The Prayer Partner Letter is a publication of Pioneer Bible Translators.

Prayer Partner Letter

June 2014

Dear Prayer Partners,

Marsha Miles serves as a Bible translator for the Aruamu people of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Several years ago the Aruamu New Testament was completed. She is now working on the Old Testament with some Aruamu people whom she has trained. She is also overseeing the development of literacy materials. To give you a glimpse into how she is going about this God-given ministry and how it is impacting the lives of the Aruamu translator and literacy workers, she recently wrote the following:

Three teams of Aruamus worked simultaneously and eagerly in the town of Madang [where Pioneer Bible Translators has its main office on the north coast of PNG]. A team of four Aruamu teachers worked on developing literacy materials, drafting the text for over 100 different books, as well as some songs and games, to teach Aruamu first-grade level children (the editing and polishing of these books will continue over the next few months).

A second group worked on initial drafts of three Old Testament books: Judges, Job, and Ezekiel (Judges is now drafted, typed, and ready for editing; Job has 31 chapters drafted; Ezekiel has 40 chapters drafted. All of that text needs to be typed).

The third team worked with me on exegetically checking 733 selected verses from different Old Testament books. (We have been asked to publish these for Sunday readings for one of the church groups in the Aruamu area. These texts are now in the process of being comprehension checked by a team of Aruamus and an oral back translation is being recorded for use in consultant checking next July.)

Every morning as we started our workday, our entire team would meet together for a devotion and prayer time. One morning, Aruamu literacy teacher Anna encouraged the Aruamu team with these thoughts in her devotion:

“I’ve learned a lot as our team shares together when we work. I’ve been thinking a lot about how we must stand firm in our belief, no matter what. We must be faithful. God has marked us and chosen us for this work. He wants us to be faithful. People in the village will see us, and give glory to God. I think that it’s like planting a garden. We are planting seeds for the Aruamus. God will cause our garden to grow. So, every day we must be faithful.”

Thank God for Marsha Miles and the leadership she continues to provide for the Aruamu translation and literacy projects.

Pray that more and more of the Aruamu people will have their lives transformed through reading and meditating on God’s Word in their language.

Thank God for each Aruamu who faithfully continues to work on the translation and literacy projects.

Thank God for the national translators and literacy workers who are faithfully serving Him in the other 61 language groups around the world where Pioneer Bible Translators now serves.

Pray they and their families will have good health and that no obstacles will arise to keep them from their work.

Thanks for your prayers,

Gerald Denny
Care Department Director
Pioneer Bible Translators