Author: Bill & Donna Davis

What Would You Do?!

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What would you do…

…if you found yourself in a remote village and had to learn the language?

…if no one there spoke any English? …or they spoke no English at all?

…if there were no CDs, books, teachers, schools or websites to help you?

…there were no dictionaries or published explanations of the grammar?

What would you do if you had to learn that language ALL BY YOURSELF?

This is the very situation in which missionaries who work with Unreached Peoples find themselves. They need to learn the people’s Heart Language. To do this they must succeed at do-it-yourself language learning (and no… sadly, there is no machine to instantly zap the language into your brain.)

Missionaries need help. Lots of help.

What we are doing…

New Tribes Mission provides that kind of help. Our training programs in the USA, Canada and Europe, etc., train missionaries how to learn unknown languages, to learn them well enough to minister effectively; to preach the gospel, to turn new believers into serious disciples, and to teach and counsel those disciples through life’s most difficult challenges.

But what about missionaries who do not speak English and cannot benefit from those training programs?

A big part of our new ministry is to think about how to provide this kind of training for non-Western missionaries around the world. Next week we’re going to our mission headquarters so Bill can meet with other members of his team. We are working to collate the latest and best language learning helps, and to come up with easier ways for the average missionary to analyze a new language and figure out the grammar.

We are thinking especially of how to help those missionaries who are not already fluent in English. So on top of everything else, we will face the challenge of taking all those training materials and having them put into languages like Hindi and Tamil and Chinese and Vietnamese and Burmese so we can train missionaries coming out of Asian countries who want to work with Unreached People Groups.

We believe that the Heart Language is the best way to communicate with anyone. So that is why we want to help these non-Western missionaries to minister in the Heart Language of Unreached Peoples. Well, it also means we need to train these missionaries using their Heart Language!

What you can do…

Pray for us! Pray for wisdom and clear thinking, for open doors to develop training for missionaries from other nations. Pray as we face the challenge of translating these materials and equipping trainers who can teach them. Pray for God to richly provide for the needs of this ministry. Consider partnering with us financially. Pray that we remain healthy and have the strength we need.

We appreciate each one of you. You are making a difference in the world. You are investing in seeing the gospel clearly communicated to Unreached Peoples….

…Because everyone deserves to hear in their Heart Language.

Sitting in Darkness

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Light of the WorldHere is a thought-provoking view of the world.

In Matthew 5:14 the Lord Jesus called us the light of the world. We are light bearers, commissioned to carry the message about Him, the true Light of the World.

The dots of light of this map show where Christians are…

…and where we are absent.

See how much of the world remains in darkness.

 

Image courtesy of The International Mission Board Global Research, January 2015,

Image source  http://public.imb.org/globalresearch/Pages/MapLight.aspx

A Joy: Teaching at Radius International

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Bill overlooking tijuana

Bill with the city of Tijuana spread out behind him, and San Diego in the distance

One of our joys during this season of ministry is Bill’s involvement at Radius International as part-time adjunct faculty, training young missionaries.

bill teaching radius

Radius equips cross-cultural workers to plant churches among unreached people groups. Bill teaches two courses. The first one is five days (10 hours) long, called Form & Meaning. It is part of the Culture Acquisition curriculum at Radius, and is presented during the students’ first semester. Here’s how the Radius website describes that course:

In all areas communication, the difference between “form” and “meaning” is hugely significant. When functioning in our own language and culture, we intuitively manage that difference, and we depend upon it constantly! But what we do intuitively in our own culture can really hinder clear communication across cultural and linguistic boundaries. We want you to avoid the common communication errors that take place when we assume that similar “forms” shared by two cultures have similar “meanings”. We’ll equip you to become aware of the form-meaning challenge and teach you how to successfully manage it.

Bill uses lots of examples from the Philippines and the Palawano people. It’s a fun, interesting module.

Tijuana street with church

Tijuana street scene

The Radius campus is in Tijuana, Mexico. Now that we are based in San Diego, we can drive across the border into Mexico. It takes us almost exactly 30 minutes to get from our house to the school.

Donna often accompanies Bill on the days he teaches, as she really enjoys interacting with the students and staff.

The second course he teaches is Semantics and Translation. It is two weeks long (20 hours), and a bit more intense and technical. It expands on the Form and Meaning course, and covers many of the areas involved in Bible translation with an emphasis on translating the original meaning.

bill teaching radius 2

The students are a committed bunch. They live in Tijuana for 10 months developing ministry skills and character to be effective, long-term cross-cultural workers.

“Radius is a serious, 10-month course,
designed for people who are planning to do serious, long-lasting church planting among unreached peoples.”

They inspire us! One young couple is headed to a war-torn Asian nation, another wants to work in South Asia, another couple is headed for Africa.

The Radius Kitchen

The Radius kitchen

The students live full-time in Tijuana, and eat at the school. We get to join them for lunches when we are down there. Wonderful, home-cooked Mexican food.

Great lunches!

Great lunches! This one was chile rellenos by Donna’s special request.

This past December, Radius’ second graduating class made its exit. And now, just this week, another group of students have started their year of studies.

The map below shows where they may end up in the years to come. Bill and I sincerely hope our relationships with these students will be long-term, and that we will be able to see some of them in their future places of ministry over the coming years, to encourage them, to help them in their language learning, and to see in person what God is doing among Unreached Peoples.

Unreached people group map 2014

For a close-up, interactive version of this map, go to this link.

We appreciate your partnership as we train these young people to effectively plant churches among Unreached People Groups by ministering in their Heart Languages.

