They wrote Harold Goodall to request his thoughts. He replied that, since Walt did not feel called to Peru and God intended for them to be together, he (Harold) approved the transfer.

Walt’s next letter to Vonnie came with a proposal for marriage! He said that the Lord had answered his prayer with verses from James 1:5 and Proverbs 4:11, 12.

Now, a decision needed to be reached by Wycliffe as to when to release Vonnie to the work in New Guinea. After discussions in Peru and contacting a few people, Harold Goodall was able to find a nurse to replace Vonnie, who was allowed to join Walt in his journey to New Guinea. Vonnie and Walt announced their engagement in “The Sheboygan Press” on December 20, 1956.

February 1957 -Walt and Vonnie announce their engagement. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

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(L-R) Usher - Richard Meier, Vonnie and Walt, Flower Girl - Linda Meier, Bridesmaid - Miss Dorothy Roelse, Ring Bearer - Kenneth Meier, Best Man - Thomas Branks, Usher - Edwin Vinson. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Vonnie finished her work as a nurse on February 8, 1957, at Yarina and returned to Wisconsin. She was commissioned as a missionary by her home church, the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan on Sunday, March 10. On Saturday, March 16, at 7:30 PM, Walt and Vonnie were married in the church.

Walter’s father had died, but his mother Mrs. Malvina Steinkraus, and Vonnie’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Schreurs, were present. Rev. Ellis Mooney performed the ceremony in a candle-lit sanctuary complete with candelabra and pink and white hyacinths and carnations. Vonnie carried a white Bible as she walked down the aisle. Music was provided by Mrs. Ellis Mooney, who sang, “Christian Wedding”, “O Perfect Love” and “O Promise Me”, accompanied by William Wright. The Bridesmaid was Miss Dorothy Roelse. Linda Meier was the flower girl. The best man was Thomas Branks of Fort Wayne, IN. Ushers were Richard Meier and Edwin Vinson. Kenneth Meier was ring bearer. Mrs. Elizabeth Cudney, Vonnie’s house mother at Yarinacocha, Peru, also attended the wedding. The reception was held at the Lakeshore Room at the YMCA.

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The S.S. Orion © Alex Naughton Collection. (http://www.oceanlinermuseum.co.uk/orion.html)

Shortly after their marriage they visited Wheaton College to bid farewell to their school and Walt’s brother. Their faces were set toward New Guinea. Then on April 6 in San Francisco, they boarded the ship, the S.S. Orion, bound for Sydney, Australia, their honeymoon trip to New Guinea.

They spent a day in Hawaii sightseeing and marveling at the tropical flowers on the island. Somehow they missed the ship’s departure and had to be brought to the ship by a tug boat. They had to climb up a lowered rope ladder.

Finally they arrived in Sydney and quickly boarded an old DC-6 for the ten-hour flight to Port Moresby, the territorial capital. From there they flew to the northern town of Lae and then on to the underconstruction SIL Linguistic Center, Ukarumpa. It was May 1, 1957 when they arrived in Ukarumpa, almost ten years since Vonnie first expressed interest in mission work in the fall of 1947.

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hen Walt and Vonnie arrived, the Ukarumpa center, located in the Aiyura Valley, Papua New Guinea was in its infancy. There were only nineteen adults and eight children who had previously arrived. So few houses had been built that a garden shed was cleaned out for them to live in until a house was available.

The first house built on the Ukarumpa Center. (Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

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Branch main Meeting House at Ukarumpa that Walt helped build. (Photo Courtesy of Gail May)

Walt found his construction skills put to use right away since houses and office buildings were just beginning to take shape. One of Walt’s first jobs was working in the saw mill cutting lumber. One of the buildings Walt helped build was the main Meeting House. Walt poured cement in ten-foot squares for the floor, doing it all by hand with a wheel barrow with a wooden wheel that he built. When electricity reached the center a few years after Walt and Vonnie arrived, Walt used his electrical skills to wire the new buildings. Walt was a good carpenter and a multi-skilled handyman, able to fix most anything.

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Ukarumpa in 1956 – Dr. Jim Dean explores Aiyura Valley. (Photo Courtesy of SIL PNG Branch Archives)

Walt Steinkraus (left), Bill Oates, David Cummings at the new sawmill. (Photo Courtesy of Bruce Hooley)

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1958 – The SIL New Guinea Branch members at the first SIL PNG Branch Conference. Walt – Back row 2nd from the right, Vonnie - Middle row 2nd from the right. The Steinkraus house is visible at far right. (Photo Courtesy of Bruce Hooley)1

Once they were in New Guinea, Walt and other newly arrived members David Cummings and Ray Nicholson made a survey hike down to the Markham Valley in search of a site for the New Guinea Jungle Camp. No longer would the many missionaries planning to serve in New Guinea have to take their Jungle Camp training in Mexico, as Walt and Vonnie did.

Walt hiked up and down the mountains with hardly a change in pace. When he came to a river that needed to be crossed, he stuffed his trouser legs with his supplies and put them over his head, keeping everything high and dry as he waded through the water. The New Guineans laughed as Walt would get washed downstream because he was so lightweight! The people were amazed to see such a slim white man and named him the “man bun nating” (a Tok Pisin trade word meaning, “A man who is nothing, but skin and bones!”).

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Back Row (L-R)Lex Collier, Don Davis, Alan Healey, Jim Dean, Dick Lloyd, David Cummings, Karl Franklin, Des Oatridge, Ray Nicholson, Alex Vincent, Lois Vincent, Bruce Hooley, Joyce Hooley, Harland Kerr, Bill Oates, Robert Young, Ray Brown, Walt Steinkraus, Edie West.

Middle Row (L – R) Val Collier, Launa Davis, Glady Dean, Doreen Marks, Gwen Gibson, Jenny Oatridge, Ruth Nicholson, Lyn Oates, Marie Kerr, Rosemary Young, Vonnie Steinkraus, Joice Franklin.

Front Row (L – R) Jean Langley, Joy McCarthy, Glady Nealy, Lorna Luff, Audrey Payne, Dot Drew, Kathy Barker, Darlene Bee.

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It wasn’t long before Walt and Vonnie became involved as staff members at the New Guinea Jungle Camp, which was just being set up by Earl and Betty Adams. Earl and Betty had been asked to leave their work at the Mexico Jungle Camp in order to set up a new jungle camp in New Guinea.

Walt and Vonnie enjoyed their jungle camp work; the Adamses and other new missionaries appreciated their vitality, cheerful spirits and willingness to do whatever needed to be done. Vonnie enjoyed and appreciated the horses, which were part of the jungle camp training. Ron Carne, director of the Aiyura Agricultural Station which had been operating in the valley since the late 1930s, graciously allowed SIL to use some of their horses to get around the 500 acre center. These also were helpful for horseback riding in the jungle camp training.

Vonnie (2nd from left) rides a horse in the highlands. (Photo Courtesy of Bruce Hooley)

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Jungle Campers about to leave Ukarumpa for the Markham advance base in 1958. Chet Frantz is driving the tractor.

Vonnie (standing) with Walt in the red shirt were on staff to help new members. (Photo Courtesy of Bruce Hooley)

At Ukarumpa the Steinkrauses were known for their hospitality to new arrivals. Their house, which Walt built, had the largest living room on center and so was often used for potlucks and fellowship. Many Australians were introduced to pizza for the first time in their home. The Steinkraus yard had several flower gardens, which often furnished the flowers for celebrations, including weddings, at Ukarumpa.

Vonnie became pregnant during their first years at Ukarumpa, and on November 21, 1959, Kerry Lynn was born at the Lutheran Mission Hospital near the northern coastal town of Madang. Coming back to Ukarumpa with a new little family member, they continued their work in various support roles while they waited for the opportune time to take on a Bible translation project.

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1961 - The Steinkraus home at Ukarumpa. (L-R) Gladys Strange (Neely), Vonnie, Joy McCarthy, Kathy Glasgow (Barker) (Photo Courtesy of Alan Healey)

2011 - The Steinkraus home at Ukarumpa. (Photo Courtesy of Craig Campbell)

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Vonnie, Kerry and Walt. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

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hile Walt and Vonnie first wanted to do Bible translation work with the Oksapmin people, that area was still restricted by the government due to tribal unrest. Fighting in 1953 in the Telefolmin area that had resulted in the death of two Australian Kiaps and two local New Guinean police men kept the area closed for several years. So, they chose instead to go to Tifalmin, believing God was directing their steps.

The Tifalmin village where the Steinkraus family lived and worked. Their home is at the far left near the garden and metal roofed small building. (Photo Courtesy of Bruce Hooley)

The Tifalmin area is a part of the valley of the Ilam River, which included a minor tributary of the Sepik River with that name, located in the Telefomin Sub-district. It is located near the Sepik and Fly Rivers and 35 | P a g e

is part of the watershed formed by the Star Mountains and the Hindenburg Range, which rises over 11,000 feet. A large portion of the area is known for its limestone cliffs. These proved to be a major barrier for the outside world making contact with the Tifalmin people.

