August 2018
Our mission is to assist the Malaysian church in transforming lives, making disciples, and establishing churches by translating
Scriptures into the heart language of all people.
by Peter & Angie Seow
For internal circulation only WYCLIFFE TODAY 1
“Wa, wa, wa, wa…” e sound e Seow family in Danama (circa 2005)
echoed inside the ‘honai’ (a
traditional grass-thatched roof experienced gradual changes in the Western Dani language which is
house) where we were seated. It was technology until the present, the part of the Trans-New Guinea
the sound of grateful thanks from Walak (like many other tribes in the language family. e Walak people
the Walak leaders. We had just remote parts of Papua) have lived have been living in the central
arrived in the village for the rst unchanged lives since time highlands of Papua, spreading from
time in 2005 and visited the honai immemorial. the lowlands of the Pyramid area to
of the village chief. ‘Wa’ means the Central Memberamo
‘thank you’ in Walak and the depth e Walak practise subsistence highlands. Just over 50 years ago,
of gratitude is re ected in the agriculture - consuming most of the Dani was rst among the larger
number of times the word “wa” is the produce they grow: leaving little tribes to receive the gospel. e
repeated. is usually happens a er or nothing to be marketed. Now, Scriptures were rst translated into
their traditional welcome, a “de with the digital age at their Dani and an indigenous bible
ndai” (crying song). In this doorstep, they have to make a leap school was formed to teach the
traditional Walak welcome, a leader from the “stone age to the people about God and His Word.
leads the people in the song of information age”. e Walak are Many new believers became local
gratitude to God for the visitors. keenly aware of the challenges in missionaries and began sharing the
preserving and passing on their Good News to neighbouring tribes.
e rest of the villagers who are traditions to the next generation. Although the Walak is linguistically
present, responds in unison at the part of the Dani, the tribal system
appropriate time. Real tears ow THE GOSPEL COMES TO DANAMA they lived in, puts them at odds
from their eyes during the ‘de ndai’. 1950s 70s with each other.
Wet drippy noses which they wipe In the village of Danama, the ‘ap
with their hands…only to shake e Walak language is a branch of
yours right a er!
THE WALAK
e Walak people live in the central
highlands of Papua, Indonesia.
With around 3,000-5,000 speakers,
this tribe considers themselves one
of the smaller groups in Papua
compared to neighbouring tribes.
While until the present, we have
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nggok’ (big man) aka the village
chief, Tenggino, was a erce
warrior chief. He defended his
village from the advancement of
the Gospel and rejected the
message the Dani missionaries
brought. As inter-tribal tensions
were o en high in Papua (due to
self preservation, distrust, revenge
killings, etc.), there were accounts
of Dani preachers being killed
because Tenggino did not trust Sonny (right) leading a OneStory session in Danama (circa 2017)
these foreign preachers. However,
the Lord moved his heart and the completed in 1980. To use it, the and engaging people with
whole village came to believe in the Walak pastors had to read it in Scriptures. Case studies have
true living God. In the late 1960s, Dani, translate it in their heads and shown for tribal monolingual
missionaries were sent to establish then speak in Walak. While this situations, learning to read and
churches in the Walak area. ey worked somewhat, some Dani write is best done in the mother
learned the language, lived among words were confusing as the ongue. It is also harder for a tribal
the people and helped them grow language was distinct from Walak. people group to identify with
in their newfound faith. By the e attempt to translate the Scripture when it is presented in a
time most missionaries le in 1977 Scriptures into Walak for over 10 foreign language. We needed to
due to political unrest, churches years failed. hear from the Walak people
were established but the themselves if there was a need for
translation of the Scriptures into IN PAPUA 2004 2007 Scripture in their language. So,
Walak had not started. Peter and Angie made plans to
In 2004, we moved our whole learn Walak in town in preparation
TRANSLATING THE WORD family to Papua, Indonesia. We for trips into the Walak territory.
1980s 2000s found a local organisation who was During the few visits to the village
willing to sponsor us (i.e. that we in 2005, we learnt about the Walak
However, as the Western Dani had are accountable to) so, under this and their heart cry for the
a larger population, there was a organisation, Angie would scriptures in their language. One
push by missionaries to translate translate the Word of God and day, Tenggino came by to visit. We
the Bible into Dani and this was Peter would be involved in literacy talked about his life and his family
and a er a while he talked about
his heart’s desire, “I took literacy
lessons to read the Bible. I have
nished the course already but
where is the Walak bible?” We
could see tears in his eyes. “I am
getting old and my eyes are getting
weaker. We have been waiting for
so long - will I ever be able to read
the Walak bible?” Our hearts were
touched by his desire for the
scriptures and we saw that the
people wanted the Scriptures in
their language and we promised to
do our best to see it come true.
During one of the district
meetings, the Walak decided to
give the responsibility of bible
translation to us.
“I am getting old and my eyes are getting weaker. We have been waiting
for so long - will I ever be able to read the Walak bible?”
(continued on page 6)
WYCLIFFE TODAY 3
Peter working with Mother Tongue Translators.
PAPUA 2008 2017 Since the work of the written Bible attended and his life was changed.
translation had already being Before he joined the group, he saw
A er a year’s wait for our work claimed, we decided to focus on an no di erence between worshipping
visa, we managed to get back into oral approach instead. Working God and worshipping Satan.
the country with Peter working as with Peter, Sonny has formed a Instead of going to church on
a teacher in the mission school for Walak team for the OneStory Sundays, he would go to a cave,
2 years. Although we couldn’t program. is program consists of start a re and worshipped evil
o cially work with the Walak, we 6 language groups, meeting 4 times spirits. However, when he joined
kept in contact with them during a year, a month at a time with the the storying sessions, he learnt that
the following 2 years. In 2009, the goal of translating a set of 18-25 when Adam and Eve sinned, God
Lord opened the door for us to be Bible stories from Genesis to cared for them and clothed them,
sponsored under GIDI (Gereja Revelation into their own to cover their nakedness. He still
Injili Di Indonesia), the languages. ere has been great showed His love to them. In the
Evangelical Church in Indonesia. success working this way as they same way, Endatekma felt God’s
Working under GIDI, there has see similar challenges in the other forgiveness and acceptance. e
been great traction regarding bible language groups and are able to Lord convicted him that what he
translation and progress in getting pray and encourage one another. was doing was wrong and God’s
the Word of God to the Walak has grace was calling him to
gained great traction. Peter TESTIMONY repentance. In the end, he
connected with 2 faithful Walak concluded that only God is good.
speakers who are committed to In 2017, Sonny and the team took He is now following Christ and is
Bible Translation - Sonny and the stories they had worked on and part of the Church leadership.
Wempy. ey are both married shared them with the Walak
and have kids and have pledged people. ey shared the story of (continued on page 7)
their time and energy into getting creation in Walak and taught the
scripture and related materials people to retell and memorise it. A
translated into Walak. man named bapak Endatekma
e Walak in traditional
attire (circa 2016)
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