Martha Hatton connecting you to tribal missions NTBI at a glance
They say A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Here are some photos of New Tribes Bible Insititue to give you an idea of what life here looks like…
Here is the school building in the middle of our Michigan winter. It occupies a historical building full of character in the center of town.
Classes are every weekday morning
Chapel is included each morning when students regularly hear from missionaries fresh off the field
We have singles, married couples and families with children enrolled at NTBI from all over the USA and around the world
There are plenty of student activities planned throughout the semester including intramural sports
Regular homework challenges students to dig into God’s Word for themselves
We enroll approximately 170 students
Many of our students come to NTBI to learn more about God’s Word, uncertain of their future. Througout their 2 years many choose to continue on with the 2nd phase of training with New Tribes Mission and career missions.
We are so thankful for each and every student who has come to spend 2 years getting to know God and His Word in a more indepth way. We pray that their minds and hearts would be challenged to respond to God’s Word and go out as “ambassadors for Christ” carrying the “message of reconciliation” to the yet unreached peoples of the world.
THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO PRAY!
Follow the links below for:
bittersweet farewells
BITTERSWEET FAREWELL – We have just over 2 more weeks of the semester here at NTBI. We have a small class of 10 graduating as they’ve completed their 2 years here. It’s a bitter sweet time. I’ve only had the privilege of knowing these students for the past 8 months or so but it’s been such a joy to see their growth! I never grow tired of seeing the evidence of the Spirit of God taking the Word of God and making us more like the Son of God. Most of these graduates are planning on continuing on into missions!
BENJAMIN & MISSY & URIAY – Another bittersweet farewell was with my brother and sister-in-law and family, who moved to Papua New Guinea about a month and a half ago. I of course miss them immensely but am so thrilled that they are over on the front lines, preparing to reach into the darkness with the light of the gospel! They are living in a coastal town right now as they study the national language and culture. In the next year or so they plan on moving into a tribal area and being part of a church planting team. I’ve kept you up to date with the Uriay work that recently presented the gospel. One of the missionaries, Lisa, was recently out at the coastal town for a break where Benjamin and Missy are and they got to spend some time together. It’s so inredible to know they are all on the same team on the ground there in Papua New Guinea and how we’re all woven together in this partnership spanning oceans and mountain ranges. Check out Benjamin & Missy’s Ministry Blog for more details and photos.
- my niece Gianna with some of her new friends from PNG
PLEASE PRAY -
Would you pray for our seniors as they get ready to graduate in these next few weeks? There is much transition ahead of them. Pray that they would continue to ‘grow in grace’ as they go out equipped with a Biblical Foundation for life and ministry.
Would you pray for the new Uriay church as they also continue to grow in their understanding of God’s Truth and see their lives changed by it? Pray for Lisa and the missionary team as they seek to disciple these new believers.
Would you pray for Benjamin and Missy as they continue to adjust to life in Papua New Guinea and learn the language and culture? Pray that they would continue to have their eye’s set on the Big Picture as they adjust to being far away from family and all things familiar.
I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS – On a personal note, I’m going home for Christmas! Not something I had planned on but have been able to work it out. So I’ll get to be going home to Northern Ireland for Christmas this year with my parents, 2 of my siblings and my relatives. (I look forward to seeing some of you then.) I also got to spend Thanksgiving this past weekend with my brother and sister-in-law and 3 sweet nieces in Ohio. I’m so thankful to have some family nearby!
“The Creators talk is the only true talk.”
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” – Romans 1.16
I’ve had the privilege of sitting in on the Romans class lately here at New Tribes Bible Institute. Our second year students are being presented with the amazing truths about their justification and God’s provision for the Christian life. It’s so exciting to hear them talking and grappling with these truths as the Holy Spirit is using The Word to challenge the deepest part of their thinking and beliefs, their worldview.
The Moi are a people group in Indonesia whose worldview has been radically transformed by the Word of God. For the past 7 weeks or so some of our Moi brothers have been teaching another group through evangelistic lessons. These Moi had not heard the Creator’s talk before. But now more than half of the group of about 100 are part of The Family of God.
Take just 2:22 minutes to watch and listen to some of them: Moi Testimonies
For articles from New Tribes Mission related to the Moi, see: http://bit.ly/moi-articles
a Moi family from the first group that heard The Creator's Talk
No frills, bells and whistles
I always find it so incredibly precious and refreshing to hear the testimonies of new believers. I love their clear and simple explanation of what Christ has done for them, in their way, their words, not with “frills, bells and whistles” that we become accustomed to in our western church Christian-ese. Here are a few of the Uriays’ personal testimonies of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
“It’s because of His love for us and His mercy that he was willing to die on the cross. He died so I don’t have to go to hell.” – Imi
“I am a child of God! Jesus is my punishment bearing man! His blood poured out so that I don’t have to get the punishment for my sins!” – Dakruma
“I was in Satan’s canoe and Jesus’ blood poured out to cover my sins. I am thinking with only one thinking about His talk and so I am now in God’s canoe.” – Wekot
“I almost cried. Before you all started this teaching, I was in Satan’s canoe. I have said bad things about other people, been mad, (etc.) and as I hung there, I kept thinking about how Christ bore all this pain and punishment for my sins. He died and his blood was poured out to cover my sins. I am thinking with only one thinking about that talk so I am in God’s canoe now.” - Noel (this is what he said with Lisa asked what he was thinking as he played the role of Jesus on the cross)
“I’m asking Him to change my mouth.” -Aendru (He is very clear that he is now a child of God and is already asking the Father to change his biggest source of sin)
“No, Jesus’ blood poured out to wash away my sins. He made the road so I could get into God’s canoe.” – Maria
Please pray for Fabel and Tyems, neither seem to be absolutely clear yet.