The dense rain forest valley is rich in flora and fauna and has a large diversity of bird life. However, the entire limestone belt along the Fly/Sepik Rivers was an unstable area. Major earthquakes were not uncommon. Minor shocks were frequent and so the steep, tree-lined slopes were prone to landslides.

When first discovered in the 1930s, there were between 500 – 600 people who spoke the Tifal language; however, by the 1960s their number had grown to more than 2,800.

The Telefolmin area had become more easily accessible when an emergency airstrip was first built in 1935 by gold seekers in the area. It was greatly extended and improved by Australian and American armed forces in 1944. It was intended to be an emergency landing strip for bombers flying from Queensland, Australia to Hollandia (Jaya Pura), but it was never actually used during the rest of the war. It has been extended and improved several times in the years since.

In early 1950’s the Baptist New Guinea Mission, which had started from an outreach by the Baptist of New South Wales in Australian, had begun work in the Telefomin area and had built a small mission station there. Since the airstrip was already built there, they set out over the next few years to build more small bush airstrips in the area to further their mission work. That made travel into the remote areas quite easy and also paved the way for the Steinkrauses to finally begin their Bible translation work.

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Walt & Vonnie’s house in the village. (Photo Courtesy of A. Edwin Vinson)

Walt & Vonnie in the village with their daughter Kerry (other woman’s name is unknown). (Photo Courtesy of Bruce Hooley)

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The Okbilibip village where the Steinkraus family decided to locate in the Tifalmin language area was located near the Ilam River. It was about a mile away, on the opposite side of the river from a forested limestone cliff. The village was also where the Baptist Mission was commencing work and where in 1959 they had built an airstrip at the edge of the village. However, the area was still largely undeveloped when the Steinkrauses were finally able to move there in February 1961. Tribal fighting, cannibalism and local unrest with the white men moving into the area was still ongoing and so the movement for Walt and Vonnie in the language area was limited. The government allowed them to travel only as far as a mile away from the Baptist airstrip.

(Photo Courtesy of SIL PNG Archives)

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At first the work was very slow going. Learning a tribal language is difficult, and along with the tribal problems in that area, the early years in the village were challenging. Spiritual darkness seemed to engulf the people and tribal fights. Village family disturbances, stealing, lying and belief only in evil spirits made the village a place where godly wisdom and much prayer was needed in order to work. Walt and Vonnie informed their supporters and churches of these challenges and asked them to continue in prayer.

Meanwhile they began to look for people to help them learn the language and face the darkness.

God answered those prayers by sending two men to help. They both had become Christians at Ukarumpa through the witness of the three McClure sisters (known as the “Three Aunties”), who operated a children’s boarding home. Milok became a good translation helper, and Titelab assisted. Both grew in their faith, but Titelab fell into sin. Eventually he repented and enrolled in the Baptist Mission School operating in the area, but later contracted spinal meningitis and died.

Translation Allocations 1966 – Steinkrauses 28th translation team to start work. (Photo Courtesy of SIL PNG Branch Publication)

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Eventually, after months of trying to communicate the Gospel in the little Tifal they knew, the first Tifalmin couple in the village, Suyeng and Kogan, professed faith in Christ in December 1962. It was an exciting encouragement since their work in the area of health had been discouraging. Some village people, who should have gotten better, died. Others who started treatment stopped taking their medication and turned back to their magic and belief in evil spirits. The Steinkrauses were reminded of Ephesians 6:12 that their battle was not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness.

Typical Tifalmin village. (Photo Courtesy of A. Edwin Vinson)

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uring the Steinkrauses’ years in the country, Walt was often called on to assist new translation teams moving into the country. One such occasion was when Jerry and Jan Allen were beginning their translation work with the Halia people in New Guinea in 1962. Shortly after their arrival, the Branch Director, Dr. Jim Dean, asked Jerry to make a visit to several villages near Ukarumpa. He was to accompany two women, Mary Stringer (Australian) and Joyce Hotz (American) to the Waffa language community so they could begin translation work.

Mary Stringer and Joyce Hotz in Waffa village doing Bible translation work.

(Photo Courtesy of Wycliffe Bible Translators’ Archives)

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Jerry wanted to help, but his other hiking partner had come down with malaria and couldn’t go. In his place, Walt was asked to participate and he quickly agreed to do so. He put his own work on hold to help these two young new Bible translators get started.

The trip involved a one-day drive from the Ukarumpa center plus a two and one-half day hike. No expatriates had yet been into the language area except Australian Patrol Officers, but after being assured that the local people were friendly, Jerry, Walt and the two women set off.

The first day they hiked through several villages in the wide and relatively flat Markham Valley. The next day and a half was tough climbing before they arrived at the first Waffa village, called Kusing. Mary had no problem climbing the mountain, but had difficulty descending it. Joyce had the opposite problem. She had difficulty getting up the mountain, but not coming back down. Walt and Jerry did fine.

The local people were fascinated with the two white “meris”, as women are called in Tok Pisin. They had only seen white Australian men. After giving assurances to the SIL New Guinea Director by short wave radio that everything was fine, the group continued to hike to the three main villages of the Waffa language group. They estimated the total number of Waffa speakers to be about 700, a small group. But, as Jerry Allen described things, “Didn’t the Waffa people have the right to have God’s Word in their own language as we do in English? Why should they have to learn of God’s grace through a language that is foreign to them?”

After leaving the two women and the radio in Kusing, where the women decided to locate, Jerry and Walt went on a three-day “extension trip” for the purpose of walking through several Waffa villages and hamlets, eliciting word lists to try and identify any dialect changes. They took with them a few national carriers and guides.

On their trip they located another language group, the Yabi, an isolated language community with no Scriptures. More workers would be needed.

Finally, Jerry and Walt decided to return to Kusing to check on the two women. After downing a light breakfast of “porridge” (oatmeal), they started on their trek back to Kusing. Each village they passed was

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deserted; therefore, there was no village in which to buy food. They were hungry. Finally they found a woman who sold them a cucumber; Jerry ate half and gave half to Walt.

As they trekked on, Jerry grew faint. He asked the guide, “Kusing i stap long we?” (Is Kusing far?). The guide answered, “Em i long we liklik.” (It’s a fairly long way.) After a while, Jerry began to struggle more on the rough path and so he again asked the guide, “Kusing i stap we?” (Where is Kusing?) The guide answered, “Em i no long we tumas.” (It’s not very far). By then Jerry was becoming very weak as they had had no food since their light breakfast and they had found no one to sell them any. Again, Jerry asked the guide if they were near Kusing. The reply came back, “Em i klostu liklik.” (It’s pretty close). All this time Walt was taking the hike in stride. Being a long distance runner, he found the hike enjoyable and not too difficult.

Finally the guide exclaimed, “Em ya!” (There it is!). There before them was a beautiful sight: Kusing village just ahead! Somehow Jerry managed to draw on his final reserves now that their destination was in sight.

Walt finished the hike with energy to spare. God had built into Walt a ruggedness that had prepared him for such a life.

Tifalmin village life. (Photo Courtesy Of Norman Steinkraus)

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Eventually the Lord brought the two men safely back to Ukarumpa with nothing worse than raw, sore feet from the long hike. The mission had been accomplished and the Waffa people were a step closer to seeing the beginning of a Bible translation project by these two women who remained in Kusing.

This was not the only occasion for which Walt put his own work aside to help others. He made other such trips and soon picked up the invaluable skill of being a Bible translation checker. He was able to take what he learned in Bible translation work and pass it on to others, helping make sure other translations were being done accurately. Walt was well liked. With his sense of humor, he and other branch members performed skits at various branch meetings.

Helping fellow translators was one trait of the Steinkrauses, as was generosity. On more than one occasion, Walt and Vonnie helped out with the practical needs of others.

One couple they helped was Dennis and Nancy Cochrane, who had just started translation work with the Duna people. One day Walt and Vonnie found out that Dennis and Nancy were using a small, two-burner Primus kerosene stove in the village. Walt and Vonnie had a propane gas stove and really enjoyed it; they wanted Dennis and Nancy to have that same enjoyment. They gave them the money to buy one!

Another occasion was when fellow Bible translators, Alan and Phyllis Healey, were building a house at Ukarumpa. Early in the morning Walt arrived with some timber. Without saying a word he went to the back of the house that was about a meter above the ground and skillfully and swiftly built steps up to the back door and then left just as silently.

One other display of generosity by the Steinkrauses, which later bloomed into a significant Christian ministry, was their hospitality to Doris, Elsie and Olive McClure, three sisters from Australia known as the “Three Aunties”. These ladies were “parents” to the missionary children living in the boarding home at Ukarumpa, the home later named DORELO (DORis, Elsie, Olive)2.

2

To read more about the Three Aunties, read the book “What God Can Do” by Charles Micheals http://www.issuu.com/cbmicheals/docs/what_god_can_do

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They left this work to continue the Sunday School class they started for the national children who lived in a nearby village with the name, Ukarumpa. Before their move to the village where a house was being built for them, they needed a place to live. Walt and Vonnie opened up their home to them. From that church have come many men who have taken on important leadership positions in support work at the translation center at Ukarumpa and in the surrounding Aiyura Valley.

