PO Box 1765, Grass Valley, CA 95945
530-272-8170
www.piministries.info
Eric and Penny email:
October 2017
Dear Friends,
Orneal Kooyers breathed his last on August 29 at 90 years of age. From May 1959 when he gave himself fully to the Lord’s purposes for his life, whether translating the New Testament into Washkuk, crafting plywood canoes covered in fiberglass, exhorting mission staff for inconsistencies, lengthening a house boat for river travel, transporting a sick man to the clinic or arguing for truth as he saw it from the Word of God, he did it all for his precious Lord Jesus who had called him into service.
Buria, a faithful language helper for Orneal and Martha when they were translating the New Testament into the Washkuk language, became a dear and trusted friend. In the late 1970’s when teacher absenteeism in the Sepik River Valley was appalling, Buria had an idea for Neal. “What about starting a school here in Ambunti? We landowners would contribute the land, and you could build the classrooms, train a few teachers and our children could get educated.”
After thinking and praying on it, Neal, Doug and PIM carpenters built the classrooms and dormitories while Buria became the “papa” for the children he brought in from the villages. A few years later PIM began establishing schools and placing teachers in the remote villages so younger children did not need to leave their parents for the first years of school.
Elementary schools (K-2nd grade) was the perfect niche for PIM for many years. PNG education policy stated that elementary teachers need not attend a teachers’ college, which was required for primary (3rd - 8th grade) school teachers. The first PIM teachers had only a 6th, 8th or 10th grade education, but now as PNG education department raises its standards, many of our 38 teachers are upgrading their education.
Neal and Martha retired from ministry in PNG in 1997 when they were about 70 years old. They continued working full time in PIM’s Grass Valley office for another 20 years. Orneal liked to say, “You aren’t going to get a bigger bang for your mission buck than through Pacific Island Ministries!”
We very much appreciate your gifts and prayers for the ministry. May the Lord show you his favor in new ways!
Eric Schering