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Whose fault it isThe Malaumanda Invitation StoryFrom 1983-1993 representatives from the Malaumandan people would hike 3 days to a neighboring tribe where Bob Kennell and George Walker were working among the Bisorio people. In 1988 this message by a Malaumandan man was recorded by Bob and George prior to returning to the USA for a furlough... "Another mission group who was living with us tried to tell us God's talk but they spoke in another tribal language which we did not understand. And so we were not able to put God's talk into our hearts. It was confusing. If we had someone who would come and learn our own language and teach us in a way we could understand, then we could put God's talk into our hearts. If I were told in my own language, then I could be enlightened. And so I would like you two (Bob and George) to go and find us a missionary so that that missionary, having come, can learn our language and tell us God's talk. I want you to go find us a missionary. "I came a long, long, time ago and asked and asked and asked and I asked for you to give us a missionary. But now, Bob and George, all this time has passed. You have enlightened the Bisorios and made their hearts hot with God's talk. Now you are finishing up your work and getting ready to go home. And so this is the last time I am telling you two, just before you go back to your homeland so that you will tell them what I said. I've told you, and I've told you, and I've told you, but you just wouldn't listen. If we must go to the place of darkness, the place where the fire is burning, when we go up above in heaven, (Judgment Seat) I will "court" you two. At that time when we stand before God, we'll find out whose fault it is that we have not heard. At that time I will take you to court because we will find that the blame is yours. I am saying this so that when you go to your land you will tell them this talk. That's all I have to say." ... At that time two older, influential Malaumandan men named, Mondowi and Yufawi were the driving forces behind these many requests for missionaries. Both of them died without ever hearing the Gospel Story in their language. October 22, 1999 concluded 22 weeks of Bible teaching to the Malaumanda people. On that day, for the first time in the history of that people group, they heard the Gospel story in their own native tongue. The children of both Mondowi and Yufawi heard the teaching and believed. |