Luz Maldonado and Karen Fernandez are young women from Argentina with a heart for the people of Papua New Guinea. The friends have been working with SIL-PNG in Milne Bay Province with the Anuki language group since May 2022. Luz and Karen are grateful for the support of their sending organisation, LETRA Argentina, which is part of the Wycliffe Global Alliance. They also appreciate the way the Anuki community has embraced them. Karen shares:
The Anuki have welcomed us warmly. They built a house for us and they built a classroom where we can work together. They love to be in relationship with one another, they love to be in community.
The support of the Anuki is important, especially when Luz and Karen need to travel among the 16 different villages that speak the language. These villages are often very small and incredibly remote. Many of the locations are inaccessible by road, involving up to seven hours of walking in the mountains. The village where Luz and Karen live is especially remote, only accessible by helicopter or boat. Karen says:
Every time we travel from village to village, we can see God providing for us through the Anuki. They are always there to help us cross the rivers, carry our backpacks or our bilums. We are there to do his work but he is looking after every single detail, through the Anuki people too.
As the Anuki grow in their understanding of God, their attitudes are also changing. Luz says:
When we first arrived, there was a feeling of resignation in the people. They didn’t care much about others. There were so many interrelational problems. But since they have started interacting with the Bible, they know there is another way of living. It brings hope, understanding, discernment and critical thinking.
One of the women in the literacy team working with Luz and Karen has gone through a dramatic change. Luz says:
Mother-tongue Anuki translators hard at work
In the beginning, she was fearful. Animistic cultures are often full of fear. But this lady has now built her faith on God’s Word. She loves the story of the house built upon the rock and relates to it a lot. She has gone through a lot of challenges but her faith and Scripture kept her standing. We see how the Word is little by little bringing transformation in her life.
An Anuki mini-Bible was completed and dedicated in 2015. This included the books of Mark, Acts, and a panorama of the Old Testament. Since Luz and Karen have been working with the Anuki, a draft of Luke has now been completed as well. Luz says that they are pleased to be working with God in what he is doing among the Anuki:
God is teaching us that this project belongs to him. He makes everything, our delays, our successes, every part of this project, work for his will to be done. That gives us peace because we know that we are just a tiny piece in the whole picture.
Can you imagine the Prime Minister visiting a party to congratulate you for reaching a special milestone? For Bible translation teams in Papua New Guinea, that is exactly what happened.
On Saturday, 28 March, a special service was held in Papua New Guinea for the 70 years of service of SIL and Wycliffe organisations in the country. The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, the Honourable James Marape, addressed local translation teams and expatriate workers from Australia and throughout the world with words of deep gratitude, sharing:
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Hon. James Marape poises for a photo in front of a banner that celebrates SIL PNG’s 70 years of ministry in PNG.
I’m here … celebrating SIL’s 70 years of unfailing service to the country and our people translating languages. We are the most diverse nation on earth as far as different languages are concerned – over 800 different language groups. For 70 years, SIL has stood as a pillar of service in our country. Your work has reached into the most remote parts of Papua New Guinea, bringing not only the Word of God, but also literacy, education, and hope to our people. It’s so nice to see Wycliffe Australia in partnership also commemorating 70 years of partnership with our country. You have been here for 70 years – longer than our nation has been independent. You are among the forerunners who helped shape the Papua New Guinea we know today. I want to say thank you very much for the support from Wycliffe. Thank you, God bless. Keep on supporting the mission field here in Papua New Guinea.
Helen Sahl was one of the guests who attended the special celebration and she was equally impressed by the words from another influential politician. The Honourable John Boito, Minister of Agriculture, made a special mention of the ‘third culture’ children of families involved in Bible translation work in Ukarumpa:
We thank you for the way you represent our home to the world. Even if you live thousands of miles away, the ‘Ukarumpa DNA’ makes you part of our family forever. We hope you always feel that the gate to Ukarumpa is an open door to your childhood home. With that, I challenge the current generation of SIL members and our local PNG partners: Do not let the fire of the 1956 pioneers fade. Continue to innovate. Continue to honour the landowners. And most importantly, continue to ensure that every Papua New Guinean can read and hear the truth in the language they value most. Thank you, God bless you, and happy 70th anniversary!
United in sharing the good news
Gospel Dramas in Alice Springs
by Ming Fang Strickland
I had a prayer: ‘Lord, I want to share the gospel with more and more people.’ I encountered the Matthew Drama in 2022 and felt called to be part of the Chinese translation team. At that time the initial draft had already been completed by a pioneer, I joined and later a team was formed to do the editing. I thought that it was a great tool for doing outreach in Australia. I discovered that Wycliffe Australia had a team to facilitate these performances and invited them to Alice Springs in September 2025.
