mmm

S^ewg Jrom

Field Address:
Box 997

I'WkIM

Ttie 'Wilcox ^amily^

serving ttie ILord

Madang,
Papua New Guinea

^Tl

Forwarding Agent's
Address:

Letha Weaver
406 Thornton Cr Rd

Toledo, OR

^ible Tfanslatofs /
t

SsTM

Phone:

97391

503-875-4022

April, 1993

^apua oTVevv^ Quinea

Dear Friends,

Greetings in the precious name of Jesus.

If you want your trips to go smoothly DO
NOT EVER TRAVEL WITH US.

Just after Christmas we started off on a

trip to see some of Rosalind's family and

some of our friends in Northern
California and Arizona. Because of car

Then on to Sydney to change planes to

Papua New Guinea.

About a half hour out of Sydney we were

told that there was a baggage handlers
strike in Sydney and everything was
messed up. Here we go again. Another

problems with both our car and the

Sunday stuck somewhere.

vehicle that came to rescue us, that trip

In the meantime Rosalind had gotten

quite airsick from the rough ride. When
she gets airsick just getting out of the
plane does not settle things down for

was canceled.

Then, after I went to see our churches in

Alaska, I went to Puget Sound Christian

College to speak at chapel. That was the
day that the big storm hit the Seattle area
and about 7507000 lost"their power."

Driving home against the wind was

her.

__So__here we go. We are_gaing-into an

airport that has somewhere in the
neighborhood of 15,000 stranded

interesting.

passengers. Rosalind is vomiting. And

Then there was our trip back to Papua

we do not have Australian visas, having

New Guinea...

We planned a stopover in Hawaii for a

couple of days so we could recuperate. It
was a good time, mostly spent doing
nothing.
We did see the Arizona
Memorial, and Dili got to try surfing at
Waikiki.

not needed them just to change planes.

We had to get what is called a border
visa, good for only a few days. Needless
to say, we were the last people to get
through customs. In fact, everyone else
was gone by the time we got through.
They were all out in lines trying to figure
out what was going to happen with the
rest of their travel plans.
We found an empty bench for Rosalind
to rest on and a bag to vomit in, and I
went trying to find out what was up.
What was up was bedlam.. There were
15,000 people asking, "Is my plane going
out today?" And maybe a hundred or so
counter workers saying "I don't know."
Eventually, about noon, after we had
been in the airport about four hours,
they sent us to the Airport Hilton for the
night. It is one of those places I never
could afford. We had to get a doctor to
come and give Rosalind something to
stop the vomiting. Then we settled in to
a few days of trying to find out when we
could get back on an airplane.
Monday we had gone back to the airport
and been told we would fly out on
Thursday, but that we were waitlisted in

another airline for Wednesday morning.

So early Wednesday morning I went to
the airport and checked. They said, "Not
a chance!" But they went ahead and set
us up. We were about number twenty

on the list, if I remember correctly. I

guess that whoever said, "Not a chance"
has a different boss than we do. We got
on.

Next: Jackson International Airport,

Port Moresby. I went to the window and
showed my tickets and asked, "When
can we get on to Madang?"
"Everything is full until Friday"
"Okay, who will put us up?"

Sunday afternoon we went out to a

squatters camp that some of our people
have in Madang. We visited for a while
and were then told, "Did you know your
tractor's

alternator

is

at the Island

Airways office? It is broken and needs

repaired." Great! There was no way we
could get it before Monday, and certainly
no way to get it repaired before 10
Monday morning!

Monday morning I picked it upthe

thing certainly needed work. The whole
pulley end had come apart. It looked as
if we would be in the village and not
have the tractor to cut the airstrip. I
thought maybe I could borrow William
Butler's alternator from Tamo.

His

"Let me see what we can do." Then the

tractor is broken down. Somebody drove

clerk worked for what seemed like a half

it without oil.

an hour. Other people behind me got

tired and went to other lines. Finally,
"We have you waitlisted for the last
flight out today. You will need to wait
and see."

After several hours, during which time

we were told "Yes, "No," and "Yes"

again, we were able to get our baggage

checked and lined up to get on the plane.
As we got to the door we gave our
names and were told, "Your names are

not on the list.

Will you please wait

/ ' I

IpiR

over there while we find out what is

going on?"

