Goodbye Mibu!

Sorry about all the repeats in this post. But at least I'm giving the whole story today.

Just yesterday, not even twenty-four hours ago I was informed of a change of plans. Instead of being here for the next month I will be flying to Madang next week and spending the rest of my time there and in Lapilo. It's kind of a detailed story so I hope you have a few minutes and a comfortable seat :).

We have been working on finishing the translation of the book of Acts. There was a check with the translation consultant that was supposed to take place in about a week and a half. The plan was that Chris, head translator, would hike out and be gone for about two weeks. We had sent most of the translations through email to the consultant, Linda. She was noticing some deficiencies in the BTE's (back to English), and in the kernel checks, which is Angie's department. She proposed flying into here so that she could meet with the whole team. Chris, Joey, and Geoff had a meeting and decided that because of the helicopter costs, and me occupying the guest house, and another visitor coming in in less than a week, things would be a little too crazy. So they decided that instead of her coming here, Chris, and Angie, being the main people involved here should go out to Madang to meet with her. Of course that includes Jael, Baruch, and me in all of this. So, next week Tuesday when Brooke and their visitor fly in, we fly out.

This gives me less than a week to mentally prepare myself, pack, help Angie pack, get the rest of my pictures taken, make a visit to Bang, plus do all the regular stuff in there too. It also means it's the end of my time with the Husa's and the Tarts. AND I will only be able to see Brooke for a few minutes before I leave. I'm really disappointed about that. Brooke reminds me a lot of Becky.

On the upside of things, this means that I can call my family about three and a half weeks earlier than I thought I'd be able to! And I will have internet access so I can do my own posting. I'll also be able to see the inside of a translation check, which should be cool. The Walkers will be in town with me for the first three weeks, so we'll go to all the markets, swim in the ocean, visit some restaurants (Chris was horrified to discover that I don't like seafood), in other words do all the touristy type stuff. Then they'll fly back here and I'll be in Madang/Lapilo for another week before I head home. It's up to me where I spend the week, so long as I fit into their flight schedule. I have some friends in Lapilo, so I might want to head up there a couple days before my flight home. We'll see. I guess I don't have to make that decision until I get to Madang. I had my last language session today. I counted it up, and I only four or five the whole time I was here. With Nansi taking a week off when the baby was born, getting sick, and then we had the holidays, so we were off for a long time. This morning is the first one I've had since my "community lesson". That was in between the baby being born, and the sickness. Nansi was here last Friday, but Angie and I were putting in some major time on the kernel checks, and so we ended up skipping the lesson. Then on Monday when Angie and I were supposed to hike down Angie got up with a rotten headache, so we didn't go down. On Friday instead of having a language session, Angie and I are going to hike to Bang so I can see the other village before I go. I'm planning on getting lots of pictures. I hate having to be a "stupid tourist" :P. Today Angie and I switched spots with the kernel checks. Usually I read to her from the Bible while she reads over the BTE, and checks it all. Now we have it set up so that I was reading the BTE to her, while she was checking it against four different English versions. I'll give you a sample of what I had to read. After reading for so long I ended up really tongue twisted...Angie and I had a good laugh at my expense :p.

24They did like that, and when it finished they left the provins, Pisidia, of which that big ground was in, and went to another provins, Pampilia. 25Then they went and stayed in a small ground of there, Perga, and were still (continued) teaching them Big Huge's talk. Then from there they left that ground and then went to Atalia big ground. 26Then they left Atalia big ground and got a sip and went to the Antiok big ground of Siria provins. That big ground was the ground from which those people who, regarding Big Huge, were took/fixed thinking doers had spoken/become/taken/put (appointed) those two people (Sol and Barnabas) and it had gone into Big Huge's hands and he gave them help and they had started the work (this was the place from which they had started the work) therefore they went back to that ground. 27So they went to that ground and told those people who, regarding Big Huge, were took/fixed thinking doers and they came and met together and they told them all the talk of how Big Huge gave help to them and they did work. They told them and they told them, “Very true, while Big Huge is take/giving a road to the outside people they are going that way and, regarding Big Huge, doing the took/fixed thinking thing.” they told them that.

This is from Acts chapter fourteen. Some of the spellings for places change. The term "big ground" means a city, and small ground is a small city. "Big Huge" is God, and "took/fixed thinking doers" means a Christian. I need to check and see if there's anything else that needs an explanation... "Sip" (I had to ask what that one was) is the pidgin word for ship. I think that's it. Everything except for what is in the (), is a literal translation from Ma. You gotta love the "they did like that", and the "they told them that", and some of the repetitiveness. You should probably see what the Ma looks like too. just remember they do not use the same phonetics that we do :).

24Uju tuvu kupangavun u muk bamunyisi uyugun provinsnyu Pisidia tengak yuga undoo provins Pampilianyi kugumui. 25Tungak unyisi muk muren doo Perganyi ku yookngak Bamnyu Vangundu wamun singgun yenyikeyugumui. Tungak yuga usimdu u mukun tengak yuga Atalia muk bamunyi kugumui. 26Tungak Atalia muk bamun tengak sip tangak Siria provinsunyisi Antiok muk bamunyi kugumui. U muk bamun be kepnyu Bamnyu Vangune naru tung nomun tupsu umin tongendu u umin yatun yang daknga pung pevu Bamnyu Vangundu karakunyi kungavun udu garung yemungavun tepot tung yepigumuyukun mukun une tungak u mukunyi yuga kugumui. 27Tungak u mukunyi kungak Bamnyu Vangune naru tung nomun tupsu umin tongen yenyivu apoo wagikngavu Bamnyu Vangundu garung yemungavun tepot turugupgoomuyuk u wamun kwitjim yenyigumui. Yenyingak yenyigumui, “Sookwesi sinyu Bamnyu Vangundu kwakwatsi umin tongen kepoo tung yemungavun eupu kungak Bamnyu Vangune naru tung nomun tugang.” yang yenyigumui.

That's the same section, but if I didn't have the BTE I'd have no clue what it says. Even when someone is reading something in Ma, and I have the same thing in front of me following along is very difficult because of the different phonetics. So! That's all the new news from around here. I'd most definitely appreciate your prayers as we all get ready for the trip here. Oh! And before I forget, Nansi and her baby are in excellent health, and the baby has a name too! His name is Malkom. I got to hold him again today. Plus I got some pictures of him, and his Mom too. Thank you all very much for praying for them. Talk to you all later.