Love, David, Shari and Family

Simbaris are hungry for God's Word

One of the old customs among the Simbari is that they would stay up all night chanting their gratitude to the spirits as they anticipated an upcoming feast which included meat. You see, their diet consists mostly of vegetables and tuber foods, so eating meat is a rare treat for them and one they greatly look forward to. Now that they have tasted the “meat” of God’s Word and the lasting flavor it leaves in their hearts, they cannot seem to get enough of it. So recently their midweek Bible study and worship meetings have been continuing all night long until sunrise. There are blankets spread around the floor of the church for their kids to be able to sleep while the parents meet. The believers have been sharing how God is doing amazing things in their hearts and they just don’t want to be apart from each other. Their insatiable hunger for God’s Word has astounded us and has been such an example to our own hearts. During a recent all-night meeting they wrote a song in the Simbari language about the differences between Adam and Christ that they have been learning. We’ve translated it for you below.

Simbaris singing praises with all their hearts

Oh Adam, Oh Adam, he brought death - Even now we indeed habitually die - Oh Adam, Oh Adam, he brought death

Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus, he brought life - If you believe in Him, you will live - Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus, he brought life

Wherever I wander, protect me - Lest I fall into Satan’s temptations - Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus, give me strength

Progress and Growth

Both churches gathering for a service together

As of last week, David and his translation helper were able to complete the first draft of Ephesians and David has preliminary drafted through chapter 11 of I Corinthians. He has also been meeting with the teachers on Monday mornings for discipleship during which time they go over the Romans lesson for the week which the teachers then teach at the two churches on Sundays.  The believers at both churches are really excited about what they are learning. And in the midweek services they are going over what they heard from Romans on Sunday to make sure they are understanding it well before moving on. We also have about 20 people from our village and 11 from the other village signed up to go through new literacy classes starting this summer. The Simbari teachers also saw the need to teach foundational truths to the many new people who have recently come to know the Lord. Most of them have not yet heard our foundational “Creation to Christ” course so this week they are having a week long teaching workshop to quickly teach through that curriculum. All the believers will be gathering from both villages for this (last time they all met together there was 125 adults and children). Please pray for the Simbari teachers to walk with God and trust Him for the strength to do His work. Also pray for the rest of the believers to grow in grace. We know of 3 people who have placed their trust in Christ over the last couple weeks so please pray for God’s protection over these new ones in the faith. It’s an exciting time to be amongst the Simbari making it hard to leave, even just for the summer.

See you soon!

It’s hard to believe that Simon will be graduating from High School in less than two weeks! We are all back together again as a family out at the school center and will be here till Simon’s graduation on June 2nd. We will be arriving in LA a few days after that to spend the summer helping him get settled and visiting family and friends, and getting some medical work done. Please pray that we can find a reliable vehicle for us to use over the summer and to leave with Simon to use. We’ll only be there a short time then leaving right away again in July in time for Rachel to start school again here in PNG. Pray also as we will be squeezing a lot into a very short time!

In His Grace,

David, Shari, and family

“Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.’” (John 6:68,69)

Serolin and child

These are the verses that come to mind when we think about Serolin who used to be part of a false religious group in her village who teach that salvation can be obtained apart from Christ by trying to follow certain laws and abstaining from certain foods, etc. Like many who are immersed in this way of thinking, Serolin was constantly carrying a burden of guilt and fear, never knowing whether she would be accepted by God or not. But then through an outreach in her village by our local church she heard in her own language of what Christ has done for her. Since then she has been hiking to our village on Sundays as often as possible to hear more of the Bible teaching.

new church building for other village under construction

So the leaders of the other religious group in her village started pressuring and threatening her to start attending their meetings again. She did go back a couple times but found that after hearing the “words of eternal life” she could no longer endure the false teaching. She told the leaders of that group to stop pressuring her to come because their teaching “didn’t go inside and stay” but the truths she was hearing about Christ however were “stirring her up in her inward parts”. The believers from our village are finishing up a building for the church in her village to meet in so they won’t have to keep hiking so far and so that others will be able to come.

Summer Plans

Simon 2010

We just came out of the tribe to stay at the school center for about a week so that David could download tax docs and fill out Simon’s FAFSA forms online before the deadline. Time is fast approaching for Simon’s high school graduation this June so he has been filling out college applications. Esther ran into trouble trying to get transferred to CSUN to finish her degree so her future is a bit up in the air too. Please pray for God’s intervention for both of them so they can go where the Lord want’s them to go.

