Volcanic Eruption, VISTA Module 9 and Home Assignment News
View this email in your browser
The Bennetts
Craig, Katy, Elijah, and Josiah

Serving the Bibleless in Vanuatu
The Bennett Family sitting on stairs
You can make a difference in Vanuatu! Your one-time or recurring gifts to Pioneer Bible Translators are what makes our ministry possible!
Give

Volcanic Activity on Ambae

You may have already seen on the news that the volcano on Ambae has been very active recently and poses a significant threat to the people who live there. Ambae is one of about 80 islands that make up the country of Vanuatu and is located only about 33 miles/50 kilometers from where we live on the island of Espiritu Santo. Four of our translators are from Ambae and the island is home to about 11,000 people. The picture below was taken by a friend at sunrise last week and shows smoke billowing out of the volcano in the distance. If you’d like to follow along with news about the volcano, you can do so at theVanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department. (Photo Credit: Karen Cottenham)
Last week authorities decided that the safest course of action was to evacuate the entire island, and so they relocated about 11,000 people from Ambae to 3 other islands: Santo (where we live), Pentecost, and Maewo. Since most people here are subsistence farmers, leaving their land means leaving their entire livelihood behind. This has been especially hard on their elderly, as they fear they will never make it back to their home. Below is pictured evacuees with the possessions they were able to carry walking down to board ships. On the right are evacuees waiting at our church’s fellowship hall to be checked in and told where to go for housing. (Photo Credit: Clif Buleuru and Santo Ambae Disaster Support Community)
On Saturday, Craig and 2 of our teammates met with our translators to discuss the situation. During this meeting (pictured below) each of the 4 translators from Ambae shared with the group news about their family, what their needs were, what possessions had been collected before they were forced to evacuate, and more. Reuben’s words were the hardest to hear. He shared how he recently buried both his wife and one of his children on Ambae. Because he has been here working on the translation project, he has nothing except the few clothes he brought with him 2 weeks ago. It is not safe for him to go back to collect any of his belongings. (Photo credit: Dan Thompson)
The group concluded that despite all of this, the work of translation must continue.Their desire is to see God’s word transform the lives of their people by coming to life in the languages of Ambae and Pentecost. Their dedication has amazed us over the last three years as we have together endured 3 cyclones, a drought, numerous earthquakes, and the deaths of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. Despite every hardship, they continue to work. Please pray that God will continue to walk alongside these men and women and their families as they make sacrifices so that their people can read the Bible. Pray that God will quiet the volcano on Ambae and that people can return soon. Ask God to provide food and shelter for the 11,000 people who are being evacuated; pray that his power would be shown and this would be an opportunity for many to come to know Jesus.
 

VISTA Module 9 Is Underway

In spite of the volcano, translation work at VISTA continues! During the last module our translators received their computers and learned how to use them and the translation software. In this module they are putting that knowledge to use as they begin the process of drafting Scripture on their computers. This has been a difficult transition for some but others, such as Judith (pictured  below), have jumped right in.
One big change during this module is that we have divided one of the language groups into two separate groups. So instead of a Havai Translation team which had men from North, South, and East Ambae, we now have a North Ambae team, and a SouthEast Ambae team. Originally we thought that one translation would serve this entire area, but we have learned that there are just too many differences between their dialects. By splitting this into two groups, each team will be able to make a translation that is more specific to their own language.
 
In addition to using the computers, during this module we have begun the New Testament portion of the translation program. Our teammate Ryan has begun teaching New Testament Greek while Craig continues to do training with Old Testament translation and computer skills. 
Left: Craig teaches the Translation Course; Right: Christopher studies from his new Greek textbook.
 

Home Assignment News

We are now less than 3 weeks away from when we board our first flight for our return to the US! Our first 3-year term in Vanuatu is coming to a close and we are ready to be home. During this time we will be traveling to visit with you: our churches, supporters, family and friends! We will also be doing some continuing education, raising additional support for our ministry, recruiting new teammates, and much more. We also hope to squeeze a little bit of rest in there somewhere, too! We are so looking forward to seeing all of you, hearing about all you’ve done for the last 3 years, and sharing some of our stories with you. And, we’ll just be honest, we’re also really looking forward to some pizza and a Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich or two!

We’ll hit the ground in the US on October 26 and spend our first 10 days at Pioneer Bible Translator’s headquarters in Dallas, Texas debriefing and getting some required medical tests and check-ups. After that, we’ll meet up with our teammates, the Ohrenbergs, for a few days in Arkansas, and then we’ll be headed into Tennessee to try and get settled for some holiday time with our families. Please let us know if you’d like to see us and when so that we can get you on our schedule! We plan to be in the US until late September or early October of next year, so please contact us about visiting you or your church. We’d be happy to participate in special events with you such as VBS, camp, or missions focus times. 

Once we have US phone numbers, we’ll pass that info on to you, but for now the best ways to get in touch with us are through email or facebook messenger. We look forward to hearing from you!
 

A Note About Coming Home

Some of you have asked about what you can do to help us as we adjust to life in the US. Thank you for asking! I think the best thing you can do for our family, is just be patient with us.

While it may seem strange, coming “home” is going to be hard for our family. We have spent the last three years living in a country and culture that is completely different from the US. The pace of life is much slower here, there are no big cities, no parking lots, little florescent lighting, very few choices at the store and so much more. You can help us by being patient with us as we adjust slowly. We are no longer used to having a whole supermarket full of food to choose from; the options will probably be overwhelming for us. For example, in America you have a whole aisle just for cereal, here in Vanuatu, there are usually just 2 kinds to choose from, and sometimes none at all. We’re going to have to spend some time re-learning how to make all the myriad of daily choices that life in America requires.
Our boys are going to need even more time and patience than Craig and I are as they adjust. Elijah has spent half of his life in Vanuatu and is much more comfortable with the culture here than he will be with American culture. Josiah has only been in the US for about 10 weeks of his 2 years of life so this will all be new to him. Please be patient as our boys adjust not only to a 17-hour time difference but also to all the sights, sounds, smells and experiences of life in the US. It is likely that they will be overwhelmed and overstimulated, especially during the first few months.

Thank you so much for bearing with us and being our partners in all of this. We appreciate your support, encouragement, and understanding. We are really looking forward to seeing you soon!
 
PBT logo
Pioneer Bible Translators exists to disciple the Bibleless, mobilizing God’s people to provide enduring access to God’s word. Our vision is to see transformed lives through God’s word in every language.
Pioneer Bible Translators is accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and has received Charity’s Navigator’s highest rating.
Share
Forward