I've always used this blog to share personal stories and experiences, but it dawns on me that there are so many exciting stories that WE get to hear because we know people who it happened to, or get to hear the testimony of people we have met, that you might also enjoy hearing. So from time to time I'll post a 'story' that doesn't have our direct involvement, where we aren't the main characters in the story, but that we and you, are involved in because we support their work. I'll try to make the stories as personal as I can.
This is Ainde's testimony, he's a neat guy, long white beard, and he's got a wonderful presence about him.
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“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
Nothing can thwart God’s purposes for each one of us if we remain true to Him. But how many times can someone meet with certain death - and escape? For Ainde Wainso, part of the Angaatiya people group in Papua New Guinea, it was obvious that Satan wanted him dead.
Listen to Ainde’s account of an experience in his childhood:
“I escaped death many times by God’s divine providence. My father died from an arrow wound infection when I was about 2 or 3 years old. We put his body to rest in a dry cave as my people’s custom was. A few days later, my mother took me to where we put my father’s body. I noticed she had a very strong rope with a tied knot in her hands. When we reached the cave, she made signs with her hands showing me that she was going to hang me first and then she would hang herself. My mother and I were alone in our hamlet far away from the big village and people. I cried loudly, telling my mother that I did not want to die. I wanted to live. She took pity on me and did not hang me and herself. After that she worked hard to bring me and my sister up on her own.”
The Angaatiya people had a reputation as fierce fighters, but they were a small people group. Some of their enemies were the Menyas. Hear another account:
“My only sister and a male cousin were killed and eaten by the Menyas in 1952 when they raided our village, set fire to it, and destroyed everything. My mother and I escaped with most of our people.”
Ainde said, “God, in his providence, saved me for the work of giving His word of life and salvation to my people- the Angaatiya.”
Angaataha is one of over 800 languages in Papua New Guinea. Tribal customs and the mountainous terrain are only part of the reason for the people of this country developing so many different languages. Some use a trade language, Tok Pisin, to communicate with each other, but this is inadequate for understanding terms like grace, mercy, and love. How could the Anaatiya people know that God sent His son for them as well? Would they believe in a God that didn’t speak their language
Like Ainde, the Angaatiya people were also saved and protected by God’s providence from their enemies completely wiping them out. They were reduced to only 477 people in 5 villages at the time of first contact with the outside world, modern civilization, and the first white government officers and missionaries. Ainde feels God sent the Australian colonial officers and white missionaries with the power of guns AND the power of the Good News about Christ. In the 1950’s, Lutheran missionaries came to this area of Papua New Guinea. A young Ainde, about 14 or 15, was baptized along with other converts as first generation Christians. The warfare and cannibalism was completely stopped by the early 1960’s.
Also in the early 60’s, several teams of SIL missionaries came to help translate God’s word into Angaataha. As with Ainde, these translators found the spiritual opposition strong. One couple’s marriage failed. The second and third teams experienced sickness in their families, but the third team did manage to complete translation of about 30% of the New Testament before they had to return home.
As the teams left for various reasons, it became clear that God was calling Ainde and others to do the translation for their own people. In the early 80’s, Ainde and James Namaranso joined together to work on completing the translation. But the Angaatiya was a group with a history of sorcery, witchcraft, and black magic. Satan would not allow God’s word to come to them without a fight. James’ wife died of breast cancer and Ainde’s wife left him and their two boys. Ainde was seriously ill many, many times - often with chronic asthma. He saw many others dying around him in hospital wards, but God spared him. Ainde’s declaration is: “We trust in the Lord and in His mighty power. We believe breakthrough and victory is just around corner, for we stand under the blood of Jesus Christ and His victory over Satan at Calvary.”
In December of 2004, the Angaataha New Testament was dedicated. When the New Testaments were received by the people, they spontaneously began a circle dance, reminiscent of their former tribal dances of victory. But this time instead of holding the limbs of their enemies over their heads, they were holding up God’s Word.
