Wycliffe Australia has a long history of supporting Bible translation and language development projects in Papua New Guinea. The land has a special place in my heart, too. My wife, Helen, and I spent over 20 years in PNG as teachers at the international school in Ukarumpa. I also oversaw the training program at the Pacific Institute for Languages, Arts and Translation (PILAT), which was set up to train Papua New Guineans for Bible translation, literacy and other language development work.
During our time in PNG, and since returning to Australia, it has been a blessing to meet people from all different walks of life who have followed God’s call to support Bible translation projects. The work is often tiring, taking place over many years, with translation advisors spending time among the community and working in locations that are often remote.
The stories in this edition of Wycliffe Today feature single people who have dedicated the best parts of their lives to serving God faithfully among language communities in PNG. How do they continue, despite being away from their friends and families? The one thing that seems evident is that being part of a supportive community is a vital part of sustaining them over time. As Paul encourages the church in Ephesus:
You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. – Ephesians 2:19b–20 (NLT)
A large crowd gathers, alive with dancing and shouts of praise. A steady procession of people carrying New Testament translations walks past in a continuous line. For many people, this is a highlight of the 70-year anniversary celebration of SIL in Papua New Guinea: the presentation of God’s Word translated into 233 Papua New Guinean languages since 1956. Nothing can dampen the spirits of those in attendance, not even the sudden downpour of rain.
Dr Johnstone Ndunde holding the Label New Testament
As people begin huddling inside a large marquee, Robyn Davies proudly carries the Kandas New Testament to the front. After a few minutes, something catches Robyn’s eye. She notices the Executive Director of SIL International, Dr Johnstone Ndunde, holding a copy of the Label New Testament. This translation, made for a small language group of fewer than 300 people, represents something beautiful: that God cares for all people and wants them all to know him in the languages they understand best.
Robyn explains:
The Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15 is something that resonates with the Label people: they may be small but they are no less important to God. Jesus didn’t say, ‘Well, 99 is enough, don’t worry about that one!’
Robyn has been supporting minority language communities in PNG since 1987. After spending a couple of years teaching at a Christian school in Darwin, she found herself in PNG working alongside Swedish translation advisor, Lisbeth Fritzell, on the Ramoaaina language. This was the start of a friendship of almost 40 years, which has also included living and working among the Ramoaaina, and forming life-long connections with the Ramoaaina, Kandas and Label people they worked alongside.
The work is long and it can be easy to think that nothing is happening, but Robyn says that over the years there have been many ‘little glimpses of God at work’. She reflects on the transformation in the life of one of the Kandas mother-tongue translators over the course of around seven years. Working with God’s Word truly transformed his life. After he received prayer for his sick child, and while translating Luke 15, he was challenged to put his faith in Jesus and trust that he is the true and living God. Sadly, this translator passed away at the age of only 35. Yet his legacy lives on. At his funeral, guests said that he had preached in church only the week prior on The Prodigal Son. When working with the translation team on this passage, he had been challenged by the response of the elder brother, which he had never heard about before.
Robyn says she is encouraged that God is working in the lives of the Ramoaaina, Kandas and Label communities. She is grateful for the friendships and sense of community that come from her time in PNG. Robyn and Lisbeth are both preparing to leave PNG at the end of 2026 for a six-month home assignment and a return to their respective home countries (Robyn to Australia and Lisbeth back to Sweden). Robyn shares:
It’s going to be hard at the end of the year when we go to two separate countries! But both Lisbeth and I know that as God has guided us, been with us and held us in the past, so he will in the future. We’re just weak people that God is using.
Please pray:
that the New Testaments in Ramoaaina, Kandas and Label language communities continue bearing fruit
for the distribution of MP3 players and apps in Label and Kandas.
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!
Did you know that more than 80 per cent of all single people who serve in cross-cultural mission work are women? While this statistic may be surprising, it is not a new phenomenon. Many of Wycliffe Australia’s members currently serving on translation projects are single women and our retiree base includes many single women. Do they feel like they have missed out because they never had the opportunity to marry? The lives of Audrey, Joy and Rosemary suggest otherwise.
Audrey Payne may have never married or carried children of her own but she is fondly remembered by the Serave family in Papua New Guinea. When they heard of Audrey’s passing last year, they sent a ‘heartfelt tribute to our mother, grandmother and great grandmother’. The family said of Audrey: ‘You were not just a missionary or a visitor from afar. You became our mother, nurturer, teacher, and guide.’
