When the Word of God
is ‘Sweet Like Honey’

BONENEPI, Papua New Guinea — The New Testament in the Umanakaina language arrived to a crescendo of drums and traditional dancing in this small mountain village last September. Months of preparation had preceded this moment, and finally, here it was, the completed New Testament in their own language – the fulfilment of 19 years of translation work.

For Umanakaina Christians, the Bible in their own language marks a point in their history. It is a turning away from traditional beliefs – a world full of superstition and fear of spirits – towards a new way in Christ’s message.

Symbol

And the Bible in their own language is the symbol of that turning point, as well as spiritual food to grow by, and a tool which they can use to show other Umanakaina the way of salvation.

Published by the Bible Society of Papua New Guinea (BSPNG) with the help of the Norwegian Bible Society (NoBS), this translation was largely the work of Sigmund and Ingjerd Evensen, members of Wycliffe Bible Translators, Norway (WBT).

Village

The couple spent nine years in Bonenepi, one of the Umanakaina villages in the south east of the island’s mountain range. The Evensens worked closely with a team of native Umanakaina speakers, who played a key role in the translation process.

The New Testament is the first substantial Scripture publication in the Umanakaina language – in 1985 a Selection was published, containing passages from all four Gospels, which provided a chronological account of the life of Jesus.

Everyone arriving for the dedication received a traditional welcome from the villagers. Guides led guests up the steep trail to the village entrance where garlands of flowers were placed around their necks.

The guests were then led through the village by a troupe of dancing warriors who beat haunting rhythms on their drums. Bright flowers decorated the walls of houses, and villagers sang songs of welcome.

Most of the guests came from neighbouring villages – many of them from other language groups. Some had walked for seven days to welcome the Umanakaina New Testament.

Others who came to celebrate were representatives from the BSPNG, the NoBS and WBT, who arrived by helicopter. Among them was the Evensen family who were treated as honoured guests.

The celebrations took place over two days, from 18-19 September 1999, but preparations began long before. For months, villagers prepared special gardens to grow the food that would feed more than 2,000 people expected for the festivities.

The harvest from these gardens was rich. Some guests arrived in the village exhausted and hungry after a long and arduous journey through the mountains. But they were cheered by the sight of the piles of yams, rice and vegetables. There was also fish and fresh pork in plenty.

Following the guests into the village came the boxes of New Testaments carried by strong young Umanakaina men in traditional costume. Then the dancing, drumming and singing reached a new intensity. The Word of God had arrived among the Umanakaina people.

Festivities could now begin in earnest, and villagers and guests feasted, danced and sang until midnight, looking forward to the next day when the main events were to take place.

Shade

The dedication day dawned bright and warm, and people crowded into whatever shade they could find for the start of the proceedings. These began with a farewell tribute to the Evensen family who had become a part of the life of the village.

Two hundred school children wearing traditional feather head-dresses, skirts made of palm leaves, beads, flowers and paint, marched through the streets to the beat of lizard-skin drums.

Villagers wept openly as the children sang songs of farewell and thanks to Mr and Mrs Evensen and their children. Afterwards, villagers and guests assembled for the dedication ceremony which was organised by the village leaders. The dedication began with a drama depicting the arrival of the New Testament as the birth of a child.

Three old men sat on banana leaves in front of a pile of the New Testaments, covered in bark cloth. Traditional dancers then uncovered the books, symbolising that the new life of the Bible had been born to the Umanakaina people. The villagers then sang a song:

Darkness

“We were in the darkness, and you came,” they sang. “You cut a trail to reach us. Today we openly proclaim its name: It is the Umanakaina Bible, our Father God’s own Word. It is the way to life.” A second drama followed, introduced by a spokesman from a neighbouring language group. He said that there was a spiritual battle to be fought. “This book can teach us how to stand,” he said.

To demonstrate this, two men then performed a play based on Ephesians 6:10-17. While one man wore a belt, breastplate, shield and helmet and wielded a sword, another man attacked him. When the second man was defeated the crowd applauded.

Witchcraft

This drama was of particular importance to a culture which has been steeped in witchcraft, black magic and sorcery. The Umanakaina people had now accepted the Holy Spirit, recognising that it was more powerful than the evil spirits which they used to fear and obey.

After the plays, Anglican Archdeacon Moi led a prayer of dedication as other church leaders laid hands on the New Testament. Helge Stroemme, Chairman of WBT, Norway, then addressed the gathering, challenging the Umanakaina people to take the Word of God to their neighbours. “The Bible is a river of life which can flow from here to other villages,” he said.

David Snyder, PNG Branch Director had similar words to say: “You have the Bible in your language so share it with your neighbours,” he said. “Help them to translate the New Testament into their language. You know how to do it.”

New Testaments and certificates were then presented to the 25 Umanakaina speakers who had helped with the translation. After the dedication ceremony people eagerly queued to buy copies of the New Testament. By the end of the day, 1,100 copies had been sold, leaving only 250 copies for those who had been unable to attend the celebrations.

One of the village leaders spoke for all the Umanakaina people when he said: “These words are different from the other stories we have. They are sweet like honey. I want them to build a house inside me.” (WR 349/23 - 03.00) [PHOTOS]

Sigmund Evensen has written a fascinating account of his experiences amongst the Umanakaina people and how God’s Word made an impact upon them. This piece is available through the document service. Please contact the Communication Services Department of the World Service Center to obtain a copy.