We thank the Lord we’ve been able to  purchase our tickets for going to California this summer after Simon’s graduation. We will be in Santa Clarita for about 6 weeks getting Simon settled in, visiting family and friends, and getting some medical work done. We’ll be back in PNG in time for Rachel to start school and then in three years when Rachel graduates we have planned a regular 1 year home assignment. We have a place to stay lined up but still need a vehicle to use during the summer, and also need to buy an inexpensive one for Simon to use after we come back. Thanks for your prayers regarding all these things.

In the meantime there is always lots to do with finishing up Romans lessons and with Bible translation. David finished the preliminary draft of Ephesians and is working on chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians.

Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragment. We appreciate each one of you!

Because of His faithfulness,

David, Shari, and family

Esther’s visit

What an encouraging summer it has been here in PNG! It started when Esther arrived from California in June and we were able to go with a group of missionary friends (18 of us all together) to climb Mt. Wilhelm, the tallest mountain in PNG. Everyone in our family except Jason and Shari made it to the summit and back to base camp in about 13 hours. (Shari and Jason stayed at base camp where there is a beautiful lake).

After a fun but rainy, cold few days, we flew to thecoast and spent a week at the ocean where it was a lot warmer. Esther enjoyed being able to snorkel and dive with us again after being gone a couple of years.

Church Team

Later in July a team of nine from GBC in California came and spent a week with us in the tribe. They were a real blessing and were able to help us with a lot of necessary projects on our airstrip and homes. They really connected with their Simbari brothers and sisters in Christ and were a real encouragement to us all. We all had some very special times visiting and sitting around the fire pit with the Simbari believers for hours singing songs of worship to the Lord. On Sunday some of the Simbari believers put on a special service for us by acting out two dramas. In the first one they acted out key stories from the Bible starting with Adam and Eve and working their way through the Bible, ending with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Then they did a second drama where men women and children came in carrying heavy bags on their backs representing the burden of sin every human being carries before they come to know Christ. Even Jason got to be a part of the drama as they wanted to illustrate how white men as well as dark-skinned people are sinners, in need of a Savior. Everyone carried their burdens to a man who was playing the part of Christ and he placed on each one of them a white shirt representing the righteousness of Christ which He freely gives to those who trust in Him. Then the group of white-clad people went up to the front and joined another group who had been humming in three or four-part harmony. It was a very touching drama and a reminder of the amazing things that God is doing in the hearts of the Simbari people. After the team spent a week in the tribe with us we all came out to the school center where they helped with a building project for a few days. We praise the Lord for this team and the wonderful time we had together!

Start of school and new dorm
This week school started for Simon and Rachel and we can hardly believe we have a 9th grader and a senior this year! Please be praying for them both as they get settled into their new dorm family and a busy year of school. Pray for Jason as well, since it will be hard for him to go back to the tribe and be the only kid at home. We know that God will encourage his heart as He always does, and continue to use him to be a light for Jesus with his Simbari friends.

Simbari progress
Please pray for David, Lori, and Shari as well as our Simbari translation helpers that we would continue to make good progress in finishing up the book of Romans as well as all the Bible lessons that go with it. We are excited as we anticipate being able to teach it to the rest of the Simbari believers soon. Please pray for continued growth in their lives and that they would be shining lights to those around them.

We deeply appreciate your friendship and prayers!

Love in Christ,

David, Shari, and family

Village Outreach

Our outreach to the unbelievers around us and in the nearby villages has been underway for about a month now. The attendance dropped off at one point but after a talk with the village leaders it has picked up again. There are about 40 people coming daily for teaching Monday through Thursday mornings. What’s really exciting this time is that our Simbari teachers who we’ve been training for several years now are doing most of the teaching. Also now that we’re using our revised lessons and scripture portions that are no longer in draft form, the message is coming out especially clear.

No room for our kids

We’ve been mentioning staff shortages at the mission school for quite some time. Those shortages always cause hardships in one way or another and now they are taking their toll in a new way. Because of the shortage of dorm parents only the 11th and 12th graders will be able to be out at the mission school next year. This is a huge dissappoint to us. Simon has been attending for 2 years now and has been doing so well. Rachel was planning on starting at the school this year. Now both of them will be homeschooling again and Esther will be out there by herself. When we need personnel at the school we can’t just go out and hire them. But instead we have to rely on people volunteering because of their heart for serving God in tribal missions. There is a shortage of people like this and all we can do is pray. Now that Shari will be homeschooling 3 kids again it will affect how much time she can spend on her part of the translation work. Also the isolation and tribal culture here make it a less than ideal place to raise teenagers. So again your prayers would be appreciated as we work through these changes and for the extra finances needed. To meet mission requirements Simon’s high school courses will need official transcripts so we need to get him enrolled and have curriculum sent over here for both him and Rachel.

