al eci Sp oto Ph ges Pa
MIICHE EALSS’ ME EMOIIRSS 50th Anniversary Edition Celebrating 50 Years of Bible Translation Work In Papua New Guinea!
September 2006
Inside this issue: The 50th Anniversary Celebration Photos Recruitment Ministries Update (Formerly Mobilization) The 50th Anniversary Celebration Photos The 50th Anniversary Celebration Report
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Special Prayer and Praise Points • PRAISE! For an increase last month in our support. We are now at 94%. • PRAYER! For wisdom as we seek to serve our local church in Orlando by helping them set a good direction for their mission programs. • For wisdom as we seek to recruit new workers.
The Word Of God Comes To PNG!
It was 1956 and Wycliffe sent several of its members to look in the Highlands territory of Papua and New Guinea for a place to begin Bible translation work. They came upon land that had been traditional fighting ground, which the Australian government (overseeing the territory) had recently purchased from the local people. The government had wanted to establish a coffee plantation there, but when our Wycliffe colleagues visited the 650 acres it seemed a perfect place to begin work. It was centrally located and was in a fertile valley with friendly local people. So in April 1956 Wycliffe’s partner agency SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics) signed a 99 year lease for the land. On April 21, 2006 His Excellency Governor-General Grand
Chief Sir Paulias Matane represented the government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) at a 50th anniversary celebration that recognized the many years of partnership in language development with SIL.
had been trained as vernacular literacy specialists, including provincial elementary trainers, local language literacy program supervisors and teachers. Thousands of men, women and children throughout PNG had also learned to read in their own language as a result. Over the past 50 years thousands of books, learning-to-read school materials, dictionaries, health and HIV/AIDS education materials and other tokples (mother tongue) books have been produced, including 159 New Testaments and one complete Bible.
Sir Paulias Matane Sir Matane told the gathered dignitaries and guests about various aspects of SIL's service over the past 50 years. He stated that hundreds of Papua New Guineans
Sir Matane concluded his remarks by saying, "From the bottom of my heart, I salute SIL for the good work that they have done - and are doing in Papua New Guinea - and I mean what I say. Happy 50th or Golden Jubilee celebrations."
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MICHEALS’ MEMOIRS
The 50th SIL – PNG Celebration!
Recruitment Ministries - Our New Department Name While this newsletter is mainly about the translation work going on in PNG, we thought a short update on our current work was in order. We continue our work at the Wycliffe USA Headquarters where Chuck heads up Wycliffe’s recruitment work in the USA. He now has a staff of 160 missionaries working with him to help recruit 7000 new workers in the next ten years to meet the remaining translation needs. Barb works on organizing short term trips as part of that recruitment effort. Worldwide, the projections are that it will take an additional 18,000 workers to begin all the translation work by the year 2025. Leadership in Wycliffe believe that 7000 of these workers will need to come from the USA, with the remaining coming from the rest of the world. So far, in two years we have helped recruit almost 400 new Wycliffe members. Pray with us for more new Kingdom workers! (Matthew 9:37, 38)
Volume 21, Issue 3
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Celebrating Fifty Years in PNG!
Alex & Lois Vincent - 1956 (First SIL PNG Translators)
Vincents - 2006 Wycliffe Founder in PNG
(50 years of service in PNG )
Cameron Townsend - 1960s
Alex Vincent& Tairora Man
Des Oatridge & Binumarien Man
(1st SIL PNG Translator )
(2nd SIL PNG Translator)
Ukarumpa - Aiyura Valley - PNG 1946
Ukarumpa - Aiyura Valley - PNG 1970
Check out our work by logging on to our web site www.cbmicheals.com!
50th Anniversary – A Report From The Field (Adapted from a letter from Michele & Jim Axelson – Fellow Wycliffe members currently serving in PNG)
M ICHEALS ’ M EMOIRS
Thank you for your continued support! Our Home Address: 5167 Poinsetta Ave. Winter Park, FL 32792 Phone: (407) 671-2817 Email: Chuck_Micheals@wycliffe.org or Barb_Micheals@wycliffe.org
For Our Financial Support: Wycliffe Bible Translators PO Box 628200 Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (Marked for Chuck & Barb Micheals)
C HECK OUT OUR W EB SITE! WWW. CBMICHEALS. COM
Only God Can Fill A Need So Big! After the anniversary processions was a time of reminiscence, introduced by a film dramatizing the arrival of the first Wycliffe personnel in 1956. Everyone present got to hear from some of those people in real life. Alex and Lois Vincent and Des and Jenny Oatridge are four of our pioneers. The two men arrived in 1956, and their wives-to-be arrived a short time later. As they talked about those very early days, everyone laughed and ached together as they remembered happy times and tragedies of long ago. Through it all, for 50 years, God has always been faithful. And what kind of celebration would be complete without a speech or two? Our guest of honor was Papua New Guinea's governor-general, Sir Paulias Matane. Sir Paulias was clearly touched by the procession of New Testaments, and by the testimony of our early pio-
People gathered in the Ukarumpa Meeting house as anticipation crackled through the room. Conversation rose to a din and organizers rushed to and fro on last-minute errands, wondering what had been forgotten. Excitement mounted as 9 o’clock approached and everyone wondered exactly what the day would have in store. The program started with a celebration of God’s greatness and of the power of His Word. Hundreds of Papua New Guinea and missionary voices swelled in song: “Sing your praise to the Lord!” “He is exalted, the King is exalted on high!” “Let the Amen sound from His people again!” “Wonderful words of life!” “Great is Your name in all the earth!” “Alleluia, alleluia, for the Lord God almighty reigns!” “O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever!” Meanwhile, dozens of our Papua New Guinean colleagues gathered outside, many arrayed in spectacular traditional “bilas” (decorations) of feathers, leaves, flowers, bark cloth, teeth, fur, seeds, beads, paint, and shells. Each man, woman, and child held one of the 159 New Testaments that’s been completed in the last 50 years. When their time came, they entered the meeting house and streamed across the stage as the names of their languages were called. On and on they came, in a procession that left many onlookers in tears. I don't think anyone could have seen those faces - and the growing piles of Bibles without crying out in thanksgiving to God for all that He has done. Then another procession came through, a procession representing all of our ongoing translation programs throughout the country - nearly 200!
neers. “I was very moved by the faith that you people have,” he said. “Thank you very much for your faith in God. Only God could fully repay what you have done, and your sacrifices for the people of Papua New Guinea.”
are still without God’s Word in their mother tongue. The SIL PNG Branch has received more than 100 requests for assistance with translation and language programs, but they do not have the personnel or the resources to respond. “By the grace of God, we will carry on,” they sang in the morning 50th anniversary celebration worship time. By the grace of God, we will carry on. And won’t it be amazing to see what He’s going to do? And you, friends, are a vital part of this ministry. Without you, the work could not go forward. Thank you, thank you for your part in these 50 years.
“You have a long way to go,” Sir Paulias quipped during his speech. Everyone at the celebration laughed at that, but together we understand the gravity of his challenge. Today, 350400 communities in Papua New Guinea
Last month we had new supporters and a few one time gifts, so we are now at 94% support this year. Please continue to pray that God will supply 100% of our needs as we continue in this recruitment ministry.