DORELO missionary children boarding home at Ukarumpa. (Photo Courtesy of Gail May)

The Three Aunties (L-R) Elsie, Doris, Olive) (Photo Courtesy of SIL PNG Branch Publication)

Ukarumpa village church (Photo Courtesy of Brian Chapaitis)

Each time the Steinkrauses put aside their own work to assist other, God graciously expanded His Kingdom in new ways. It was as if the Steinkrauses always bloomed where they were planted and God brought the increase!

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ventually, in April 1963, the Steinkrauses were scheduled to return to the states for their first furlough.

It was more than five years since they had seen their families in Wisconsin and Arizona. However, Dr. Ken Pike, a renowned linguist from SIL, had planned to travel to New Guinea for a special workshop on language development. Walt and Vonnie decided to stay in New Guinea to take advantage of the workshops and also to develop a greater relationship with the Tifalmin people.

JAARS 185 Cessna – Jim Baptista Pilot. (Photo Courtesy of SIL-PNG Aviation)

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Then, their world changed. After attending the workshop at Ukarumpa and returning to the village, Vonnie got deathly sick with what was described as cerebral malaria. No time could be wasted for her evacuation from the village.

A plane from Ukarumpa was dispatched. However, bad weather set in over the village. It looked unlikely that the plane could land. However, just as all hope was gone, God opened a small patch between the clouds, allowing the plane to land. Due to the bad weather, only a short time was given to load Vonnie, Walt and Kerry. In the same way as the plane had gotten in, the Lord opened a small patch of clear sky where the plane was able to take off. They flew back to Ukarumpa, where the medical staff was able to stabilize Vonnie, who was in a near-coma situation. In the morning, Vonnie was taken by plane to the Lutheran Hospital in Madang for better treatment. There, she improved and returned to health.

A lesson was learned through this hardship. Walt noted in a letter home that commitment to Christ was more important than their service.

Within a short time after Vonnie’s return to full health, the Steinkraus family returned to the states for their furlough.

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fter a refreshing year, 1963 - 1964, they returned to Ukarumpa and also found great encouragement from the other missionaries there. Vonnie took to making the house a home again; soon the house and yard was the flower capital of Ukarumpa, enjoyed by all the center residents. Their yard had bee hives, chickens and even the first peach tree at Ukarumpa!

Edie Dye and Kerry Steinkraus at Ukarumpa. (Photo Courtesy of Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA Archives)

Kerry too resumed life at Ukarumpa and spent many weekends together with her best friends. Kerry enjoyed having fun with Edie Dye, Elizabeth Strange, Lois Healey and the other girls by riding horses, 49 | P a g e

swimming in the nearby river, working in the garden and hiking with her father and playing with her dog Tobey. Kerry was a gentle and a somewhat shy, but very likeable, girl with a big and wholesome imagination.

Kerry had great respect for her parents, who were known by others as very loving and kind parents. She learned the Gospel at an early age from her parents and so, even as a young girl she often prayed together with her friends. She openly shared her faith with the other village children. She was also conscious and aware of her sinfulness.

1971 - Kerry and Kathryn in the Tifalmin village. (Photo Courtesy of A. Edwin Vinson)

On one occasion when Kerry was around the age of seven, she and Lois made a mixture of hibiscus leaves, soil and water in a bottle lid to ‘make a spell against their enemies’. In retrospect, they were shocked at themselves and acknowledged to one another that what they had done was very wrong.

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Kerry and her friends often played in her backyard at Ukarumpa, which sloped down to the edge of the Bae River, the river that borders two sides of Ukarumpa. At the water’s edge, where the fork of a big old tree overhung the river, Kerry and her friends would sit for hours daydreaming, having fun and doing everything short of hopping into the water (which they were not allowed to do without adult supervision). This special spot, along with the Steinkraus house, became a place where many of Kerry’s friends would call “home,” even well into their adult years.

Kerry gave to her friend Lois a special gift just before she died. Vonnie had gone to dinner at the Healeys’ house at Ukarumpa. She gave the Healeys a box meant for Lois. Due to miscommunication, Lois became aware of the gift a month later, after Kerry’s death. In the box, sitting under the house, was a milk tin (approx. 6”x8”) full of a large number of live blue and black weevil beetles (eupholus bennetti) local to the Tifalmin area, as well as a few staghorn beetles. At the top of the tin there was a letter from Kerry, somewhat the worse for wear with moisture and mould damage from the time under the house.

When Kerry was younger she had observed these beetles in the village. She watched what they ate, where they were, and admired their various colours. She brought them into Ukarumpa several years before she died and had tried on many occasions to set up enclosures to make pets of them. They were amazing escape artists, even with fine mesh.

Blue and black weevil beetles. (eupholus bennetti) from Kerry ( Photo Courtesy of Lois (Healey) Ong)

On one accession Kerry and Lois even hunted down some of the type of vine the beetles fed off, in hopes of planting these vines in the enclosure, which came complete with water! However, whatever they did, beetles had always died.

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The beetles Kerry left Lois in the tin were still alive when Lois opened the tin. They had eaten almost all of the leaves in the tin and wouldn’t eat after they were taken out. Then some began to die and some escaped from the cardboard box Lois had put them in. After several died, Lois kept them in tissue paper in the tin that Kerry sent her. Eventually, when only eight beetles were left, Lois released them into the grasslands near Ukarumpa in hopes that they would eat and lay eggs.

It should be noted that there are a number of these weevils still around Ukarumpa to this day and now you know how they got there!

Letter to Lois Healey from Kerry Steinkraus (Photo Courtesy of Lois (Healey) Ong)

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fter the Steinkrauses returned to New Guinea, Walt and Vonnie resumed their work of translating the Bible for the Tifalmin people. Soon portions of the Scriptures were being printed and distributed. Hymn books for the newly established church were printed, all this for the first time in the Tifalmin language.

Walt too found extra responsibilities as he became the first RAD (Regional Assistant Director) for the area.

Walt Steinkraus and Tifalmin translation helper. (Photo Courtesy of Al Pence)

By 1967 the Steinkrauses had learned the Tifalmin language well enough to have a good alphabet. They had begun to teach the people to read and write their own language and had just finished translating

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Mark, a first draft of Acts and published the books of Genesis and I John. Work was progressing smoothly and God was moving in the hearts of the people. The “Gospel Recording” records of the book of Genesis were also made available to the people. One night after hearing the Gospel recording, a Tifalmin man said “This is like food to us”. This moving by the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Tifalmin people was so strong that the people in the village asked to have a full-time pastor who could teach them God’s Word. Soon one from the Australian Baptist Mission would come to take up this work.

In August 27, 1968, God gave them another precious gift. Little Kathryn (Kathy) was born at Ukarumpa and brought untold joy to family and the village people.

Kathryn in a bilum string bag – October 1969 (Photos Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Kathryn - March 1970 (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

During the next several years the Steinkraus family made many trips out to the village and then returned from time to time to Ukarumpa in order to care for the educational needs of Kerry. The school at Ukarumpa provided a good education for their children. However, when the Steinkrauses were in the village the teachers at Ukarumpa would call by short wave radio to the village to help Vonnie and Kerry with school work.

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Walt was busy in these years doing his linguistic research. In 1969 he published his paper entitled, “Tifal Phonology Showing Vowel and Tone Neutralization”. He also began work on a paper entitled, “A Preliminary Vocabulary of Tifal with Grammar Notes,” which was eventually published in 1972. These and other important academic papers were essential to understanding the language and eventually would prove invaluable when translating all of the New Testament.

Walt and village men – Language learning in the village. (Photo Courtesy of Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA Archives)

Before long, it was time for them to head to the states again for their second furlough. Before going, they made sure that copies of all their linguistics and Bible translation work were stored safely at Ukarumpa.

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Walt and village men – Language learning in the village. (Photo Courtesy of Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA Archives)

Village life. (Photos Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

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Vonnie and Kerry in the village. (Photo Courtesy of Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA Archives)

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Film of village people found In the landslide (Photos Courtesy of the SIL PNG Branch Archives)

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heir year back in the states, 1969 – 1970, was a challenging one with the antiwar protests and civil rights struggles. These struggles confirmed to them that those with no hope and no Scripture demanded their devotion and dedication.

There were plenty of fun times on furlough as Vonnie and the family returned to Wisconsin to enjoy family and the winter weather. There was time for skiing and skating and hiking along the shores of Lake Michigan, and time to visit her grandfather’s farm in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. Walt was able to take a course in Hebrew at Wheaton College and they visited family in Arizona. Too soon it was time to say good bye and head back to New Guinea.

Kerry with village children – October 1969. (Photo Courtesy of William and Faith Steinkraus)

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1971 - Vonnie and Kerry and Kathryn enroute back to New Guinea. (Photo Courtesy of A. Edwin Vinson)

The departures were harder this time. The parents of Walt and Vonnie Steinkrauses now not only had children overseas, but grandchildren and the length of time spent overseas sometimes made the Steinkrauses children homesick for their grandparents and the grandparents missing their grandchildren.

