Missionaries are normal, everyday people put into situations that aren't so normal.  We all feel the same feelings of fear, of inadequacy, of need, of uncertainty. As you read the stories below, think how you would react if you were put into the same situations.

What Do Those Two Pigs Mean?

 Rand Burgett, a missionary sent from Salem Bible Church, works with the New Tribes Mission developing software to assist missionaries in the field who are trying to understand the culture and language of an unreached people group so they can teach them about God and the gift Jesus represents. The article below, written by Debbie Burgett and copied with permission from the NTM@Work magazine (http://www.ntm.org/subscribe/naw_archive.php), describes how Rand's software, CLAware, is helping.

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August 6, 2009

by Debbie Burgett

 

Sunshine sneaked playfully over the jungle mountain and then blasted warmly into full view. But if the mischievous morning was hoping to catch anyone by surprise, she would have to try another day. The tribal village was already wide awake and preparing for the wedding.

The new missionary sipped his coffee while watching the pleasant commotion. He had never witnessed a tribal marriage before and was looking forward to it. The nuptials would allow him plenty of opportunities to glean important information about the people he hoped to one day share the Gospel with. Carefully documenting their unique culture and language would provide a vital resource when the Bible teaching began, as well as for missionaries joining the work later on.

So with notebook in hand, he set off that afternoon to explore the wonderful new world of tribal weddings.

And that's when the barrage began. He couldn't write fast enough!

What did those two pigs have to do with anything? A bride price maybe? Or did they just wander in and weren't even supposed to be there? ... The bride's mother is doing something to the groom's hammock. Is she spitting on it? ... The two fathers are drinking a thick, black juice out of the same cup ... The bride and groom are stepping back and forth over a raised stick held at each end by a tribal leader, while the shaman is chanting and sprinkling some kind of blue powder on them ... What does all this mean?

And what is that strange, new sound I'm hearing pronounced? There is certainly nothing like it in the English alphabet. It almost sounds like a snort. I'll have to check on a symbol for it later, but right now, how can I reproduce it on the paper so I don't forget what it sounds like?

When the ceremony was over and preparations for the evening wedding feast began, the missionary went home to file what he had gathered so far. He ended up with several handwritten entries that he indexed and filed in the already burgeoning shoebox full of dog-eared, coffee-stained, peanut sauce-smudged cards containing the life and times of the tribal people in his village. The information would then be used for examples and illustrations when the Bible lessons began. If those two pigs were a bride price, it would make a great cultural picture for the Bible saying "You are bought with a price." (I Corinthians 6:20). Jesus also bought His bride for a price -- the price of His own death. The tribal people would be able to understand and relate to that.

And that's why he must meticulously file the cultural information. Everything he wrote down would be worthless if he and the rest of his teammates couldn't find it later for the Bible teaching. Specific information about their way of life, beliefs and worldview would help the missionaries to tailor-make the lessons so that the tribal people wouldn't accidentally mix their old beliefs with the new and confuse the message of salvation. Had he indexed everything properly and put it under the right categories? How he wished for an easier, more reliable way of doing it.

And he looked up that strange sound in the phonetic alphabet. It could be one of three different symbols. He would have to listen carefully for it again this evening. But right now, his head was spinning. Was it from information overload or from another on-coming bout of malaria? He definitely needed a short nap before the feast began ...

Much has happened since that wedding day 30 years ago. During that time, the missionary's own son grew up watching his father work. He observed the intense culture and language study necessary to plant a tribal church. He watched his father constantly practice and hone his skills in the context of the tribal people's lives -- being there as they prepared and ate their food, worked in their gardens, relaxed in their huts and handled their disputes. And he saw him record that life accurately -- in the precious box of culture cards. He still had memories of it being passed around like shared family recipes as the other missionaries used it too. It had even been his job to go find the box and bring it carefully back when his father needed to write something down. And he could count on the consequences if he ever ran while carrying it!

And through it all, he had witnessed a tribal people patiently and clearly taught the Bible and finally, reached with the Gospel.

