After 30+ months of prayer, Siawi is back on the air!
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Linda Krieg
Oct 29, 2018, 10:37:44 AM10/29/18
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What a joy, late last night, to find an email from one of our support missionaries out in Wewak (PNG)-one of the men from Siawi had come up on the shortwave radio!
No, not on the Siawi radio, which was first sent out for repair back before June, 2016 (April, I think). It is still up in Goroka, after having made its 3 or 4th trip out of the bush, hoping for a repair that would enable it to again broadcast. But the support missionaries at Wewak (nearest large town) were able to send them a loaner radio, since the Siawi radio is stuck in line with a number of other radios from the Sepik needing repairs done. Evidently they have managed to get the loaner radio connected and working, a cause for thanksgiving to the Lord.
With the coming of the digital age, more and more of the populated areas of PNG are now being served by cell phones, but many of the little backwater places are not within range of any cell towers, with mountains blocking their access. Just as they have been bypassed so long because of lack of numbers, they continue to lag behind, as civilization's benefits spread, leaving them wanting. For the commercial world, it is a question of profitability.
With their ability to once again communicate with the outside world comes some prayer requests. First there is a praise-they are planning to do further teaching at their missionary outreach to the Amto people, teaching through the chronological lessons for phases 1 and 2 (covering again who God is and His plan of salvation, the threads of which begin in Genesis). It was so good to hear that they are continuing to support this outreach, though I'm not sure why they are again covering the first basic lessons. We need to be praying for those involved, for clarity of teaching and faithfulness to see it through.
Feeling forgotten and unsupported, they were a bit cross, feeling that more flights should be going in to Siawi and bringing medical supplies straight to them, rather than to a neighboring tribe (where missionaries have purchased flights and are maintaining the airstrip). They also want more teaching supplies paid for by the mission, rather than having to buy them themselves. And before you grab your pocketbook and want to know how much is needed, please remember: We are trying to help this young church learn to stand on its own two feet, not be dependent on funds from the outside. There has to be a very careful balance between providing Christian support and not teaching them to lean on the expat missionaries, rather than on God.
There is not a one of us who wouldn't rather have someone else pay all our bills and provide our support. And not a one of us who wouldn't then be crippled and twisted by that full out support. Human nature loves a free ride. Maturity demands learning to putting our faith and trust in God, not man, doing what we can for ourselves.
In just 3 weeks, there will be a gathering of the believers from the various churches in the upper Sepik River area to which the Siawis will go. Also attending will be a missionary from the Wewak support team, who is going to have to sit down with the churches planted by New Tribes Mission missionaries who are no longer living in those tribal areas, discussing these issues. Please be praying that the hearts of tribal believers and the missionaries will be open to what God wants done. These yearly gatherings can be a great time of encouragement for the believers, as they meet with believers from those who were once their enemies, now part of the same family-the family of God. For hunters and gatherers, with no local stores or finances to purchase supplies, feeding the 50-100 gathered visitors can be a huge burden to the hosting village. Pray that whether there are hungry bellies or not, there will be hungry hearts, open to God's Word and encouragement.
If you do feel that you'd like to financially help the Siawi believers, then you can give to Siawi Ministry, a PNG Field Fund account. Be sure to mark it for the field fund account, since otherwise the money might be mistakenly put into the Siawi translation fund, which is not in need of finances. Money in the Siawi Ministry account is available to the support missionaries on location in the Sepik, so that they can pay for sending in medical supplies or any ministry supplies that they feel would be beneficial to the work without stunting spiritual growth. They understand the culture and the needs much better than we can, from our Western perspective. With any money you might feel led to give, be sure that your prayers also should be just as liberally given. Prayers for the Siawi believers to understand the love with which decisions are being made and for the missionaries to be given the wisdom to know what God wants done.
As I just now realized that the upper Sepik gathering will also provide an opportunity for me to get some letters in to my Siawi friends, pray that I'll get letters written for them. Oh! And that will mean that there will be a way to get the edited Romans lesson books in to the pastors, too.
Thank you so much for standing with the Siawi ministry down through the years (I almost wrote "ages," but I guess it hasn't been quite that long). Please remember, your prayers are vital and they are depending on you.
