Thursday, February 6, 2014

Kwaio New Testament Arrival

 
Yesterday afternoon, all of SITAG anticipated the Kwaio New Testaments clearing customs.  Several us met down at the wharf a little after 1 o'clock to cheer and celebrate.  The paperwork was done, and we expected that things would go smoothly and quickly. 


Wrong.  Bumps in the road kept jolting us, like the crate (think railroad car) holding the New Testaments being in the very middle of a whole stack of crates and the customs office closing at 3:30.  Finally, even after paying for an hour's extension, the final hurdle of finding the cashier, who had already gone home, couldn't be overcome.  So we dragged back up the hill weary and disappointed.

 
But today, Lamentations 3:22-23 rang so true for all of us at SITAG. His mercies DO begin afresh every morning!  We heard the truck arrived (decked out in balloons from a just-arrived-care-package from a bloggy friend), and ran to join the jubilant party.
 
 
Loved the grin on sweet Ilyn's face as she read the Word of God in her own language.  She keeps SITAG running smoothly from the office and has put lots of time and energy into the New Testament.
 
 
One of our colleagues made a yummy cake to help celebrate.
 
 
A priest from the Kwaio language group prayed and thanked God for the New Testament's safe arrival, and then he pulled out one of the books and read from John 14:6.  I have to say, I did cry.  This is why we are here.  This is why we live so far away from our families, even though we miss them terribly.  This is why we live in a place where malaria and tropical ulcers and infections seem to blossom overnight and the internet runs so slowly it feels like dial-up from the 90's.

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  Isaiah 55:10-11

5 comments:

Leslie said...

THAT IS SO EXCITING!!!!!

Herding Grasshoppers said...

Rejoicing with you!!!

Julie

Bartokhound said...

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Rejoicing with you that lots of lamps have arrived!!!

Love,

Jayla

Nahna said...

This is so thrilling...to have a Bible in your language. We talked about this and thought of what it would be like to have a copy of God's Word, but in Japanese, for example, and not be able to read it...makes you think differently.

So excited for the people....

The dB family said...

A very special and memorable day! Thanks be to God!

Blessings!
Deborah