Preface
This is a story about Wopa Eka, who was born in the hamlet of Usa in 1967 and died on May 6, 2013 at Mendi hospital. As I have read Wopa’s letters or emails about him, I have often had to lay down my pen (metaphorically) to grieve, pray and rejoice.
In one email Wopa relates that he played with our son Kirk and daughter Karol (born in 1959 and 1965, respectively), as did a large number of Kewa children that congregated regularly around our house. In another letter, written to Karol in 2000, he stated that he was 34, so he would have been 47 when he died.
Wopa was the primary translator for the revision of the West Kewa (WK)[1] New Testament, and organized its dedication in July 2004. He continued as the lead translator for a team that has worked on the Old Testament, with almost half of it completed before his death.
It is my hope and prayer that other translators will be inspired by the life of Wopa.
Wopa’s hamlet of Usa is home to one main clan—the Nemola—and several sub-clans. His father, Eka, had been a fight leader for his clan and was well known and respected throughout the area. He had battle scars (from arrow wounds) showing evidence of his past warrior-like activities. Wopa inherited his father’s dynamic personality and leadership style.
When Wopa was at Ukarumpa and we were beginning the revision task, it was always refreshing to hear him pray. He would invariably start his prayers with “Good morning Jesus,” then thank him for everything, including being able to sleep like a “dead man”.
In the story that follows, I provide some background on Wopa’s home area and culture. I do so with editorial insertions and with an appendix. His letters and emails, written in Tok Pisin or Kewa, are edited and translated by me. They constitute the bulk of the story, so whenever he or others speak, I have italicized their words. Throughout I have tried to retain some of the original style and flavor of Kewa in the letters, so some of the wording may seem unusual to English speakers.
There are a few things to note in the letters. First of all, Wopa, in the Kewa tradition, recognizes my age and is kind and even subservient to me. He acts like I am the boss when it comes to many decisions about translation, but it is he and the Kewa native speakers who have the final say on what sounds best in the language and it is they who have done most of the work. So when he is thankful and gives me credit beyond measure for my help, the reader should keep in mind Luke 17:10, “So you also when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty’” (NIV). Another relevant verse is 2 Corinthians 3:5: “We don’t have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all that we do” (CEV).
Secondly, Wopa is free with his population figures and I have undoubtedly contributed to the confusion. I reviewed the villages and populations with him in 2002, after the government census came out in 2000, and we calculated about 45,000 people for each of the West and East dialects of Kewa and perhaps another 7,000 in the South dialect. Sometimes, at border areas, it was impossible to know exactly which dialect the people might speak and we would assign a dialect to the village, so the figures are not precise.
Thirdly, there is a lot of repetition in the letters, something which many editors would omit. However, I have not done so because Wopa reminds me of the person who had a visitor at midnight and needed bread, so he went to ask his neighbor. He was at first refused but persisted until, being tired of the requests the friend gave him the bread (Luke 5:5-8). Wopa keeps mentioning some things (his children’s school fees, consultant help, an office, computers, etc.) because he needs help that will benefit the translation project.
But finally, the story is meant to show Wopa as a grateful person; his vision and resourcefulness; his activities and optimism; his faith and his love for the Word of God. Like anyone, Wopa had critics and problems, but his letters demonstrate his motivation and drive. They show a determined and thankful man, one who can encourage and inspire other translators as well.
Karl Franklin
October, 2013
Duncanville, Texas
Chapter 1
Some Background
We lived in Usa, (roughly pronounced OO-SAH, but not named after America) intermittently from 1967 to 1973 and then visited there at least once a year from 1973 to 1976, 1979 to 1983, and 1986 to 1990. During that time we did not have any connection with Wopa that we recall, but from 1998 to 2012 we have had sustained communication, as the letters show. The last time we saw him was at the dedication of the revised West Kewa (WK) New Testament in August, 2004.
Usa is now a village, but when we lived there the name Usa referred to a dance ground and festival clearing, with homesteads and gardens radiating out from it. There were men’s houses and women’s houses and Wopa would have spent his first few years with his mother at her house and then the later part of his youth at the men’s house.
When small, his mother took him with her to the gardens each day and at night he slept with her and relatives in their small rectangular house not far from the men’s house. While his mother and other women planted sweet potato or cultivated them, Wopa and his friends would play on the periphery of the garden.
Men’s House |
Like other young people (boys in particular), Wopa attended the local primary school, which consisted of grades 1-6. Grades 7-12 were done either in Kagua, 15 miles away to the east, or in Mendi, a full day’s walk to the north. Wopa was not able to attend either, due to family responsibilities, so his formal education ended at grade 6. However, he was a persistent and brilliant learner, as his work shows.
I have given a more detailed description of Wopa’s area and culture in an Appendix. It is many years since we lived in Usa and undoubtedly changes have occurred. However, this is how we knew the area at the time.
Wopa first contacted me in 1998 when we were visiting and attending an SIL branch conference. He told me that he and his pastor colleague, Max Yapua, needed some paper, correction fluid, and other supplies. He had lined up some men to work with him on revising the New Testament (NT), which had been published in 1973 but was out of print, and he wanted to talk to SIL about the project. I didn’t think too much about it, figuring it was now in the hands of the Kewa people and that I was out of the picture.
However, on December 12, 2000, Wopa wrote again, and this time he introduced himself more formally. In his letter he used the first name of Gholee, but its origin is obscure. He only used the name for a few letters and after that occasionally G as a middle initial. Max Yapua, who was living near Mt. Hagen town at the time and serving as a Lutheran pastor, accompanied Wopa to Ukarumpa. Max had completed seminary at Ogelbeng (near Mt. Hagen town) and is a brother to Kirapeasi Yapua, who for some years had worked with me as a translator of the WKNT. In an early letter (December, 2000) Wopa wrote:
Hello and a good merry Christmas to you and Joice Franklin. May God bless you and strengthen you and give the two of you peace.
I am Gholee Wopa Eka, son of old Eka and I work as an evangelist. I got word from Max Yapua and he and I have been one time to SIL at Ukarumpa to give my name to Andy Grosh and tell him that I want to revise some of the work of translation in Kewa that is a little difficult. I have worked as an evangelist for 8 years and I have received the K100 [worth US$35] you gave for transportation and for some writing things like pens, correction fluid so we can work in the 6-8 weeks during the Christmas time.
We are short of kerosene, pens and books…Max Yapua works at Hagen so we can’t work at his same place but he gives us good thoughts when he comes.
That is all. Thank you and may God be with you.
Wopa on their Revision Work (January 18, 2001)
I wrote to you on December 12, 2000 and I forgot to say that Simon [a Lutheran pastor in Usa] and I have revised the Kewa books of Matthew and Mark and are working on John and Luke. I have also written to Andy Grosh of SIL at Ukarumpa. Now the two of us, what should we do with this work we have finished? I will wait until you answer.
May God watch after you and the work you are doing. I don’t want you to forget that we need prayer as well.
In a later letter (2001) Wopa summarized some of his background and how he had become a Christian:
Kewa Lutheran Church |
My name is Wopa Eka. I was a person who bought coffee and stole coffee and other things and I went around as an immoral man at night dances and got mad for no reason with others and I was not a good man in the eyes of God and I stayed this way as a tool of Satan and worked for him.
Then one time there was a big conference of the Lutheran church that took place near my own house, so I went and sat at the outside to hear the talk. At this time the Lutheran youth and Sunday School were singing songs and doing dramas and as I heard the songs and watched the dramas I began to cry and I went inside and at this time in March 1993, God called me and at that time and since I have wanted to carry the cross of Jesus and follow him.
I had been a disciple of Satan at that time and now I wanted to become a disciple of Jesus and my desire was to carry out the good news of Jesus inside of the West Kewa language, a group with a population of 50 or 60 thousand. So I want all of you to pray and help me and Karl and Joice Franklin so that we can do this kind of work. I am an evangelist, starting first in 1993, and now it is 2001. It has been 9 years that I have been doing God’s work and telling people about how they can go and live forever in heaven.
Although I have not included the salutations and endings from most of his letters, I should mention that Wopa, like Paul, began each letter with a blessing and prayer from the Lord, often with a Bible verse as well. Typically then, he begins his letter dated May 9, 2001 with a salutation—giving thanks and reminding us that he was praying for us:
Now I am saying good day to you, Joice, Karol and her family. Regarding God’s peace that you have may it also be with you now and forever after and may you be at peace when you get this paper and read it. 2 Corinthians 13:13 (“After the Lord Jesus Christ has given you his good helping way and when God is happy with you stay well with the Holy Spirit filling your livers and stomachs.”) and another is 1 Corinthians 16:21 (“I Paul am sending this talk that you stay well now.”)
Saimono [Simon] Wagalua has also done the work of an evangelist now for 12 years and the two of us translate God’s good news into Kewa. We do this and we ask Kirapeasi to help, but because he is a councilor he doesn’t hear us. His brother Max is a pastor but he is doing his work in Hagen and he can’t help. We do this mission work and God understands what we do and what he gives we will take as his word that is in Matthew and Mark and we want you to look at what we have done. We have also translated Luke and we want to take the West Kewa talk to Ukarumpa for Andy Grosh. Max Yapua said that when we had done that work, he said that we should do more….
Some other news. In Usa, Apopa, Pawayamo, Malue and in places around Kagua the people say they really hear God’s word but that our PNG government is bad. When we work hard and give one kina then they want three. They want a big name and don’t work hard. The government’s ways are bad….
I forgot to say that when translating the Bible now we also have the Bible that you and Kirapeasi did [the 1973 edition] and we take and translate that. I am talking about help from both books [Kewa and Tok Pisin].
May God be with you both. Goodbye father Karl
Usa Karol |
On January 18, 2001 Wopa wrote to Karol Franklin Hardin (in Tok Pisin). The birth place for a Kewa is where the umbilical cord is buried, hence his claim that Karol belonged to Usa. (Actually Karol was born in Lae, PNG, but symbolically she is considered an Usa-born child because she lived her young life there.)
Hello and greetings to you and your family. I remember you well. I remember how we played at the little ground of Yakipita. Your mother Joice and your father Karl bore you here and your umbilical cord is still here. I am 34 years old with a wife and 3 children, all in school. I am an evangelist with the Malue congregation in Usa. All around in the little bush villages we have churches that are full of people and we hear God’s message and we follow him. You have a different kind of skin and language but in God’s word we are one big family and we will all be together in heaven. I want to thank you that you lived in this place and we will wait to see a photo if you send one. It is now 7:30 in the afternoon and I am using the light of the fire, so I will finish and go to sleep. Goodbye and may God watch over you.
Wopa followed up with a letter on January 18, 2001 to include something that he had forgotten to tell me:
Hello and good day to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am sending greetings from my family to yours.
I wrote to you on December 12, 2000 but I forgot to tell you something so I am writing again. Simon and I have finished revising the books of Matthew and Mark in Kewa and we are now working on revising John and Luke and other ones too. I wrote to Andy Grosh at SIL as well. Now we are wondering what we should do to finish this work. I am waiting for your answer.
That is all and may God watch over you and your work. I forgot that we too need prayers as well.
I wrote this, Evangelist Wopa Eka.
Chapter Two
Beginning the Revision Task
Wopa was relentless in telling us about the Kewa translation work, involving us as much as he could. He was also realistic about how long the work would take. On March 28, 2001 he wrote:
Good day to you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord who helps us. I greet your family.
Now I am sending the gospel of Matthew and Mark. You can look at them and if you see mistakes you can send them back and I will correct them again.
Pastor Max Yapua is busy with his work at Hagen. Kirapeasi Yapua is busy with the work of his and Simon and I are still working on correcting God’s talk in the Kewa language. But I don’t know if the two of us are doing good work so you have a look at it.
The two of us are doing evangelistic work using the Tok Pisin Bible and the Kewa book, but we are correcting it. If we have John and Luke and other [books] finished we will send them to Andy Grosh, the Southwest Regional Assistant Director for SIL at Ukarumpa. He knows our address. A big need is prayer for this work. This is not something that can be done in a hurry. There is also garden work, getting firewood and things like that.
Wopa later (May 9, 2001) repeated the news that they had begun to revise the WK NT and had translated and filled two notebooks with revisions of Matthew and Mark and had taken them to Ukarumpa, some two days of travel by road on small buses or trucks.
He wanted me to look at their work. “I don’t know if we have written them well,” he wrote, “but if we haven’t, tell us and we will translate them again.” Wopa was a man of great relational skills and at Ukarumpa he again contacted Andy Grosh, looking for help from SIL and Andy helped him on many occasions. He asked Andy to send me an email in which he talked about the revision work they were doing. He also outlined some of his family needs: mainly fees for the schooling of his children and how he was attempting to help them by selling pigs and doing other things. Of course, we understood the implied message as well—was there something we could do to help? We had been pulled, somewhat reluctantly at first, back into the Kewa translation task.
A couple of months later a parcel showed up on my desk at Dallas. In it were the two notebooks with the revisions of Matthew and Mark. As I looked through the materials I marveled at the work the men had done, but I could also see that they would benefit from some training.
We Deliberate about PNG
By now I was convinced that we should return to PNG to assist Wopa, so one night I cautiously opened the subject to my wife: “What would you think of going back to Papua New Guinea?” I asked. There was a considerable pause, then “That would be interesting,” she said. Not the answer I had expected or hoped for, but not an outright “No” either.
For the next few days she thought it over and prayed, and then came up with three reasons why it would not work: (1) she loved her job and felt that no one else could do it; (2) we were enjoying getting to know our grandchildren in Waco, only 100 miles away; and (3) she was too old! The excuses, however, fell like fog on a misty Highland’s morning. Almost immediately her supervisor found someone to take her job; then our Waco family informed us that they were going to Ecuador as missionaries for four years; and finally my secretary (then 80) reminded Joice that she was just a “spring chicken” and had many more years of service.
So we let Wopa (and SIL) know that I would apply for a PNG work permit and we began our round of necessary duties: physical examinations, with shots and x-rays, raising travel expenses, and so on. On April 5, 2001, we wrote Wopa telling him that we would like to come back to PNG in July or August of 2002 and stay for 5 months. He replied that we would best work out of Ukarumpa with him and whoever else he could find to help because there was on-going tribal fighting in his area and, in addition, we would have no [good] place to stay in the village.
Subsequently, I went through the notebooks with translations of Matthew and Mark. In the meantime Wopa and Max continued to work together, although Max was some distance away in Hagen and could only work with Wopa when he was in Usa. On August 8, 2001 Wopa wrote:
Father Karl, regarding the letter that you sent, I received it but God’s talk that came to you was done by Max Yapua and me. What you asked us to do, we have done it. When we send more to you and after you look at it then we will look at it again and do it like that. When you tell us what to do, send an example to us. Also send what you want to Andy Grosh. We have finished Ephesians and Colossians and are sending them to you.
You said that you were an old man. so I am sorry. It is hard work and takes a long time.
On August 29, 2002 we received a letter from Wopa, reminding us again of his calling to work on the West Kewa New Testament revision. It seemed obvious that God had led him into this work. He provided us of with some personal history and gave additional details:
In 1997 Pastor Max Yapua received a letter from Karl and Joice Franklin and at that time I got their address and wrote back to them and I started to pray for them at that time. The prayer I aimed at the two of them was that they would come back to PNG and help the 50 thousand people of West Kewa in revising the Kewa Bible and helping with literacy and Sunday School for adults. You said there did not seem to be a way but I prayed and my wife was with me in prayer and all the church members prayed that you would leave your place of more than 6000 kilometers and come to be with us.
In 1997 God called me to work with Karl and Joice and I thank him for calling me. So I ask all the friends of you to to make this a prayer point so that we can do our work among the 50 or 60 thousand people.
To an Old Man!
On September 15, 2001, Wopa reminded us again of the translation task and that he and Max were committed to it. I had asked Wopa and Max about some of the terminology they were using and some of the spelling and made some other suggestions, so Wopa responded to that as well:
Hello and good day to you and Joice in the name of the Lord who helps us, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the letter you sent on June 21. Father Karl I got the letter you wrote and sent but the good news that you received was done and sent by Max Yapua and me. Father Karl, what I sent the two of us wrote. In the manner that you say that we should work and send, look at it and send it back to us and then we will follow your talk and do what you say with the papers. Could you please send us some examples of how you want them written. Send them to Andy Grosh. I am sending Ephesians and Colossians to you to look at.
Earlier you said you were really an old man so I am sorry about that. It is hard work for you to look at what you received….
I want some examples and you can send them by fax to the Mendi Post Office. The fax number is 5491025 or 5491383. I got the 100 kina from SIL. Thank you and I want to return by saying may God bless you.
On February 2, 2002 Wopa informed us that he had finished revising the draft of the book of Ruth that I had sent. The draft had been compiled with the assistance of Todd Allman, a computer expert, using his Bible translation program.
I wrote to Wopa on February 14, 2002, reminding him that we were considering returning to PNG in August and suggested some items that he could pray about (money for tickets, a computer, and other things).
Asking for Help (February 20, 2002)
Thank you for the letter you sent that I received on 7 February, 2002. Father Karl and Joice, the talk that you two will come again to PNG is good. Suppose that you say that I should come to Ukarumpa I will come on account of that.
My helper in the work Simono [Simon] Yamo has gone to Moresby city like a stranger. He has not come back. I don’t know who else I will get to help me. I am asking you.
Regarding the work of straightening the book because it is God’s work, when you come back to PNG again in July God will give you strength. Because of that we will be able to correct the New Testament I think.
On the 17th of February I went to Uma to the Catholic church to see what they had done with working in West Kewa. They had tried to work with one of the priests but a crazy man fought the priest again and he went back to America so there is no one at the aid post and help is a long way from them so they are just waiting.
When you and Joice come, bring some books about the fight between Afghanistan and America. Why? We want to pray about that fight and that I can tell the people about it.
Wopa Reports (April 3, 2002)
Thank you for the letter and the K250 that you sent on March 14, 2002. I will meet you when you come to Ukarumpa but I have only a bit of work because Saimono [Simon] Wagalua went to Moresby—should I bring someone else with me?
The translation work that I finished and sent is without the aid of an English Bible. No, I have only the Tok Pisin but I am wrong to not want to read the English Bible too.
There are a number of new words that we should replace the old words with in the revision. Some of the words [changed] are like this:
Tok Pisin Kewa
Tisa mogeriae aa [man who shows how]
Laip bilong man kone wasupa piri aa [man who has thoughts & spirit]
Mirakel napia [not done before]
Tok bilong lo rekena agaa [forbidden talk]
Jisa Kraist Yesu Misia [Jesus Messiah]
Tok moa olsem Agaa yolamonea gupa sa [pulling talk and saying it]
Het man Alu aa [head man]
Abus bilong ofa mena aarinumi miru irisimi [cooking smoke with animals]
Wok gavaman gavaman kogono [government work]
Sipsip sipisipi [sheep]
Ai bilong kot kot na ini agaa na [before the court]
Ai bilong Pailat Pailat na ini agaa na [before Pilate]
These words are for consideration that I am showing you. Prayer point: God is the source of all good thoughts and behavior and he can give me that for my work. Thank you and God bless.
Included was a copy of a letter Wopa sent to Andy Grosh:
Thank you for the K150 I requested and I received it on the 13th of June 2002.
Karl and Joice Franklin have talked about coming back to PNG in August but they have some needs to come to Papua New Guinea, so are they ready to come or not? Ask Karl and tell me again. I am repeating the talk of the Kewapi language people and [many] of them pray that God can help the two of them to come back with SIL in PNG.
Outline on the computer and send me what you write. Ask if the two are ready to come in August or when.
Now I want to share some word from God with you and Karl and his family—1 Corinthians 15:58 (“Because of this I say to my good brothers and sisters: be strong and stand up and do not be afraid. Then do the work of the Lord with strength. If you do the Lord’s work that work will not be lost”). The apostle Paul was telling all the Corinthians in his first letter that the hard work you do for the Lord while you are on the earth will not be lost. Plenty of the Corinthians thought that all of the hard work they were doing would be for nothing. Therefore Paul clarified for them that the work they were doing for the Lord would not be lost.
To Andy Grosh (June 18, 2002)
Hello and good day to you in the name of Jesus Christ who is our helper. Now he is also God.
The old people and some of the smaller children in the Kewa language have a problem with hearing the language well and in August Karl told me he was going to meet me at SIL to revise the Kewa language Bible book so I will come then.
If there is still time I can talk to the young people and try to take care of the things that bother them. There is a big need to help the little children in Sunday School and in confirmation classes as well.
My prayer to God is to send Karl to PNG. I speak for the more than 120,000 [?] people of the Kewa language with the prayer that God can help us. God puts workers in different places to help his church.
When Karl comes to PNG please tell me and I will come to SIL. Thank you for being with me and God can bless the work you are doing to help God’s church. Greetings to you and to all of your family members.
Wopa continued to communicate with Andy Grosh as well and on June 26, 2002 he wrote to me again. (As I mentioned Wopa is sometimes free with his population figures—there were not 200,000 Kewa speakers—he may have meant 20,000.)
I have finished the book of Ruth and am sending it to you. Whether it is good or not, I don’t know, so have a look at it.
When American has fights we call to God in prayer that it will help you and that you will all live well. Matthew 7:7-8 (“Jesus said this: On account of your praying to God, he is able to give you [what you ask]. When you look for something you will be able to find it. When you rap at the door God will be able to open the door for you. Everyone who prays to God will receive things. People who search for things will see them. The person who knocks at the door, God will open it for him.”) We follow God’s talk like it is there.
On 12 October, 1998, my father Eka died and his old wife also died on March 3, 2000. Yapua, Ralama and Koberea, those three old men are also close to dying.
When they complete the Agula bridge, the Ipiae and Rakenda road to Mendi that we go on will be ready for cars and all of the people can go on it well.
I am doing the work of an evangelist and teaching God’s work. There about 120 people, including children, that I teach but whether they believe or not I don’t know. It is God who really knows. Jeremiah 1:4-10 [where God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet].
My wife is from Wabi so she has had two children there. The first girl and the second boy are in school. The third and the fourth child are not in school.
In Mendi there is a fight going on and 76 people have been killed. I haven’t heard if it is still going on. Pray that there will be help. Now regarding all the talk, Father Karl maybe we should do something different with God’s talk. John 14:6 (Jesus said this to him: I am your road, I am the source of the truth and I am source of living forever. I alone am that way and people who search for another way to God will not make it.)
Chapter Three
Our Arrival in PNG
We first went to PNG in 1958 when it was the Territory of Papua and New Guinea and was under the colonial administration of Australia. Port Moresby, the capital, had not yet become the large city of contrasts. It harbored citizens from many Provinces (then called Districts) looking for work and getting into trouble if they could not find it. But, at that time, probably no one from Wopa’s area would have visited any of the coastal towns. especially Port Moresby.
We flew from Moresby to Lae, then to Kainantu in the Eastern Highlands, the closest town to Ukarumpa. From there we went by road to Ukarumpa. While in Lae, staying at the Lutheran guest house, we learned that the mission was opening up two new areas in the Southern Highlands, the Kewa and the Wiru. We became interested immediately in the area because, young and naïve as we were, a new and somewhat isolated language area was what we wanted.
So in August, 1958 we began living in the hamlet of Muli and studying East Kewa, an area that had recently been “derestricted” by the Australian government. Muli was 15 miles by trail from the government station at Ialibu and some 40 miles or so away from Wopa’s area. We studied that dialect until we left on furlough in 1963, returning to PNG in 1964. It would turn out to be providential to know that dialect.
After a couple of years in administration we returned to language work, but this time in the western Kewa village of Usa. Another SIL team had taken our place in Muli—they later resigned—and we decided to study the somewhat different western dialect. Wopa’s uncle, a respected leader named Ropasi, invited us to live in his village and, with the support of the Lutheran missionaries at Wabi, we began living there in 1967. It was during the following years that we would have first seen Wopa amongst the other Kewa children.
We were in PNG in 1975, on September 16, when Independence Day was first celebrated. I was then the SIL director and had taken part in the local celebrations. There had been such hope—a PNG flag, a song, and bright people making moving and promising speeches. Now, however, the infrastructure and economy were in shambles due to greed and corruption, with multinational companies exploiting the country for gold, copper, oil, timber, fish, gas, and anything else they could find. The results were not good: fighting, perpetual demands for compensation and endless social problems were widespread. It was obvious that unless the mercy of God prevailed in the presence of godly men, the future was bleak indeed. Wopa was living in the midst of this chaos and rejoicing in the work God had given him to do!
Now it was finally time for us to leave for PNG again. We arrived there on August 12, 2002, having spent 32 years there previously.
The Revision Work Begins
By August, 2002 we were in Ukarumpa and, prior to Wopa’s arrival, I had met two Kewa men, David Paisalo and Jack Rema, who came regularly to help me. Both were visiting relatives at the nearby Aiyura Agricultural Station. Wopa later conscripted both to join the revision team.
Once Wopa and Robert Yomo (his nephew, whose father was a security guard at the Aiyura Agricultural Station) arrived we reviewed our goals for the next couple of weeks: preparing materials for the front and back of the NT, book introductions, reading through printouts for spelling errors, and so on. We took the introductions of the NT books to the translation department and discussed them with a consultant. We left them with him and they were approved a few days later.
Joice continued to type the back matter and footnotes while Robert and Wopa continued with ‘final’ corrections. Sometimes it seemed that Wopa was ‘overzealous’ in his revisions, finding various ways to say something—there are always several different ways to say the ‘same thing’ and he was a genius at finding them. But there was no doubt about Wopa’s interest and ability in examining the nuances of a verse or passage.
Joice serving a meal |
Wopa and Robert continued to read and make corrections while I was busy preparing for a storytelling workshop to be held in the Sandaun Province. Joice was also full of activity: besides entering corrections on the computer, she served meals and snacks, and looked after everyone. Wopa reported that in the Southern Highlands Province there were no effective government services, due to election corruption and local problems. He was anxious to get the revision completed and get back to his family. I don’t think either of us realized that it would be two years before the revision was completed.
Wopa was enthusiastic about Bible translation and the future. For example, the morning he arrived he wanted to talk about a recruitment video that would enlist the aid of support workers. And during that day and throughout Wopa’s stay with us at Ukarumpa, Kewa visitors kept appearing with Wopa.
By September 18, 2002 Jack Rema and Wopa were working on I Corinthians as well as the Gospel of Mark. Jim Henderson had set up ParaTExt for us, so corrections were much easier. However, when I went to a seminar on the software, I came away in a daze—it was much too fast for me. I gave Jack K40 and Wopa K50 for the week, which was in addition to their lodging and food supplies, travel expenses and other incidentals. I needed a break to reflect on what we were doing and how we were doing it. (I wasn’t worried about how Wopa used the money—he would always give me an account of his spending and also let me know what additional things were needed.)
On the 27th of September Wopa and I spent part of the morning in the SIL technical studies office with a senior literacy consultant discussing ways that SIL training and literacy could assist with the Kewa program. Wopa wanted booklets, books, courses and a literacy program among the Kewa. Unfortunately for the Kewa people, nothing ever came of the literacy help that he needed. He was also interested in a pursuing a program that YWAM had developed that would help the people know how to use their New Testaments.
On October 3rd Wopa was ready to return to Usa. He said that he was going home with four prayer points 1) work on the dictionary I was revising; 2) the NT revision; 3) that Karl and Joice would return in 2003; and 4) that the OT would be translated. He also would visit villages and denominations in the Kewa area, including the Catholic Bishop in Mendi. He also wanted to bring someone from Sumi (a major Catholic station) when he returned in November.
This was typical of Wopa. He believed strongly in prayer and wanted others to join him in the work. He reasoned that if he could get someone from the Catholic station, it was more likely that they would use the translation (as they had the original edition).
I should mention that it was not a simple matter to get from Usa to Ukarumpa and back. It required Wopa to pay for a vehicle from Usa to Mendi or to walk, which he often did, for 6 hours. Then he had to find a Public Motor Vehicle (a van or truck, called a PMV) going to Hagen, two to three more hours by road. He would stay overnight in Hagen with some relatives, then depart the next day for Goroka, another four hours to the east. If he was lucky he could get a PMV from Goroka to Kainantu by midday or late afternoon. It would take him two hours to get to Kainantu but he still was not at Ukarumpa, which was some eight miles off the Highlands highway. Once at Ukarumpa he had to find someone to take him to the National Translators’ Lodge and then find some food. It would have taken him two days one way and cost at least K80-100 each way. He did this numerous times, as his letters show.
By early October we had printed out Matthew, John, Romans and I Corinthians and Joice had read through Luke and Mark, as well as made corrections on the computer. Wopa was up to I Timothy but October 3rd was his last day. We were finding changes regularly for the spelling of proper names, which now followed the Tok Pisin Bible; incorporating more Tok Pisin loans, such as plet (plate) for kopo and bot (boat) for ipanu. Some of the previous loans were now respelled and a number of key terms were modified. We also rearranged some of the topic and subject markers and were more consistent in the use of question markers. On this same morning we had visits by four Kewa men from the West Kewa area, none of whom could read. They all knew Wopa and wanted to know more about what he was doing.
In the mail that day we received an “Evangel Cube”, an evangelistic tool sent to us by a friend. Wopa was pleased with it. “We learn by watching,” he said, “not by taking notes or reading instructions from a book.” Once he saw how the cube could be used he knew that he could replicate it.
Wopa Contacts an East Kewa Speaker
Sometime earlier during his first stay, Wopa had met Rose Poto, a young woman from the East Kewa who was a secretary at the Ukarumpa Primary School. She had seen our picture with all the other translators in the foyer of the main office and she noted that we had worked with the West Kewa people. “I cried,” she said, because she wanted the NT so badly in her own dialect. The enthusiasm of Wopa for the Word was contagious and Rose started prodding us on how they, the East Kewa, could have the God’s Word.
Joice and I had spent five years in the East Kewa in the village of Muli from 1958-1963 and learned her dialect. So we began thinking and praying about how we could help with the East Kewa translation—but that is a later story.
Wopa was returning home again so we gave him travel and accommodation money and had our final break-up party on October 4th, 2002, when Joice served a great meal of Mexican dishes. Wopa had a word for us from Psalm 121 (“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth”) and we ended the evening by praying for his safe travel back to the village. It was a long trip. He went to Goroka with some Wycliffe Associates people, then relied on public transport back to Hagen, Mendi and finally home.
Wopa Tells a Story (2002)
After our return from PNG and Australia in 1994, we were living in Dallas when I had been appointed International Training Coordinator and then Vice President for Academic Affairs for SIL. These assignments took up my time until 2001. In 1999 the SIL international conference had adopted a resolution that called for all language groups that desired a Bible translation to have it begun by 2025. I became interested in storytelling as a general strategy for small language groups and had studied and worked on the matter. In 2002 and 2003, while in PNG I led one-week pilot workshops in the Sandaun and East Sepik Provinces to try out my ideas. So it was natural for me to outline some of the benefits of Bible storytelling to Wopa. A day or two later he came to me with his variation of “the lost sheep”, only it was a lost dog, a prize hunting dog. His story went like this:
A Kewa man had to go to a far off village so he asked the men in his village to look after his dog. However, when he returned several days later the dog was missing. And no one knew (or would tell) where the dog was. The man looked around and heard some faint cries from a dog somewhere. He followed the sound and found that his dog had fallen into a latrine—a large hole that was filled with [you know what]. But the man climbed down into the hole and got the dog out and cleaned it up. Then Wopa’s punch line: “You know were were all in the muck like that until Jesus pulled us out.”
He went on to make a number of points, but I will always remember how dramatically and enthusiastically he told that story. He continued to tell stories and find analogies within the Kewa culture, just like Jesus would have done.
Wopa Brings Kenet to Ukarumpa (2002)
Wopa then returned to his village but came to Ukarumpa again in November and stayed from the 4th to the 25th. This time Wopa showed up with Kenet Wama, a former Catholic catechist. We settled them into the translator’s dormitory and the next day Wopa arrived with his calendar to show us what he had been doing while he was gone. He had been involved in a wealth of activities—visiting villages, speaking in churches and meetings to let them know that there would be a dedication of the revised NT in 2004. After their arrival we worked long days reading and correcting the first edition of the NT.
Kenet, although an intelligent man, had somehow been involved in the burning of a Catholic priest’s house at Sumi, so he had problems in that area. His first problem at Ukarumpa was to come down with what he said was malaria, so he needed treatment at the medical clinic. However, the blood test was negative, and once Joice got him involved in looking at the covers of other NTs, maps, pictures, and so on, he responded quickly. He and Wopa would make joint decisions on such matters. We also worked out a payment schedule for their efforts, including money for accommodation, food, and incidental expenses (called “pocket” money).
By November 21, 2002, the men had pretty well completed their first draft revision of the NT and were now concentrated on finding pictures that they thought would help hearers better understand the stories. Joice and I had been in PNG about four months, mainly working on the revision, although I took a trip to Port Moresby to meet with BTA and the Bible Society to try and get a copyright release from them regarding the first edition of the NT. Plans were for the Bible Society and Wycliffe USA to sponsor the revision, so I needed to get some official assurance that this was OK.
Chapter Four
Anticipating Future Work
I also decided to go over the stages of the revision that we were doing with Wopa, Kenet and Robert. I wanted them to see all that was involved in the process and that we were not done. In Stage I, the men had read the 1973 edition, resulting in hundreds of changes, which I summarized as: 1) spelling changes so that the proper names conformed to the Tok Pisin (TP) version of the NT (published by the PNG Bible Society in 1989); 2) modification of key terms like Kingdom of God, Messiah, prophet, disciple, apostle, and others; 3) simplification of long complex sentences; 4) stylistic changes, such as using the TP ‘o’ to represent the Kewa equivalent of ‘or’, which involved complex forms, palo or yapalo at two different places in the sentence.
Stage II, involved keyboarding all of the corrections for errors found; Stage III was printing out all the revised books of the NT so that the men could read and correct them; Stage IV was keyboarding the corrections from Stage III; Stage V was to printout several corrected versions and send them to villages for reading and further corrections; Stage VI was to keyboard the corrections from Stage V; Stage VII involved preparing the manuscripts for typesetting. This meant that the following had to be completed well beforehand: book introductions; picture selections and captions; section headings; references; footnotes; and maps; Stage VIII involved working with the typesetter to approve layout, insertion of pictures and maps, alignments and hyphenation. Wopa was not deterred at all by that remained to be done.
November 25, 2002 was the last day of work for Wopa and Kenet, so Joice prepared a meal for them and Rose—meat loaf, corn, beans, carrots, and baked potatoes, ending with pudding, fruit and ice cream. Wopa gave a speech on how well Joice had taken care of them.
We saw Wopa and Kenet off on the 26th at 6 am when the aviation bus picked them up. However, they didn’t leave until 8:30 because another plane set to depart for the Sepik was found to have two passengers with supplies of marijuana. The police had been tipped off and were there to apprehend the men and their ‘cargo’. Wopa had a number of observations and a story about that!
We had worked out a schedule: typesetting would begin the end of September, 2003, after we returned the next year. In the meantime Wopa would need to complete everything (corrections from the village, etc.) and return them to us in the US by June. We would return to PNG in early August and be there for typesetting in October and November. The typeset manuscript would then go to Korea for printing and be ready for dedication in July of 2004.
We left Aiyura for Port Moresby on Monday, December 9th, 2003, after being royally farewelled by Yomo, Robert, David, Evelyn, Rose, and another son of Yapua. We had gotten to know all of them as a result of our work with Wopa.
Wopa continued on the revisions and on January 15, 2003 reported:
Thank you for all the work you gave me and now I am sending some of it back to you again. It isn’t just you who gave me the work but Papa God so I thank you.
Jack Rema has been correcting Romans and Kenet Wama has checked 1 Corinthians and I have been checking the other books. I haven’t sent you Luke, Acts, and James. When you have worked through these books, send them back.
Here in West Kewa there is a big dry season and the sun has dried up all the sweet potato in our gardens and we are hungry now.
While we were in Ukarumpa the clan of Kenet killed a man from Puti and they are demanding 100 pigs and K1,000 compensation but I don’t know if his line [clan] will give that or not.
With this big time of hunger, it is hard to get all the church groups together: Catholics, BMC [Bible Missionary Church], Nazarenes and others to help with the corrections. I tell about the work of revising the New Testament and some of the people are happy to hear about it and others ask if we will go inside the Old Testament as well. I say it isn’t done yet so I don’t know. They also ask me about song books for the West Kewa people.
At Christmas I showed pictures by using the Evangel cube and the people were really happy to look at the pictures and hear the stories.
I am putting eight letters inside this one and you can help me by sending them. One is going to Germany and others to Karol and [others elsewhere].
Corrections Arrive in the US
On January 30, 2003 I received corrected versions of 9 books that Wopa and others had done: Matthew, Mark, John, I and II Peter, I, II, and III John, and Jude, as well as one book by Kenet (I Corinthians) and one by Jack (Romans). Wopa sent handwritten copies of the introductions to several NT books on March 16, 2003, which I received on April 3rd (as well as revisions of Ephesians and Galatians).
I am sending a good day in the name of Jesus to both of you. May God’s peace be with you both and with your children. I pray strongly that God will help you and that you will live well. My family also say good day to you. I am sending these papers to you: Introduction to Matthew, Introduction to Mark, Introduction to Acts, Introduction to John, Introduction to Romans, Introduction to 1 and 2 Corinthians.
More News—April 27, 2003
Here in West Kewa we are praying to God about the fight between America and Iraq. We want God to fill you with his peace. I pray too for the two of you and for your family members.
I am sending you some of the introductions to the Good News and if it is done well you can use them. Now I am sending some others as well.
Wopa &Kandipia |
I have four children and if you and Joice are strong enough I can give one of them to you two to look after. The eldest, Evelyn, is 13 years old, Malakai, a boy, is 9 years old, Kandipia is a boy and he is 6 years old. Epe Nogo is a girl and she is one year and 6 months. If that is okay with you it is okay with me is well.
I corrected all the printed matter and sent them and now they are all done well but if they need a little correcting that you can do well.
When I went from Usa to Mendi I wasted K60 on transport and food to go and come and buy stamps. When we are at Ukarumpa we can talk about it.
Wopa Involves Others
I next heard from Wopa again on June 16, 2003 when he told me that he was still trying to involve others in the translation work and visits he was making to prepare for the dedication next year:
God can work with us on the translation because he is the source of this work. Here in the West Kewa I have gone around to many areas and told about the translation work to revise [the NT] and the people are happy about the work. Some are not with us? Why is that? I think that the BTA people should come and make them a little aware in West Kewa. I took some of the printed matter and showed it to some people and they looked at it and were very happy.
I have marked out 9 men to be on the translation committee:
- Two men from the Catholic church
- Two men from the Lutheran church
- One man from the BMC church
- One man from the Nazarene church
- One man from the United church
- One man from the New Apostolic church
- One man from the Fellowship church
I still think we must have one little house for our office. There is still a lot of literacy work to do. We have started to do a little here but there are a lot of places that should be started sometime next year. The West Kewa is a big area in PNG with more than 50,000 people.
Chapter Five
Wopa Visits Other Kewa Areas
Wopa went to Ukarumpa in September 2003 and on the 12th of that month sent a detailed report of all the places he had visited and people he had seen—it was a remarkable trip. Wopa was relentless in inviting other churches and denominations to the dedication that would be held in 2004. He also related an attempted theft and assault.
The typesetting work [the preliminary work] is done and I left SIL and went home. I got a PMV and went straight to Mt. Hagen at 6:30pm. Then a thief held me up with a knife that he pointed at me and he got my cash money of K85 and I fought with other thieves but they could not get my handbag. They took the handbags from a lot of the other people and other things too.
Later I went to the house of a West Kewa man and told him about the translation and NT and the committee and they were happy to hear this story of mine. The next day I went to the Hagen bookshop and took a carton of NT to them.
On September 14 I went to worship with Pastor Jerry at the Imu Nasarene church and told them about the WK NT and they were one with us about it.
On September 23 I went to the Maluae Parish of the Lutheran church for Bible study and wanted to talk about the NT but their program was full and I did not talk.
On September 25 I went to the West Kewa Lutheran headquarters to talk about the work of translation but the pastor was not there. I left a letter for him and slept there and the next day went home.
On Tuesday of every week I go to the Bible study of the Lutheran’s at Maluae Parish.
On September 28 I worshiped at Awaroanda congregation and talked to them about the work of translation of the NT and they listened well.
On the 30th of September I went to the house of Kete and Besa Ralama and told them about the translation work and all of their family listened and discussed it.
On October 1 the evangelist of Yakipita, Simon Yamo, came to me and we had a talk about the translation work and Kirapeasi joined us for more talk about the NT work.
On October 2 I didn’t have money to pay for a PMV so I walked to the house of Rudupu Amarea and slept there. The next day I went straight to Mendi and to the house of the Bishop of the Catholic church. He wasn’t there so I left a letter and went to see another Father, his name is Fr Peter, and I told him about the work of the NT and that they should send someone from the Catholic church [to the dedication] and he said alright.
Now I didn’t have money to go down to Det [south of the town of Mendi] so I left a letter with Fr Peter for the Ialibu Catholic mission and then in the afternoon I went and stayed at the house of a wantok [friend].
First thing the next morning the 3rd of October I went directly to the office of the United [Church] Bishop but he had gone to Moresby so I found his secretary and told her about the translation work of the Kewa NT and made an appointment so that [the Bishop] could come to the West Kewa NT dedication, just like the Bishop of the Catholic church would do. Then it took me a full day to arrive at night back home.
On October 6th I got pastor Yandowi and Pastor Timon Api together and we talked near the road as I gave a report on the WKNT. They said I should talk at the big Circuit Conference and give a report but that day hasn’t happened yet so I am waiting to give a report to them. And on this day two of the men that I had marked for the committee and they said they supported my need for an office for the translation work and that they would involve others.
On the 12th of October I went to the church of the BMC [Bible Missionary Church] to worship with them and I gave them a letter about the work of the WKNT and the pastor thanked me but I didn’t have a chance to talk there.
It seems that there are not any churches that have worries against the WKNT like there are in other parts of PNG.
On the 14th of October I went to a Bible study of pastor Timon Api of the Lutheran church and he gave me 35 minutes to talk and report about the translation work. There were about 60 or 70 men and two women who heard me talk.
