@work NTMyour connection with tribal missions NEW MISSION TRIBES No Grit, No Glory page 18 00 NTM@work (ISSN 1527-9057) Vol. 71 • No. 4 • May 2013 NTM@work team Executive Editor: Macon Hare Debbie Burgett, Rex Crawford, Cathy Drobnick, Ian Fallis, Jon Frazier, Cathy Hedvall, Chris Holland and Dena McMaster NTM@work is published quarterly by New Tribes Mission. Periodical postage paid at MID-FL, FL 32799-9625 Postmaster: Please send address changes to NTM@work, New Tribes Mission, 1000 E. First Street, Sanford, FL 32771-1487 Subscriptions NTM@work is provided free to readers in North America on a year-to-year basis. To receive the magazine or have it sent to a friend, sign up online at ntm.org/ subscribe, e-mail [email protected], or call 407-323-3430. If you no longer wish to receive NTM@work, please send a note and your name and address to NTM@work, 1000 E. First Street, Sanford FL 32771-1487. contents While none of us can do everything, The magazine may be read online 4 CONNECT: at ntm.org/magazine. all of us can do something. Starting today, discover ways that you can contact, encourage, Requests to reprint articles pray for, give to, or serve alongside NTM should be directed to missionaries. Executive Editor Macon Hare at [email protected] or call 407-323-3430. 18 No Grit, No Glory: Sometimes tribal Contents of this magazine may not peoples’ hearts seem as dry and dusty as the be reproduced in whole or in part landscape. Ministry can become a discouraging, unless expressly authorized in daily grind. But as Leah Humphreys discovered, writing. giving up would mean missing out. NTM worldwide USA 407-323-3430 28 Sticking It Out From the Start: Joanna Canada 519-369-2622 Kreiger is finding that strength and perseverance Australia 011-61-2-6559-8646 are also necessary to becoming a missionary, not Europe 011-44-1472-387700 just remaining one. Cover photo and facing photo by READ the magazine online, Dale Stroud and SEE an album of more photos of the Manjúi people: ntm.org/magazine #012847 CONNECT You stole the chief’s pig? Are you crazy? One of the chief’s pigs (representing has others really taking note. He is a lot of money in that culture) was probably the most elated of all. As he stolen and killed by some unruly related the story after our believers’ youth. The chief was understandably meeting, he just kept marveling and furious. The normal retribution would saying to me, “Brandon, this would be severe, perhaps even death, and never have happened before. But condoned by the community. But God now, because I am God’s kid, it’s was at work through his two wives. different ... there is change.” They reminded him of his new faith, — Brandon Buser, Biem tribe, of which he is very vocal. “This is what Papua New Guinea you are talking to us about all the time,” they told their husband. “This is coming to test your faith. How are you going to react?” The chief listened to his wives and responded in a way that has the whole community still picking their jaws up off the floor. Not one house was burned down, not one kid was beaten or maimed. The chief will be recompensed, but the way he went about it and controlled himself Photo by Ray Finsaas 4 How ice cubes melted a heart Genesio, a young Manchinere teen from Brazil, didn’t know what ice cubes were. So he asked missionary Peter Rich about those things in his cup. Peter told him that it was water made hard with cold. “I think Peter is lying to us,” the CONNECT WITH… Jon and Adie Leedahl tribal boy told his mother when he got Children: Jaeden, Levi, Jace home. “He said those hard things were NTM Aviation just water. I know that’s not true.” Ministry: Pilot and Mechanic But later, Genesio watched Peter fill Sending church: Redwood Alliance, Redwood Falls, Minnesota a little tray with water and put it in a box called a refrigerator. The mission- We both grew up in Christian homes ary told him that by tomorrow the and came to Christ at a young age. At water would turn hard. “Come back the age of 16, Jon had already begun tomorrow and I’ll show it to you.” his flight training and felt the call to use his talents in aviation to serve Peter said. in bringing the gospel to unreached Genesio went back the next day and, tribes. Over several years God con- sure enough, the water was hard. Peter firmed His calling through the mentors and equipping that He provided to showed him the back of the refrigera- work towards this goal. Now 16 years tor and explained the process which later, through