Translation goals

David is finishing the preliminary draft of the last few chapters of Acts. Soon we’ll begin working through all the procedures with our translation helpers. David will also be able to start drafting up lessons for the teaching of Acts. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as we work through the book of Acts and that we’d make good  progress. We’d like to finish Acts and the lessons to go with them and still have enough time to revise our “OT for New Believers” course and translate an epistle or two before our furlough in a year. This fall we’ll be attending a special translation workshop that will focus on translating epistles.

Furlough plans

Many of you have been asking when you’ll be seeing us. Lord willing, we’re planning furlough a year from now when Esther graduates from high school. Can you believe that Esther is a high school senior now! By the way, today is her 17th birthday.

By His Grace,

David & Shari Ogg  (Esther, Simon, Rachel & Jason too)

It was a treat having Esther’s and Simon’s whole dorm come for a visit during Easter. They were here for five days and helped us with some work on the airstrip as well as some other jobs that needed done. They also enjoyed a picnic at the swimming hole and a longer hike to another village. It was great having them join us for a time of worship with the Simbari believers on Easter Sunday as we remembered the Lord’s death and resurrection together. We had such a good time and were sad to see them go and they they would have liked to stay longer too. It was nice for Shari to be able to give the dorm mom a break from the cooking as it is a big job keeping up with the appetites of so many kids. The dorm parents, Stu and Rhonda Hunter and their family have been a real blessing to our kids for the last two years at school and we will miss them a lot this next year as they move on to a different ministry.

UPDATE ON SCHOOL SITUATION
There are only a few more weeks left before the end of the school year and our dorm parent situation has never been so critical as it is now. (We heard recently that the other family who are dorm parents will also be moving on) For this next school year there will only be one dorm available for 11th and 12th grade girls but it won’t be open till the second school term so Esther will be living with another family the first little while until they can get a new dorm up and running again. Because of the dorm parent shortage there won’t be enough space for all the kids so some, like Simon, are waiting for home placements with families who live at the school.  If arrangements can’t be made he will have to come home and study by correspondence. Our two older kids really love it at NCA (Numonohi Christian Academy) so it would be hard for Simon to have to study at home without teachers and his friends around. But we know that the Lord will give the grace for whatever He allows and we just want what is best for our kids. Thanks for praying!

NEW OUTREACH STARTING
Tomorrow, May 2nd, we will be starting a new outreach to the community here. We will be teaching the Creation to Christ evangelism lessons in a public area of the village at 7:30 each weekday morning for the next two months. We and the Simbari believers are very excited about this outreach and are praying that God would do a real work in people’s hearts, drawing them to Himself. We would also appreciate prayer for good weather in the mornings as we will be sitting outside in the open. Also pray  that those who come to hear the lessons will come faithfully so they can hear the WHOLE story and not just bits and pieces. After we are done in this village, we have been invited to have an outreach in another village farther away. So God is doing some neat things in people’s hearts and we are thrilled to be a part of it.

Thank you so much for being a part of what God is doing here too by praying for us and the Simbari people.

In His love,
David and Shari

Spring break at the O.K. (Ogg Kid) corral

Esther and Simon have come home for Spring Break and here is a picture of us all together that was just taken today. We look forward to some family time.

Airstrip open again!

Notice the airplane in the picture! – After about 4 months with our airstrip closed it has now been reopened. Last time we wrote a team from Grace Baptist Church in California was here working on it. Despite some bad weather the majority of the work was completed and the airstrip was reopened the day they left. David continued working on it part time to finish the sections that needed the most attention. We are so grateful for the help provided to get our airstrip reopened quickly because the helicopter was proving to be quite a financial strain. There are still parts of the airstrip that need work but the critical work of building up a crown down the middle has been completed. Thanks for praying.

Preliminary draft of Acts

While the airstrip work team was here David was able to finish up some other projects and also complete about 25% of the preliminary draft on the book of Acts. During the last 2 weeks while working on the airstrip with the Simbaris in the mornings, he has continued working afternoons and evenings on translation and is up to over 40% complete with the draft. Now that the bulk of the airstrip work is done he is back to full time translation.