On the 17th of October I went to Kagua and the Karia Catholic mission station. At this time there was a big conference of the Catholic mission and they gave me 10 minutes to talk about the work of translation. They were happy to hear this and they lifted me up and held on to me, just like those who win when playing sports and lift their hands [in victory]. I went and slept at the house of the mother of Yano and the next morning I went to Patrisa’s house and we had two hours discussing the work of translation. And now they have the East Kewa printed matter and they are very aware [of translation].
Then later I went to the father of Rose and made them very aware of the translation work and they were very happy to hear it. This man is one of the leaders of the East Kewa. So I talked about the East Kewa and they were in agreement. Then I walked back to Usa again and it took me one whole day.
On October 21 I went to the Bible study again and they gave me 10 minutes to talk to everyone. Then they had questions for me. Could Dr Karl and I translate some marriage certificates? Some baptismal certificates? And some confirmation certificates too? Now they only had them in Tok Pisin.
Other days I worked on my garden, carried fire wood and did my own work.
Back in the Village
On October 27 the Elementary [School] Coordinator for the SHP came to Usa . On this day many of us worked at the community school in Usa and he came as the director for the four elementary schools including Usa. Others are at Apopa, another at Pawayamo and another at Puti. He said there were 400 in elementary school at this time and everyone hit their hands [applauded] to hear this. The coordinator asked me if there was a translator or if Kirapeasi and I could do translation work. He said you go talk to the advisor of yours and have him supply the materials. He said we should train the teachers in the West Kewa Elementary Schools. After he talked about this I was excited and happy. I know that Papa God has answered our prayers and we can work on this.
On November the 3rd the Councilor Samuel from Puti came to me with Stephen Yala and Timson Komba and we talked about the work of translation and the Councilor said that they were in agreement about the work of translation.
Chapter Six
Trips Back and Forth to Ukarumpa
We had left the US on August 10, 2003 for Ukarumpa. On Wednesday, August 13th we met with Rose, who was already contacting East Kewa speakers with a view to us helping with their NT translation. The next day Wopa arrived and told us about his children and their ages: Evelyn, 12 years old, who was in grade 5; Malakai, 10 years who was in grade 2; Agustine (also called Kandipia), who was 8 and in pre-school; and Epe Nogo, who was 4 years old. Wopa had traveled to Mendi, Hagen, Goroka, Kainantu and Aiyura on 5 separate trips and it had cost him almost 80 kina each time (for which we reimbursed him).
Once at Ukarumpa, we got to work at once: I printed out all the introductions from a separate file and we began to work on them. Kira (our former worker) showed up and told me about all his difficulties and how much money he needed for school fees and other expenses. I decided to pay him by commissioning him to do a draft of Proverbs, which he agreed to do. Kira had come to Ukarumpa because he was visiting the nearby agricultural station at Aiyura. He was also seeing if other people would help him financially. Although I had given him money for incidentals associated with translating Proverbs, it was clearly not enough to satisfy him.
Back at Usa (September 30, 2003)
I am greeting you in the name of our Father who is in heaven. May he watch over the work and give his peace to you.
I am at home and am doing God’s work and because it is him he will watch over it.
When I left home and went there was no car to find along the road so it was hard going. There also wasn’t any vehicle in Kainantu or Goroka and in Chimbu there was a lot of rain and it was hard going for the car to come but God really looked out for me. My family was good at home but Malakai and another boy hit a woman’s pig and I had to pay some money in compensation.
At the Hagen book store and the Mendi book store they said they would take West Kewa Bibles and we could send them there.
Give this prayer point to the SIL people about the West Kewa people. The West Kewa people do not have questions about the translation work. Why is that? Because they are happy about the work and want to see it completed. What I am saying is that God is coming to his people and he will do it.
Also when I go to other places in the Kewa [area] they are sorry for me and say that we have not paid for your transportation, bought your food, or given you money, so we are sorry about that.
A Sermon by Wopa
Sosope (Josephine) |
Wopa continued to preach at his church in Usa. In a letter dated September 2003, Wopa sent me the outline of one of his sermons, using his “lost dog” story as an illustration of God’s grace:
Now I greet you in the name of Jesus on behalf of the West Kewa people I have seen. My family also send a good greetings to you.
Luk 19.10: The son of man has come to find everyone who is lost and to take them back again.
Introduction:
Jesus went to the house of Zakias and he talked about his reason for coming. Whose child was he that he came? What kind of work did he come to do?
Text:
The son of man came to find all people who were lost and retrieve them. It was for all people in all countries in all kinds of languages and with all different kinds of skin. Jesus came to take back all of us. Jesus finds and takes us back so that we can stop in his net bag, in the blood of his own. His father said that it was fine for him to do this kind of work to win back all of us. What do all of you think? We can be happy about it.
First of all here is a story:
A long time ago in West Kewa there was a man who had no wife, children, brothers, sisters, nor no clan of his own. Nothing at all.
However, this man had a dog. Now this dog was like a brother or loving son to him. When he went to his garden, or to the bush, or along the river, or to a distant place, or when he ate the two of them were always together. When he ate it didn’t matter what the food was he cut it and shared it with the both of them. One did not leave the other. Never at all.
However, one time the dog’s owner said this: “My good son. Now I have to leave you and go to a certain distant place. You watch over the house and all of the things we have.” But the dog said, “the two of us should go”. But the father said “just his one time you stop and look after the house.” The dog said “No, I must still go with you.”
The two of them argued and finally the father said, “Please son you stay at the house” and the dog then said that he would stay at the house.
Now on this day the father got up and he went to a distant place, some 10 to 14 kilometers away. Then later the father hurried back to his house. Why? Because he had been gone three days and he wanted to go home.
The dog remained at the house for some time but the father did not come back quickly to the house. The dog slept in the house and then later he went around the house to the edge of the garden to sit down at the toilet and the wood broke and he fell down into a 13 or 14 foot hole. He was really down in the hole. He was in a place to die and it was difficult for help to come outside. He was covered with feces and urine and he wanted to find a way out but, sorry to say, he was not able.
Later after three days the father went back to the house of the two of them. However his beloved dog was not sleeping at the house. So the father started to look for the dog but he couldn’t find him. The father went by the garden and couldn’t find him and he went to the bush but couldn’t find him. He went to the bathing place but couldn’t find him. He worked at finding the dog until his skin pained and finally he worked at yelling and calling for the dog until finally he heard the dog cry out “Uaa” from the hole.
When the father heard this cry his heart swelled and he cried until the water poured down his face. Now when the father went and stood up at the hole and looked down he saw the dog covered with feces and urine and it was so hard for him to get out that it looked like it was the place he would die.
Then the father’s heart was broken and he was sorry and he yelled for the dog and worked to find a way out so that he could have the dog back. He went and got a ladder somewhere and he went straight down into that toilet hole with all its feces and urine covering the dog. He went down on the ladder and got the dog covered with feces but he didn’t care and he carried it on his shoulders on top and went to his house.
He left the dog at the house and boiled hot water in a pot and got soap ready to wash it good and cleanse him and then the two of them lived happily.
Teaching:
You and I are covered with feces and urine and we are marked with this to die. However, the heart of Jesus Christ, son of God, was broken for us and he cried out for us and he came down the ladder from heaven to take us back. He washed us in water that was very costly. It is the blood of Jesus.
The Main Talk:
The son of God came to find and retrieve us. The talk that strengthens this is John 3:17: (“God did not send his son to come and go around dividing us here on earth like a judge. No, He was sent to take us back [to God].”)
Also in 1 Timothy 1:15: (“Jesus Christ came to the earth to retrieve we who are sinners. This talk is completely true and is sufficient for everyone who hears it and believes it. I am sorry but I have been a great sinner and I am like the number one person who has sinned.”)
Last Talk:
Thank you for hearing of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. The mercy of God and the peace of the Holy Spirit can be with you and make all of you live in true peace.
We continued to correspond about the plans for the dedication. Wopa had visited multiple villages and people to tell them of the forthcoming dedication and on January 28, 2004 he reported:
First I want to say good day to you in the name of Jesus Christ. God has given me the date when you will come back again and it has come in that letter. Alright, I didn’t say anything but God is bringing the two of you to PNG and people will be happy. When we want to do that work and work to help people they will say thank you in Jesus name.
I have been traveling around to both the East Kewa and West Kewa places. Because some 50 to 60 thousand people speak the language, I have been telling people in the villages and markets and churches and in all sorts of places about the date for God’s good book of West Kewa. I left my wife and children and for two or three days I have traveled. One day I stayed along the road and it was ten o’clock in the evening before I came to another place. However, as I went around telling about the Kewa New Testament God looked after my children and my wife.
The people said they would build a shelter house and get everything ready and that Kira will help with this work. There will be two days for all the people who come to the dedication to eat and one for them to sleep. Another Kewa boy with the name Usu Raluaeme [whom we knew at the Aiyura National High School] sends his greetings to you. He said that he would see you at the dedication.
The family of Yandowai [our nearest neighbor in Usa] and the wife of Kirapeasi send their greetings.
I told you this before but I’ll say it again: we need red paint and yellow paint to put on our faces for the dancing at the dedication. I will need money for the talk on radio Southern Highlands but I told God and he will help. The West Kewa people have set August 21 as the final day of the dedication. What do you think about that? If you are happy about it, you can tell Kirk. When I went around to make people aware they were all happy to hear me.
I think the dedication will be great. May God give you his peace and look after you.
To Andy Grosh (March 3, 2004)
Wopa also contacted the SIL Regional Director, Andy Grosh, to let him know how the plans for the dedication were going:
Regarding awareness for the West Kewa New Testament I am still travelling around in the West Kewa and East Kewa areas. Radio Southern Highlands has helped me with the awareness and starting on 14 February, they will have awareness of the dedication time. They charge K5-00 for one minute and I talked for 20 minutes and the awareness will go on for 6 months. The radio would also like to show us the office of the South West Region of Mendi. What do you think of that? I read from one copy of the West Kewa NT on the radio in the tokples and they were very happy to hear it and want to buy it. Karl should bring three tape recorders so I can record on them.
On the 12th of August the Catholic Church is holding their 50th year anniversary and the priest will come to Mendi and then to the dedication.
Chapter Seven
The Dedication and YWAM Courses
Wopa continued to organize affairs for the NT dedication, sending us a detailed outline of the impending program by fax. He knew we could only be there for a day, so each hour (and minute) was accounted for. Joice and I summarized the dedication with this letter to our supporters:
Almost 31 years ago the W. Kewa people received the New Testament for the first time in their own language. Since then the language and culture have changed to some degree and the NT has gone out of print. In 2001 a W. Kewa pastor asked us to help revise the NT, necessitating our return yearly from 2002-2004.
The culmination of this process was the dedication of the NT, attended by over 2000 people. Several of our family and friends attended as well. Kirk and his youngest son Samuel (15), Mike and Karol and their baby [Kirsten and Evan stayed at Ukarumpa with friends], Pat Brian, who typed the first edition of the NT, two SIL directors, an MAF pilot who grew up in the Kewa area, Rose Poto, E. Kewa employee at SIL’s primary school, an administrator from the national Bible Association (BTA) and two pilots.
Wopa & Karl “Unchain” the NTs |
First we visitors were given leis before we walked a flower-strewn path with officials from denominations that were anxious for Scriptures and had pledged to work together for the dedication. Groups of singers sang to us along the walk to a covered platform on the soccer field. Wopa Eka, who organized the NT revision, was also in charge of the dedication. He had the privilege of reading from the NT, a passage from John’s Gospel. In addition to the 12 official speakers (including Kirk and Karol in pidgin English, and Karl in Kewa), there were songs and drama. One drama showed men performing satanic rituals before Christianity came. Then the first Lutheran missionary preached the Gospel, urging them to give up their spirit worship, and “Karl” came seeking to translate the language into the Bible.
In another moving drama, several NTs were wrapped and chained to a branch of a “tree”, depicting how Satan had kept the Word from the people, but now it was being freed—at this stage Karl unlocked the chains. Wopa had climbed the “tree” and challenged the leaders of each village, asking them if they were going to read and study the Word. As each responded enthusiastically, “Yes, we will,” they were given one or more copies of the NT. It was indeed a challenging and moving ceremony…
Wopa Organizes a Teaching Session with WYAM
Following the dedication, on September 2, 2004 Wopa reported that YWAM (Youth With A Mission) were scheduled to hold a course in Usa:
Wopa |
Hello and good day from Jesus. It is a great time to help the church and they and I are sending the face and mouth of the West Kewa people to thank you. There are 48 cartons of NTs yet but pray that I can finish selling them and the money from them I will send with YWAM. For three weeks the YWAM group has been holding good studies for the pastors and evangelists and leaders. When we do outreach many people are listening and in agreement and may say that the talk from God is clear when they hear it. Many pastors are saying that we must change according to God’s talk and become new and lose the way of our old insides.
Mark Evans brought K1,400 and we used the money to go from Hagen to Mendi—K650, Mendi to Usa—three times on a little Land cruiser and it was K250 each time. So we scaled out the money like that and now it is all gone.
I forgot to mention the use of the radio channel belonging to the Imu Nazarene church. They are in our area and we can talk on their radio. The channel numbers for 8:30 in the morning and 8:45 at night are: Channel 1 at 3196 and Channel 6 at 7915.
A prayer point: Pray that all the people can read the WKNT well. They can read but they don’t read quickly so the prayer is that God will help them.
Wopa Reports on the YWAM (BELT) Course
The YWAM course was held from August 16-September 2, 2004 but first Wopa wrote about a gift he was sending me:
Father Karl we are sending you a little present. Long ago our ancestors and fathers took this pig tusk and went to the Rimbu house, to Kelekai, Rombake, and Opayo and killed pigs at those spirit houses, decorated the spirit stones with blood and sacrificed to those spirits. However, Jesus came for us and died on the cross for all of our bad ways. Jesus died and got up out of the grave and talked to us in our good language and we are thankful.
Regarding all of that, we want to have the Old Testament in our language and think well about it but now the two of you are old people, so we pray for you.
Take the present and hang it up in your house [it is hanging in my study]. It is like looking at the WK people when you see it. Those of us who have written this are Wopa, Simon, Stephen, Exsodas and Kira.
Regarding the BELT [Bible Education and Leadership Training] course the story is that Tim and Nellianne both did it and all of us were happy about it. Thank you for having the BELT course sent here. We are holding K180 towards the next BELT course.
Wopa to Karol, Mike and Us (October 20, 2004)
Looking at the time of the dedication we see that the two of you and your family came straight to your own village and then go back. When you go back as well we will pray that God will look after you along the road.
Please, I would like one video cassette of the Bible dedication from Mike. There are still 48 cartons of the West Kewa new Testament with me. Later I will go and sell them in Ialibu, Mendi, Poroma and Erave, but I don’t have the money to do that yet. How I will do that is not clear.
We are not finished praising God that his talk has come in the language of our people. Thank you for coming to witness that. There is nothing that we can give you as a present but we want to send God’s talk like a present—John 14:6 (“Jesus told him: I am the road to come on and the basis for true talk and I am also the basis for living always in a new way.”)
Now those of us on the translation committee are thinking like this: Can we stand up a translation office? When we sit down in our little house everything is crowded so we are just asking about this. During November, December and then January and February 2005, I am thinking of teaching people how to read and write. God has given me these thoughts. So I am asking all the people if they want to say yes to me to teach them to read the WKNT in the language.
Last year I took time to go around and do the work of preparing for the dedication and my family was hungry so now I am doing garden work and when that is done I will teach them reading and writing. Now what do you think about us going on with the work of getting the Old Testament translation done?
I have some youth that are going around to churches and doing drama and outreach. We have some drums and tambourines and guitars and we are looking for a keyboard as well. If we had that keyboard we could begin now.
The YWAM course has really helped us. Thanks to God for getting a course like this ready for West Kewa. There is something like a miracle that has happened and many people have repented. But we need more yet because our happy belief is that we are not finished yet.
Another Word of Thanks (November, 2004)
A big thank you to father and mother, the two of you for wasting a lot of money so that all of the family could come to witness the Bible dedication.
Thank you from the West Kewa people for all your support and bringing the reading glasses. The people who got them bless you and God will also bless you more later. Thank you to papa and mama, the two of you, for wasting money so that all of your family could come and witness the Bible dedication as well.
If you see that I have done any wrong please forgive the sin I have done and may God give you peace as we work together. I got your letter at a time that I was ashamed and it is not finished yet because I have not answered all of your questions.
The YWAM group will come back in July [next year], however we lay pastors in West Kewa have a big course that will run 6 weeks. The cost of the six weeks fee is more than K950 per person so we are worried about this and having the YWAM course as well. The [other] course will be held in Mendi and it will start on the 1st of March in 2005.
Now Yandawai, Yomo, Paisalo, Kenoa and others in West Kewa, as well as children, greet the two of you, papa and mama and Kirik and the family of Karol. My little son Kandipia also sends his greetings to the two of you and is happy about it.
To Mike and Karol (December, 2004)
Hello and a happy and merry Christmas day to your family. In August 13th, 2003 you had a good trip to the West Kewa to witness the Bible dedication. It was very nice to see you and your husband Mike but I was very busy and I didn’t talk and smile at you and your husband. I know that God is guiding your children in every way. May God’s shining face shine upon your family and guide and protect and bless you. Sometimes we pray for you and your family and also for Kirk too.
Please Karl when you go and visit I want you to deliver this note for Karol and her family. I wish you and your family a good Christmas day.
Wopa Reports on Finances (February 7 and June 7 2005)
Wopa at NTC Graduation |
Johanna Fenton, who had been an advisor and consultant to Wopa at a Translator’s Course held at Ukarumpa, received a letter from Wopa that had apparently been written sometime earlier. He reported on the money he had received from her (and others) during 2003 and reconciled how it had been spent (mainly for events leading up to and at the dedication). Apparently there had been false accusations about the use of funds.
Yes father Karl and mother Joice. May God watch over you and give you his strength. You have given us K2,100 and we have collected K600 so the total is K2,700. We have used this money as follows:
Payment for hauling the books from Hagen to Mendi K700
Payment for hauling the books from Mendi to Usa K500
Payment for four cartons of books (K35-40 X 4: K144.60
Payment for killing pigs K600
Payment for building the grandstand K100
Payment for some of the small foods K200
Payment for the organization committee (5xK30) K150
Payment for the YWAM teachers’ food K100
Payment for food eaten at the meeting K70
Payment for the loud speaker K110
Some of the little money left over I ate [used]. I am sorry about not giving you an account of the money I threw away on these things. I fear God because he has taken away my sins. Regarding the money for reading glasses, Kenet got all of that.
Our prayer here in the West Kewa concerning the time of the dedication is that lots of people think like this: Many white men have come and given you the WKNT and they have also brought with them a lot of money. And they think that Wopa has fouled all the money so we shouldn’t help them with any money for the work, that is the talk they give. However, we have clarified this for them and they understand and are ashamed now so all of the church leaders are agreed and like to support well the translation project. I think too that a translation awareness workshop in Usa with BTA would help and I will talk about it with Rambai Kerowa.
The clans in West Kewa have chosen some men to be on the translation committee and their names are: Simon Yano, Kira Yapua, John Akepa, Josep Pamba, Pollin Kira, Kenet Wama, Eksodast T and Wopa Eka. These people are from individual churches. They have strong feelings about doing the work of translation but we do not have materials. But now I am going to an evangelism course for 6 months and that disturbs our plans to start this work.
The East Kewa Dedication and YWAM
Greetings to all of you who have come to witness the East Kewa dedication. We are happy and our faith is strong with you. But I am sorry that I cannot witness the Bible dedication. I got sick
East Kewa NT Dedication |
and this sick has been with we for two weeks and it has been hard for me to get about and I can’t come. My family sends greetings with me to you all. We pray like this: Look after Karl and Joice well and give them strength so that they can live well. And then God will give you his work to do well. Our prayers are like that but it is up to God who has made us to live in a new way. My son Kandipia will take this letter to you.
He followed up with a further explanation on July 5, 2005:
I have been sick for two weeks so I could not go and witness the Bible dedication in East Kewa. I had the desire but when I got up to try and walk there [15 miles]. I did not have the strength, so the sick won and I stayed at home.
I was sick and still am but my strength, desire, happiness, belief and my body are with you at the dedication. I gave the book of Proverbs to Kira to take to the dedication and to have a village check.
Many elementary schools in East and West Kewa have been asking me about materials but I have to be sorry that I do not have any materials.
One of the WK translation committee members, a pastor with the Sevende [Seventh Day Adventists] said that we had a lot of work to do in praying and that if we prayed we would get the materials that we needed. Lots of WKNT are in many villages but they have not bought them yet so I am waiting. Kira and some of us think that a dedication in Wabi or in that area would be good but I got sick so we have postponed it until around November.
Now that the two of you are in America in your house, we are also with you so you don’t need to think that you are alone. Not at all. We are all with you.
Darrell Hays, then the Southwest Regional Area Director, reminded Wopa about the need for back translations. Wopa replied that Malachi and Proverbs would be their goals.
Report on the second YWAM course (August 1 2005)
There are not a lot of people at the BELT course. There are 21. There was a fight at Pawayamu so there is heaviness there and they didn’t come. In Usa two men have died and there is grief about that too. In the course we are opening up the Kewa Bible alone and talking about it well. The West Kewa teachers in the elementary schools want you to teach them and help them and so I am telling you this. Many of the people are coming to church and I am happy about them getting God’s talk. At night too we talk about it. I think that we should have a little dedication of the WKNT at Wabi and if God says to do it then I will. I now give my heart and stomach to my mother and father as I say goodbye.
Now we are thinking that the OT will come to our language but the two of you are old now but we are praying for you.
All of those taking BELT course two in Usa are happy about it. There are people from Pawayamo, Apopa, Puti, Ipia, and Kandopa taking part. All of the West Kewa people will be excited and happy because of it.
Is Joice the old woman OK? I want to greet Kero [Karol] so send me her address.
I wanted to go to that East Kewa time when they got their books [the dedication] but I was really sick so I am very sorry about that.
Chapter Eight
Training Courses and a Bible Conference
Wopa and Max Yapua had attended the Translator’s Translation Course Number 1 but It turned out they were not able to go to TTC2. Andy Grosh wrote:
I feel like the real reason behind not having them come to TTC2 at this time is due to SIL’s lack of ability to support them in their work. I could find the money for the course… but I haven’t been successful in supplying any hands-on assistance between courses, and I don’t feel good about trying to teach more if we haven’t done our job to help cement the original learning by practice.
We Visit Ecuador
Snow-capped Andes |
I wrote to Wopa in early October telling him that Joice and I were going to Ecuador to see our family and that we would be gone one month. I also told him that I would be starting to teach a course on Bible storytelling when we returned. On October 8, 2005 Wopa replied:
My mother and father, I am sending this letter to the two of you with praise from my children and family. So I am saying good day to the two of you. I am praying that God will give you strength.
Next year my eldest daughter Epelin (Evelyn) will be in grade 7 and then the school fees will be K300. The second, a boy Malakai will be in grade 4 and in 2006 our third Kandipia will be in elementary prep school. Our daughter Epe Nogo is 4 years old and she will just be with us. God looks well after all of us so we give thanks to him. But Kandipia has been a bit sick. His back has pained and it is still there.
We started with a good BELT course [the first one] and I have written to Tim Bergmen but he has not sent any word back so I don’t know what is happening. I want to go to TTC2 but I don’t know if Kenet will go as well, so father Karl I am asking you [for help to get them there].
I am working well with the people and preaching at church in Usa but God will repay me. The people don’t give me any payment for this but God will repay me later.
Next year in 2006 the West Kewa people have told me to go to Europe [to represent the local Lutheran parish] but they have not given me a date. I have to get my passport myself and look for clothing, shoes, baggage and many other things. I am praying to God so it is up to him. They tell me to go to that place to do church work but they will have to help me find a way I think.
Yomo Robert’s father had a stroke and is at home so could you please look for some stroke medicine and put it in an envelope and send it.
Here in West Kewa at Mendi there has been a lot rain, beginning in July and lasting until October.
Here is a story about our translation work to look at: We are correcting Proverbs and at the same time we try to do the back translation. I thought that Kira would do all of the Old Testament work again. Why? We will all look at the translation after the village check and do the back translation or we can do a word by word translation and also make corrections.
We have gotten everything ready for work. There are like four of us on the committee and I am the fifth, Kira the sixth, but he is on the council and is working on the campaign.
You tell me clearly what work we should do. If there are OT books we should do then you say so and we will do that work.
We are looking for ways to help our translation work with a desk inside a house, a chair or a good house. We have done some work at the school house but there hasn’t been any other place. Regarding having a house [office], I alone have got the grass for it but I don’t think there are other things. Those doing the work are Simon, Stephen, Radala and Vinsent. Those are the 5 or 6 that are doing it.
We have some assignments before we go back to SIL and I have the work of putting it on the computer so they can consult and examine them. What do you think? Father, there are OT books in your computer that we have not village checked and others that we have not read so we have not corrected them. We need to do the back translations for Malachi and Proverbs. It is really good for us to do them by writing on paper but it is underneath [inferior to] the computer.
We want to do the West Kewa translation as a committee but we don’t have the things to do it with so we continue to pray about that to God.
Now I had better go to sleep because tomorrow at 5:30 I will get up and take this letter to the post office but it will be noon before I get there. I pray that God will watch over you and give you strength
Wopa Organizes a Bible Conference
The next time I heard from Wopa was in early November 2005:
From July 19 to the 25th there was a Kagua-Erave conference and at that gathering about 600 people came with their drums. Men and young people came and beat their drums, sang songs, listened to God’s talk, had Bible studies and with their worship really lifted up the name of God. At that time they asked me to do the music and songs. At that gathering many people turned their stomachs to God. At the conference there was a drama of Luke 19:29-37 [the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem]. As Jesus was going into Jerusalem as king two men were like donkeys and they carried the Old Testament books on their backs and because many people gathered at Usa they said Jesus is coming and they waved palm branches and leaves from trees and sang as they lifted up the name of Jesus. There were two boxes of West Kewa Old Testament books that they brought on their backs and they then told all the people to come and get them. When they got them the people and the youth were extremely happy and took them home. In this way they turned their stomachs to God and believed on him. They gave up fighting, doing bad things and said they would follow God.
On September 12th we had a church service outside in Usa and prayed that the people of PNG would repent and had this day for all the people to repent.
Joice Breaks Knee in Ecuador
Wopa at Course |
On December 4, 2005 I wrote Wopa asking if they intended to attend the NTC course. Darrell Hays, then the Regional Director, had told me about the course and that Wopa had sent K250 for fees. By October, 2006 both Wopa and Kenet were at SIL. Wopa heard about Joice’s fall where she broke her kneecap and he wrote:
Wopa at NTC |
Mother Joice has a bad knee and I am very sorry about it. We are praying a lot for her. I bring praise from both the WK and EK people. Here at SIL the people understand and they will send your letter to me. God will look after you and he will pay you back. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (“So, my good brothers and sisters, Stand up really well and don’t be afraid. Do the Lord’s work very well. If you go on doing the Lord’s work, that work will not be lost.”) May God watch over you and give you strength.
In his evangelistic mode Wopa proclaimed:
60,000 of the West Kewa people are thinking of Joice and you and that I and others are extremely happy to be working together on the translation work.
We told Thomas Weber of SIL that he must tell you two that we have not quit thinking about mama Joice and papa Karl. You both are in our thoughts and we are always praying for the two of you. In August or September sometime I will go again to TTC2 and have an assessment consultation check at SIL but I haven’t gotten a date yet to go there.
Wopa closed, as he often did, by greeting Kero (Karol), Maik (Mike) and their family, reminding us that God would look after all of us.
More Village Checking (2006)
Thomas Weber, again the Regional Area Director, sent an email informing me that Erastus (of BTA) had just finished checking 10 chapters of Proverbs with Wopa and Kenet. Kenet was trying to fax his brother (Warea Orapa) in Fiji who said he would support the team with money to buy solar panels. Wopa had written to Thomas saying that they had done the village check and were sending materials for me to check.
On July 19, 2006 I wrote to Wopa to ask about some of the translation work that Thomas Weber had sent. In some instances they had changed things back to the way they had been before the more recent changes! They had also introduced commas throughout some books and had not corrected a number of spelling errors. However, there had not been any consultant help from BTA or SIL, so they were leaving a number of things up to me!
There was another time of hunger from March until October 2006:
We look for wild food from the bushes. At this time the rain and the hunger are killing us so pray for us. Go to your church and pray strongly. Without food from their gardens some of the people have died.
Because there is a great hunger here there we asked for help over the radio but there has not been any money sent.
In regards to the translation work, three men from Ipia have come and those men are working on the book of Ruth and Proverbs and we want to see what kind of work they are doing.
Distributing WKNTs (2006)
A Kewa |
We haven’t received any money from New Testaments but people are reading them and saying to send them. What I have sent, you look at and see if it is good or not. Right now there is no one to check the OT back translation or consult with the work. Alright, our thoughts that if we have a computer and printer then we could do it better. What can we do to get one sent? We don’t have money from coffee but what I do have we could send to you. We are thinking like that. We are
A Kewa |
sorry about that. And then both SIL and BTA say that we must have back translations first of all for Ruth and Ecclesiastes. We have told BTA that we have both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes done. We want to plan together with SIL.
YWAM have not come to run the third BELT course. Why is that? It has been a time of hunger and we think it would be better for them to come in 2007. In 2007 there is a TTC2 course and we will need money for that. But there are three different men who did the TTC1 course.
I have gone around distributing the WKNT but the people have not yet paid me. They are really happy to get the books but we haven’t been paid. And we see that the EKNT are still being held at Kagua.
Regarding people buying the WKNT they hear about it when we say it on the radio and they are very happy to hear about it. Another thing is that on the 13th of November SIL has sent word that the TTC1 assignment on consulting should come to them.
We have not yet put our back translation inside. We are using the computer for printing [out pages] and down below [the words] we can write in [corrections] with a biro [pen].
A report from Wopa on the WKNT Bible books:
1 carton with Kenet at the Sumi Catholic Church
1 carton at the Mt Hagen settlement area
8 cartons at the Mendi Catholic Church area for sale
1 carton at the Mendi bookshop
1 carton at the Wabi Lutheran church centre
1 carton at Kandopa village
1 carton at Uma village
1 carton at Kira village
1 carton at Yanguri village
1 and one half carton at Kagua station
For seventeen cartons I haven’t received money yet. Two cartons I gave out to all the elementary and primary schools in the Kagua area. There are still 30 cartons left with me in Usa. That’s all and if God gives me another good time we will try our best to sell it out and finish it off.
Thank you for the cheque to support translation work in West Kewa dialect:
West Kewa to Mendi, PMV and to cash
the cheque and lunch K32.00
Five days for lunch K41.00
Kerosen K13.00
Envelop K1.00
Stamp K3.75
6 kilo meteric biro and 2 writing page K19.45
K35 to each four persons (Vensent Koyo,
Stephen Pamual Wopa Eka, Ken Rakuna) K140.00
More About YWAM (2006)
Wopa continued to be worried that YWAM would not be holding another course and related this to us on January 14, 2006:
From the year 2005 to now I have written to YWAM, but I don’t know if you got that. We told Tim Barmen’s [Bergman’s] group that they should come. Now in the year they said I should go to Germany but if they have money to buy the passport then I will be able to go. If there isn’t any money, I don’t know what will happen.
Regarding the back translation, first of all we think that I should put it on the computer. Then below the [printing] we can put both the English and Pidgin. That is what we think. We haven’t done any work on the back translation but we are looking at the talk that you sent to us.
On the 14th of September 2005 heavy rain came and for three and four months the rivers flooded and people’s gardens where overcome and we just had a little to eat. Pray about that.
You haven’t sent a letter for some time. Why is that? Letters I wrote and other tables were sent so if you have not seen them I am very sorry.
More about TTC2 and Finances (2006)
I wrote to Wopa on February 11, 2006 discussing the distribution of NTs and asking again about attending NTC2. He replied on April 3, 2006:
Wopa Attending a Workshop |
Father Karl, I am looking for a way to go to TTC2 but BTA and SIL say no and I am very sorry about that. At the SIL meeting they said that new people working [on translation] should come to TTC1 in 2007. They said that we the WK people should find an advocate for 2007. They also said that we should get a radio but we would have to look for money for that. However, God alone, he will do it.
We think that we in Usa can do the translation work but the SIL people wrote that talk and we are listening to it. We don’t know what you think father Karl, but the SIL people told us that.
Subject: Three hundred kina check report:
to Rex Rete K62.50
to myself Wopa E. K62.50
to Vincent Koyo K62.50
to Stephen P. K62.50
PMV from Usa to Mendi for cashing K40.00
lunch K5.00
Stamp and envelops K5.00
Cash total K300.00
In the West Kewa area there are 7 community schools and there many Sunday schools for the 60,000 people and there are liturgies and prayer groups and there are many called in this area to share in this work.
Problems for the Kewa OT Team (June 2006)
There has not been any advisor for the West Kewa back translation of the OT or consultant and they say none are coming now. Now both SIL and BTA say that they have the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes for printing. YWAM has not come to give their third BELT course. Why? Because there has been a shortage of food so we told them to come in 2007. We want to go to the TTC2 in 2007 and we want to thank you for the money that would be there for it. We think that three men could go. …I saw that the East Kewa books are all being held at the Kagua place. The people and children hear the talk of the WKNT that we bought for the radio and were very happy about it. On the 12th of November I want to go to SIL and see a consultant about the assignment for TTC2.
He followed with an additional note on June 27, 2006:
Hello and good day to the two of you, father and mother. Jesus is a good guardian of his sheep and he will watch over the two of you and give you two strength for the work you two do while you two are on the earth—John 10:11 (“Because I am someone who looks after my sheep well I am willing to die for them.”) We are really happy and agree about the translation work and are anxious to get on with the work.
We told Thomas [Weber] that we have not forgotten mother Joice or you Karl. The two of you are in our thoughts and prayers. Now Jesus can be with you and look after the two of you and be the friend of the two of you all of the time.
In August or September sometime I will go again to the TTC2 Assignment Consultant to check in at SIL but I haven’t got a date yet to go there. But I want you to know father and mother that you are really ours and like our own clan and family and we will not forget the two of you and the family of Mike and Karol.
SIL Consultant’s Suggestions (2006)
The Southwest RAD, Thomas Weber, wrote me a lengthy email on June 19, 2006. He had consulted with an SIL translation consultant and they had suggestions on how groups like the Kewa could get some translation experience. He suggested that a key term (e.g. righteousness) be exegeted and the various NT components of meaning studied. The verses in the NT with the particular word could be compared in several different vernacular versions (back translations) and then discussed as to why a particular term was used. The consultants outlined an elaborate process of examining vernacular back translations and their variations, contacting translators to see why a particular term was used, and making sure all the components of meaning had been examined. A consultant would then examine the study and share it with a trainee, and so on. The process would obviously require supervision and consultation, both of which had not been available for the WK translators.
TTC2 (October 2006)
I am now at SIL sending this letter. Kenet has also come with me. I am very sorry to hear about the bad knee of mother Joice. On account of that I will tell both the people in West and East Kewa to pray for her. There is now a time of hunger in the West Kewa so we have not completed the West Kewa translation plan. The WK and EK people praise you for your help. God will repay you for your help. He will not forget about the work on this ground. No, God will repay—1 Corinthians 15:58. (“So, my good brothers and sisters, Stand up really well and don’t be afraid. Do the Lord’s work very well. If you go on doing the Lord’s work, that work will not be lost.”)
Because there is a great hunger here there we asked for help over the radio but there has not been any money sent.
Chapter Nine
The Kewa Old Testament Project
nIn February, 2007 Wopa wrote saying that Kenet had taken the radio to his village and they were trying to get it back to Usa. Aaron Willems helped them retrieve it later.
Three WK men took the TTC1 course in April-May of 2007 and Johanna Fenton taught the Study Skills part of the course. The men asked Johanna to consider serving as their mentor and she and her husband helped in that capacity for some time. She wrote that Gil Muñoz was interested in helping. Johanna also explored the possibility of the West Kewa project coming under LCORE (an acronym for Language Collaboration Opportunities Resource Encouragement—the old ‘Technical Studies’), but this never took place.
On another front, the PNG Consultants of SIL had discussed the checking process for the WK OT and agreed that I could do back translations and George MacDonald, an International Translation Consultant in Dallas, could do the checking. We checked Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Ruth and sent them back to Wopa and his team. Later we checked Psalms as well but this has not yet been published.
It was also at this time that the West Kewa men met with BTA and asked for application forms to join BTA. Both Wopa and Max followed up and were granted membership status.
Wopa Reports (November 10 2007)
May our Lord Jesus Christ give you strength and watch over you. Your letter of September 22 came but I had thoughts for my father and mother and had to look after them.
Now in this year 2007 I have given people in the Kagua Erave work to do. I have not done any translation work but now in November we are doing the Proverbs back translation. Because of that pray that God will give strength and understanding.
Kirapeasi, Pasalo, Roasu and Kenoa asked that we could have a meeting together and said this: We want to work on the Old Testament in the year 2008. Another part of the talk was that Dr Karl and Joice would help us with the translation office. There would be two rooms, and a conference room and a black board and table and chair. They said to ask you about that. Please don’t be angry about that because we are asking it gently. It could be a small house like the one Karl and Joice had to do their work in. We are saying that, like the guest house that Imbrock had [Rev. Norm Imbrock, the Lutheran missionary in Wabi], this could be a holiday place for Karl and Kirk and their families to come to.
I have not gone to Germany yet because my visa has not come. I think that in June of 2008 I will go. They say that from the Kagua Erave Lutheran area that four people will go.
On July 12, 2007 my wife had a boy and I said his name is Surubape. The eldest is Evelyn and she is in grad 9 at the Kagua High School and will be in grade 10 in 2008. Our second, a boy is in grade 5 in Usa and the third Kadipia is in grade one. God can help all of them get thoughts from school [education] because my strength is not enough.
The Sunday School really like the Evangel Cube. We play the keyboard and guitar at the church.
When you send another letter send the address of Kirk and Mick [Mike] and Karol so that I can write to them.
Gil Muñoz wanted to come to the West Kewa area but Kenet lied to him and told him that there was fighting here. There is no fighting now in Usa. All of the people around here say that I should go to America and see Karl and Joice. Well, I am not strong enough but I will wait and see.
We all say goodbye to you now and ask God to bless you. Romans 14:8 (“So when we die we will also think on the Lord. Since this is so, if we stay alive, or if we die we will be with the Lord”); Ephesians 3:16 (“I pray like this: that he will give you his good thoughts and cause the Holy Spirit to be in your stomachs and give you real strength.”); 2Thessalonians 2:17 (“On account of this may he cause strength to be in your stomachs. Then you will go on doing good work and you will tell out the talk in a good manner to help others.”)
Workshop Report (2007)
At a Workshop |
Wopa continued to involve others. In April-May, 2007, Kenet Wama, Wilson Yawa and Luke Luta took the TTC1 course. (Wopa assisted.) Wilson, whom I did not know, was upset that I had made comments and corrections of their translation work and did not like a “waitskin” (expatriate white man) doing so. Later he dropped out of the project. The main criticism was that their dialect was different than that of Wopa and that their corrections should stand. However, there are minor dialect variations throughout the Kewa area and in Sumi, where some of the men lived, certain words and suffixes are different—but in a regular manner—from those in Usa. Dialect differences, although minor, continue to be a problem for Kewa speakers. I had studied the dialects of Kewa and was well aware of the differences, but the revision team had to make choices that were sometimes not universally accepted. As Johanna explained in a long email sent on November 7, 2007:
They aren’t sure how to handle the translation when it comes to dialectal differences. Wopa speaks one dialect; Wilson and Kenneth speak another. Wopa speaks the dialect that is used in the NT translation. So they are wondering, should they try to translate according to the dialect in the NT translation? Also Wilson is concerned about how he can be of help to the translation if he can’t translate in his dialect. He says it will be too hard for them to concentrate on using words that are from a different dialect.
Johanna and Gil helped the men at the course, but the team struggled throughout the training. so they spent time helping the team get ready for future consultant checks. At a meeting on June 8th they outlined a number of steps to help prepare the team for further checks. They wrote to me for advice and approval of their plans. Unfortunately, for many reasons, the full plan never worked out.
Wopa was often caught in a difficult spot: trying to negotiate between the dialects and maintaining the interest and respect of the men when their particular choices were not followed. Each village and clan is convinced that their pronunciation or words are the best so it is difficult to have a translation that satisfies most of the Kewa people. This has turned out to be a problem in East Kewa as well, but it is not unlike English, where British and American speakers often use different Bible translations.
Village News Including NT Sales (December 8, 2008)
We are working on the good news in the name of Jesus Christ. We say thanks or the letter you sent. Because you two have been strengthened really with his happiness, you assist us and we the WK people give thanks to God and are really happy. All the time you two and your friends make the WK translation work strong and because of this and your prayers we say thanks. Because of what you do and your help with the work, we pray that your payment will be given to you by God.
My daughter is in Kagua High School but she helps us with the translation work. Her name is Evelyn. What work God will give her we do not know. She may always help with this translation work I believe. Again in 2009 she wants to go to school in Hagen or in Ialibu.
Kirapeasi is the Council leader in Usa so he is not helping with the translation work.
The Usa to Mendi road is now good–from the beginning of July to now in November. In the WK area there has been a time of great hunger. The people go into the forest to dig for wild tapioca roots. We eat this bush food and are thankful to God. But we are not taking it easy. We all want to get on with the Old Testament work and our thoughts are excited about it. I am happy in my body that we are going on with the work and we want to do it as God gives us understanding.
We are also thankful for Gil and Aaron. They both came to Usa. Both of them have taught us about the translation work and have done it well. The work on Psalms that we did the people now have and are reading it. While at Ukarumpa we have been staying well.
You two old people, although you have left us, our thoughts are with you. Without your strength, happiness and gladness, all these WK people would not be united. We have your pictures and that is good. May God look after you two well and help you and with this talk we bring happiness and joy.
In regards to the translation work, three men from Ipia have come and those men are working on the book of Ruth and Proverbs and we want to see what kind of work they are doing.
Max Yapua Writes (November 19, 2008)
For seven years I have been a pastor in the Hagen District. Because I have been doing this I have not done any of the West Kewa translation work. Since November 2006 I have been in the Wabi circuit. I have been there in 2007-2008. I have a little house at Yakipu-pita in Usa. They have given me the work of youth pastor in the Wabi circuit. I am really happy to have the work with boys and girls. I have two prayers. I think I can do the translation work with Wopa and Kenet. We also work with a school boy in Usa named Obet Kuma who says he will be going back to school in 2009. I also want to do translation work in 2009. Both Wopa and Kenet have done TTC1 and we should all do TTC2.
