We later found out they were translators and I felt honored by the irony that we came to support translators and here they were supporting us.
The wife of that couple passed a week ago in the village, while working on her second translation.
Second translation projects are rare because translating is a difficult process and finishing one and then starting another shows a particularly unique perspective on life and requires a special kind of devotion.
Yesterday we attended a memorial service. I wore a dark long sleeve shirt and a tie, and quickly found I was only tie in the place. Sandals and shorts were the status quo and I removed my tie.
I have never been to a memorial service like this before. People were celebrating her life, the gymnasium sized meeting house was full of people from all over the world. People shared in English, peppered with different accents indicating the places of the world this woman's life touched.
Some spoke in tok pisin, some spoke in the two languages that she had served in.
The things I heard about this lady I hardly knew were wonderful things that you'd want said about you, but know that it takes a lifetime of devotion to Christ and hard work to achieve.
I can not describe the deep impact being here has on a person. I had until yesterday envisioned my own funeral as hopefully having many people there, smiling, joking about my life, but I never once thought about anyone from a different country being there. In one moment the realization that my own world view is limited combined with the wonderful truth of the far-reaching love of Christ, floods in.
This woman wasn't superwoman, although much of what was said about her would tempt you to think she was. But she was Godly. She devoted her life to Christ and to being close to Him and through that relationship, she did incredible things, loved incredibly, worshiped incredibly, and served incredibly.
I am amazed at what God can do with a willing heart. I am amazed that now through her life, there are two languages that can worship God now and read His Word.
I would like to finish well like that. She collapsed while in the village, in the midst of work. Toiling over many issues and yet she still had time to make us pizza and bake us buns, us.. new to her, barely more than an acquaintance.
Her death created an interesting cultural issue. Within the year their translation should be finished typesetting (if I have my details right). One of the men from their village asked "what should we do about the drums?" to her husband after her death.
In their culture, they celebrate the finishing of the New Testament or a book, they celebrate with drums and dancing. But also, when an important member of the village dies, they don't play drums for a year. They don't have celebrations during that time.
So what about the drums? The husband's response was 'I can't tell you to play the drums, but I know she would have wanted you to celebrate with drums.'
The significance of that question... that an entire culture was affected by this passing.... is not lost on me.
I live among giants. In my eyes I'm a very small man living among people who have proven that they understand how to be servants. I have so much to work on before I finish well. But I'm thankful to God that I'm around people setting these marvelous examples.
these are the verses they left us with yesterday:
Philippians 1:20-23 (New International Version)
20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
