NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

After saying good-bye to friends and family in the States I’m now back in the village. It has been good to be back with friends. Some ladies had made us some new firewood string bags while we were gone so we have been enjoying those. Our visitors have also enjoyed getting some laughs out of trying on things like sunglasses that someone sent down in a package. Now, it is time to keep pressing on to finish up the last stage of Nagi language & culture study!

Tum (toom) was one of the first words I learned in Nagi. It means ‘rock’. That’s the way it goes when you are working on the airstrip while culture & language learning.

But living in a tribal location…it’s amazing how often one actually does talk about rock. You can even call a stubborn person a “rock head”.

However, it’s now time to leave all the rocks ( and “rock heads” ) and village friends behind to spend the next six months with you!!

I am really looking forward to seeing friends and family and having opportunities to share about life here with the Nagi.

Please drop me an email if you would like to meet during these next coming months….my plans are to return to Nagi Land in January 2012.

It’s bow & arrow making season in Nagi land! Well, at least for the men. It is rainy season and the rain & mud isn’t conducive to garden making. The bows that the Nagi men make are actually the envy of many of the neighboring tribes and something that they use as a trading item. The ladies on the other hand are bag makers. These can be make out of colorful thread or from a string that they make from tree bark. It is neat seeing the enjoyment and competition they find in making these items.

“Rainbow” in Nagi is the name of two different snakes. We see a rainbow and think it’s a beautiful sight. The Nagi say “We’re Scared!”

There are no cars here in the tribal village. So you’d think there would not be fights over who called “dibs” first. But, in fact the principle is alive and well. Calling dibs and being the first one to “see” a bird is one of your best bests on being given game. Kubili almost got her “dibs” in on this bird the other day. She lost out though. A girl had seen it “first” like five days ago…so it was HERS and her uncle gave it to her. Of course, maybe that was more because she had the right connections.

The twins are 4 months old now!  Both are doing great and have survived their first bouts with malaria and village colds & sickness.   Thanks for praying for these two twins.  It is indeed an answer to your prayers that they are doing great!

I’ll be honest…when I have a machete in my hand mothers grab their children and everyone starts running for the hills.   The Nagi on the other hand grow up playing with machetes from the time they are about two years old. 

It’s not just the tool they for cutting grass or chopping down trees.    They will use them  to prepare a meal, cut a fingernail and a 101 things I wouldn’t dare attempt with a big, sharp knife.   So living here with our Nagi friends I am having to develop some machete skills.  And make up for all those years of not being allowed to play with knives. Despite all the help I receive…I have yet to progress far enough to eliminate the fear factor when they see this crazy white girl swinging her machete.   Maybe in another 10 years.

There was drama in the village this past week when one of the young men was found out to be having an affair with his sister-in-law. We all gathered one afternoon for a village meeting or “court case” to address the issue. “You crossed my nose!” the husband gestured angrily dragging his finger across his nose. This was the first time I’d heard that expression. I knew they weren’t talking about noses. What exactly did it mean? But by now there were five other conversations going on and my head was spinning. Who to listen to? Some order was established and the meeting proceeded. For three hours we all sat and discussed this issue as a village…there was marriage advice offered, warnings expounded to the rest of the village, an accounting of the events given and a penalty decided upon. And at the end ….the offense of the “crossed nose”….the affair that was done “right under my nose without me knowing” was “forgiven” was settled. Everyone said their “stomachs were good” as they shook hands and parted ways. However, the fears are still there and being talked about how they maybe didn’t do everything “quite right” and that someone is going to get sick from sorcery as a result of the mistakes they made….Keep praying for the Nagi and that these events will be preparing them for truth in the future.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance – I Cor 13:7

Church planting consultants were here this week spending time with our team. We were reminded how our consultant friends are also an part of our team that is here working with the Nagi. We were able to look back at history since we have been here, address discouragement and challenges going on now and these guys also helped remind us of our focus and strength in the Lord to see how GOD WILL DO IT and see a church in the future here with the Nagi. We are thankful for our consultants and the sacrifices they make to travel and be away from their families so that the Lord can use them in these ways.

One of the things that I miss the most living in the tribe is FAMILY…mother, father, brother, sister, nieces, nephews….etc, etc. However, our co-workers have great kids living on either side of our house. They seem very “normal” to me. Of course seeing this picture I guess you MIGHT question my definition of normal.