Scott & Jennie Phillips, & Derek & Sarah Grant
are tribal missionaries to the Dao people in West Papua Indonesia.
Recently one of the most important big men and leaders (Photo above) of a yet unreached area two to three days hike to the southeast of them sent a very important message to them and the Dao Bible teachers. His name is Ekapitaa and the main part of the message he sent was passed down from person to person through the valley and various hamlets in between his territory and then to the Dao people. When it finally reached their hamlet, the words of Ekapitaa were delivered saying something like this:
"Please tell Degapiyaa (Scott's tribal name) that we want to hear this Creators talk!
We want it so much that we are waiting for the time that you along with the Dao Bible teachers will bring it to us!
When the time comes that you are ready to tell us of the Creators message just send us word and we will come.
We will gather everybody from our area,
We will all hike the trails all the way down to where you are and we will live in your area for as long as two moons (Months).
We will do this all just so that we can hear the Creator’s message.
If you would rather hike to our territory and tell us in our own houses we will wait for you here.
When you come we will provide everything you need including food so that you can live among us.
We will provide for you so that you can stay and we can finally hear this big message.
We want to hear this message and we even now wait for the day you can teach it to us!
These are the words of Ekapitaa."
The Phillips & the Grant's (above missionaries) think about the way that God is giving the Dao believers the desire to continue to cling to His message and then think about the fact the at the same time, God is using the testimony of the Dao people to speak to the neighboring people groups as well, they can't help but feel the same as Paul! Just wanting to grab the closest people to around and give them a big hug and say with the apostle Paul "WOW! We truly have no greater joy than this! Than to hear our children are walking in the truth.” They agree with William Carrey that though at times this task has looked so huge and sometimes our faith feels so small, "God’s cause will triumph!"
Please keep praying for the Dao believers and also the various groups of people in and around the borders of the Dao people group that are STILL WAITING for their first opportunity to hear about their Creator! Pray that God will prepare the Dao believers for reaching them!
1 comment:
Think how much safer and easier it would be to spread the word, if West Papua was not sold as a colony to Indonesia in the 1962 New York Agreement.
It is sad that American's like Robert Lovett and McGeorge Bundy were so eager to betray their President and to plunder the Papuan people's lands with their Freeport company.
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