ThatTheyMayKnow - Literacy and Education

Scenes from the Kamea Region 2011

John Allen — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:11:46 UT

These are some photos of our area in the mountains of Gulf, including both people and places.

Tags: 206, aircraft, airplane, Cessna, Kamea, Kunai, mountains

FEED MY LAMBS

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 02:00:12 UT

Recently, I have been provided with several opportunities to teach some of the children here in Kamea Land. It has been a great blessing, and I thought I’d share with you a little of what I’ve been doing so that you can pray for both wisdom for me and spiritual growth in the lives of the children.

Some of the R.I. Students

First, while one of my co-workers has been back in the States taking care of paperwork, I have been able to fill in this last month teaching the Religious Instruction (R.I.) class at our village school. One of our church ladies assists me with this class. It is held every Friday morning for an hour to an hour and a half. The attendance ranges between 30 and 35 students. We pray, sing songs, review the lesson and memory verses from the previous week, and teach a new Bible lesson. Since we started the class we have gone through Creation, the Fall, Cain and Abel, Enoch, and are now halfway through the life of Noah. One of the main prayer requests for this ministry is just the simple fact that school will actually be open so that we can hold the class. This week was our third consecutive week to hold classes, and that is a record for this school year. Often the teachers come and go at will, and it doesn’t take much for the school to be closed.

Second, I have been able to teach Jr. Church quite often lately here at Kotidanga Baptist Church. Generally, the children have their own Sunday School class, but then stay in with the adults for the next two services. But we’re running into a “problem” – often there is not room for both the children and the adults in the church building. So we hold a Jr. Church. This month the children have been learning Psalm 119:9 for their Bible verse – “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” I have been trying to share Bible stories with them of children in the Bible who chose to heed God’s Word. Next month, I plan to have the theme of godly friends. We also attempt to pass the missionary vision on to them by telling a missionary story every week. It was a blessing to have one of the boys come to my house this past week and ask me to show him the verse again that they are memorizing in Jr. Church.

Jr. Church on the Veranda of the New Clinic Building

I am so thankful for these open doors of opportunity, and do not take them lightly, or view them as “just teaching kids”. I hope you will pray as fervently for the salvation and training of these young people as you do for the work of the Bible translation or any of our other ministries. In many ways the Kamea church is now living their book of Acts and these young people will become the Timothy’s and Rhoda’s of the church.

Tags: Children, Jr. Church, Kotidanga Baptist Church, R.I. Class

In many ways the Kamea church is now living their book of Acts and these young people will become the Timothy’s and Rhoda’s of the church.

What is That in Thine Hand?

John Allen — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:45:16 UT

If only we would allow God to touch what we have at hand and direct us as how to use it!

“…if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 4:11)

WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?

David had a sling; Moses had a rod; Shamgar had an ox goad; and Elisha had Elijah’s cloak. Each had something naturally, but they allowed God to use it in a supernatural way. Whatever our talents or gifts, naturally speaking, if only we would allow God to touch them and direct us as how to use them!

A full clinic listens to Bible story recordings as Ashlee Otto holds the pictures for them to view.

CAN YOU PLAY A TAPE?

Lena has been using recordings of Scripture and Bible stories while she is working in the clinic, and the people listen intently. At present we use Pidgin, but most of the time there is someone who will translate for those who do not understand. As recording devices are a novelty here, I think some listen out of curiosity to begin with; then the message of God’s eternal Word grips their souls! If we have visitors from the States or believers present, Lena is able to give them picture books to use to illustrate the stories…an even bigger draw!

CAN YOU DRAW A PICTURE?

Since the end of 2009, Lena has used pictures that she has drawn in a story-telling time for children twice a week in our village market . It has helped improve her Pidgin language speaking, and just recently she did her first story in the Kamea language! Her helper, Margaret, helped her to translate the story. She rehearsed it again and again before sharing it with the children (and the adults who always drop in to listen).

Praise the Lord for these opportunities to serve Him by sowing the Word into the hearts of our Kamea people. Would you pray with us that this door of opportunity would stay open, and that Lena’s language ability would continue to improve?

CAN YOU HIKE?

