Hello brothers and sisters,

March has been an exciting month! It was my (Rebekah’s) turn to travel this time to encourage translation teams serving in the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.

On my first trip, one of my supervisors and I went to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville to visit a translation advisor and the local translator in their village. I was so encouraged by their faithfulness and the support of their village family. Thanks for praying with me for their continued health and well-being as they diligently obey our Father. This team will be finishing consultant checking for a few short New Testament books next week!

While in Bougainville, my supervisor and I met with some denominational leaders to discuss translation, and then we met with the Department of Education to promote vernacular literacy in early childhood education. Children need to learn to read using their own language before they try to read a different language. This takes a good deal of training, and it’s an area SIL is excited and well equipped to help with! I’m so grateful to serve in an organization that trains kindergarten teachers and helps communities grow in education and literacy. This will cultivate the soil for people to receive the written Scripture. We are most interested in minds and hearts being developed.

After returning from Bougainville and spending one night back in our capital city of Port Moresby, I flew on alone to Manus Province to visit another translation advisor there to see how her translation team and new kindergarten class were going. She has a delightful village family caring for her and working with her. This was her first trip back to her village without her late husband, a dear friend and colleague who passed several years ago, so there is a lot for all of them to process together. I’m continually inspired and motivated by this woman, and I’m grateful to be your hands and feet in serving and loving her for a couple days.

While we’ve been gone, the Mamusi Literacy Team has been preparing to train more teachers with the Vernacular Creative Phonics Course in Aona village in early April. Please pray with us that teachers will be empowered to help these children learn to read in their own language, and produce eager and confident learners.

The Mamusi Scripture App with the Gospel of John is up and running! This highlights the verse that is being read aloud as you read and listen. Pray with us that Mamusi speakers will find and use this app as a way to connect with God’s Word in their language!

We are hopeful the Mamusi Gospel of John will be printed in the next two weeks and that the John film will also be finished. Thanks for praying with us! Aaron will depart the Tuesday after Easter for distribution.

Next week, our Spring break is over and the kids will start Term 4 of the school year. Thanks for praying for their growth and discipleship.