Father Karl, my other story is that my wife Anny and my son Franky have both died. That was great sadness. Now Father Yapua has also died and mother Lumi is dead. Those are my stories. My two boys are Nathan who is 14 and in grade 6 and Ameyaki who is 11 in grade 4 and our baby girl and my wife Josika. We all say goodbye to you.
Two Competent Helpers (2008 and later)
Aaron Assisting |
Gil Muñoz and Aaron Willems were two men at Ukarumpa who encouraged and supported Wopa and the WK translation work. They intended to visit him in his village, but Gil wrote on November 2nd, 2008 that the bridges were out between Usa and Mendi and that it was impossible to make the trip. However, Gil talked to Wopa, who said he would pick up the edited copies of Proverbs when he came in in a week or so.
Aaron and Gil sent copies of Ecclesiastes and Ruth, which had been revised when the Kewa men visited Ukarumpa. They wanted to know what kind of check that I made: was it simply spelling and grammar or did it include checking the content? The problem at that point (and later) was to have an accurate back-translation. Putting it into an acceptable form of English was difficult for the Kewa translators, just as putting English into an acceptable form of Kewa has often been for me. I had assumed that Max or Kenet could do a good back translation but generally their work in English was difficult for me to follow.
On January 12, 2009 Gil Muñoz wrote saying that the consultants wanted a written back translation ahead of time so they could prepare questions to test their list of potential problems but that the back translation did not need to include a gloss. George MacDonald was approved as a consultant and I was permitted to do the back translations. In addition, for a trial publication (up to 50 copies) they would only need the advisor and village check. He further suggested “giving the guys a small commission from the sale of each book…. It’s a lot of work to go around selling books and I would be OK with making sure these guys got something back for all the effort they put into this.”
Max Yapua Writes Again (February 27, 2009)
I say good day to you now. God will give us another year, another month, another week and then we receive his mercy and happiness as well.
I am really happy with father God. He has looked after us in the West Kewa and really helped our people.
I pray hard and ask about who will take the place of you two. Now father Karl give me some of your thoughts. I really want to do the West Kewa translation work but for me to come to the TTC course I had to search for pay for the road. Later I thought that my wife Josika and our daughter and little baby could come as well. What do you think about that?
For one year in West Kewa we have just been having overcast drizzle going on and our gardens are in the water and the food is rotting and we are hungry and in the midst of a famine. We pray for the sun [to shine].
Another story—it is difficult about money. Our country is really bad, I think. The cost of food is high and when people pay the school fees they are poor. We people are really poor and the people sit outside in the clear [without anything].
Ado Kaure from Simu and Rumala on the council are in the middle of a fight. The house was burned and Kenet did not come to Ukarumpa. He is in the middle of a fight. Really pray for them that the fight would stop. Kirapeasi and others have been trying for two months to stop the fighting.
Now I have brought another boy from the Nazarene church and we are here. His name is Peter Kepele. His village is the Wawi clan Marepa.
Father, answer my letter and I will really read it and be happy. Send your address for letters so that I can send you a letter.
Psalm 19:9-10. (It is good that you worship the Lord because his name is honored and his ways are always right. The Lord’s talk is better than gold, its sweetness is better than honey. God’s talk is sweet, strong, and gives peace to everything.)
Father Karl, may this talk also give you sweetness, strength, and a long life and may you honor the Lord’s name with happiness and righteousness. He will guard you. Now goodbye.
Your son, Pastor Max M Yapua
Wopa Updates Us (February 27, 2009)
In Jesus Christ’s name the two of you are close to the faces of the WK people and to God. I say thank you and to the two of you I say thank you. The two of you have not left the translation work but the two of you help and I thank you. With the support that we receive it gives the WK people rejoicing and is good so I say thanks. From the WK people I take their thanks and they told me to thank you. On account of the good things since God will give you a reward for you in heaven, tell them…. Kenet has not come to Ukarumpa but Pastor Max and Peter Kepele have come so that we can get a consultant check….
In my spirit I am extremely happy about the translation work God has given me to write and send on. Regarding other work that he gives, we don’t rest but we write and keep close to the work he says for us to do. Regarding the translation work at Usa when we do good work I am really happy. The book of Proverbs and the book of Ruth, when we read them to the WK people to hear, they are very happy. In my innermost being [thoughts and stomach] I give them the feeling for you.
Goodbye now. It is I, Wopa Eka
Commitment to Translating the OT (2009)
I wrote to Max and Wopa telling them that I was glad they were now at Ukarumpa and that I was glad to help, but that we would probably never get back to their village or to PNG. I also asked them to carefully think about how they were spelling certain words, particularly distinguishing between those with /a/ that contrasted with /aa/. Wopa and Max Yapua wrote again on March 6, 2009:
May God be with you both. I thank God that he is looking after you and giving you strength. The West Kewa bring you their memories and their thanks. I thank you for your prayers. We are happy although you are in America and you help us. We haven’t sent anything to pay you.
My daughter and three boys are in school and it takes money to buy it and that is the pain and heaviness that I carry. The eldest is the daughter in grade 11 in Hagen. One boy is in Usa in grade 5 and another boy is in Usa in grade 3. Two don’t have money and are home. I thank you for the school fees that you have given to relieve the difficulty.
They say that there is fighting at Sumi but the Usa people have not fought—really they have not.
We have a telephone in Usa and we can talk to Ukarumpa so that is really good. I gave our number to Gil. It is 22763108. [I talked to Wopa once in his village.]
Tell the people who have helped with the OT work about what we are doing. Take them the appreciation of the WK people. We can’t repay them but God in heaven will repay.
We have translated and checked Proverbs, Ruth, Psalms and Joshua and we see that the Hebrew people and the WK people have things in common.
We say that when we translate the OT we want to do it well. We want to receive the training of the TTC2. We believe that the WK OT key terms workshop can be started in the 8th or 9th month. When we look inside the OT translation work we see that it is big and overflows. We will look at all those OT books, make corrections, do village checking and have an adviser and you look at it and then do corrections again, a consultant will examine it, then we will do it again. When we translate the other books [the benefit] will over flow. So in Usa we will patiently always look at it and continue examining the OT books again. We believe the computer will also look for things that you give us. We are just talking but it is because of our talk that we receive the word, so don’t be mad at us.
Is mother Joice well too? May God be with you both, guard you and look after you. Now we have written to you and with our talk we say thank you goodbye. I wrote this letter and gave it to Aaron W. who helped us and sent it.
Wopa Eka and Max Yapua
Chapter Ten
Wopa and Max Discuss OT Progress
On April 28, 2009 Wopa wrote with some concerns:
I say good day in Jesus Christ. Christ is our road. Christ is the one who is our guardian. Christ is the good light for people of the earth to go to heaven. Since I am really happy, the two of you must be really happy as well.
With our translation work we are living in the body of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that the two of you pray that we will do the translation work well. The WK people praise you and the prayers make the work go well.
I am thankful to take the news before the WK people that you are well and that even as old people you are well and helping with the work. We say thanks to God for the back translation of Proverbs and the glosses [in the back translation] you did.
What can we send to you? Since we don’t have anything, our father who is in heaven will reward you for the work and you will receive his good reward.
We pray strongly that God will watch over you and give you strength. I am telling you that the money that you help the WK translation work with is something the WK people are glad about and that is good.
We are really happy because with God’s word we can do the work and it helps us to carry our heaviness. So we say that is very good.
I came to Ukarumpa on April 24 and we have been working on Psalms 65-85.
If you have a DVD with pictures of the NT or OT, we have about 600-700 youth who will be getting together at Pawayamo. The youth conference will start on July 1. To get something like that, I don’t know, so forget it.
Johanna Fenton has gotten some people together at her house to pray for the WK people and we are really happy about that.
The translation work is not ours but God’s, and account of being close to him the WK people are very happy.
Pastor Max and I are very happy to be at the Translator’s Course number 2. You have sent us to the TTC2 course so we are thankful.
My wife’s stomach sickness is still there. I have taken her to the hospital three times and spent a lot of money but she is not better. Pray for her. Her name is Josephine.
Wopa and Max Report (May 8, 2009)
The TTC2 course we are doing is really helping both of us. The Bible background and language discovery and audio visual—all of those things we are learning and it is good. The school is really good for helping us when we translate the OT.
Mother and father, your prayers and those of Johanna and her other friends prayers do their work and on account of them I can say that we are doing well. The fruit of the prayers is that we translate the OT for the people. We translate the OT and look at the English in the NIV but there is some that we do not really understand. However, when God has taught us a great deal we do understand. Now I am sending some WK key terms for you to look at. Pastor Max and I looked well at some of the questions you sent and we are sending replies to you.
My wife is really sick but pray that God will help her.
We have been looking at Translator’s Course in Genesis 1-3 and here is how we translated some of it into WK. [I have included an English literal translation in square brackets.]
English West Kewa
darkness ribanenege [darkness direction consuming]
Spirit of God Gote-na kone popo [God’s thought breath] oneapone [this direction that (unseen) direction]
separated apupasipi [apart make two remote past]
water from water ipa nipuna ipa rumaina [water its water portioned out]
govern surubena [look after something]
evening aebo riba [afternoon night]
ground appear su opena [ground come up]
creatures etopi yaenu [all moving things]
livestock punape yaenu [all things shepherded]
let us niame [we as agents]
fruitful ini madina [seeds/flowers/nuts it carries]
according to its kind rado rado piane [different different like that]
breath of life kone popo muaa eto pisa [thought breath get and move make]
knowledge makuaeyae mua [understanding things get]
helper suitable eperupa rabameape [good manner helping]
bone of my bones go yade ninaa unimi wala warini [that being my bone with again making]
naked oyae nayamepe [something not covered over]
one flesh padane autepa [we two changed into one]
Since we have sent some of the talk that we translated in the TTC2 course, look at them. We have translated these in the course.
We pray that God will look after the two of you.
Kenet gave us the radio for Usa but he has not given us the solar panels. So he has not really repented.
Aaron’s Concerns (June 15, 2009)
I am thinking about future plans for the West Kewa, and what all I might be able to accomplish in the next few months with the guys…. We might be done with our time in PNG at the end of November.
I ran into Phil Carr in the Translation Department. He said that in 2 days or so he will be leaving for the village for a month and wanted to make sure. I knew about his stance on our request for an overseas consultant check of Proverbs (and possibly others?). He told me that you and George McDonald are old friends and that George has withdrawn from being a consultant for the PNG branch. He also said that no one in the world knows more about the West Kewa language than you do and that he would be absolutely fine if you and George would be interested in and able to arrange a consultant check for Proverbs.
Chapter Eleven
The First OT Books Are Printed
Aaron did much more than that: he arranged for the printing of a volume that included Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Ruth. He contributed financially as well and I am convinced that without his help and vision the three books would not have been published.
Aaron stated on September 1, 2009 that there needed to be a consultancy check on Genesis. He wrote of his interaction with Phil Carr about doing an oral back translation for a consultant check. The reply was:
This would require a major policy change, which neither I nor the Senior Consultants in the Translation Section would support at this stage….
We were in a bind—there was no consistent help from either SIL or BTA and my own assistance was only by email. I replied:
… policy is policy and is generally instituted either because of problems or to ward off problems, so the Kewa men will have to live with the SIL translation policy. I would imagine, however, that PNG citizens and native speakers, both of Pidgin and other languages, would look at things a little differently if they were consultants.
Wopa, Max and Their Families (September 4, 2009)
Your letter just came and I am saying good day to you and may God be with you both. Your letter came and we are happy for the two of you.
We want to thank you about the work you have done in helping the WK people. I want to thank you two for your prayers. God gives you strength and good understanding and I am thanking you that your prayers are answered
Together with pastor Max we have gone to Kagua, Wabi and Sumi to talk about translation awareness. We have also gone to the youth conference in Kagua and Erave and now we are doing Ecclesiastes for the translation advisor’s check. We are very happy about the consultant check you did for the book of Proverbs.
Max and our families are now at Ukarumpa. My wife and daughter and little son have also come. Max’s first wife died and he has brought the wife that he married later with all of us. My wife and children have not seen nor understood about Lae, Goroka and Moresby. We want to go and see Madang on the 14th of September. We will stay there two days and then go to Usa.
I don’t know if you got the letter I sent in June or not. After we have completed the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes we want to work on the book of Psalms.
We pray that God will always look after you and give you strength. I pray that God’s angel will give you strength. We pray that the WK translation work that we do will really help the people. The people are also happy and the WK people all say thanks.
To Johanna CJ Fenton family: My family and pastor Max Yapua’s family have come to Ukarumpa and we want to send you our happy greetings and tell you hello. We are praying that God will look after you and your family. We want to say thanks that you are helping the WK people and saying prayers for us. Your prayers are giving us strength as well as understanding and therefore our wives are also happy about the translation work that we are doing. The prayers that I and the people say are to thank your for the good we have.
From God’s book, NIV Acts 16:9 (At that place at night in his dream Paul saw a man from a place called Macedonia. That man stood by Paul and said: ‘Come to our place Macedonia and help us’).
We pray that God will look after you.. Your brother in Christ. Wopa G Eka.
Wopa on Proverbs and Psalms (September 8, 2009)
Good day. On account of the strength God gives you two I am happy. We always pray that God will look after you like that. I am happy that you said Joice is well. I am also happy that you had the consultant and advisor check of Proverbs in America. We WK people are always happy with the two of you.
We also want to translate and really straighten the book of Psalms again. Send the WK DVD back that I sent you to this address: West Kewa Translation, PO Box 765, Mendi, SHP, PNG.
We are thankful also for the money sent so that the WK people’s book can be printed. God will make sure that the work they do is good.
Phil King is going to help us [Wopa and Max] with the OT introduction to the Hebrew course and the OT key terms course and the fees when we leave Usa to stay at SIL.
I heard that you two were going to resign [retire] from the translation work but supposing that you are in Australia I would go and tell you about being sorry but you place is a long way and we are sorry that we will not come.
Max and my family have come to SIL and for this we are very happy to the two of you. Our throats and stomachs have happiness and we are now sending to you this letter. We say goodbye now together with the goodness of God’s feeling. I Cor 15:58: (May God’s work look after you and strengthen you.)
Phil King said this: Record the book of Proverbs so that the WK people can hear it when you take it to them. Now again on October 23. I told him thank you and I think that he will help us.
Four days later Aaron passed on a message from Max saying that he had received word that one of his sons was in the hospital in Mendi and had been experiencing a lot of vomiting and weakness. In addition both Max and Wopa were experiencing sicknesses themselves and were at the Ukarumpa clinic.
Max & Wopa at |
On September 9, 2009 and later I received copies of correspondence between Gil Muñoz, Thomas Weber and Phil King regarding WK and the lack of on-going accountability. There was also the question of finance for OT projects. I asked Phil King about the use of the Megavoice recorder and the value of Hebrew for Wopa and Max (I had commented that I believed they needed to understand WK grammar more than Hebrew). Phil had commented:
“…seems like the West Kewa doesn’t have a good translation for that [ the word ‘but’]—I don’t think they really understood what it means in English… Both Wopa and Max were catching the Hebrew pretty well during TTC. Also on possibility of using Yaki for Yahweh in the OT”.
West Kewa has a term for ‘but’, but Phil, understandably, had not noticed it. And the name Yaki had been discussed and rejected years before by the Kewa church leaders.
To Johanna (September 20, 2009)
Wopa sent to the following letter for Johanna that he asked me to translate:
A special greetings to your family in Christ. Thank you very much for your letter that came to me. Thank you also for all the prayers that you all have said for us. When I had my accident I lost 2 and a half liters of blood and I almost died but God helped me and I am praising God. The translation work is going ahead this year in the book of Psalms and next year it will be Isaiah.
God has given you a new boy in your family and it will be God who makes him strong and makes him grow. We will take the Hebrew course and it will be very helpful for our translation work. We are praying a lot for you and your family and for those friends that pray for us in West Kewa. We will soon have a computer for West Kewa and it will make our work easy. Thank you for sharing with us by email many times.
Wopa’s Concerns and Vision (September 20, 2009)
Wopa was always hopeful for help from SIL, especially for literacy work.
I think that in 2011 or 2012 I would like to start at least three literacy schools—schools that SIL would teach. The two of us [Max and Wopa] are trying to find two translation workers. We want to have literacy teachers in Usa, Aboba, Kadoba and Lakira. The men who helped with the translation work have left it: Kenet Wama, Luk Lata, Luk Repe and Obet Kuma. They have all left and now Max and I alone do the work. On account of that, I am looking for two translation helpers.
I am afraid and ashamed [to say this] but it will be good to have a translation office to do our work in. We will be able to work much more quickly.
The next day, September 21, 2009, he followed up with an email:
Now we West Kewa men have worked on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and we are working on Genesis. The Kagua Erave (Parliament) member said that he would come and get some NT books but he has not come and we are looking after them. He was to buy the books and give them to people but he has not come to Usa yet.
I went up to Malue mountain to the people who live there and taught them church. Because you said you would retire from work we were very happy for both of you. You two have worked hard and helped us and helped many other people in other villages, so we are all happy that you will be able to get a rest (retire). Father Karl, when the two of you resign [retire] from your work and since you did so much for us I could come and shake your hand and the West Kewa people would be gracious before your faces, but it is a long way to where you are and the amount of money needed (to see you) would be heavy.
The West Kewa people of the church and the people of other churches have been very happy about the translation awareness courses we have given them. There is a translation awareness youth camp that we have gone to. When they hear the book of Proverbs read they are extremely happy.
When my wife went to Ukarumpa with me she was very happy.
My wife and children and the people of Usa and I as well are very happy and want to send you greetings of happiness from our stomachs and say mother and father now goodbye. Also to Karol and her family we want to say goodbye and greetings, so tell them.
On Psalms and Other Matters (October 23, 2009)
I say good day in the name of Jesus Christ. On account of the books of Proverbs, Ruth and Ecclesiastes that you have done, the WK people are happy with them, as I am…. Now we have taken the book of Proverbs to be recorded and that is good. When pastor Max and my wife and I came to SIL and she saw the translation work that we are doing it gave her real happiness. The two women [wives] said ‘we will really support your translation work.’ Our children were also taken to SIL to see the translation work and said that it was good. Now we have translated Genesis 4 to 12. We will again work on Psalms and cause it to be good [revise it]. We have already worked on Genesis [up to] chapter 23. Now the people who are with me want to say goodbye to Joice and you and to the Johanna Fenton family and also that God will be with you….
Wopa Takes the Hebrew Course (November 17, 2009)
A very good day to you. We pray that in Jesus Christ’s name, God will give you strength and look after you. We are also thankful for the clan of Johanna Fenton and for the good that they have done and say thanks to God alone. We also say thanks for the help from your clan. Your prayers help us, you money also helps us and the advice that we have received from the beginning, we say thanks to God for all this and pray that God will help you and look after you.
We are thankful for your prayers and the strength that God gives for work, for new ways of thinking and for insight and we say thanks for this. We thank the clan of Johanna Fenton’s friends for the help they give. During the new year of 2010 in November, Phil King of SIL has said that we should come to SIL to take the Hebrew course. He said that he would help us with money for the course fees.
The books that we worked on have not yet come. We tell the West Kewa people to just wait for the books we have made. When they come we will tell them that the cost is K1 for the books. Now we don’t have anyone from SIL to help us but we are waiting for the forms from BTA [to be processed]. However, they said that they would not be able to examine the forms until the BTA conference in 2012.
Now in Usa we are working on Psalms and are also translating the book of Genesis. However, here in the WK area there has been a lot of rain. When we plant gardens, the soil is soaked and the food doesn’t come up well and we will have a famine.
On the school holidays my daughter came and helped with the translation work a lot. We said that was really good. Since she doesn’t have a lot of money for school [fees], pray that there will be some and that God will help her. My [children] are in school and another will be sent off to school. Then [their] mother and I will just be alone at home.
Now my wife and children want to say goodbye and have a good day. I also say goodbye for the WK people. May God look after you well.
Wopa Sends a DVD
Wopa’s letter of March 10, 2009 had a DVD and 4 photos accompanying it, sent by Aaron Willems from Ukarumpa. The DVD had footage from the BELT course run in Usa by YWAM in 2005/06 and the NT dedication in July of 2004. (Somehow I have mislaid the pictures and cannot include them.)
I say good day to you. May God be with you both, guarding and looking after you.
I don’t know if mother Joice is well or not but I have been praying that God would really look after her and that her sickness would be made well. Now, what should be said about her sickness? Because God has been looking after both of you well, [we] are very happy.
The first picture. Some men from Usa, Gil and Aaron are with me in my house working on the book of Genesis with a computer.
Picture two. Gil and Aaron are with me in my house and we are bandaging a sore on my son.
Picture three. The Usa children have the pictures that Karl sent and are very happy and laughing about them. In the background there are mothers who are singing church songs.
Picture 4. Wabi women have hung up their bilums[net bags] that have flowers on them and they are singing songs in the WK language. They have done this well.
Look at the DVD that I have sent. Look at the WK Belt Course and the WK NT that we have.
Susan Frey writes (January 18, 2010)
I know you’ve both stepped out of the project and I don’t want to bother you, but I wanted to ask you about something—today Wopa came to ask me if he could come back to Ukarumpa in April and have me type all their Psalms corrections and some Genesis chapters into the computer. I asked him if it was something BTA could help him with, since I’m going to be quite busy and he told me the BTA won’t help with that kind of thing and that besides, he can’t really be part of BTA until 2011. I guess I was under the impression that they have already been approved as a BTA project. What would you suggest I do?
We knew Susan because we had taught her in Australia at the SIL course. I wrote back telling her to be frank with Wopa about her own concerns and needs and to probably not take on the project because of her family responsibilities.
Concerning BTA (January 20, 2010)
We want to say thank you, first of all, that you and some of your people have helped the West Kewa translation work go ahead and we want to say thank you to you and God for that good work. God will give you the strength to do your work.
Johanna Fenton and her people have also helped us with the WK translation work and we want to say thanks for that as well. You all pray strongly for us and we will do the same for you. When we say our prayers back and forth like that God does great and good things for us and we are happy. Now in BTA and SIL the pastors of PNG have collected and are talking about reading and using the big languages [vernaculars] and that is very good. BTA said that it had begun with Karl and we heard that. Now BTA has grown and is in many places in PNG. I think that we will be working with BTA to do the book of Psalms. We are praying that God will give the two of you strength.
Now it is difficult for our children to go to school but we are carrying on with the translation work. Max and others are helping with the OT.
The OT books that Aaron worked on will have a dedication in Usa on the 30th of January 2010.
The WK people say goodbye to you. My wife and children also say goodbye to you.
On Spelling Problems (February 21, 2010)
I want to list some of the words that we are confused about in spelling: man and leg; woman and people; big, house and look; top and enough; just, light, do it and shout; both and two; climb and distribute; umbrella and in the sky; sky and bird, call and lie; There is also confusion using /aa/ in spelling father, heavy, night, story, together, stand, lift up, lie, when? and who?
On July 28, 2010 Phil King asked me to come to the Hebrew course with another man to help us.
Mike, Karol, my siblings and your children may God look after you. I send my greetings and say goodbye. Tell this to Johanna too: May God look after you and I send you my greetings.
Goodbye for now. Together with God.
Chapter Twelve
Wopa Notes Some Problems
Beginning about 1959 until now in 2010 you and Joice and other supporters have worked to support the WK translation project with money and prayers and other efforts and we in West Kewa send a big thank you to you and other supporters, like Johanna Fenton’s family.
They don’t know how to enter Psalm chapters 1-56 corrections into the computer. The BTA office doesn’t know how to help. We took the book of Psalms to Ukarumpa to work on it but they don’t know how to help. Now I am alone putting them in the computer but I don’t know if it is done well. Regarding our good work I alone am in Usa and have a solar panel and we work on the computer but they say to please try to find us another. The Elco [Lutheran station] office could help us but there is no one there.
Tell Johanna Fenton thank you for helping with the children’s school fees.
Later in the month, Wopa wrote again:
I |
received your talk [letter]. I don’t understand how to do the work on the the computer but I do understand a little bit about keyboarding things. I think that as we go on I will understand a little more and I think that I will understand well because I will go to the SIL course. If they give me [instructions] on putting the CD in the computer and sending email, I think that will be good. We are going back to Mendi in a week and we will wait for the computer to work on it. When I understand well then I think an email will come to you from me. I think it will be good if they give me a bigger computer. Nico said I will get a little one from them, but I don’t know.
Wopa & Max at TTC |
Max, the two of us, have done both TTC1 and TTC2. I came for the storytelling course and now I came for the Hebrew course. In this little school they are helping me learn how to really translate the Bible. Because I haven’t gone to high school, when they teach me it is God who gives me his Holy Spirit for my strength.
Because the computer has not come from BTA quickly and because there aren’t many people helping me I don’t know when I can send Psalms to you. I say that it will be this year or in another year.
We pray that God will give the two of you his strength.
Nico Reports on Wopa’s Accident (May 30, 2010)
Wopa came up [on the radio] and said that he had spent some time in hospital upon his return to his area, due to having been quite severely cut by an ax. He stressed that it was an accident, but that he had lost quite a lot of blood. He mentioned that he had spent over K150 on hospital bills. He asked for prayer for the recovery from the injuries, for regaining full health and strength.
Wopa’s Version of the Accident
Subject: I am telling you the story about them cutting me with an axe—I am talking to my mother and father. We all pray that God will give the two of you his strength.
There in Usa one of the families was arguing about coffee and was fighting. Since they were fighting I said strongly that they should not fight and then I went and stood in the middle of them, My brother Yamo’s daughter came and hit me with an axe. Then the whole of the axe went into my back and blood flowed to the extent of one and a half liters. Then I fell to the ground as though dead. It was about two o’clock when this happened.
The axe did not hit my bones or veins [rope, so it could be arteries] but went deep into the muscle. An ambulance from Kagua had just come and was at Usa. When they asked if I could be taken in the ambulance the reply was “yes”. Then I went to the Kagua hospital. My blood kept flowing along the road from Usa to Kagua [15 miles away on a rough road]. At the Kagua hospital they told me that I should give them K60 [about US $20] for suturing me. “If you don’t give it we won’t suture you”, they said. But because I didn’t have the money they didn’t suture me and left me. From then until 6pm it was like that and then a woman came and bought the hospital work for K60.
God had sent that ambulance to Usa. Without that K60 to buy the hospital nothing would have been done. But God really helped me. Praise God, for his good light.
For 5 weeks when I was at the hospital they didn’t give me any food. The total costs for stitching was K472 [about $155]. Nico Van [SIL Regional Director] saw with his own eyes the scar from the axe. Because I lost a lot of my blood I do not have my strength back yet.
I am thankful to Johanna Fenton and her people for their prayers for me. God heard all of your prayers and helped me. Praise God, my thanks.
Local Fighting
Here in Usa, Apora, Ibia, Puti, Pawayamo, Wabi, Mapata we are living well but in Sumi, Lagira, and Kandopa they are fighting. Here in Usa and other places we are praying to God. Kenet Wama has left the work of translation and is in Sumi where they are fighting. Pastor Max is working at selling OT and NT books but a problem has come up about his wife and daughter. Now I am working at correcting Psalms chapters 1-56 and putting them on the computer. When I finish the corrections I will send them to you. Rambai has two books to send to you when he finds a way.
Thank you for supporting the work of West Kewa Bible translation and God can bless the two of you and we in the West Kewa say thank you.
Thoughts on Psalms (August 12, 2010)
I’m revising my thoughts and now I think that I will take the printout of Psalms chapters 1-56 back to Usa for reading and checking. Then on December 7th I will take them back to Ukarumpa to enter them on computer. On the 17th of December I will send all of the book of Psalms for you to look at and check.
On December 7th I think that my wife will come with me to Ukarumpa to the clinic but Rambai wondered about that. Nick has gone to the Western Province so if you have some thoughts about this you can send them to me.
To Kirk Franklin (August 20, 2010)
Dear Kirk Franklin and family,
Hello and good day in Christ to you and your family. I am speaking for the W Kewa people who have plenty of greetings for you.
We have prayed a great deal for your family that God would watch over you and your work.
We in the West Kewa would like your children to come to Usa on Christmas to spend the holiday with us. You and Karol have not come to spend the holiday with us in Usa so you must come.
Now the two of us are in the Hebrew course. One concern is that we don’t have a West Kewa translation office to work well in. We have worked on the Old Testament translation and finished Proverbs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes and Genesis 1-22 and they have had advisor and consultant checks and are ready for printouts. Now we are correcting the book of Psalms.
May God watch over you and bless you.
Catching Up (September 9, 2010)
I had been working with Wopa and his team for months on the book of Psalms, each of us doing back translations and corrections. Bringing me up to date, Wopa wrote:
On December 6, 2010 we (2) will be coming back to SIL again with the corrections of Psalms chapters 1-60 that we have done. Then at that time I will send them to you so that you can look at them. I am taking what I have done to the village so that they can read it.
I am telling you what our program is during this year: we will work on Psalms chapters 61-150 and after they (the village) have corrected the book of Isaiah we will work on it as well.
If you all give me my computer, alright I think that we will be able to work on them quickly.
I think that you should tell Nico that I want him to get emails and send them to Mendi where I can exchange them with similar things for SIL or BTA.
May God be with the two of you.
Wopa and Max Report on a Conference (September 29, 2010)
From: Wopa and Max Yapua
Subject: The story of the East and West Kewa conference
I forgot to send you this talk so now I am giving it to you. The conference [mainly a women’s conference] of the Kagua Erave people took place down in Usa on the 19th-25th of July. At this gathering around 600 people came, the men holding their drums. The men and the youth numbered about 110 for the conference and they beat their drums and sang songs, listened to God’s word, had Bible studies, and really honored God’s name. At that time I looked after the music and songs that we sang. At that conference many people really turned to the Lord and changed their stomachs, [i.e. repented]. At that conference we did a dramatization of Luke 19:29-37 [The triumphant approach to Jerusalem] shouting as we came. Alright Jesus went to Jerusalem like a king. Two men pretended to be donkeys and after two cartons of the WKOT [the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and part of Genesis] were put on their backs, they carried them in before the many people gathered in Usa. We said, “Look, Jesus the King is coming.” Then we waved the [tree name] and banana leaves, sang and honored the name of Jesus. Those two cartons of WKOT books were brought and put where the people had gathered and the books, since they represented Jesus, we told the people they must then put them on their backs now and take them to their husbands and children. Then we gave them out to the people and youth and they were very happy and carried them to their homes. And many of the people turned their stomachs [thoughts] to God and believed. They said they would quit fighting, leave off their sins and follow God. On September 12th we will have church outside the Usa church house and on that day we will pray that PNG [people] will turn to God. That is the day for all the people to repent.
Karol and Mike and your children, may God look after you. And Johanna and your children and their father that we pray you may have joy in God and he will guard you.
On September 3rd Max and I will be finished with school here and we will go back to Usa.
We pray that God will give the two of you strength. Father and mother, we two are sending this.
Christmas is Coming (December 9, 2010)
I say a good big Christmas day in the name of Jesus. I say thank you and send you thanks from the Kewa people and especially for the computer and things you sent. God will bless you for what you have done. We also thank God and ask him to watch over you. We don’t know how to use the computer but we will slowly go on and I think we will understand. God will give us understanding and I think we will be able to do a lot of translation work. SIL is not running the computer course this year or next year. The man who ran the course is not here in PNG. So anyway I will try my best with God to catch up. So please pray for me.
Now I am entering the village testing corrections on the computer and today on Friday will send some for you and you can do the advisor check and consultant check. I am going to send you the book of Psalms chapters 1-62. Then 63-150 I will bring to the WK again for village testing. Next year in January and February I will be very busy with my four children in school and in the afternoon and night I will try to do the corrections and testing and finish that book in early March and April. In June and July we can start off with another book.
Are you and Joice OK? We pray strongly that God will give you strength and watch over you.
Today’s young people in the village say we should use some of the Tok Pisin words, like, blesim [blessing], laip [life], si [sea], pre [pray], win [win], siti [city], taun [town] and sip [ship]. The names of the towns and cities plus the names of people they said we have to use the Tok Pisin pronunciations [spellings].
Have a great Christmas day.
More on Psalms (December 10, 2010)
In December I received more information on Psalms. In the meantime I had written to Wopa cautioning him not to use too much Pidgin or the older people would not be able to learn to read and understand the stories because they would focus on the Pidgin words and lose track of the story. I also reminded him again of the contrasts in the grammar and in works that had /a/ on the one hand and /aa/ on the other.
I sent you all of the book of Psalms chapter one to chapter 62. I did not send you email quick because the BTA officials were too busy. We want to do the computer you sent quickly but are learning the computer. Max and myself we don’t know how to operate the computer but the WK translation ministry program really needs the computer to make the work easier. Continue to pray for me that God can give me wisdom to operate the computer. I believe that God will.
Down in Usa on Monday’s I teach God’s word in the Usa school. Always on Sunday I teach God’s word to the people. For this work the people do not give me firewood or money but God will probably repay me later.
Psalms 1-62 will come I said. Psalms 63-150, because we will take them to Usa for village testing, then in March you can look at them again. April to June we will work on new books here. We want to do the translation work quickly but it is hard to understand the computer. We also want to make a little office and have K500 for it but we are looking for a lot more than that.
In January and February my four children will go to school so I have to do some work for them. Tomorrow on Monday I do translation work for the program. On Wednesday I will go to Usa. The people there support the translation ministry and are happy about it.
1 Corinthians 15:58: (Since this is the case, my brothers and sisters, you stand up strongly and do not be afraid. Then you will do the Lord’s work well. If you will go on doing the Lord’s work, that work will not be lost [in vain])
Merry Christmas and we wish you all well.
The West Kewa Translation Project was now under the auspices of BTA but financial statements still came to me. In February 2010 there was a positive balance of almost K2000 in the West Kewa translation account. I suggested that financial statements go directly to BTA and not us, since BTA was in charge of the project. I sent copies of my letter to Wopa and Max.
Chapter Thirteen
Josephine’s Sickness; Need for a Translation Office
Now I have come to Ukarumpa for two days –the 27th and 28th [March, 2011]—and then will go back to Usa.
BTA told me that a lot of money has come in to support the West Kewa translation ministry and there are many Kewa people who are happy and want me to thank you.
Please also give greetings to the family of Johanna Fenton and tell her that God will look after them and that we are thankful for them. We pray for them too.
We pray that God will look after the two of you and give you strength.
My wife has been very sick. The doctor has operated on her stomach twice.Two months have gone by that we have been at the Mendi hospital and now the third month is going by.The sickness is in her stomach but now I believe that it is a little better. The place where she was cut in the stomach has sores and is not drying out.They say that on April 4th they want to take flesh from the shoulder or thigh and carry it [to the wound] and repair it [sew it up] with that.
Because of that heaviness we have not done any translation work right now but we will.
I am learning to use the computer slowly. Supposing I learn well it will be good for the work. SIL has said that they will do another computer course but it will not be this year. In order to do the translation work well and quickly the office and chair and table will be good.We will have a cement floor for our little office and get the wood from the forest to finish it.
Wopa is Thankful (March 22, 2011)
I went to Ukarumpa and it costs K10 for one night, then I bought email and A4 paper and paid for the BTA car to go from Ukarumpa to Kainantu. I also paid for me to go from Usa to Ukarumpa and for food along the way. The money you and Mike gave will go for things like that, I think.
But the money that you both have sent is in a report that the BTA gave and they said that they are holding the money. So has that report reached you? The money Mike sent should help us to quickly build a translation office.
We are doing well with the computer in Usa and I will understand well but some things they have not taught me.
We thought that we would quickly complete the book of Psalms but my wife has been very sick and on account of that we have had her in the Mendi hospital. There are thousands of people in the West Kewa translation ministry that thank you and Mike for the money you have given—so thank Mike for it.
Greetings to Johanna Fenton and to Joice, who we have not forgotten. God will be with you as we pray for you.
Josephine’s Sickness (March, 2011)
I Wopa am doing the email and sending it by computer. When my wife got really sick then you all prayed and I say thank you. When I will send email I will go to the house of a Mendi wantok [relative] I think but I don’t know if he will say yes or not. Now I thought that we would go on and finish the book of Psalm this year but now I have gone inside some difficulty. We thought we would finish Psalms and do Isaiah and Jeremiah but that heaviness has come now. In addition I am teaching myself the computer but it will be good. I will be able to understand in Christ’s name and it is because the West Kewa people will receive God’s word.
Also I want to talk about making the translation office and I am not worried about what I want to do. It will not be a big house; No, it will only have about 12 sheets of iron roofing and will be made of timber.
Is mother Joice well? Are you also well?
I want to show Mike what the money will do and we think that we will make an office also so tell him that. I say goodbye now to Karol, Mike, Johanna and her husband and children . May God be with you all and watch over you.
We thought that we would quickly finish with the book of Psalms but my wife has been very sick and when she [almost] died we took her to the hospital where they now have her. She almost died.
I and the 90,000 other West Kewa people want to praise you and say profound thanks for the West Kewa translation ministry project support that Mike and you gave. Tell that to Mike. God will bless you for that good work.
We did this in regard to BTA: I went to Ukarumpa and slept there and it cost us K10 for one night. I paid for email to be sent and bought some A4 paper, rented the BTA vehicle to go to Kainantu, paid for the Usa to Ukarumpa trip as well and bought food. The money that you and Mike sent will go for things like that I think.
However, father Karl the K12,000 that has come from you and Mike on a report from BTA, they will hold on to that and since we will be doing work, should I make a report on things spent and send it to you?
My thoughts are like this: The K6,000 that Mike sent will go for a translation office so that we can do the work better and more quickly. We think that way so we are asking you. Does that seem OK or not?
We are doing well with the work in Usa with the computer but we don’t understand it very well and yet there is no one to teach us.
Johanna Fenton I now send you greetings and goodbye, We also have not forgotten about Joice. We pray that God will be with you all.
From Nico van Bodegraven (May 12, 2010)
Yes, I certainly know Wopa—as far as I can [remember] from several conversations over the past few years, both ‘live’ and over the radio—and I had seen him walking by our house going to BTA. I called him and he explained the situation in his own words [needing help in keyboarding corrections into Psalms]. He says he is planning to go back on Monday. He has been trying to type in the corrections with one finger, so it is going very slowly. It is clear that BTA does not have the capacity at this time to help national translators with these needs…. I’ll see what I can do to help this team make more progress.
Josephine, BTA and NT Sales (June 20, 2011)
Subject: I am telling you the following story
.
On behalf of the W Kewa people I would like to say special thanks for supporting WK translation program starting from the young age to old. We will never send you anything but God will reward you all his love. I did not receive the letter that you have sent me through Mendi Post Office.
Starting from January to June now I was very busy. During this year we were trying to finish book of Psalms with village testing and to go on to another book like Genesis and we will still follow this idea. Our vision is to translate OT books and finish it. I went to look after my wife in Mendi general hospital for two and a half months when she was very sick.
When they operated on her stomach for the big sickness they did not know [what she had] and just cut her open. When there was just pus and blood where they had cut her they then cut her again and they did not sew her back together. When that happened the sore just went on trying to get dry and for two months it dried. The skin dried on the outside but inside her body the sore was still there. We looked to our God in heaven and we stayed with her and people helped us.
I am thanking God and the two of you for all the prayers that were made. We still have her with her sickness but it has not dried up inside her body where the doctors cut her.
God heard your prayers and people gave us money and food while we were at the hospital. That was really good.
Now I have been at the BTA conference for one week but since your letter came I didn’t have anyone to send a letter. The BTA office woman was also at the conference and was busy. They also closed the BTA office and because of this I had no way to send you email. The conference started on the 13th and will finish on the 19th. Then on the 20th I will stay for the Paratext course. We will finish up on July 6th.
I want to reply to the question to Karol and Mike about Abali Abraham family. Ambali’s wife Kala has married another man. The first born [of Ambali] was Robin but he is still at home. Second boy was Robet but he is still at home too. Third was a girl named Grash and she is home too. Fourth was a girl named Jenifa but she is at home too. Fifth was a girl name Sanede but she is still at home too. Those boys and girls are still at home and not in the Usa primary school because of money problems.
We want to finish the translation office in 2012 …. It will be good to have a good chair and table to do our work well.
There are still 17 cartons of the WKNT but the Erave member said he would give them to the people and has them in his office. We still have 8 cartons of the OT books that we did with Aaron and we are looking after them.
I am thinking that if you have a computer camera that you could send it. At the translation office we are thinking of making a special sleeping room so that Kirk and his children and Karol and her children can come and sleep there.
There was no one to help send email because they are all busy with their work. I am very sorry about that..
We all pray hard that God will be with you all. I will be here for two weeks at the Paratext course. We Kewa people say goodbye to Karol and her husband and their children.
More on Josephine (June 23, 2011)
Thanks a lot for receiving your letter from Andy Grosh and Andy gave me all the NT book copies. It is already in our computer. Thank you that you want to send another 2 computers for W. Kewa ministry.
Regarding the sickness of my wife Josephine, the sickness is in her stomach but the Mendi doctors who operated on her cut her poorly and sewed her up poorly and the sickness is still there. When they sewed her up it drained and she was in the hospital and the sore dried up. Where she was sewed up it still drains. Although outside it dried up the sore that was sewed has a sore on it and the sickness is still there. Down in Usa she can’t work and can’t carry bilums. She will have to stay in the hospital. Really the sickness is still with her.
I work on the computer but am learning it very slowly. But it is God’s work so I think he will teach me.
When I saw your letter I was happy and yet sad. We pray that God will help you. God will look after you well.
I go back to Usa on July 2nd.
Abraham Ambali’s children are not in school but again if they want to go back to school in the future or not, I will let you know.
From Andy Grosh (July 3, 2011)
Wopa was here at Ukarumpa for the BTA Annual Meeting Conference (one week) and then also for the Paratext workshop (two weeks) where I was doing tech support. I was able to get all the texts you sent me from Paratext 6 easily loaded and on to his computer in Paratext 7.l2…. Wopa is a good guy—always an encouragement and fun to have around. May his tribe be enlarged. Here’s from Wopa:
Thank you so much for your prayer network support. I have been looking after my wife in the Mendi hospital for two and a half months and the Father has really helped me. At the Mendi hospital they don’t supply food but in the afternoon they give us some. However, God has heard your prayers and he has sent lots of people to the hospital to give us money and food. With the money we have paid school fees and bought food. We have had plenty of food for the two and a half months—we were full of food and money. The God that I serve always stays close to help me and my family needs.
