Ready to get ready
Missionaries Ben and Nikki Buckner are rejoicing that Ben has reached the level of language proficiency that allows him to begin preparing evangelical Bible lessons for the Nakanai people in Papua New Guinea.
Currently, since Ben is the only missionary who has mastered the Nakanai language, he is the one who will translate God’s Word, develop Bible lessons and create a literacy program.
While the Buckners are just beginning to prepare lessons for the Nakanais, they have been preparing the peoples’ hearts to hear the Gospel message for a long time. They have been building relationships and demonstrating God’s love to the people as they studied the culture and language.
Nikki has designed a computer course that will help to prepare the Nakanais for employment in one of the larger cities as well as enabling them to help with translating and transcribing the Scriptures in the future.
“Only two of them had ever touched a computer before, or even understood the concept behind it,” Nikki wrote. “So in the beginning, it was pulling teeth to get them to be able to double-click or move a mouse around. But they have come around and are doing really well.”
There is an existing Nakanai church about 45 minutes down the road that Ben has been helping.
“It has been an incredible thing to be a part of their lives and to work alongside of them,” wrote Ben. “At times I feel like I am back in the times of the early church in the book of Acts. Imagine meeting every week under a mango tree, sitting on logs, with dogs, pigs, and chickens running free in your midst [and serving] communion with a dry relative of a potato and unripe coconuts as there is nothing else that is easy to come by. Imagine working with a people group in which everything in God’s Word is new and exciting.”
Pray for Ben and Nikki as they continue to minister among the Nakanais. Pray for Ben as he makes preparations to teach the people in his village and as he helps disciple the believers in another village.