A warrior sounds the triton shell battle horn. Strangers have arrived on the beach. Spears fly and slings are snapped as the white sail of the canoe approaches. The visitors cry out in the local tongue – “This is the Word of God in our Gapapaiwa language!” A dramatic reenactment of the first arrival of missionaries started celebrations for the Gapapaiwa New Testament dedication in Papua New Guinea. As the boxes of books were carried to the dedication site, the people shouted, “We recognize this Bible is also for us. It is our time now. We accept this gift of the Word and will treasure it.” Click here to read the full story of the celebrations.

Photo: Lisa Vanden Berg
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