Yes! It happened!
Below are photos from my trip!
July 9 – August 15, 2023 Apal Update
I left Columbus Ohio on July 11. I arrived safely in Madang, Papua New Guinea (PNG) a mere 26 ¼ hours later. It was so sweet to get back to where I considered “home” for just over 7 years. Brenda (PBT teammate) and I settled easily into our flats (separate homes in one duplex). I was thrilled to be back in my little home, among things that I had left in place, thinking I was going back there to live after my one-year home assignment.
If you don’t think you will make it through all of the photos and bits of story that accompany each, just scroll down to the last photo. I don’t want you to miss its message.
We all know that God changed my address shortly after I arrived in Columbus in early 2021, but I had not, “finished” in PNG. This left my coworkers and national family suspended, until I could come back and allow them to, as my sweet friend Lois said, “release me” to go live in America with my “other” family – I know it was necessary for all of us, but it was hard to actually do. I will miss being around their sweet souls! Don’t even get me started on the babies…
So the dedication?? It was very different than I expected it to be. Yes! I flew into the jungle in a helicopter! How cool is that? I’ll tell ya how cool… VERY cool! Brenda wanted to sit up front on the way, which left the entire back seat free for me! I sat in the front on the way back to Madang.
SLIDESHOW #1
Travel & Dedication Setup
Angguna is absolutely gorgeous! We arrived early, so before the dedication, some of the guests went on a motor canoe ride. One of them snapped this beauty Ever wonder what their dugout canoes look like? This. A lot of time and effort goes into crafting each one! We sold various items days before and on the dedication day. When we had any free time to sit down, we filled little plastic bags with medicine for Martha’s medical clinic It brought back this memory from Madang when I was filling syringes for my dog, Penny This is Sepa. He is Fidelma’s dad… remember her?? This is Fidelma and I in 2017 when she broke her arm and spent weeks in Madang healing Fidelma came up to me with this laminated picture that I had given to her when she broke her arm. This is her today! Martha doing the clinic Homemade dedication shirt
SLIDESHOW #2
Photos of the Apal Bible being ushered into the dedication
Crafting the ark The Ark created to carry the Apal Bible into the dedication The Apal Bible being ushered into the dedication – surrounded by multiples of people singing and celebrating in their own ways Fibi is all the way to the left in the green meri blouse. I had the honor of sitting near her during the dedication and helped her find particular verses that were being read. It was so cool! Some of the beautiful traditional dress Bringing the Apal Bible into the dedication Sweet Fibi proudly displaying her new Apal Bible
We spent several hours each day selling Apal Bibles, MP3 players with the Bible recorded on it, eyeglasses, and various other things in the days before and on dedication day. We had particular times to sell because the dedication was like a several days-long church service, rather than a party like some other dedications I have attended. The whole experience was very hot, and very cool at the same time!
SLIDESHOW #3
Dedication Celebration
Proudly displaying their new Apal Bibles A boy decorated for the celebration Jacob and Martha. Smiles of incredible gratitude to God for allowing this translation project to come to completion – now the real work begins. A Bible is no good until it is read and understood Western technology has made it to Angguna Land Our Madang Director and his wife were also honored Heading to Apal Church Praying during the dedication ceremony Worshipping with Buti Martha enjoying the dedication This is the Apal dedication banner with the agenda The Twins, Brenda and I enjoyed a moment in the Apal church – which now hears the Bible in their heart language every Sunday. Martha was highly honored and decorated as they paraded her around the field singing an original song they had written honoring her for 40 years of medical services to the Mum people group (a nearby people group who will travel sometimes days to get medical attention from Martha which PBT has helped with translation work over the years). Martha & Fibi Chatting with Brenda during the celebration All of the nationals sat around the perimeter during the celebrations – they put a tarp on the ground and fixed a cover over it – in the middle of the soccer field – for us white-skins Apal Bible sales on dedication day. It was busy like this a good portion of the time Heaps of dedication food On dedication day, the women did the back-breaking work of cooking for all of the guests There were about 3,000 people in attendance. Many pigs were killed for this much food to be prepared and distributed by the Apal ladies There were several men sitting on the make-shift tables guarding the food until the proper time. In other pictures you can see dogs under the tables looking for any scrap they might find Meals were definitely a joint effort, but I don’t know what we would have done without Brenda! The prep work that she facilitated before we left Madang ensured that we would eat really well in the village! the kids wanted to be near us at the dedication The Apal translators simply went into the jungle, cut down a branch with lots of leaves, and planted it in the ground If they hadn’t needed the soccer field later, I bet it would be thriving; just as vibrant and pretty today – just stuck in the ground… everything there is so lush and gorgeous! Evening sky after the once-in-a-lifetime Apal Bible dedication – what a wonderful time!
Thank you so much for helping me to go help and help organize things! I will never forget this experience!
I want to leave you with one last thought-provoking photo
This doesn’t happen without people like you who give generously to enable us to help them. I couldn’t do what I do with the Development Department if it were not for your prayerful and financial support. You enabled this dedication to come to fruition. You are the reason that the Apal people and other unknown/little known language groups have or will have the Word of God in their heart language.
THANK YOU!!
Below you will find a short video of the Apal dedication – and one of the Apal Bible being accepted and honored in the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC.
Sharon,
Thank you for sharing these photo’s. Also thank you for the years you served the people and babies of PNG. Now thanking God for your work with the Development Department.
We are not aware of who Brenda is. Can you tell us what she does with PBT. Grateful that she also was a help with the dedication.
Love from us and prayers were sent above today for you, Ruth (for both of us)
Hi Ruth,
Brenda is almost a PBT trainee who just finished her residency in Dallas this month. She hopes to serve in Louisville, KY. I can’t say or spell the language group she hopes to serve among, but she is a part of the PBT diaspora group.