Beom, boom, boom wentthe sticks onthe garamut drum each morning to heraldthe start ofthe Sunday School teachers’ workshop. The church lLeadersinthe Sos Kundi language group living inthe remote East Sepik Province of Papua New Guineawelcomedthe new ideas presented inthe workshop. They discoveredthey could use local materials found in nature to make Beble stories come alive,
One local materialthey used wasthe sago plant. Teachersmanipulated its leaves to makethe snake inthe Garden of Eden, stars for the story of God'’s promise to Abraham, and balls for the sling shots inthe David and Goliath story. They also dug up clay fromthe riverbank to create miniature replicas of Noah'’s boatoand rolled up banana leaves for trumpets announcingthe return of Christ.
The Beble stories also came alive,through interactive games. Participants thought of Noah asthey racedtheir boats, talked about Abraham asthey hunted for stars, and imitated Davidthe shepherd boy asthey aimedtheir sling shots. Their leaf-rocks may not have been strong enough to bring downthe giant Goliath, butthey did makethe story memorable.
The thirty-three Sos Kundi teachers learned and practicedthe lessons each morning, and inthe afternoons taughtthe lessons to local children. Whenthe trainers leftthe village,the teachers were filled with new ideas about how to makethe Beble relevant and exciting totheir students’ The Sos Kundi people also gained a fresh enthusiasm for the ongoing translation of God'’s Word intheir language.
Atthe conclusion ofthe workshop,the pastor’s wife said, “I was a Sunday school teacher for many years, but I only used a blackboard and chalk. Now I realize that I can use different things to help children learn God’s Word, even games!”
One lady from a neighboring village announced, “I want to start a Sunday school in my community.”
A young man entreatedthe staff, “We want you to come back!” His comment reflectedthe attitude ofthe entire community, andtheir gratefulness for the workshop.