However, Walt and Vonnie knew God had called them to New Guinea to “preach� the Gospel, so they returned to Ukarumpa late in the fall of 1970.

By 1970, the Steinkrauses had served and worked in New Guinea for 13 years. As a couple they were entering the prime of their life. Kerry Lynn was 11 and little Kathryn, 2. Walt was 45 and LaVonne, 42.

Their marriage was strong and vibrant, as was their love for the Lord and their faith in Him. They both had the energy needed to do the work and the advanced training to be able to carry on the Bible translation project. Both still had a love for the outdoors and were in great physical shape. They continued to enjoy the supervising and distributing of food from the SIL garden at Ukarumpa. In fact, Vonnie had enjoyed a mainly vegetarian diet long before it was popular!

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Vonnie, Kerry and Kathryn. (Photo Courtesy of Al Pence)

Walt and Kerry. (Photo Courtesy Norman Steinkraus)

Vonnie and Kerry with horses at Ukarumpa. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

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Walt with Kerry and Kathryn in the village. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

When Walt returned to the village for a two-week stay in late 1970, the people were overjoyed to see him. As the plane landed near the village, the children were jumping up and down with joy and the village leaders and other community people crowded around the plane to meet Walt and shake his hand. They told him they had been praying for the family’s safe return and were happy to have them return to the Bible translation work!

The school had suggested Vonnie and the kids stay back at Ukarumpa for Kerry’s schooling, so after that two-week stay in the village, Walt returned to Ukarumpa to help Vonnie. In preparation for returning to the village in January, 1971, Walt and Vonnie contacted Dennis and Nancy Cochrane with a request. The Cochranes were volunteering as house parents at “Teen Manor”, one of the boarding homes at Ukarumpa for missionary children: Might Kerry stay with them, Walt and Vonnie asked? Since this would be her first separation from Mom and Dad, they were a bit anxious about it.

However, as the time of their departure for the village grew near, Walt and Vonnie had a change of heart.

They decided to take Kerry with them to the village one more time before having her attend the boarding school. So, the entire family headed back to the village January 15, 1971.

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Tifalmin village men greet the Steinkrauses upon their return to the village. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Once settled back at the village, Vonnie heard of some special meetings back at Ukarumpa with Rev. Herman Riffel, who had stayed on at Ukarumpa after spending several weeks of preaching. She felt those meetings could help them understand some of the cross-cultural difficulties that had troubled them in the village. So, in early March Vonnie left Walt and the children in the village and she returned to Ukarumpa by herself.

She was greatly encouraged by the messages by Rev. Riffel. Before flying back to the village, Vonnie met her friends at the agricultural station, where they rode horses around the valley. Vonnie spoke of the spiritual need of the Tifalmin people. Though the Tifalmin people were happy to have them do Bible translation work in the village, there was still a bondage to evil spirits and to Satan. Vonnie asked her friends to pray that the Lord would do something to break Satan’s stronghold.

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Rev. Herman and Mrs. Lillie Riffel (Photo Courtesy of SIL PNG Branch Publication)

Ukarumpa 1966. (Photo Courtesy of Wycliffe Bible Translators’ Archives)

On March 19, 1971, Vonnie was set to fly back to the village. She picked up, from the Ukarumpa Print Shop, some recently developed photos. Then, just before heading out to the village, she stopped by the home of Ray and Marge Dubert, who were Bible translators for the Biangai people.

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Vonnie knew the Duberts. She sang at their wedding in the summer of 1954. However, on this day Marge’s thoughts turned to the Steinkraus children and she asked Vonnie about keeping Kerry in the boarding school in order to give her an opportunity to experience life there. Vonnie replied that they “Wanted to glorify God as a family�. So off Vonnie went to be reunited with her husband and the two children in the village.

All was well with the Steinkraus family. They were united as a family doing the work God had called them to do. They had come back to New Guinea to resume their Bible translation work and the villagers had welcomed them with open arms. New believers were growing in their faith, a small church had been planted and, after thousands of years, the Gospel was reaching the islands of the South Pacific.

The love song found in Song of Solomon 2:12 was never more appropriate for the family as it was on that day. All was right in their world!

Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of the doves is heard in our land. (NIV)

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onnie arrived safely in the village on March 19 and returned to her home and family on the Ilam River opposite a nearby mountain. She had taken with her their newly finished prayer letter and envelopes that needed addressing. The newsletter focused on the theme of Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.� (NIV)

March 20, 1971 - Vonnie, Kerry and Kathryn with village girl. (Photo Courtesy of A. Edwin Vinson)

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Two days later, on March 21, 1971, a beautiful sunny Sunday, the Steinkraus family joined the Tifalmin believers to worship together in church. In the service Walt spoke on Mark 12:1-12.

“Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

“Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. He had one left to send, a son whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.

Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; And the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

“Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.” (NIV)

They talked awhile afterward and returned home. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. Many of the villagers took the opportunity to work in their gardens or gather firewood. It was 1:30 p.m. Walt was reading and Vonnie was cooking lunch. Kerry was playing near the river with a village friend and Kathryn was sleeping in her cot.

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March 20, 1971 - Kerry and Kathryn with village girl in the village (Photo Courtesy of A. Edwin Vinson)

Suddenly a thunderous explosion was heard! A villager was on a nearby hill and looked back to see the sound. She saw Walt run out of the house and Vonnie run out after him. Then they both turned back and knelt down together as massive earth and trees from the exploded mountain rolled over them. An older man also ran into the village to get a valuable string bag and was immediately buried.

A tremendous landslide, one half mile long, 400 feet high and 100 feet deep, came crashing down with a terrific force, crossed the river and covered the village. In just 20 seconds everything in its path was buried in fifteen to twenty feet of mud and debris! More than 3 million tons of material had covered everything!

In that instant, God’s sovereign, invisible hand was seen and the plans of men were forever changed! The Steinkraus family and seven other Tifalmin villagers (three adults and four children) were gone.

The news report from Moody Radio of the landslide and deaths: www.soundcloud.com/user-872675577/moody-radio-news-report-of-the-steinkraus-deaths 69 | P a g e

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t Ukarumpa, on the same Sunday morning as the day of the tragedy, a special church service was held.

While the Steinkrauses were in the Tifalmin church, the people at Ukarumpa gathered to hear Rev. Herman Riffel, who had stayed on after the workshop for this special day. He shared the importance of praying that God would bring healing to the people and country of New Guinea. The text from the Bible was II Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.� (NIV) During the service, various missionaries led extensive times of prayer for the many things that were happening in the country.

The landside area. (Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

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Partically covered airstrip used for travel into the area is buried. (Photo courtesy of Al Pence)

About 3:30 p.m. that afternoon, Al Pence, the SIL New Guinea Branch Director, was called to the short wave radio for a conversation with a Baptist missionary who lived at Telefomin. He described the landslide and stated that the Baptist mission had sent an aircraft over the area to observe what had happened and saw that the whole village had disappeared. Al confirmed that the Steinkraus family had recently returned to the village.

The next day, pilot Doug Hunt, along with Ken Wiggers, Al Pence, Lex Collier and Alan Healey, flew the long trip to Telefomin in an SIL aircraft.3 From Telefolmin, Mission Aviation Fellowship shuttled the men into Tifalmin in their Cessna 185 using the partially debris-covered airstrip. Soon Ron Carne from the Aiyura Valley Agricultural station arrived with more men to help. The scene was utter devastation. Never in the history of New Guinea had so many been lost in a landslide. The men spent two days helping to dig.

3

The airplane, a Piper Aztec, would crash near Lae in 1972 and claim the lives of Doug Hunt and six more mission staff. To read more about that crash, read ’The Hand of God’ by Charles Micheals - http://issuu.com/cbmicheals/docs/the_hand_of_god

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Ken Wiggers (center left), Alan Healey (center right), pilot Doug Hunt (right) – Other men unknown. (Photo Courtesy of the SIL PNG Branch Archives)

Early rescue attempt. (Photo Courtesy of the SIL PNG Branch Archives)

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Ian Skinner, the New Guinea Civil Defense Director, chartered a plane with a medical team and supplies the following Monday. Australian officers were also told to charter all available planes to help evacuate survivors, and the Red Cross was called into action. In all, more than 100 men were involved in the dig and stayed for over a week. Several smaller landslides occurred during that time, but there were no more major landslides.

Once help arrived, the searchers soon found galvanized iron from the roof of their house, their two-way radio, clothing, Walt’s glasses, the package of photos Vonnie had carried with her, some of their papers plus the newsletter with the Bible verse from Isaiah 55:8-9. The photos were of each family in the village.

Vonnie had picked them up from the Print Shop at Ukarumpa the Thursday before she left for the village.

She had planned to send those photos back to their supporters, asking them to pray for each family in the village by name that the Lord would change their lives. Because the negatives of the photographs found were all in good shape, they were taken back to Ukarumpa where Edith Nelson was put in charge of sending the photos to the Steinkrauses supporters for prayer.