Eventually they did get things sorted out

and we got to Madang, and with all our
luggage, too.
Now,for the next step: get ready and go
to the village. First problem: we have
arrived right after our mission's Annual
General Meeting. There are lots of
people sharing a few houses and fewer
cars, making shopping difficult.
The big problem is that at this time our
Madang
Missionary
Aviation
Fellowship pilot was sick with an ear
infection and could not fly! And the ear
infection refused to clear up.
Finally he arranged to get another pilot
to come down and do some of the flying

for him. We had a flight on a Friday that

we could use to get some of our stuff out
to the village. We finally decided to let
Bobbye Eiland, Dill's teacher, use that
flight and we would follow her out on
Monday using a Twin Otter.
Well, Bobbye's flight got to within about
10 minutes of our village and had to
turn back due to bad weather. She spent
the weekend at Tamo, where she had

stayed when teaching Tyler and Bethany

Butler, who are now in the States on

furlough.

Rosalind in Madang

sorting and packing for the village

Monday, everything was crazy. We are

used to having to cut off stuff so that the
plane is not too heavy. So we started in
that mode. Then we added up what we
had and discovered we needed to start

adding things because we were flying on

a much bigger plane. No complaints.
We were about ready to go and
"tliscovered we-h^d-forgotten-to get someplants that we were taking to the village.
No big deal. Then we got about a mile
down the road and remembered our

vegetables were still in the frig.

We

turned around and went back, even

though we were already late. Then,

almost to the airport, we remembered
that we did not get our flour.
While we were loading the other things
on the airplane Rosalind went back for
flour and a few more thingsthe pilot
gave us more weight. Because of good
weather he did not need to carry as
much spare fuel.

Finally we were loaded and on our way.

Dili got to fly in the co-pilot's seat. He

We had to arrange a second flight to get

kerosene for our refrigerator and to bring

was thrilled.

in replacements for two of our 12-volt

house batteries that had gone bad in our
absence. We got a few other things as

Then, about half way to the village we

remembered that we forgot our
computer, disks, and station cash! Well,
that was tough.

well. Like oil for the tractor.

And we

asked for our computer, disks, and cash.

Plus, to our amazement, they were able
to get the alternator fixed in town, so
that was able to come, too.

MAF

While waiting for the plane I went

through some of my junk and found
some things that I used to put together
an idler pulley. After working out how
to attach it to the tractor we were able to

mow the center part of the airstrip.

Then something broke and we had to
wait for the plane to come before we
could get back in business.
The plane came, but because of several
factors, our disks did not make it. So I

Getting ready to board the Twin Otter

We stopped at Tamo and picked up

Bobbye. I couldn't find William's
alternator. Oh well, on to our village.
The people were not expecting us as our
radio had been taken to Madang and sent
out for repairs. When the plane landed
everyone was wondering who was
coming until they recognized us through
the windows and got excited. It is good
to be home.

When we got unloaded, the people

helped carry the stuff to the house. We
unlocked and started cleaning. The
walls were moldy, and dust covered
everything. It took about two weeks to
get everything more or less back in
order.

The airstrip was in poor shape, too. The

cones I had ordered before leaving had
not been delivered yet. The grass was
tall from the tractor not being
operational.
And the jungle was
reclaiming the windsock and safety
circle. Also, the trees needed cut in the

approach/takeoff areas.
One real serious problem is that the strip
is not draining well. The center has
settled enough that water is now sitting
there and the planes are cutting up the
soft ground. Ditches need dug, and
something needs done to crown the strip
again. Maybe, during dry season, we can
get some gravel out of the river and put
it in the problem areas.

started with a pad and pen and got back

to work on translation. It felt good to be
back at it again. The helpers were
anxious to get going on it, and so was I.
But I cannot work with them as many
hours a day as they would like.
God and a dedicated Madang staff
managed to get our disks to us after all.
.We discovered that a plane was coming
to us from Mt. Hagen, so we arranged to
get them to Mt. Hagen and they were
flown in from there.

Recently we have been having several

other exciting developments. Rosalind
has been having a women's Bible Study.
One of the things she is doing is to try to
encourage people to read or be read to
out of the Pidgin Bible. So she has
started reading out of it to some kids.
They LOVE it.
The other is that we are starting to try to
get some of the traditional stories into
booklet form for new readers. They love
listening to the ones we have read for
them. (Some are rather R-rated.

We

have held off on those.)

Also since coming back our airstrip

marker cones have come in.