Now I want to share the interest of the W Kewa people and you can share this with some of your friends:
- People say that they love the OT W Kewa Bible.
- They are very happy to listen to the book of Proverbs on Megavoice. They say “we feel it is sweet” and many have repented.
- We want to give the NT and OT books to the people who have started fighting so that they can repent. The member for Kagua Erave will do this but we are still waiting.
- At the East Kewa and West Kewa women’s conference I gave out NT books and they were happy and applauded.
- They prayed many times for the work of translation, that it would be done well.
- I am very happy with the computer but I have only learned a little. I have learned a lot at the Paratext [workshop] and God is helping us.
- I told everyone that Mike and Karol are helping to support the translation work and everyone was happy and said thank you.
- They said that if the translation office is done we con make two rooms for the children of Mike and Karol to come and go to.
In the West Kewa translation program we are finishing Psalms and you will get it in September. Then we will go back to the book of Genesis.
I am repeating the talk of the W Kewa people who want to send plenty of greetings and happiness to everyone who is supporting us in prayer. May God bless you for the good work you do…. If God gives us another day, then we can write and talk and do something. We make many prayers for you that our God will guide you and protect you.
From Andy Grosh (August 7, 2011)
Had a nice long chat with Wopa tonight on the cell phone. Digicel had a special deal where we only paid for the first two minutes then chat for 18 minutes for free, so I called him to say hello. He is always overflowing with cheer, even when we talk for only 30 seconds or so. But tonight I caught up on some of his news.
He said that he completed the back translation of Psalm 1-17. He has entered this back translation into Paratext using his new Netbook. It is pretty amazing that he is figuring out how to use that program on his own there in the village without any prior computer experience.
Wopa’s wife is doing well. She is no longer sick but still does not have a great deal of strength and can’t go to the garden to work. Wopa said that he thinks she will go back to the hospital again…. Wopa is planning to come in to Ukarumpa on 17 August for a Program Planning course. He did some sort of quote for a translation office….
Wopa’s Message from the BTA Office (August 17, 2011)
I read the email you sent to Andy Grosh and want to thank you.
We have worked on the back translation of Psalms 1-22. Now we are working on the Consultant Check of Psalms 1-54, so thank you [we had sent a report]. The West Kewa people say that we finished up Psalm 1-32 and that now we must do all of 1-150. So we are working on the back translation now. Does this seem like a good plan?
On the 26th and 27th I am going to a program planning course and then go back to the West Kewa.
We are praying for you. We are doing the second village testing of the book of Isaiah. Thank you for revising the dictionary [still in progress].
NTs and OT Translation Committee (August 24, 2011)
Recording Proverbs |
We have been reading the book of Proverbs in church and the people say that the talk is sweet and that it is really good. They say, “What is it that will keep us close to God?” They say that now we can go to God.
You can call me at 6, 7, 8, or 9 o’clock because our communication system in Papua New Guinea is very good in telephones. I can get [the phone message] in my house in Usa. My phone number is 7276-3108. I would like to talk to Johanna Fenton and Aaron Willems so you can give them my number to call.
- 1. There are still 12 cartons of WKNTs in Usa and they are ready to be used in a peace agreement in Sumi and Uma but the Member of Kagua-Erave said to wait so we are holding them yet. In Ukarumpa they also worked out a peace agreement and we brought [a copy] of it.
- 2. Translation office we will start in 2011 with three rooms: a conference room, a storage room and a place to sleep. There will be 12 sheets of iron and we will build with them but it will be a small house. When we do this the carpenters say it will be K8,000.
- 3. We haven’t bought anything for the translation office. Next year we will put it up.
- 4. My wife can’t work in the garden and she can’t carry sweet potato or firewood. She can only work in the house. After Christmas she will be alright but now she is still sick.
- 5. Our translation committee is like this:
- a. Stephen Yala, chairman
- b. Krapeasi, Counsilor
- c. Josep Wapo
- d. Kele Rama
- e. Wopa, Coordinator
- f. Max
- g. Rapet
- h. John Rui, Treasurer (if we find some money)
- i. Ketty Sipilia, book sales
- j. Mikel Warini, literacy teacher (we hope)
- k. Ana Marobe, literacy (we hope to have her)
Regarding my program plan for Usa, I can send it to you if you give me your address so I can send it in a letter.
I am doing a lot of work on the computer and I enjoy it. We will do the back translation of [Psalms] 65-150 so you don’t have to do it—I will do it on our computer.
Goodbye now in the name of Jesus
A Further Report (August 26, 2011)
I was happy to read your letter.
Regarding Robert Yomo [whom I had asked about] he is a policeman stationed in Wabag. Rapet is a pastor at the Um Catholic church. [I had Robert and Rapet mixed up.]
Kirapeasi represents Usa, Pawayamo, Apopa and Puti as their councilor but has told me he thinks that he can help sometimes.
Regarding, my phone number that I gave you, I thought I would be able sometime to talk to you, Karol and Kirk’s family, from Usa, so I sent it.
I am still learning the computer but you said that since you would send [other computers] I don’t know when they will arrive or if they will. Because I want to also send you pictures I think that you should also send me a camera.
Regarding money for the Program Plan, I think I will work on it in Usa and send it to you. So send me your address again.
Wopa at home |
At the BTA office I have to buy paper and email service, phone service and also food and lodging, then A4 size paper [for the workshop] so it is just money required on account of all that and I will look at it [the amount]. I told BTA to give me a W. Kewa bank statement so that I will be able to give you a good report. Now when I leave Usa and come and buy food and pay to sleep in Hagen, for all of that it is around K250. When I go back to Usa again it is also K250. I haven’t given you a report on the money but I am telling you about that. When they give me a bank statement I can send you a report.
My wife is sick but I am really happy that you all are praying for her.
Now we are again doing the back translation for the book of Psalms. They haven’t gotten the Skype program but eventually they will put it on the computer.
To build the translation office, the carpenter said we can try to do it for K8,000 [approx. $2,700 at the time] but we will have to get the supplies and quotation in Mendi and show it to the BTA office.
Give my special greetings to mama Joice.
Another Letter to Kirk (August 28, 2011)
Dear brother Kirk and your wife,
Hello and good day to you and your wife. In the Tok Pisin church [at Ukarumpa] we have heard many stories about you and we pray that you will have good work as you go around to places here on earth. I bring you the words of the West Kewa people who send plenty of good greetings to you. The people of West Kewa are very happy that God’s talk is going to vernacular speakers. The people in West Kewa read the Kewa Bible and they say that God has come to us in West Kewa and they are very happy about that. They like the Old Testament Bible so we have a big job to carry out the Old Testament translation in West Kewa. There are many people who have repented.
So now we want to build a very small translation office with one small room. Mike and Karol donated that money to build the translation office. Many send greetings to you all as well as the peace that comes from father God.
Chapter Fourteen
A Program Plan for the Future?
Although I had some reservations about the men preparing a program plan (believing that it would reflect a Western orientation and viewpoint), the men attended a workshop in December, 2011 and worked on one. Their thoughts are represented in the chart below.
I am sending you the Program Plan for West Kewa. You may look through it and give me your comments or ask questions about it. Give me you feedback before I leave Ukarumpa to go back home next Wednesday.
Committee team members: Wopa Eka, Max Yapua, Kati, Sipilia, Ana Eta, Josaphine Wopa, Josica Max, Kete Rama, Stephen Yala, Mikel Warini, Josep Wapo, Rapet Uma, John Rui.
Impact | Output | Activity | Input |
Knowing God’s word in West Kewa to transform our own communities | Translating God’s word to transformed communities | Translating OT books in first drafts | Scripture |
People will apply the Scriptural truth to their lives | Qualified trainer to train skills to community and send person to train others | Second draft and third draft with self check | Office with computer |
Read and write | PNGians become trainers | Group check | Leaders |
Trust and faith will bring transformation | Praying network | Village check and testing | Translation workshops |
Youths will try to take part in using the truth | Awareness | Advisor check of back translation | Storytelling |
Praying network | Read/write | Storytelling | Team organization |
Wants more copies | Scripture use | Consultant check | Train to train others |
Team unity | Village tests | Communities | |
Communities join up | Checking and spelling | Praying network | |
Visiting schools, camps and denominations | Words, verses and chapters checked | Office meetings | |
Workshops | Punctuation, footnotes, verses marked | First, second and third drafts |
Josephine is Still Not Well (March 6, 2012)
Thank you for sending the letter I got on February 27th, 2012. Josephine and I went to the Mendi hospital but the doctor said to come back on March 29th so we will go back. When her stomach was bad the doctors said we don’t have any flywire [mesh], or something like that, to stick on to it so he said to come back on the 29th of March. When her stomach is bad and hot, then come back, they said.
If you and Tod Allman work on the book of Daniel, that would be good. You two could work on it and then we would look at it and be happy. We finished the back translation through chapter 100 of Psalms but the BTA consultant has to check it.
It is good that you are working on the dictionary and we are ready to examine what you have done.
We pray a lot for the two of you that God will give you strength.
Yes, we hear a lot about sorcery and witchcraft in PNG but the word of God overcomes it and there is only a little.
Thank you for your financial support and that BTA received the money and takes care of it for the work. When we got to Ukarumpa we have to buy a PMV for the road and food and materials when we are there.
I understand the computer a bit but I would like to learn more in a computer course in Ukarumpa.
When Josephine and I go back to Mendi March 29th they will cut her and she will be there for 4 to 5 weeks and need food. I will buy food because they only only give food in the afternoon and there will be an operation fee too.
Wopa Outlines Some Future Plans (September 26, 2012)
The West Kewa people rejoice and greet you like this: May God be with the two of you and those around you. We pray that God will look after the two of you.
I saw the email you sent to Mara but Kirapeasi [whom I asked to be greeted] has gone to Moresby and will be there for two years and has not come back. And it is hard for me to connect Rose Lomba and group from East Kewa because I don’t have their mobile numbers.
The West Kewa people are delighted that the book of Psalms has been completed and I want to thank you in the name of Jesus. We did the first draft on the book Exodus and had a self check in the village but not the village check yet so when I go back I will take the printout to them. After that we did the first draft on the book Job too but we still haven’t finished it yet but are on chapter ten already. Within three months we will try to finish it and send it to you to revise.
People want more story telling. They feel sweetness in their heart and say, ‘Wopa we want more’. Our heavenly father is doing great things in West Kewa so praise God and we know he will [continue].
Next year we will try to move on to the book of Isaiah first and [then] others. About the translation office. Tomorrow on the 28th September Mara Iyama and myself will go down to Lae and put in the order on building materials. We will pick up the materials at Mendi where the other branch [of the store] is. When I go to Mendi and got the quotation from that store. It will take 17,000 kina to finish that small building. I don’t know the balance that you and your friends support will be but we’ll just go and put in the order.
About the family: My eldest daughter Evelyn is self sponsored and requiring 3,150 kina for school fees to go and stay at Moresby teacher’s college for two years. There will also be additional school fees for Kagua for 2013 in order to finish school. The second one Malakai will go to Mendi high school in 2013 and do grade 9. The third one a boy Kadipia will do grade 5 at the Usa school. My wife Josephine almost died of sickness but now she is a little better. The doctor told her not to do hard work and to take it easy so she has obeyed but her stomach still hurts some.
We say goodbye now to Joice. We also say goodbye to Karol and her husband and her children and to Johanna and her daughter Elsie as well as her family. May God look after you well as you do his work.
Now I understand the computer and Paratext some but only a little. However I believe that God will teach me more.
May God be with the both of you.
Chapter Fifteen
Wopa’s Death
That was the last email or letter I had from Wopa. Andy Grosh sent us emails in early 2013 telling us that Wopa was sick and in the Mendi hospital. Both Andy and Mara Iyama, the BTA Highlands Director, called the hospital to talk with Wopa. Their emails said the doctor had diagnosed Wopa with typhoid. A few weeks later the diagnosis was changed to throat cancer, and finally, leukemia. It seemed obvious that they did not know what was happening to him. Shortly before Wopa died, Mara wrote:
Hi Karl & Joyce,
When I received your email on 24 April I called Wopa on the same day but couldn’t get him on his phone. I tried it again on the second but still did not catch him; on the third day Friday 26 I called and one of his uncles answered the phone and he said “Wopa went out to have a shower”.
I waited a while and called back. He [Wopa] answered the phone and I talked with him but his voice was very weak in talking. I told him that you have to talk to the Doctor to be transfered to Mt Hagen or Kujip Hospital, then on Monday I will hear from you then find a way to move you out from Mendi hospital.
On Monday we had some problems with the phone system at the centre and on Tuesday I called to find out his [condition and his] wife answered the phone telling me that he was in ICU ward and saying that Wopa will leave us [die] sometime this week or next.
I planned to go to Mendi on the weekend and on Friday afternoon I went up to Goroka. In the afternoon I called to check before I travelled the next day and she told me that the Doctor asked them to take Wopa back home because they couldn’t help. In the night she called me saying that Wopa died around 10:00 pm so I came back from Goroka.
The body was taken to the village on Saturday and today they will burry him. That’s what I heard from his son Malakai and Pastor Max.
Mara [Highlands Director, BTA]
Thereby ends the earthly story of Wopa Eka. A few weeks after he died Ainde Wainzo, a legendary translator with BTA, died as well. Ainde had asthma and was in and out of the hospital for years. Two great men had died within a short period of each other and both were similar in character and work. In the words of Hebrews 11:38, “The world did not deserve these good people….”
Wopa was a visionary and had high hopes for what would happen among the Kewa people once the Bible was in their language. He was constantly praying for his people and for help to do a number of projects that were on his mind. Our prayer now is that his vision will be pursued by men like Max Yapua, Malachi Eka and others. Wopa is in heaven but his earthly vision is not over. We await further news on ‘the rest of the story’.
Comments and Acknowledgements
At Ukarumpa a number of people had met Wopa—sometimes on the road, at the market, in church—and many helped him by sending emails and in other ways.
Several SIL Regional Directors assisted Wopa when he was at Ukarumpa for courses, helping him to correspond by email, or by talking with him on the radio. For example, in Wopa’s letters the names of Roland Fume, Nico Van Bodegraven, Bill Callister, Steve and Debbie McEvoy, Darrel Hayes, and Thomas Weber are mentioned. A number of of them corresponded with me about the translation project and I am grateful for their input and help.
The name of Andy Grosh, also a Regional Director, appears often in Wopa’s letters. Andy was one of the main friends of Wopa—he assisting with email, computers, transportation, and with many other details. In summarizing his thoughts of Wopa, Andy wrote:
Wopa was a man of passion. He was passionate about serving his God and helping others to know his God. He was a man of exuberant enthusiasm – for life, for friends, and for the Bible in the West Kewa language and in the hearts of his people. Very few challenges he encountered were deemed too large. When he met friends after an absence, he would break into a huge smile as soon as he made eye contact, showing that just meeting his friend had made his whole day. And by that simple bit of enthusiasm, he managed to make my day on many occasions.
When I first met Wopa, he was pursuing a goal for which our organization really didn’t have any established pathway to reach. However, what he was asking from me was such a small thing that it didn’t seem reasonable to say no, even though it was difficult to see any real hope of success. But Wopa saw through the eyes of faith, and rarely seemed to have doubts about the impossible. His confidence certainly inspired others to make greater contributions toward the success of the work among the West Kewa.
Wopa had limited education, but was committed to learning whatever was necessary to make the translation project move forward. The first text message I ever received on my phone was a picture of Jesus drawn with text characters, and the simple caption “Jesus Loves You”. It came from Wopa. Since then I have received hundreds of texts from other Papua New Guineans and expats on my mobile phone here in PNG, but I still have that first text from Wopa saved on my phone. It reminds me of who I am in Christ, and that all the obstacles I might encounter are able to be overcome in the power of Jesus’ name.
Wopa showed up at the first training that was held at Ukarumpa for the Paratext translation software. He showed up with a brand new, netbook computer that he had never used. However the training course wasn’t designed to teach people to learn to use the computer, it was designed to teach people to use a particular software tool. But Wopa’s enthusiasm to get started using this new software was undeterred. He worked tenaciously throughout the two week course, and proudly headed off to his remote village to start using these new tools. I was sure he would get “hung up” very quickly with no one nearby to assist him to use this new complex equipment and software. He contacted me a couple weeks later, starting the conversation with “Andy, I’ve had some problems.” I immediately thought that he probably got hung up with some system pop-up window that he didn’t understand or something like that, and had been unable to make any progress at all with his translation work. Instead I heard him say that he had only been able to finish eight chapters of back translation and enter it into Paratext. I think I asked him to repeat himself three times because I was so shocked that he had successfully mastered the use of the computer and the software in order to accomplish that work.
Johanna Fenton was an early, consistent and enthusiastic consultant for Wopa and has continued to help Wopa and his family for many years. She wrote the following:
Thank you for this news. It’s hard to believe Wopa is now with the Lord. What joy he must have.
Wopa was an unusual man of God. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him. I had invited him along with the West Kewa team to have dinner at our house. I saw him walking along the road and my first reaction was to be afraid. He still carried that raskol-ish appearance and gait, from a distance. But when I saw him up close I could tell he was beaming with the light of Christ.
I will forever cherish the short times I got to work with Wopa. The other translators would get passionate and animated, and Wopa would be sitting there quietly deep in thought with his reader glasses on. He would speak up and you knew it was going to be good.
And yet he was also the quickest to celebrate and have a good time. I was trying to explain Wopa to my parents last night and I said he was like Billy Graham. He just had an extra dose of the Spirit that he was able to cross barriers most of us don’t have the faith to do.
I cannot wait to see Wopa in heaven and celebrate that West Kewa is represented well in heaven.
And I meant it when I said I will help see the West Kewa translation move forward, Lord willing. I am praying for a West Kewa remnant that is the fruit of Wopa’s witness. I am getting further and further into the web of Bible translation team at The Seed Company and I will tap those relationships at the right time.
Meanwhile, maybe you Karl and your son Kirk have some ideas after a little while. I’ll be praying for BTA and SIL too to help.
Karl I am so very sorry you must bear this sadness at this time. I have prayed several times for Joice’s situation. Again I’m so very sorry. Keep me posted on how I can pray.
In Wopa’s letters and by virtue of my surveillance and emails, it is clear that two early contributors to the translation work were Gil Muñoz and Aaron Willems. They visited his village and substantially contributed to the West Kewa project in many ways. Aaron was responsible for keyboarding and finalizing the printing of Ruth, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes—the first books of the OT to be printed. He was largely instrumental in providing the finances for it as well. Wopa leaned heavily on both men and they responded with practical assistance and encouragement.
Wopa attended a number of workshops at Ukarumpa and their leaders remember him well. Mack Graham (Back Translation Course), Phil King (Hebrew Course and NTC Courses), Georgetta MacDonald (Program Planning Course), Jim and Janet Stahl (Bible Storytelling), and many others gave Wopa advice and help.
Grateful thanks must also go to Wycliffe Associates of Great Britain, where raw written manuscripts of a number of Old Testament books were sent. Their people keyboarded the materials and sent them to me in Dallas.
I want to especially thank George MacDonald, International Translation Consultant for SIL, who checked Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and the Psalms. The Seed Company assisted financially and in other ways.
Jim Henderson of SIL and Nathan Miles of UBS helped me with ParaTExt problems. Jim and his wife Anne also looked after two of the Hardin children when Mike and Karol attended the WKNT dedication.
Leaders of BTA also knew Wopa, who for the last few years was a member of the organization. Steven Thomas, former Director of BTA, wrote:
I have known Wopa and interacted with him a few times. The closest time I had was sharing a BTA flat at Ukarumpa for a week last year. We cooked together, shared and had fellowship together. He is quiet man, committed to God first and he radiated his faith. We remember such precious times like this.
Sineina, wife of the present BTA Director, David Gela, wrote:
I first met Wopa Eka through your writings. I couldn’t help but remember back to the days in the 80s when I worked in the SIL Director’s office with you. Wopa’s name was one of the ones I typed a lot from your neatly hand written notes. It was not until 2010 that I put the name to the face when I met him in person for the first time in Ukarumpa. I was very sad to hear about his death and even thinking of him now, brings tears to my eyes. I don’t really know him well but I think both his and our relationship with you and Mama Joice just made the connection with him more closer. He would call me from time to time and share his prayer needs. In the little time I have known him, he was a strong leader and a peaceful man, wanting so much that his people would know the Lord and live in peace. He will be greatly missed.
David Gela also wrote:
At this morning’s Tok Pisin service (here at Ukarumpa), our training staff prepared three photos of Wopa, one showing him with his usual contagious smile neatly dressed in gentlemen’s suit, the next showing him carrying on his shoulder a (stuffed) doll (supposedly a lamb) and the third showing him in traditional bilas [decorations]. These pictures were taken during the year he was at Ukarumpa for TTC courses. We had a prayer for his family and the future of the WKewa translation work. I preached at the service. Afterwards Mara Iyama mentioned that the family is still keeping the body at the Mendi Hospital morgue awaiting arrangements. A daughter is in POM for school. They are waiting for her to go to the village for the burial. So funeral and burial has been deferred. Mara and Rambai Keruwa plan to travel to Mendi and Wopa’s village this week to attend the funeral/burial.
We plan to help buy the coffin. And people from the Ukarumpa community are donating money for us to put together to give Wopa’s wife [Josephine] for her children. Mara and Rambai will take this to them.
When Mara gets to Mendi, he will check the computer (Netbook) you gave Wopa and copy the files to a thumb drive to take back for safe-keeping at Ukarumpa office. We plan to invite Pastor Max Yapua to Ukarumpa in July for our conference and to talk about future of the WKewa work.
Everybody here at Ukarumpa and BTA are taking Wopa’s sudden death hard.
In addition to David and Sineina Gela and Steven Thomas, others from BTA who helped Wopa were Mara Iyama, Rambai Kerua, Duncan Kasokason, Mark and Estelle Trostle and many other staff members. He was part of a PNG team that loved and supported him. They have continued to support the WKOT translation project.
My thanks also go to Kirk Franklin and Karol Hardin, who grew up in Wopa’s village. They (and their spouses) have continued to help the family in practical ways.
Jim and Janet Stahl taught Wopa the basics of Bible storytelling. Janet wrote:
Let me add my recollections of Wopa to the memory list. I remember him bounding forward to greet us in Ukarumpa with enthusiasm for the storytelling workshop that we were about to start. He then put his full energy into learning and participating in the workshop including practicing telling the stories with the security guard by walking the fence line with the guard while telling the stories. I remember listening to Wopa excited description of the impact of his storytelling while hanging out washing at the guest house. He certainly demonstrated everything “heartily unto the Lord.”
One of our supporters, Lois Busby, has sent money each month to the BTA account that handles the financial support for Wopa and his translation team. And for all those who have supplied photos: Phil King, Aaron Willems, Mark Trostle, Mack Graham, Andy Grosh, and others at BTA, my sincere thanks.
And I would be amiss if I did not mention the loving support and work of my wife Joice, who always improves my writing by her editing and consulting.
A final word from Phil King:
Are you aware of what is happening now in West Kewa with Malachi, Wopa’s son? Just spent the evening at the final celebration dinner at the end of the BTA conference, and the last event in the whole week, after the meal and the thank yous, was to all get up and surround Malachi (and Junior Selby, from Omie, both in grade 9) and commit them to God. Really felt God’s presence as we surrounded them like a wheel, and Marco Paul (BTA board) prayed specifically for them both. As he was praying for Malachi he was saying ‘look around you at this garden [i.e. people in the room], these taros, yams, kaukau – you are not alone, we are all here to support you’. The BTA emphasis is that they must finish school first before getting too involved in translation, but I think it must be something special to be commissioned like that from the whole 100+ people in the conference. Do pray for him!
I pray that this story will give you some insight into the motivation and character of Wopa, a man that God called to do translation work in his own language. I also hope that you will pray for the West Kewa translation project. Right now it seems, in PNG metaphorical language, that an arrow has been broken, that the center post of the house has fallen. There are other arrows and posts, of course, but someone needs to find them.
Appendix A
About the Kewa People[2]
To have a fuller appreciation of Wopa in particular and the Kewa people and their area in general, I now outline some aspects of his culture, coupled with a sampling of photos.
The Kewa People
The Area Around Usa |
The Kewa people live in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea and speak three major, mutually intelligible dialects (West, East and South). Wopa spoke the West Kewa dialect, but even the name Kewa is not indigenous—it is a word that generally means ‘stranger’ or ‘alien’. People are known only by their clan name and Wopa’s was the Nemola and his village was Usa (pronounced, roughly, u-sah). The Kewa people traditionally referred to their language as the adaa agaa(le), i.e. “the large/important language”, but now would use the dialect name. Wopa was familiar with the one major river network, the Mendi-Erave and its tributaries, that drains the whole Kewa area and he often saw the most two prominent mountains, Giluwe (4,400m) and Ialibu (3,300m), which lay to the north and northeast of Usa. The area is part of the central cordillera which is a complex system of ranges and broad upland valleys with forest, wild cane and grasslands. There are many limestone escarpments as well as strike ridges composed of sedimentary rocks. There were flat areas near Usa but Kagua (1,500m) and Erave (1,300m) had major airstrips in their more extensive plateaus.
Kewa Area near Usa |
Wopa mentions the weather a lot—too much rain or sun will either rot or dry out the sweet potato gardens. The average yearly rainfall in the Wopa’s area is around 310cm and the temperature is 17- 26oC during the day and 9-17C at night. There is no marked wet-dry season, although June-August and December are usually the driest months.
Men from Usa and other villages often sign agreements to work on the coast as indentured laborers, so there is a fluctuating resident population in many villages, mainly in the 18-40 age bracket. The major towns that would have been familiar to Wopa were Kagua and Mendi, although he visited Erave to the south and Ialibu on the northern border. Only Mendi has more than 1,000 permanent residents.
Usa village has grown up around the traditional dance grounds. People lived in dispersed homesteads according to patrilineal lines but now many houses are centered around the dance grounds. Other clan groups besides the Nemola reside in the same ceremonial dance ground territory with their respective men’s and women’s houses. Wopa’s house would have been surrounded by fenced gardens, casuarina trees, cordyline leaves and ditches to mark boundaries. There were coffee groves as well.
Kewa Long Houses |
Every 5 to 10 years a particular clan sponsors a pig kill and long (100-150m), low houses are built by the participants. The last one we saw took place in Usa in 1968. The men’s house is near the dance grounds and is a low (2-3m at the peak, 1m at the sides), rectangular structure with grass roof, bark sides and an open
Kewa Long Houses |
porch-like section where food is communally cooked and eaten by the men. An entrance from the communal section of the house leads to individual sleeping platforms, slightly raised, each with a sunken fireplace. Wopa and his wife lived together with their children in their own house but traditionally the men occupied men’s houses.
The Kewa are subsistence horticulturalists and pig-keepers and Wopa was no exception. His family’s dietary staple crop was sweet potato, although native taro and introduced taro were planted as well. Sweet potato accounts for some 85% of the caloric intake of the people. The harvesting of the sweet potato takes place in 5-8 months after planting, depending on the soil and rainfall. The slash and burning, cutting of trees and tilling of the soil is the duty of men like Wopa. His wife would assist in the slashing and clearing of the grass and was responsible for the final clearing, planting, weeding, harvesting, and transport of the sweet potato. She would bake the sweet potato in the ashes of the fire or in pots. They would consume other common food crops, such as cucumbers, beans, corn, cabbage, onions, peanuts and pumpkins. All of these foods, as well as pineapple, bits of pork and fried biscuits are commonly sold in the local markets. At certain times of the year two kinds of pandanus (the common screw pine), which has a large nut, and another with a long red fruit, were harvested. The main commercial crop is Arabica coffee, although tea, chili and pyrethrum have been tried. Wopa mentions his pigs and it is the primary domestic animal and elaborate ceremonies and rituals are associated with it. Other village people might own chickens, the occasional goat, a few cattle and penned cassowaries.
Kewa men and women now weave baskets and various patterns are known. Both men and women gather the materials, local reeds and vines, and use them to weave various designs. Some men still own traditional stone axes and Wopa’s father, as a warrior, owned one. The gold-lip pearl shell (Pinctada maxima) is valued, along with pig, and would have been Wopa’s main items for exchange. Also common trade items are packets of salt and tigaso oil, which Kewa men purchase in the Lake Kutubu area (to the south west) and transport in long bamboo containers. Wopa’s village has small trade stores that are owned by the clan or subclans. They sell axes, knives (which are also used in trade), fish and rice, matches, pots and pans, batteries, some clothing, kerosene, and other items. Kewa men trade plumes of the birds of paradise, parrots, cockatoos, and cassowaries, from which they make elaborate head dresses.
Kewa Man & Baskets |
In addition to her gardening responsibilities, Josephine would also be responsible for the husbanding of pigs, looking after the smaller children, and cooking food in the family residence. Some women would carry food to the entrance of the men’s house. Wopa would collect and split firewood, plant sugar cane and edible pitpit, harvest pandanus nuts, hunt, and trade. His wife would be responsible for weaving net bags (of various designs), net aprons, and thatching mats from pandanus leaves. Wopa might weave the occasional arm or leg bands, or fashion his own bark belt.
An Abandoned |
Old Fighting Ditch/Trench |
Traditional claims on land are supported by the planting of pandanus trees and cordyline plants and some of the fighting Wopa mentions is over land. Evidence of gardening and ditches are also a means of establishing clan and subclan ownership. Warfare has therefore played an important part in present day land claims and tenure. The most effective claim for land tenure is planting trees, digging ditches, and building fences.
Wopa’s kin groups are loosely defined, according the ruru and –repaa. The former is a collection of at least two generations of collateral male kin, their wives and children. The latter consists of a family, i.e. a husband and wife/wives, and their children which have the potential of becoming a ruru. All of Wopa’s land has been allocated and claimed along these kinship lines, sometimes linked across widely separated areas due to the movements of the ancestors. His descent is reckoned through the male lineage with priority to the eldest male if there are brothers. In Wopa’s generation, all cross-cousins are called by the same term but are terminologically different from siblings. His parallel cousins are the same as his siblings and those of the same sex have one term for the male and a different one for the female. However he would use a single reciprocal term for his siblings of the opposite sex.
Kewa |
Marriage is exogamous to the clan and Wopa married outside his clan into the Wabi area, some eight miles away. His wealth was exchanged and negotiated by his father, uncles, or brothers of the bride with the woman’s father or brother. The display of bride wealth includes pearl shells, pigs, salt, indigenous oil, axes and knives and cash. Although Wopa’s clan did not exchange cassowaries, some groups do. Josephine’s clan were responsible for the exchange of reciprocal gifts and their negotiation and acceptance were pivotal in the marriage. Some of Wopa’s uncles were involved with polygynous marriages, although now most marriages are monogamous and take place within the tradition of exchange and the contemporary validation of the church. Josephine, as a new bride, was expected to live and work with the mother-in-law while Wopa prepared a house and cleared land for gardens.
Wopa’s family lived together in a house, once their household unit was established but, as mentioned, many adult male members of the households spend considerable time in the men’s houses as well. If Josephine and Wopa had gardens some distance from the central parish locale, then they would build a temporary house there.
Children Playing |
Wopa’s children were raised by Josephine and aunts until they were 8-10 years. Rarely are any children subject to physical discipline. They have no kone (responsible thoughts, behavior) until they are 6 or so and, since they may die at a young age, the parents would be remorseful if they had punished the youngsters. Young boys in the men’s house are expected to be quiet and listen to the talk and tales of the elders. All young children learn how to interact in the culture by observing and listening.
Wopa’s area is part of a census division and certain parish districts are identified for the census. Wopa’s group elects their village leaders, one of whom, as councilor, represents the people to the Local Government Council. In Wopa’s letter the councilor is generally named as Kirapeasi, a man who helped me as a translator for many years. He is part of a Council that attempts to set and collect taxes, as well as have some responsibility for roads, aid posts or health centers, schools, give agricultural assistance and the like. In the case of Usa, the roads were often poor and the health center unoccupied.
Ropasi |
Ropasi |
Traditionally, the `big men’ were responsible for their clan groups. Wopa’s uncle (Ropasi) was the leader for many years and became prominent through competition in exchange ceremonies, warfare, and the possession of goods. Each clan has at least one `big man’ who is expected to represent the clan. There is no broad based concept of tribal or group leadership that extends beyond the parish, although influential men like Ropasi were known over a wide area by virtue of their church relationships and other alliances. Both the government and the churches have their appointed `big men’.
A Usa village magistrate serves the government and arbitrates lesser cases, but anything which cannot be settled or which is considered major is referred to the government court. Courts are located at the provincial, district, or sub-district headquarters: Mendi, Kagua, Ialibu, or Erave. Severe matters, such as murder, are dealt with by Supreme Court judges on their tours through the Highlands.
In the case of tribal warfare the district police are called in to maintain law and order. However, for local disputes the village magistrate is the first court of appeal. Traditionally, most conflict was resolved only by prolonged negotiation and compensation, and suicide is not uncommon. Wopa, however, maintained peace by virtue of his strong Christian stand and commitment.
Baptism at Wabi |
In fact, at least 80% of the Kewa population call themselves Christian, and most are baptized members of the Catholic or Lutheran churches. Wopa was a Lutheran and a lay-pastor for the Malue congregation. Other denominations in the Kewa area are: Evangelical Church of Papua, Wesleyan, Bible Church, United Church, Nazarene, Pentecostal, and Seventh Day Adventist. Of course, some Kewas are uncommitted or traditional animists and within the churches syncretism is not uncommon.
Coexisting with Christianity is the widespread belief in and acceptance of sorcery. Wopa dealt with such problems on a regular basis. However, the traditional men’s cults had disappeared, along with their associated secret languages and ceremonies. Nevertheless, there is widespread fear of both the power of sorcerers and the power of ancestral ghosts.
Traditional Kewa |
A belief in one supernatural being was widespread, often based on an interpretation of the sky-being Yaki(li). Wopa and other church leaders believed that Yaki was an acceptable name for the Jehovah of the O.T., but many denominations did not agree. They associated the name with ancestral spirits that could be particularly malevolent if not appeased properly. The most powerful spirits traditionally were those associated with various curing ceremonies. At a lower level, but still feared, are the nature spirits.
Wopa and his village took part in exchange ceremonies that provided social cohesion, especially the large festivals that culminate in the killing of hundreds of pigs. With the advent of roads and accidental deaths, large compensation gifts are negotiated by the government. Churches have incorporated various special days and meetings into village life.
A few traditional musical instruments, the jaw’s harp, drum and flute, were made. In some areas panpipes are also used. Wopa played the guitar and men use drums for many church occasions. The Kewa people excel in body decorations for special events, painting their faces with intricate colorful designs and for this reason Wopa requested paint for the NT dedication. At such occasions, wigs are decorated with beautiful plumes from birds of paradise, parrots, cockatoos, cassowaries, and other birds.
When Wopa became seriously ill he was treated at the Mendi hospital, as was his wife earlier. Traditionally illness was attributed to the breaking of social taboos, such as incorrect preparation of food, not observing sexual abstinence at certain times, or not showing respect for the dead ancestors. Remedies were then provided by healers and other experts, often using traditional herbs (such as ginger) and medicines and their efforts were often in conflict with church leaders. Today, although there are aidposts, health centers and hospitals throughout the Kewa area, Wopa found it difficult to get help when he was badly wounded with an axe.
Wopa was one generation removed from his uncle Ropasi, who was largely responsible for the introduction and growth of the Lutheran church in Usa. Both men died at a young age but their influence and importance cannot be overestimated.
Appendix B
Our involvement with the Kewa
In the early 1950’s, the first government patrols visited the Kewa area. The Erave station was established in 1953 and the Ialibu station in 1955, but it was not until 1957 that the Kagua station was begun.
Our House in Muli (1960) |
Joice, Kirk & Karl (1961) |
Our House in Muli (1960) |
Joice, Kirk & Karl (1961) |
In August 1958, Karl and Harland Kerr visited the Southern Highlands to investigate allocations in adjoining languages, the Kewa and Wiru. At that time most of the Kewa area was classified by the government as `restricted’. The government officers at both Ialibu and Kagua stations in the East Kewa (EK) dialect suggested that we allocate in Muli, the nearest derestricted Kewa hamlet out of Ialibu, some four hours hike from the station. In October, we moved to Muli and commenced language learning monolingually. We lived there until our first furlough in 1963. During our furlough in 1963-1964, Karl studied linguistics and anthropology at Cornell University and was awarded the M.A. Upon our return to the then Territory of New Guinea in 1964, Karl was elected SIL’s Associate Director, necessitating their residency at Ukarumpa, SIL’s field headquarters. Australians Kevin and Margaret Newton were assigned to study the East Kewa language and they moved to Muli in 1964. They did some preliminary linguistic and translation work.
However, in 1966 Karl was offered a scholarship to study at Australian National University (ANU). Rev. Norman Imbrock of the Lutheran Mission, who had been stationed at Wabi in the West Kewa dialect area since 1959, invited us to live in this dialect. In 1967 we moved to Usa, by road some 40 miles west of Muli and about miles from Wabi. Karl’s studies at ANU involved writing a dissertation on the Kewa grammar and studying the dialects of Kewa. We spent time in the Kewa and Canberra areas for most of the next three years.
The Newtons resigned from SIL in 1968 because of SIL’s stated goal to work with all missions, including Catholics. SIL did not replace the Newtons with another team in the East Kewa dialect. It was hoped that the West Kewa literacy and New Testament materials would be suitable for both dialects, but that has not proven to be possible due to the reading difficulties caused by differing linguistic word forms.
Our Usa House – With Helpers
|
We then lived in Usa until 1972 when the Kewa New Testament was completed. During that time we also did linguistic and anthropological research and literacy development. All of our language-related activities depended upon capable and dependable help from a number of Kewa people, mostly from the village of Usa.
We have been also been involved in SIL administration and consultant work since 1972. For six years (1976-79; 1983-86) we were absent from PNG and served in the SIL International administration. During this time we taught at several SIL schools as well. From 1986 until the early 1990, we made intermittent trips to the SHP and the Kewa area. Towards the end of 1989, we felt that the time had come to leave PNG after 32 years of service. We were then offered a training administrative role in the PNG Branch but we had already made the decision to leave PNG.
Our Ukarumpa House |
In mid-1989, we were approached by the SIL South Pacific Area Director to head up the SPSIL school. We declined, but with some changes in the administration of the school and with the lack of a Ph.D. available to liaison with LaTrobe University, we later accepted the position for 2-3 years until a designated man could complete his studies. We left PNG the middle of 1990 to begin our new assignment in Australia after furlough, July 1991.
In 1998, when we attended the PNG branch conference, two Kewa men visited Ukarumpa (as a result of mail contact) and asked us to consider helping Wopa and Max to revise the WKNT. We returned to PNG in August of 2002 for 5 months, July of 2003 for 5 months and June of 2004 for 3 months working with Evangelist Wopa Eka of the Lutheran Church and others on the WKNT revision and with Rose Poto [Lomba] and others on an adaptation into East Kewa (EK). The WKNT revision was dedicated in August of 2004 and the EKNT in July of 2005.
A Report On Our Time in PNG (2002-2004)
For the reader to better understand the revision process I have included a summary of the work done with Wopa Eka, Kenneth Wama and Robert Yomo during our first stay in PNG. Wopa, as mentioned, was a lay-pastor and evangelist with the Lutheran church, Kenneth an ex-catechist from the Catholic church, and Robert was an 11th grade high school student whose classroom work was cut short when his school in Mendi closed due to problems (He later finished high school and is now a policeman). He visited his father at Aiyura (near Ukarumpa) and helped with checking and picture captions, as well as some book introductions for the New Testament.
During our first visit of 5 months we completed two entire readings and corrections of the NT. Wopa then went back to his village to arrange for village readings and more checks after we sent him additional materials. I have attached a summary of the stages we went through on the revision—it should show why translation work is not a quick and easy task.
Stage I
- Wopa and others read and correct the 1973 typewritten published version of the Kewa NT, making hundreds of changes, such as:
- Spelling, so that proper names conform more to the Tok Pisin Bible
- Modification of key-terms, such as Kingdom of God, Messiah, prophet, disciple, etc., to Tok Pisin common usage, e.g. disaipel for disciple
- Simplification of longer and more complex sentences
- Stylistic changes that represent how Kewa is currently spoken
Stage II
Typesetting |
Joice and I read—word by word—the computer version (prepared by SIL in 1985 after we let) and compared it with the 1973 published version. We find thousands of errors in the computer version, such as:
- Misspelled words (one typist seems to have been dyslectic)
- Verses, periods and lines (even half a page) missing
Stage III
- We keyboard the corrections using ParaTExt, a program developed by SIL and the Bible Society
Stage IV
- We print a revised version of all the NT books for the Kewa men to read and correct
Stage V
- We keyboard the corrections from Stage IV.
Stage VI
- We print the next version for Kewa village people to read and make further corrections.
- This will be done in the village after we leave and corrections will be mailed to us.
Stage VII
- We keyboard the “final” corrections from Stage VI.
Stage VIII
- We prepare the manuscript of the NT for typesetting, including:
- Preparing book introductions, section headings
Wopa & Robert Reviewing |
Compiling cross-references
- Choosing pictures and their captions, maps
- Preparing an index and mini-dictionary
- Formatting the manuscript for section headings, verses, quotations, etc.
Stage IX
- Typesetting is then done by SIL at Ukarumpa, including:
- Complete layout of NT into 2 columns
- Insertion of pictures, cross-references, etc.
Typesetting |
Adjust alignments according to pictures, hyphenated words, etc
Stage X:
- NT printed in Korea
Stage XI:
- NT dedicated and distributed (July 2004)
Other steps that I haven’t included are applying for funding of the publication, the transportation and distribution of it, and other matters. However, what I have included shows that Wopa and his colleagues were engaged in the long preparation process.
[1] Abbreviations used throughout are: WK (West Kewa), WKNT (West Kewa New Testament), EK (East Kewa), SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics), PNG (Papua New Guinea), OT (Old Testament), TTC (Translators Training Course), YWAM (Youth With a Mission), BELT (Bible Education and Leadership Training), BTA (Bible Translation Associaton).
[2] For more details see my article: “Kewa.” In Terence E. Hays, Volume ed. Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Volume II: Oceania. pp. 114-117. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1991.
