Welcome to the NicholasNews.
December 23, 2009
We have been in the village now for over a month. As we first arrived I had come down with a mild case of Typhoid. I spent most of two weeks resting recovering from the effects. Just was I was getting my strength back, Gertrude came down with an intestinal bug the day before she was to share at church. This and other little things that were happening seemed to come our way to question if we should be here. During times of testing like this, even when the doubts come, the Lord gives us the peace and strength to continue resting in the call He placed on our lives.
The translators also are having their struggles with sickness Matthew has needed some minor surgery and after three trips to town he still has not been able to have the surgery. At present it is scheduled for January. On top of this his father-in-law just went home to be with the Lord. He and his wife had much to Pray that it will happen and he will have a speedy recovery. Another translator is Seli who has been suffering with TB. It seems that the other translators are discouraged. I do rejoice that we have started reviewing the translation of Galatians in preparation for village checking. Pray that we will have it reading for checking by the new year and that the translators will be able to do the village check during the month of January.
These things did slow us down with our language learning, but we are beginning to make slow progress at last. The big part of learning the language is the development of relationships. Gertrude and I make a point to go out daily to visit with neighbors and the practice what we have learned and ask questions to learn something more.
New Donation Opportunity Wycliffe in partnership with idonate are accepting cell phones to provide cash donations to Wycliffe members. Learn more!
November 29, 2009
As we been back to Lossu there are a number of things that we found needed to be repaired as it would be with any place. Since our house sits above the ground we have a fence around the bottom to keep the pigs out. Our neighbor was giving me a hand with the repairs and two-year-old son, Rhema, came to help. How he wanted the hammer to put in the nail. As we were done his father let him use it. How carefully he was holding the hammer and hitting the nail, but it did not go in any. He worked at it for a while.
One of the big blessings we have he is a refrigerator. At first while we were here we were using the generator to run it about 8 hours a day. I finally figured out how to run it with propane gas. Now the it is running all day it has been great. In the middle of the a hot day we can go and get a cold glass of water. (I added a few more pictures below.)
An important part of learning the language is spending time with the people. We have been making a point to go out late in the afternoon to take a dip in the ocean. The beach here is beautiful. Then on the way back we will stop and visit with different people along the way to practice some of the things that we have learned and learn something new. We try to take advantage of diifferent opportunities like this to learn Notsi. It is slow process be we are doing it.
November 12, 2009
Back to Our Village Home
We are so thankful to be back to Lossu Village. In the last three months we did plenty of traveling sleeping in so many different beds. We sleep so much better as we are now in our own bed.
Gertrude and I enjoyed our time at VITAL. It gave her some good ideas as what she needs to do to prepare for the literacy course that she is planning for NITI. It has also given me more training as a mentor for a language project to do an Advisor check of the translation work that has been done. I was most of my time was working on developing the back translation for the Book of Genesis for the Kakabia. I knew nothing of the language which made for slowing going. One of the struggles as I worked with a Kakabia speaker giving me the English translation was that the word order was so different from English and we would have to go back and further to make sure we did get the correct meaning from the translation. We finished Genesis my last day I had for this. I was beginning to wonder if we would.
Here is a picture of Gertrude working with one of the literacy workers at VITAL reviewing some of the work she had completed.
Water, Water Everywhere . . .
Our only source of water as we are in our village home is rain. Two weeks before we arrived it had not rained at all. The water level in the our 3,000 liter (792 gallons) water tank was low. We started to pray for rain and the next day we had a heavy shower, but we noticed that much of the water was not reaching the tank because the gutter was clogged. Gertrude was saying when the Lord's sends His blessing we need to be ready for it. A couple of days later we were able to get the gutter cleared and within a half an hour we had a tremendous downpour of rain. We were certainly ready to receive it this time. Since we have been in the village there has been rain at least every-other-day if not everyday. It reminds us how God is taking care of us, His children.
October 18, 2009 Update
VITAL (Vernacular Initiative in Translation And Literacy)
For the last three weeks Kevin and Gertrude have been working with VITAL. This project is similar to NITI which is a cluster language project to provide Papua New Guineans with the training needed to translate the Bible into their own language. Here at VITAL they are working with nine different language groups. Gertrude is heading up the literacy portion of this course. Because AIDS/HIV has become more and more of a problem here in PNG the first few days we worked on translating a booklet to help to educate the people prevent the spread of the disease.
