He got it

I'll post the final story from Grandpa's document in a few days. But first, there is recent mission "family" news from Papua New Guinea, and I would like to insert and dedicate this particular post to the memory of a dear man from that country. I had the privilege of meeting him twice, and I will never forget him.

Late last night I learned that Aloysius Baki went home to be with his Savior yesterday. I sobbed. These were not mostly tears of grief, although there will be great grief for some people of course, and I did cry and pray for them. But I literally sobbed praise to God, for the life of a man who “got it” and lived accordingly.

Aloysius first met my brother-in-law, Brent Wiebe, in a Bola-speaking village in Papua New Guinea. It was 1996 and my sister’s family had not lived in their PNG home for long. Brent went to a celebration for someone’s first-born son in a nearby village and was mingling with the people there when a man introduced himself, and asked if it’s true what he had heard – that Brent had moved there to translate the Bible into the Bola language? Brent told him that was correct, and then Aloysius said something that will never be forgotten. He told Brent that he had prayed a long time ago that God would send someone to translate the Bible into Bola... Well, needless to say, that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship... It was also the beginning of a translation partnership that lasted until yesterday.

God spoke to, and worked in, my sister, Sandi, and Brent’s hearts back in Wisconsin when they were in their early twenties. He lovingly led them to train, and then to discover where they should settle to do translation work. And all during this calling and preparation time, they had no idea they would be the answer to a man’s prayers in Papua New Guinea! What wonderful validation for them the day Aloysius came into the picture. They knew they were right where God wanted them to be.

Aloysius became an exceptional partner to Brent in the translation of the New Testament and eight books of the Old Testament. The Bola Bible is being dedicated next June after 18 years of work. We were praying that Aloysius would be healed so that he could live at least through the dedication in June, and God has miraculously healed him many times. This time God said, “I’ve got something better for you, Aloysius. Come on home and I’ll let you rejoice from here, with no pain.” I now think Aloysius will be leading a simultaneous celebration in heaven...

I’m in awe of God and His plan. God’s desire and ability to work intricately in people’s hearts and lives for His great purpose should be a no-brainer to “get,” yet so often I get caught up in the mundane daily tasks and lose sight of, and faith in, His big picture. Aloysius got it. He invested his life in things that have eternal returns. Thank you, God, for Aloysius. Please comfort Sandi, Brent, and family – and his biological family – who are missing a great man of God today.

May his story inspire us all to keep on in faith. May we “get” the big picture, like Aloysius did, and spend our lives accordingly…