Number 100

Pacific Orientation Course (POC) is located in the same area as the Papua New Guinean people group of Nobnob.  We’re about 1,200 feet above sea level near Madang.  Most of the workers that POC employs are Nobnob people.

They’ve had a language program in place for many years.  The New Testament was completed and dedicated in the early 90s.  The Old Testament translation is completed but it has to be checked before it can officially be printed and dedicated.  A couple from the US has been living among the Nobnob people, and now here on the POC grounds, since near the beginning (if not the very  beginning) of the translation process.  Pray for Ulys and Verna as they work along side the Nobnob people in completing the Old Testament.  They are about 75% through with the checking process.

 

Sunday we got to visit a local church and be a part of their congregation.  It was founded by Lutherans, so it follows the Lutheran culture, including liturgy, which is very different for me!  All of us POC participants had to go up front twice, once to sing a song and again to introduce ourselves, say where we were from, and what work we’ll be doing, all in Tok Pisin (the trade language of PNG)!  When we got there, there were maybe 15 people in the congregation.  By the time we stood up to introduce ourselves, there were at least 50 in the church, and several outside listening to us!

This is what we sang (“This is the Day”):

Dispela de, dispela de

God i bin wokim, God i bin wokim

Yumi amamas, yumi amamas

Yumi litimapim nem bilong em

Dispela de God i bin wokim

Yumi litimapim nem bilong em

Dispela de, dispela de, God i bin wokim

And this is how I introduced myself:

Nem bilong mi Brandy (My name is Brandy)

Asples bilong mi America (I’m from America)

Wok bilong mi em olsem meri bilong stretim ol fainans bilong Ukarumpa (My work is to straighten the finances in Ukarumpa)

In my next blog, I’ll post pictures of building my outdoor haus kuk (kitchen), the fire that I built and cooked on, and the hike down to the tuna factory! :)

P.S. This is my 100th blog post!