Translation Work Trip

Someone recently said, "Don't feel sorry for missionaries. They really have a lot of good friends." I can't argue with that. Here are two of my friends that I really enjoy being around: Bob Hall, a carpenter, and Brian Graham, our pilot.

A little over a week ago I set off on a trip to our village to do some translation checking with our Isnag friends there. I had a "to do" list of maintenance jobs to try to squeeze in while I was there, but Bob volunteered to come along and take care of those things so I could concentrate on the translation work. Now that is a good friend!


We got an "all clear" call from the village and took off around 8 am. It was a beautiful day for flying and I enjoyed catching up on Brian's news. He has just returned from furlough so we hadn't talked for a while.

Vicky stayed in the village to cover the radio and Robbie hiked to the airstrip to put up the wind sock and make sure everything was ready for the airplane to land.

Vicky fed us a nice lunch and in the afternoon Malana came and and started checking over some of my rough draft work.

The guys I had scheduled to help me with the taping check never showed, but Pearly and Sylvia came to my rescue and put in 12 hours helping me complete the tape check for several chapters.

Meanwhile... Bob was trying to fix things. Before he could get on the roof, a ladder had to be made out of bamboo. I had a guy make one, but he put the rungs about 3 and a half miles apart. It looked like Bob was going to have to shinny up one side until I got the worker to go back and add double the rungs.

Bob fixed weed whackers, mowers, plumbing and put gutters on one of the houses. Most of what he did I would not have been able to accomplish if he hadn't come to help. Thanks Bob!!!

For years I made the one and a half hour hike upstream to teach a group there. On Sunday, I was invited to join the two guys that have taken over this ministry. Andy and Greg are great guys and I am very encouraged to see them serving the Lord and serving the people upstream.

The guys did a great job teaching. They were using chapters I have translated. The listeners did a good job at answering the questions they asked at the end and I was reminded that even though I love teaching, what the Isnag really need is a Bible and that I need to stick to the task set before me.

When we got back to the village I heard the Bible being read in the trade language. I came around the corner of a house and found Arsali and other ladies busy pounding rice and listening to the Bible being read on a solar MP3 player which Felida Church in Vancouver, Washington had donated. Thank you! Felida! So far these players have proven to be durable and the people love to sit around listening to the Bible.

On Sunday afternoon and one other time during the week I had opportunity to teach and I really enjoyed that.

It was fun to see the village kids. I took lots of pictures, but will only post a couple.

But, I do need to post the picture of the newest Isnag. She was born while I was in the village. Her Grandpa is Andy, the older of the two guys that teach upstream.

Thursday the airplane came to start me on my homeward journey. This is the view you look at while the pilot is going through his check list prior to take off. The black streaks in the picture are all that the camera can catch of the spinning propeller.

I eventually landed at the support base. Thanks for the nice flights and landings Brian! Bronwyn, Bob's wife fed me, and Bob took me to the highway to wait for a bus. I finally got a ride. It took 1o ten hours, but I made it safely home.