Now, in a different tribe, in a different country, and with very different tools, he was ready to start the cycle all over again. As his father did long ago, it was his turn to attend a tribal wedding for the very first time. And with his digital camera and MP3 recorder in hand, the new missionary thought he was prepared for the occasion.

On the outskirts of the village, the banging of the gongs signaled the beginning of the procession ... Where are we going anyway? ... Ladies are on one side, men on the other ... The young ladies are shyly giggling, the older ladies are glaring, and one lady keeps pushing me. Oh! I'm on the wrong side! ... The couple is seated on a decorated mat in the center of the village. Is the mat significant? ... A speech is made. What's he saying? ... The groom's family presents the bride's family with three gifts -- a roll of white cloth, a container of something I can't see, and a small package of something else. A speech is given after each gift ... What does it all mean? ... And throughout the whole ceremony, the couple never once looks at each other. Is that significant?

Later, the missionary enjoyed the feast of sweet potatoes and pork that had been wrapped in banana leaves and cooked overnight in a huge pit filled with hot rocks. He was thankful it was not some of those slugs they had offered him earlier or their special red juice made from berries chewed up by someone else and spit back into a container. But as he took in all the sights and sounds around him, he wondered at all he didn't know. He couldn't understand half of what was being said, and most of the time, had no idea what was going on. How did his father ever write all this down? Or find it again? Or understand such strange sounds? Was he up for this?

Returning home, he was grateful that his culture and language learning process would look very different from his father's. Instead of a shoebox full of cards, he would use a computer and specialized tribal software called CLAware -- Culture and Language Acquisition software. It would allow him to file a variety of cultural data, including text, audio and pictures in CLAware's database.

Now he opened a new "Culture Event Record" in CLAware and typed in his own account and observations of the wedding experience. Then he attached the pictures he had taken and all the audio of the singing, chanting and speeches along with it.

Afterward, CLAware allowed him to organize, file and cross-reference the new record with a special tagging system that makes retrieval easy later on. And in place of passing a shoebox around, he and the other missionaries could now share their data electronically, keeping everyone "up to speed" and safeguarding against loss or damage. When he needed examples and illustrations for the Bible teaching, a quick search would provide him a complete concordance-style list of everything that had been entered -- by the whole team.

Regardless of the volume gathered over the years, he would always be able to put his finger on exactly what he needed, when he needed it. Wedding feast information might come into play when teaching about Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding in Cana -- and without any chewing up or spitting out involved!

And thankfully, CLAware would also keep track of all of his unanswered questions until he discovered the answers. He had already found out the meaning of three gifts given during the ceremony and noted them carefully.

The roll of white cloth symbolized the purity that should exist between a husband and wife alone. The container was filled with salt and represented how the marriage and their treatment of each other should always be "tasty" and good. And the package contained sewing needles and was a picture of how they should always mend their problems and keep the marriage together.

That information would come in handy when talking about how Jesus washes our sins "white as snow" or how we are supposed to be "salt and light" in an unsavory world of darkness or how riches can make coming to salvation as hard as fitting through the "eye of a needle." Those three simple wedding gifts could help bring the Bible teaching to life. And hopefully, help bring eternal life. And that's why he was there.

He also recorded a great deal of the tribal language at the wedding. After transferring it into CLAware, it now helped him transcribe it into text. He highlighted certain phrases to loop over and over so that he could type the individual sounds. If he needed to, he could also slow the language down in order to hear the sounds better.

And since he is required to listen to a certain amount of language every day -- to immerse and imprint the sounds on his brain even though he doesn't understand them yet -- he now has even more language to listen to. He can divide the recordings into sections and create his own daily lessons in the "Listening Collection" of CLAware. After determining what he wants to listen to, how often and when, the software will bring up the right lesson to him every day. So whether he's on his computer or hiking down the trail with an iPod, he can be listening and learning the language until he can say it in his sleep -- which was about to happen any minute now.

The tired missionary switched off the computer and headed to bed. His head was pounding. Was it from information overload or from another on-coming bout of malaria? But he can't get sick. An important visitor was coming in a few days and there was so much to show him. CLAware was going to blow his father away!

 

To Russia and Return!

