NEW TRIBES MISSION  |  planting tribal churches

GLIMPSES OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS

February 21, 2005

Missionaries are encouraged to see how God uses His Word to change the thinking of a Kuman believer.

Umba is the language helper of missionary Ken White. After reading over Ephesians 5, they got into a discussion as they typically do when working on translation together. They talked about what a great responsibility husbands have to love their wives like Christ loved the church.

"The traditional division of labor here leaves almost all of the daily garden work to the women while leaving large amounts of free time for the men," wrote Ken.

Ken suggested that helping his wife with what normally is considered "women's work" might be a good way of showing love. Umba agreed but added that he has already started doing that because of what he learned in Genesis.

Umba was very impressed that the curse on the woman was to have pain in childbearing but that the curse on the man was to have to work in order to eat. It is normally women's work to plant and harvest sweet potatoes, the daily Kuman staple.

"I eat the sweet potatoes too, so it is only fair that I share in the pain and hard work it takes to plant and dig them," said Umba. "God said that the man would have to work hard. So it is not right for us to give all that work to the women. Sometimes people have walked by and seen me doing 'women's work' and have been very surprised, but I just smile and wave. If someone comes and asks me why I'm doing it, I'll tell them."

"In the midst of all the hard work and even discouragements, God is faithful to give us glimpses of how He is working, little by little, in people's hearts," Ken wrote. "He is faithful and He is building his church here."

Pray for Umba as he allows God's Word to change his thinking. Pray also that his testimony will spark an interest among his fellow Kuman people.