Preface
This is a story about Wopa Eka, who was born in the hamlet of Usa in 1967 and died on May 6, 2013 at Mendi hospital. As I have read Wopa’s letters or emails about him, I have often had to lay down my pen (metaphorically) to grieve, pray and rejoice.
In one email Wopa relates that he played with our son Kirk and daughter Karol (born in 1959 and 1965, respectively), as did a large number of Kewa children that congregated regularly around our house. In another letter, written to Karol in 2000, he stated that he was 34, so he would have been 47 when he died.
Wopa was the primary translator for the revision of the West Kewa (WK)[1] New Testament, and organized its dedication in July 2004. He continued as the lead translator for a team that has worked on the Old Testament, with almost half of it completed before his death.
It is my hope and prayer that other translators will be inspired by the life of Wopa.
Wopa’s hamlet of Usa is home to one main clan—the Nemola—and several sub-clans. His father, Eka, had been a fight leader for his clan and was well known and respected throughout the area. He had battle scars (from arrow wounds) showing evidence of his past warrior-like activities. Wopa inherited his father’s dynamic personality and leadership style.
When Wopa was at Ukarumpa and we were beginning the revision task, it was always refreshing to hear him pray. He would invariably start his prayers with “Good morning Jesus,” then thank him for everything, including being able to sleep like a “dead man”.
In the story that follows, I provide some background on Wopa’s home area and culture. I do so with editorial insertions and with an appendix. His letters and emails, written in Tok Pisin or Kewa, are edited and translated by me. They constitute the bulk of the story, so whenever he or others speak, I have italicized their words. Throughout I have tried to retain some of the original style and flavor of Kewa in the letters, so some of the wording may seem unusual to English speakers.
There are a few things to note in the letters. First of all, Wopa, in the Kewa tradition, recognizes my age and is kind and even subservient to me. He acts like I am the boss when it comes to many decisions about translation, but it is he and the Kewa native speakers who have the final say on what sounds best in the language and it is they who have done most of the work. So when he is thankful and gives me credit beyond measure for my help, the reader should keep in mind Luke 17:10, “So you also when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty’” (NIV). Another relevant verse is 2 Corinthians 3:5: “We don’t have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all that we do” (CEV).
Secondly, Wopa is free with his population figures and I have undoubtedly contributed to the confusion. I reviewed the villages and populations with him in 2002, after the government census came out in 2000, and we calculated about 45,000 people for each of the West and East dialects of Kewa and perhaps another 7,000 in the South dialect. Sometimes, at border areas, it was impossible to know exactly which dialect the people might speak and we would assign a dialect to the village, so the figures are not precise.
Thirdly, there is a lot of repetition in the letters, something which many editors would omit. However, I have not done so because Wopa reminds me of the person who had a visitor at midnight and needed bread, so he went to ask his neighbor. He was at first refused but persisted until, being tired of the requests the friend gave him the bread (Luke 5:5-8). Wopa keeps mentioning some things (his children’s school fees, consultant help, an office, computers, etc.) because he needs help that will benefit the translation project.
But finally, the story is meant to show Wopa as a grateful person; his vision and resourcefulness; his activities and optimism; his faith and his love for the Word of God. Like anyone, Wopa had critics and problems, but his letters demonstrate his motivation and drive. They show a determined and thankful man, one who can encourage and inspire other translators as well.
Karl Franklin
October, 2013
Duncanville, Texas
Chapter 1
Some Background
We lived in Usa, (roughly pronounced OO-SAH, but not named after America) intermittently from 1967 to 1973 and then visited there at least once a year from 1973 to 1976, 1979 to 1983, and 1986 to 1990. During that time we did not have any connection with Wopa that we recall, but from 1998 to 2012 we have had sustained communication, as the letters show. The last time we saw him was at the dedication of the revised West Kewa (WK) New Testament in August, 2004.
Usa is now a village, but when we lived there the name Usa referred to a dance ground and festival clearing, with homesteads and gardens radiating out from it. There were men’s houses and women’s houses and Wopa would have spent his first few years with his mother at her house and then the later part of his youth at the men’s house.
When small, his mother took him with her to the gardens each day and at night he slept with her and relatives in their small rectangular house not far from the men’s house. While his mother and other women planted sweet potato or cultivated them, Wopa and his friends would play on the periphery of the garden.
Men’s House |
Like other young people (boys in particular), Wopa attended the local primary school, which consisted of grades 1-6. Grades 7-12 were done either in Kagua, 15 miles away to the east, or in Mendi, a full day’s walk to the north. Wopa was not able to attend either, due to family responsibilities, so his formal education ended at grade 6. However, he was a persistent and brilliant learner, as his work shows.
I have given a more detailed description of Wopa’s area and culture in an Appendix. It is many years since we lived in Usa and undoubtedly changes have occurred. However, this is how we knew the area at the time.
Wopa first contacted me in 1998 when we were visiting and attending an SIL branch conference. He told me that he and his pastor colleague, Max Yapua, needed some paper, correction fluid, and other supplies. He had lined up some men to work with him on revising the New Testament (NT), which had been published in 1973 but was out of print, and he wanted to talk to SIL about the project. I didn’t think too much about it, figuring it was now in the hands of the Kewa people and that I was out of the picture.
However, on December 12, 2000, Wopa wrote again, and this time he introduced himself more formally. In his letter he used the first name of Gholee, but its origin is obscure. He only used the name for a few letters and after that occasionally G as a middle initial. Max Yapua, who was living near Mt. Hagen town at the time and serving as a Lutheran pastor, accompanied Wopa to Ukarumpa. Max had completed seminary at Ogelbeng (near Mt. Hagen town) and is a brother to Kirapeasi Yapua, who for some years had worked with me as a translator of the WKNT. In an early letter (December, 2000) Wopa wrote:
Hello and a good merry Christmas to you and Joice Franklin. May God bless you and strengthen you and give the two of you peace.
I am Gholee Wopa Eka, son of old Eka and I work as an evangelist. I got word from Max Yapua and he and I have been one time to SIL at Ukarumpa to give my name to Andy Grosh and tell him that I want to revise some of the work of translation in Kewa that is a little difficult. I have worked as an evangelist for 8 years and I have received the K100 [worth US$35] you gave for transportation and for some writing things like pens, correction fluid so we can work in the 6-8 weeks during the Christmas time.
We are short of kerosene, pens and books…Max Yapua works at Hagen so we can’t work at his same place but he gives us good thoughts when he comes.
That is all. Thank you and may God be with you.
Wopa on their Revision Work (January 18, 2001)
I wrote to you on December 12, 2000 and I forgot to say that Simon [a Lutheran pastor in Usa] and I have revised the Kewa books of Matthew and Mark and are working on John and Luke. I have also written to Andy Grosh of SIL at Ukarumpa. Now the two of us, what should we do with this work we have finished? I will wait until you answer.
May God watch after you and the work you are doing. I don’t want you to forget that we need prayer as well.
In a later letter (2001) Wopa summarized some of his background and how he had become a Christian:
Kewa Lutheran Church |
My name is Wopa Eka. I was a person who bought coffee and stole coffee and other things and I went around as an immoral man at night dances and got mad for no reason with others and I was not a good man in the eyes of God and I stayed this way as a tool of Satan and worked for him.
Then one time there was a big conference of the Lutheran church that took place near my own house, so I went and sat at the outside to hear the talk. At this time the Lutheran youth and Sunday School were singing songs and doing dramas and as I heard the songs and watched the dramas I began to cry and I went inside and at this time in March 1993, God called me and at that time and since I have wanted to carry the cross of Jesus and follow him.
I had been a disciple of Satan at that time and now I wanted to become a disciple of Jesus and my desire was to carry out the good news of Jesus inside of the West Kewa language, a group with a population of 50 or 60 thousand. So I want all of you to pray and help me and Karl and Joice Franklin so that we can do this kind of work. I am an evangelist, starting first in 1993, and now it is 2001. It has been 9 years that I have been doing God’s work and telling people about how they can go and live forever in heaven.
Although I have not included the salutations and endings from most of his letters, I should mention that Wopa, like Paul, began each letter with a blessing and prayer from the Lord, often with a Bible verse as well. Typically then, he begins his letter dated May 9, 2001 with a salutation—giving thanks and reminding us that he was praying for us:
Now I am saying good day to you, Joice, Karol and her family. Regarding God’s peace that you have may it also be with you now and forever after and may you be at peace when you get this paper and read it. 2 Corinthians 13:13 (“After the Lord Jesus Christ has given you his good helping way and when God is happy with you stay well with the Holy Spirit filling your livers and stomachs.”) and another is 1 Corinthians 16:21 (“I Paul am sending this talk that you stay well now.”)
Saimono [Simon] Wagalua has also done the work of an evangelist now for 12 years and the two of us translate God’s good news into Kewa. We do this and we ask Kirapeasi to help, but because he is a councilor he doesn’t hear us. His brother Max is a pastor but he is doing his work in Hagen and he can’t help. We do this mission work and God understands what we do and what he gives we will take as his word that is in Matthew and Mark and we want you to look at what we have done. We have also translated Luke and we want to take the West Kewa talk to Ukarumpa for Andy Grosh. Max Yapua said that when we had done that work, he said that we should do more….
Some other news. In Usa, Apopa, Pawayamo, Malue and in places around Kagua the people say they really hear God’s word but that our PNG government is bad. When we work hard and give one kina then they want three. They want a big name and don’t work hard. The government’s ways are bad….
I forgot to say that when translating the Bible now we also have the Bible that you and Kirapeasi did [the 1973 edition] and we take and translate that. I am talking about help from both books [Kewa and Tok Pisin].
May God be with you both. Goodbye father Karl
Usa Karol |
On January 18, 2001 Wopa wrote to Karol Franklin Hardin (in Tok Pisin). The birth place for a Kewa is where the umbilical cord is buried, hence his claim that Karol belonged to Usa. (Actually Karol was born in Lae, PNG, but symbolically she is considered an Usa-born child because she lived her young life there.)
Hello and greetings to you and your family. I remember you well. I remember how we played at the little ground of Yakipita. Your mother Joice and your father Karl bore you here and your umbilical cord is still here. I am 34 years old with a wife and 3 children, all in school. I am an evangelist with the Malue congregation in Usa. All around in the little bush villages we have churches that are full of people and we hear God’s message and we follow him. You have a different kind of skin and language but in God’s word we are one big family and we will all be together in heaven. I want to thank you that you lived in this place and we will wait to see a photo if you send one. It is now 7:30 in the afternoon and I am using the light of the fire, so I will finish and go to sleep. Goodbye and may God watch over you.
Wopa followed up with a letter on January 18, 2001 to include something that he had forgotten to tell me:
Hello and good day to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am sending greetings from my family to yours.
I wrote to you on December 12, 2000 but I forgot to tell you something so I am writing again. Simon and I have finished revising the books of Matthew and Mark in Kewa and we are now working on revising John and Luke and other ones too. I wrote to Andy Grosh at SIL as well. Now we are wondering what we should do to finish this work. I am waiting for your answer.
That is all and may God watch over you and your work. I forgot that we too need prayers as well.
I wrote this, Evangelist Wopa Eka.
Chapter Two
Beginning the Revision Task
Wopa was relentless in telling us about the Kewa translation work, involving us as much as he could. He was also realistic about how long the work would take. On March 28, 2001 he wrote:
Good day to you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord who helps us. I greet your family.
Now I am sending the gospel of Matthew and Mark. You can look at them and if you see mistakes you can send them back and I will correct them again.
Pastor Max Yapua is busy with his work at Hagen. Kirapeasi Yapua is busy with the work of his and Simon and I are still working on correcting God’s talk in the Kewa language. But I don’t know if the two of us are doing good work so you have a look at it.
The two of us are doing evangelistic work using the Tok Pisin Bible and the Kewa book, but we are correcting it. If we have John and Luke and other [books] finished we will send them to Andy Grosh, the Southwest Regional Assistant Director for SIL at Ukarumpa. He knows our address. A big need is prayer for this work. This is not something that can be done in a hurry. There is also garden work, getting firewood and things like that.
Wopa later (May 9, 2001) repeated the news that they had begun to revise the WK NT and had translated and filled two notebooks with revisions of Matthew and Mark and had taken them to Ukarumpa, some two days of travel by road on small buses or trucks.
He wanted me to look at their work. “I don’t know if we have written them well,” he wrote, “but if we haven’t, tell us and we will translate them again.” Wopa was a man of great relational skills and at Ukarumpa he again contacted Andy Grosh, looking for help from SIL and Andy helped him on many occasions. He asked Andy to send me an email in which he talked about the revision work they were doing. He also outlined some of his family needs: mainly fees for the schooling of his children and how he was attempting to help them by selling pigs and doing other things. Of course, we understood the implied message as well—was there something we could do to help? We had been pulled, somewhat reluctantly at first, back into the Kewa translation task.
A couple of months later a parcel showed up on my desk at Dallas. In it were the two notebooks with the revisions of Matthew and Mark. As I looked through the materials I marveled at the work the men had done, but I could also see that they would benefit from some training.
We Deliberate about PNG
By now I was convinced that we should return to PNG to assist Wopa, so one night I cautiously opened the subject to my wife: “What would you think of going back to Papua New Guinea?” I asked. There was a considerable pause, then “That would be interesting,” she said. Not the answer I had expected or hoped for, but not an outright “No” either.
For the next few days she thought it over and prayed, and then came up with three reasons why it would not work: (1) she loved her job and felt that no one else could do it; (2) we were enjoying getting to know our grandchildren in Waco, only 100 miles away; and (3) she was too old! The excuses, however, fell like fog on a misty Highland’s morning. Almost immediately her supervisor found someone to take her job; then our Waco family informed us that they were going to Ecuador as missionaries for four years; and finally my secretary (then 80) reminded Joice that she was just a “spring chicken” and had many more years of service.
So we let Wopa (and SIL) know that I would apply for a PNG work permit and we began our round of necessary duties: physical examinations, with shots and x-rays, raising travel expenses, and so on. On April 5, 2001, we wrote Wopa telling him that we would like to come back to PNG in July or August of 2002 and stay for 5 months. He replied that we would best work out of Ukarumpa with him and whoever else he could find to help because there was on-going tribal fighting in his area and, in addition, we would have no [good] place to stay in the village.
Subsequently, I went through the notebooks with translations of Matthew and Mark. In the meantime Wopa and Max continued to work together, although Max was some distance away in Hagen and could only work with Wopa when he was in Usa. On August 8, 2001 Wopa wrote:
Father Karl, regarding the letter that you sent, I received it but God’s talk that came to you was done by Max Yapua and me. What you asked us to do, we have done it. When we send more to you and after you look at it then we will look at it again and do it like that. When you tell us what to do, send an example to us. Also send what you want to Andy Grosh. We have finished Ephesians and Colossians and are sending them to you.
You said that you were an old man. so I am sorry. It is hard work and takes a long time.
On August 29, 2002 we received a letter from Wopa, reminding us again of his calling to work on the West Kewa New Testament revision. It seemed obvious that God had led him into this work. He provided us of with some personal history and gave additional details:
In 1997 Pastor Max Yapua received a letter from Karl and Joice Franklin and at that time I got their address and wrote back to them and I started to pray for them at that time. The prayer I aimed at the two of them was that they would come back to PNG and help the 50 thousand people of West Kewa in revising the Kewa Bible and helping with literacy and Sunday School for adults. You said there did not seem to be a way but I prayed and my wife was with me in prayer and all the church members prayed that you would leave your place of more than 6000 kilometers and come to be with us.
In 1997 God called me to work with Karl and Joice and I thank him for calling me. So I ask all the friends of you to to make this a prayer point so that we can do our work among the 50 or 60 thousand people.
To an Old Man!
On September 15, 2001, Wopa reminded us again of the translation task and that he and Max were committed to it. I had asked Wopa and Max about some of the terminology they were using and some of the spelling and made some other suggestions, so Wopa responded to that as well:
Hello and good day to you and Joice in the name of the Lord who helps us, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the letter you sent on June 21. Father Karl I got the letter you wrote and sent but the good news that you received was done and sent by Max Yapua and me. Father Karl, what I sent the two of us wrote. In the manner that you say that we should work and send, look at it and send it back to us and then we will follow your talk and do what you say with the papers. Could you please send us some examples of how you want them written. Send them to Andy Grosh. I am sending Ephesians and Colossians to you to look at.
Earlier you said you were really an old man so I am sorry about that. It is hard work for you to look at what you received….
I want some examples and you can send them by fax to the Mendi Post Office. The fax number is 5491025 or 5491383. I got the 100 kina from SIL. Thank you and I want to return by saying may God bless you.
On February 2, 2002 Wopa informed us that he had finished revising the draft of the book of Ruth that I had sent. The draft had been compiled with the assistance of Todd Allman, a computer expert, using his Bible translation program.
I wrote to Wopa on February 14, 2002, reminding him that we were considering returning to PNG in August and suggested some items that he could pray about (money for tickets, a computer, and other things).
Asking for Help (February 20, 2002)
Thank you for the letter you sent that I received on 7 February, 2002. Father Karl and Joice, the talk that you two will come again to PNG is good. Suppose that you say that I should come to Ukarumpa I will come on account of that.
My helper in the work Simono [Simon] Yamo has gone to Moresby city like a stranger. He has not come back. I don’t know who else I will get to help me. I am asking you.
Regarding the work of straightening the book because it is God’s work, when you come back to PNG again in July God will give you strength. Because of that we will be able to correct the New Testament I think.
On the 17th of February I went to Uma to the Catholic church to see what they had done with working in West Kewa. They had tried to work with one of the priests but a crazy man fought the priest again and he went back to America so there is no one at the aid post and help is a long way from them so they are just waiting.
When you and Joice come, bring some books about the fight between Afghanistan and America. Why? We want to pray about that fight and that I can tell the people about it.
Wopa Reports (April 3, 2002)
Thank you for the letter and the K250 that you sent on March 14, 2002. I will meet you when you come to Ukarumpa but I have only a bit of work because Saimono [Simon] Wagalua went to Moresby—should I bring someone else with me?
The translation work that I finished and sent is without the aid of an English Bible. No, I have only the Tok Pisin but I am wrong to not want to read the English Bible too.
There are a number of new words that we should replace the old words with in the revision. Some of the words [changed] are like this:
Tok Pisin Kewa
Tisa mogeriae aa [man who shows how]
Laip bilong man kone wasupa piri aa [man who has thoughts & spirit]
Mirakel napia [not done before]
Tok bilong lo rekena agaa [forbidden talk]
Jisa Kraist Yesu Misia [Jesus Messiah]
Tok moa olsem Agaa yolamonea gupa sa [pulling talk and saying it]
Het man Alu aa [head man]
Abus bilong ofa mena aarinumi miru irisimi [cooking smoke with animals]
Wok gavaman gavaman kogono [government work]
Sipsip sipisipi [sheep]
Ai bilong kot kot na ini agaa na [before the court]
Ai bilong Pailat Pailat na ini agaa na [before Pilate]
These words are for consideration that I am showing you. Prayer point: God is the source of all good thoughts and behavior and he can give me that for my work. Thank you and God bless.
Included was a copy of a letter Wopa sent to Andy Grosh:
Thank you for the K150 I requested and I received it on the 13th of June 2002.
Karl and Joice Franklin have talked about coming back to PNG in August but they have some needs to come to Papua New Guinea, so are they ready to come or not? Ask Karl and tell me again. I am repeating the talk of the Kewapi language people and [many] of them pray that God can help the two of them to come back with SIL in PNG.
Outline on the computer and send me what you write. Ask if the two are ready to come in August or when.
Now I want to share some word from God with you and Karl and his family—1 Corinthians 15:58 (“Because of this I say to my good brothers and sisters: be strong and stand up and do not be afraid. Then do the work of the Lord with strength. If you do the Lord’s work that work will not be lost”). The apostle Paul was telling all the Corinthians in his first letter that the hard work you do for the Lord while you are on the earth will not be lost. Plenty of the Corinthians thought that all of the hard work they were doing would be for nothing. Therefore Paul clarified for them that the work they were doing for the Lord would not be lost.
To Andy Grosh (June 18, 2002)
Hello and good day to you in the name of Jesus Christ who is our helper. Now he is also God.
The old people and some of the smaller children in the Kewa language have a problem with hearing the language well and in August Karl told me he was going to meet me at SIL to revise the Kewa language Bible book so I will come then.
If there is still time I can talk to the young people and try to take care of the things that bother them. There is a big need to help the little children in Sunday School and in confirmation classes as well.
My prayer to God is to send Karl to PNG. I speak for the more than 120,000 [?] people of the Kewa language with the prayer that God can help us. God puts workers in different places to help his church.
When Karl comes to PNG please tell me and I will come to SIL. Thank you for being with me and God can bless the work you are doing to help God’s church. Greetings to you and to all of your family members.
Wopa continued to communicate with Andy Grosh as well and on June 26, 2002 he wrote to me again. (As I mentioned Wopa is sometimes free with his population figures—there were not 200,000 Kewa speakers—he may have meant 20,000.)
I have finished the book of Ruth and am sending it to you. Whether it is good or not, I don’t know, so have a look at it.
When American has fights we call to God in prayer that it will help you and that you will all live well. Matthew 7:7-8 (“Jesus said this: On account of your praying to God, he is able to give you [what you ask]. When you look for something you will be able to find it. When you rap at the door God will be able to open the door for you. Everyone who prays to God will receive things. People who search for things will see them. The person who knocks at the door, God will open it for him.”) We follow God’s talk like it is there.
On 12 October, 1998, my father Eka died and his old wife also died on March 3, 2000. Yapua, Ralama and Koberea, those three old men are also close to dying.
When they complete the Agula bridge, the Ipiae and Rakenda road to Mendi that we go on will be ready for cars and all of the people can go on it well.
I am doing the work of an evangelist and teaching God’s work. There about 120 people, including children, that I teach but whether they believe or not I don’t know. It is God who really knows. Jeremiah 1:4-10 [where God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet].
My wife is from Wabi so she has had two children there. The first girl and the second boy are in school. The third and the fourth child are not in school.
In Mendi there is a fight going on and 76 people have been killed. I haven’t heard if it is still going on. Pray that there will be help. Now regarding all the talk, Father Karl maybe we should do something different with God’s talk. John 14:6 (Jesus said this to him: I am your road, I am the source of the truth and I am source of living forever. I alone am that way and people who search for another way to God will not make it.)
Chapter Three
Our Arrival in PNG
We first went to PNG in 1958 when it was the Territory of Papua and New Guinea and was under the colonial administration of Australia. Port Moresby, the capital, had not yet become the large city of contrasts. It harbored citizens from many Provinces (then called Districts) looking for work and getting into trouble if they could not find it. But, at that time, probably no one from Wopa’s area would have visited any of the coastal towns. especially Port Moresby.
We flew from Moresby to Lae, then to Kainantu in the Eastern Highlands, the closest town to Ukarumpa. From there we went by road to Ukarumpa. While in Lae, staying at the Lutheran guest house, we learned that the mission was opening up two new areas in the Southern Highlands, the Kewa and the Wiru. We became interested immediately in the area because, young and naïve as we were, a new and somewhat isolated language area was what we wanted.
So in August, 1958 we began living in the hamlet of Muli and studying East Kewa, an area that had recently been “derestricted” by the Australian government. Muli was 15 miles by trail from the government station at Ialibu and some 40 miles or so away from Wopa’s area. We studied that dialect until we left on furlough in 1963, returning to PNG in 1964. It would turn out to be providential to know that dialect.
After a couple of years in administration we returned to language work, but this time in the western Kewa village of Usa. Another SIL team had taken our place in Muli—they later resigned—and we decided to study the somewhat different western dialect. Wopa’s uncle, a respected leader named Ropasi, invited us to live in his village and, with the support of the Lutheran missionaries at Wabi, we began living there in 1967. It was during the following years that we would have first seen Wopa amongst the other Kewa children.
We were in PNG in 1975, on September 16, when Independence Day was first celebrated. I was then the SIL director and had taken part in the local celebrations. There had been such hope—a PNG flag, a song, and bright people making moving and promising speeches. Now, however, the infrastructure and economy were in shambles due to greed and corruption, with multinational companies exploiting the country for gold, copper, oil, timber, fish, gas, and anything else they could find. The results were not good: fighting, perpetual demands for compensation and endless social problems were widespread. It was obvious that unless the mercy of God prevailed in the presence of godly men, the future was bleak indeed. Wopa was living in the midst of this chaos and rejoicing in the work God had given him to do!
Now it was finally time for us to leave for PNG again. We arrived there on August 12, 2002, having spent 32 years there previously.
The Revision Work Begins
By August, 2002 we were in Ukarumpa and, prior to Wopa’s arrival, I had met two Kewa men, David Paisalo and Jack Rema, who came regularly to help me. Both were visiting relatives at the nearby Aiyura Agricultural Station. Wopa later conscripted both to join the revision team.
Once Wopa and Robert Yomo (his nephew, whose father was a security guard at the Aiyura Agricultural Station) arrived we reviewed our goals for the next couple of weeks: preparing materials for the front and back of the NT, book introductions, reading through printouts for spelling errors, and so on. We took the introductions of the NT books to the translation department and discussed them with a consultant. We left them with him and they were approved a few days later.
Joice continued to type the back matter and footnotes while Robert and Wopa continued with ‘final’ corrections. Sometimes it seemed that Wopa was ‘overzealous’ in his revisions, finding various ways to say something—there are always several different ways to say the ‘same thing’ and he was a genius at finding them. But there was no doubt about Wopa’s interest and ability in examining the nuances of a verse or passage.
Joice serving a meal |
Wopa and Robert continued to read and make corrections while I was busy preparing for a storytelling workshop to be held in the Sandaun Province. Joice was also full of activity: besides entering corrections on the computer, she served meals and snacks, and looked after everyone. Wopa reported that in the Southern Highlands Province there were no effective government services, due to election corruption and local problems. He was anxious to get the revision completed and get back to his family. I don’t think either of us realized that it would be two years before the revision was completed.
Wopa was enthusiastic about Bible translation and the future. For example, the morning he arrived he wanted to talk about a recruitment video that would enlist the aid of support workers. And during that day and throughout Wopa’s stay with us at Ukarumpa, Kewa visitors kept appearing with Wopa.
By September 18, 2002 Jack Rema and Wopa were working on I Corinthians as well as the Gospel of Mark. Jim Henderson had set up ParaTExt for us, so corrections were much easier. However, when I went to a seminar on the software, I came away in a daze—it was much too fast for me. I gave Jack K40 and Wopa K50 for the week, which was in addition to their lodging and food supplies, travel expenses and other incidentals. I needed a break to reflect on what we were doing and how we were doing it. (I wasn’t worried about how Wopa used the money—he would always give me an account of his spending and also let me know what additional things were needed.)
On the 27th of September Wopa and I spent part of the morning in the SIL technical studies office with a senior literacy consultant discussing ways that SIL training and literacy could assist with the Kewa program. Wopa wanted booklets, books, courses and a literacy program among the Kewa. Unfortunately for the Kewa people, nothing ever came of the literacy help that he needed. He was also interested in a pursuing a program that YWAM had developed that would help the people know how to use their New Testaments.
On October 3rd Wopa was ready to return to Usa. He said that he was going home with four prayer points 1) work on the dictionary I was revising; 2) the NT revision; 3) that Karl and Joice would return in 2003; and 4) that the OT would be translated. He also would visit villages and denominations in the Kewa area, including the Catholic Bishop in Mendi. He also wanted to bring someone from Sumi (a major Catholic station) when he returned in November.
This was typical of Wopa. He believed strongly in prayer and wanted others to join him in the work. He reasoned that if he could get someone from the Catholic station, it was more likely that they would use the translation (as they had the original edition).
I should mention that it was not a simple matter to get from Usa to Ukarumpa and back. It required Wopa to pay for a vehicle from Usa to Mendi or to walk, which he often did, for 6 hours. Then he had to find a Public Motor Vehicle (a van or truck, called a PMV) going to Hagen, two to three more hours by road. He would stay overnight in Hagen with some relatives, then depart the next day for Goroka, another four hours to the east. If he was lucky he could get a PMV from Goroka to Kainantu by midday or late afternoon. It would take him two hours to get to Kainantu but he still was not at Ukarumpa, which was some eight miles off the Highlands highway. Once at Ukarumpa he had to find someone to take him to the National Translators’ Lodge and then find some food. It would have taken him two days one way and cost at least K80-100 each way. He did this numerous times, as his letters show.
By early October we had printed out Matthew, John, Romans and I Corinthians and Joice had read through Luke and Mark, as well as made corrections on the computer. Wopa was up to I Timothy but October 3rd was his last day. We were finding changes regularly for the spelling of proper names, which now followed the Tok Pisin Bible; incorporating more Tok Pisin loans, such as plet (plate) for kopo and bot (boat) for ipanu. Some of the previous loans were now respelled and a number of key terms were modified. We also rearranged some of the topic and subject markers and were more consistent in the use of question markers. On this same morning we had visits by four Kewa men from the West Kewa area, none of whom could read. They all knew Wopa and wanted to know more about what he was doing.
In the mail that day we received an “Evangel Cube”, an evangelistic tool sent to us by a friend. Wopa was pleased with it. “We learn by watching,” he said, “not by taking notes or reading instructions from a book.” Once he saw how the cube could be used he knew that he could replicate it.
Wopa Contacts an East Kewa Speaker
Sometime earlier during his first stay, Wopa had met Rose Poto, a young woman from the East Kewa who was a secretary at the Ukarumpa Primary School. She had seen our picture with all the other translators in the foyer of the main office and she noted that we had worked with the West Kewa people. “I cried,” she said, because she wanted the NT so badly in her own dialect. The enthusiasm of Wopa for the Word was contagious and Rose started prodding us on how they, the East Kewa, could have the God’s Word.
Joice and I had spent five years in the East Kewa in the village of Muli from 1958-1963 and learned her dialect. So we began thinking and praying about how we could help with the East Kewa translation—but that is a later story.
Wopa was returning home again so we gave him travel and accommodation money and had our final break-up party on October 4th, 2002, when Joice served a great meal of Mexican dishes. Wopa had a word for us from Psalm 121 (“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth”) and we ended the evening by praying for his safe travel back to the village. It was a long trip. He went to Goroka with some Wycliffe Associates people, then relied on public transport back to Hagen, Mendi and finally home.
Wopa Tells a Story (2002)
After our return from PNG and Australia in 1994, we were living in Dallas when I had been appointed International Training Coordinator and then Vice President for Academic Affairs for SIL. These assignments took up my time until 2001. In 1999 the SIL international conference had adopted a resolution that called for all language groups that desired a Bible translation to have it begun by 2025. I became interested in storytelling as a general strategy for small language groups and had studied and worked on the matter. In 2002 and 2003, while in PNG I led one-week pilot workshops in the Sandaun and East Sepik Provinces to try out my ideas. So it was natural for me to outline some of the benefits of Bible storytelling to Wopa. A day or two later he came to me with his variation of “the lost sheep”, only it was a lost dog, a prize hunting dog. His story went like this:
A Kewa man had to go to a far off village so he asked the men in his village to look after his dog. However, when he returned several days later the dog was missing. And no one knew (or would tell) where the dog was. The man looked around and heard some faint cries from a dog somewhere. He followed the sound and found that his dog had fallen into a latrine—a large hole that was filled with [you know what]. But the man climbed down into the hole and got the dog out and cleaned it up. Then Wopa’s punch line: “You know were were all in the muck like that until Jesus pulled us out.”
He went on to make a number of points, but I will always remember how dramatically and enthusiastically he told that story. He continued to tell stories and find analogies within the Kewa culture, just like Jesus would have done.
Wopa Brings Kenet to Ukarumpa (2002)
Wopa then returned to his village but came to Ukarumpa again in November and stayed from the 4th to the 25th. This time Wopa showed up with Kenet Wama, a former Catholic catechist. We settled them into the translator’s dormitory and the next day Wopa arrived with his calendar to show us what he had been doing while he was gone. He had been involved in a wealth of activities—visiting villages, speaking in churches and meetings to let them know that there would be a dedication of the revised NT in 2004. After their arrival we worked long days reading and correcting the first edition of the NT.
Kenet, although an intelligent man, had somehow been involved in the burning of a Catholic priest’s house at Sumi, so he had problems in that area. His first problem at Ukarumpa was to come down with what he said was malaria, so he needed treatment at the medical clinic. However, the blood test was negative, and once Joice got him involved in looking at the covers of other NTs, maps, pictures, and so on, he responded quickly. He and Wopa would make joint decisions on such matters. We also worked out a payment schedule for their efforts, including money for accommodation, food, and incidental expenses (called “pocket” money).
By November 21, 2002, the men had pretty well completed their first draft revision of the NT and were now concentrated on finding pictures that they thought would help hearers better understand the stories. Joice and I had been in PNG about four months, mainly working on the revision, although I took a trip to Port Moresby to meet with BTA and the Bible Society to try and get a copyright release from them regarding the first edition of the NT. Plans were for the Bible Society and Wycliffe USA to sponsor the revision, so I needed to get some official assurance that this was OK.
Chapter Four
Anticipating Future Work
I also decided to go over the stages of the revision that we were doing with Wopa, Kenet and Robert. I wanted them to see all that was involved in the process and that we were not done. In Stage I, the men had read the 1973 edition, resulting in hundreds of changes, which I summarized as: 1) spelling changes so that the proper names conformed to the Tok Pisin (TP) version of the NT (published by the PNG Bible Society in 1989); 2) modification of key terms like Kingdom of God, Messiah, prophet, disciple, apostle, and others; 3) simplification of long complex sentences; 4) stylistic changes, such as using the TP ‘o’ to represent the Kewa equivalent of ‘or’, which involved complex forms, palo or yapalo at two different places in the sentence.
Stage II, involved keyboarding all of the corrections for errors found; Stage III was printing out all the revised books of the NT so that the men could read and correct them; Stage IV was keyboarding the corrections from Stage III; Stage V was to printout several corrected versions and send them to villages for reading and further corrections; Stage VI was to keyboard the corrections from Stage V; Stage VII involved preparing the manuscripts for typesetting. This meant that the following had to be completed well beforehand: book introductions; picture selections and captions; section headings; references; footnotes; and maps; Stage VIII involved working with the typesetter to approve layout, insertion of pictures and maps, alignments and hyphenation. Wopa was not deterred at all by that remained to be done.
November 25, 2002 was the last day of work for Wopa and Kenet, so Joice prepared a meal for them and Rose—meat loaf, corn, beans, carrots, and baked potatoes, ending with pudding, fruit and ice cream. Wopa gave a speech on how well Joice had taken care of them.
We saw Wopa and Kenet off on the 26th at 6 am when the aviation bus picked them up. However, they didn’t leave until 8:30 because another plane set to depart for the Sepik was found to have two passengers with supplies of marijuana. The police had been tipped off and were there to apprehend the men and their ‘cargo’. Wopa had a number of observations and a story about that!
We had worked out a schedule: typesetting would begin the end of September, 2003, after we returned the next year. In the meantime Wopa would need to complete everything (corrections from the village, etc.) and return them to us in the US by June. We would return to PNG in early August and be there for typesetting in October and November. The typeset manuscript would then go to Korea for printing and be ready for dedication in July of 2004.
We left Aiyura for Port Moresby on Monday, December 9th, 2003, after being royally farewelled by Yomo, Robert, David, Evelyn, Rose, and another son of Yapua. We had gotten to know all of them as a result of our work with Wopa.
Wopa continued on the revisions and on January 15, 2003 reported:
Thank you for all the work you gave me and now I am sending some of it back to you again. It isn’t just you who gave me the work but Papa God so I thank you.
Jack Rema has been correcting Romans and Kenet Wama has checked 1 Corinthians and I have been checking the other books. I haven’t sent you Luke, Acts, and James. When you have worked through these books, send them back.
Here in West Kewa there is a big dry season and the sun has dried up all the sweet potato in our gardens and we are hungry now.
While we were in Ukarumpa the clan of Kenet killed a man from Puti and they are demanding 100 pigs and K1,000 compensation but I don’t know if his line [clan] will give that or not.
With this big time of hunger, it is hard to get all the church groups together: Catholics, BMC [Bible Missionary Church], Nazarenes and others to help with the corrections. I tell about the work of revising the New Testament and some of the people are happy to hear about it and others ask if we will go inside the Old Testament as well. I say it isn’t done yet so I don’t know. They also ask me about song books for the West Kewa people.
At Christmas I showed pictures by using the Evangel cube and the people were really happy to look at the pictures and hear the stories.
I am putting eight letters inside this one and you can help me by sending them. One is going to Germany and others to Karol and [others elsewhere].
Corrections Arrive in the US
On January 30, 2003 I received corrected versions of 9 books that Wopa and others had done: Matthew, Mark, John, I and II Peter, I, II, and III John, and Jude, as well as one book by Kenet (I Corinthians) and one by Jack (Romans). Wopa sent handwritten copies of the introductions to several NT books on March 16, 2003, which I received on April 3rd (as well as revisions of Ephesians and Galatians).
I am sending a good day in the name of Jesus to both of you. May God’s peace be with you both and with your children. I pray strongly that God will help you and that you will live well. My family also say good day to you. I am sending these papers to you: Introduction to Matthew, Introduction to Mark, Introduction to Acts, Introduction to John, Introduction to Romans, Introduction to 1 and 2 Corinthians.
More News—April 27, 2003
Here in West Kewa we are praying to God about the fight between America and Iraq. We want God to fill you with his peace. I pray too for the two of you and for your family members.
I am sending you some of the introductions to the Good News and if it is done well you can use them. Now I am sending some others as well.
Wopa &Kandipia |
I have four children and if you and Joice are strong enough I can give one of them to you two to look after. The eldest, Evelyn, is 13 years old, Malakai, a boy, is 9 years old, Kandipia is a boy and he is 6 years old. Epe Nogo is a girl and she is one year and 6 months. If that is okay with you it is okay with me is well.
I corrected all the printed matter and sent them and now they are all done well but if they need a little correcting that you can do well.
When I went from Usa to Mendi I wasted K60 on transport and food to go and come and buy stamps. When we are at Ukarumpa we can talk about it.
Wopa Involves Others
I next heard from Wopa again on June 16, 2003 when he told me that he was still trying to involve others in the translation work and visits he was making to prepare for the dedication next year:
God can work with us on the translation because he is the source of this work. Here in the West Kewa I have gone around to many areas and told about the translation work to revise [the NT] and the people are happy about the work. Some are not with us? Why is that? I think that the BTA people should come and make them a little aware in West Kewa. I took some of the printed matter and showed it to some people and they looked at it and were very happy.
I have marked out 9 men to be on the translation committee:
- Two men from the Catholic church
- Two men from the Lutheran church
- One man from the BMC church
- One man from the Nazarene church
- One man from the United church
- One man from the New Apostolic church
- One man from the Fellowship church
I still think we must have one little house for our office. There is still a lot of literacy work to do. We have started to do a little here but there are a lot of places that should be started sometime next year. The West Kewa is a big area in PNG with more than 50,000 people.
Chapter Five
Wopa Visits Other Kewa Areas
Wopa went to Ukarumpa in September 2003 and on the 12th of that month sent a detailed report of all the places he had visited and people he had seen—it was a remarkable trip. Wopa was relentless in inviting other churches and denominations to the dedication that would be held in 2004. He also related an attempted theft and assault.
The typesetting work [the preliminary work] is done and I left SIL and went home. I got a PMV and went straight to Mt. Hagen at 6:30pm. Then a thief held me up with a knife that he pointed at me and he got my cash money of K85 and I fought with other thieves but they could not get my handbag. They took the handbags from a lot of the other people and other things too.
Later I went to the house of a West Kewa man and told him about the translation and NT and the committee and they were happy to hear this story of mine. The next day I went to the Hagen bookshop and took a carton of NT to them.
On September 14 I went to worship with Pastor Jerry at the Imu Nasarene church and told them about the WK NT and they were one with us about it.
On September 23 I went to the Maluae Parish of the Lutheran church for Bible study and wanted to talk about the NT but their program was full and I did not talk.
On September 25 I went to the West Kewa Lutheran headquarters to talk about the work of translation but the pastor was not there. I left a letter for him and slept there and the next day went home.
On Tuesday of every week I go to the Bible study of the Lutheran’s at Maluae Parish.
On September 28 I worshiped at Awaroanda congregation and talked to them about the work of translation of the NT and they listened well.
On the 30th of September I went to the house of Kete and Besa Ralama and told them about the translation work and all of their family listened and discussed it.
On October 1 the evangelist of Yakipita, Simon Yamo, came to me and we had a talk about the translation work and Kirapeasi joined us for more talk about the NT work.
On October 2 I didn’t have money to pay for a PMV so I walked to the house of Rudupu Amarea and slept there. The next day I went straight to Mendi and to the house of the Bishop of the Catholic church. He wasn’t there so I left a letter and went to see another Father, his name is Fr Peter, and I told him about the work of the NT and that they should send someone from the Catholic church [to the dedication] and he said alright.
Now I didn’t have money to go down to Det [south of the town of Mendi] so I left a letter with Fr Peter for the Ialibu Catholic mission and then in the afternoon I went and stayed at the house of a wantok [friend].
First thing the next morning the 3rd of October I went directly to the office of the United [Church] Bishop but he had gone to Moresby so I found his secretary and told her about the translation work of the Kewa NT and made an appointment so that [the Bishop] could come to the West Kewa NT dedication, just like the Bishop of the Catholic church would do. Then it took me a full day to arrive at night back home.
On October 6th I got pastor Yandowi and Pastor Timon Api together and we talked near the road as I gave a report on the WKNT. They said I should talk at the big Circuit Conference and give a report but that day hasn’t happened yet so I am waiting to give a report to them. And on this day two of the men that I had marked for the committee and they said they supported my need for an office for the translation work and that they would involve others.
On the 12th of October I went to the church of the BMC [Bible Missionary Church] to worship with them and I gave them a letter about the work of the WKNT and the pastor thanked me but I didn’t have a chance to talk there.
It seems that there are not any churches that have worries against the WKNT like there are in other parts of PNG.
On the 14th of October I went to a Bible study of pastor Timon Api of the Lutheran church and he gave me 35 minutes to talk and report about the translation work. There were about 60 or 70 men and two women who heard me talk.