Staffing shortages – again

After 6 years of dorm parenting Esther and Simon’s dorm parents will be stepping out of that ministry to be able to give their young children some more attention that they are needing. And so far there is no one available to take their place. That leaves us wondering what will be happening for Esther and Simon’s schooling next year. We sure hope they can stay out there at the school because we are not very well equipped to be teaching them at these higher grades. Please pray for God to raise up more laborers for these and other pressing needs. Thanks.

By His Grace,

David & Shari Ogg  (Esther, Simon, Rachel & Jason too)

(Esther gave us permission to share an email with you that she wrote to one of her friends.)

I probably won’t be able to finish this e-mail for a little while, it being Christmas eve and all, so my todays won’t be todays, but anyway… You will never guess what I did today!!!! I have to tell you the whole story. Sit back and relax. Close your eyes and let this legendary epic sink in.

Let your imagination wander. In your mind’s eye, imagine me sitting passively, checking the computer for new e-mails. As I start to read yours, my dad and Simon walk in and start packing backpacks with food. They wind up fishing reels and hooks. I am completely enraptured in your exciting e-mail, of course, so I don’t pay much attention to what they are doing. I spin around in our swivel chair as my dad says my (ahem, ahem) mellifluous name. He tells me cordially that they are going on a “fishing trip” and that if I wish, I may join them. I think..Hmmmmm..That sounds like fun. I really should get out of the house…and so, I agreed to depart with them. After packing another reel and a sandwich for lunch, we headed off. Little did I know where this venture would lead me. dun, dun, dun, dun.

So, we were on our way. The path was smooth for a while and then, whoop! It was as if a chasm opened up it’s leering mouth and grinned maliciously as we plummeted into it’s depths. Up and down we went. In some of the spots, our footholds were as tall as me. I had to pull myself up and over these, which is quite a challenge for someone with no biceps. I’m a wimp, I must confess. I think I did pretty well, though, considering I kept up to everyone else and I was the only girl. We continued on with this, climbing up and down, crossing rotting bridges swinging perilously high over rushing torents of icy water and sharp rocks. We literally crossed over a mountain. Finally we arrived at our designated fishing spot. We got out our reels and prepared to face the fish. It was then that I discovered that I knew nothing whatsoever about fishing. I had gone fishing twice, but that was when I was quite young and my dad had done everything for me. After being taught the intricate art of the fish hook knot. A search for bait produced two worms. My dad, being the gentleman he is, applied the worms to the hook. I though, for a moment, I heard from the depths of the earth, mournful cries of “Murderer!” (I hate to see any creature, no matter how insignficant, delt an untimely death.)

On the way back, while we were crossing that rotting old vine bridge, one of my feet fell through a gap in the vines. Aaaaaaaaah! Well, that’s not important, but I had to say it anyway.

    We (our guide left, so it was just my dad, Simon, and I) stopped at our waterhole before we went home. Oh, after all that hiking, it felt WONDERFUL! I have to show you pictures, but the water was so cool and the sun was out and there was a breeze. The waterfall was majestic. I could have stayed forever. We swam and splashed and laughed. It was paradise. I did leave, though. Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this e-mail.

    Our expedition yielded no fish, and, even today, I believe that the fish of that area are laughing in their triumph. But truly, it is us who triumph. We have conquered the mountain, the savage branches, the winding trails, and the exigent art of the fish hook knot. Triumph. We came, we saw, we conquered.

Well, that is my tale. Hope you don’t find it too long or boring. Well, I’d better go. Tell me all about your Christmas when you can, ok?

esther

Happy 11th Birthday to Rachel !

Airstrip closed for service

We had to close our airstrip last week because it was getting worse and worse with all the rain we have been having. The Simbaris have patched some of the worst spots but there is still a lot that needs done. Please pray for a change in the weather so the airstrip will dry up a little and so the Simbaris can do some more work on it.

PNG Independence Day

Weather permitting, we’re hoping to catch a flight out to Goroka on Wednesday. Papua New Guinea Independence Day is Sept. 16th and we haven’t been out in town for an Independence Day since we first came to PNG in 1991. And this particular Independence Day is the 30th year celebration. Our whole family hasn’t been out of the tribe since April so we are planning to go out to town for the festivities and to have a little break with our kids.  We’ll be spending one week at the kid’s mission school near Goroka and one week out at the coast. Of course we’re looking forward to some good family time and hopefully seeing the sun again.