When I heard their stories and the commitment they had made to this project, I was deeply touched. God also opened the door for me to contact local church leaders and led 14 people from five different churches to join The Luke Drama cast. A total of 10 churches worked together to make this performance happen.
Those involved in the drama were also strongly impacted by encountering God’s Word in a fresh way. Many of the cast members went on to perform portions of The Luke Drama at the ‘Alice Alive’ festival. In July, the John Drama was performed in Darwin and two of our young people went up to support the performance.
This was a team effort. A big thank you to the directing team from Wycliffe Australia, to the catering team for providing meals, and to the teams praying for the event. Also the street engagement team, who made it possible for many people to hear about the performance.
I think this combined event brought unity to churches in this town. I would like to see the Gospel Dramas being presented in more cities and towns in Australia, and throughout the world. The Chinese version of Matthew Drama has now been prepared, so I am praying that this can also be performed very soon, in God’s timing.
Please pray:
for follow-up activities planned for churches involved in the Drama
that those who were impacted by the gospel during the performances will continue in discipleship and find a church home
for more churches and individuals to get involved in Gospel Dramas
Paul reminds us that ‘all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ — 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV). Yet sometimes it can be difficult to engage with those life-giving words on the page.
How do you interact with the Bible? If you find it difficult to stop and reflect on the written words, you are not alone. The most recent National Church Life Survey (NCLS) found that around 19% of church goers read the Bible daily or most days. The research also showed that 37% hardly ever or rarely read Scripture. How can we get people excited about God’s Word again? Oral Bible storytelling might help. The stories you are about to read in this edition of Wycliffe Today include testimonials of people who have been involved in either teaching or participating in Story the Bible workshops and Gospel Drama events. Discover how Bible storytelling is bringing the good news of the gospel to life in Australia, the Pacific, Asia, Africa and all over the world!
All the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had… They worshipped together at the temple each day, met in homes, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God. – Acts 2:44–47a (NLT)
Travelling to India with a small team to train local leaders in the art of Bible storytelling felt like stepping back into the book of Acts. The church that hosted us, founded by a humble, godly pastor now in his later years, is more than a building—it’s a living community.
People came from all over southern India, sleeping on mats, sharing simple meals cooked in massive pots, and spending hours each day in prayer and fellowship. Church here isn’t a weekly event—it is a way of life.
Over two days, we trained 20 pastors and leaders from three language groups in crafting and telling Bible stories—stories that are simple, accurate, memorable, and powerful enough to teach the Word in places where Bibles are scarce.
Then the baton was passed. Seventy others came to learn from these newly trained leaders. For four days, they worked in language groups, learning to craft, revise, tell and teach stories, and lead story-based Bible studies. The relational and discovery-based approach was quickly embraced, and many commented on how deeply it connected them to both Scripture and each other.
One group was especially remarkable. This small, nomadic, oral people group has no written language and no Bible of their own. Yet they have learned to read the Hindi Bible—despite being unable to read other Hindi texts. It is extraordinary. Their settlement of 4,000 people includes a simple church with Revelation’s foundation stones painted on the pillars and a prayer ‘Upper Room’ built on a platform.
Their passion for Christ, Scripture, and sharing their faith shines brightly. The local leaders, many trained theologians, were initially surprised by the simplicity of storytelling—but soon saw its power. As our Story the Bible handbook says:
‘Jesus got people’s attention using stories. He sent them home with a message wrapped in a story they enjoyed—a story simple enough to tell the family over the evening meal. And that’s where his stories made the greatest impact.’
We went to teach—but we came home deeply changed. These modern-day believers, living in community, enduring hardship, and loving Jesus with all their hearts, gave us a glimpse of what the early church might have been like. It was unforgettable.
Sign language: a formal language using a system of hand movements for communication (as by the Deaf)
– Merriam Webster Dictionary
It is estimated that there are around 70 million Deaf people in the world today who rely on sign language as their primary means of communication. A common misconception is that cochlear implants and hearing aids are sufficient for enabling Deaf people to understand conversations, yet these devices only help to improve the perception of some sounds. Most Deaf individuals still need sign language to fully engage with and understand conversations. Aside from gaining a clearer understanding of the information being shared, sign language forms a key part of identity, culture and belonging for many Deaf communities.
Unlike spoken languages, sign languages are unique to their geographical locations. There are 280 documented sign languages in the world and anywhere from 138 and 300 different sign languages are being used today. Despite the prevalence of sign language usage, there is still only one complete translation of the Bible in a sign language: American Sign Language (ASL).