In July and August 2010 our national men have made two more mission outreaches to distant areas. One of these was to Weiyu, and the other was to Weaqaqa—which was the first outreach by our people to another language group (the Menya people)! They have now gone to a foreign language group!

CAN YOU ENCOURAGE?

We’ve had visitors this year from Temple Baptist in Herndon, VA (Washington, DC area)…from Pensacola Christian College…and from Texas, Florida, Michigan, and Indiana. We’ve had help with construction, medical ministry, outreach, and new contacts. Recently we were surprised by a visit from our youngest son, Nate, and his wife, Amber. Each visitor has been a blessing; what we hope is that we have been a blessing to them. Our desire as a team is that our visitors see missions as the heartbeat of God. May we all, at home or abroad, encourage one another to strive together for the furtherance of the Gospel!

Tags: Bible stories, clinic, Kamea, medical, Menya, outreach, Pidgin, recordings

Oops!! . . . Did I Just Say That?

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:13:11 UT

Give me your … skin?!

I am currently learning and trying to converse in two new languages. While it may be a lot of hard work, I am almost daily provided with plenty of comic relief courtesy of the many mistakes I make. I thought you might enjoy hearing some of my more recent bloopers.

Pidgin has many similarities to English, but is still different in a lot of ways. When learning you must be careful to not just simply “Pidginize” your English, as this often conveys the wrong meaning. While teaching my Pidgin literacy class, I wanted my students to pay especially close attention to what I was writing on the board. I should have said, “Yu mas lukim gut.” Instead, I took the “Pidginizing” route and said, “Yu mas wasim klos.” I realized instantly what I had said, as did they, and we all got a good laugh. I had literally told them that they had to wash their clothes!

One time, I was talking to one of our national pastors. I wanted to know at which village one of our Bible School graduates would be preaching the next day. I said, “Em i go long dispela sios, o datpela sios?” Now “dispela” is a legitimate Pidgin word, but “datpela” was definitely a “Pidginization”. I hadn’t realized what I said, but heard my friends laughing as they teased, “Hey, Sarah! Is ‘datpela’ a word?”

The other Saturday I was at the soccer field, getting to know people and practicing language. I wanted one of the children to shake my hand. In Kamea I should have said, “Fe’a ndapu.” This means, “Give me your hand.” Instead I said, “Fewa ndapu.” This means, “Give me your skin.” The whole crowd burst out laughing.

Walking down the trail one day I came upon a group of about 20 people sitting on the side of the trail. I started using all the Kamea I could think of, which of course was rewarded by them talking rapid fire to me with words I did not understand. One older man seemed to be the spokesman, and he kept saying one phrase over and over and waiting for a response from me. Every time he would make his speech, everyone else would laugh. I couldn’t figure out what it was, but I just kept smiling and went around and shook everybody’s hand. Then I said goodbye and continued on my way. But I kept thinking that I knew the one word he had been saying, “sopa”. Then it dawned on me, and I laughed when I realized that he had been giving the missionary a hard time and asking me for a cigarette!

Last month I was down for several days with a stomach bug and very high fever. During this time I learned that it is not always the best idea to try and speak new languages when your brain is in the process of being fried. A lady had come to visit and I came out to the kitchen table for a change of scenery. The conversation was all in Pidgin, and I tried to jump in at one point. I was feeling so badly though that I got halfway through what I was saying and just stopped and said, “O, whatever!” My co-workers all laughed, and when I felt better a couple days later, I did, too.

Last Wednesday, I was talking to several of the church ladies after the service. I was trying to explain to them about smoke signals. (Why? Don’t ask!) When I started, my Pidgin was on a role. I wasn’t even thinking in English. Then, all the sudden I hit a roadblock! I had no idea what to say next. I looked at my co-worker, Rachel, and said “You finish!” We both started roaring with laughter, as did all of our friends.

I love learning these languages and am thankful for the opportunity it gives me to build relationships with people… and for all the laughs that it provides along the way. Keep praying that God will give me ability and fluency in both languages that I might effectively communicate the Gospel to these people.