The Serave children received an education from Audrey and have stepped into professional careers including a number of engineers, an accountant and a legal practitioner. They say they are grateful for the investment Audrey made in their lives and faith:
These careers – these lives – were made possible through the seeds you planted: seeds of love, faith, discipline, literacy and education. Your presence transformed not only our family but an entire Kamano-Kafe Language speaking community. It is no small thing to say that you … contributed to raising the literacy rate among 50,000+ Kamano-Kafe speakers in the Eastern Highlands Province. You gave us something even deeper than knowledge – you gave us the ability to understand God’s Word in our own mother tongue. That is a gift that lives beyond generations.
Joy Atkinson is another single woman who left an indelible mark on language communities in Papua New Guinea and as a prayer warrior for many Wycliffe Australia members when she returned home. Joy passed away in July 2025 after a battle with thyroid cancer and was remembered in a joy-filled service of thanksgiving in Canberra.
Joy or ‘Joy Bells’ began her time in Papua New Guinea as a beloved teacher in the Fly River region, and later, for many decades, served with SIL-PNG among the Siane people in the Eastern Highlands. Cameron Lati, Administrator for the Fly River Forum, said of Joy:
We are saddened by the loss of someone who gave so selflessly to our people and land. Her life was a true reflection of commitment, humility, and purpose.
After returning to Australia, Joy represented Wycliffe in Canberra and had been a cherished part of our Wycliffe Australia retiree group, known as a great encourager and someone filled with the joy of the Lord.
We also celebrate an incredible milestone with Rosemary Rodda, who turned 101 in March. Rosemary (or Ro to her friends) was one of the founders of the Philippines branch of SIL and served there for 40 years, from 1955 to 1995. She helped to create a written language and translated Scripture into the Batak language in the Palawan region of the Philippines and also offered her services as a teacher in local schools. She also taught as a Phonetics and Language and Culture teacher, training the next generations of linguists and Bible translators. Ro celebrated her centenary last year with a number of parties and was even interviewed for her local paper in Albury, NSW.
Wycliffe Australia is grateful to be able to provide ongoing care for all members. Our Retiree Care team continues to support those who have served as families, couples or as single people when they return home. The community and connection help to ensure that no one is left without practical and prayer support. To connect with one of our Retiree Care workers, contact retireecare@wycliffe.org.au.
Audrey Payne; Joy Atkinson; and Rosemary Rodda
UPDATE: In the time since this story went to print, Rosemary Rodda passed away. She went peacefully to be with Jesus in her own home, surrounded by family.
The prophet Nehemiah once made a bold approach to King Artaxerxes I:
If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favour in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it. – Nehemiah 2:17 (NIV)
Jerusalem had been completely destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar II during the Babylonian conquest of 587BC, and it grieved Nehemiah’s heart. He felt called to rebuild the city but knew that the task was too large to take on alone. So Nehemiah gathered a team of people with different skills and experience to use their unique talents to serve the Lord.
A number of priests and carpenters went to work on rebuilding the gates. There were also goldsmiths whose skilled craftsmanship was required for the ornate details in the temple. Even perfumers were called upon to use their expertise to crush and mix materials in the construction of the new walls. When the work came under attack by their enemies, Nehemiah also gathered soldiers to defend the work. Many Jewish citizens were involved in the rebuilding efforts. Along with trusting in the Lord to help them, they recognised the need to work together.
Bible translation is also like a building project. It takes much more than Bible translators to keep the work running. The stories in this edition of Wycliffe Today show just how important each role is in building God’s kingdom. Discover how a paramedic, optometrist, pilot, nurse, Indigenous administrator, construction worker and teacher are all using their skills in the ministry of Bible translation. What could you do?
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!
In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness. – Isaiah 28:18 (NLT)
Do you remember listening to Bible stories in Sunday School? For many Deaf children, there are very few resources available for them to learn more about God’s love for them. So far, only American Sign Language (ASL) has the full Bible available. Australian Sign Language (Auslan) only has a few books translated and does not have any resources to support Scripture engagement. Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia members Saul and Rebecca Thurrowgood want to change that.
Saul & Rebecca Thurrowgood and their children
The Thurrowgoods have been working in partnership with the Bible Society to create animated Bible stories for children in Auslan. The Christmas story was released at the end of 2022 and an Easter message was recently published. The videos are based on evangelical children’s booklets the Bible Society produced a couple of years ago. They have been created using the motion capture Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool called ‘Chameleon’ which Saul and his team have been refining for the past 10 years ’and which converts the signed movements from a real person to an animated character.