Photos recovered at landslide area. (Photo Courtesy of SIL PNG Branch Archives)

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Areas where they dug for the remains. (Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

Recovery attempts. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

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Recovery attempts. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Personnel effects recovered at landslide area. (Photo Courtesy of Al Pence)

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Due to items that were quickly found, they had some idea of where to dig for the bodies. By afternoon of the second day, March 23, some of the villagers helping in the dig came upon the body of Kathryn wrapped in the mattress of her cot. The digging continued, but work was difficult because they had to dig around so many rocks.

Doug and Al went back to Ukarumpa on the morning of the third day; others kept digging a couple more days in hopes of locating the other bodies. However, the other bodies were never found. A Western Union Telegram was sent to the family in the states bearing the sad news.

March 21/71 URGENT! WALT AND VONNIE STEINKRAUS AND CHILDREN BURIED IN VILLAGE BY LANDSLIDE SUNDAY 21st. STOP. PLEASE NOTIFY NEXT OF KIN. STOP. VONNIE’S FATHER HAS HEART CONDITION.

Landslide area. (Photo Courtesy of A. Edwin Vinson)

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Soon afterward it was discovered that this was not an ordinary landslide, if it could even be called that.

The mountain literally exploded and hundreds of tons of earth and rock flew through the air across the river and landed on top of the village houses. The houses weren’t pushed ahead by the earth; rather they were crushed and then rolled and tumbled by the force of the explosion before all the material came to rest on top of them. The earth was 15 to 25 feet deep over the village and part of the airstrip near the village.

Al Pence talked to a geologist who worked about five miles away from the site helping develop a copper mine. He too had heard the sound of the explosion. Later he visited the site to confirm what had happened. Others reported there had been a significant earthquake in the area six months before.

However, the geologist explained that there had been months of very wet weather in that area. There was a mountain opposite the village and a hundred feet below the top of it was a wide shelf with a stream at the back. Large amounts of water had been percolating down into the interior of the mountain for all the time of the rainy season.

The explosion was precipitated by the firmer earth on the surface of this shelf beginning to collapse. The slurry of mud and rocks in the interior of the mountain was pressurized by this collapse and because it happened suddenly and with such tremendous force, the interior of the mountain literally exploded.

The river between the mountain and the village was not blocked. Almost all the earth and material had flown over the river and landed directly on top of the village which was completely destroyed. There was no evidence by air that there had ever been a village in that location.

Later, reflecting on this unusual explosion, Alan Healey, who with his wife Phyllis, were the “support team” for the Steinkrauses, wrote:

… Other people have mentioned many little incidents that demonstrate very clearly that the Lord was preparing for the landslide on Sunday. At a time like this we are tempted to think perhaps of the landslide as the devil’s work, but the earth is the Lord’s and I am very sure that it was the beginning of some big thing that God is doing. Here are some of the reasons why I think so.

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1. Vonnie returned to the tribe Friday and the landslide was Sunday, so they were all together when they went to meet the Lord.

2. On Wednesday Vonnie asked for specific prayer that the Lord would do something special to break the devil’s grip on the people. They dropped into sin and old religious practices so easily. There was much prayer for this, and we believe the Lord is somehow going to use what has happened to touch those Tifalmin people.

3. Vonnie had some lovely prints of every family in the village prepared on Thursday down in the publications department. These she intended to send home to supporting friends and churches wanting to adopt a family and pray for them. We saw these Thursday night, but they weren’t found again. Practically nothing was recovered from the slide, but Kathy’s little body wrapped in her mattress (she must have been taking her afternoon nap) and the negatives of these pictures, in perfect condition. So, what Vonnie wanted can still be done.

4. The slide itself is the most improbable thing that you could imagine. We have been there. It is a lovely place, and when we heard that a hill had fallen on them, we asked, “What hills?” There are mountains all around, of course, but there was nothing near them. They were out in the open by a lovely stony stream. Yet, the 400 foot hill that fell was a half-mile away across the stream.

They say it was all over in 20 seconds, according to Pastor Oksam’s wife who saw it from up a hill on the opposite side. It is very hard now to imagine how it was before. There is no sign that a village was ever there.

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Edge of the landslide. (Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

Edge of the landslide. (Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

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Pilot Doug Hunt who would tragically die in a SIL aircraft accident a year later. (Photo Courtesy Al Pence)

Landslides continued while digging. (Photo Courtesy Norman Steinkraus)

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hile the SIL and Australian Baptist missionaries were at the site and the area villagers came to grieve their loss, a memorial service was held at the location of the disaster. The Gospel was shared and encouragement was given that those who die in the Lord do not die in vain.

Kathryn’s body was buried on a knoll overlooking what had been the village. Crosses were erected to remember the others who died. After the memorial service conducted by the Australian Baptist Mission working in the area, the SIL people returned to Ukarumpa.

Sometime later the villagers re-interred the body of Kathryn at another location they felt more appropriate.

Lex Collier shares at the memorial service at the site. (Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

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Likely the Tifalmin pastor is in the white soxs and the village headman in the white shorts.

(Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

Kathryn’s grave site. (Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

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Kathryn’s grave site. (Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

Tifalmin people in mourning upon losing seven villagers. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

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Upon Al Pence’s return to Ukarumpa, he got the key to the Steinkrauses house and went to see if there was anything special there. The Holy Spirit ministered to Al as he went in even though he was still struggling to understand their early death. The strong feeling of order and peace in their house helped him understand that God had thoughts and ways that he did not have.

A week later on March 28, a memorial service was held at Ukarumpa. It was centered on the theme that Vonnie had identified, “Glorifying God, No Matter the Cost”. Now they had witnessed part of the cost of the “healing of the land” in New Guinea.

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.

But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world, will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:24-26 (NIV)

Memorial table at Ukarumpa prepared by Louise Bass (Photo Courtesy of Phyllis Meier)

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Memorial program – Ukarumpa, March 28, 1971. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Here is the memorial service at Ukarumpa: www.soundcloud.com/user-872675577/memorial-service-walt-and-vonnie-steinkraus-ukarumpa-pngmarch-28-1971

A memorial service was held on Sunday, March 28, 1971 at 3:00 PM in Sheboygan, Wisconsin at the Evangelical Free Church where the Steinkrauses attended. The Rev. Ellis M. Mooney of the church officiated and Mrs. Joyce Fritz played the organ. One of the songs sung was “Be Still My Soul”.

The Schreurs family shared as did Mrs. John (Donna) Sahlin who had served in Papua New Guinea for 10 years alongside the Steinkrauses at Ukarumpa and was the Wycliffe Bible Translator representative in Chicago, IL.

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Memorial service program - EV Free Church, Sheboygan, WI. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Memorial service program cover.

(Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Rev. Ellis M. Mooney.

(Photo Courtesy of Yvonne Mooney)

Here is the memorial service at the EV Free church: www.soundcloud.com/user-872675577/memorial-service-for-walt-and-vonnie-steinkraus-ev-freechurch-sheboygan-wi-march-28-1971

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Memorial service program - EV Free Church, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Reflecting on the days just after learning the news of the Steinkrauses death, Rev. Mooney penned these words:

“I am convinced that the servants of the Lord are indestructible until their work is done. Therefore, I believe that Walter and LaVonne had completed their assignment. They left behind as a memorial of their own…the greatest book in the world…the New Testament in part…in the Tifal language, twelve years of linguistic work.

Thoughts of comfort flood my mind, great truths to live by. “God is too wise to make a mistake and too loving to be unkind.” “Don’t forget in the dark what God told has told you in the light”, not somehow… but triumphantly!!!

Walter and LaVonne Steinkraus, Kerry Lynn and Kathy, received a directive from their Heavenly Headquarters calling them into immediate service in the Home Office. They had served their term as Ambassadors to New Guinea “in Christ’s stead,” and discharged their duties honorably. In the

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providence of God they had discharged their term of field duties, and their General Director transferred them to permanent furlough in the Gloryland.”

Arthur Schreurs, reflecting on the death of his daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren at the memorial service at the Sheboygan Evangelical Free Church said:

Sometimes when tragedy strikes, we ask ‘WHY’, forgetting that we are the clay and our Lord the Potter. It is not for the clay to demand, ‘What doest thou?’ Job had the right answer: ‘The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’

When we feel compelled to ask, ‘Why has he taken away from his work which was still not completed?’, I feel the answer to be this…

Our Lord said, ‘Walter, you have labored so hard all your days that I am going to let your work for others to be finished, and I am going to take you home. You have loved your family so dearly, and they have been so close to you and you have loved them so much, that I want you to stay together and all come home to me together that where I am you may be also.’

Maybe, that is not exactly the way it was, but I like to think it was that way.

As for mother and me, we agree with Job. ‘Our Lord gave and our Lord has taken away. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.’

The Scripture read at the service was from Philippines 1: 21-26

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me. (NIV)

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A memorial service was also held in Madison, Wisconsin at the Grace Bible Church where Vonnie’s sister Phyllis and her husband Dick attended.

