I have the best seat in the office. I am convinced. It may not be apparent to people some days because my seat seems chaotic, challenging and half the time empty. But when I sit down at my desk and look out at the chairs that seat nationals coming from many different language groups Pioneer Bible Translators works with, and others I really don’t know, I see many things. Some days I see faces broken from receiving bad news while they were in town at the hospital. Other days the seats are filled with people who are waiting for someone to set them up on their computers so they can work on translation, literacy or some other assigned task. Still other days the seats can be filled with people waiting for someone to come help bring the New Testament into their language. These seats are filled with opportunities God gives Pioneer Bible Translators to serve the least of these.
My heart softened in the midst of one of those crazy, chaotic weeks when I looked out to see a faithful follower sitting in one of those seats. His head was bowed and his lips moving, obviously pleading to the Father. I don’t know what his prayer was about that day, but it compelled me. My week had been full of busyness where I was attempting to solve things I couldn’t solve and get through the never ending to-do list. I hadn’t slowed down enough that day to pray about which problems needed to be solved or what should be on my to-do list. As I said, I’m not sure what this man was praying about, but just the picture of his conversation with God reminded me of the gift and power we have in prayer. What a gentle reminder God sent me to more fully rely on His answers. The example that this faithful follower showed me that day is what I came to Papua New Guinea to help make real for non-believers: showing the example of Christ. I’m humbled to see the many faces that come through the door each day; I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.
Emily Hewitt is the Director of Support Services.