Welcoming the Word of God

In 1968 Phil Masters and fellow-missionary Stan Dale were murdered as they took the message of God's love to a remote people group in Indonesia. Don't miss the compelling account of their story at  http://www.southeastchristian.org/_libraryfiles/outlook/mission_to_cannibals.pdf. 

In those days the Word of God was not welcomed in that part of Indonesia. But that didn't stop God's love from reaching out to those people.

Even after his death, Phil's wife Phyliss and their children modeled the love of God to the very people who had killed their beloved husband and father.  (Such love brought the tribe to their knees and led to their transformation from cannibals to Christians. For the whole story, read Don Richardson's Lords of the Earth.) Phyliss continued to work as a missionary in Indonesia until she retired in 1996.

For many years the Word of God has been welcomed in that part of Indonesia. But it did not exist in their own tongue.

Phyliss Masters returned this Spring as part of a celebration to distribute the very first New Testaments written in the Kimyal language. After decades of work--begun by Elinor Young and completed by Rosa Kidd and Kimyal translators--the Bibles were brought by plane to Korupun for distribution.

With great joy and anticipation the people prepared for this celebration. When the plane arrived they chanted and cheered for the Word of God as if they were receiving a visit from Jesus ("the Word") himself. Tears flowed freely as they held in their own hands the completed New Testament. Nothing I could write can match the intensity of their emotions.

Give yourself a blessing. Sit down and watch the DVD (link following). It captures the essence of those days of celebration. See if it doesn't bring you to tears as you witness how precious the Word of God is to those who haven't had it in their own language. See if it doesn't inspire in you a new reverence for your own Bible.

http://www.casttv.com/search/uploader%3A%22DianneBecker%22/1