Dear Prayer Family,

Thank you so much for praying! A special thanks you to those that wrote to let us know that they were praying for us.

Olya and the kids are back in Slovenia. They traveled well. Christian had a slight fever when they got up but he was feeling better. They were also able to keep the fever down as they traveled. Their travels included several things that made it evident that God's hand was protecting and helping them.

First, we didn't find out until today but there was a hijacked airplane that landed at the airport that Olya and the kids left from. Their plane was delayed as a result of that, though they didn't know that. The authorities were able to resolve that situation without harm to anyone.

The second thing was that bad weather was rolling in over the arrival airport as their plane landed. It seems that Olya and the kid's airplane was the last to land before the storm. Shortly after that there were about 10 planes listed as "in holding". Olya and the kids had to wait out the storm on the plane waiting for the bus to arrive.

The trip home was rainy and wet and it was a long day but we arrived safely and pretty well.

Again we are thankful for your prayers and care for us. God bless you.

Jim Olya Christian and Julia

Back in Malaumanda

Dear Praying Friends,
 
Greetings from Malaumanda!  It is such a blessing to once again be able to write and update you on what has been going on these past weeks.  Since our arrival five weeks ago, much has been happening.  One exciting thing that has begun is a new literacy course teaching more Malaumandans how to read and write their language.  There is also a second group, referred to as grade 2, that is geared towards helping literate people improve their reading and writing skills.  It has been very encouraging to see the three Malaumandan men who are literacy teachers stepping up and committing to teaching these classes.  Please pray for the new readers to grasp the material.  Pray too that there would be proficient readers.  As more of God's Word becomes available, it is important that they be capable, not struggling through and failing to fully comprehend what is being read.  Pray for the literacy teachers as well.  It is a huge commitment, three months, and they do not get paid.  There is some food and things provided but really, these men are volunteering.  Pray that the church body would support them during this time.  Pray too as they continue to improve in their teaching skills.  Bob and Noby Kennell have  been working with the teachers to help better prepare them for teaching the lessons.
 
Another very exciting thing is the arrival of the newly printed book of Acts.  It is wonderful to have another portion of God's Word available for the believers.  We have been going through portions of it each Sunday and are thankful that Alan and a couple other men have been faithful to lead in these teaching times as Bob and I are still working towards being capable in our communication.  Please be praying that truths from the book of Acts would be affecting change and creating a clearly defined role for the Church in the minds of the believers.
 
That brings us to our language and culture study.  We are planning to have our next evaluation at the end of this month.  Please continue to pray that we all would be able to push ahead and make real progress in the next four weeks.  Pray for Christina as she daily balances taking care of the boys and getting out with the ladies here.  Praise the LORD!  We have been encouraged that after our 8 month absence there has been little ground lost.
 
Another thing that happened this past week is the practical training for the Village Health Volunteers.  These are the men and one woman who have a desire to serve the community by providing basic medical help.  We are so very thankful for this training to finally be complete as it has meant there are now trained individuals who are handling the medical needs here in Malaumanda.  Now that we are no longer the primary medical provider, we have been freed up quite a bit.
 
One more prayer request is for Christina and the boys the next couple days as I will be away. (I am planning to spend the first night with a family at their "bush camp" a couple hours away and then the second night we will be out in the jungle sleeping in a cave.  I guess you could be praying for me too:0)  Please be praying for Christina and the boys as it is always more demanding being the only parent.  Pray that this will be a good opportunity for me to gain insight into culture and advance my language ability.
 
Lastly, pray as we have had a few "technological" problems since returning.  (Email being just one).  Pray that these distractions would not detract from our purpose.  Pray too that we would be able to sort through the problems with our solar electric system and it would be functioning properly soon. 
 
We praise the Lord for a good transition back into Malaumanda.  Both Josiah and Owen are doing very well considering all the changes.  The people can't get over how big and fat Owen is.  His little legs and arms get touched and squeezed all the time, but he hasn't complained.  And for those who are interested, Owen has two teeth on the bottom now. :o)  Lastly, we thank the Lord for good health!
 