Rejoicing in our loving God's care,
Linda
Email: Linda_Krieg at ntm.org
Home address: 232 Brazil Court, Sanford, FL 32771
Ethnos360 Hdqts: 312 W 1st St, Sanford, FL 32771 www.ntm.org<http://www.ntm.org>
No, not on the Siawi radio, which was first sent out for repair back before June, 2016 (April, I think). It is still up in Goroka, after having made its 3 or 4th trip out of the bush, hoping for a repair that would enable it to again broadcast. But the support missionaries at Wewak (nearest large town) were able to send them a loaner radio, since the Siawi radio is stuck in line with a number of other radios from the Sepik needing repairs done. Evidently they have managed to get the loaner radio connected and working, a cause for thanksgiving to the Lord.
With the coming of the digital age, more and more of the populated areas of PNG are now being served by cell phones, but many of the little backwater places are not within range of any cell towers, with mountains blocking their access. Just as they have been bypassed so long because of lack of numbers, they continue to lag behind, as civilization's benefits spread, leaving them wanting. For the commercial world, it is a question of profitability.
With their ability to once again communicate with the outside world comes some prayer requests. First there is a praise-they are planning to do further teaching at their missionary outreach to the Amto people, teaching through the chronological lessons for phases 1 and 2 (covering again who God is and His plan of salvation, the threads of which begin in Genesis). It was so good to hear that they are continuing to support this outreach, though I'm not sure why they are again covering the first basic lessons. We need to be praying for those involved, for clarity of teaching and faithfulness to see it through.
Feeling forgotten and unsupported, they were a bit cross, feeling that more flights should be going in to Siawi and bringing medical supplies straight to them, rather than to a neighboring tribe (where missionaries have purchased flights and are maintaining the airstrip). They also want more teaching supplies paid for by the mission, rather than having to buy them themselves. And before you grab your pocketbook and want to know how much is needed, please remember: We are trying to help this young church learn to stand on its own two feet, not be dependent on funds from the outside. There has to be a very careful balance between providing Christian support and not teaching them to lean on the expat missionaries, rather than on God.
There is not a one of us who wouldn't rather have someone else pay all our bills and provide our support. And not a one of us who wouldn't then be crippled and twisted by that full out support. Human nature loves a free ride. Maturity demands learning to putting our faith and trust in God, not man, doing what we can for ourselves.
In just 3 weeks, there will be a gathering of the believers from the various churches in the upper Sepik River area to which the Siawis will go. Also attending will be a missionary from the Wewak support team, who is going to have to sit down with the churches planted by New Tribes Mission missionaries who are no longer living in those tribal areas, discussing these issues. Please be praying that the hearts of tribal believers and the missionaries will be open to what God wants done. These yearly gatherings can be a great time of encouragement for the believers, as they meet with believers from those who were once their enemies, now part of the same family-the family of God. For hunters and gatherers, with no local stores or finances to purchase supplies, feeding the 50-100 gathered visitors can be a huge burden to the hosting village. Pray that whether there are hungry bellies or not, there will be hungry hearts, open to God's Word and encouragement.
If you do feel that you'd like to financially help the Siawi believers, then you can give to Siawi Ministry, a PNG Field Fund account. Be sure to mark it for the field fund account, since otherwise the money might be mistakenly put into the Siawi translation fund, which is not in need of finances. Money in the Siawi Ministry account is available to the support missionaries on location in the Sepik, so that they can pay for sending in medical supplies or any ministry supplies that they feel would be beneficial to the work without stunting spiritual growth. They understand the culture and the needs much better than we can, from our Western perspective. With any money you might feel led to give, be sure that your prayers also should be just as liberally given. Prayers for the Siawi believers to understand the love with which decisions are being made and for the missionaries to be given the wisdom to know what God wants done.
As I just now realized that the upper Sepik gathering will also provide an opportunity for me to get some letters in to my Siawi friends, pray that I'll get letters written for them. Oh! And that will mean that there will be a way to get the edited Romans lesson books in to the pastors, too.
Thank you so much for standing with the Siawi ministry down through the years (I almost wrote "ages," but I guess it hasn't been quite that long). Please remember, your prayers are vital and they are depending on you.
Rejoicing in our loving God's care,
Linda
Email: Linda_Krieg at ntm.org
Home address: 232 Brazil Court, Sanford, FL 32771
Ethnos360 Hdqts: 312 W 1st St, Sanford, FL 32771 www.ntm.org<http://www.ntm.org>
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