By Diane Miller

Martha Wade and I (Diane Miller) took the slow route back to the USA for a brief furlough or temporary Home Assignment.  We stopped first at PBT’s East Africa Branch (EAB) where we shared Linda Loughren’s house with retired volunteer workers from PBT Canada, Rick and Linn Rehn.  (Linda is in the US on furlough, so her lovely three-bedroom house was available for others to use.)

Martha did consultant checking for Bible translations in 6 different languages and a bit of training on the use of the Paratext program.  I holed up in my room most of the day and continued to work on editing our Elementary 1 Term 2 lesson materials.  When I came to something I did not understand or with which I needed some help such as a picture or a game that was mentioned but not included in the materials, I simply e-mailed Justin, our national literacy supervisor in Madang, who is also working on the E1 materials and a reply was soon forthcoming to solve my problems.

I won’t have much time for E1 in Israel where Martha and I are now at the Home for Bible Translators because we will be involved in a ten day course that includes touring many of the places where Jesus and his disciples walked and where Biblical events took place. I plan to resume my E1 editing job after I get settled for a month in Oregon, starting on April 10.   At that time modern technology will again enable me to keep in touch with Justin in Madang.  Hopefully I will be able to finish editing term 2 before the Apal men, who will be in town for a checking session return to the village.  If so, we can send it with them and they can take it back to the village for use in their elementary school.

Diane develops curriculum both in the vernacular and Tok Pisin languages of PNG.