An Unspoken Message that Spoke Volumes
The work among the Wana people wasn’t progressing. Maybe it was a lack of interest, maybe just plain hardness of heart against the gospel message. But for missionaries Steve and Linda Rosengren and their team partners, it was a difficult time. The discouragement was compounded many times over when the Rosengrens’ young son, Kevin, became ill and died.
But they were committed, and God provided the grace and strength to continue. They chose to return to the Wana village after burying their child. Their commitment spoke volumes to the tribal people: The message the missionaries have to share must be of great importance!
And a church was born.
Fast forward 34 years, and that same commitment to seeing unreached people groups reached with the gospel is seen again. This time in the Wana church.
They looked beyond themselves at the unreached tribal groups in the surrounding mountains. But they did more than look.
“How are those people who live around us going to understand the Good News like we have?” asked Pak Esron, one of the Wana men. “I feel the churches here are able to reach out to those people.”
And so Pak Esron went. He, along with other Wana missionaries, hiked to remote villages, carrying whatever supplies they could on their backs. It wasn’t always easy, but they were committed.
Committed Donors
But there were other villages even deeper in the mountainous regions. The use of the mission plane would be so beneficial.
Missionary pilot Steffan Pyle said, “We have the aircraft, we have the equipment, and we have the personnel that have all been positioned to support this kind of ministry that we’re talking about.”
But the flights were cost-prohibitive for tribal missionaries -- thankfully, not so to God.
If God could use committed missionaries to reach a tribal group, and a committed tribal church to reach the unreached beyond their village, He could use committed donors to provide precious flights for the tribal missionaries. And He did. And He continues to do so today.
Pray for tribal missionaries, and for the flight program that sustains them.
Would you like to find out how you can help with flights, or share the opportunity with others?