God at work at Anmatyerr
Since starting work part-time with Finke River Mission last November, it has been challenging to establish any kind of routine. COVID restrictions and family commitments have created interruptions to my ministry in the Anmatyerr area, where there are about a thousand speakers of the language.
Despite this, night-time singalongs have been regularly happening at Ti Tree Six Mile. There has been a lot of activity at Laramba, too. We are thankful for these signs of the Holy Spirit working with the Anmatyerr-speaking people.
Ryan Nelson, a key organiser of the singalongs, is keen to become a pastor. He is learning to read Anmatyerr and is studying the catechism. This year he attended an introductory Bible course at Nungalinya College in Darwin.
He also attended the recent bush course at Harts Range. Two men from Laramba may be interested in doing this training, too. Please pray that they will continue in their enthusiasm to study God’s word and to go on in their training to become pastors.
My wife Ming Fang has been organising painting workshops for women to express their faith and use their art to teach the younger generation. We have held workshops at the Bible Place in Alice Springs and also in Ti Tree. Seraphina Presley, who is still living in town, has been involved, too, after recuperating from a kidney transplant. Seraphina is my key translation helper. The topic for the recent workshop was Pentecost, and Ming Fang is planning to produce another booklet featuring the art.
I have been participating in a translation consultant check for Alyawarr Revelation, chapters 15 to 22. In my training to become a consultant, I was an understudy to an international consultant. We worked together at the AuSIL office in Alice Springs, together with three language helpers and a translation advisor.
We pray that our best efforts will result in glory to God among the Alyawarr people, to the northeast of Alice Springs, which is partly a Lutheran area.
David Strickland is a part-time pastoral support worker.
