Southeastern District: Hearts for Jesus

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Fund Bible Translation in Papua New Guinea

In the Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea, thousands of people are waiting to hear God’s Word clearly in the language of their hearts. Communities speaking Suena, Yekora, and Zia are working faithfully, sometimes through great hardship, to translate Scripture so their families and neighbors can encounter the Gospel in a way that speaks directly to their lives.

Why These Languages Matter

• Suena – About 3,600 people speak Suena. While portions of Scripture are available, the community longs for the full Bible to grow deeper in faith and discipleship.
• Yekora – With only about 1,000 speakers, this small community has never had the New Testament in their language. Translation work has begun again, but progress depends on steady support and resources.
• Zia – Around 4,500 people speak Zia. The New Testament was completed years ago, but the Old Testament is still underway. Each new passage strengthens the church with a richer picture of God’s story.

Together, these projects represent nearly 10,000 people who need access to God’s promises in their heart language.

The Challenges
Papua New Guinea is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world—and one of the most rugged.

Encouragement is essential: Local teams need ongoing training, trauma healing, and community workshops to keep the work moving forward.

Travel is difficult: Translators often walk or boat for hours, or even days, to attend training or consultant sessions.

Technology is limited: Many villages have no electricity. Translation relies on laptops powered by solar kits.

Papua New Guinea: Translators singing a song of praise and thanksgiving after the safe delivery of solar kits and laptops.

Partner with Us to Bring God’s Word to Papua New Guinea

Southeastern District schools are partnering with Lutheran Bible Translators to raise $10,000 in support of Bible translation programs in Papua New Guinea. Together, we can help the Suena, Yekora, and Zia communities gain access to God’s Word in the languages they understand best.