Australian Sign Language (Auslan)
Australian sign language, or Auslan, has been in use since the 1800s, yet the Australian Government only recognised it as an official, distinct language in 1991. The first time it has ever been included as a language option in Australia-wide research was in the latest Census (2021). Information from that Census revealed that over 16,000 people use Auslan in the home, but calculations from the Australian Disability Network estimate that the total number of people who speak Auslan is closer to 30,000. Grammar, syntax and concepts are completely different to written English. You will often see a capital ‘D’ in most references to Deaf communities, as it is the preferred way to signify their cultural identity.
Auslan translation and Deaf needs in Australia
there are two completed books of the Bible that have Auslan translations: John and Acts
4% of the Old Testament and 37% of the New Testament has been translated into Auslan
the statistics for deafness increase significantly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 2019 figures show an alarming
43% occurrence of hearing loss among people aged seven years and older from Indigenous communities.
The International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated on 23 September every year to raise awareness and support for Deaf people throughout the world. What can you do to show your support?
> Educate yourself about the needs surrounding the Deaf community
> Advocate for greater accessibility and resources in Auslan
Nelson Tapineng is the new Executive Director of the Bible Translation Association (BTA) of Papua New Guinea – one of Wycliffe Australia’s close partners. A key focus for Nelson as the leader of BTA is ensuring that his team creates change from the inside out. He wants everyone involved in the work of Bible translation to not only be helping others be changed by God’s Word but also be in the process of being transformed themselves. Nelson says:
The vision of BTA is transforming Papua New Guineans through the translated Word of God. I’m challenging myself that, before another Papua New Guinean is transformed, I have to be transformed myself first. The Word of God is not really preaching from a nicely prepared sermon to make people understand. No, it is also the way we live our lives. That transformed life has to flow from within us. How can you transform others if you’re not transformed yourself? I am being changed in the process of supporting Bible translation and so is my family.
Nelson meets with administration and translation staff on the ground on a regular basis to encourage them and to help identify any areas where they need help. He mentions:
The relationship is so important! People need to know they are appreciated and that we care about their needs. We are committed to capacity building, not only with infrastructure and systems but also building up our people. We have done recruitment and training to identify where people fit in and how their gifts can best be used.
BTA has 69 language projects on its books but Nelson says that of these, only 18 are active. More help and resources are needed before the other 51 can be reopened. Of the more than 800 languages spoken in PNG, there are also many more languages needing a translation project to begin. Nelson is planning to create greater awareness among churches and individuals about the crucial role Bible translation plays in not only spiritual transformation but also preserving language and transforming culture. Nelson says:
We’ve got to protect our languages! We thank God for Bible translation and the way it helps with language preservation. The work that BTA and its partners are doing is vitally important for that. I grew up in the church but my knowledge of the importance of Bible translation was very low before I joined BTA. That’s why we are focusing on awareness. We recently held an event with politicians and leaders to make them aware of the needs for translation. Papua New Guineans must understand the importance of Bible translation. We believe that as we do our part, God will provide what we need.
Nelson says that BTA is grateful for the support of churches and individuals who want to help transform individuals and whole communities with the good news found in God’s Word:
I must thank our international friends and families who have been supporting BTA, including our friends in Australia. It’s evidence of the relationship and love you have for us.
PRAY:
for the 5 million PNG kina (around $1.9 million AUD) needed to support the needs of BTA
that the Lord will help BTA to position itself in a way that honours God
for more young people to join the organisation and for opportunities to help them receive training.
So much of what we think and say and how we interact with one another has been influenced by the Bible. Phrases such as ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ and ‘salt of the earth’ have become part of our everyday vernacular. Many people in Australia no longer realise the impact Bible translation into English has had on our society. Yet what we see in modern Bible translation projects is a powerful ripple effect that creates lasting change among communities.
Kim and Annie Colich are a couple I met while I was a teacher in Papua New Guinea. The Colichs were working on the New Testament for about 20 years in the Tami language. They did not feel like they were close to completing the translation but Annie thought ‘We’ve done a lot of translation work. It’s not ready to be published yet but I’m going to take what we’ve got and start a women’s Bible study’. She sent word around the village and the women began meeting together.
Annie gave them pieces of paper with the translated verses written on them in Tami. The women would listen intently during the teaching times. Hearing the Bible verses read aloud in their own language was so exciting! Many said ‘Oh, this speaks to my heart!’ They would gather around the fire in the evenings with family and friends and share what they were learning, applying the truths of God’s Word to their lives.
