Planting Churches or Chips?
Hotli, a Siar man in Papua New Guinea, has been a great friend and co-worker to the team of missionaries preparing to teach evangelistic Bible lessons to the Siars in a few months.
He helped the missionaries learn the culture and language and when they began a literacy program he was eager to help. He now does most of the administration and organization of the literacy program. He has been committed to helping the missionaries in their preparation to teach God’s Word.
Hotli came to the men last week and told them that some of the things he heard in the village threw him into a tizzy and he didn’t know what to believe.
The Siars have been influenced by the outside world over the years. They have been confused by hearing messages from several different groups and now are quite suspicious of anything new.
Hotli told the missionaries that there are those in the village who say that the country of Papua New Guinea is working with America to plant a chip into people for various reasons and if you refuse, you will be persecuted. Then Hotli was told that these “chip planters” were coming to their village and the missionaries were going to help the group.
Lane Sanford, Chris Lujan and Jon Jackson were appalled by the accusations but were aware that this opposition is from Satan who does not want the teaching to begin.
Hotli admitted that he didn't sleep well as he was in turmoil over these things and the possible involvement of the missionaries. "Have they been tricking us all along?” he thought. “Do they really know the truth? Have I been misled by them?” These are a few of the questions that flooded his mind.
Satan has torn off his gloves and is fighting with all his might to stop God’s Word from going forth.
“We need you to begin to lift the Siar people up to God,” Lane wrote. “We need His power and intervention in their lives to protect them and to keep them alive to hear the teaching, and do battle on our behalf against those seeking to destroy them.”