Change of Plan for Clare

This month's photo is from 2005.  Some of you will remember that I (Clare) first came to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to teach grade two children at Ukarumpa International School.  This is the school that Levi, Heidi and Eowyn now attend, alongside children of other Bible Translation workers.  

Over the last 13 years, I've served at the school in a variety of different areas.  Between mid-June and January I'll be taking on the role of temporary (and part-time) principal.  I'm excited about this opportunity; I can already see that all I've learnt in my years of missionary care and parenting will be useful in this role. But I am aware that it will also be very challenging!

Over the next two weeks I'll be handing over my work in the staff care department as well as ending my year of teaching mathematics to students with special educational needs.  I'll be asking many questions of the current principal too and starting to move into the new role.   That's an awful lot of juggling!   And I'm also recovering from a virus that I caught while working at the school.  I am very grateful for your prayers and for a God who I can fully rely on.

Thank you so much for your love and support towards us all; we certainly couldn't be doing this alone.

New Workers, Many Languages

At the beginning of the year, 32 new Wycliffe members attended a training course here at the Ukarumpa centre to prepare them for life and work in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Andrew and I enjoyed being part of a 'support worker panel' where the students on the course asked questions to those of us who have been supporting Bible Translation here.

I'm currently meeting with each of these new workers on behalf of the Staff Care department.  I'm enjoying getting to know them and hearing about their experiences during these first few months in the country.

The United Nations has declared 2019 to be the 'International Year of Indigenous Languages'. At our organisation's recent biennial conference, we felt inspired after hearing from our International Executive Director, Dr. Michel Kenmonge, who shared his experience of growing up with a Cameroonian indigenous language as his mother tongue.  Watch this video to hear some of his story and to join us in celebrating the world's 7097 languages:

It is wonderful to see how God continues to provide for all our needs.  We are deeply grateful for a church that has been a partner in our work since I first came to PNG, and sent their final gift to Wycliffe earlier this year.  In the same month, a different church gave us the opportunity to share about our work; we are excited that this has led to a new partnership.  We are so thankful for this provision.

Learning and Jousting!

Last week we were in two different places:

I (Clare) was in Pennsylvania at the Heartstream Resources Member Care Course.  Andrew, Levi, Heidi and Eowyn stayed in North Carolina and enjoyed a day trip to the North Carolina Renaissance Festival.

The week of training was immensely helpful in preparing me to continue as a pastoral care facilitator in Papua New Guinea.  All that I learnt will help me to be a better support to those in challenging situations, whether through listening, asking useful questions, or helping people work through conflict.  I'm keen to get back to this role in January.

At the Autoshop, staff are eagerly awaiting Andrew's return.  In a recent letter Andrew's manager, James Ernandes, described Andrew as 'irreplaceable in his role'.  He shared how Andrew helps the other Autoshop staff better understand the local culture, and how the staff have been helped many times by his commitment to grace, understanding and patience. 

James added, 'And he is one of our best mechanics to boot. We depend heavily on Andrews knowledge base of motorcycles and small engines'.  To read the whole letter, click here.

We are so encouraged to see how the Lord continues to bring in financial partners in a whole variety of ways.  We still need $825/£650 per month in regular support in order to meet our Wycliffe ministry budget for the next three years.  If you are planning to start giving financially or would like to change your current commitment in any way, we'd be very grateful if you could let us know; this will help us reach the point of being released by Wycliffe to travel to back to Papua New Guinea.

It is amazing, as we meet people on our travels, to discover how many of you are praying for us regularly.  We are most grateful.

Our Work