Conference update

In our last update we told you how 3 Simbari believers had gone to an area conference for national believers. The weather had been bad but God gave them beautiful weather for the 2 day hike. That was a little miracle since it has been raining for almost 3 months straight now. One believer who didn’t go to the conference gave testimony that he had been using the rain as an excuse for not going to the conference but felt rebuked when God gave the other guys good weather for the trip. They hiked over an 8000 foot mountain peak and down into another tribe. They were a little worried when they entered an old traditionally unfriendly village in the Wantakia tribe and wanted to spend the night. But they were not harmed and were given a place to sleep and some sweet potato and sugar cane. The next morning they had hoped for a little food to eat for breakfast or to take on the trail with them but they weren’t offered any. They thought they would be hungry during the 10 hour hike that day but they didn’t even feel hungry. When they arrived in the Aziana tribe at the village where the conference would be they were given food. They said the food was nice but what they really came for was God’s Word. And if that’s all they got during the conference they would have been happy. They attended 3-days of meetings hosted by the Aziana tribe local church where the NTM missionaries have already phased out and the church is on it’s own. They were amazed by all the mature believers there. And that even old people were carrying Bibles and could actually read them. They were also impressed that these folks without much education were so knowledgeable in God’s Word. From all that we heard it was a real challenge and encouragement to our guys. They said they shared tearful goodbyes with their new Aziana friends and came back. They have been very excited since getting back and wanting to spread God’s Word to everyone. While they shared in church last Sunday the meeting went on for 2 and 1/2 hours and the excitement about God’s Word and the Gospel spread to the others who were there too.

By His Grace,

David & Shari Ogg  (Esther, Simon, Rachel & Jason too)

Go away ghost!

We woke up at 5:30 this morning to a loud noise at a nearby house. Just behind our house at a village hut the “yumbunja” was starting for an old lady who died last week. Not too long after a death the Simbaris believe they need to scare away the ghost of the deceased. So they pound on the thatch of the roof very early in the morning and start spinning the bullroars. The bullroar is a bamboo switch that has a string and a little thing tied at the end that makes an eerie howling sound when twirled quickly enough. These are believed to chase off the ghost so it won’t stay around the village causing trouble.  The “yumbunja” lasts for days and the noise is a constant reminder to us of all the people here that are still blinded by Satan and without the hope of Salvation through Jesus. Pray that these deaths in the village would cause people to be more concerned of their spiritual condition before God.

Stranded in town

On Tuesday David and another missionary were flying to a nearby tribe to give some practical help to some other missionaries who are studying a tribal language. The destination airstrip was covered with clouds so David and the other missionary were taken to Goroka to wait out the weather. While David and the other missionary were waiting in Goroka the pilot took the plane out to do another cargo flight to an airstrip in a different area and because of a gust of wind while he was landing the plane was damaged. We’re so thankful that the pilot is ok, but the plane will need completely rebuilt. This accident stranded David in town for a few days until yesterday when he was able to get in with Esther and Simon who just came home for summer break on one of the other planes. Pray for our flight program as they will now be functioning with a shortage of planes.

Translation progress

We completed the rewrite of the evangelism Bible lessons a while back and have been working on finishing the translation of our Old Testament Bible portions which we need to start an outreach. David finished most of the work on Genesis and should be done with the other OT portions in 2 or 3 months. Then he can get started on translating the book of Acts and Bible lessons to go with it. Thanks for your prayers and partnership.

Summer and next year!

Esther and Simon are done with their school year and are now home for the summer break. Esther will be starting 11th grade in August and Simon will be in 8th grade. It’s so good to have them home. They are already working on their first summer project: making their own little movie. It’s been clouded in and raining most of the time since they got home which we hope will improve so they can get out of the house once in a while before ‘cabin fever’ sets in. There are still many staff shortages at the school and it looks like Esther might end up with a correspondence class for Science this coming year.  Many departments that play key roles in supporting tribal missions here in PNG are suffering from staff shortages this coming year. Pray for folks who would be willing to come and fill some of these gaps.

By His Grace,

David & Shari Ogg  (Esther, Simon, Rachel & Jason too)

Prayer and Praise:

1. Praise for protection of pilot involved in the incident.
2. Praise for progress in translation of God’s Word.
3. Pray for NTM Aviation as they operate with a shortage of planes in PNG in the months ahead.
4. Pray for the Simbaris to come to the teaching of God’s Word so that they might hear the words of eternal life.
5. Pray for more laborers “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” Lk.10:2