I continue to press on with fixing typos in the Lauje Tribal Bible. The translation team is now finished proof-reading, so it is time for me to buckle down and wrap up this project. Please pray with Angie and I for the money needed for me to make a trip Indonesia, as I continue to have a desire to travel back to Laujeland for the Bible dedication once the Bibles are printed.

Report from Laujeland

Earlier this month I had a report on the Lauje church passed along to me. Mid-June a team of tribal believers from the Wana tribe visited the Lauje people group.

After talking with some of the Lauje church leadership, they learned that there are about 43 outreach posts with a total of 2,238 people attending. From the more than 40 outreach posts, 5 churches have been planted. There are only 5 elders giving oversight to these five churches, and the number of Bible teachers involved in the outreaches is about 40 men.

In preparation for the teaching at all these churches and outreaches, the Lauje Bible teachers meet together at the mother church to review what will be taught. Usually 2-3 people are responsible for the teaching at each post. The Lauje’s enthusiasm and faithfulness to serve has really progressed.

There are still things to be praying for:

• There is a shortage of elders in the churches and not enough teachers for the outreach places.
• A literacy program is greatly needed.
• They need help with health concerns and medical work.
• They very infrequently have conferences or get-togethers between churches or small groups. Rarely the other leaders come over for mutual fellowship.
• They do not yet have a vision for other tribes because of their shortage of workers among themselves. They think if I go to do that, who will take my place to teach these groups in my area.
• There is no schedule for teaching only young people.

Things that the believers in Lauje do that should be an example for people in other places:

• The believers in Lauje are always thinking about people in other areas of Lauje Land who have not heard God’s Word and they are diligent to do the job that the Lord has given them responsibility for.
• They are faithful whether the timing for them is good or not good.
• Before they teach others at a post, they first study together to prepare themselves.
• The elders that they do have don’t just serve their church, but take their turn in helping and serving the outreach areas.

Because I am working on preparing the Lauje New Testament for print, I was really interested in the part of the Wana team’s report that talked about what language the Lauje people are using.

The Lauje are very happy to use the Scriptures and Bible lessons in the Lauje language because that is the language that they understand best. They clearly understand God’s word because it is written in their own language — only a few Lauje people understand Indonesian. Some Lauje may have finished grade school but are embarrassed to speak any Indonesian, especially to outsiders.