Eight Wonderful Years Together
October 1, 2009 Update
September 22, 2009 was our 8th anniversary. At the time we were attending the National Education Conference in Goroka, not far from the SIL headquarters in Ukarumpa. We were there with five others from SIL so it was not a quiet, romantic get-away for us. That night we went out for pizza at a local hotel, which we all enjoyed. While at the conference we were able see a number of different groups perform traditional dance with their colorful costumes. As we arrived Gertrude was saying that she may not know anyone there. It turns out that the lady who is the head of the Education Department of Goroka University was a friend from Kavieng who I met in 2003.
After the conference we flew down to Port Moresby. We planned a couple of days there before continuing on to Milne Bay. This gave us time to visit with a friend of Gertrude's named Rachel. She is the personal assistant to the Prime Minister Michael Somare. We were able to visit Rachel in her office and she took us into the Office of the Prime Minister to show us around. The P. M. was away at international meetings in NYC so we did not get to meet him.
I was a little disappointed with the traveling that we were doing this week that I was not able to do much in line of celebrating our anniversary. Friday, just after lunch we went to the airport to continue on to Milne Bay. We were there plenty of time before the flight was to depart. After we cleared security to enter the terminal there was a large crowd of people waiting to check in to get their boarding passes. After waiting they finally had the people line up at particular counters for different flights instead of just waiting in the one line. At last we got into the line that we were suppose to be in. After waiting another hour we were up to the counter to check in. What we did not know was that the flight was over booked and there was no room for us. We waited another two hours for them to make sure we were booked on the next flight. Then an hour more in another line where they would issue vouchers for us to stay at a hotel. Then we had another wait for the hotel van to come to pick us up. After a half hour drive we arrived at the Crown Plaza Hotel. It was beautiful. 
Neither Gertrude or I could believe the wonderful accommodations that were given to us. After we got settled into our room we went downstairs for dinner. The Cafe was full so we waited as I played the piano. After a while I took note of a nicer restaurant. I thought if they would accept the vouchers I would pay the difference for the meal. We had wonderful service to go with a wonderful meal, that was finished with Crape Suzzette.
We thank the Lord for the way we could celebrate Eight Years Together. It was totally beyond my means, but that did not hinder what God had planed for us. After all that waiting at the airport, it made for a very special time for us to spend time together, just the two of us.
VITAL (Vernacular Initiative in Translation And Literacy)
As we were in Ukarumpa the leadership asked if we would go down to Milne Bay to help with VITAL. Tuula, who heads up the literacy portion of the course, was called away unexpectedly and is not able to teach or part. Gertrude was asked of she would fill in for Tuula. This delays our return to New Ireland for a month, but we decided to do so. VITAL is a similar program to NITI, being a clustered language project to provide training and support for Papua New Guineans to do the remaining translations in the area. This will give me more experience in the area of translation. I will have some pictures to post in the coming weeks.
September 20, 2009 Update
Commissioning
Our last day at Ukarumpa we were commissioned by the leadership for the work that we have started in New Ireland. It was at this time that were were officially assigned to work with the Notsi. I shared a few words about what our plans were and a group gather around us to pray for us. Part of this group was this couple James & Natalie Nelson. They are our support team in Ukarumpa. They have been such a blessing to us helping us in different ways. It is great to know that if we need help with something we can just give them a call or an email and they will take care of it.
New Testament Nearing Completion
Exciting News! Gertrude is holding in her hands the signature copy of the Sursurunga New Testament. Sitting with Gertrude is Emma who did the typesetting of the New Testament. Emma will review this copy to make sure that there are not any errors. If everything looks good it will then go to the printers in Korea. We are looking forward to celebrating with the Sursurunga in August next year. This is the first language group that Gertrude had spent time learning their language and developing a literacy program for them. This is the reason why we have come here. To help people get the Word of God in their own language, that they can grow in the know of Christ and His love. (If you check on the map below, you will find Sursurunga further south on the island.)
September 4, 2009 Update
While Gertrude was at NITI most of the time she spent helping in the kitchen and taking advantage of the time with a personal Bible study on the Book of Jeremiah. The focus of her study was "The Mission Heart of God in the Book of Jeremiah." If you are interested I am sure she would be happy to share some of her thoughts with you. During the last week of NITI Gertrude was given an opportunity to develop a plan to do a literacy workshop during the next NITI course in February. Everyone was very excited the way things were coming together for it. Please pray that the Lord will raise up the right people to be a part of this.
