MICHEALS’ MEMOIRS September 2009 Update
Dear Friends and Family,
held a welcome back party for us. We were able to see the high school where Barb worked as a librarian and where all of our four children attended. We also had an opportunity to get out to several area villages and meet many Papua New Guinean friends there. When we arrived in 1985 there were three Christian churches in the valley, but now there are 17!
We want to thank all of you who prayed and helped support us when we traveled back to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in June with 10 high school and college aged students who were all considering service in Bible translation. To the right is our GET Global group in California where we went through a one week long course in linguistics and Bible translation called TOTAL Vision. After finishing that course, we headed to PNG. Our 15 hour non-stop flight took us to Sydney, Australia for a short layover before heading to Port Moresby, the capital city of PNG. In Port Moresby we picked up visitor visas and then our group split in two. One group of six participants headed to the island of New Britain and out to the Mangseng language area (where we visited in 2000 for the dedication of the New Testament). Our group of four participants headed in a small missionary airplane to Ukarumpa, located in the Eastern Highlands.
Our entire PNG GET Global team in California
“The heavens declare the Glory of God” (Psalm 19:1)
Barb and our GET Global team ready to go!
On our two hour flight to Ukarumpa we saw the most spectacular scenery in all of our flying experiences in PNG. It was great coming back to Ukarumpa and seeing many old friends. Several friends had passed away, but many still remembered us. Chuck’s store staff greeted us at the airstrip when we arrived and they also
Chuck & Barb at the SIL Members’ Store Welcome
Most of our time at Ukarumpa was spent visiting the various departments that support the Bible translation work going on in PNG so that the GET Global participants could see the work they may be doing with Wycliffe. We also visited the STEP course, which is a program to help increase literacy in the communities where we are doing Bible translation work. We were very happy to see three men from the Bargam
Reading the Gapapaiwa New Testament
Chuck & Barb and our GET Global team in a PNG Village
language area there. They were there to learn how to plan and open literacy schools and were producing literacy material. Some of you may remember that we did our village living in PNG in this area in 1991. At that time, only the book of Mark was finished. We gave that book to our village “papa” as a gift. Now the Bargum New Testament is finished and people are learning to read it!!! One of the highlights of our time at Ukarumpa was our visit with three Bible translation couples that had just finished their New Testament work! They had started their work when we arrived in the 1980s. Ed (standing with the blue shirt) & Catherine McGuckin are pictured to the left. Catherine is reading the Gapapaiwa New Testament to our GET Global participant David Mora. Larry and Connie Lovell spoke of finishing the Minavega New Testament translation. Ron and Michelle Olson also shared about finishing the Agarabi New Testament translation. If you have prayed or financially supported our work, you too are part of these projects and helping ‘Declare God’s glory to the nations.’ (Psalm 96:3) We hosted this trip because we want to see these young people serve with Wycliffe. Several trip participants have indicated an interest in doing so and three have taken steps already to get training to become Bible translators! Please pray for these three and for the others that as a result of the trip will want to become involved in some way since over 300 languages in PNG are still waiting for Bibles to be translated into their language. FOR CONTACTING US Chuck & Barb Micheals 5167 Poinsetta Ave. Winter Park, FL 32972 Tel: (407) 671-2817 (home) Email: Chuck_Micheals@wycliffe.org Barb_Micheals@wycliffe.org
FOR SUPPORTING US FINANCIALLY Wycliffe Bible Translators P. O. Box 628200 Orlando, FL 32862-8200 On a separate sheet mark “For Chuck & Barb Micheals”
VISIT OUR WEB SITE/FACEBOOK: Chuck & Barb with our friend and local Pastor Manuko
Web: www.cbmicheals.com FACEBOOK: Chuck Micheals or Barb Micheals