Continue to pray for the missionaries as they continue to meet with individuals to see where they are at.
In God’s Canoe
“We sat there talking about the teaching this morning, me rolling her sago globs while she boldly talked about her trust in Christ’s shed blood for her sins!” – Lisa, missionary to the Uriay.
I apologize for not getting more info to you sooner about the teaching in Uriay! I’ve been waiting for an e-mail from Lisa but haven’t received on. I found a recent blog she wrote last week on the 8th.
The church has been born and there are several Uriay people who are now ‘in God’s canoe’, part of God’s family, our brothers and sisters!
Since I have no adequate words to describe what it must be like to be there, why don’t you check out Lisa’s blog Wabi World for an account of the teaching last week.
KEEP PRAYING…
- For the new believers as they now grow in their faith
- For those that are still not 100% clear on the gospel
- For the missionaries as they try to talk individuals in the village to see where they are at in their understanding of what Christ has done for them.
KEEP PRAISING…
- For the ways the God has answered prayer
- That God’s Word has broken through the darkness and that the Uriay are being transferred into the kingdom of the Son He Loves!
TODAY IS THE DAY
On this day, the 8th day of September, in the year of our Lord, two-thousand and ten, the Uriay people of Papua New Guinea will hear the culmination of teaching on Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.
For those of you have already been praying, continue to pray fervently today and in the coming days!
PRAY that the Uriay’s hearts would understand what Jesus has done for them
PRAY that they would understand their neediness before Him
PRAY that the missionaries’ minds & mouths would communicate clearly in the Uriay language and culture
PRAY that our Adversary would not come in a distract
PRAY that today many Uriay would be ‘delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His Beloved Son’ (Colossians 1.13 ESV)
I will keep you updated as I hear more…
2weeks 165students 1year
2 weeks
“Look at this man that’s coming! He is the same as God’s sheep pig (animal) baby (lamb). He will lose (lay down) his life to cover men/women’s sins. He will put your sins behind his back (forgive). Therefore men/women, they will not get their sin’s punishment. This man came for this reason to this ground.” John declares to all those standing next to the Sea of Galilee. John 1:29 (A translation from the Uriay language back to English.)
“I could hardly read the words, they caught in my throat. I had tears in my eyes and although I’m not ashamed to shed tears, I knew that my tribal friends wouldn’t necessarily understand them so I held them in check. Did they catch it? Do they understand the significance of what he just said there? Only time will tell.”
After years of slogging it out in the hot jungle, hundreds of hours of study and work to translate, Lisa was able to read God’s Word to the Uriay in their own language! The time is drawing near! Do they really understand? In just 2 weeks time the Uriay people in Papua New Guinea will be hearing about Jesus’ death, burrial and resurrection. Lisa, a NTBI alumni and missionary among the Uriay, says that many are tracking with the teaching but are still waiting to hear if there is something they need to “DO” besides believing in Christ. Pray in these next few weeks that there would be no major distractions and that a new part of the Body of Christ would be born!
165 students
This week classes started again here at NTBI. We have 72 new students this year and a total of 165! Among the single ladies we have represented ladies from Australia, Germany, South Korea, Tinadad & Tobago, Canada and many States from West to East in the USA. They are starting from the beginning, much the same as the missionaries have been doing with the Uriay. It’s essential for these students to have a grasp of the foundation of God’s Word as they seek to know Him more and serve Him in the future. Keep praying for these students as they transition into this new community and buckle down in their studies of His Word!
Our Summer Training Program (STP) for the student leaders was an amazing week and a half of teaching, discussion, paired studies and fun times. Pray for these new leaders as they seek to serve the student body here at NTBI.
1 year
My parents were here in the USA for a few weeks. They left Michigan today and I won’t see them for about a year. As many times as I’ve said those goodbyes, it never becomes easy. The pain of separation is no less real in my heart. Yet, I’m so thankful that as a family, we have no regrets. Yes, at times it’s hard. BUT I am fully confident that it’s because of Jesus and His willingness to leave His Father that I am here and they are there. It’s truly worth it. How many other people will get the chance to hear of Jesus’ separation from His Father as a result of me from mine? What a privilege.
the countdown has begun
“This story really shot my stomach” (the teaching really pierced my heart) said an Uriay man this past week as missionaires wrapped up the teaching of the major Old Testament stories. It’s been a month since I wrote about God’s Word, like a hammer, beginning to pound away at the worldwiew of the Uriay people of Papua New Guinea. Working through the Old Testament, the missionaries have emphasised the children of Israel’s sin and their need to come to God on God’s terms, not in and of their own works. They talked about God’s Promised Redeemer. The Uriay are now wondering who will be the one to fulfill these prophesies?