Aikiba is one of the women who attended the studies. Her husband, Angham, was angry and abusive. After years of living in fear of him, when Aikiba heard God’s Word being read in her language, her heart filled with joy. She began taking the verses she received from the Bible study home with her. Aikiba started showing her husband the written verses but he would grab them away from her and throw them on the ground. Yet one day, he took the paper and read Scripture in his mother tongue for the first time. His heart was ready to encounter the Living God, and he asked her, ‘Do you think I could attend this Bible study?’
The next week, Angham sat quietly at the back of the group of women and listened to the Scripture verses being read. The words began impacting him and he realised that he needed to turn his life around. Aikiba saw her husband become a new creature in Christ right before her eyes! The whole community recognised that Angham was a changed man. Angham later shared with Annie:
I felt like I was the man in the Bible with the evil spirit who lived in the graveyard, and when I met Jesus, my chains fell off and I was free!
Angham wanted others to know that Jesus was the reason for this change. Later, he even became the coordinator for the Tami Bible translation project. Many people in the village are coming to a new understanding of the power of God’s Word and its ability to change their lives.
Annie’s countenance was glowing when she told me how one life transformed by God’s Word can create greater change in the world, and for eternity. Annie shares:
If this was the only ‘glimpse’ of what the Lord did in my 33 years among the Tami, it would be worth it all. But it hasn’t been the only one! We have seen so much evidence of God at work, particularly as a result of the Scripture Engagement courses we have held in the Tami villages. His Word really does change lives!
Christ transforming culture: A safari adventure in Kenya
In September 2023, Wycliffe Australia sent a team of nine people from Australia to Kenya to facilitate seven training events. The first three events were in far northern Kenya and mostly delivered in the Borana language. One major event was a Contextualisation Workshop, where Borana pastors and lay people studied their culture and worldviews in light of Scripture. Those involved in the workshop learned a new Bible story each day then went to local schools, where the stories were eagerly accepted by the children. At the same time, a different group of Boranas were learning The Matthew Drama script to help bring the words in the Bible to life. Over 900 Borana speakers (most not from a Christian background) attended the performances.
Team leader, Keith Benn, explains that the purpose of the trip was to provide training and support for African pastors and those involved in Bible translation, while also encouraging Aussies to consider how they can support the global church in Scripture engagement and Bible storytelling. As Keith says, ‘An important goal for every church is making God’s Word relevant for their people’.
Philemon was one of the Kenyan pastors who expressed gratitude for attending the workshops:
In our contextualisation class today, I learnt about the different rituals and the different festivals we do. I realised that, as Scripture depicts, Christ transforms culture – all culture. There is no culture that does not need transformation. Scripture says that God can transform them in a better way to ensure that God is the anchor of everything.
One of the Australian team members, Robert Love, was encouraged by the insights the Kenyan leaders shared during the workshops:
We’ve had a particularly fruitful and interesting time looking at traditional Mbeere beliefs and what the Bible says about them. In particular, we’ve been looking at how the Mbeere people believe that they go to sacrifice and make prayers to Gai (God) at special trees in order to get things that they want. Then we turn to the Bible, looking at some verses that help to throw some light on that particular belief. One passage in particular that has been helpful is Acts 17:24–25, ‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
The Bible is filled with stories that point to God’s love for us. How can we share these stories with others? Wycliffe Australia has been runningStory the Bible workshops for many years to engage the church and equip people with skills to share Bible stories in simple, accurate and engaging ways.
Josh Bartlett is a Wycliffe Australia member and Board member who has been involved in leading several of these workshops. He says, ‘It is so encouraging to hear of participants applying what they’ve learnt’. Josh recalls a workshop held in Maleny, Queensland, at the end of 2022 that left a particular impression on one of the participants. After attending the training, a young man by the name of Liam immediately began using the skills he had acquired in his walk-up evangelism. Liam reflected:
I had a bit of a funny encounter doing walk-up evangelism –the guy we were chatting to asked me, out of the blue, if I had any Bible stories to tell him. So I told him the crucifixion story. We spent some time chatting about the different ways people respond to Jesus. He asked if good people go to heaven, so we looked at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Towards the end of the conversation, he was able to identify himself as a sinner who’s ignoring God and needing forgiveness. He was amazed at the switch between Barabbas and Jesus, and likewise that the tax collector was the one who was justified by God, not the Pharisee.
Waiting is hard, isn't it. But imagine waiting 2000 years for Scripture in your language! Thanks for your patience. And thanks for your generous support which will help bring the long wait to an end...
Thanks for your patience...