Our Stories
Xing Stone Age
Daniel was one of the first to meet Gerhard. He went to be with the Lord in January 2017
Two weeks ago, a missionary walked into our office loaded with stories about the people who are still living in the stone age era but yet have had opportunity to experience God’s grace. They heard the Gospel through the Scriptures from the MegaVoice Solar powered players and made life changing decisions. No wonder Gerhard Stamm could not stop talking about these particular people group and I could not stop grinning even after I saw him off with 20 more Envoy units, he had given away what he had! He always has!
Gerhard and Brigitta Stamm serve under Liebenzell Mission International (LMI) here in Papua New Guinea with the South Sea Evangelical Church (SSEC). Their stories cover the people group who live in the boarders of Enga and East Sepik Provinces in the April River Region.
April River region.
Some years ago he – Gerhard – was invited by the people group of April River to visit the Bikaru community on one of his ministry trips. During this visit a certain old man called Daniel caught his attention. Daniel was clearing his gardening area with a stone axe!
Yes! Daniel had a stone axe in his hand and his nose had two flying fox bones sticking out at either nostrils. Gerhard gave him an Audio Bible (Ambassador) as a gift. Daniel learnt to speak Tok Pisin as a result of listening to the Audio Bible and pretty soon he became a believer. The last time that Gerhard visited him was in December 2016 and in January this year, Daniel went away to be with his Lord.
We praise God for the technology of Bibles in audio format for God to reach out and touch our Stone Age people. Daniel was saved by listening to the Word of God from the solar powered Audio Bible player.
We are excited for our partners like Gerhard and Birgitta Stamm who were willing to walk 2 days (1 day for the locals) to provide opportunities so that the Word of God can reach the lost people group living in the remotest places in our country.
The yellow pin marks the region where Gerhard and Birgitta give away Audio Bible Players.
Daniel went through two Audio Bible Units because he always used it and his favorite statement when Gerhard had time to visit him was, “I will never turn my back on Jesus”.
Gerhard Stamm with a former stone age man.
Gerhard commend Lina and the team for making these resources available so that people out in the remotest parts of PNG can know about the love and the grace of God by listening to His word through the Audio Bible.
It is indeed amazing that God’s grace is free and the Bible testifies that truth beyond doubt. In that same breath of grace He made technology as one of many facets to tell of His love to everyone including this particular people group that have lived in both worlds. God is indeed amazing!
Gerhard also shared about Joe who is an educated person but went blind and felt that his (Joe) education was useless to him as a blind person. When he heard the Word of God through the Envoy unit he exclaimed, ‘Dispela Buk em tok stret’ (This book is speaking the truth). ‘I know I cannot see but what I am hearing is so true.’
He also shared about an old paralyzed man in the Wario River whose eye lit up when he saw and heard the Word of God from the Audio Bible player. Gerhard has so many stories to tell but he had to go… the twenty units he took with him will have another 20 new stories the next time he comes around to our office.
Please join me as we praise God for missionaries like Gerhard and Brigitta who have given their time and their life to a people group of who were not of their own people group but by the love and the grace of God they can be part of them.
Joe is almost blind but he had good ears to hearing. That is how he know the Lord, through the audios on the Audio Bible player given by Gerhard.
The Stamms with the Bikaru people, who have found salvation through the Audio Bible players given by them.
Thank you for all your prayers and support because without you we cannot reach the blind, the crippled and the Stone Aged. We are all reminded again that God’s Word does not return void. He is faithful to His own Word. So let us be encouraged and keep on doing the little we can, an extra mile we can go, a new challenge we can face and help tell someone about the love and the grace of God. Jesus Christ has risen indeed! Let us tell those who have not heard the Good News yet!