training and 11 years made the water hard. of experience as a professional pilot, in airplanes and helicopters, God is “Not long afterwards I was talking directing us to fulfill this calling. with my brother Tshiko,” Genesio Jon is currently training to be said. “He was telling me that he didn’t certified as a Technology Specialist. believe the things that the missionary He will begin specialized bush flight training with NTMA in August and Lord was teaching. I told Tshiko that I also willing will be ready to serve in April did not believe at first but after seeing of 2014. We will then be assigned a how a box made by mere men could country to serve in based on the most urgent needs for a pilot at that time. take water and transform it into hard Isaiah 25:1 “Lord, you are my God; I will rocks I now believed that a God who exalt You and praise Your name, for in created all things could surely trans- perfect faithfulness you have done won- derful things, things planned long ago.” form the soul of a wicked person into His image.” blogs.ntm.org/jon-leedahl 5 CONNECT One day was all it took The drought was affecting everyone in the Guarijio village—the crops, the livestock, the Will you pray right now people, the missionaries. The situation was quickly for the Guarijio people and the church being planted becoming desperate and the missionaries were there? Pray that God would torn with indecision. Should they go? Should they shower down His power stay? They didn’t want to leave the people or the on the Guarijio work in translation work. What should they do? Then they Mexico—opening hearts, knew exactly what to do—they prayed. And they changing minds and giving sent out a call for others to pray as well. The next wisdom for every word day an update came in from missionary Terry Reed. chosen in the translation. “Just wanted to let you know,” he wrote, “that Get NTM prayer requests there is a beautiful rain falling right now. This rain daily or weekly: ntm.org/magazine was completely unexpected. My translation helper, Santos, was so impressed when he saw God work through the prayers of God’s people. It was a bless- ing to watch God grow Santos’ faith just a bit more in sending the rain.” “We are so grateful for our highly trained, skillful pilots. Having abnormally excellent pilots is normal for us.” —Lynne Castelijn, Banwaon tribe, Philippines 6 Not on his deathbed In English we have the expression: “He is on his deathbed.” In Landuma culture, the equivalent CONNECT WITH… expression would be, Taylor and Abby Goheen “He has been lowered to Children: Norah, Anniston and Uriah the floor.” Papua New Guinea Ministry: Church Planting A person on their Sending churches: Smokey Point Community Church, deathbed is usu- Arlington, Washington ally suffering a lot. The We did not know there were entire ethnic groups in the Landumas believe that a world who didn’t know about the Person of Jesus Christ. person will die sooner if Our eyes were enlightened to the many unreached they are lying on a mat people groups in the world through the book, “The Great Omission” by J. Roberson McQuilkin. An ember was or mattress on the floor. kindled deep within. Would the Lord have us take part So they will take the sick in bearing the Word of God to the ends of the earth? Why person off the bed and not, we thought? The Lord has clearly called us to make lay them on the floor in disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18-19). With no education beyond high school, we knew school- a compassionate attempt ing and training were in order, but where? Dear friends to hasten their death. and mentors had been missionaries with New Tribes Mission and suggested we consider attending New — Kirk Rogers, Tribes Bible Institute and continue on with the organiza- Landuma tribe, Guinea tion. The school seemed to accommodate families well and the mission organization’s heartbeat was in rhythm with ours. As the days unfolded and preparations were under- way we came across a movie concerning a New Tribes missionary couple working among the Dao people. The movie showed this couple hiking in and meeting the Daos. This was followed by various glimpses of them liv- ing among the Daos, learning their language and culture, translating the Scripture and teaching Firm Foundation Bible lessons — from Genesis through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Wow, we thought, this, by far looks like the coolest thing in the world. By this time we were sold.