Tags: Language Learning, Pidgin

Kamea Learning to Read

Cherith Ottosen — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:34:52 UT

Margaret, my language helper, and I finished the fourth and final primer in October 2009. Upon its completion we immediately bowed in prayer and then sang songs of praise unto the Lord. My heart was full of joy as I thought, “Can this be true? Can God use these simple books for His Word to go forth?” Much work still has to be done in checking them. The fourth primer stretched my language ability as it progressed beyond simple sounds and grammar.

I was able to take the primers to multiple villages and sit down with the people. I would explain to them that if they can learn to read these four books they will be able to read the Bible someday. The eagerness in which some people sat for hours trying to discern the symbols and sounds of their own language, you would have thought it was the Bible itself. Those that couldn’t read at all I read aloud to them and they marveled at the little black and white drawings and the stories in their language. The Kamea people are just starting to realize the difficulty level involved in learning to read. Pray that the Lord will give them the needed motivation and perseverance to learn. The Kamea language is difficult to read because of the large consonant clusters, the length of the words, and the frequent glottals.

I packed my backpack and took the four primers on their first large test. I visited some of our preacher boys’ villages to see how the people would accept the primers, what ages responded to them the best, and to check if my vocabulary and grammar was correct in the primers. The stories could be endless, but mainly I want to tell you of the excitement in which the primers were received. I was able to present the primers in three villages in five days.

I spent the first two nights in Anewa. Here they mistakenly announced that, “Sister Cherith has brought four books of the Bible in Kamea with her.” That was a difficult statement for me to try to correct. Anewa was the deepest bush village that I presented the primers in. The men were eager, but the women very stand offish. Two men were especially interested, Nicodemus and Lazarus. I started them both in primer one and left to visited some other villages. When I came back several hours later they were still reading. They made it to primer three before they headed home. They asked me to come to their house again the next day.

Page after page they got more interested, delighted in the black and white drawings, and thrilled that I was speaking their language so rapidly to them. Every time I stopped they would say “anta fi” (some more.)

As the day wore on the women got closer and closer to me and eventually I was able to pull out the primers and as I do with everyone explain the purpose of the primers is to teach them to read so they can read the Bible. They didn’t respond much but then I started reading to them and asked them to help me make corrections if I said anything wrong. Page after page they got more interested, delighted in the black and white drawings, and thrilled that I was speaking their language so rapidly to them. Every time I stopped they would say “anta fi” (some more.) They finished my sentences and often would retell the stories to new ladies walking up.

That night as we sat around the fire, Rosalyn the pastor’s wife said. The men will learn how to read, my sons will learn how to read, but who will teach the women to read their Bibles. She kept talking as she wiped the tears from her eyes. As she continued rapidly in Kamea, I thought through a typical Kamea woman’s day- work the garden, carry very heavy bilums, fetch water and fire wood, fix dinner, care for the many children, do laundry, etc. They can barely make it to bed before they collapse. This is why most of the women are so stand offish. They know this is not something that will fit into their lives. Pray the Lord gives us a way to implement reading for the ladies that will make it achievable. The next morning before heading down the trail I sat with Rosalyn for about a half hour and told her that she would learn to read. When I opened primer one an irreplaceable smile swept over her face. We worked through the first five pages and if you would ask Rosalyn she would have told you that she was learning to read.

The majority of the rest of the week I stayed at the base of Kemu’s mountain with Luke and Getti. In the four days that I was with them they read no less than fifteen hours in the primers. Outside of Margaret my language helper, Getti is the only lady that has been able to make progress in the primers. Often I would sit in between Luke and Getti and I had Kamea reading in stereo around me. Getti continually tells me that she has to learn how to read so she can tell more people about Christ. She says, “They don’t know Pidgin or English, we must tell them in tok ples (Kamea).” She never talks about her own advantage of reading the Bible. I believe the Lord will greatly bless her desire.

The excitement and acceptance of the primers was overwhelming. The Kamea people are learning that this may be their language but reading it is going to take hard work. The job of writing the primers and testing them is just the first phase in a long process. Please pray that these primers will be used as a tool to prepare our people to receive the Bible.

