Papua New Guinea (MNN) — A person who lives in the aftermath of hatred knows where division comes from.
When a missionary with Wycliffe Associates asked a local man from Papua New Guinea (PNG) why there were 800 languages in the island nation, it took only a few moments for the man to respond, "It's because we hated each other."
With the passing of time and the introduction of the Gospel, incredible healing has taken place. Still, there remain language barriers between the people, which also limit the amount of Scripture available to each language group. Scripture is the key to creating disciples who know God intimately and want the divisions to be healed.
Located in the Pacific Ocean, there are just under 6 million people living in Papua New Guinea, mostly in rural locations. The preservation of their traditional lifestyle is protected by law.
Wycliffe Associates is working hard to support the work of Scripture translation in PNG. However, translators must sometimes assume support staff roles since there is only one volunteer support staff worker for
every four translators. Time and energy are consumed here which could be spent on making more Scripture available.
PNG is Wycliffe Associates' largest overseas location for volunteers. There is a long list of support positions available, including: high school English teacher, airstrip repair
superintendent, regional center manager, registered nurse, and house parents for youth dorm.
Four of those roles are based in Ukarumpa where 300 families are based for their work on translation throughout the country. Thousands of people are waiting for Scripture
to be translated into their language, so any support position that is filled accelerates
that process. To learn more about these positions or others, send an e-mail to [email protected].
