I’m still fundraising! Your contribution will help me assist with the Bible dedication for the Apal people (a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!!) and “finish my time” in Papua New Guinea (PNG). 

If you do not currently support me, or have yet to join my team, now would be a wonderful time to start! If you do support me, please consider raising your monthly donation or sending an additional one-time donation. All gifts, big and small are appreciated and tax deductible! Click here to give. 

Here are some fun photos our Media and Communications (MAC) team has captured of various Bible Dedications in PNG:

I attended the 2014 Tay Dedication and the 2017 Mborena Kam (MbK) Dedication

2014: These are Tay people at their dedication. The look on the child’s face is one I have seen a lot – especially at the hospital. It was a white person taking the picture, and a lot of the little ones have not seen many (or any) white people before. 

2017: This man is Dave Parrish (he and another man, Dave Robinson) shared helping the Mborena Kam translate their New Testament. Also pictured is Josy-Anne (Jo). They are being “decorated” by the Mborena Kam people to enter the dedication celebration. Don’t worry it isn’t blood, it’s a berry concoction.  

I got decorated as well – everyone did. It was a hoot, but my clothes were ruined, ha-ha! 

This is an Aruamu translator holding his newly printed ENTIRE Bible – Old Testament and New! I was already back in America when this one was celebrated in 2022.

This is Anna. She helped a lot with the Aruamu Bible. Her husband, Martin, is one of the lead translators. She is a dear friend. 

This is Jason (blue shirt). He is part of the MAC team, and typically behind the camera. It is fun that someone caught this photo! He and Jo will be documenting the Apal dedication.

This is my one of my very favorite photos from 2017 Mborena Kam Dedication. Jo was in the midst of taking photos of the nationals walking in the parade when someone snapped this of her. I’m pretty excited that we will be on this trip together.  

The Apal dedication is not expected to be nearly as colorful as the snaps I have shared. The leaders of the village are the ones who are planning how things go. Even though the decorations shown in these photos are striking and beautiful, in Martha’s area (and other areas throughout PNG), they are tied to black magic – sorcery. There will be no traditional dances or singing. I am not quite sure what it will look like, but I am pretty sure it will not look like any of the dedications I have attended in the past. I can’t wait to share with you!

I have a pretty important prayer request that recently came up ~  

I am having 220 t-shirts printed with this design which is also printed on the front of the Apal Bible. The shirts will be ready in early June. Then I need to use the best way possible to get them to PNG. I used to be able to check two large suitcases, each weighing 50#. Now Qantas only allows one. I have tried multiple times to get help through my travel agent, calling each airline I will be traveling on. I even tried communicating with them online… I am left with one option. I need to drive to the airport to see if I can get a second suitcase allowance – and find out how much they will charge for them to travel all the way there and back.  

I just found out that the t-shirts will weigh around 126#… I have checked with USPS, DHL and UPS to see how much it would cost to ship them to Dallas so that my teammates can help carry them. Then they too will need to get the second suitcase allowance. I am not quite sure (yet) how to get all of the shirts to Papua New Guinea for the dedication. 

Please pray that the right answer will come to me soon and that we can actually pull this off. I feel a little uneasy about it right now – I need direction. Prayers for peace would be nice too (smile). 

Below is another of our precious Pioneer Bible videos. I have a question; do you ever struggle to forgive? This video shows what can happen when the Word of God infiltrates your heart.

Next update, I will talk about what it is like to greet and care for visitors coming to our Papua New Guinea branch.