Tags: Bible stories, Kamea, Language Learning, literacy, translation

Observations of Missionary Living: Remind Me to Learn Only ONE New Language at a Time

John Allen — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:56:53 UT

“…where I heard a language that I understood not.” (Psalm 81:5)

When we were students at Baptist Bible Translators Institute, we studied dozens of different languages. From Albanian to Zapotec, we listened to, mimicked, wrote, and analyzed their sound patterns, their tones and their rhythms. Several times, as we were being swamped by learning all the possible stops, fricatives, nasals and affricates, we were calmly assured by our instructors: “But when you get to the field, you only have to learn one language and the sounds associated with that one language.”

So when we moved in among the Kamea, our thought was that we would only have to learn Kamea (an unwritten dialect). Then my son announced that he was leaving on furlough, and that we would be “holding the fort” here until he and his family return in a year or so. Suddenly, Selina and I realized that now we also needed to learn the trade language, Pidgin English, to function outside our tribe.

That Every One May Hear in His Own Language!

Since Pidgin is a written language, largely based on English, we thought, “This won’t be too bad. We can use written Pidgin materials and lessons, and we should be proficient in no time at all.” Famous last words.

I developed study cards for both Kamea and Pidgin. When we flew out for supplies, I bought Pidgin story books to supplement our self-paced Pidgin language course. Only a few of our contacts in the jungle speak English, so we were forced to use Pidgin and Kamea to communicate. Then it happened; we were mixing all three languages! There were days where we seemed to be making some progress, and the sentences, childish as they were, really flowed. The next day, we would slaughter the language so badly that people even cocked their heads like a dog hearing a strange sound for the first time.

Communication is so vital to us in our daily lives, but we take it for granted when we live among those who speak our native tongue. Find yourself placed among those of a “strange speech,” and you long for the ability to communicate your thoughts clearly and powerfully. For any missionary who has to cross language and culture barriers to perform his ministry, there should be a team of prayer warriors back home holding the ropes for him. Few things feel more isolating than an inability to communicate with or to understand what is being said by those around you.

A missionary friend in Hungary reminded me that, “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary:” (Isaiah 50:4) Of course, that’s easy for him to say; he already had learned to speak Russian before beginning his language studies in Hungary!

The truths of God’s Word are the most important things to be communicated. Pray for those who must learn a new language in order to carry on their ministry. It is hard to tell people about the love of God while their heads are cocked at an angle!

Tags: Pidgin

Sarah Glover Joins Kamea Outreach Team

Sarah Glover — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:55:20 UT

Linguistics and medical team: John & Selina Allen, Cherith Stevens, Sarah Glover

Sarah Glover, from Sturgis Baptist Church, in Sturgis, Michigan, has joined the outreach among the Kamea people. Sarah first heard of the need among the Kamea when Matt Allen spoke at her home church. In May 2007 she made a trip to Kotidanga to work with Matt and Becky Allen, and the Lord knit their hearts together. She returned to the US to train at Baptist Bible Translators Institute in Bowie, Texas.

Sarah and Kamea children, Summer 2007

She received her undergraduate training in education and worked for the last several years full-time at her home church. She also is a trained medical first-responder and will be a wonderful addition to all of the outreach and linguistic work among the Kamea people. She began her deputation to raise her own support in January 2008.

Cherith's Testimony

Cherith Stevens — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 23:30:55 UT

“O Lord thou art my God: I will exalt thee; I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isaiah 25:1

By God’s grace I was born in a Christian home. My parent’s godly teaching and example impacted me greatly and set my course for life. After graduating from Christian school I went off to Christian college, where I began taking mission trips.

After my first missions trip to China, I knew my life was to be spent on the mission field. In later years I took missions trips to Northern Canada, a Native American Reservation, and two trips the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In September of 2005, under the preaching of Dr. Charles Keen of First Bible International, I first saw the great need for bible translation. As I pondered the joy of having God’s word and the reality that so many do not, I realized this was the ministry the Lord had for me. I pleaded with the Lord to increase my faith and make me willing to leave my comfort zone as a teacher in a Christian school. As I surrendered to the burden, God placed on my heart Isaiah 50:7, “For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”

After attending a week-long translator’s course I fell in love with the study of linguistics, and I immediately enrolled in Baptist Bible Translators Institute in Bowie, Texas.

