CLA Evaluation

 We had an evaluation in early December to check our progress in the Menya language and culture. Our CLA consultant rated the two of us at Basic Mid and Basic High. Out of 9 “levels” we must pass, we are on levels 2 and 3. We and our teammates can begin Bible teaching and translation after we reach Capable High. We’ve made good progress considering the complexity of the Menya language, but please pray that we will not grow weary in pressing on.

Why take the time?

Eating together

Why are we spending 3 or 4 years to learn the language and culture of the people? Why not teach in the trade language?  There are many reasons, but an important one is that the people aren’t empty vessels, waiting to have truth poured in. They already have a complex, interwoven belief system defining what they think, who they are and how they view their world. It clashes with the Word of God in most areas, and must be confronted carefully and clearly again and again by the teaching of God’s Word. This is best done in the “heart language” of the people, and the result is worth all the work of learning it. It is not our job to convince them of truth with clever words or man’s reasoning, but we must be absolutely clear what the Word of God does and does not say.

Animistic people will often hold two contradictory beliefs in harmony, claiming both are true. It is a sad reality that much Bible teaching in Papua New Guinea has been corrupted and mixed with the people’s tribal beliefs. Teaching in Melanesian Pidgin without an understanding of the culture is the cause for much of this confusion. Though teaching in Pidgin would be the “easy road”, without careful preparation we would almost certainly reap what we sow.

It all happened here…

Since moving in to Menya, we have heard many stories demonstrating the confusion that is here. The Menya people believe the creation of the human race happened less than 10 miles from where we live here, that everyone (including you!) came out of a cave nearby. Others have told us Menya was the original language spoken before the tower of Babel, and that all languages (including English) derived from it. Many, many others believe Christ lived and walked, not in Israel, but in Menya, that He spoke their language, and was crucified on a mountain near them.

They have been exposed to some form of Bible teaching for over 50 years, so obviously something is wrong. The best way to clear up the confusion is to go back to the beginning and lay out God’s Word as He revealed it, gently confronting the errors and showing the people where they fit into God’s design.  Although this is true, we do not put our faith in methods or in outlines to transform and renew their minds, and we do not find sufficiency in ourselves, but in the living God.

“The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…”

Why let His Son live in poverty and obscurity for thirty-three years, to suffer and die at the hand of His creation? He did it to identify with us, to relate with us, to make Himself known. We know that we have a sympathetic High Priest, who is “…touched with the feeling of our infirmities….”

On the basis of that knowledge, God intreats us to “…come boldly unto the throne of grace…” He came to experience all we experience as He made Himself known in a personal way. In a small way, we are following His example as we, too, seek to make Him known. We left our home to live among the Menya, to share our lives with them.

We are taking the time to learn from them; how they garden, how they hunt, how they eat, how they meet together, how they show love and hatred, how they celebrate and how they mourn, what they fear, what is both good and wicked in their culture. We want to rejoice with them when they rejoice and weep with them when they weep. When we teach, it will be on the basis of knowledge about them and relationship with them, so they do not miss the significance of the message for their lives. They will know how we have lived among them as God’s ambassadors, and through that we hope they will realize this message is important for them, and not just for us.  They need to see that He is not distant and detached as they now see Him, but that He is the God of the Menya who knows them fully, and loves them despite their absolute unworthiness.

Thank you for your prayer and support of the Lord’s ministry through us. Pray with us that we will be found vessels fit for the Master’s use.

Thank you for praying for us. It has been a busy and eventful time since we wrote last. Since our building team left in March, we have been seeking to make good progress in culture and language study. Steve has set a goal of 50 hours per week in culture and language study, and Natalie is putting in about 20 hours per week as well as home-schooling Ethan and Nathaniel. With the every day interruptions and pressures of living here, that isn’t always easy!

Culture and Language Evaluations

In mid-May, we had a visit from our CLA (culture and language acquisition) consultants to help us get started learning the Menya language and culture. They are men who have experience in learning a tribal language. They have been trained to give guidance to us and other missionaries as we learn the language and culture of these people. We have now been in full time language study for about five months. We are encouraged by our progress, but we are learning a very complex language, and we have a long way to go. Please pray for us to continue to make good progress and to develop deep relationships in the community. We will have our first language and culture evaluation in December.

Colaborers together

Our 3rd partner family, Robert and Nicole Westerveld and their three children, have now joined us here in Menya. We are excited to be a complete team at last. They have been working in the Eastern Highlands province among the Yagwoia people, for the last 15 years. Their experience there has already been such a help to us in learning the Menya language.

Wari and family

Outward Appearances

Please pray for Sapet, Wari, and their family. Their children are Beryl (left), Haket (right), and they now have a baby girl named Kaien. They are some of our closest neighbors and have been very helpful to us in learning their language. We pray fervently they will be receptive to the gospel. Their limited understanding of God’s Word is entangled and mixed with their animistic beliefs. The little truth they have is further corrupted by denominations who have taught a message of works salvation. What they do know of God’s Word isn’t really clear to them and hasn’t impacted them at a worldview level. They still depend for success in all they do on their ability to manipulate and appease “the spirit world.” The religious interest they seem to have is an attempt to manipulate God in the same way to work on their behalf.

Prepared Hearts

Romans 1 and 2 are as clear a commentary on the Menya peoples’ lives as we could possibly give. Every manner of evil is openly practiced here. But, we are seeing some signs that the Holy Spirit is preparing the hearts of people. Some have already told us they know they are messed up. They believe they are under God’s judgment for their sin and are looking for real answers. Others like Sapet and Wari are somewhat blind to the evil in their own hearts. Though we are not yet ready to teach them God’s Word in their own language, please pray for the whole community to be brought to the end of all they depend on so they will be desperately hungry to hear God’s Word.

Please be in prayer for us as we continue preparations to teach these people the Word of God in their heart language. Though we cannot yet teach with our words, we need to be Christ’s living letters, “known and read of all men.”

Finding Him Faithful,
Steve, Natalie, Ethan and Nathaniel Arn

Please be in prayer as well for Aaron and Kimmie Laney and their children (Natalie’s brother and family) as they step out by faith and prepare to come to PNG in November, 2009, to serve the Lord with NTM.