Thank you again for you faithful prayers,
 
John, Christina, Josiah and Owen

The LOOONG Trip

Dear Praying Friends,

  

As we continue to get settled back to "life" here in Papua New Guinea we are also making preparations for our return to Malaumanda on Tuesday.  Thankfully, the boys have adjusted to the 14 hour time difference and have been sleeping through the night.  We are also thankful that there are several other missionary families with kids here at the moment with whom Josiah has been able to play...He is playing LEGOs with one of his buddies right now.  Yet another way God has answered prayer and helped him through the transition. 

  

Well, as promised I need to give you a more detailed update of our travels, a testimony to God's provision really.  Monday, as we checked our bags in at the counter, the agent for the airline told us that she was unable to check our bags through to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and that we would in fact have to pick them up in Australia and have them rechecked.  So, with nothing else to do but trust GOD and get on the plane, we left.  (To say I thought about it during the entire flight across the STATES would be an understatement)  Upon our arrival in Los Angeles, I quickly made my way to the Qantas departure desk to inquire about HOW we would go about picking up and rechecking our bags in Australia. (Thankfully, our arrival gate in Los Angeles was only two gates away from where we would be departing.)  The agent himself didn't know but said we could ask a customs agent once we arrived.  Then he asked if we had an entry visa for Australia.  I told him we were not staying but just connecting through to Papua New Guinea so we had not gotten one.  At this point, he became a little concerned and told me that in fact we should have gotten entry visas for Australia in case our connecting flight to PNG was canceled.  It seemed as though our initial baggage quandary was developing into a bigger problem...

(One other praise is that although we did not having seats together, the Qantas agent DID make changes to allow us all to sit together during the 14 hour flight despite having announced that it was a completely full flight and there would be no changes.)

...Well, at long last we landed in Brisbane, Australia and began trying to find someone that could give us some direction as to how to get our bags and recheck them.  We stopped and asked one of the security people, who also though we needed to see a customs agent.  So, we ventured into the sea of other passengers in line to be processed through immigration and customs, and we prayed that the lengthy wait would not be in vain.  Our turn finally came, and I recounted our baggage dilemma to the Immigration officer.  Well, you should have seen the look on the officer's face.  He immediately called over a customs agent who then asked someone else.  A conference ensued and finally, someone I took to be "in charge" came and told us that because we did not have entry visas but our bags had been checked to Brisbane, there was going to be a $5000 fine for each of us...which the airline would have to pay...It was a bit of an ordeal to finally get our bags put onto our next flight but Praise the Lord!  all of the customs, immigration and airport people were actually quite understanding and helpful.  Thankfully, we also had a four hour layover, enough time to deal with it before we had to depart.  Phew!  Thank you LORD!

  

Anyway, international travel is anything but boring, a real adventure.  Thank you all for praying us through some unusual obstacles!

  

Grace and Peace in our Savior's name,

  

John, Christina Josiah and Owen.

  

  

  

* I attached a picture of the boys 48hrs into our travels as we awaited our last flight.  A pair of real troopers!

Reichard Report March- June 2010

Much has been happening here in Guatemala. Everything from natural disasters and new babies to loved ones moving away! I don't know where to start. God has been good and is seeing us through all the changes and transitions here. Deborah and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for us.

In case you have not heard... It's a Boy! David Benjamin Reichard was born on April 11, 2010. Deborah had him here in Santiago at a small hospital. The birth went very well. We left the house around 1 am and baby Davey was born at 4:55 am. We are grateful to God for him and we look forward to him helping us in our ministry.

We will be coming to Pennsylvania from July 1st to July 15th and we will be in Wisconsin from July 15-August 3rd. If you would like to meet with us while we are in the states feel free to contact us. Our e-mail is davereichard@gmail.com. Our phone # in Pennsylvania will be 610-966-4904, my parents' house. Our phone number in Wisconsin will be 920-490-4015.