At Baptist Bible Translators Institute I received indispensable training. I learned the phonetic alphabet, which gives a symbol to represent each sound in every language around the world. I also learned how to reduce an unwritten language into writing by creating an alphabet, spelling, and grammar rules. As I studied linguistics I also learned the impact culture has on a language. Along with the linguistic studies, I have focused on literacy development and Bible translation, which is the culmination of all my instruction.

The translators of the King James Version wrote to the readers, “Translation it is that openeth the window, to let in the light that breaketh the shell, that we may eat the kernel; that putteth aside the curtain, that we may look into the most holy place.” As English speakers we have the privilege to read God’s word in our heart language, the language we understand the most. There are thousands of people groups who have not had the window of God’s word opened unto them. Are we any more deserving than they?

While attending BBTI, the Lord answered my prayer for future direction by supplying my coworkers, John and Selina Allen. Through the Allens my eyes were opened to the great need for Bible Translation in Papua New Guinea, a country of over 800 languages and less then 200 complete Bibles.

Cherith and Kamea ladies

The Kamea tribe, 40,000 in population, is one of the tribes that has still not heard God’s word in their mother tongue. My desire is to take the training I have received and put it to work by reducing the Kamea language into a written form and translating the Scriptures.

The vision God has given us is bigger then we are, but I believe as Romans 15:21 says “To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.”

Bible Translation

John Allen — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:45:13 UT

The Kamea people are one of the “bible-less” people groups of the world. One of the main reasons for this is that they do not yet have a written language! Unlike many tribes in Papua New Guinea, a majority of the people do not speak the trade language of the island, Pidgin English.

A Kamea family

Before we can begin translation of the Scriptures into the Kamea language, the language itself must be reduced to writing. A linguistic analysis has been initiated by Cherith Stevens, a graduate of Baptist Bible Translators Institute. Through these initial language studies, we have discovered that Kamea is a sub-language of Hamtai, spoken by the Hamtai people to our east. Utilizing every tool and help at our disposal, we appreciate the help we have received in working on the Kamea language from missionaries who have worked among the Hamtai for over fifty years.

The Kamea are one of the “Bible-less” people groups of the world.

Our next step involves describing the grammatical features of the language: words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and stories. When this point is reached, we can begin literacy classes in the Kamea language, teaching them to read and write their own language.

Baptist Bible Translators Institute

Concurrent with our linguistic work, in-depth cultural studies are performed on a daily basis. Learning how the Kamea people think has great influence on what they mean when they speak. With these cultural clues and the linguistic tools at our disposal, we can work on a translation of the Scriptures in the heart language of the Kamea people. We will use the King James Bible, Textus Receptus, and Masoretic Text as our translation resources. And we will certainly depend entirely upon the leading of the Lord in all that we attempt to do with His precious word!

Literacy and Education

Matt Allen — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:37:20 UT

Probably less than 10 percent of the people can read and write any language.

Literacy in our area is minimal. Probably less than 10 percent of the people can read and write any language—English, Pidgin, or their own language! I know of only 3 women who can read and write, with the remainder of literate people being men. We have completed several literacy classes in Pidgin. We would like to expand this literacy training and make it available to several other villages as well.

With an estimated 7,000 children in the Kamea tribe, less than 1,500 of those attend any schooling. Normally, those children privileged to go to school will attend a elementary school for three years during which they will be taught basic phonics, using their own language. During this time, they learn how to sing the national anthem and say the pledge to the flag. Somehow, they are supposed to learn English in preparation for their graduation to primary school which starts at Grade 3. Currently, students entering grade 3 are illiterate and do not understand English. However, they are thrown into an English classroom (by government law) and spend the next year trying to adjust to their new language. Teachers, students, and parents become frustrated. Many children do not continue their education past that level.

Education is a great need in our area. We have a vision to start a school and teach these young people in a proper classroom environment. In order to do this, we need teachers. Please pray that God will supply us with two good teachers who can effectively teach these children.

Tags: Kamea, Pidgin