Christmas and Missions

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Iping with Bible Palawano

Iping reading her brand-new Palawano New Testament

Looking Back:

2014, the year we were finally able to give the Palawanos the gift of God’s Word, Matthew through Revelation, in their heart language.

Christmas:

The special season when we feast and give presents and celebrate God’s gift to us: his Son in a manger, bringing the promise of eternal salvation.

Missions:

Taking the message of God’s gift to the nations who have not yet heard… 7,036 people groups still unreached.

As we look ahead to 2015 and beyond, we are excited about the privilege of having a part in seeing the news of this gift reached the unreached. We are thankful for each of you who pray and give and encourage us as we train non-Western missionaries how to communicate the gospel effectively to cultures who speak other languages.

Let’s work together to make 2015 a year when many more Unreached People Groups have new hope through hearing the story of Christmas, each in their Heart Language.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and New Year,

Signature

A New Ministry!

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Nepalese Woman with colorful head wrap

Nepalese woman… who will tell her of the savior?

We’re Excited!

We are transitioning into a new ministry, and want to tell you about it as we launch our site under its new name: HeartLanguages.org.

After over 33 years in the Philippines, we will now be under New Tribe’s International Ministries Office. Bill’s new position is called “International Language and Linguistics Consultant.”

We were blessed to be a part of seeing the Palawanos reached for Christ, and to translate the Word of God into their language.

Now, we will help the newly-reached to reach the unreached.

What Does This Mean?

There are about 7,289 Unreached People Groups remaining around the world.

At same time, the face of missions is changing: The church in many countries which used to be mission fields is now rising up to send their own missionaries to reach the unreached. These missionaries can go where Westerners are not welcome. But they need to know howGirl with hair band (lavendar wall) CROP to learn the languages of the people they want to reach.

A Global Partnership

These non-Western missionaries have invited us to partner with them to make them more effective in communicating the gospel and in discipling cross-culturally. Bill and his team will develop training materials and conduct seminars where missionaries from countries like Myanmar, India, Singapore and China can be taught how to learn the languages of many Unreached People Groups.

New Tribes Mission is exploring several parts of the world where we minister. Sub-Saharan Africa. First Nations in Canada. Remote parts of Asia. We’ll be opening new works, and forming new partnerships. Bill will help formulate strategies based on the unique language and linguistic challenges missionaries will face in each region.

Meanwhile, will still be involved at missionary training centers in North America, including Radius International, where Bill teaches a few times a year as adjunct faculty.

Heart Languages: Partner with us!

It’s super-exciting to be a part of facilitating a wave of missionaries going out from the non-Western nations, and to be a part of seeing the nations impacted with the gospel in the near future!

We continue to serve the Lord “because everyone deserves to hear in their heart language.”

Please pray, and partner with us as we labor to see hundreds of Unreached People Groups hear about Christ…

…each in their heart Language.

Joy and Tears

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Have you ever been so happy you cried?

At a loss for words?

The emotions were powerful at the dedication of the Palawano New Testament…

Tears of Joy

Abil crying tears of joy

We first met Abil when he was a scowling teenager. His father was our neighbor and Bill’s friend and language helper. Abil’s little sister Lini was our daugther Elisa’s best friend. Now Abil is a passionate preacher of the Gospel. As he led the dedication service, he cried. Afterward, he told Bill, “I don’t think I would even be a believer if it wasn’t for you and your teaching me.”

Abil preaching

“This book is a treasure!”

Abil told everyone, “This book is a treasure. It’s God’s Word in our language. It’s worth more than gold of silver.”

Angga exhorting

Angga exhorting others to obey

Angga is a young mother with fiery enthusiasm. Her father Karding was a 13 year-old who hung around watching Bill build our first house in the village. Bill was one of the “old men” who spoke at Karding’s wedding. Now his daughter Angga has grown up with a passion for God’s Word. She urged everyone to “read and obey” this book.

Bill's Tears

The experience was overwhelming

The heat and humidity was oppressive, and we are no longer acclimated to the tropical climate. Bill even had to cut his message short as he felt faint. But the overpowering emotion of the day was joy. We were so glad to see God’s Word in the Palawanos’ hands at last; so glad to hear their testimonies and exhortations.

Karing Crying

“Thank you for coming.”

Angga’s aunt Karing was another one of Elisa’s friends, playing with dolls in our home years ago, in between several forced child marriages and divorces. Now she is a faithful Christian, and married to Rinard, who is a church leader. She cried as she thanked us for coming to bring them God’s Word.

Kementian guy smiling

Happy to have God’s Word

Believers came from far away to celebrate with us and to get their copies of the New Testament. Several came from Kementian, where our partner’s outreach has grown to a thriving little church who desire to take God’s Word and reach out to others.

Rinard Reading NT

Rinard holding the New Testament

Rinard was a quiet, intelligent 6 year-old boy when we first met him. He worked diligently on the math problems and spelling lists Elisa gave the kids when they played school. When he got tuberculosis as a teenager, he wanted to help pay for his medicine, so he sat in the corner of Bill’s office, coloring the pictures Bill used to teach Bible stories. His attention to detail made sure that Moses’ clothes looked exactly the same in every picture, Aaron’s and Abraham’s were different. Now he is a church leader, giving that same concentration to his study of God’s Word so he can teach others.

It was our privilege and joy to know these Palawanos through several generations, to teach them and by God’s grace, to give them the New Testament in their heart language. We are so grateful to each one who helped and played a part in this ministry, so that this day could become a reality!

  • Pray with us that God’s Word will have a powerful, immediate and long-lasting effect on Palawanos’ lives and their communities.
  • Pray with us, too, as we prayerfully seek God’s will for our next phase of ministry.