BIBLE NEWS: The Tsunami & The Bible Translators

We hear stories about the horrible things that missionaries had to endure in the old days.  Beheadings, hangings, cannibalism, etc.  We thank God that those kinds of things don't happen anymore, and that missionary work is "safe" these days.  For better or worse, we're simply and completely wrong about that.

John and Bonnie Nystrom are missionaries working in Papua New Guinea with Wycliffe Bible Translators.  They were working with local pastors in the village of Arop village to develop a version of the Bible in the local language when a massive tsunami (giant wave caused by an undersea earthquake) hit the island.

"One out of every three people that we know was killed there, and some of the families that we know lost a lot of people. In fact, after the tsunami, our friend Pastor Peter Marokiki was the only one we knew; we know another family now – where the father mother and all the children survived. Every other family that we knew of, they lost at least some of their family members," Mr. Nystrom told The Christian Post.

As we learned this year in Matthew, Jesus never promised that his followers would escape trouble - in fact he promised the disciples that they would be persecuted.  What he promises is that he will always be there with us, and walk with us through the trials of life.