Saul explains:
Last year, the Bible Society wanted to see if they could use Chameleon for translation projects and they came to check it out. We trialled the technology with the Christmas story and were thrilled that it worked so well. The second time around, everything worked even more smoothly with the Easter story. All the characters are consistent throughout the series. It’s been a long time building up but we’re finally seeing fruit from all the years of hard work to get Chameleon off the ground.
Rebecca adds:
A screenshot of the Easter video translated into Auslan.
I’ve been thinking a lot about creating resources for kids to put online to equip the church. These videos are like a seed – the first in a way of creating resources for Deaf children. Auslan has its own linguistic style that is very poetic visually that would not translate the same way in spoken English. These videos provide the stories in a form that kids can easily understand. We have a dream for Deaf community to be able to connect with the gospel. The children’s stories we’ve created using Chameleon so far will hopefully be a good start.
Pray:
for more people to join the team! We need workers highly skilled in programming, computer science, AI, computer vision and robotics
that the Auslan translation of the Easter story can continue to be shared with Deaf children throughout Australia and open their hearts to the love of Jesus
for the languages and countries that have shared an interest in using Chameleon
More: To watch the video, click here. To visit the Chameleon website, click here.
It was as though God was speaking directly to me when the preacher spoke those words at my church’s missions conference in 2007. I thought that, by giving financially, I had done what he was asking me to do. But that night in my heart I told God, ‘I don’t know when, where, how or why, but if you want me to serve you, I will’.
One year later, I was chatting with my mixed doubles tennis opponent in between matches. The topic of linguistics (my university major) came up and I learned that he used to be a Wycliffe Australia member involved with Bible translation in Africa. I hadn’t heard of Wycliffe before but I knew that God was behind this encounter. Less than a week later, I had an appointment to meet with Jenny Austin, Wycliffe Australia’s Assignments Coordinator!
My journey since then has not followed the typical route. I got to the field quickly and bypassed language school because I had already studied Indonesian at primary school, high school and university. I was assigned to a project in Papua (eastern Indonesia) largely because I had basic bookkeeping skills from my time as Treasurer of my tennis club! Through that role, God exposed me to a wide variety of ministry and cultural experiences, and to a people and place that won my heart.
I never expected or wanted to be a leader. It was hard enough to believe that God would use me as a cross-cultural worker; let alone a leader! But I knew he was asking me to take on the leadership of the Papuan Malay team in 2017 and that he would equip and teach me as I went. It wasn’t easy and many times I felt I had failed miserably. But when I was forced to take a step back, God stepped in and brought that team to where they are today: thriving, passionate and driven by a sense of genuine ownership of the work God has entrusted them with.
As God was strengthening and growing the Papuan Malay team, he was also working on renewing me through a season of recovery from burnout. With a slight twist on the words he used to call me to ministry all those years ago, he spoke to me again: ‘I don’t need your service. I want you’. I spent a year just enjoying his presence and learning that anything I do for him can only bear fruit if it comes from my being with him (John 15:5).
I could never have written a story like the one he is writing for me!
In this edition of Wycliffe Today we are highlighting our relationship with our close neighbour, Indonesia. The Church is thriving in Indonesia and there are many people groups eager to have the Scriptures in a language they fully understand. There is also a growing Bible Translation Movement (BTM) in Indonesia, with local translation organisations being established to train local translators for this important work. However, training and facilitation, and resourcing and technical expertise are all desperately needed. This is where Wycliffe Australia can come alongside to help our Indonesian brothers and sisters.
I was invited to Indonesia last September to attend the Ambonese Malay New Testament dedication. Despite allowing what I thought was plenty of time to get to the island of Ambon, a series of flight delays, cancellations, and redirections meant that after 50 hours of travelling, I arrived at the main protestant church in Ambon with just three minutes to spare. It was a miracle. The churches all came together to celebrate this milestone and there were choirs, bands, dancers, singing and public reading of the new translation. The speeches even included one from the mayor, such was the importance of this occasion.
It is estimated that the Indonesian provinces of Maluku and North Maluku have 3.1 million speakers of Ambonese Malay. Now they can all hear the life-giving words of God in a language they can fully understand. Thank you, Lord!
Thanks for your patience...
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...
By Belinda Fox | 
By Max Sahl | 
Thanks for your patience...