Written by Peter Santana
Peter is an MAF pilot serving with his family in Papua, Indonesia. He wrote this story back in March and we’re sharing it here in hopes that it will encourage you.
It was another beautiful morning in the mountains of Papua, Indonesia, as fellow pilot Tom Bolser and I started our descent into the village of Silimo. Silimo is about an hour flight from Sentani, to the south side of the awe-inspiring mountain ranges that split the island of Papua almost in half horizontally. On board with us were two long-time Western missionaries (20-plus years in Papua), as well as their two national partner translators. Also on board were about 300 kgs (around 300) of Ngalik New Testament Bibles. This team of translators finished the full New Testament translation several years ago and only lack two books of the Old Testament to finish the work.
MAF’s Peter Santana (right) and Tom Bolser (left center) deliver New Testament Ngalik Bibles to Silimo, Papua, Indonesia. Photo courtesy of Peter Santana.
This was my first MAF flight since arriving back in Papua in late January, after an “adventurous” travel experience from the States and a five-day hotel quarantine in Jakarta. What a great way for me to start off this year of flying in Papua.
After landing, the local villagers quickly unloaded the New Testament Bibles, and a local church leader led us all in a prayer of thanksgiving.
A Ngalik man leads a prayer of thanksgiving upon that arrival of New Testament Bibles in Silimo. Photo by Peter Santana.
I talked again with the missionary that I brought in that morning, and he reported that all of the Bibles we flew in that day were sold within a week. The Bibles are subsidized 75 percent but they still require the people to contribute a bit so that they truly value them. It had been several years since their last printing and these new copies were received enthusiastically by the Ngalik people.
In the midst of continued COVID-19 challenges, political strife, disappointments, and uncertainties about the future, please take heart that God’s Word continues to go forth throughout the world; and you are making an impact in the lives of new believers and seekers by supporting the work of MAF in Papua.
Thank you!
8 Comments
Thank you for this opportunity to share the Word of God here about these dear people!
Thank you for the ministry of MAF. God bless each worker, whether they are in the air or on the ground.
All Glory to God.Thank you for serving the people of Papua Indonesia and the world.My prayer is with you.
I am grateful for the opportunity to share in making the gospel available to the precious people you minister to.
Love to read and see what’s happening in first person.
We always remember the great prayer said in many Synagogues and also in my faith as a Jew who believes in Jesus in Deuteronomy chapter 6:4 (In hebrew: Shema Yisorael Adoni Alehenu Adoni Echad) in English “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One”. Note that the Name of God is repeated THREE times. I believe that the first name of God here is God the Father, The second is Our God Jesus Christ and the third stands for God the Holy Spirit. As Edith Schaffer once said “Christianity is Jewish”. It s my hope that many more Jews will come to believe in the Lamb of God, Jesus who died to save us. Shalom, Rick Gershon, Glendale, AZ.
It’s great to be part of God’s team bringing the gospel of Christ to people all over His world!
Thank you for all you do in getting the gospel to the ends of the Earth . The Lord reward you and your family bountifully.