On the 17th of October I went to Kagua and the Karia Catholic mission station. At this time there was a big conference of the Catholic mission and they gave me 10 minutes to talk about the work of translation. They were happy to hear this and they lifted me up and held on to me, just like those who win when playing sports and lift their hands [in victory]. I went and slept at the house of the mother of Yano and the next morning I went to Patrisa’s house and we had two hours discussing the work of translation. And now they have the East Kewa printed matter and they are very aware [of translation].
Then later I went to the father of Rose and made them very aware of the translation work and they were very happy to hear it. This man is one of the leaders of the East Kewa. So I talked about the East Kewa and they were in agreement. Then I walked back to Usa again and it took me one whole day.
On October 21 I went to the Bible study again and they gave me 10 minutes to talk to everyone. Then they had questions for me. Could Dr Karl and I translate some marriage certificates? Some baptismal certificates? And some confirmation certificates too? Now they only had them in Tok Pisin.
Other days I worked on my garden, carried fire wood and did my own work.
Back in the Village
On October 27 the Elementary [School] Coordinator for the SHP came to Usa . On this day many of us worked at the community school in Usa and he came as the director for the four elementary schools including Usa. Others are at Apopa, another at Pawayamo and another at Puti. He said there were 400 in elementary school at this time and everyone hit their hands [applauded] to hear this. The coordinator asked me if there was a translator or if Kirapeasi and I could do translation work. He said you go talk to the advisor of yours and have him supply the materials. He said we should train the teachers in the West Kewa Elementary Schools. After he talked about this I was excited and happy. I know that Papa God has answered our prayers and we can work on this.
On November the 3rd the Councilor Samuel from Puti came to me with Stephen Yala and Timson Komba and we talked about the work of translation and the Councilor said that they were in agreement about the work of translation.
Chapter Six
Trips Back and Forth to Ukarumpa
We had left the US on August 10, 2003 for Ukarumpa. On Wednesday, August 13th we met with Rose, who was already contacting East Kewa speakers with a view to us helping with their NT translation. The next day Wopa arrived and told us about his children and their ages: Evelyn, 12 years old, who was in grade 5; Malakai, 10 years who was in grade 2; Agustine (also called Kandipia), who was 8 and in pre-school; and Epe Nogo, who was 4 years old. Wopa had traveled to Mendi, Hagen, Goroka, Kainantu and Aiyura on 5 separate trips and it had cost him almost 80 kina each time (for which we reimbursed him).
Once at Ukarumpa, we got to work at once: I printed out all the introductions from a separate file and we began to work on them. Kira (our former worker) showed up and told me about all his difficulties and how much money he needed for school fees and other expenses. I decided to pay him by commissioning him to do a draft of Proverbs, which he agreed to do. Kira had come to Ukarumpa because he was visiting the nearby agricultural station at Aiyura. He was also seeing if other people would help him financially. Although I had given him money for incidentals associated with translating Proverbs, it was clearly not enough to satisfy him.
Back at Usa (September 30, 2003)
I am greeting you in the name of our Father who is in heaven. May he watch over the work and give his peace to you.
I am at home and am doing God’s work and because it is him he will watch over it.
When I left home and went there was no car to find along the road so it was hard going. There also wasn’t any vehicle in Kainantu or Goroka and in Chimbu there was a lot of rain and it was hard going for the car to come but God really looked out for me. My family was good at home but Malakai and another boy hit a woman’s pig and I had to pay some money in compensation.
At the Hagen book store and the Mendi book store they said they would take West Kewa Bibles and we could send them there.
Give this prayer point to the SIL people about the West Kewa people. The West Kewa people do not have questions about the translation work. Why is that? Because they are happy about the work and want to see it completed. What I am saying is that God is coming to his people and he will do it.
Also when I go to other places in the Kewa [area] they are sorry for me and say that we have not paid for your transportation, bought your food, or given you money, so we are sorry about that.
A Sermon by Wopa
Sosope (Josephine) |
Wopa continued to preach at his church in Usa. In a letter dated September 2003, Wopa sent me the outline of one of his sermons, using his “lost dog” story as an illustration of God’s grace:
Now I greet you in the name of Jesus on behalf of the West Kewa people I have seen. My family also send a good greetings to you.
Luk 19.10: The son of man has come to find everyone who is lost and to take them back again.
Introduction:
Jesus went to the house of Zakias and he talked about his reason for coming. Whose child was he that he came? What kind of work did he come to do?
Text:
The son of man came to find all people who were lost and retrieve them. It was for all people in all countries in all kinds of languages and with all different kinds of skin. Jesus came to take back all of us. Jesus finds and takes us back so that we can stop in his net bag, in the blood of his own. His father said that it was fine for him to do this kind of work to win back all of us. What do all of you think? We can be happy about it.
First of all here is a story:
A long time ago in West Kewa there was a man who had no wife, children, brothers, sisters, nor no clan of his own. Nothing at all.
However, this man had a dog. Now this dog was like a brother or loving son to him. When he went to his garden, or to the bush, or along the river, or to a distant place, or when he ate the two of them were always together. When he ate it didn’t matter what the food was he cut it and shared it with the both of them. One did not leave the other. Never at all.
However, one time the dog’s owner said this: “My good son. Now I have to leave you and go to a certain distant place. You watch over the house and all of the things we have.” But the dog said, “the two of us should go”. But the father said “just his one time you stop and look after the house.” The dog said “No, I must still go with you.”
The two of them argued and finally the father said, “Please son you stay at the house” and the dog then said that he would stay at the house.
Now on this day the father got up and he went to a distant place, some 10 to 14 kilometers away. Then later the father hurried back to his house. Why? Because he had been gone three days and he wanted to go home.
The dog remained at the house for some time but the father did not come back quickly to the house. The dog slept in the house and then later he went around the house to the edge of the garden to sit down at the toilet and the wood broke and he fell down into a 13 or 14 foot hole. He was really down in the hole. He was in a place to die and it was difficult for help to come outside. He was covered with feces and urine and he wanted to find a way out but, sorry to say, he was not able.
Later after three days the father went back to the house of the two of them. However his beloved dog was not sleeping at the house. So the father started to look for the dog but he couldn’t find him. The father went by the garden and couldn’t find him and he went to the bush but couldn’t find him. He went to the bathing place but couldn’t find him. He worked at finding the dog until his skin pained and finally he worked at yelling and calling for the dog until finally he heard the dog cry out “Uaa” from the hole.
When the father heard this cry his heart swelled and he cried until the water poured down his face. Now when the father went and stood up at the hole and looked down he saw the dog covered with feces and urine and it was so hard for him to get out that it looked like it was the place he would die.
Then the father’s heart was broken and he was sorry and he yelled for the dog and worked to find a way out so that he could have the dog back. He went and got a ladder somewhere and he went straight down into that toilet hole with all its feces and urine covering the dog. He went down on the ladder and got the dog covered with feces but he didn’t care and he carried it on his shoulders on top and went to his house.
He left the dog at the house and boiled hot water in a pot and got soap ready to wash it good and cleanse him and then the two of them lived happily.
Teaching:
You and I are covered with feces and urine and we are marked with this to die. However, the heart of Jesus Christ, son of God, was broken for us and he cried out for us and he came down the ladder from heaven to take us back. He washed us in water that was very costly. It is the blood of Jesus.
The Main Talk:
The son of God came to find and retrieve us. The talk that strengthens this is John 3:17: (“God did not send his son to come and go around dividing us here on earth like a judge. No, He was sent to take us back [to God].”)
Also in 1 Timothy 1:15: (“Jesus Christ came to the earth to retrieve we who are sinners. This talk is completely true and is sufficient for everyone who hears it and believes it. I am sorry but I have been a great sinner and I am like the number one person who has sinned.”)
Last Talk:
Thank you for hearing of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. The mercy of God and the peace of the Holy Spirit can be with you and make all of you live in true peace.
We continued to correspond about the plans for the dedication. Wopa had visited multiple villages and people to tell them of the forthcoming dedication and on January 28, 2004 he reported:
First I want to say good day to you in the name of Jesus Christ. God has given me the date when you will come back again and it has come in that letter. Alright, I didn’t say anything but God is bringing the two of you to PNG and people will be happy. When we want to do that work and work to help people they will say thank you in Jesus name.
I have been traveling around to both the East Kewa and West Kewa places. Because some 50 to 60 thousand people speak the language, I have been telling people in the villages and markets and churches and in all sorts of places about the date for God’s good book of West Kewa. I left my wife and children and for two or three days I have traveled. One day I stayed along the road and it was ten o’clock in the evening before I came to another place. However, as I went around telling about the Kewa New Testament God looked after my children and my wife.
The people said they would build a shelter house and get everything ready and that Kira will help with this work. There will be two days for all the people who come to the dedication to eat and one for them to sleep. Another Kewa boy with the name Usu Raluaeme [whom we knew at the Aiyura National High School] sends his greetings to you. He said that he would see you at the dedication.
The family of Yandowai [our nearest neighbor in Usa] and the wife of Kirapeasi send their greetings.
I told you this before but I’ll say it again: we need red paint and yellow paint to put on our faces for the dancing at the dedication. I will need money for the talk on radio Southern Highlands but I told God and he will help. The West Kewa people have set August 21 as the final day of the dedication. What do you think about that? If you are happy about it, you can tell Kirk. When I went around to make people aware they were all happy to hear me.
I think the dedication will be great. May God give you his peace and look after you.
To Andy Grosh (March 3, 2004)
Wopa also contacted the SIL Regional Director, Andy Grosh, to let him know how the plans for the dedication were going:
Regarding awareness for the West Kewa New Testament I am still travelling around in the West Kewa and East Kewa areas. Radio Southern Highlands has helped me with the awareness and starting on 14 February, they will have awareness of the dedication time. They charge K5-00 for one minute and I talked for 20 minutes and the awareness will go on for 6 months. The radio would also like to show us the office of the South West Region of Mendi. What do you think of that? I read from one copy of the West Kewa NT on the radio in the tokples and they were very happy to hear it and want to buy it. Karl should bring three tape recorders so I can record on them.
On the 12th of August the Catholic Church is holding their 50th year anniversary and the priest will come to Mendi and then to the dedication.
Chapter Seven
The Dedication and YWAM Courses
Wopa continued to organize affairs for the NT dedication, sending us a detailed outline of the impending program by fax. He knew we could only be there for a day, so each hour (and minute) was accounted for. Joice and I summarized the dedication with this letter to our supporters:
Almost 31 years ago the W. Kewa people received the New Testament for the first time in their own language. Since then the language and culture have changed to some degree and the NT has gone out of print. In 2001 a W. Kewa pastor asked us to help revise the NT, necessitating our return yearly from 2002-2004.
The culmination of this process was the dedication of the NT, attended by over 2000 people. Several of our family and friends attended as well. Kirk and his youngest son Samuel (15), Mike and Karol and their baby [Kirsten and Evan stayed at Ukarumpa with friends], Pat Brian, who typed the first edition of the NT, two SIL directors, an MAF pilot who grew up in the Kewa area, Rose Poto, E. Kewa employee at SIL’s primary school, an administrator from the national Bible Association (BTA) and two pilots.
Wopa & Karl “Unchain” the NTs |
First we visitors were given leis before we walked a flower-strewn path with officials from denominations that were anxious for Scriptures and had pledged to work together for the dedication. Groups of singers sang to us along the walk to a covered platform on the soccer field. Wopa Eka, who organized the NT revision, was also in charge of the dedication. He had the privilege of reading from the NT, a passage from John’s Gospel. In addition to the 12 official speakers (including Kirk and Karol in pidgin English, and Karl in Kewa), there were songs and drama. One drama showed men performing satanic rituals before Christianity came. Then the first Lutheran missionary preached the Gospel, urging them to give up their spirit worship, and “Karl” came seeking to translate the language into the Bible.
In another moving drama, several NTs were wrapped and chained to a branch of a “tree”, depicting how Satan had kept the Word from the people, but now it was being freed—at this stage Karl unlocked the chains. Wopa had climbed the “tree” and challenged the leaders of each village, asking them if they were going to read and study the Word. As each responded enthusiastically, “Yes, we will,” they were given one or more copies of the NT. It was indeed a challenging and moving ceremony…
Wopa Organizes a Teaching Session with WYAM
Following the dedication, on September 2, 2004 Wopa reported that YWAM (Youth With A Mission) were scheduled to hold a course in Usa:
Wopa |
Hello and good day from Jesus. It is a great time to help the church and they and I are sending the face and mouth of the West Kewa people to thank you. There are 48 cartons of NTs yet but pray that I can finish selling them and the money from them I will send with YWAM. For three weeks the YWAM group has been holding good studies for the pastors and evangelists and leaders. When we do outreach many people are listening and in agreement and may say that the talk from God is clear when they hear it. Many pastors are saying that we must change according to God’s talk and become new and lose the way of our old insides.
Mark Evans brought K1,400 and we used the money to go from Hagen to Mendi—K650, Mendi to Usa—three times on a little Land cruiser and it was K250 each time. So we scaled out the money like that and now it is all gone.
I forgot to mention the use of the radio channel belonging to the Imu Nazarene church. They are in our area and we can talk on their radio. The channel numbers for 8:30 in the morning and 8:45 at night are: Channel 1 at 3196 and Channel 6 at 7915.
A prayer point: Pray that all the people can read the WKNT well. They can read but they don’t read quickly so the prayer is that God will help them.
Wopa Reports on the YWAM (BELT) Course
The YWAM course was held from August 16-September 2, 2004 but first Wopa wrote about a gift he was sending me:
Father Karl we are sending you a little present. Long ago our ancestors and fathers took this pig tusk and went to the Rimbu house, to Kelekai, Rombake, and Opayo and killed pigs at those spirit houses, decorated the spirit stones with blood and sacrificed to those spirits. However, Jesus came for us and died on the cross for all of our bad ways. Jesus died and got up out of the grave and talked to us in our good language and we are thankful.
Regarding all of that, we want to have the Old Testament in our language and think well about it but now the two of you are old people, so we pray for you.
Take the present and hang it up in your house [it is hanging in my study]. It is like looking at the WK people when you see it. Those of us who have written this are Wopa, Simon, Stephen, Exsodas and Kira.
Regarding the BELT [Bible Education and Leadership Training] course the story is that Tim and Nellianne both did it and all of us were happy about it. Thank you for having the BELT course sent here. We are holding K180 towards the next BELT course.
Wopa to Karol, Mike and Us (October 20, 2004)
Looking at the time of the dedication we see that the two of you and your family came straight to your own village and then go back. When you go back as well we will pray that God will look after you along the road.
Please, I would like one video cassette of the Bible dedication from Mike. There are still 48 cartons of the West Kewa new Testament with me. Later I will go and sell them in Ialibu, Mendi, Poroma and Erave, but I don’t have the money to do that yet. How I will do that is not clear.
We are not finished praising God that his talk has come in the language of our people. Thank you for coming to witness that. There is nothing that we can give you as a present but we want to send God’s talk like a present—John 14:6 (“Jesus told him: I am the road to come on and the basis for true talk and I am also the basis for living always in a new way.”)
Now those of us on the translation committee are thinking like this: Can we stand up a translation office? When we sit down in our little house everything is crowded so we are just asking about this. During November, December and then January and February 2005, I am thinking of teaching people how to read and write. God has given me these thoughts. So I am asking all the people if they want to say yes to me to teach them to read the WKNT in the language.
Last year I took time to go around and do the work of preparing for the dedication and my family was hungry so now I am doing garden work and when that is done I will teach them reading and writing. Now what do you think about us going on with the work of getting the Old Testament translation done?
I have some youth that are going around to churches and doing drama and outreach. We have some drums and tambourines and guitars and we are looking for a keyboard as well. If we had that keyboard we could begin now.
The YWAM course has really helped us. Thanks to God for getting a course like this ready for West Kewa. There is something like a miracle that has happened and many people have repented. But we need more yet because our happy belief is that we are not finished yet.
Another Word of Thanks (November, 2004)
A big thank you to father and mother, the two of you for wasting a lot of money so that all of the family could come to witness the Bible dedication.
Thank you from the West Kewa people for all your support and bringing the reading glasses. The people who got them bless you and God will also bless you more later. Thank you to papa and mama, the two of you, for wasting money so that all of your family could come and witness the Bible dedication as well.
If you see that I have done any wrong please forgive the sin I have done and may God give you peace as we work together. I got your letter at a time that I was ashamed and it is not finished yet because I have not answered all of your questions.
The YWAM group will come back in July [next year], however we lay pastors in West Kewa have a big course that will run 6 weeks. The cost of the six weeks fee is more than K950 per person so we are worried about this and having the YWAM course as well. The [other] course will be held in Mendi and it will start on the 1st of March in 2005.
Now Yandawai, Yomo, Paisalo, Kenoa and others in West Kewa, as well as children, greet the two of you, papa and mama and Kirik and the family of Karol. My little son Kandipia also sends his greetings to the two of you and is happy about it.
To Mike and Karol (December, 2004)
Hello and a happy and merry Christmas day to your family. In August 13th, 2003 you had a good trip to the West Kewa to witness the Bible dedication. It was very nice to see you and your husband Mike but I was very busy and I didn’t talk and smile at you and your husband. I know that God is guiding your children in every way. May God’s shining face shine upon your family and guide and protect and bless you. Sometimes we pray for you and your family and also for Kirk too.
Please Karl when you go and visit I want you to deliver this note for Karol and her family. I wish you and your family a good Christmas day.
Wopa Reports on Finances (February 7 and June 7 2005)
Wopa at NTC Graduation |
Johanna Fenton, who had been an advisor and consultant to Wopa at a Translator’s Course held at Ukarumpa, received a letter from Wopa that had apparently been written sometime earlier. He reported on the money he had received from her (and others) during 2003 and reconciled how it had been spent (mainly for events leading up to and at the dedication). Apparently there had been false accusations about the use of funds.
Yes father Karl and mother Joice. May God watch over you and give you his strength. You have given us K2,100 and we have collected K600 so the total is K2,700. We have used this money as follows:
Payment for hauling the books from Hagen to Mendi K700
Payment for hauling the books from Mendi to Usa K500
Payment for four cartons of books (K35-40 X 4: K144.60
Payment for killing pigs K600
Payment for building the grandstand K100
Payment for some of the small foods K200
Payment for the organization committee (5xK30) K150
Payment for the YWAM teachers’ food K100
Payment for food eaten at the meeting K70
Payment for the loud speaker K110
Some of the little money left over I ate [used]. I am sorry about not giving you an account of the money I threw away on these things. I fear God because he has taken away my sins. Regarding the money for reading glasses, Kenet got all of that.
Our prayer here in the West Kewa concerning the time of the dedication is that lots of people think like this: Many white men have come and given you the WKNT and they have also brought with them a lot of money. And they think that Wopa has fouled all the money so we shouldn’t help them with any money for the work, that is the talk they give. However, we have clarified this for them and they understand and are ashamed now so all of the church leaders are agreed and like to support well the translation project. I think too that a translation awareness workshop in Usa with BTA would help and I will talk about it with Rambai Kerowa.
The clans in West Kewa have chosen some men to be on the translation committee and their names are: Simon Yano, Kira Yapua, John Akepa, Josep Pamba, Pollin Kira, Kenet Wama, Eksodast T and Wopa Eka. These people are from individual churches. They have strong feelings about doing the work of translation but we do not have materials. But now I am going to an evangelism course for 6 months and that disturbs our plans to start this work.
The East Kewa Dedication and YWAM
Greetings to all of you who have come to witness the East Kewa dedication. We are happy and our faith is strong with you. But I am sorry that I cannot witness the Bible dedication. I got sick
East Kewa NT Dedication |
and this sick has been with we for two weeks and it has been hard for me to get about and I can’t come. My family sends greetings with me to you all. We pray like this: Look after Karl and Joice well and give them strength so that they can live well. And then God will give you his work to do well. Our prayers are like that but it is up to God who has made us to live in a new way. My son Kandipia will take this letter to you.
He followed up with a further explanation on July 5, 2005:
I have been sick for two weeks so I could not go and witness the Bible dedication in East Kewa. I had the desire but when I got up to try and walk there [15 miles]. I did not have the strength, so the sick won and I stayed at home.
I was sick and still am but my strength, desire, happiness, belief and my body are with you at the dedication. I gave the book of Proverbs to Kira to take to the dedication and to have a village check.
Many elementary schools in East and West Kewa have been asking me about materials but I have to be sorry that I do not have any materials.
One of the WK translation committee members, a pastor with the Sevende [Seventh Day Adventists] said that we had a lot of work to do in praying and that if we prayed we would get the materials that we needed. Lots of WKNT are in many villages but they have not bought them yet so I am waiting. Kira and some of us think that a dedication in Wabi or in that area would be good but I got sick so we have postponed it until around November.
Now that the two of you are in America in your house, we are also with you so you don’t need to think that you are alone. Not at all. We are all with you.
Darrell Hays, then the Southwest Regional Area Director, reminded Wopa about the need for back translations. Wopa replied that Malachi and Proverbs would be their goals.
Report on the second YWAM course (August 1 2005)
There are not a lot of people at the BELT course. There are 21. There was a fight at Pawayamu so there is heaviness there and they didn’t come. In Usa two men have died and there is grief about that too. In the course we are opening up the Kewa Bible alone and talking about it well. The West Kewa teachers in the elementary schools want you to teach them and help them and so I am telling you this. Many of the people are coming to church and I am happy about them getting God’s talk. At night too we talk about it. I think that we should have a little dedication of the WKNT at Wabi and if God says to do it then I will. I now give my heart and stomach to my mother and father as I say goodbye.
Now we are thinking that the OT will come to our language but the two of you are old now but we are praying for you.
All of those taking BELT course two in Usa are happy about it. There are people from Pawayamo, Apopa, Puti, Ipia, and Kandopa taking part. All of the West Kewa people will be excited and happy because of it.
Is Joice the old woman OK? I want to greet Kero [Karol] so send me her address.
I wanted to go to that East Kewa time when they got their books [the dedication] but I was really sick so I am very sorry about that.
Chapter Eight
Training Courses and a Bible Conference
Wopa and Max Yapua had attended the Translator’s Translation Course Number 1 but It turned out they were not able to go to TTC2. Andy Grosh wrote:
I feel like the real reason behind not having them come to TTC2 at this time is due to SIL’s lack of ability to support them in their work. I could find the money for the course… but I haven’t been successful in supplying any hands-on assistance between courses, and I don’t feel good about trying to teach more if we haven’t done our job to help cement the original learning by practice.
We Visit Ecuador
Snow-capped Andes |
I wrote to Wopa in early October telling him that Joice and I were going to Ecuador to see our family and that we would be gone one month. I also told him that I would be starting to teach a course on Bible storytelling when we returned. On October 8, 2005 Wopa replied:
My mother and father, I am sending this letter to the two of you with praise from my children and family. So I am saying good day to the two of you. I am praying that God will give you strength.
Next year my eldest daughter Epelin (Evelyn) will be in grade 7 and then the school fees will be K300. The second, a boy Malakai will be in grade 4 and in 2006 our third Kandipia will be in elementary prep school. Our daughter Epe Nogo is 4 years old and she will just be with us. God looks well after all of us so we give thanks to him. But Kandipia has been a bit sick. His back has pained and it is still there.
We started with a good BELT course [the first one] and I have written to Tim Bergmen but he has not sent any word back so I don’t know what is happening. I want to go to TTC2 but I don’t know if Kenet will go as well, so father Karl I am asking you [for help to get them there].
I am working well with the people and preaching at church in Usa but God will repay me. The people don’t give me any payment for this but God will repay me later.
Next year in 2006 the West Kewa people have told me to go to Europe [to represent the local Lutheran parish] but they have not given me a date. I have to get my passport myself and look for clothing, shoes, baggage and many other things. I am praying to God so it is up to him. They tell me to go to that place to do church work but they will have to help me find a way I think.
Yomo Robert’s father had a stroke and is at home so could you please look for some stroke medicine and put it in an envelope and send it.
Here in West Kewa at Mendi there has been a lot rain, beginning in July and lasting until October.
Here is a story about our translation work to look at: We are correcting Proverbs and at the same time we try to do the back translation. I thought that Kira would do all of the Old Testament work again. Why? We will all look at the translation after the village check and do the back translation or we can do a word by word translation and also make corrections.
We have gotten everything ready for work. There are like four of us on the committee and I am the fifth, Kira the sixth, but he is on the council and is working on the campaign.
You tell me clearly what work we should do. If there are OT books we should do then you say so and we will do that work.
We are looking for ways to help our translation work with a desk inside a house, a chair or a good house. We have done some work at the school house but there hasn’t been any other place. Regarding having a house [office], I alone have got the grass for it but I don’t think there are other things. Those doing the work are Simon, Stephen, Radala and Vinsent. Those are the 5 or 6 that are doing it.
We have some assignments before we go back to SIL and I have the work of putting it on the computer so they can consult and examine them. What do you think? Father, there are OT books in your computer that we have not village checked and others that we have not read so we have not corrected them. We need to do the back translations for Malachi and Proverbs. It is really good for us to do them by writing on paper but it is underneath [inferior to] the computer.
We want to do the West Kewa translation as a committee but we don’t have the things to do it with so we continue to pray about that to God.
Now I had better go to sleep because tomorrow at 5:30 I will get up and take this letter to the post office but it will be noon before I get there. I pray that God will watch over you and give you strength
Wopa Organizes a Bible Conference
The next time I heard from Wopa was in early November 2005:
From July 19 to the 25th there was a Kagua-Erave conference and at that gathering about 600 people came with their drums. Men and young people came and beat their drums, sang songs, listened to God’s talk, had Bible studies and with their worship really lifted up the name of God. At that time they asked me to do the music and songs. At that gathering many people turned their stomachs to God. At the conference there was a drama of Luke 19:29-37 [the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem]. As Jesus was going into Jerusalem as king two men were like donkeys and they carried the Old Testament books on their backs and because many people gathered at Usa they said Jesus is coming and they waved palm branches and leaves from trees and sang as they lifted up the name of Jesus. There were two boxes of West Kewa Old Testament books that they brought on their backs and they then told all the people to come and get them. When they got them the people and the youth were extremely happy and took them home. In this way they turned their stomachs to God and believed on him. They gave up fighting, doing bad things and said they would follow God.
On September 12th we had a church service outside in Usa and prayed that the people of PNG would repent and had this day for all the people to repent.
Joice Breaks Knee in Ecuador
Wopa at Course |
On December 4, 2005 I wrote Wopa asking if they intended to attend the NTC course. Darrell Hays, then the Regional Director, had told me about the course and that Wopa had sent K250 for fees. By October, 2006 both Wopa and Kenet were at SIL. Wopa heard about Joice’s fall where she broke her kneecap and he wrote:
Wopa at NTC |
Mother Joice has a bad knee and I am very sorry about it. We are praying a lot for her. I bring praise from both the WK and EK people. Here at SIL the people understand and they will send your letter to me. God will look after you and he will pay you back. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (“So, my good brothers and sisters, Stand up really well and don’t be afraid. Do the Lord’s work very well. If you go on doing the Lord’s work, that work will not be lost.”) May God watch over you and give you strength.
In his evangelistic mode Wopa proclaimed:
60,000 of the West Kewa people are thinking of Joice and you and that I and others are extremely happy to be working together on the translation work.
We told Thomas Weber of SIL that he must tell you two that we have not quit thinking about mama Joice and papa Karl. You both are in our thoughts and we are always praying for the two of you. In August or September sometime I will go again to TTC2 and have an assessment consultation check at SIL but I haven’t gotten a date yet to go there.
Wopa closed, as he often did, by greeting Kero (Karol), Maik (Mike) and their family, reminding us that God would look after all of us.
More Village Checking (2006)
Thomas Weber, again the Regional Area Director, sent an email informing me that Erastus (of BTA) had just finished checking 10 chapters of Proverbs with Wopa and Kenet. Kenet was trying to fax his brother (Warea Orapa) in Fiji who said he would support the team with money to buy solar panels. Wopa had written to Thomas saying that they had done the village check and were sending materials for me to check.
On July 19, 2006 I wrote to Wopa to ask about some of the translation work that Thomas Weber had sent. In some instances they had changed things back to the way they had been before the more recent changes! They had also introduced commas throughout some books and had not corrected a number of spelling errors. However, there had not been any consultant help from BTA or SIL, so they were leaving a number of things up to me!
There was another time of hunger from March until October 2006:
We look for wild food from the bushes. At this time the rain and the hunger are killing us so pray for us. Go to your church and pray strongly. Without food from their gardens some of the people have died.
Because there is a great hunger here there we asked for help over the radio but there has not been any money sent.
In regards to the translation work, three men from Ipia have come and those men are working on the book of Ruth and Proverbs and we want to see what kind of work they are doing.
Distributing WKNTs (2006)
A Kewa |
We haven’t received any money from New Testaments but people are reading them and saying to send them. What I have sent, you look at and see if it is good or not. Right now there is no one to check the OT back translation or consult with the work. Alright, our thoughts that if we have a computer and printer then we could do it better. What can we do to get one sent? We don’t have money from coffee but what I do have we could send to you. We are thinking like that. We are
A Kewa |
sorry about that. And then both SIL and BTA say that we must have back translations first of all for Ruth and Ecclesiastes. We have told BTA that we have both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes done. We want to plan together with SIL.
YWAM have not come to run the third BELT course. Why is that? It has been a time of hunger and we think it would be better for them to come in 2007. In 2007 there is a TTC2 course and we will need money for that. But there are three different men who did the TTC1 course.
I have gone around distributing the WKNT but the people have not yet paid me. They are really happy to get the books but we haven’t been paid. And we see that the EKNT are still being held at Kagua.
Regarding people buying the WKNT they hear about it when we say it on the radio and they are very happy to hear about it. Another thing is that on the 13th of November SIL has sent word that the TTC1 assignment on consulting should come to them.
We have not yet put our back translation inside. We are using the computer for printing [out pages] and down below [the words] we can write in [corrections] with a biro [pen].
A report from Wopa on the WKNT Bible books:
1 carton with Kenet at the Sumi Catholic Church
1 carton at the Mt Hagen settlement area
8 cartons at the Mendi Catholic Church area for sale
1 carton at the Mendi bookshop
1 carton at the Wabi Lutheran church centre
1 carton at Kandopa village
1 carton at Uma village
1 carton at Kira village
1 carton at Yanguri village
1 and one half carton at Kagua station
For seventeen cartons I haven’t received money yet. Two cartons I gave out to all the elementary and primary schools in the Kagua area. There are still 30 cartons left with me in Usa. That’s all and if God gives me another good time we will try our best to sell it out and finish it off.
Thank you for the cheque to support translation work in West Kewa dialect:
West Kewa to Mendi, PMV and to cash
the cheque and lunch K32.00
Five days for lunch K41.00
Kerosen K13.00
Envelop K1.00
Stamp K3.75
6 kilo meteric biro and 2 writing page K19.45
K35 to each four persons (Vensent Koyo,
Stephen Pamual Wopa Eka, Ken Rakuna) K140.00
More About YWAM (2006)
Wopa continued to be worried that YWAM would not be holding another course and related this to us on January 14, 2006:
From the year 2005 to now I have written to YWAM, but I don’t know if you got that. We told Tim Barmen’s [Bergman’s] group that they should come. Now in the year they said I should go to Germany but if they have money to buy the passport then I will be able to go. If there isn’t any money, I don’t know what will happen.
Regarding the back translation, first of all we think that I should put it on the computer. Then below the [printing] we can put both the English and Pidgin. That is what we think. We haven’t done any work on the back translation but we are looking at the talk that you sent to us.
On the 14th of September 2005 heavy rain came and for three and four months the rivers flooded and people’s gardens where overcome and we just had a little to eat. Pray about that.
You haven’t sent a letter for some time. Why is that? Letters I wrote and other tables were sent so if you have not seen them I am very sorry.
More about TTC2 and Finances (2006)
I wrote to Wopa on February 11, 2006 discussing the distribution of NTs and asking again about attending NTC2. He replied on April 3, 2006:
Wopa Attending a Workshop |
Father Karl, I am looking for a way to go to TTC2 but BTA and SIL say no and I am very sorry about that. At the SIL meeting they said that new people working [on translation] should come to TTC1 in 2007. They said that we the WK people should find an advocate for 2007. They also said that we should get a radio but we would have to look for money for that. However, God alone, he will do it.
We think that we in Usa can do the translation work but the SIL people wrote that talk and we are listening to it. We don’t know what you think father Karl, but the SIL people told us that.
Subject: Three hundred kina check report:
to Rex Rete K62.50
to myself Wopa E. K62.50
to Vincent Koyo K62.50
to Stephen P. K62.50
PMV from Usa to Mendi for cashing K40.00
lunch K5.00
Stamp and envelops K5.00
Cash total K300.00
In the West Kewa area there are 7 community schools and there many Sunday schools for the 60,000 people and there are liturgies and prayer groups and there are many called in this area to share in this work.
Problems for the Kewa OT Team (June 2006)
There has not been any advisor for the West Kewa back translation of the OT or consultant and they say none are coming now. Now both SIL and BTA say that they have the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes for printing. YWAM has not come to give their third BELT course. Why? Because there has been a shortage of food so we told them to come in 2007. We want to go to the TTC2 in 2007 and we want to thank you for the money that would be there for it. We think that three men could go. …I saw that the East Kewa books are all being held at the Kagua place. The people and children hear the talk of the WKNT that we bought for the radio and were very happy about it. On the 12th of November I want to go to SIL and see a consultant about the assignment for TTC2.
He followed with an additional note on June 27, 2006:
Hello and good day to the two of you, father and mother. Jesus is a good guardian of his sheep and he will watch over the two of you and give you two strength for the work you two do while you two are on the earth—John 10:11 (“Because I am someone who looks after my sheep well I am willing to die for them.”) We are really happy and agree about the translation work and are anxious to get on with the work.
We told Thomas [Weber] that we have not forgotten mother Joice or you Karl. The two of you are in our thoughts and prayers. Now Jesus can be with you and look after the two of you and be the friend of the two of you all of the time.
In August or September sometime I will go again to the TTC2 Assignment Consultant to check in at SIL but I haven’t got a date yet to go there. But I want you to know father and mother that you are really ours and like our own clan and family and we will not forget the two of you and the family of Mike and Karol.
SIL Consultant’s Suggestions (2006)
The Southwest RAD, Thomas Weber, wrote me a lengthy email on June 19, 2006. He had consulted with an SIL translation consultant and they had suggestions on how groups like the Kewa could get some translation experience. He suggested that a key term (e.g. righteousness) be exegeted and the various NT components of meaning studied. The verses in the NT with the particular word could be compared in several different vernacular versions (back translations) and then discussed as to why a particular term was used. The consultants outlined an elaborate process of examining vernacular back translations and their variations, contacting translators to see why a particular term was used, and making sure all the components of meaning had been examined. A consultant would then examine the study and share it with a trainee, and so on. The process would obviously require supervision and consultation, both of which had not been available for the WK translators.
TTC2 (October 2006)
I am now at SIL sending this letter. Kenet has also come with me. I am very sorry to hear about the bad knee of mother Joice. On account of that I will tell both the people in West and East Kewa to pray for her. There is now a time of hunger in the West Kewa so we have not completed the West Kewa translation plan. The WK and EK people praise you for your help. God will repay you for your help. He will not forget about the work on this ground. No, God will repay—1 Corinthians 15:58. (“So, my good brothers and sisters, Stand up really well and don’t be afraid. Do the Lord’s work very well. If you go on doing the Lord’s work, that work will not be lost.”)
Because there is a great hunger here there we asked for help over the radio but there has not been any money sent.
Chapter Nine
The Kewa Old Testament Project
nIn February, 2007 Wopa wrote saying that Kenet had taken the radio to his village and they were trying to get it back to Usa. Aaron Willems helped them retrieve it later.
Three WK men took the TTC1 course in April-May of 2007 and Johanna Fenton taught the Study Skills part of the course. The men asked Johanna to consider serving as their mentor and she and her husband helped in that capacity for some time. She wrote that Gil Muñoz was interested in helping. Johanna also explored the possibility of the West Kewa project coming under LCORE (an acronym for Language Collaboration Opportunities Resource Encouragement—the old ‘Technical Studies’), but this never took place.
On another front, the PNG Consultants of SIL had discussed the checking process for the WK OT and agreed that I could do back translations and George MacDonald, an International Translation Consultant in Dallas, could do the checking. We checked Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Ruth and sent them back to Wopa and his team. Later we checked Psalms as well but this has not yet been published.
It was also at this time that the West Kewa men met with BTA and asked for application forms to join BTA. Both Wopa and Max followed up and were granted membership status.
Wopa Reports (November 10 2007)
May our Lord Jesus Christ give you strength and watch over you. Your letter of September 22 came but I had thoughts for my father and mother and had to look after them.
Now in this year 2007 I have given people in the Kagua Erave work to do. I have not done any translation work but now in November we are doing the Proverbs back translation. Because of that pray that God will give strength and understanding.
Kirapeasi, Pasalo, Roasu and Kenoa asked that we could have a meeting together and said this: We want to work on the Old Testament in the year 2008. Another part of the talk was that Dr Karl and Joice would help us with the translation office. There would be two rooms, and a conference room and a black board and table and chair. They said to ask you about that. Please don’t be angry about that because we are asking it gently. It could be a small house like the one Karl and Joice had to do their work in. We are saying that, like the guest house that Imbrock had [Rev. Norm Imbrock, the Lutheran missionary in Wabi], this could be a holiday place for Karl and Kirk and their families to come to.
I have not gone to Germany yet because my visa has not come. I think that in June of 2008 I will go. They say that from the Kagua Erave Lutheran area that four people will go.
On July 12, 2007 my wife had a boy and I said his name is Surubape. The eldest is Evelyn and she is in grad 9 at the Kagua High School and will be in grade 10 in 2008. Our second, a boy is in grade 5 in Usa and the third Kadipia is in grade one. God can help all of them get thoughts from school [education] because my strength is not enough.
The Sunday School really like the Evangel Cube. We play the keyboard and guitar at the church.
When you send another letter send the address of Kirk and Mick [Mike] and Karol so that I can write to them.
Gil Muñoz wanted to come to the West Kewa area but Kenet lied to him and told him that there was fighting here. There is no fighting now in Usa. All of the people around here say that I should go to America and see Karl and Joice. Well, I am not strong enough but I will wait and see.
We all say goodbye to you now and ask God to bless you. Romans 14:8 (“So when we die we will also think on the Lord. Since this is so, if we stay alive, or if we die we will be with the Lord”); Ephesians 3:16 (“I pray like this: that he will give you his good thoughts and cause the Holy Spirit to be in your stomachs and give you real strength.”); 2Thessalonians 2:17 (“On account of this may he cause strength to be in your stomachs. Then you will go on doing good work and you will tell out the talk in a good manner to help others.”)
Workshop Report (2007)
At a Workshop |
Wopa continued to involve others. In April-May, 2007, Kenet Wama, Wilson Yawa and Luke Luta took the TTC1 course. (Wopa assisted.) Wilson, whom I did not know, was upset that I had made comments and corrections of their translation work and did not like a “waitskin” (expatriate white man) doing so. Later he dropped out of the project. The main criticism was that their dialect was different than that of Wopa and that their corrections should stand. However, there are minor dialect variations throughout the Kewa area and in Sumi, where some of the men lived, certain words and suffixes are different—but in a regular manner—from those in Usa. Dialect differences, although minor, continue to be a problem for Kewa speakers. I had studied the dialects of Kewa and was well aware of the differences, but the revision team had to make choices that were sometimes not universally accepted. As Johanna explained in a long email sent on November 7, 2007:
They aren’t sure how to handle the translation when it comes to dialectal differences. Wopa speaks one dialect; Wilson and Kenneth speak another. Wopa speaks the dialect that is used in the NT translation. So they are wondering, should they try to translate according to the dialect in the NT translation? Also Wilson is concerned about how he can be of help to the translation if he can’t translate in his dialect. He says it will be too hard for them to concentrate on using words that are from a different dialect.
Johanna and Gil helped the men at the course, but the team struggled throughout the training. so they spent time helping the team get ready for future consultant checks. At a meeting on June 8th they outlined a number of steps to help prepare the team for further checks. They wrote to me for advice and approval of their plans. Unfortunately, for many reasons, the full plan never worked out.
Wopa was often caught in a difficult spot: trying to negotiate between the dialects and maintaining the interest and respect of the men when their particular choices were not followed. Each village and clan is convinced that their pronunciation or words are the best so it is difficult to have a translation that satisfies most of the Kewa people. This has turned out to be a problem in East Kewa as well, but it is not unlike English, where British and American speakers often use different Bible translations.
Village News Including NT Sales (December 8, 2008)
We are working on the good news in the name of Jesus Christ. We say thanks or the letter you sent. Because you two have been strengthened really with his happiness, you assist us and we the WK people give thanks to God and are really happy. All the time you two and your friends make the WK translation work strong and because of this and your prayers we say thanks. Because of what you do and your help with the work, we pray that your payment will be given to you by God.
My daughter is in Kagua High School but she helps us with the translation work. Her name is Evelyn. What work God will give her we do not know. She may always help with this translation work I believe. Again in 2009 she wants to go to school in Hagen or in Ialibu.
Kirapeasi is the Council leader in Usa so he is not helping with the translation work.
The Usa to Mendi road is now good–from the beginning of July to now in November. In the WK area there has been a time of great hunger. The people go into the forest to dig for wild tapioca roots. We eat this bush food and are thankful to God. But we are not taking it easy. We all want to get on with the Old Testament work and our thoughts are excited about it. I am happy in my body that we are going on with the work and we want to do it as God gives us understanding.
We are also thankful for Gil and Aaron. They both came to Usa. Both of them have taught us about the translation work and have done it well. The work on Psalms that we did the people now have and are reading it. While at Ukarumpa we have been staying well.
You two old people, although you have left us, our thoughts are with you. Without your strength, happiness and gladness, all these WK people would not be united. We have your pictures and that is good. May God look after you two well and help you and with this talk we bring happiness and joy.
In regards to the translation work, three men from Ipia have come and those men are working on the book of Ruth and Proverbs and we want to see what kind of work they are doing.
Max Yapua Writes (November 19, 2008)
For seven years I have been a pastor in the Hagen District. Because I have been doing this I have not done any of the West Kewa translation work. Since November 2006 I have been in the Wabi circuit. I have been there in 2007-2008. I have a little house at Yakipu-pita in Usa. They have given me the work of youth pastor in the Wabi circuit. I am really happy to have the work with boys and girls. I have two prayers. I think I can do the translation work with Wopa and Kenet. We also work with a school boy in Usa named Obet Kuma who says he will be going back to school in 2009. I also want to do translation work in 2009. Both Wopa and Kenet have done TTC1 and we should all do TTC2.