 

The biggest change would be that Tom and Sue have moved to the United States. As a reminder, Tom and Sue are Deborah's parents and former directors of the children's home here. Sue left with their three adopted girls on June 5th. Tom left on June 9th with their two adopted sons. They will be in the states for at least a year if not forever. They are renting a home in Green Bay now. It is very hard for them to leave the ministry after 18 years, but Sue's mother is getting older and needs someone to look after her. They also hope to spend more time with their sons whom they left behind when they went on the mission field. Because of the situation, things had to move quickly making the transition even harder. God is good though and things are working out. Nate and Lizzie are going to be staying till May. They will be a big help. Deborah and I have taken over the ministry here and we are excited to see what God has in-store for us.

 

Since our last newsletter we have received two new children. Jaun, 7 years old, and Mynor, 7 months old. They both seem healthy and fairly well-tempered. Mynor was abandoned at a government funded clinic by his alcoholic parents. Jaun's story is below in the the child highlight. Both have not had an audience yet. Please pray that the judge has wisdom as to where they should go.

 

We started a Children's church program at a nearby church. Nate & Lizzie are heading it up and they, Deborah, myself, and Yelsi take turns teaching. Last week we had over 80 children! We are still hoping to make a school here. The Children's church may be a good way to get our foot in the door for the school. At this point we need volunteers to help run it.

 

You may have heard about the mud slides and volcano eruption that happened a few weeks ago. Please pray for the people of Guatemala. The news says that 150 + have died. We were unable to get to the local town for three days and we were not able to get to Guatemala City for about 6 days. Many of the roads are clear now, however there are mud slides every time it rains now. Different routes to the city are constantly being closed due to mud slides. Last week we took a mission team from Palm Valley Church in Texas to a village that had many homes destroyed in the mud slide. The team purchased many essential items and gave them to the people that had lost their homes.

The team from Palm Valley did many things while they were here. They put down ceramic tile, strung a barbed wire fence, washed cars, moved wood, and sanded beams. They also did school programs for two of the local schools and handed out school supplies and Christian activity books. We are very glad they came and enjoyed serving the Lord with them.

 

One of the changes that has come about with this transition is where to send your financial support.

Deborah and I are now fully responsible for the home and ministries here. This responsibility includes financial responsibility. Your financial support is greatly appreciated and can be sent to Harvest Fellowship Church:

Harvest Fellowship of Colebrookdale

584 Colebrookdale Road

Boyertown , PA 19512.

Please make the check out to Harvest Fellowship Church with a note attached stating that it is for the Reichards or Hands of Compassion. Your donations will be tax deductible. You should no longer send funds to Palm Valley, as you did before. If you do send to Palm valley by mistake, the funds will be forwarded to Harvest.

We now have many ways for you to keep up-to-date with the home and ministries here. Here our some of the new things we started.

? FACEBOOK - Our Facebook page - Manos de Compasion

_ www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=353694937600

? Web site - We have a web site still in construction.

_ guatemalaministry.com

? Blog - We have a blog where we post the newsletters and write about what is going on.

_ gua-ministry.blogspot.com

? Skype - Our Skype name is - david.e.reichard

Please see bottom 2 pages.

 

Child Highlight

Name: Juan Sicay

Age: 7 Yrs.

Sex: Male

Home Town: Zone 18, Guatemala City

Arrival Date: May 14th 2010

Story: We do not know too much about Juan. He came to us a month and a half ago. Juan was picked up off the streets by the police. He says his family moved to Panajachel a while ago. Then his mom went back to the city and left him with a some lady. The lady beat him and so he ran away. Juan was found on the street in a town called San Antonio Palopo. He has the typical street kid habits, however he is showing signs of being a pretty good kid. He likes to help out with ministries and is very attentive. Please pray for Juan as he transitions into our home.

 

Prayer Requests

PRAISE GOD!!!

Tom , Sue, and their children arrived safely in the states.

For our continued safety even through the tropical storm Agatha

For a new son

For a safe and easy delivery

For two new children to raise in the ways of the Lord

For the new ministry started at the church

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good"

Psalm 136:1

Please Pray...

