During July we’re focusing on responding to God’s revelation. Please see the Monthly Prayer Focus page to read our strategic prayer request for this month.

By Brian Paris

Recently a PBT team visited two of the four language groups set to join us in the Lower Ramu Project (they will visit the other two next month). The communities they visited are nestled in the twists and turns of the Ramu and Mbur rivers. This late in dry season both rivers will be down quite a bit exposing high steep banks. There’s little doubt the team faced some muddy stumbling up these banks to get to dry land.

But once there the team had work to do. For the first time we are engaging multiple groups at the same time without sending a missionary team to oversee it from the area. To ensure these programs start and continue well, we are asking each language group to form a translation board. The boards will be in charge of all PBT activities within their respective language areas and will serve as a liaison between PBT and the people.

The PBT team went to help the different communities within each language group come up with a board that is representative of the entire group and comprised of people dedicated to the task. We have ideas on how this should work, but we’ve never really done this before. This is why this month’s strategic prayer request is so important:
“That God will show communities how to support their translators and vernacular schools and motivate and empower them to do so.” Pray that He will show us our part in this in the Lower Ramu area.

Please pray about this request while keeping in mind the four LRP groups: Abu, Bosmun, Kayan, and Marangis. Pray also for the team as they process the time they spent traveling and speaking with the groups.

Brian serves as an assistant to the director.