Matthew and Andrea Torrens with their four children are currently living and serving in Papua New Guinea in the role of Scripture Engagement. Matthew and Andreas’ vision is to see Papua New Guineans growing closer to Jesus, being empowered by God’s living Word and being equipped to apply it to their daily lives.

In 2020 they felt challenged that they should be passing the work and responsibility of Scripture Engagement on to Papua New Guineans, as they noticed how quickly expatriate missionaries sometimes need to return to their sending countries. They also saw the potential for people to be sharing Christ in their own families and communities.

With the change of focus they felt God ask them to step out in faith and move out of their own house in Ukarumpa and into a former youth hostel which has space for others to stay with them. They are now using the extra space to host workshops and training events while having people stay with them and share life together. It has been really encouraging for them to see how God opens the hearts of people on a much deeper level while sharing meals together and sitting around the fire in the evenings.

The Torrens also work with the Odoodee people in Western Province and are currently working with them on recording the translated portions of the New Testament in the Odoodee language. Their hope is to make the Scriptures available in audio format because many of the people are more likely to be able to access God's Word in this way rather than in written form.

Matthew, Andrea and their family feel very much at home in Papua New Guinea and it holds a special place in their lives as it is where they first met. Andrea first arrived from Germany in 2005 to work at the school as a German mother-tongue teacher, and Matthew from Australia in early 2006 to join the aviation department as an aircraft engineer. Now if you were to ask one of their children where home is, they would most likely say ‘Papua New Guinea’.