Above is a map of New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea. We are living in central New Ireland on the east coast with the Notsi people. (I have Notsi circled on the map.) Going to the south is the Papatar people where the NITI courses are held. (That is also circled).
August 15, 2009 Update
NITI Participants of August 2009
It has been such a blessing to be part of the New Ireland Translation Institute (NITI). In New Ireland Province (NIP) there has been 10 New Testament translations that have been completed by members of Wycliffe Bible Translators. There are another 15 languages that are in need of translation along with a few additional dialects. NITI was started to provide training and help for the Papua New Guineans to do remaining translations in NIP. Gertrude and Kevin has been assigned with work with the Nosti language group. Below you will find a picture of the house that we are living in as we are in the village.
Kevin has been working with the translators to develop a back translation from the translations of Philippians and 1 Timothy. A back translation is a very literal translation back into English. The process has helped Kevin to learn read much of what has been translated. As he returns to the village, he will have opportunity to put to practice what he has learned. It has been one thing to read it, but to speak it will take much more work.
July 20, 2009 Update
Dolphins
What an unexpected pleasure. Our regional directory was coming from another island where he has done translation work. Just as they need the coast there was a large number of dolphins splashing in the water around the boat. They reached shore and invited us to join them on the boat to watch the dolphins. We rode around in the boat for about 30 minutes.
Life in the Village
We are making slow progress in language learning. This has been more a time of getting to know the people here in the village and getting settled in our home in the village. It is very comfortable, but it is in need of a few minor repairs here an there. It will take time for us to clear out all the dust and dirt that has accumulating for years.
Gertrude is enjoying her time with the ladies of the village. As part of her language learning she gave the ladies a cooking class on how to make Ratatouille (A dish made with eggplant and tomatoes). As Gertrude gave them the receipt the ladies helped her translate it into Notsi.
Travel Plans
Tuesday (July 21, 2009), we will be leaving for NITI (New Ireland Translation Institute). I will begin to work more closely with the translation team for Notsi, checking their translation. We will be there for four weeks. Afterwards we will travel up to Ukarumpa, where the mission headquarters are located. This will be a time for us to relate to leadership there. Receive our shipment from the US, and connect with some friends. By mid September we will be back to Lossi.
June 12, 2009 Update
Our Latest Travels
For the last month we have done plenty of traveling in Papua New Guinea (PNG). At the beginning of May we returned from the village of Simbini where we spent five weeks we returned to Nobonob where we started POC (Pacific Orientation Course). After being there for a few days we went to our missions headquarters in PNG, at Ukarumpa. As it was in the highlands we were able to enjoy some cool weather for the time we were there. We then proceeded to Kavieng, New Ireland Province (NIP). After a few days we took a bus about six hours south to Sohun, NIP. At Sohun is where the New Ireland Translation Institute (NITI) is run and that I will be a part of. NITI provides training for Papua New Guinieans to translate the New Testament in the remaining languages that need it. We were thankful that our schedule allowed us to get to Sohun before the NITI course ended. It gave us opportunity to be introduced to the participants. This is the house we stayed in during our time at NITI.
Home Sweet Home
We have finally made it. After years of preparation studying at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) and Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics (GIAL) we are no located in the village of Lossu, NIP, PNG. The language that is spoken here is Notsi. In the coming months Gertrude and I will begin to learn this language. This will allow me to work towards helping the translators with exegetical support. This is a picture of the house we will be staying in. It is quite different from the house we stayed in while in Simbini. There is a full kitchen with stove, refrigerator, washing machine and sink with running water. There is even a 12v fan that runs from our solar power. We are so thankful that we have been blessed with such a wonderful place. When we first arrived we were given opportunity to get the place setup. In a few days we will start our language learning in earnest.
Another blessing as we are here is that we have cell phone access. This allows me to be able to connect to the internet to upload and download my email. We are always thankful to hear from you, but please don't send forwarded emails to us with pretty pictures. Back
June 2, 2009 Update
New Photos Posted
Life continues to move on at a busy pace. We are now in Kavieng, the capital of New Ireland Province. In just a few days we will be moving to a village where we will start learning the local language. The last few days has kept me busy in shopping for things that we will need for the house. One big expense is for the water tank for storing rain water. Please pray that the Lord will need our needs. Enjoy the pictures under the photo menu Village Life.
Created on June 3, 2007
Last edited May 16, 2009