Now the stage is set. The Uriay that have been coming to the teaching faithfully have the foundation set. This next week they are meeting the Promised One! The teaching of the New Testament has begun! The puzzle pieces will hopefully begin coming together as the Uriay get to know their Redeemer! The countdown has certainly begun! In a matter of weeks they will hear just how far God went to redeem them for Himself. Continue to pray that the Uriay’s hearts would be convicted by the truth and that they would understand the significance of God choosing to become a man. Pray for the Uriay who have not come faithfully, that their hearts would be changed.
The coundown here at NTBI has also begun! Summer is over and this week our Student Leaders are trickling in. Tomorrow night we kick off our Training Program for them. This is an intense time of training for these men and women who will be asked to take on leadership roles within the student body. As a student here at NTBI years ago the Leadership Training week was a highlight of my two years here. Pray that their hearts and minds will be open to all that God has to teach them about servant leadership this coming week. Pray that we as staff would continue to draw near to Him as our Wisdom. This is all new for me and I’m accutely aware of my neediness. I’m so thankful that it’s about a Person, my Jesus “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…” (Col 2:3-4 ESV)
Pray that our new and returning students will soon say “This teaching really shot my stomach!” In two weeks classes start here again. Continue to pray that God would raise up from among these students men and women who would take His Gospel to those that are yet unreached. There are still many like the Uriay waiting to hear of the Promised One.
- Pray for the Uraiy as they begin to get to know The Promised Redeemer
- PRAISE that many are tracking with the teaching
- Pray for the missionaries among the Uriay that they would continue to have the needed strength & wisdom
- PRAISE that they have remained encouraged and pretty much healthy so far
- Pray for the Student Training Program going on this week
- PRAISE for the lives of these students who love and what to serve HIM
- Pray for the New & Returning students that this semester would impact many hearts and lives
- Pray that God would continue to raise up servants to go out in the harvest field from among our NTBI students!
- PRAISE that it is HIS Work, we are just his Tools!
***CHECK OUT THE NEWLY LAUNCHED NTBI WEBSITE! READ ARTICLES WRITTEN BY STUDENTS. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR COURSES. SEE PICTURES OF STUDENT LIFE ACTIVITIES! ***
“Is not MY WORD like a Hammer?”
“Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” -Jeremiah 23:29 (ESV)
In the hands of a master, a hammer has an incredibly destructive force. In the hands of The Master, The Hammer, His Word, is not only a destructive force, breaking to pieces a worldview (system of values and beliefs) but a force for rebuilding, from the foundation up, a worldview based on His Truth. That’s what it takes when a culture is so far removed from God that they don’t even know who He is anymore. Their entire way of thinking must be dismantled and rebuilt so that they will be able to know WHO God is as their Creator, to know they are HELPLESS because of the SIN problem we all have, and to know that only JESUS has the answer to their problem.
To wield The Hammer skillfully, effectively and ultimately, constructively, takes much training and preparation. A team of missionaries has been trained in their own knowledge of The Hammer, worked tirelessly for the past 6 years learning the Culture and Language of the Uriay people of Papua New Guinea. Now the time has come! The Hammar has been raised and is coming down on the worldview and is already beginning to dismantle their faulty thinking.
“Will God destroy us like He did those in Noah’s day?” asked a lady from the Uriay tribe in Papua New Guinea recently. This lady is already understanding that she is in a needy place before God. The missionaries are on week 6 of teaching. That’s about half way through their teaching starting from the foundation, Creation and key Old Testament passages through to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. All the while they are learning the true character of God as their old worldview is dismantled.
One of the missionaries working among the Uriay is Lisa, a graduate of NTBI. Lisa has been part of setting up the Literacy program to teach the Uriay how to read and write in their own language. That included analysing the grammar and coming up with an alphabet! She’s also been a major part of translating portions of God’s Word in preparation for the teaching. It’s so exciting to see alumni of NTBI like Lisa as part of Tribal Church Planting worldwide! How many other language groups will one day hear the Gospel through ladies that come through NTBI?!
Pray that God’s Word would break down the Uriay’s WORLDVIEW and be a fire in their hearts, drawing them back to hearing the teaching of TRUTH. Pray for the missionaries as they seek to communicate God’s Word in a culturally relevant way. Pray that they would have the stamina, wisdom and discernment to continue in these next 6 weeks of the teaching and see a new CHURCH born among the Uriay!
whoWHATwhereWHENwhy
hello blogger world! thanks for visiting, i hope you will continue to check my updates as i add more info about what God is doing in my life and through my ministry here at NTBI to reach unreached people groups with the Gospel of Jesus Christ…
who: martha, 25 year old, lover of God and growing in Him
what: follower of Christ, serving as a missionary with New Tribes Mission
where: serving at New Tribes Bible Institute in Jackson, Michigan (www.ntbi.org)
when: i’ve only been here at NTBI since march of this year, so i’m a rookie
why: because Jesus said “go”
Tags: NTBI