The Last Ten Years of Ministry
The Salvation History Catechisms
The Lord has been so kind to the northern Korowai people through allowing me and Wahyu to complete the salvation history catechisms in the northern dialect. This was an 8-year project that I started with my language helper, Wahyu Tahamo in 2014. We translated a question-and-answer catechism that has now formed into a workbook so that we can teach literacy. We also recorded the translation and have distributed 600 solar speakers throughout the 10 Northern villages. For the first time ever, the northern Korowai people can listen to their own language while learning how God worked through salvation history. We also translated and edited the Indonesian catechisms and printed a workbook that has both languages side-by-side. Please pray that God will use this translation throughout the region to draw people to Himself.
The Northern Korowai School
In 2010, HeartCry missionaries, Jimmy and Perin Weya started teaching the children several subjects. In 2013 we built a school building and invited two teachers from different parts of Indonesia to come and teach the children. Along with the help of Jimmy and Perin, plus these two teachers we had a functioning school. We ran the school until 2017 when we invited an organization from Jakarta called, Lantern of Hope. This organization took over the school and provided its own teachers whose doctrine aligned with ours. We now currently have four teachers that teach kindergarten through 7th grade. Please pray for these teachers because this is a difficult area to serve.
The Medical Clinic
When Trish and I entered the Korowai we, and our partners at the time, were the only ones doing medical work. For many years we would treat the sick from our back porch and would hike or fly to other villages treating the sick. We have spent thousands of dollars on medevac’d patients, medicine, and other medical supplies. Doing medical work in the Korowai can be a 24/7 job. We also taught the people how to take care of themselves by bringing in soap, toothbrushes, clothes, sandals, and vitamins. We built a clinic in 2014 and ran the clinic until 2018. Over the last ten years we have seen the average death rate rise from 45 years old to 55-60 years old. Due to the popularity of the many diseases in the Korowai region, the Korowai people received national attention and through this attention came government nurses for several years. This freed us up from much of the medical work. In 2017-18 when the Lantern of Hope entered our village, they also brought in two nurses. Now the medical clinic is run by two Indonesian nurses through the Siloam ministry. Please pray for the nurses in the northern region. This is a difficult job, and a person can burn out quickly due to all the medical needs.
The Danowage and Mabuwage Congregation
Through the efforts of the Dani evangelists and the missionaries, a church in Danowage and Mabuwage was started in 2009. Through the ministry of the evangelists and church leaders, we have seen many come to the knowledge of saving faith in Christ. We now have several believers in each village. In 2010 the Korowai burnt down the worship building because some false teachers came in and stole some of their children. In 2016 the Indonesian government built a worship building for the community. The church has grown spiritually over the last several years and the daily teaching continues in each home and in the church through the hard efforts of the team. Jimmy Weya and Wetinus Bogum are leading the Danowage congregation and Yus Weya is leading the Mabuwage congregation. My language helper, Wahyu Tahamo finished his biblical studies in Sentani, Papua and is now back in Danowage under the mentorship of Jimmy Weya and several others as he helps with the preaching and teaching. The believers in the other outlying villages are helping lead the churches by taking turns teaching on Sunday mornings. It is difficult to find faithful men that will stay in these hard villages to raise up Korowai leaders. We thank God for men like Jimmy, Yus, and Wetinus who have helped train young men like Wahyu, Salomo, Barnabas, Yon, Demus, and Yosua. Please pray that the Lord will raise up more qualified church leaders and pray for the Danowage team as they help train these men and lead the people.
The Samuel Danowage Dormitory
In 2017 we built a dormitory to house orphans and children that needed preparation before entering school. In 2017 we had the dedication of the dorm house and had 19 children when it opened. Now we have added another building, one for the boys and one for the girls. Jimmy and Perin Weya have been overseeing this ministry as the dorm parents. Because this ministry has grown, we now have added another teacher and dorm parent for the boys. These children receive housing, 3 meals a day, proper education, and daily Bible teaching. Please pray for this ministry as these children are cared for by the Danowage team.