“It’s like planting a garden”
Dear family and friends,
On a bleak, blustery day in January, after having kept a vegie-crisper full of Tulip bulbs in the bottom of our refrigerator for a couple of months to properly “pre-chill” them, I braved the bone-chilling cold and planted those bulbs in a couple of beds in front of our home in Dallas. Not long after that I left for tropical Papua New Guinea to work with my Aruamu teammates on Old Testament translation and on literacy projects.
Three teams of Aruamus worked simultaneously and eagerly in the town of Madang. A team of 4 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 3 Old Testament books; Judges, Job, and Ezekiel. (Judges is now drafted and 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 denominations in the Aruamu area. These texts are now in the process of being comprehension checked by a team of Aruamus, and an oral backtranslation being recorded for use in consultant checking next July.)
Every morning as we started our work day, 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 have 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 his 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.”
In March I flew back to Dallas, TX, where Spring had sprung! I was extremely thrilled to find that my tulips were blooming in glorious colors. Aaaahh! My having braved the freezing weather in January to plant in the hard, frozen ground was SO worth it! My thoughts went to what my dear Aruamu friend Anna had said in her devotion. Life is very much “like planting a garden. We are planting seeds…God will cause our garden to grow. So, every day we must be faithful.”
I hope Anna’s thoughts will encourage you, as well, as you plant, sow, tend, and reap while God in heaven gives the increase. Thank you so much for partnering together with us in His garden.
Blessings to you,
Marsha Miles
(for Nathan, as well)