Now that

we have them, and the tractor is repaired

and cutting grass, the strip is looking
better. The windsock and safety circles
have been reclaimed from the jungle.
We are now working on the drainage,
and we will soon be able to start getting
trees cut.

Now for a few translation tidbits:

Yesterday I was told that there is a

traditional

name

for

Creator/Omnipotent God. I have not

been able to get this before. I have a term

for a term that most people say is God,

Pray:

but turns out to be more of a "Sun God."

1. That Beth will fare well in the

Of course I do not want to use this term.

If the new term is valid (I need to

States, and for her travel

research it) it will affect everything done

2.

where the name of God is mentioned!

So far we have stuck with the Pidgin

term, "Got."

Another example: I was just given a

better way to identify villages, people,
and locations. The way we were doing it
was influenced by Pidgin far too much.

3.

arrangements to get back here.

That some of the bad teaching that
the church has received lately will
go to teaching the people how to
check out the validity of teachings
as compared to the Word.
That the airstrip will be brought
back to a good safe condition.

4. That Rosalind's women's Bible

Study will help the women grow

It seemed we were stuck with it because

in the Lord.

of needing to clearly identify new and

unfamiliar names. Now I have a way
that is more natural in this language.
Instead of saying "There is this village.

Praise:

1. That progress is once again being

made in translation. Please pray
for continued progress.
2. That the people working in
translation are enthusiastic. Pray

Its name is Nazareth. Jesus went there."

we will say "Jesus went Nazareth talked

village (to)." A less literal translation in
English would be simply, "Jesus went to
a village called Nazareth." That type of

that it develops into

construction will mean that a lot of the

determination and commitment.

work already done can be revised to be

more natural and less wordy.

3. That we have Bobbye here until

May. It allows us to do a lot more
work, and it gives Dili a trained

We want to thank you for your prayers

and support. It is good knowing that so
many of you are participating with us in
these ways.

teacher.

Grace and Peace

In Him,

Dan Wilcox

o>

First Christian Churcft

- \.'.i

609 SE Second St

Newport, OR 97365

p^bry^rii^aViofr

iw
U.

S.

Postage Paid

Newport,

OR 97365
Permit

Number

Mission Services Association

PO Box 2427
Knoxville IN 37901

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

t tm

(d^^7
Forwarding Agent:
Letha
405

cSVew^ Jrom

Weaver

Thornton

Cr

Rd

Toledo, OR 97391
Field

Tlie Wilcox

Box

Address:

997

Madang

serving tfie ^ofd

PaPua

Neuj Guinea

November^ 199:r~>

'^ible Tfanslatofs //
^apua (fj^ew^ Quinea
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the precious name of Jesus,

MARK IS TO THE PRINTERS!

miiestone

has

Gospel of Mark is

been

reached.

The

in the hands of the

printers. Let me cover a few of the more

recent steps we had to do in order to
acccnplish this.

This was a very encouraging and

exciting time until we got the message
over the radio that our house had
broken

into

and

robbed.

As

been
the

translation progresses, Satan works harder

to hinder and discourage us.

Back in July we went to Samban for a

"peer checking session."

This involves

bringing our previously village checked

translated material, along with an English
gloss, to
be looked
over
by
other
translators.

These
peer
checking
sessions
are
valuable quality check times.
They are
also good times for training and gathering
ideas for how to handle certain problems
in translation.

After checking out suggestions and

revising the material, Dan flew up to Mt.
Hagen with two Kianele men to do the final
outside

check

the

United

Bible

of around 1^,000), but were excited enough

about the progress to work very long
hours.
They checked during the day and
revised at night.

Fay Christiansen, Dan, and John Pryor,

at the Seiban checking session, are

examining the Kianele translation of

Mark. We spend more time in checking
and revising than we do in the
initial translation.

with

Society consultant. Norm Mundhenk.

The
men were cold, afraid of getting mugged,
thought the city had too many people (pop.

u:

Dan has spent many hours using the

computers in our PBT office in
Madang. They allow us to work with

larger units of text, and they

operate far faster than our own old
laptop computer. There are many
things we need to do that sinrply
cannot be done on our current

ccxrputer.

Then it was back to the village for

final revisions and spelling checks. Also
accomplished were comprehension checking
"and

choice

of

11 lusxraTiohs

we ~"WeTe"

considering using with the text.

The
Kianele are holistic thinkers (i.e.. they
sometimes need to
see the whole ship in
order to identify it) and unfamiliar with

objects from Biblical times, so checking

needed done.

