Pray for RAIN for the Aruamu area of PNG. Pray that God will enable us to find ways to help with drought relief.
Pray for Nathan Miles as he travels to Antalya, Turkey this next week to assist with Bible Societies software training. (This is Nathan’s first overseas trip since his heart valve replacement. Praise God with us for Nathan’s excellent recovery!)
Praise God that, during February, PBT consultant Steve Hayward was able to work with an Aruamu checking team to do the final consultant check on the books of Joshua, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
Pray for the families of Robin Namai and Pais Asefi, who are in their jungle villages, while their husbands are here in the US checking translation. Robin and Pais are calling them each week on Skype, to their cell phones in the village. Please pray for good connections each time they call. Phones need to be charged ahead of time, which is not simple for them. Also, they need to be in range of one of the cell phone towers.
Pray for good progress for our team as we work on the following:
*Robin Namai, Pais Asefi, and Marsha Miles: exegetical checking Judges
*Steven Dazim: attending a Biblical Exegesis Course at the SIL Center in the Highlands of PNG
Aruamu Update
Dear family and friends,
Thank you so much for praying for us this last month! My two Aruamu colleagues, Robin Namai and Pais Asefi and I travelled back from Papua New Guinea in mid-February. We are now set up in Dallas, TX and have begun exegetical checking on the book of Judges. This is a very different culture than Robin and Pais are used to. They are adjusting well, so far. Please keep them in your prayers!
When I was in Papua New Guinea, our entire Aruamu Translation Team met together for several days of prayerful planning and strategy. It was very touching to hear the testimonies of these dear brothers, and to work together with them to put work plans in place for this next year.
One big concern that the Aruamu men shared with me is regarding the severe drought that has been occurring in Papua New Guinea. (You may have followed this from a distance; if you google on Papua New Guinea drought 2016, you will find much information about this.)
A 9-month drought in PNG during 2015 has strongly affected many of the people groups. The Aruamu people are one of the people groups. Aruamus are subsistence farmers dependent on their gardens for the large majority of the food they eat. Their 2015 gardens were devastated by this drought. This was the food that they SHOULD be eating now. They have recently replanted new gardens, and rains are beginning a bit, but foods will not be harvestable until late June. In the meantime, they are reduced to foraging in the jungle for whatever wild foods they can find. They have no idea how they will feed their families until June. They are telling me that people are constantly hungry. I am working to organize ways to help with drought relief.
As we prayed for our nice lunch today here in Dallas, my mind went to the jungles of PNG where nice lunches are not happening right now. Can you please join us in prayer for the Aruamu people? Please pray with us for RAIN so that these newly planted gardens will grow well. If God prompts you to help financially, you can give to Pioneer Bible Translators, with a sticky note saying: “Aruamu Translation Fund, for Aruamu Drought Relief.” Feel free to email or call me about this. (214-205-7060)
For Kingdom expansion, Marsha Relyea Miles (For Nathan Miles and the Aruamu Translation Team)
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You are invited to partner financially in Bible Translation ministry. You can give online at the link below to my ministry, and also the Aruamu Translation Fund, the Aruamu Literacy Fund, and the Aruamu Scripture Printing Fund. (Of course, the normal “check” method listed below works great, as well.)