Father Karl, my other story is that my wife Anny and my son Franky have both died. That was great sadness. Now Father Yapua has also died and mother Lumi is dead. Those are my stories. My two boys are Nathan who is 14 and in grade 6 and Ameyaki who is 11 in grade 4 and our baby girl and my wife Josika. We all say goodbye to you.
Two Competent Helpers (2008 and later)
Aaron Assisting |
Gil Muñoz and Aaron Willems were two men at Ukarumpa who encouraged and supported Wopa and the WK translation work. They intended to visit him in his village, but Gil wrote on November 2nd, 2008 that the bridges were out between Usa and Mendi and that it was impossible to make the trip. However, Gil talked to Wopa, who said he would pick up the edited copies of Proverbs when he came in in a week or so.
Aaron and Gil sent copies of Ecclesiastes and Ruth, which had been revised when the Kewa men visited Ukarumpa. They wanted to know what kind of check that I made: was it simply spelling and grammar or did it include checking the content? The problem at that point (and later) was to have an accurate back-translation. Putting it into an acceptable form of English was difficult for the Kewa translators, just as putting English into an acceptable form of Kewa has often been for me. I had assumed that Max or Kenet could do a good back translation but generally their work in English was difficult for me to follow.
On January 12, 2009 Gil Muñoz wrote saying that the consultants wanted a written back translation ahead of time so they could prepare questions to test their list of potential problems but that the back translation did not need to include a gloss. George MacDonald was approved as a consultant and I was permitted to do the back translations. In addition, for a trial publication (up to 50 copies) they would only need the advisor and village check. He further suggested “giving the guys a small commission from the sale of each book…. It’s a lot of work to go around selling books and I would be OK with making sure these guys got something back for all the effort they put into this.”
Max Yapua Writes Again (February 27, 2009)
I say good day to you now. God will give us another year, another month, another week and then we receive his mercy and happiness as well.
I am really happy with father God. He has looked after us in the West Kewa and really helped our people.
I pray hard and ask about who will take the place of you two. Now father Karl give me some of your thoughts. I really want to do the West Kewa translation work but for me to come to the TTC course I had to search for pay for the road. Later I thought that my wife Josika and our daughter and little baby could come as well. What do you think about that?
For one year in West Kewa we have just been having overcast drizzle going on and our gardens are in the water and the food is rotting and we are hungry and in the midst of a famine. We pray for the sun [to shine].
Another story—it is difficult about money. Our country is really bad, I think. The cost of food is high and when people pay the school fees they are poor. We people are really poor and the people sit outside in the clear [without anything].
Ado Kaure from Simu and Rumala on the council are in the middle of a fight. The house was burned and Kenet did not come to Ukarumpa. He is in the middle of a fight. Really pray for them that the fight would stop. Kirapeasi and others have been trying for two months to stop the fighting.
Now I have brought another boy from the Nazarene church and we are here. His name is Peter Kepele. His village is the Wawi clan Marepa.
Father, answer my letter and I will really read it and be happy. Send your address for letters so that I can send you a letter.
Psalm 19:9-10. (It is good that you worship the Lord because his name is honored and his ways are always right. The Lord’s talk is better than gold, its sweetness is better than honey. God’s talk is sweet, strong, and gives peace to everything.)
Father Karl, may this talk also give you sweetness, strength, and a long life and may you honor the Lord’s name with happiness and righteousness. He will guard you. Now goodbye.
Your son, Pastor Max M Yapua
Wopa Updates Us (February 27, 2009)
In Jesus Christ’s name the two of you are close to the faces of the WK people and to God. I say thank you and to the two of you I say thank you. The two of you have not left the translation work but the two of you help and I thank you. With the support that we receive it gives the WK people rejoicing and is good so I say thanks. From the WK people I take their thanks and they told me to thank you. On account of the good things since God will give you a reward for you in heaven, tell them…. Kenet has not come to Ukarumpa but Pastor Max and Peter Kepele have come so that we can get a consultant check….
In my spirit I am extremely happy about the translation work God has given me to write and send on. Regarding other work that he gives, we don’t rest but we write and keep close to the work he says for us to do. Regarding the translation work at Usa when we do good work I am really happy. The book of Proverbs and the book of Ruth, when we read them to the WK people to hear, they are very happy. In my innermost being [thoughts and stomach] I give them the feeling for you.
Goodbye now. It is I, Wopa Eka
Commitment to Translating the OT (2009)
I wrote to Max and Wopa telling them that I was glad they were now at Ukarumpa and that I was glad to help, but that we would probably never get back to their village or to PNG. I also asked them to carefully think about how they were spelling certain words, particularly distinguishing between those with /a/ that contrasted with /aa/. Wopa and Max Yapua wrote again on March 6, 2009:
May God be with you both. I thank God that he is looking after you and giving you strength. The West Kewa bring you their memories and their thanks. I thank you for your prayers. We are happy although you are in America and you help us. We haven’t sent anything to pay you.
My daughter and three boys are in school and it takes money to buy it and that is the pain and heaviness that I carry. The eldest is the daughter in grade 11 in Hagen. One boy is in Usa in grade 5 and another boy is in Usa in grade 3. Two don’t have money and are home. I thank you for the school fees that you have given to relieve the difficulty.
They say that there is fighting at Sumi but the Usa people have not fought—really they have not.
We have a telephone in Usa and we can talk to Ukarumpa so that is really good. I gave our number to Gil. It is 22763108. [I talked to Wopa once in his village.]
Tell the people who have helped with the OT work about what we are doing. Take them the appreciation of the WK people. We can’t repay them but God in heaven will repay.
We have translated and checked Proverbs, Ruth, Psalms and Joshua and we see that the Hebrew people and the WK people have things in common.
We say that when we translate the OT we want to do it well. We want to receive the training of the TTC2. We believe that the WK OT key terms workshop can be started in the 8th or 9th month. When we look inside the OT translation work we see that it is big and overflows. We will look at all those OT books, make corrections, do village checking and have an adviser and you look at it and then do corrections again, a consultant will examine it, then we will do it again. When we translate the other books [the benefit] will over flow. So in Usa we will patiently always look at it and continue examining the OT books again. We believe the computer will also look for things that you give us. We are just talking but it is because of our talk that we receive the word, so don’t be mad at us.
Is mother Joice well too? May God be with you both, guard you and look after you. Now we have written to you and with our talk we say thank you goodbye. I wrote this letter and gave it to Aaron W. who helped us and sent it.
Wopa Eka and Max Yapua
Chapter Ten
Wopa and Max Discuss OT Progress
On April 28, 2009 Wopa wrote with some concerns:
I say good day in Jesus Christ. Christ is our road. Christ is the one who is our guardian. Christ is the good light for people of the earth to go to heaven. Since I am really happy, the two of you must be really happy as well.
With our translation work we are living in the body of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that the two of you pray that we will do the translation work well. The WK people praise you and the prayers make the work go well.
I am thankful to take the news before the WK people that you are well and that even as old people you are well and helping with the work. We say thanks to God for the back translation of Proverbs and the glosses [in the back translation] you did.
What can we send to you? Since we don’t have anything, our father who is in heaven will reward you for the work and you will receive his good reward.
We pray strongly that God will watch over you and give you strength. I am telling you that the money that you help the WK translation work with is something the WK people are glad about and that is good.
We are really happy because with God’s word we can do the work and it helps us to carry our heaviness. So we say that is very good.
I came to Ukarumpa on April 24 and we have been working on Psalms 65-85.
If you have a DVD with pictures of the NT or OT, we have about 600-700 youth who will be getting together at Pawayamo. The youth conference will start on July 1. To get something like that, I don’t know, so forget it.
Johanna Fenton has gotten some people together at her house to pray for the WK people and we are really happy about that.
The translation work is not ours but God’s, and account of being close to him the WK people are very happy.
Pastor Max and I are very happy to be at the Translator’s Course number 2. You have sent us to the TTC2 course so we are thankful.
My wife’s stomach sickness is still there. I have taken her to the hospital three times and spent a lot of money but she is not better. Pray for her. Her name is Josephine.
Wopa and Max Report (May 8, 2009)
The TTC2 course we are doing is really helping both of us. The Bible background and language discovery and audio visual—all of those things we are learning and it is good. The school is really good for helping us when we translate the OT.
Mother and father, your prayers and those of Johanna and her other friends prayers do their work and on account of them I can say that we are doing well. The fruit of the prayers is that we translate the OT for the people. We translate the OT and look at the English in the NIV but there is some that we do not really understand. However, when God has taught us a great deal we do understand. Now I am sending some WK key terms for you to look at. Pastor Max and I looked well at some of the questions you sent and we are sending replies to you.
My wife is really sick but pray that God will help her.
We have been looking at Translator’s Course in Genesis 1-3 and here is how we translated some of it into WK. [I have included an English literal translation in square brackets.]
English West Kewa
darkness ribanenege [darkness direction consuming]
Spirit of God Gote-na kone popo [God’s thought breath] oneapone [this direction that (unseen) direction]
separated apupasipi [apart make two remote past]
water from water ipa nipuna ipa rumaina [water its water portioned out]
govern surubena [look after something]
evening aebo riba [afternoon night]
ground appear su opena [ground come up]
creatures etopi yaenu [all moving things]
livestock punape yaenu [all things shepherded]
let us niame [we as agents]
fruitful ini madina [seeds/flowers/nuts it carries]
according to its kind rado rado piane [different different like that]
breath of life kone popo muaa eto pisa [thought breath get and move make]
knowledge makuaeyae mua [understanding things get]
helper suitable eperupa rabameape [good manner helping]
bone of my bones go yade ninaa unimi wala warini [that being my bone with again making]
naked oyae nayamepe [something not covered over]
one flesh padane autepa [we two changed into one]
Since we have sent some of the talk that we translated in the TTC2 course, look at them. We have translated these in the course.
We pray that God will look after the two of you.
Kenet gave us the radio for Usa but he has not given us the solar panels. So he has not really repented.
Aaron’s Concerns (June 15, 2009)
I am thinking about future plans for the West Kewa, and what all I might be able to accomplish in the next few months with the guys…. We might be done with our time in PNG at the end of November.
I ran into Phil Carr in the Translation Department. He said that in 2 days or so he will be leaving for the village for a month and wanted to make sure. I knew about his stance on our request for an overseas consultant check of Proverbs (and possibly others?). He told me that you and George McDonald are old friends and that George has withdrawn from being a consultant for the PNG branch. He also said that no one in the world knows more about the West Kewa language than you do and that he would be absolutely fine if you and George would be interested in and able to arrange a consultant check for Proverbs.
Chapter Eleven
The First OT Books Are Printed
Aaron did much more than that: he arranged for the printing of a volume that included Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Ruth. He contributed financially as well and I am convinced that without his help and vision the three books would not have been published.
Aaron stated on September 1, 2009 that there needed to be a consultancy check on Genesis. He wrote of his interaction with Phil Carr about doing an oral back translation for a consultant check. The reply was:
This would require a major policy change, which neither I nor the Senior Consultants in the Translation Section would support at this stage….
We were in a bind—there was no consistent help from either SIL or BTA and my own assistance was only by email. I replied:
… policy is policy and is generally instituted either because of problems or to ward off problems, so the Kewa men will have to live with the SIL translation policy. I would imagine, however, that PNG citizens and native speakers, both of Pidgin and other languages, would look at things a little differently if they were consultants.
Wopa, Max and Their Families (September 4, 2009)
Your letter just came and I am saying good day to you and may God be with you both. Your letter came and we are happy for the two of you.
We want to thank you about the work you have done in helping the WK people. I want to thank you two for your prayers. God gives you strength and good understanding and I am thanking you that your prayers are answered
Together with pastor Max we have gone to Kagua, Wabi and Sumi to talk about translation awareness. We have also gone to the youth conference in Kagua and Erave and now we are doing Ecclesiastes for the translation advisor’s check. We are very happy about the consultant check you did for the book of Proverbs.
Max and our families are now at Ukarumpa. My wife and daughter and little son have also come. Max’s first wife died and he has brought the wife that he married later with all of us. My wife and children have not seen nor understood about Lae, Goroka and Moresby. We want to go and see Madang on the 14th of September. We will stay there two days and then go to Usa.
I don’t know if you got the letter I sent in June or not. After we have completed the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes we want to work on the book of Psalms.
We pray that God will always look after you and give you strength. I pray that God’s angel will give you strength. We pray that the WK translation work that we do will really help the people. The people are also happy and the WK people all say thanks.
To Johanna CJ Fenton family: My family and pastor Max Yapua’s family have come to Ukarumpa and we want to send you our happy greetings and tell you hello. We are praying that God will look after you and your family. We want to say thanks that you are helping the WK people and saying prayers for us. Your prayers are giving us strength as well as understanding and therefore our wives are also happy about the translation work that we are doing. The prayers that I and the people say are to thank your for the good we have.
From God’s book, NIV Acts 16:9 (At that place at night in his dream Paul saw a man from a place called Macedonia. That man stood by Paul and said: ‘Come to our place Macedonia and help us’).
We pray that God will look after you.. Your brother in Christ. Wopa G Eka.
Wopa on Proverbs and Psalms (September 8, 2009)
Good day. On account of the strength God gives you two I am happy. We always pray that God will look after you like that. I am happy that you said Joice is well. I am also happy that you had the consultant and advisor check of Proverbs in America. We WK people are always happy with the two of you.
We also want to translate and really straighten the book of Psalms again. Send the WK DVD back that I sent you to this address: West Kewa Translation, PO Box 765, Mendi, SHP, PNG.
We are thankful also for the money sent so that the WK people’s book can be printed. God will make sure that the work they do is good.
Phil King is going to help us [Wopa and Max] with the OT introduction to the Hebrew course and the OT key terms course and the fees when we leave Usa to stay at SIL.
I heard that you two were going to resign [retire] from the translation work but supposing that you are in Australia I would go and tell you about being sorry but you place is a long way and we are sorry that we will not come.
Max and my family have come to SIL and for this we are very happy to the two of you. Our throats and stomachs have happiness and we are now sending to you this letter. We say goodbye now together with the goodness of God’s feeling. I Cor 15:58: (May God’s work look after you and strengthen you.)
Phil King said this: Record the book of Proverbs so that the WK people can hear it when you take it to them. Now again on October 23. I told him thank you and I think that he will help us.
Four days later Aaron passed on a message from Max saying that he had received word that one of his sons was in the hospital in Mendi and had been experiencing a lot of vomiting and weakness. In addition both Max and Wopa were experiencing sicknesses themselves and were at the Ukarumpa clinic.
Max & Wopa at |
On September 9, 2009 and later I received copies of correspondence between Gil Muñoz, Thomas Weber and Phil King regarding WK and the lack of on-going accountability. There was also the question of finance for OT projects. I asked Phil King about the use of the Megavoice recorder and the value of Hebrew for Wopa and Max (I had commented that I believed they needed to understand WK grammar more than Hebrew). Phil had commented:
“…seems like the West Kewa doesn’t have a good translation for that [ the word ‘but’]—I don’t think they really understood what it means in English… Both Wopa and Max were catching the Hebrew pretty well during TTC. Also on possibility of using Yaki for Yahweh in the OT”.
West Kewa has a term for ‘but’, but Phil, understandably, had not noticed it. And the name Yaki had been discussed and rejected years before by the Kewa church leaders.
To Johanna (September 20, 2009)
Wopa sent to the following letter for Johanna that he asked me to translate:
A special greetings to your family in Christ. Thank you very much for your letter that came to me. Thank you also for all the prayers that you all have said for us. When I had my accident I lost 2 and a half liters of blood and I almost died but God helped me and I am praising God. The translation work is going ahead this year in the book of Psalms and next year it will be Isaiah.
God has given you a new boy in your family and it will be God who makes him strong and makes him grow. We will take the Hebrew course and it will be very helpful for our translation work. We are praying a lot for you and your family and for those friends that pray for us in West Kewa. We will soon have a computer for West Kewa and it will make our work easy. Thank you for sharing with us by email many times.
Wopa’s Concerns and Vision (September 20, 2009)
Wopa was always hopeful for help from SIL, especially for literacy work.
I think that in 2011 or 2012 I would like to start at least three literacy schools—schools that SIL would teach. The two of us [Max and Wopa] are trying to find two translation workers. We want to have literacy teachers in Usa, Aboba, Kadoba and Lakira. The men who helped with the translation work have left it: Kenet Wama, Luk Lata, Luk Repe and Obet Kuma. They have all left and now Max and I alone do the work. On account of that, I am looking for two translation helpers.
I am afraid and ashamed [to say this] but it will be good to have a translation office to do our work in. We will be able to work much more quickly.
The next day, September 21, 2009, he followed up with an email:
Now we West Kewa men have worked on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and we are working on Genesis. The Kagua Erave (Parliament) member said that he would come and get some NT books but he has not come and we are looking after them. He was to buy the books and give them to people but he has not come to Usa yet.
I went up to Malue mountain to the people who live there and taught them church. Because you said you would retire from work we were very happy for both of you. You two have worked hard and helped us and helped many other people in other villages, so we are all happy that you will be able to get a rest (retire). Father Karl, when the two of you resign [retire] from your work and since you did so much for us I could come and shake your hand and the West Kewa people would be gracious before your faces, but it is a long way to where you are and the amount of money needed (to see you) would be heavy.
The West Kewa people of the church and the people of other churches have been very happy about the translation awareness courses we have given them. There is a translation awareness youth camp that we have gone to. When they hear the book of Proverbs read they are extremely happy.
When my wife went to Ukarumpa with me she was very happy.
My wife and children and the people of Usa and I as well are very happy and want to send you greetings of happiness from our stomachs and say mother and father now goodbye. Also to Karol and her family we want to say goodbye and greetings, so tell them.
On Psalms and Other Matters (October 23, 2009)
I say good day in the name of Jesus Christ. On account of the books of Proverbs, Ruth and Ecclesiastes that you have done, the WK people are happy with them, as I am…. Now we have taken the book of Proverbs to be recorded and that is good. When pastor Max and my wife and I came to SIL and she saw the translation work that we are doing it gave her real happiness. The two women [wives] said ‘we will really support your translation work.’ Our children were also taken to SIL to see the translation work and said that it was good. Now we have translated Genesis 4 to 12. We will again work on Psalms and cause it to be good [revise it]. We have already worked on Genesis [up to] chapter 23. Now the people who are with me want to say goodbye to Joice and you and to the Johanna Fenton family and also that God will be with you….
Wopa Takes the Hebrew Course (November 17, 2009)
A very good day to you. We pray that in Jesus Christ’s name, God will give you strength and look after you. We are also thankful for the clan of Johanna Fenton and for the good that they have done and say thanks to God alone. We also say thanks for the help from your clan. Your prayers help us, you money also helps us and the advice that we have received from the beginning, we say thanks to God for all this and pray that God will help you and look after you.
We are thankful for your prayers and the strength that God gives for work, for new ways of thinking and for insight and we say thanks for this. We thank the clan of Johanna Fenton’s friends for the help they give. During the new year of 2010 in November, Phil King of SIL has said that we should come to SIL to take the Hebrew course. He said that he would help us with money for the course fees.
The books that we worked on have not yet come. We tell the West Kewa people to just wait for the books we have made. When they come we will tell them that the cost is K1 for the books. Now we don’t have anyone from SIL to help us but we are waiting for the forms from BTA [to be processed]. However, they said that they would not be able to examine the forms until the BTA conference in 2012.
Now in Usa we are working on Psalms and are also translating the book of Genesis. However, here in the WK area there has been a lot of rain. When we plant gardens, the soil is soaked and the food doesn’t come up well and we will have a famine.
On the school holidays my daughter came and helped with the translation work a lot. We said that was really good. Since she doesn’t have a lot of money for school [fees], pray that there will be some and that God will help her. My [children] are in school and another will be sent off to school. Then [their] mother and I will just be alone at home.
Now my wife and children want to say goodbye and have a good day. I also say goodbye for the WK people. May God look after you well.
Wopa Sends a DVD
Wopa’s letter of March 10, 2009 had a DVD and 4 photos accompanying it, sent by Aaron Willems from Ukarumpa. The DVD had footage from the BELT course run in Usa by YWAM in 2005/06 and the NT dedication in July of 2004. (Somehow I have mislaid the pictures and cannot include them.)
I say good day to you. May God be with you both, guarding and looking after you.
I don’t know if mother Joice is well or not but I have been praying that God would really look after her and that her sickness would be made well. Now, what should be said about her sickness? Because God has been looking after both of you well, [we] are very happy.
The first picture. Some men from Usa, Gil and Aaron are with me in my house working on the book of Genesis with a computer.
Picture two. Gil and Aaron are with me in my house and we are bandaging a sore on my son.
Picture three. The Usa children have the pictures that Karl sent and are very happy and laughing about them. In the background there are mothers who are singing church songs.
Picture 4. Wabi women have hung up their bilums[net bags] that have flowers on them and they are singing songs in the WK language. They have done this well.
Look at the DVD that I have sent. Look at the WK Belt Course and the WK NT that we have.
Susan Frey writes (January 18, 2010)
I know you’ve both stepped out of the project and I don’t want to bother you, but I wanted to ask you about something—today Wopa came to ask me if he could come back to Ukarumpa in April and have me type all their Psalms corrections and some Genesis chapters into the computer. I asked him if it was something BTA could help him with, since I’m going to be quite busy and he told me the BTA won’t help with that kind of thing and that besides, he can’t really be part of BTA until 2011. I guess I was under the impression that they have already been approved as a BTA project. What would you suggest I do?
We knew Susan because we had taught her in Australia at the SIL course. I wrote back telling her to be frank with Wopa about her own concerns and needs and to probably not take on the project because of her family responsibilities.
Concerning BTA (January 20, 2010)
We want to say thank you, first of all, that you and some of your people have helped the West Kewa translation work go ahead and we want to say thank you to you and God for that good work. God will give you the strength to do your work.
Johanna Fenton and her people have also helped us with the WK translation work and we want to say thanks for that as well. You all pray strongly for us and we will do the same for you. When we say our prayers back and forth like that God does great and good things for us and we are happy. Now in BTA and SIL the pastors of PNG have collected and are talking about reading and using the big languages [vernaculars] and that is very good. BTA said that it had begun with Karl and we heard that. Now BTA has grown and is in many places in PNG. I think that we will be working with BTA to do the book of Psalms. We are praying that God will give the two of you strength.
Now it is difficult for our children to go to school but we are carrying on with the translation work. Max and others are helping with the OT.
The OT books that Aaron worked on will have a dedication in Usa on the 30th of January 2010.
The WK people say goodbye to you. My wife and children also say goodbye to you.
On Spelling Problems (February 21, 2010)
I want to list some of the words that we are confused about in spelling: man and leg; woman and people; big, house and look; top and enough; just, light, do it and shout; both and two; climb and distribute; umbrella and in the sky; sky and bird, call and lie; There is also confusion using /aa/ in spelling father, heavy, night, story, together, stand, lift up, lie, when? and who?
On July 28, 2010 Phil King asked me to come to the Hebrew course with another man to help us.
Mike, Karol, my siblings and your children may God look after you. I send my greetings and say goodbye. Tell this to Johanna too: May God look after you and I send you my greetings.
Goodbye for now. Together with God.
Chapter Twelve
Wopa Notes Some Problems
Beginning about 1959 until now in 2010 you and Joice and other supporters have worked to support the WK translation project with money and prayers and other efforts and we in West Kewa send a big thank you to you and other supporters, like Johanna Fenton’s family.
They don’t know how to enter Psalm chapters 1-56 corrections into the computer. The BTA office doesn’t know how to help. We took the book of Psalms to Ukarumpa to work on it but they don’t know how to help. Now I am alone putting them in the computer but I don’t know if it is done well. Regarding our good work I alone am in Usa and have a solar panel and we work on the computer but they say to please try to find us another. The Elco [Lutheran station] office could help us but there is no one there.
Tell Johanna Fenton thank you for helping with the children’s school fees.
Later in the month, Wopa wrote again:
I |
received your talk [letter]. I don’t understand how to do the work on the the computer but I do understand a little bit about keyboarding things. I think that as we go on I will understand a little more and I think that I will understand well because I will go to the SIL course. If they give me [instructions] on putting the CD in the computer and sending email, I think that will be good. We are going back to Mendi in a week and we will wait for the computer to work on it. When I understand well then I think an email will come to you from me. I think it will be good if they give me a bigger computer. Nico said I will get a little one from them, but I don’t know.
Wopa & Max at TTC |
Max, the two of us, have done both TTC1 and TTC2. I came for the storytelling course and now I came for the Hebrew course. In this little school they are helping me learn how to really translate the Bible. Because I haven’t gone to high school, when they teach me it is God who gives me his Holy Spirit for my strength.
Because the computer has not come from BTA quickly and because there aren’t many people helping me I don’t know when I can send Psalms to you. I say that it will be this year or in another year.
We pray that God will give the two of you his strength.
Nico Reports on Wopa’s Accident (May 30, 2010)
Wopa came up [on the radio] and said that he had spent some time in hospital upon his return to his area, due to having been quite severely cut by an ax. He stressed that it was an accident, but that he had lost quite a lot of blood. He mentioned that he had spent over K150 on hospital bills. He asked for prayer for the recovery from the injuries, for regaining full health and strength.
Wopa’s Version of the Accident
Subject: I am telling you the story about them cutting me with an axe—I am talking to my mother and father. We all pray that God will give the two of you his strength.
There in Usa one of the families was arguing about coffee and was fighting. Since they were fighting I said strongly that they should not fight and then I went and stood in the middle of them, My brother Yamo’s daughter came and hit me with an axe. Then the whole of the axe went into my back and blood flowed to the extent of one and a half liters. Then I fell to the ground as though dead. It was about two o’clock when this happened.
The axe did not hit my bones or veins [rope, so it could be arteries] but went deep into the muscle. An ambulance from Kagua had just come and was at Usa. When they asked if I could be taken in the ambulance the reply was “yes”. Then I went to the Kagua hospital. My blood kept flowing along the road from Usa to Kagua [15 miles away on a rough road]. At the Kagua hospital they told me that I should give them K60 [about US $20] for suturing me. “If you don’t give it we won’t suture you”, they said. But because I didn’t have the money they didn’t suture me and left me. From then until 6pm it was like that and then a woman came and bought the hospital work for K60.
God had sent that ambulance to Usa. Without that K60 to buy the hospital nothing would have been done. But God really helped me. Praise God, for his good light.
For 5 weeks when I was at the hospital they didn’t give me any food. The total costs for stitching was K472 [about $155]. Nico Van [SIL Regional Director] saw with his own eyes the scar from the axe. Because I lost a lot of my blood I do not have my strength back yet.
I am thankful to Johanna Fenton and her people for their prayers for me. God heard all of your prayers and helped me. Praise God, my thanks.
Local Fighting
Here in Usa, Apora, Ibia, Puti, Pawayamo, Wabi, Mapata we are living well but in Sumi, Lagira, and Kandopa they are fighting. Here in Usa and other places we are praying to God. Kenet Wama has left the work of translation and is in Sumi where they are fighting. Pastor Max is working at selling OT and NT books but a problem has come up about his wife and daughter. Now I am working at correcting Psalms chapters 1-56 and putting them on the computer. When I finish the corrections I will send them to you. Rambai has two books to send to you when he finds a way.
Thank you for supporting the work of West Kewa Bible translation and God can bless the two of you and we in the West Kewa say thank you.
Thoughts on Psalms (August 12, 2010)
I’m revising my thoughts and now I think that I will take the printout of Psalms chapters 1-56 back to Usa for reading and checking. Then on December 7th I will take them back to Ukarumpa to enter them on computer. On the 17th of December I will send all of the book of Psalms for you to look at and check.
On December 7th I think that my wife will come with me to Ukarumpa to the clinic but Rambai wondered about that. Nick has gone to the Western Province so if you have some thoughts about this you can send them to me.
To Kirk Franklin (August 20, 2010)
Dear Kirk Franklin and family,
Hello and good day in Christ to you and your family. I am speaking for the W Kewa people who have plenty of greetings for you.
We have prayed a great deal for your family that God would watch over you and your work.
We in the West Kewa would like your children to come to Usa on Christmas to spend the holiday with us. You and Karol have not come to spend the holiday with us in Usa so you must come.
Now the two of us are in the Hebrew course. One concern is that we don’t have a West Kewa translation office to work well in. We have worked on the Old Testament translation and finished Proverbs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes and Genesis 1-22 and they have had advisor and consultant checks and are ready for printouts. Now we are correcting the book of Psalms.
May God watch over you and bless you.
Catching Up (September 9, 2010)
I had been working with Wopa and his team for months on the book of Psalms, each of us doing back translations and corrections. Bringing me up to date, Wopa wrote:
On December 6, 2010 we (2) will be coming back to SIL again with the corrections of Psalms chapters 1-60 that we have done. Then at that time I will send them to you so that you can look at them. I am taking what I have done to the village so that they can read it.
I am telling you what our program is during this year: we will work on Psalms chapters 61-150 and after they (the village) have corrected the book of Isaiah we will work on it as well.
If you all give me my computer, alright I think that we will be able to work on them quickly.
I think that you should tell Nico that I want him to get emails and send them to Mendi where I can exchange them with similar things for SIL or BTA.
May God be with the two of you.
Wopa and Max Report on a Conference (September 29, 2010)
From: Wopa and Max Yapua
Subject: The story of the East and West Kewa conference
I forgot to send you this talk so now I am giving it to you. The conference [mainly a women’s conference] of the Kagua Erave people took place down in Usa on the 19th-25th of July. At this gathering around 600 people came, the men holding their drums. The men and the youth numbered about 110 for the conference and they beat their drums and sang songs, listened to God’s word, had Bible studies, and really honored God’s name. At that time I looked after the music and songs that we sang. At that conference many people really turned to the Lord and changed their stomachs, [i.e. repented]. At that conference we did a dramatization of Luke 19:29-37 [The triumphant approach to Jerusalem] shouting as we came. Alright Jesus went to Jerusalem like a king. Two men pretended to be donkeys and after two cartons of the WKOT [the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and part of Genesis] were put on their backs, they carried them in before the many people gathered in Usa. We said, “Look, Jesus the King is coming.” Then we waved the [tree name] and banana leaves, sang and honored the name of Jesus. Those two cartons of WKOT books were brought and put where the people had gathered and the books, since they represented Jesus, we told the people they must then put them on their backs now and take them to their husbands and children. Then we gave them out to the people and youth and they were very happy and carried them to their homes. And many of the people turned their stomachs [thoughts] to God and believed. They said they would quit fighting, leave off their sins and follow God. On September 12th we will have church outside the Usa church house and on that day we will pray that PNG [people] will turn to God. That is the day for all the people to repent.
Karol and Mike and your children, may God look after you. And Johanna and your children and their father that we pray you may have joy in God and he will guard you.
On September 3rd Max and I will be finished with school here and we will go back to Usa.
We pray that God will give the two of you strength. Father and mother, we two are sending this.
Christmas is Coming (December 9, 2010)
I say a good big Christmas day in the name of Jesus. I say thank you and send you thanks from the Kewa people and especially for the computer and things you sent. God will bless you for what you have done. We also thank God and ask him to watch over you. We don’t know how to use the computer but we will slowly go on and I think we will understand. God will give us understanding and I think we will be able to do a lot of translation work. SIL is not running the computer course this year or next year. The man who ran the course is not here in PNG. So anyway I will try my best with God to catch up. So please pray for me.
Now I am entering the village testing corrections on the computer and today on Friday will send some for you and you can do the advisor check and consultant check. I am going to send you the book of Psalms chapters 1-62. Then 63-150 I will bring to the WK again for village testing. Next year in January and February I will be very busy with my four children in school and in the afternoon and night I will try to do the corrections and testing and finish that book in early March and April. In June and July we can start off with another book.
Are you and Joice OK? We pray strongly that God will give you strength and watch over you.
Today’s young people in the village say we should use some of the Tok Pisin words, like, blesim [blessing], laip [life], si [sea], pre [pray], win [win], siti [city], taun [town] and sip [ship]. The names of the towns and cities plus the names of people they said we have to use the Tok Pisin pronunciations [spellings].
Have a great Christmas day.
More on Psalms (December 10, 2010)
In December I received more information on Psalms. In the meantime I had written to Wopa cautioning him not to use too much Pidgin or the older people would not be able to learn to read and understand the stories because they would focus on the Pidgin words and lose track of the story. I also reminded him again of the contrasts in the grammar and in works that had /a/ on the one hand and /aa/ on the other.
I sent you all of the book of Psalms chapter one to chapter 62. I did not send you email quick because the BTA officials were too busy. We want to do the computer you sent quickly but are learning the computer. Max and myself we don’t know how to operate the computer but the WK translation ministry program really needs the computer to make the work easier. Continue to pray for me that God can give me wisdom to operate the computer. I believe that God will.
Down in Usa on Monday’s I teach God’s word in the Usa school. Always on Sunday I teach God’s word to the people. For this work the people do not give me firewood or money but God will probably repay me later.
Psalms 1-62 will come I said. Psalms 63-150, because we will take them to Usa for village testing, then in March you can look at them again. April to June we will work on new books here. We want to do the translation work quickly but it is hard to understand the computer. We also want to make a little office and have K500 for it but we are looking for a lot more than that.
In January and February my four children will go to school so I have to do some work for them. Tomorrow on Monday I do translation work for the program. On Wednesday I will go to Usa. The people there support the translation ministry and are happy about it.
1 Corinthians 15:58: (Since this is the case, my brothers and sisters, you stand up strongly and do not be afraid. Then you will do the Lord’s work well. If you will go on doing the Lord’s work, that work will not be lost [in vain])
Merry Christmas and we wish you all well.
The West Kewa Translation Project was now under the auspices of BTA but financial statements still came to me. In February 2010 there was a positive balance of almost K2000 in the West Kewa translation account. I suggested that financial statements go directly to BTA and not us, since BTA was in charge of the project. I sent copies of my letter to Wopa and Max.
Chapter Thirteen
Josephine’s Sickness; Need for a Translation Office
Now I have come to Ukarumpa for two days –the 27th and 28th [March, 2011]—and then will go back to Usa.
BTA told me that a lot of money has come in to support the West Kewa translation ministry and there are many Kewa people who are happy and want me to thank you.
Please also give greetings to the family of Johanna Fenton and tell her that God will look after them and that we are thankful for them. We pray for them too.
We pray that God will look after the two of you and give you strength.
My wife has been very sick. The doctor has operated on her stomach twice.Two months have gone by that we have been at the Mendi hospital and now the third month is going by.The sickness is in her stomach but now I believe that it is a little better. The place where she was cut in the stomach has sores and is not drying out.They say that on April 4th they want to take flesh from the shoulder or thigh and carry it [to the wound] and repair it [sew it up] with that.
Because of that heaviness we have not done any translation work right now but we will.
I am learning to use the computer slowly. Supposing I learn well it will be good for the work. SIL has said that they will do another computer course but it will not be this year. In order to do the translation work well and quickly the office and chair and table will be good.We will have a cement floor for our little office and get the wood from the forest to finish it.
Wopa is Thankful (March 22, 2011)
I went to Ukarumpa and it costs K10 for one night, then I bought email and A4 paper and paid for the BTA car to go from Ukarumpa to Kainantu. I also paid for me to go from Usa to Ukarumpa and for food along the way. The money you and Mike gave will go for things like that, I think.
But the money that you both have sent is in a report that the BTA gave and they said that they are holding the money. So has that report reached you? The money Mike sent should help us to quickly build a translation office.
We are doing well with the computer in Usa and I will understand well but some things they have not taught me.
We thought that we would quickly complete the book of Psalms but my wife has been very sick and on account of that we have had her in the Mendi hospital. There are thousands of people in the West Kewa translation ministry that thank you and Mike for the money you have given—so thank Mike for it.
Greetings to Johanna Fenton and to Joice, who we have not forgotten. God will be with you as we pray for you.
Josephine’s Sickness (March, 2011)
I Wopa am doing the email and sending it by computer. When my wife got really sick then you all prayed and I say thank you. When I will send email I will go to the house of a Mendi wantok [relative] I think but I don’t know if he will say yes or not. Now I thought that we would go on and finish the book of Psalm this year but now I have gone inside some difficulty. We thought we would finish Psalms and do Isaiah and Jeremiah but that heaviness has come now. In addition I am teaching myself the computer but it will be good. I will be able to understand in Christ’s name and it is because the West Kewa people will receive God’s word.
Also I want to talk about making the translation office and I am not worried about what I want to do. It will not be a big house; No, it will only have about 12 sheets of iron roofing and will be made of timber.
Is mother Joice well? Are you also well?
I want to show Mike what the money will do and we think that we will make an office also so tell him that. I say goodbye now to Karol, Mike, Johanna and her husband and children . May God be with you all and watch over you.
We thought that we would quickly finish with the book of Psalms but my wife has been very sick and when she [almost] died we took her to the hospital where they now have her. She almost died.
I and the 90,000 other West Kewa people want to praise you and say profound thanks for the West Kewa translation ministry project support that Mike and you gave. Tell that to Mike. God will bless you for that good work.
We did this in regard to BTA: I went to Ukarumpa and slept there and it cost us K10 for one night. I paid for email to be sent and bought some A4 paper, rented the BTA vehicle to go to Kainantu, paid for the Usa to Ukarumpa trip as well and bought food. The money that you and Mike sent will go for things like that I think.
However, father Karl the K12,000 that has come from you and Mike on a report from BTA, they will hold on to that and since we will be doing work, should I make a report on things spent and send it to you?
My thoughts are like this: The K6,000 that Mike sent will go for a translation office so that we can do the work better and more quickly. We think that way so we are asking you. Does that seem OK or not?
We are doing well with the work in Usa with the computer but we don’t understand it very well and yet there is no one to teach us.
Johanna Fenton I now send you greetings and goodbye, We also have not forgotten about Joice. We pray that God will be with you all.
From Nico van Bodegraven (May 12, 2010)
Yes, I certainly know Wopa—as far as I can [remember] from several conversations over the past few years, both ‘live’ and over the radio—and I had seen him walking by our house going to BTA. I called him and he explained the situation in his own words [needing help in keyboarding corrections into Psalms]. He says he is planning to go back on Monday. He has been trying to type in the corrections with one finger, so it is going very slowly. It is clear that BTA does not have the capacity at this time to help national translators with these needs…. I’ll see what I can do to help this team make more progress.
Josephine, BTA and NT Sales (June 20, 2011)
Subject: I am telling you the following story
.
On behalf of the W Kewa people I would like to say special thanks for supporting WK translation program starting from the young age to old. We will never send you anything but God will reward you all his love. I did not receive the letter that you have sent me through Mendi Post Office.
Starting from January to June now I was very busy. During this year we were trying to finish book of Psalms with village testing and to go on to another book like Genesis and we will still follow this idea. Our vision is to translate OT books and finish it. I went to look after my wife in Mendi general hospital for two and a half months when she was very sick.
When they operated on her stomach for the big sickness they did not know [what she had] and just cut her open. When there was just pus and blood where they had cut her they then cut her again and they did not sew her back together. When that happened the sore just went on trying to get dry and for two months it dried. The skin dried on the outside but inside her body the sore was still there. We looked to our God in heaven and we stayed with her and people helped us.
I am thanking God and the two of you for all the prayers that were made. We still have her with her sickness but it has not dried up inside her body where the doctors cut her.
God heard your prayers and people gave us money and food while we were at the hospital. That was really good.
Now I have been at the BTA conference for one week but since your letter came I didn’t have anyone to send a letter. The BTA office woman was also at the conference and was busy. They also closed the BTA office and because of this I had no way to send you email. The conference started on the 13th and will finish on the 19th. Then on the 20th I will stay for the Paratext course. We will finish up on July 6th.
I want to reply to the question to Karol and Mike about Abali Abraham family. Ambali’s wife Kala has married another man. The first born [of Ambali] was Robin but he is still at home. Second boy was Robet but he is still at home too. Third was a girl named Grash and she is home too. Fourth was a girl named Jenifa but she is at home too. Fifth was a girl name Sanede but she is still at home too. Those boys and girls are still at home and not in the Usa primary school because of money problems.
We want to finish the translation office in 2012 …. It will be good to have a good chair and table to do our work well.
There are still 17 cartons of the WKNT but the Erave member said he would give them to the people and has them in his office. We still have 8 cartons of the OT books that we did with Aaron and we are looking after them.
I am thinking that if you have a computer camera that you could send it. At the translation office we are thinking of making a special sleeping room so that Kirk and his children and Karol and her children can come and sleep there.
There was no one to help send email because they are all busy with their work. I am very sorry about that..
We all pray hard that God will be with you all. I will be here for two weeks at the Paratext course. We Kewa people say goodbye to Karol and her husband and their children.
More on Josephine (June 23, 2011)
Thanks a lot for receiving your letter from Andy Grosh and Andy gave me all the NT book copies. It is already in our computer. Thank you that you want to send another 2 computers for W. Kewa ministry.
Regarding the sickness of my wife Josephine, the sickness is in her stomach but the Mendi doctors who operated on her cut her poorly and sewed her up poorly and the sickness is still there. When they sewed her up it drained and she was in the hospital and the sore dried up. Where she was sewed up it still drains. Although outside it dried up the sore that was sewed has a sore on it and the sickness is still there. Down in Usa she can’t work and can’t carry bilums. She will have to stay in the hospital. Really the sickness is still with her.
I work on the computer but am learning it very slowly. But it is God’s work so I think he will teach me.
When I saw your letter I was happy and yet sad. We pray that God will help you. God will look after you well.
I go back to Usa on July 2nd.
Abraham Ambali’s children are not in school but again if they want to go back to school in the future or not, I will let you know.
From Andy Grosh (July 3, 2011)
Wopa was here at Ukarumpa for the BTA Annual Meeting Conference (one week) and then also for the Paratext workshop (two weeks) where I was doing tech support. I was able to get all the texts you sent me from Paratext 6 easily loaded and on to his computer in Paratext 7.l2…. Wopa is a good guy—always an encouragement and fun to have around. May his tribe be enlarged. Here’s from Wopa:
Thank you so much for your prayer network support. I have been looking after my wife in the Mendi hospital for two and a half months and the Father has really helped me. At the Mendi hospital they don’t supply food but in the afternoon they give us some. However, God has heard your prayers and he has sent lots of people to the hospital to give us money and food. With the money we have paid school fees and bought food. We have had plenty of food for the two and a half months—we were full of food and money. The God that I serve always stays close to help me and my family needs.
