It was time for someone to travel to the isolated Asia Pacific island where the Tugutil people live. For the last year, no outsiders had visited to encourage the believers there. But they were about to get encouragement of all kinds!
It started with one person – Chris, a consultant from a mission that makes audio recordings of Scripture. He needed a flight to the island to choose some capable Tugutil readers for the project.
But to have only one passenger isn’t a very efficient use of a Kodiak airplane flight. So, the Ethnos360 Aviation personnel came up with some ideas. Why not use this flight to encourage the whole Tugutil church?
So, they asked their national pastor to ride along. He would be able to meet some of the Tugutil believers who had studied in his town at the Bible and missions school and now minister among their own people.
And why not Rama, one of the office administrators? Of course, Rama would want to take his wife along too.
Then it’s always good to have Fira, the bookkeeper. “Fira makes pizzas as a side business,” writes pilot Jamin Peck,” so she took orders and carried pizza to her friends [the former students] there in the village.”
Round it out with the newest pilot on the field, Jared Kresge, still in language study. He can go along to learn the route to the island.
“It was encouraging for our staff to get to experience a flight, and they were also an encouragement to the believers there,” writes Jamin.
Chris evaluates Tugutil readers
While all this encouragement was going on, Chris listened to the best Tugutil readers so he could choose about seven suitable voices. Their job will be to record the entire, just-completed New Testament in the Tugutil language.
“The finished recording, once edited, will have a little background music and dramatic sound effects,” says Tugutil translator and coordinator of the project Bob Clark. “The recording will be added to the Bible.is app/ website so the Tugutil people (or anyone else using the app) can either listen to the New Testament or listen to it while they are reading it on the screen,” he adds.
If all goes well, both the print and audio versions will be dedicated this fall, providing travel restrictions allow it. So far, plans are moving ahead nicely. Says Jamin, “I’m flying into the village again on Thursday to pick up the first group that’s coming out to town for recording sessions.” Pray that nothing derails the project, as world events did last year.
What an encouragement it will be for the Tugutil believers to both read and listen to the New Testament!
Your partnership with Flight Sponsorship will ensure that Tugutil believers can afford the flights to work on the audio project.