_ For continued safety in this rainy season and from robbers

_ For the new children adjusting to their new home

_ For our trip to the states

_ That Sara will be able to go home with her adoptive parents very soon

_ That this transition will go well and that support will continue to come in

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith"

Matt. 21:22

Please keep all of us in your prayers. Feel free to e - mail us at davereichard@gmail.com or call at 011-502-4407-0519 or 011-502-4407-1480. We would love to hear from people. If you would like to support us on a monthly basis or to give one time gifts please see the information above on page 2. If it be more convenient, donations may be given to my parents, Dave and Linda Reichard, to deposit into an account. Thank you all for your support and your e- mails. God Bless.

Contact Info Below

How to Contact us

The name for the sending address will be changed by the next newsletter.

For now you can place what is written.

Our Address in Guatemala for letters only (no packages):

The Stukenbergs A-0025

P. O. Box 669004

Miami Springs, Florida 33266.

For those who wish to contribute and want a tax receipt, please make check out and

send to:

Harvest Fellowship of Colebrookdale

584 Colebrookdale Road

Boyertown , PA 19512.

When Daddy is Away

Our week was filled with:
Day-long meetings
A graduation
A wedding
A BIG going away party
A night out with a fellow teacher and his family
 

This all means that our dress clothes haven't had much chance to get washed, and we haven't had to eat at home much. It's been a fun but tiring week. Here comes the weekend.
 
Since we are between semesters at the Missionary Training Center, we are looking at taking several working trips. First up, early this morning Michael left to attend a Bible dedication in another part of the island. He gets the privilege of travelling with several heads of our local board and is looking forward to spend time with these respected men. They are gong to leave him Saturday, so Saturday and Sunday night he will be looking for a bed to sleep in. He's also there to help develop church contacts, so we're praying that he'll get offered a bed at one of the church leaders homes. Otherwise he'll have to enjoy a night at a resort with himself.
 
At home the kids and I will be trying to pass time. It's the first time in a long time that Michael will be away. I've got swimming trips and friends and other small distractions planned. Please pray for us three as Daddy is away.
 
Amy (for the Michael, Greyson, and Jude)

Thanks for Praying

arrived home last Monday from my trip to another city on Sulawesi. The main purpose of the visit was to attend a Bible Dedication for a newly translated New Testament. This alone was extremely enlightening and encouraging. Seeing the interaction between churches, church leaders, tribal groups, organizations (and even different religions) centered around the arrival of the WORD into this local language was fascinating. I was also challenged to realize that the books that were distributed that day were the product of nearly 30 years of ministry! As a coworker here often reminds us: "This is a distance race!" As I waited for a plane home (there are only 3 commercial flights a week), I was able to do a little sightseeing and fact finding for our team. As we've mentioned before, Amy and I are involved in helping new families as they transition to this part of central Indonesia. It just so happened that this city I visited is strategic to a few existing and developing tribal ministries, and a possible location for families learning Indonesian culture and language. So in my extra time I was able to gather some information and make some early contacts with churches there. As with our experience here in Manado, these churches will play a major role in helping new families adjust and adapt to the very different life here in Sulawesi. And I'm certain they will, because everyone I met was extremely caring and generous to the poor American "bachelor" among them. So much so, that the only food I bought myself all weekend was a cup of coffee! Although I've been safely home for a few days already, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to say THANKYOU to everyone who prayed for Amy and the boys while I was away last week. They still had a few rough spots (as you might imagine) but everyone survived! Amy was blessed to have a close friend from church hang out each day and until evening so that there were another set of hands and eyes on the job. I have a feeling things could have been much worse without your prayers and encouragement. Again: THANKYOU! In the next days and weeks we'll need your prayers a few other areas: 1. Continuing faithfulness in using our time well. 2. Grace and patience with each other and toward our boys. 3. Preparing for increased involvement at the Missionary Training Center next semester (teaching 2 classes/day). 4. Our housing situation (Yes, we ARE looking at another move soon!) 5. Making plans and setting goals for short and long term ministry here in Indonesia. It's nice to be home and I know you'd all agree. We always appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and encouraging emails. Please keep 'em coming! Michael (for Amy and the boys)

MORE STORIES NEEDED

If you have participated in a missions trip or are one of our missionaries, and would like to share your story of what God has done through you, please contact Alan Ellis