Typesetting

in

Madang

was

the

only

thing in this process that went faster

than we thought it would. There are many

decisions
involved
including lettering
picture
placement,
continued to

build

in
typesetting,
style and
size,
etc.

as

we

Next

came

the

caught, because, in a way, it makes sense.

When back translating the passage from
-JCianiQ-Balaz)to_P.idgin,-r-Makan,-one of

helpers, read it as, "the around 2000 pigs

ran

down

the slope

into

Didn't

that

the

final

discussions

with

the

with Norm Mundhenk at UBS.

"WIAT?

say

drowned

No, the difference in typing in a "i"

thing to contonplate!
In Mark 7:37 when [3an asked for

costs.

borrow

from

Scripture printing fund available to PBT

manbers. The total cost for our 10^* page
book should be around $1500. It should be
completed by Jan. 15 next year.

OOPS!

effiBzement"

because

Jesus

made

always

finds

some

interesting

Sometimes

it

can

be

in

the

way

As
mentioned
before,
mispronun
ciations can also be very funny.
Once
when Dan was reading Mark
he
accidently said the word white instead of
handwhich was a "dangerous" mistake.
Because of meanings that would be changed

by the substitution it meant, "If

things in translation checking sessions.

the

word for a mute person, his helpers gave

him the word for a quiet, shy person.
That also brings a funny picture to mind
of all the bystanders being "overwhelmed
with

One

and

instead of a "i" changed the passage into

something that's quite funny to imagine.
2000 fighting pigs is an awesome and noisy

quiet, shy person speak!

we will

lake

instead of fought?"

UBS will help pay for part of the printing

The rest

the

fought."

Excitement
saw

product taking shape in front of our eyes.

printers and

makes a big difference, but was not easily

white-skinned

person causes

you

your

to sin,

cut his head off!"

you

pronounce a word when reading a passage,

sometimes spelling, and sometimes you just
got the wrong word. Here are some of our
gems...

Another

mispronunciation

was

name of the pastor from Sivisivi, for the

word meaning twice.
This changed Mark

14:30

In Mark 5:13, the story about the

healing of the demon-possessed man, the
difference between **i]iliwa" and "rjiliwa"

amusing

the substitution of the word Aluwarj, the

to say, "...

before

the

rooster

crows with Aluwaij's voice, you will disown

me three times."

Since Aluwan was part of

the checking group, he got to enjoy that

Rosalind is working with Jan

Messersmith in choosing and placing

the illustrations.

Jan worked with

us doing ail the typesetting.

along with everyone else.

Funnyyes, but we're glad they are

not in the version at the printers.

Not only are they a wonderful help in

accomplishing more, but they are a
boon
to stimulating
interest in
literacy.

We've been having them type up some pretty

funny stories, and they've asked for
computer printouts to take home to show to
family and friends.
We've had people

who've
UTERACT UFCATE

We

now

have

expressed

two

co-workers

in

in

literacy

the
In

literacy part of our work: Yai]ginja, from

Janii)
village,
and
Moqgimali,
from

Sivisivi village.

interest

before asking to look at these stories.

Him.

4-

They have been being

trained in taping stories on cassette

tapes, transcribing the stories, typing
them into the computer, and editing them.

Dan and Rosalind

Dan and Jan discussing ink color and

coverstock as we give the printer the
information he needs to have in order

to give us a quote for printing Mark.

m
IB
H'.(SIff'

im
Our f^ily as seen on November 2,
1993. D-III is 12, and Beth is 15.
You have to guess our ages.

PRAYER AMD PRAISE

Pray for:
1.

the printing of Mark to go well and be

5.

done on time.

the literacy projects that are now

being worked on.

,2,_

3.

the Kianele Churches to be spiritually

strengthened and be filled with
Christian love and unity.

Praise for:
1.

the teenagers and young adults among

the Kianele to find appropriate and

the interest shown in the translation

of Mark.

constructive direction for their

2.

Mark being at the printers.

3.

Bobbye Eiland being back teaching the

kids part of this term.

energy.

k, plans for our upcoming furlough (mid

1994).

CFir^

Newport First

Christian

Church

809 S.E. Second, Newport, OR 97365-4099

ISton-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Newporti OR 97365
PERMIT NO. 5

(503)

265-2531

ACCRESS C0RRECTIC3T RB^UESTED

Mission Services Association

'A i

PO Box 2427

Knoxville IN 37901

3-=i01-2427