A memorial service was held on Palm Sunday April 4, 1971, at 10:00 a.m. in Gladwin, Michigan at the Round Lake Baptist Church (now Emmanuel Baptist Church*) where the Steinkraus family attended. The memorial was held during the morning worship service. Rev. Winston Decker led the service and preached on Hebrews 11: 1-6.

Memorial service program – Round Lake Baptist Church, Gladwin, Michigan. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

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Memorial service program cover. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

*Many years after the Steinkrauses death, Round Lake Baptist Church built a new sanctuary. Many of the members of the congregation moved to the new facilities and renamed the church Emmanuel Baptist Church. However, some members formed a separate congregation called Gladwin Cornerstone Baptist Church and eventually moved back into the original facility.

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Round Lake Baptist Church, Gladwin, Michigan. (Photo Courtesy of Bill Wagner)

2012 - Gladwin Cornerstone Baptist Church. (Photo Courtesy of Marvin Gertz)

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2012 - Emmanuel Baptist Church. (Photo Courtesy of Marvin Gertz)

A memorial service was held on Palm Sunday April 4, 1971 at 7:00 p.m. in Chicago, Illinois at the Leavitt Street Bible Church, Chicago, IL where Walt’s brother Sam attended for many years. Rev. William Zinninger gave the message while fellow Wycliffe missionary and Bible translator for the Ticuna people in Peru, South America, Lambert Anderson, spoke, as did another missionary, Barbara Guerrant, from New Guinea.

A Wheaton College coach, Harvey Chrouser also shared.

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Memorial service program – Leavitt Street Bible Church. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

Memorial service program cover. (Photo Courtesy of Norman Steinkraus)

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A memorial service was held on Easter Sunday, April 11, 1971 at 3:00 pm at the New Orleans Bible Church in Metairie, Louisiana where Walt’s younger brother William and wife Faith Steinkraus attended. Rev. Fred Johnston led the service and William shared memories.

Memorial service program. (Photo Courtesy of William and Faith Steinkraus)

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Memorial service program. (Photo Courtesy of William and Faith Steinkraus)

The news regarding the death of the Steinkraus family also spread across the United States on TV on a CBS broadcast by Walter Cronkite and on WMBI Radio in Chicago.

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A number of memorials have been set up in various places around the world. The photograph below is from the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Vonnie’s home church.

2013 - Chuck and Barb Micheals at the Steinkraus Memorial - Evangelical Free Church Memorial, Sheboygan, Wisconsin. (Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

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The memorial above was laid out and built by A. Edwin Vinson with the help from Ruth Vinson, Ken Zimmerman, Ruth Reed and Alice Mundt. The frame was made from Mahogany wood and the map from White Pine wood purchased from a Sheboygan lumber yard.

A memorial stone was erected in the Cedar Grove Cemetery behind the First Reformed Church of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. This was the church where Vonnie’s family attended for a while.

Memorial headstone in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. (Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

Arthur and Nora Schreurs’ headstone (Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

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First Reformed Church in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin.

(Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

A memorial plaque for the Steinkrauses hangs on an inside door of the Bible translation Linguistic Center at Ukarumpa.

1974 - Linguistic Center at Ukarumpa – Steinkraus Memorial Plaque is on the second floor (Photo Courtesy of David Carnes)

Plaque on the door of the Ukarumpa Linguistic Center. (Photo Courtesy of Betty Keneqa and Ray Stegeman – SIL PNG)

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After the memorial service at Ukarumpa, a garden was planted to honor the memory of the Steinkraus family. Since Vonnie’s skills as a flower gardener had given so much pleasure to so many, it was decided that a fitting tribute would be a flower garden planted near the meeting house that Walt helped build and where Vonnie had heard those encouraging words from Rev. Riffel.

Steinkraus Memorial Garden. (Photo Courtesy of David Carne)

Steinkraus Memorial Garden. (Photos Courtesy of David Carne)

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The memorial site in 2012 – All flowers and traces of the garden are gone! (Photo Courtesy of Jerry Pfaff)

Sadly the memorial flower garden is no longer there.

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he Lord did not abandon His work begun among the Tifalmin people. He called Al and Susan Boush to pick up the work started by Walt and Vonnie.

Al and Susan met at Gordon College in Massachusetts where God led them both to hear a Wycliffe couple speak about their work in Peru. They both felt the Lord calling them to serve Him as Bible translators doing linguistic work. However, Susan wasn’t sure she was going overseas because of Al or because the Lord was calling her. She wondered, if Al died overseas, would she be a missionary’s widow or a missionary?

As a result, while they attended an Inter-Varsity Urbana Conference, they broke off their relationship.

Several months later, Susan sensed that God was indeed calling HER to foreign missions. Soon she and Al met again at a Campus Crusade meeting and they continued to date through the remainder of their college years.

They were married in 1967 and in the summer of 1968 and 1969 they attended SIL, Wycliffe’s linguistic training program, and became members of Wycliffe. Initially they had set their hearts on going to Peru, their first place of interest. However, through three different circumstances, the Lord showed them that He wanted them in New Guinea. They attended the same Jungle Camp program in Mexico as had the Steinkrauses ten years earlier.

In November of 1971, before arriving in New Guinea, the Boushes travelled to New Zealand and helped teach linguistics at SIL, Auckland. It was there on Thanksgiving Day that Susan learned she was pregnant with their first child. They spent several months at the school and then travelled to New Guinea.

While they waited to allocate to a language area, they helped out in various departments at Ukarumpa.

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the Steinkrauses. Frank and Charlotte Mecklenburg, friends from seminary days who were translating for the Faiwol people on the other side of the mountain from Tifalmin, suggested that they look at the Tifal area. Frank and Al went out to the area while Susan remained at Ukarumpa.

While there, the Lord spoke to Al’s heart from the Word.

Put your outdoor work in order

Go up into the mountains and bring down timber

and get your fields ready;

and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it

after that, build your house.

and be honored, says the LORD.

Proverbs 24:27 (NIV)

Haggai 1:8 (NIV)

Once the decision was made to restart the work the Steinkrauses had begun, they began to plan their visit to the area together, waiting for six months until their daughter Betsy was born before traveling.

Their flight took them first to Telefomin, where the plane had to unload half their cargo because the new airstrip being built at the Upper Tifalmin area where they had decided to live was too short. Several shuttles had to be made, not only to bring in their goods from the Ukarumpa center, but also because plank timber was needed for flooring in their house. Needless to say, the airstrip in Okbilibip where the Steinkrauses had lived was no longer useable. The new airstrip in the Upper Tifalmin area, begun by the Australian Baptist Mission, was ultimately lengthened and used throughout the Boushes’ time there.

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The Boushes’ village house. (Photo Courtesy of the SIL PNG Branch Archives)

Villagers gave them land to build their house in the Upper Tifalmin area. This village, Fasaanabip, was located on a plateau, a 30-minute walk upstream from where the Steinkrauses were located. A team of carpenters from Ukarumpa – Sanio Kekezeo, Vic Colvin, and Mike Walker – came to the village and helped Al build the house from material the village people helped collect.

The house was rustic and didn’t have electricity, but Al did manage to install a flush toilet and put running water in the house. While all this was going on, Susan and their daughter Betsy were living at a mining company compound a half a mile away preparing meals, etc. for the workers. Once the house was finished, a special feast was held to celebrate the occasion and the Boushes moved in.

Al and Susan continued the work on the New Testament that the Steinkrauses had started. Much of the linguistic and translation material gathered by the Steinkrauses there was lost in the landslide and never recovered. However, the Boushes did have copies of the Steinkrauses phonetics paper, their published book of I John, a small hymnal of 30 songs, a rough dictionary and a literacy book on sickness caused by flies. The Steinkrauses had been working on the Gospel of Mark, but sadly, that was lost in the landslide.

Even though there wasn’t a significant amount of material recovered from the landslide area, what was

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available from what was stored at Ukarumpa proved to be very helpful to the Boushes in their studying and speaking the language.

Over the years Al and Susan had four children – Betsy, Stephen, Debbie and Christine. These were busy years as they worked on the New Testament, cared for the needs of their children and also for the needs of many Tifal children brought by their parents to be treated for various illnesses and sores. There was travel back and forth between the village and Ukarumpa to attend various workshops, to have their children attend school at Ukarumpa and to pick up needed supplies at the SIL Members’ Store.

Grocery goods being shipped from the Ukarumpa Store to Al and Susan Boush in Tifalmin. (Photo Courtesy of Darrell Lancaster)

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Because the Steinkrauses had forged ahead and developed great relationships with the people of Okbilibip where they lived, it paved the way for the Boushes as they settled into village living. Yet, the work was challenging and long. At times they grew discouraged due to the lack of interest by the people, but they never sensed that the Lord wanted them to leave the work. During this time, in 1975, the country became independent and known as Papua New Guinea.