Now I want to share the interest of the W Kewa people and you can share this with some of your friends:
- People say that they love the OT W Kewa Bible.
- They are very happy to listen to the book of Proverbs on Megavoice. They say “we feel it is sweet” and many have repented.
- We want to give the NT and OT books to the people who have started fighting so that they can repent. The member for Kagua Erave will do this but we are still waiting.
- At the East Kewa and West Kewa women’s conference I gave out NT books and they were happy and applauded.
- They prayed many times for the work of translation, that it would be done well.
- I am very happy with the computer but I have only learned a little. I have learned a lot at the Paratext [workshop] and God is helping us.
- I told everyone that Mike and Karol are helping to support the translation work and everyone was happy and said thank you.
- They said that if the translation office is done we con make two rooms for the children of Mike and Karol to come and go to.
In the West Kewa translation program we are finishing Psalms and you will get it in September. Then we will go back to the book of Genesis.
I am repeating the talk of the W Kewa people who want to send plenty of greetings and happiness to everyone who is supporting us in prayer. May God bless you for the good work you do…. If God gives us another day, then we can write and talk and do something. We make many prayers for you that our God will guide you and protect you.
From Andy Grosh (August 7, 2011)
Had a nice long chat with Wopa tonight on the cell phone. Digicel had a special deal where we only paid for the first two minutes then chat for 18 minutes for free, so I called him to say hello. He is always overflowing with cheer, even when we talk for only 30 seconds or so. But tonight I caught up on some of his news.
He said that he completed the back translation of Psalm 1-17. He has entered this back translation into Paratext using his new Netbook. It is pretty amazing that he is figuring out how to use that program on his own there in the village without any prior computer experience.
Wopa’s wife is doing well. She is no longer sick but still does not have a great deal of strength and can’t go to the garden to work. Wopa said that he thinks she will go back to the hospital again…. Wopa is planning to come in to Ukarumpa on 17 August for a Program Planning course. He did some sort of quote for a translation office….
Wopa’s Message from the BTA Office (August 17, 2011)
I read the email you sent to Andy Grosh and want to thank you.
We have worked on the back translation of Psalms 1-22. Now we are working on the Consultant Check of Psalms 1-54, so thank you [we had sent a report]. The West Kewa people say that we finished up Psalm 1-32 and that now we must do all of 1-150. So we are working on the back translation now. Does this seem like a good plan?
On the 26th and 27th I am going to a program planning course and then go back to the West Kewa.
We are praying for you. We are doing the second village testing of the book of Isaiah. Thank you for revising the dictionary [still in progress].
NTs and OT Translation Committee (August 24, 2011)
Recording Proverbs |
We have been reading the book of Proverbs in church and the people say that the talk is sweet and that it is really good. They say, “What is it that will keep us close to God?” They say that now we can go to God.
You can call me at 6, 7, 8, or 9 o’clock because our communication system in Papua New Guinea is very good in telephones. I can get [the phone message] in my house in Usa. My phone number is 7276-3108. I would like to talk to Johanna Fenton and Aaron Willems so you can give them my number to call.
- 1. There are still 12 cartons of WKNTs in Usa and they are ready to be used in a peace agreement in Sumi and Uma but the Member of Kagua-Erave said to wait so we are holding them yet. In Ukarumpa they also worked out a peace agreement and we brought [a copy] of it.
- 2. Translation office we will start in 2011 with three rooms: a conference room, a storage room and a place to sleep. There will be 12 sheets of iron and we will build with them but it will be a small house. When we do this the carpenters say it will be K8,000.
- 3. We haven’t bought anything for the translation office. Next year we will put it up.
- 4. My wife can’t work in the garden and she can’t carry sweet potato or firewood. She can only work in the house. After Christmas she will be alright but now she is still sick.
- 5. Our translation committee is like this:
- a. Stephen Yala, chairman
- b. Krapeasi, Counsilor
- c. Josep Wapo
- d. Kele Rama
- e. Wopa, Coordinator
- f. Max
- g. Rapet
- h. John Rui, Treasurer (if we find some money)
- i. Ketty Sipilia, book sales
- j. Mikel Warini, literacy teacher (we hope)
- k. Ana Marobe, literacy (we hope to have her)
Regarding my program plan for Usa, I can send it to you if you give me your address so I can send it in a letter.
I am doing a lot of work on the computer and I enjoy it. We will do the back translation of [Psalms] 65-150 so you don’t have to do it—I will do it on our computer.
Goodbye now in the name of Jesus
A Further Report (August 26, 2011)
I was happy to read your letter.
Regarding Robert Yomo [whom I had asked about] he is a policeman stationed in Wabag. Rapet is a pastor at the Um Catholic church. [I had Robert and Rapet mixed up.]
Kirapeasi represents Usa, Pawayamo, Apopa and Puti as their councilor but has told me he thinks that he can help sometimes.
Regarding, my phone number that I gave you, I thought I would be able sometime to talk to you, Karol and Kirk’s family, from Usa, so I sent it.
I am still learning the computer but you said that since you would send [other computers] I don’t know when they will arrive or if they will. Because I want to also send you pictures I think that you should also send me a camera.
Regarding money for the Program Plan, I think I will work on it in Usa and send it to you. So send me your address again.
Wopa at home |
At the BTA office I have to buy paper and email service, phone service and also food and lodging, then A4 size paper [for the workshop] so it is just money required on account of all that and I will look at it [the amount]. I told BTA to give me a W. Kewa bank statement so that I will be able to give you a good report. Now when I leave Usa and come and buy food and pay to sleep in Hagen, for all of that it is around K250. When I go back to Usa again it is also K250. I haven’t given you a report on the money but I am telling you about that. When they give me a bank statement I can send you a report.
My wife is sick but I am really happy that you all are praying for her.
Now we are again doing the back translation for the book of Psalms. They haven’t gotten the Skype program but eventually they will put it on the computer.
To build the translation office, the carpenter said we can try to do it for K8,000 [approx. $2,700 at the time] but we will have to get the supplies and quotation in Mendi and show it to the BTA office.
Give my special greetings to mama Joice.
Another Letter to Kirk (August 28, 2011)
Dear brother Kirk and your wife,
Hello and good day to you and your wife. In the Tok Pisin church [at Ukarumpa] we have heard many stories about you and we pray that you will have good work as you go around to places here on earth. I bring you the words of the West Kewa people who send plenty of good greetings to you. The people of West Kewa are very happy that God’s talk is going to vernacular speakers. The people in West Kewa read the Kewa Bible and they say that God has come to us in West Kewa and they are very happy about that. They like the Old Testament Bible so we have a big job to carry out the Old Testament translation in West Kewa. There are many people who have repented.
So now we want to build a very small translation office with one small room. Mike and Karol donated that money to build the translation office. Many send greetings to you all as well as the peace that comes from father God.
Chapter Fourteen
A Program Plan for the Future?
Although I had some reservations about the men preparing a program plan (believing that it would reflect a Western orientation and viewpoint), the men attended a workshop in December, 2011 and worked on one. Their thoughts are represented in the chart below.
I am sending you the Program Plan for West Kewa. You may look through it and give me your comments or ask questions about it. Give me you feedback before I leave Ukarumpa to go back home next Wednesday.
Committee team members: Wopa Eka, Max Yapua, Kati, Sipilia, Ana Eta, Josaphine Wopa, Josica Max, Kete Rama, Stephen Yala, Mikel Warini, Josep Wapo, Rapet Uma, John Rui.
Impact | Output | Activity | Input |
Knowing God’s word in West Kewa to transform our own communities | Translating God’s word to transformed communities | Translating OT books in first drafts | Scripture |
People will apply the Scriptural truth to their lives | Qualified trainer to train skills to community and send person to train others | Second draft and third draft with self check | Office with computer |
Read and write | PNGians become trainers | Group check | Leaders |
Trust and faith will bring transformation | Praying network | Village check and testing | Translation workshops |
Youths will try to take part in using the truth | Awareness | Advisor check of back translation | Storytelling |
Praying network | Read/write | Storytelling | Team organization |
Wants more copies | Scripture use | Consultant check | Train to train others |
Team unity | Village tests | Communities | |
Communities join up | Checking and spelling | Praying network | |
Visiting schools, camps and denominations | Words, verses and chapters checked | Office meetings | |
Workshops | Punctuation, footnotes, verses marked | First, second and third drafts |
Josephine is Still Not Well (March 6, 2012)
Thank you for sending the letter I got on February 27th, 2012. Josephine and I went to the Mendi hospital but the doctor said to come back on March 29th so we will go back. When her stomach was bad the doctors said we don’t have any flywire [mesh], or something like that, to stick on to it so he said to come back on the 29th of March. When her stomach is bad and hot, then come back, they said.
If you and Tod Allman work on the book of Daniel, that would be good. You two could work on it and then we would look at it and be happy. We finished the back translation through chapter 100 of Psalms but the BTA consultant has to check it.
It is good that you are working on the dictionary and we are ready to examine what you have done.
We pray a lot for the two of you that God will give you strength.
Yes, we hear a lot about sorcery and witchcraft in PNG but the word of God overcomes it and there is only a little.
Thank you for your financial support and that BTA received the money and takes care of it for the work. When we got to Ukarumpa we have to buy a PMV for the road and food and materials when we are there.
I understand the computer a bit but I would like to learn more in a computer course in Ukarumpa.
When Josephine and I go back to Mendi March 29th they will cut her and she will be there for 4 to 5 weeks and need food. I will buy food because they only only give food in the afternoon and there will be an operation fee too.
Wopa Outlines Some Future Plans (September 26, 2012)
The West Kewa people rejoice and greet you like this: May God be with the two of you and those around you. We pray that God will look after the two of you.
I saw the email you sent to Mara but Kirapeasi [whom I asked to be greeted] has gone to Moresby and will be there for two years and has not come back. And it is hard for me to connect Rose Lomba and group from East Kewa because I don’t have their mobile numbers.
The West Kewa people are delighted that the book of Psalms has been completed and I want to thank you in the name of Jesus. We did the first draft on the book Exodus and had a self check in the village but not the village check yet so when I go back I will take the printout to them. After that we did the first draft on the book Job too but we still haven’t finished it yet but are on chapter ten already. Within three months we will try to finish it and send it to you to revise.
People want more story telling. They feel sweetness in their heart and say, ‘Wopa we want more’. Our heavenly father is doing great things in West Kewa so praise God and we know he will [continue].
Next year we will try to move on to the book of Isaiah first and [then] others. About the translation office. Tomorrow on the 28th September Mara Iyama and myself will go down to Lae and put in the order on building materials. We will pick up the materials at Mendi where the other branch [of the store] is. When I go to Mendi and got the quotation from that store. It will take 17,000 kina to finish that small building. I don’t know the balance that you and your friends support will be but we’ll just go and put in the order.
About the family: My eldest daughter Evelyn is self sponsored and requiring 3,150 kina for school fees to go and stay at Moresby teacher’s college for two years. There will also be additional school fees for Kagua for 2013 in order to finish school. The second one Malakai will go to Mendi high school in 2013 and do grade 9. The third one a boy Kadipia will do grade 5 at the Usa school. My wife Josephine almost died of sickness but now she is a little better. The doctor told her not to do hard work and to take it easy so she has obeyed but her stomach still hurts some.
We say goodbye now to Joice. We also say goodbye to Karol and her husband and her children and to Johanna and her daughter Elsie as well as her family. May God look after you well as you do his work.
Now I understand the computer and Paratext some but only a little. However I believe that God will teach me more.
May God be with the both of you.
Chapter Fifteen
Wopa’s Death
That was the last email or letter I had from Wopa. Andy Grosh sent us emails in early 2013 telling us that Wopa was sick and in the Mendi hospital. Both Andy and Mara Iyama, the BTA Highlands Director, called the hospital to talk with Wopa. Their emails said the doctor had diagnosed Wopa with typhoid. A few weeks later the diagnosis was changed to throat cancer, and finally, leukemia. It seemed obvious that they did not know what was happening to him. Shortly before Wopa died, Mara wrote:
Hi Karl & Joyce,
When I received your email on 24 April I called Wopa on the same day but couldn’t get him on his phone. I tried it again on the second but still did not catch him; on the third day Friday 26 I called and one of his uncles answered the phone and he said “Wopa went out to have a shower”.
I waited a while and called back. He [Wopa] answered the phone and I talked with him but his voice was very weak in talking. I told him that you have to talk to the Doctor to be transfered to Mt Hagen or Kujip Hospital, then on Monday I will hear from you then find a way to move you out from Mendi hospital.
On Monday we had some problems with the phone system at the centre and on Tuesday I called to find out his [condition and his] wife answered the phone telling me that he was in ICU ward and saying that Wopa will leave us [die] sometime this week or next.
I planned to go to Mendi on the weekend and on Friday afternoon I went up to Goroka. In the afternoon I called to check before I travelled the next day and she told me that the Doctor asked them to take Wopa back home because they couldn’t help. In the night she called me saying that Wopa died around 10:00 pm so I came back from Goroka.
The body was taken to the village on Saturday and today they will burry him. That’s what I heard from his son Malakai and Pastor Max.
Mara [Highlands Director, BTA]
Thereby ends the earthly story of Wopa Eka. A few weeks after he died Ainde Wainzo, a legendary translator with BTA, died as well. Ainde had asthma and was in and out of the hospital for years. Two great men had died within a short period of each other and both were similar in character and work. In the words of Hebrews 11:38, “The world did not deserve these good people….”
Wopa was a visionary and had high hopes for what would happen among the Kewa people once the Bible was in their language. He was constantly praying for his people and for help to do a number of projects that were on his mind. Our prayer now is that his vision will be pursued by men like Max Yapua, Malachi Eka and others. Wopa is in heaven but his earthly vision is not over. We await further news on ‘the rest of the story’.
Comments and Acknowledgements
At Ukarumpa a number of people had met Wopa—sometimes on the road, at the market, in church—and many helped him by sending emails and in other ways.
Several SIL Regional Directors assisted Wopa when he was at Ukarumpa for courses, helping him to correspond by email, or by talking with him on the radio. For example, in Wopa’s letters the names of Roland Fume, Nico Van Bodegraven, Bill Callister, Steve and Debbie McEvoy, Darrel Hayes, and Thomas Weber are mentioned. A number of of them corresponded with me about the translation project and I am grateful for their input and help.
The name of Andy Grosh, also a Regional Director, appears often in Wopa’s letters. Andy was one of the main friends of Wopa—he assisting with email, computers, transportation, and with many other details. In summarizing his thoughts of Wopa, Andy wrote:
Wopa was a man of passion. He was passionate about serving his God and helping others to know his God. He was a man of exuberant enthusiasm – for life, for friends, and for the Bible in the West Kewa language and in the hearts of his people. Very few challenges he encountered were deemed too large. When he met friends after an absence, he would break into a huge smile as soon as he made eye contact, showing that just meeting his friend had made his whole day. And by that simple bit of enthusiasm, he managed to make my day on many occasions.
When I first met Wopa, he was pursuing a goal for which our organization really didn’t have any established pathway to reach. However, what he was asking from me was such a small thing that it didn’t seem reasonable to say no, even though it was difficult to see any real hope of success. But Wopa saw through the eyes of faith, and rarely seemed to have doubts about the impossible. His confidence certainly inspired others to make greater contributions toward the success of the work among the West Kewa.
Wopa had limited education, but was committed to learning whatever was necessary to make the translation project move forward. The first text message I ever received on my phone was a picture of Jesus drawn with text characters, and the simple caption “Jesus Loves You”. It came from Wopa. Since then I have received hundreds of texts from other Papua New Guineans and expats on my mobile phone here in PNG, but I still have that first text from Wopa saved on my phone. It reminds me of who I am in Christ, and that all the obstacles I might encounter are able to be overcome in the power of Jesus’ name.
Wopa showed up at the first training that was held at Ukarumpa for the Paratext translation software. He showed up with a brand new, netbook computer that he had never used. However the training course wasn’t designed to teach people to learn to use the computer, it was designed to teach people to use a particular software tool. But Wopa’s enthusiasm to get started using this new software was undeterred. He worked tenaciously throughout the two week course, and proudly headed off to his remote village to start using these new tools. I was sure he would get “hung up” very quickly with no one nearby to assist him to use this new complex equipment and software. He contacted me a couple weeks later, starting the conversation with “Andy, I’ve had some problems.” I immediately thought that he probably got hung up with some system pop-up window that he didn’t understand or something like that, and had been unable to make any progress at all with his translation work. Instead I heard him say that he had only been able to finish eight chapters of back translation and enter it into Paratext. I think I asked him to repeat himself three times because I was so shocked that he had successfully mastered the use of the computer and the software in order to accomplish that work.
Johanna Fenton was an early, consistent and enthusiastic consultant for Wopa and has continued to help Wopa and his family for many years. She wrote the following:
Thank you for this news. It’s hard to believe Wopa is now with the Lord. What joy he must have.
Wopa was an unusual man of God. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him. I had invited him along with the West Kewa team to have dinner at our house. I saw him walking along the road and my first reaction was to be afraid. He still carried that raskol-ish appearance and gait, from a distance. But when I saw him up close I could tell he was beaming with the light of Christ.
I will forever cherish the short times I got to work with Wopa. The other translators would get passionate and animated, and Wopa would be sitting there quietly deep in thought with his reader glasses on. He would speak up and you knew it was going to be good.
And yet he was also the quickest to celebrate and have a good time. I was trying to explain Wopa to my parents last night and I said he was like Billy Graham. He just had an extra dose of the Spirit that he was able to cross barriers most of us don’t have the faith to do.
I cannot wait to see Wopa in heaven and celebrate that West Kewa is represented well in heaven.
And I meant it when I said I will help see the West Kewa translation move forward, Lord willing. I am praying for a West Kewa remnant that is the fruit of Wopa’s witness. I am getting further and further into the web of Bible translation team at The Seed Company and I will tap those relationships at the right time.
Meanwhile, maybe you Karl and your son Kirk have some ideas after a little while. I’ll be praying for BTA and SIL too to help.
Karl I am so very sorry you must bear this sadness at this time. I have prayed several times for Joice’s situation. Again I’m so very sorry. Keep me posted on how I can pray.
In Wopa’s letters and by virtue of my surveillance and emails, it is clear that two early contributors to the translation work were Gil Muñoz and Aaron Willems. They visited his village and substantially contributed to the West Kewa project in many ways. Aaron was responsible for keyboarding and finalizing the printing of Ruth, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes—the first books of the OT to be printed. He was largely instrumental in providing the finances for it as well. Wopa leaned heavily on both men and they responded with practical assistance and encouragement.
Wopa attended a number of workshops at Ukarumpa and their leaders remember him well. Mack Graham (Back Translation Course), Phil King (Hebrew Course and NTC Courses), Georgetta MacDonald (Program Planning Course), Jim and Janet Stahl (Bible Storytelling), and many others gave Wopa advice and help.
Grateful thanks must also go to Wycliffe Associates of Great Britain, where raw written manuscripts of a number of Old Testament books were sent. Their people keyboarded the materials and sent them to me in Dallas.
I want to especially thank George MacDonald, International Translation Consultant for SIL, who checked Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and the Psalms. The Seed Company assisted financially and in other ways.
Jim Henderson of SIL and Nathan Miles of UBS helped me with ParaTExt problems. Jim and his wife Anne also looked after two of the Hardin children when Mike and Karol attended the WKNT dedication.
Leaders of BTA also knew Wopa, who for the last few years was a member of the organization. Steven Thomas, former Director of BTA, wrote:
I have known Wopa and interacted with him a few times. The closest time I had was sharing a BTA flat at Ukarumpa for a week last year. We cooked together, shared and had fellowship together. He is quiet man, committed to God first and he radiated his faith. We remember such precious times like this.
Sineina, wife of the present BTA Director, David Gela, wrote:
I first met Wopa Eka through your writings. I couldn’t help but remember back to the days in the 80s when I worked in the SIL Director’s office with you. Wopa’s name was one of the ones I typed a lot from your neatly hand written notes. It was not until 2010 that I put the name to the face when I met him in person for the first time in Ukarumpa. I was very sad to hear about his death and even thinking of him now, brings tears to my eyes. I don’t really know him well but I think both his and our relationship with you and Mama Joice just made the connection with him more closer. He would call me from time to time and share his prayer needs. In the little time I have known him, he was a strong leader and a peaceful man, wanting so much that his people would know the Lord and live in peace. He will be greatly missed.
David Gela also wrote:
At this morning’s Tok Pisin service (here at Ukarumpa), our training staff prepared three photos of Wopa, one showing him with his usual contagious smile neatly dressed in gentlemen’s suit, the next showing him carrying on his shoulder a (stuffed) doll (supposedly a lamb) and the third showing him in traditional bilas [decorations]. These pictures were taken during the year he was at Ukarumpa for TTC courses. We had a prayer for his family and the future of the WKewa translation work. I preached at the service. Afterwards Mara Iyama mentioned that the family is still keeping the body at the Mendi Hospital morgue awaiting arrangements. A daughter is in POM for school. They are waiting for her to go to the village for the burial. So funeral and burial has been deferred. Mara and Rambai Keruwa plan to travel to Mendi and Wopa’s village this week to attend the funeral/burial.
We plan to help buy the coffin. And people from the Ukarumpa community are donating money for us to put together to give Wopa’s wife [Josephine] for her children. Mara and Rambai will take this to them.
When Mara gets to Mendi, he will check the computer (Netbook) you gave Wopa and copy the files to a thumb drive to take back for safe-keeping at Ukarumpa office. We plan to invite Pastor Max Yapua to Ukarumpa in July for our conference and to talk about future of the WKewa work.
Everybody here at Ukarumpa and BTA are taking Wopa’s sudden death hard.
In addition to David and Sineina Gela and Steven Thomas, others from BTA who helped Wopa were Mara Iyama, Rambai Kerua, Duncan Kasokason, Mark and Estelle Trostle and many other staff members. He was part of a PNG team that loved and supported him. They have continued to support the WKOT translation project.
My thanks also go to Kirk Franklin and Karol Hardin, who grew up in Wopa’s village. They (and their spouses) have continued to help the family in practical ways.
Jim and Janet Stahl taught Wopa the basics of Bible storytelling. Janet wrote:
Let me add my recollections of Wopa to the memory list. I remember him bounding forward to greet us in Ukarumpa with enthusiasm for the storytelling workshop that we were about to start. He then put his full energy into learning and participating in the workshop including practicing telling the stories with the security guard by walking the fence line with the guard while telling the stories. I remember listening to Wopa excited description of the impact of his storytelling while hanging out washing at the guest house. He certainly demonstrated everything “heartily unto the Lord.”
One of our supporters, Lois Busby, has sent money each month to the BTA account that handles the financial support for Wopa and his translation team. And for all those who have supplied photos: Phil King, Aaron Willems, Mark Trostle, Mack Graham, Andy Grosh, and others at BTA, my sincere thanks.
And I would be amiss if I did not mention the loving support and work of my wife Joice, who always improves my writing by her editing and consulting.
A final word from Phil King:
Are you aware of what is happening now in West Kewa with Malachi, Wopa’s son? Just spent the evening at the final celebration dinner at the end of the BTA conference, and the last event in the whole week, after the meal and the thank yous, was to all get up and surround Malachi (and Junior Selby, from Omie, both in grade 9) and commit them to God. Really felt God’s presence as we surrounded them like a wheel, and Marco Paul (BTA board) prayed specifically for them both. As he was praying for Malachi he was saying ‘look around you at this garden [i.e. people in the room], these taros, yams, kaukau – you are not alone, we are all here to support you’. The BTA emphasis is that they must finish school first before getting too involved in translation, but I think it must be something special to be commissioned like that from the whole 100+ people in the conference. Do pray for him!
I pray that this story will give you some insight into the motivation and character of Wopa, a man that God called to do translation work in his own language. I also hope that you will pray for the West Kewa translation project. Right now it seems, in PNG metaphorical language, that an arrow has been broken, that the center post of the house has fallen. There are other arrows and posts, of course, but someone needs to find them.
Appendix A
About the Kewa People[2]
To have a fuller appreciation of Wopa in particular and the Kewa people and their area in general, I now outline some aspects of his culture, coupled with a sampling of photos.
The Kewa People
The Area Around Usa |
The Kewa people live in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea and speak three major, mutually intelligible dialects (West, East and South). Wopa spoke the West Kewa dialect, but even the name Kewa is not indigenous—it is a word that generally means ‘stranger’ or ‘alien’. People are known only by their clan name and Wopa’s was the Nemola and his village was Usa (pronounced, roughly, u-sah). The Kewa people traditionally referred to their language as the adaa agaa(le), i.e. “the large/important language”, but now would use the dialect name. Wopa was familiar with the one major river network, the Mendi-Erave and its tributaries, that drains the whole Kewa area and he often saw the most two prominent mountains, Giluwe (4,400m) and Ialibu (3,300m), which lay to the north and northeast of Usa. The area is part of the central cordillera which is a complex system of ranges and broad upland valleys with forest, wild cane and grasslands. There are many limestone escarpments as well as strike ridges composed of sedimentary rocks. There were flat areas near Usa but Kagua (1,500m) and Erave (1,300m) had major airstrips in their more extensive plateaus.
Kewa Area near Usa |
Wopa mentions the weather a lot—too much rain or sun will either rot or dry out the sweet potato gardens. The average yearly rainfall in the Wopa’s area is around 310cm and the temperature is 17- 26oC during the day and 9-17C at night. There is no marked wet-dry season, although June-August and December are usually the driest months.
Men from Usa and other villages often sign agreements to work on the coast as indentured laborers, so there is a fluctuating resident population in many villages, mainly in the 18-40 age bracket. The major towns that would have been familiar to Wopa were Kagua and Mendi, although he visited Erave to the south and Ialibu on the northern border. Only Mendi has more than 1,000 permanent residents.
Usa village has grown up around the traditional dance grounds. People lived in dispersed homesteads according to patrilineal lines but now many houses are centered around the dance grounds. Other clan groups besides the Nemola reside in the same ceremonial dance ground territory with their respective men’s and women’s houses. Wopa’s house would have been surrounded by fenced gardens, casuarina trees, cordyline leaves and ditches to mark boundaries. There were coffee groves as well.
Kewa Long Houses |
Every 5 to 10 years a particular clan sponsors a pig kill and long (100-150m), low houses are built by the participants. The last one we saw took place in Usa in 1968. The men’s house is near the dance grounds and is a low (2-3m at the peak, 1m at the sides), rectangular structure with grass roof, bark sides and an open
Kewa Long Houses |
porch-like section where food is communally cooked and eaten by the men. An entrance from the communal section of the house leads to individual sleeping platforms, slightly raised, each with a sunken fireplace. Wopa and his wife lived together with their children in their own house but traditionally the men occupied men’s houses.
The Kewa are subsistence horticulturalists and pig-keepers and Wopa was no exception. His family’s dietary staple crop was sweet potato, although native taro and introduced taro were planted as well. Sweet potato accounts for some 85% of the caloric intake of the people. The harvesting of the sweet potato takes place in 5-8 months after planting, depending on the soil and rainfall. The slash and burning, cutting of trees and tilling of the soil is the duty of men like Wopa. His wife would assist in the slashing and clearing of the grass and was responsible for the final clearing, planting, weeding, harvesting, and transport of the sweet potato. She would bake the sweet potato in the ashes of the fire or in pots. They would consume other common food crops, such as cucumbers, beans, corn, cabbage, onions, peanuts and pumpkins. All of these foods, as well as pineapple, bits of pork and fried biscuits are commonly sold in the local markets. At certain times of the year two kinds of pandanus (the common screw pine), which has a large nut, and another with a long red fruit, were harvested. The main commercial crop is Arabica coffee, although tea, chili and pyrethrum have been tried. Wopa mentions his pigs and it is the primary domestic animal and elaborate ceremonies and rituals are associated with it. Other village people might own chickens, the occasional goat, a few cattle and penned cassowaries.
Kewa men and women now weave baskets and various patterns are known. Both men and women gather the materials, local reeds and vines, and use them to weave various designs. Some men still own traditional stone axes and Wopa’s father, as a warrior, owned one. The gold-lip pearl shell (Pinctada maxima) is valued, along with pig, and would have been Wopa’s main items for exchange. Also common trade items are packets of salt and tigaso oil, which Kewa men purchase in the Lake Kutubu area (to the south west) and transport in long bamboo containers. Wopa’s village has small trade stores that are owned by the clan or subclans. They sell axes, knives (which are also used in trade), fish and rice, matches, pots and pans, batteries, some clothing, kerosene, and other items. Kewa men trade plumes of the birds of paradise, parrots, cockatoos, and cassowaries, from which they make elaborate head dresses.
Kewa Man & Baskets |
In addition to her gardening responsibilities, Josephine would also be responsible for the husbanding of pigs, looking after the smaller children, and cooking food in the family residence. Some women would carry food to the entrance of the men’s house. Wopa would collect and split firewood, plant sugar cane and edible pitpit, harvest pandanus nuts, hunt, and trade. His wife would be responsible for weaving net bags (of various designs), net aprons, and thatching mats from pandanus leaves. Wopa might weave the occasional arm or leg bands, or fashion his own bark belt.
An Abandoned |
Old Fighting Ditch/Trench |
Traditional claims on land are supported by the planting of pandanus trees and cordyline plants and some of the fighting Wopa mentions is over land. Evidence of gardening and ditches are also a means of establishing clan and subclan ownership. Warfare has therefore played an important part in present day land claims and tenure. The most effective claim for land tenure is planting trees, digging ditches, and building fences.
Wopa’s kin groups are loosely defined, according the ruru and –repaa. The former is a collection of at least two generations of collateral male kin, their wives and children. The latter consists of a family, i.e. a husband and wife/wives, and their children which have the potential of becoming a ruru. All of Wopa’s land has been allocated and claimed along these kinship lines, sometimes linked across widely separated areas due to the movements of the ancestors. His descent is reckoned through the male lineage with priority to the eldest male if there are brothers. In Wopa’s generation, all cross-cousins are called by the same term but are terminologically different from siblings. His parallel cousins are the same as his siblings and those of the same sex have one term for the male and a different one for the female. However he would use a single reciprocal term for his siblings of the opposite sex.
Kewa |
Marriage is exogamous to the clan and Wopa married outside his clan into the Wabi area, some eight miles away. His wealth was exchanged and negotiated by his father, uncles, or brothers of the bride with the woman’s father or brother. The display of bride wealth includes pearl shells, pigs, salt, indigenous oil, axes and knives and cash. Although Wopa’s clan did not exchange cassowaries, some groups do. Josephine’s clan were responsible for the exchange of reciprocal gifts and their negotiation and acceptance were pivotal in the marriage. Some of Wopa’s uncles were involved with polygynous marriages, although now most marriages are monogamous and take place within the tradition of exchange and the contemporary validation of the church. Josephine, as a new bride, was expected to live and work with the mother-in-law while Wopa prepared a house and cleared land for gardens.
Wopa’s family lived together in a house, once their household unit was established but, as mentioned, many adult male members of the households spend considerable time in the men’s houses as well. If Josephine and Wopa had gardens some distance from the central parish locale, then they would build a temporary house there.
Children Playing |
Wopa’s children were raised by Josephine and aunts until they were 8-10 years. Rarely are any children subject to physical discipline. They have no kone (responsible thoughts, behavior) until they are 6 or so and, since they may die at a young age, the parents would be remorseful if they had punished the youngsters. Young boys in the men’s house are expected to be quiet and listen to the talk and tales of the elders. All young children learn how to interact in the culture by observing and listening.
Wopa’s area is part of a census division and certain parish districts are identified for the census. Wopa’s group elects their village leaders, one of whom, as councilor, represents the people to the Local Government Council. In Wopa’s letter the councilor is generally named as Kirapeasi, a man who helped me as a translator for many years. He is part of a Council that attempts to set and collect taxes, as well as have some responsibility for roads, aid posts or health centers, schools, give agricultural assistance and the like. In the case of Usa, the roads were often poor and the health center unoccupied.
Ropasi |
Ropasi |
Traditionally, the `big men’ were responsible for their clan groups. Wopa’s uncle (Ropasi) was the leader for many years and became prominent through competition in exchange ceremonies, warfare, and the possession of goods. Each clan has at least one `big man’ who is expected to represent the clan. There is no broad based concept of tribal or group leadership that extends beyond the parish, although influential men like Ropasi were known over a wide area by virtue of their church relationships and other alliances. Both the government and the churches have their appointed `big men’.
A Usa village magistrate serves the government and arbitrates lesser cases, but anything which cannot be settled or which is considered major is referred to the government court. Courts are located at the provincial, district, or sub-district headquarters: Mendi, Kagua, Ialibu, or Erave. Severe matters, such as murder, are dealt with by Supreme Court judges on their tours through the Highlands.
In the case of tribal warfare the district police are called in to maintain law and order. However, for local disputes the village magistrate is the first court of appeal. Traditionally, most conflict was resolved only by prolonged negotiation and compensation, and suicide is not uncommon. Wopa, however, maintained peace by virtue of his strong Christian stand and commitment.
Baptism at Wabi |
In fact, at least 80% of the Kewa population call themselves Christian, and most are baptized members of the Catholic or Lutheran churches. Wopa was a Lutheran and a lay-pastor for the Malue congregation. Other denominations in the Kewa area are: Evangelical Church of Papua, Wesleyan, Bible Church, United Church, Nazarene, Pentecostal, and Seventh Day Adventist. Of course, some Kewas are uncommitted or traditional animists and within the churches syncretism is not uncommon.
Coexisting with Christianity is the widespread belief in and acceptance of sorcery. Wopa dealt with such problems on a regular basis. However, the traditional men’s cults had disappeared, along with their associated secret languages and ceremonies. Nevertheless, there is widespread fear of both the power of sorcerers and the power of ancestral ghosts.
Traditional Kewa |
A belief in one supernatural being was widespread, often based on an interpretation of the sky-being Yaki(li). Wopa and other church leaders believed that Yaki was an acceptable name for the Jehovah of the O.T., but many denominations did not agree. They associated the name with ancestral spirits that could be particularly malevolent if not appeased properly. The most powerful spirits traditionally were those associated with various curing ceremonies. At a lower level, but still feared, are the nature spirits.
Wopa and his village took part in exchange ceremonies that provided social cohesion, especially the large festivals that culminate in the killing of hundreds of pigs. With the advent of roads and accidental deaths, large compensation gifts are negotiated by the government. Churches have incorporated various special days and meetings into village life.
A few traditional musical instruments, the jaw’s harp, drum and flute, were made. In some areas panpipes are also used. Wopa played the guitar and men use drums for many church occasions. The Kewa people excel in body decorations for special events, painting their faces with intricate colorful designs and for this reason Wopa requested paint for the NT dedication. At such occasions, wigs are decorated with beautiful plumes from birds of paradise, parrots, cockatoos, cassowaries, and other birds.
When Wopa became seriously ill he was treated at the Mendi hospital, as was his wife earlier. Traditionally illness was attributed to the breaking of social taboos, such as incorrect preparation of food, not observing sexual abstinence at certain times, or not showing respect for the dead ancestors. Remedies were then provided by healers and other experts, often using traditional herbs (such as ginger) and medicines and their efforts were often in conflict with church leaders. Today, although there are aidposts, health centers and hospitals throughout the Kewa area, Wopa found it difficult to get help when he was badly wounded with an axe.
Wopa was one generation removed from his uncle Ropasi, who was largely responsible for the introduction and growth of the Lutheran church in Usa. Both men died at a young age but their influence and importance cannot be overestimated.
Appendix B
Our involvement with the Kewa
In the early 1950’s, the first government patrols visited the Kewa area. The Erave station was established in 1953 and the Ialibu station in 1955, but it was not until 1957 that the Kagua station was begun.
Our House in Muli (1960) |
Joice, Kirk & Karl (1961) |
Our House in Muli (1960) |
Joice, Kirk & Karl (1961) |
In August 1958, Karl and Harland Kerr visited the Southern Highlands to investigate allocations in adjoining languages, the Kewa and Wiru. At that time most of the Kewa area was classified by the government as `restricted’. The government officers at both Ialibu and Kagua stations in the East Kewa (EK) dialect suggested that we allocate in Muli, the nearest derestricted Kewa hamlet out of Ialibu, some four hours hike from the station. In October, we moved to Muli and commenced language learning monolingually. We lived there until our first furlough in 1963. During our furlough in 1963-1964, Karl studied linguistics and anthropology at Cornell University and was awarded the M.A. Upon our return to the then Territory of New Guinea in 1964, Karl was elected SIL’s Associate Director, necessitating their residency at Ukarumpa, SIL’s field headquarters. Australians Kevin and Margaret Newton were assigned to study the East Kewa language and they moved to Muli in 1964. They did some preliminary linguistic and translation work.
However, in 1966 Karl was offered a scholarship to study at Australian National University (ANU). Rev. Norman Imbrock of the Lutheran Mission, who had been stationed at Wabi in the West Kewa dialect area since 1959, invited us to live in this dialect. In 1967 we moved to Usa, by road some 40 miles west of Muli and about miles from Wabi. Karl’s studies at ANU involved writing a dissertation on the Kewa grammar and studying the dialects of Kewa. We spent time in the Kewa and Canberra areas for most of the next three years.
The Newtons resigned from SIL in 1968 because of SIL’s stated goal to work with all missions, including Catholics. SIL did not replace the Newtons with another team in the East Kewa dialect. It was hoped that the West Kewa literacy and New Testament materials would be suitable for both dialects, but that has not proven to be possible due to the reading difficulties caused by differing linguistic word forms.
Our Usa House – With Helpers
|
We then lived in Usa until 1972 when the Kewa New Testament was completed. During that time we also did linguistic and anthropological research and literacy development. All of our language-related activities depended upon capable and dependable help from a number of Kewa people, mostly from the village of Usa.
We have been also been involved in SIL administration and consultant work since 1972. For six years (1976-79; 1983-86) we were absent from PNG and served in the SIL International administration. During this time we taught at several SIL schools as well. From 1986 until the early 1990, we made intermittent trips to the SHP and the Kewa area. Towards the end of 1989, we felt that the time had come to leave PNG after 32 years of service. We were then offered a training administrative role in the PNG Branch but we had already made the decision to leave PNG.
Our Ukarumpa House |
In mid-1989, we were approached by the SIL South Pacific Area Director to head up the SPSIL school. We declined, but with some changes in the administration of the school and with the lack of a Ph.D. available to liaison with LaTrobe University, we later accepted the position for 2-3 years until a designated man could complete his studies. We left PNG the middle of 1990 to begin our new assignment in Australia after furlough, July 1991.
In 1998, when we attended the PNG branch conference, two Kewa men visited Ukarumpa (as a result of mail contact) and asked us to consider helping Wopa and Max to revise the WKNT. We returned to PNG in August of 2002 for 5 months, July of 2003 for 5 months and June of 2004 for 3 months working with Evangelist Wopa Eka of the Lutheran Church and others on the WKNT revision and with Rose Poto [Lomba] and others on an adaptation into East Kewa (EK). The WKNT revision was dedicated in August of 2004 and the EKNT in July of 2005.
A Report On Our Time in PNG (2002-2004)
For the reader to better understand the revision process I have included a summary of the work done with Wopa Eka, Kenneth Wama and Robert Yomo during our first stay in PNG. Wopa, as mentioned, was a lay-pastor and evangelist with the Lutheran church, Kenneth an ex-catechist from the Catholic church, and Robert was an 11th grade high school student whose classroom work was cut short when his school in Mendi closed due to problems (He later finished high school and is now a policeman). He visited his father at Aiyura (near Ukarumpa) and helped with checking and picture captions, as well as some book introductions for the New Testament.
During our first visit of 5 months we completed two entire readings and corrections of the NT. Wopa then went back to his village to arrange for village readings and more checks after we sent him additional materials. I have attached a summary of the stages we went through on the revision—it should show why translation work is not a quick and easy task.
Stage I
- Wopa and others read and correct the 1973 typewritten published version of the Kewa NT, making hundreds of changes, such as:
- Spelling, so that proper names conform more to the Tok Pisin Bible
- Modification of key-terms, such as Kingdom of God, Messiah, prophet, disciple, etc., to Tok Pisin common usage, e.g. disaipel for disciple
- Simplification of longer and more complex sentences
- Stylistic changes that represent how Kewa is currently spoken
Stage II
Typesetting |
Joice and I read—word by word—the computer version (prepared by SIL in 1985 after we let) and compared it with the 1973 published version. We find thousands of errors in the computer version, such as:
- Misspelled words (one typist seems to have been dyslectic)
- Verses, periods and lines (even half a page) missing
Stage III
- We keyboard the corrections using ParaTExt, a program developed by SIL and the Bible Society
Stage IV
- We print a revised version of all the NT books for the Kewa men to read and correct
Stage V
- We keyboard the corrections from Stage IV.
Stage VI
- We print the next version for Kewa village people to read and make further corrections.
- This will be done in the village after we leave and corrections will be mailed to us.
Stage VII
- We keyboard the “final” corrections from Stage VI.
Stage VIII
- We prepare the manuscript of the NT for typesetting, including:
- Preparing book introductions, section headings
Wopa & Robert Reviewing |
Compiling cross-references
- Choosing pictures and their captions, maps
- Preparing an index and mini-dictionary
- Formatting the manuscript for section headings, verses, quotations, etc.
Stage IX
- Typesetting is then done by SIL at Ukarumpa, including:
- Complete layout of NT into 2 columns
- Insertion of pictures, cross-references, etc.
Typesetting |
Adjust alignments according to pictures, hyphenated words, etc
Stage X:
- NT printed in Korea
Stage XI:
- NT dedicated and distributed (July 2004)
Other steps that I haven’t included are applying for funding of the publication, the transportation and distribution of it, and other matters. However, what I have included shows that Wopa and his colleagues were engaged in the long preparation process.
[1] Abbreviations used throughout are: WK (West Kewa), WKNT (West Kewa New Testament), EK (East Kewa), SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics), PNG (Papua New Guinea), OT (Old Testament), TTC (Translators Training Course), YWAM (Youth With a Mission), BELT (Bible Education and Leadership Training), BTA (Bible Translation Associaton).
[2] For more details see my article: “Kewa.” In Terence E. Hays, Volume ed. Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Volume II: Oceania. pp. 114-117. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1991.