Health concerns were always a challenge in a remote area because planes were few and far between. On one occasion, their son Stephen had malaria with a temperature of 105 degrees. There was no way they could get him out of the village for treatment. Yet, the Lord provided the help they needed! On their last trip back to Ukarumpa they did something they had not done before. They took quinine medication back with them. It was the Lord who had impressed on their minds to take this medication along, even though they thought they wouldn’t need it. This was the medication that saved Stephen’s life!

The Lord encouraged them another time when there seemed to be no interest on the part of the people to learn to read and ultimately write their own language. As this concern was shared via short wave radio with other translation teams working in Papua New Guinea (PNG), there was a call to pray. A leader of the translation work in PNG came to the area at just the right time to talk with the Tifal men and women. This resulted in the people responding positively to the literacy work. When the Boushes left the Tifal program several years later, the literacy classes were continuing with their own Tifal teachers! People were reading and writing the Tifal language! God’s Word would now be accessible to them!

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illiam Steinkraus, Walt’s younger brother, and his wife Faith visited Ukarumpa in 1993. There they, along with their daughter Dawn Steinkraus, who was serving at Ukarumpa, made a trip to the village to visit the site of the landslide. Al Boush, who had picked up the translation work with his wife Susan, joined them.

The day they arrived it was clear and sunny. The hike to the village was memorable. They marveled at the variety of plants, including banana, poinsettias, a Fiscus plant growing on a tree, and other beautiful flowers. Even the local pigs were an attraction, along with a cassowary bird.

Kathy’s Grave Memorial in the village in 1993 (Photo Courtesy of William and Faith Steinkraus)

The villagers had cut a path through the heavy foliage that had sprung up in the twenty-two years since the landslide. The area leading up to the gravesite was beautiful. They had decorated the entrance to the site with bougainvillea, and a cross covered with bougainvillea marked the current and second burial site for Kathy, along with several belongings that were found after the landslide.

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The visiting party continued their walk to the end of the landslide, where it had partially covered the air strip. The rest of the airstrip was being used for sports, so there was very little plant growth.

Looking up at the high cliff where the explosion had flung all the debris onto the village was an awesome experience for the group. It was hard for them to imagine that a section of the high cliff flew across the river and covered a part of the village.

The group continued on with their hike to the relocated village. There Al spoke to the Tifal people about the service they had planned and the feast they had prepared. The final decision was to eat first and then have the service. Earlier the villagers had placed sweet potatoes and English white potatoes among hot rocks and covered them with banana leaves.

The landslide area in 1993. (Photo Courtesy of William and Faith Steinkraus)

One family invited them into their house to eat. The homes were still built on stilts and the walls were woven bamboo. They had to walk up steps – logs nailed to two slanted side pieces – to get into the house.

They all sat on the floor eating their food and waiting for the service.

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A bell was rung to signal the time for the service to begin. The church also was built on stilts, was more open and fairly large. During the service the women sat on one side and the men on the other, as is the tradition in Papua New Guinea.

Two men, Mark and Tobisak, whose names were recorded and who knew Walt and Vonnie, had a part in the service. There was a time of sharing and music. Tobisak shared about the Scripture Walt spoke on that Sunday morning before he died – Mark 12:1-12.

Tifal church at the landslide area in 1993. (Photo Courtesy of William and Faith Steinkraus)

Al led in a memorial prayer. It became a special time of honor to the Steinkrauses’ loved ones as they sensed the presence of the Lord. There were tears, but also joy as they thought of that day, March 21, 1971, and the fact that Walt and Vonnie and the children had already been rejoicing in heaven for twentytwo years!

William Steinkraus was asked to share his thoughts while Al translated in the Tifal language. After the service the group sat under the nearby trees where it was somewhat cooler. The men of the village brought gifts – bows, arrows and bilums (string bags). The Steinkrauses were overwhelmed by the generosity of the villagers.

When the service finished, the group walked down to the nearby river where the Tifal people swim. They all remarked what a beautiful spot this was and how much Walt, Vonnie, Kerry and Kathy must have

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enjoyed this area! It was easy to imagine them sitting on the rocks with the villagers and enjoying the fellowship with them.

Soon it was time to leave. The group began the tough climb to the top of the cliff, 1,000 feet in elevation.

It was a difficult hike and they stopped often to rest and have a drink of water. Eventually they made it back to the village where Al and his family worked. The memorable adventure was over.

The landslide area in 1993. (Photo Courtesy of William and Faith Steinkraus)

Memorial plaque at the landslide area (Photo Courtesy of A. Edwin Vinson)

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Edge of the landslide area in 1993. (Photo Courtesy of William and Faith Steinkraus)

River in the landslide area in 1993. (Photo Courtesy of William and Faith Steinkraus)

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n 1998, after 25 years of work by the Boushes, the translation of the New Testament was finished! This realized the desires of Walt and Vonnie 41 years earlier to give to a tribal group the Word of God! It took many people along the way to make this event happen.

The cover reads in English, “God His New Talk� with the cross breaking the spear. (Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

It was the Steinkrauses who first went, but they were sent by churches along with the encouragement of family and friends who prayed for them and financially supported them. They were joined by the support people of Wycliffe in the United States and in Papua New Guinea at Ukarumpa and those at Wycliffe regional centers who provided administrative help, teachers for their children, pilots and aircraft maintenance men to provide transportation in and out of their village. The Boushes picked up the work

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and were supported by these same support services and their supporting churches, friends and family and many other translators who helped them with the linguistic and translation challenges they faced.

In each situation God provided help in times of trouble, the strength to carry on and the endurance to finish the task. Now God continues to provide for the Tifalmin people not only help, strength and endurance, but salvation in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone to the glory of God alone as He has provided all the Tifalmin people need for life and godliness through Scripture alone.

The Boush family at the Bible Dedication. (L-R Betsy, Christine, Debbie, Susan, Stephen, Al) with national co-workers.

(Photo Courtesy of Al Boush)

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Tifalmin Bible Translators. (Top Row, L-R - Mark, Johnny, Bottom Row L-R – Rom, Stedi, Tibisak) (Photo Courtesy of Al Boush)

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n the 41 years since the Steinkraus family died, a large number of Bible translation projects in Papua New Guinea have both been started and finished. Of the language communities noted in this book: 

The Waffa people received the New Testament in 1975 (Joyce Hotz and Mary Stringer).

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The Duna people received the New Testament in 1976 (Dennis and Nancy Cochrane and Glenda Giles of the Plymouth Brethren mission agency, CMML - Christian Missions in Many Lands).

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The Halia people received the New Testament in 1978 (Jerry and Jan Allen).

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The Biangai people received the New Testament in 1985 (Ray and Marge Dubert).

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The Faiwol people received the New Testament in 1995. (Frank and Charlotte Mecklenburg).

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The Tifalmin people received the New Testament in 1998 (Walt and Vonnie Steinkraus, Al and Susan Boush).

In all, about 200 languages, or roughly 22 percent of all the 869 languages in Papua New Guinea have a completed New Testament. This represents more than 2 million people who now have access to God’s Word in a language they know and understand! Work continues in 125-plus languages of Papua New Guinea today by Wycliffe Bible Translators and other mission agencies. At least 300 languages remain to be translated in Papua New Guinea alone and almost 2,000 worldwide!

The flower gardens and many memories of the Steinkrauses are fading. Yet their life and testimony lives on with a prayer that others may know, as Walt and Vonnie did, that Christ is calling them to a distant shore and they will dedicate themselves to finishing the task of translating God’s Word for all the languages of the world. A small grave yard on a hill at Ukarumpa testifies to the lives that have been given for the sake of the Gospel. No work is more satisfying and not many jobs have as great an eternally impact. Few demand so much!

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Both young and old over the centuries have given their all and have followed the call of Christ to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The cost of discipleship was not cheap for our Savior and His call now extends to you to come and follow Him. You are being called by His name!

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

(Luke 9:23-24 NIV)

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28: 18 – 20 NIV)

2011 - Ukarumpa Center – Eastern Highlands Province. (Photo Courtesy of Craig Campbell)

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William Cameron (Uncle Cam) Townsend - Founder Of Wycliffe Bible Translators (B. July 9, 1896 – D. April 23, 1982) (Photo Courtesy Wycliffe Bible Translators Archives)

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housands of people have responded. Dawn (nee Steinkraus) Christman was one who responded to a call to go; she served with Wycliffe at Ukarumpa as the manager of the Guest House from 1991 to 1993. Pam Steinkraus, daughter of Walt’s other younger brother Sam and wife Marian, also visited Ukarumpa while on a mission trip in 1982. While she was there a special time of remembrance for Walt and Vonnie was held by members of SIL who worked with them.

Ukarumpa Guest House. (Photo Courtesy of Craig Campbell)

Thousands more workers like Dawn and Pam are needed. It is estimated that it will take 25,000 new workers and more than $ 1.0 billion and increasing efforts in prayer to reach the remaining 2,000 language groups, as those that remain look to be the most difficult and challenging to reach. What part of this work is God calling you to?

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This book was written as a challenge so that in our generation the work of Bible translation can be started for all remaining languages groups that still wait. It is also one small testimony to preserve the memory of and to honor a family that gave their all for the glory of God. Whether God will call some of you to follow a life unto death like the Steinkrauses is unknown. However, God is calling all believers to follow the words of Psalm 96: (NIV)

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.

Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.� The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.

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For more information about how you can become involved, contact Chuck Micheals at the numbers listed below:

Chuck Micheals Recruitment Ministries Wycliffe Bible Translators

Phone: 321.278.2225 Email: managersformissions@wycliffe.org Bible Translation In the South Pacific Blog: http://pacificbible.blogspot.com/

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Barker, Virginia, Shaping Tomorrow In New Guinea, Summer Institute of Linguistics (New Guinea, 1968), 57-58.

Bakker, Edie (Dye), Personal Interview, March 2, 2012.

Corpus Christi Times, March 22, 1971, 15. http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap/FreePdfPreview.aspx?img=100533225 Cranstone, B.A.L. , “The Tifalmin: a ‘Neolithic’ people of New Guinea”, World Archaeology, Vol. 3, No. 2, Archaeology and Ethnography, October 1971, 132-142. http://www.jstor.org/pss/124069 Fritz, Ralph and Joyce, Personal Interview, July 31, 2013.

Informant, Newsletter of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Papua New Guinea, March 1969, 4.

John Lee, David, The British Museum, Online, 35 mm slide (color), 8 Feb 1964, Photo AN458473001. http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx? objectid=3108643&partid=1&output=Terms%2F!!%2FOR%2F!!%2F16817%2F!%2F%2F!%2Felection%2F! %2F%2F!!%2F%2F!!!%2F&orig=%2Fresearch%2Fsearch_the_collection_database%2Fadvanced_search.a spx&currentPage=3&numpages=10 Johnson, Linda, D., “Called to the South Pacific”, Priority, Summer 2006. http://www.prioritypeople.org/article.php?articleID=171 Koning Jr., John W, Picking Up Bottles, (Self-published, 1994).

Meier, Phyllis, Personal interview, February 15, 2012.

“PNG Language Resources”, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Papua New Guinea, Online Sandaun Province Maps. http://www.sil.org/pacific/png/maps/Sandaun_small.jpg Steinkraus, William and Faith, Personal Interview, February 24, 2012.

Stevens, Hugh, The Measure Of Greatness, (Flemming H. Revell Company, 1973).

The Bee, March 23, 1971 Danville, VA. http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap/FreePdfPreview.aspx?img=100279741 The Milwaukee Journal, March 22, 1971. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19710322&id=qy8gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fSgEAAAAIBAJ &pg=6983,1480775>

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The Sheboygan Press, December 20, 1956, 20. http://newspaperarchive.com/the-sheboygan-press/1956-12-20/ The Sheboygan Press, March 20, 1957, 15. http://newspaperarchive.com/the-sheboygan-press/1957-03-20/page-15 The Sheboygan Press, March 31, 1971.

The Times and Courier, March 22, 1971. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=0oeUc68sgesC&dat=19710322&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Toledo Blade, March 23, 1971. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8_tS2Vw13FcC&dat=19710323&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Wisconsin State Journal, Wednesday, March 23, 1971. http://newspaperarchive.com/the-sheboygan-press/1971-03-23/page-5/ Vinson, A. Edwin, Personal Interview, July 31, 2013.

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2013 - Chuck and Barb Micheals with Dick and Phyllis (nee Schreurs) Meier holding the Tifalmin New Testament (Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

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2013 - Chuck Micheals and Phyllis (nee Schreurs) Meier holding a Papua New Guinea basket with Kerry’s Bible and stuffed animal.

(Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

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April 22, 2012 - Marvin Gertz (Nephew of Walter) and his wife Judy Gertz with a copy of the Tifalmin New Testament!

(Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

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Chuck and Barb Micheals with two daughters of Rev. Ellis Mooney (L-R) Martha Willis and Yvonne Mooney at the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan, WI. (Photo Courtesy of Charles Micheals)

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Early Sketch of the Steinkraus Memorial at the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan, WI. (Photo Courtesy of Edwin Vinson)

Early Sketch of the Steinkraus Memorial at the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan, WI. (Photo Courtesy of Edwin Vinson)

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Sketched map used in the Steinkraus Memorial at the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan, WI. (Photo Courtesy of Edwin Vinson)

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SIL PNG Branch Informant Newsletter – March 1969 (Article courtesy of the SIL PNG Branch Archives)

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From the SIL New Guinea Branch Newsletter – The Informant – May 1971 (Photo Courtesy of the SIL-PNG Branch Archives)

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From the SIL New Guinea Branch Newsletter – The Informant –May 1971 (Photo Courtesy of the SIL-PNG Branch Archives)

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From the SIL New Guinea Branch Newsletter – The Informant –May 1971 (Photo Courtesy of the SIL-PNG Branch Archives)

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From the SIL New Guinea Branch Newsletter – The Informant –May 1971 (Photo Courtesy of the SIL-PNG Branch Archives)

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From the SIL New Guinea Branch Newsletter – The Informant – January 1967 (Photo Courtesy of the SIL-PNG Branch Archives)

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From the SIL New Guinea Branch Newsletter – The Informant –August 1968 (Photo Courtesy of the SIL-PNG Branch Archives)

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Vonnie’s Evacuation (Wycliffe Publication 1963, Page 1)

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Vonnie’s Evacuation (Wycliffe Publication 1963, Page 2)

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Vonnie’s Evacuation (Wycliffe Publication 1963, Page 3)

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Wheaton College Newspaper (Photo courtesy of Wheaton College Archives)

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Youth Writing Contest Winning Entry – Wycliffe’s Publication – In Other Words, August 1976

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SIL New Guinea Branch Family Forum – March 1999 (Photo Courtesy of the SIL-PNG Branch Archives)

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SIL New Guinea Branch Family Forum – March 1999 (Photo Courtesy of the SIL-PNG Branch Archives)

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Wisconsin State Journal, Wednesday, March 23, 1971

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March 22, 1971 – The Milwaukee Journal

Corpus Christi Times, p 15, March 22, 1971

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The Bee, March 23, 1971 Danville, VA

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Toledo Blade, March 23, 1971

March 22, 1971 - The Times and Courier – Charleston, SC

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(Photo Courtesy Of Gladwin County Record, Wednesday, October 7, 1992)

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Landslide- March 21, 1971 – Tifalmin, Papua New Guinea – Loss of Wycliffe missionaries Walt & Vonnie Steinkraus and their two children Kerry and Kathryn Steinkraus and seven Tifalmin lives.

Landslide - March 22, 2014 – Oso, Washington, USA – Confirmed loss of 24 lives with 176 people unaccounted for.

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harles Micheals is a native of Michigan and lived the first thirty years of his life there, eventually working in the grocery industry. In 1985 his wife Barbara and their four small children joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and moved to the country of Papua New Guinea (PNG) where they worked with the internationally known non-profit linguistic organization, SIL International (formerly the Summer Institute of Linguistics). Charles served in a variety of administrative roles in PNG, including several years as the Chairman of the SIL PNG Job Evaluation and Wage Review Committee and on the SIL PNG Executive Committee.

During their 15 years of service in PNG, Bible translation work was completed in 67 languages and over 100 additional Bible translation projects were started. Today, almost 180 language communities, representing 1.8 million people in PNG have access to the Scriptures in their own languages.

In 2000, Charles and Barbara moved back to the USA and Charles served for several years as the Regional Director for Recruitment for Wycliffe, living in the Chicago, Illinois area. In 2004 they moved to Orlando, Florida where Charles served for six and one half years as the Vice President for Recruitment Ministries for Wycliffe. He currently heads up Wycliffe’s Management Recruitment and Professional Department and speaks at various mission conferences and colleges each year. Barbara coordinates several Wycliffe short term mission trips each year.

Charles holds a BS degree in Food Distribution from Western Michigan University and a MA degree in Organization Management from Dallas Baptist University. He served on the Board of Directors for The Finishers Project, a non-profit mission dedicated to helping people in the second half of life find places to serve in missions. He has also been involved in helping create and develop Mission Teach, a ministry dedicated to helping place teachers in MK (Missionary Kid) mission schools around the world and Military 169 | P a g e

Believer, a growing ministry dedicated to helping military personnel who are leaving the military, find opportunities for service in global missions.

Charles has also authored a number of articles about the work of SIL in PNG and other historical articles about life in the Aiyura Valley in PNG. (http://issuu.com/cbmicheals/docs)

Both Charles and Barbara are members of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, FL and are involved in a variety of church activities there. Charles serves as an elder at the church. However, they are still members of Second Christian Reformed Church, in Kalamazoo, Michigan which is the church that commissioned them for their work with Wycliffe. All four of their children are actively supporting missions and church ministry work. Two of their four children are serving with Wycliffe around the world.

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Back Cover – Steinkraus family on furlough in the USA in 1970 (Photo courtesy of the Evangelical Free Church in Sheboygan, WI) 171 | P a g e

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