NEWS AND PRAYER REQUESTSFROM JOHN AND BONITA PRYOR

Missionaries with Pioneer Bible Translators in Papua New GuineaJanuary, 2007

As we begin a new year, may our thoughts turn to the new life that we have in ChristJesus and may we rejoice and be thankful that we have the Word of God in our mother tongue.Many people in the world do not. Pioneer Bible Translators is seeking to remedy that aroundthe world. Your partnership with them and their missionaries, John and Bonita Pryor, makesyou a vital part of that ministry as well. We thank you for your faithfulness.

John and Bonita continue on leave of absence status with Pioneer Bible Translatorswhile helping to care for his mother. Both have been battling viral congestion in recent weeks.Pray for them to have the energy needed to continue their busy schedules with school, church,meetings, etc. Pray for their work with their students and with the church at Coyle. Praise Godthat they were spared when much of Oklahoma received an ice storm earlier this month.Please pray for safety for them as they travel back and forth to Coyle nearly daily, especially inthese winter months.

Pray for Maso, their national co-translator in PNG, that he will have the time and energyto devote to the translation work. Pray for his family as well.

Jesse and his family were in Madang earlier this month to conduct VBS for the PBTmissionary children during the group's Annual General Meeting. Pray that the PBT team inPNG will grow closer to God and to each other as a result of this meeting and that the decisionsmade would be pleasing to Him. Pray that Jesse, Karie, Naleh, Eli, and Judah will remainhealthy.

Josh has begun another semester of college studies. Pray that he can balance workand studies and continue to be a shining example of the love of Christ to all he comes in contactwith.

Thank you for being such a blessing to this ministry with your prayers and love. MayGod bless you as you continue to serve Him.

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JOHN & BONITA PRYOR215 MarshallStillwater, OK 74074Phone: 405-372-3462E-mail: bJpryor@sbcglobal.netE-mail: Jepryor@sbcglobal.net

FORWARDING AGENTS:Bruce & Mary Ann Graff61 North Liberty St.West Alexander, PA 15376-2456Phone: 724-484-7515E-mail: graff77@netzero.net

Missionaries translate through language mazeTwo families serveon Pacific islandBy BOB BARRETTNews-Sentinel staff writer

'T'll never marry a missionary.

That's what Bonita Blevinstold John Pryor when he askedher to marry him about the timeshe was graduating from YoungHigh School.

"That's just fine because Ihave no intention of becomingone," he vowed.

At the time, he was a studentat Johnson Bible College in SouthKnox County where she was thedaughter of Dr. William Blevins,the academic dean. Pryor's olderbrother, David, had preceded himto the East Tennessee campusfrom their home in Stillwater,Okla., and had written his younger brother about the dean'sdaughter."He picked me out for John,"

she said this week with a smile.The two are back on campus,

two missionaries on leave, alongwith their nephew, also JohnPryor, the son of the elder John'sbrother, David.

Both families now live in Papua New Guinea, and are busytranslating the Bible into the languages of the people they serve.

Although the two families pestationed only about 60 milesapart, the people they are working with speak entirely differentlanguages."We have 700 different lan

guages in Papua New Guinea,"Bonita Blevins said. "Not just dialects completely differentlanguages. But they all speak akind of Pidgin English as thetrade language. It has borrowedfrom English, Spanish, German,Chinese and others."

Bonita rushed through the

Julie Elman-Roche/News-Sentinel staff

John Pryor, a senior at Johnson Bible College, translated the book of Mark into the PidginEnglish used by natives on Papua New Guinea, where he lives with his missionary parents.

ing the Bible into languages that "We went to the Internationalstill had no written Bible. Linguistics Center in Dallas, Tex-

They went at it the hard way, as, operated by the Wycliffe Bible

University of Tennessee in threeyears, majoring in education. Shegraduated at the top of her class,with her only B's in music education and art education.

"Once we decided to get married, I was in a hurry," she said."Our parents didn't want us toget married until we had finishedcollege."

True to his word, John Pryordid not become a missionary at first he trained for and became a minister of youth.

His older brother, David Pryor, and his wife, the former Sharon O'prien of Falls Mills, Va.,howler, felt called to becomelanguage missionaries, translat-

studying how to first create awritten language and grammarfor languages that are only spoken.

Perhaps inevitably, John andBonita became intrigued (aftertheir first reaction of increduloussnickering). \

After all, it's bad enough to getinto translating the Bible into another language, but to do it for alanguage where there is no alpha-be^ no grammar and no historyof/reading and writing? It wasecough to make them laugh. Andtley did. Then they didn't. N

Translators," Bonita said."It is nondenominational,"

John added."First they teach you how to

make all the possible sounds withyour mouth," Bonita said. "Thenthey show you how to move fromthere to creating a grammar for(any) language."

The two have just completed abook on the story of Joseph andhis brothers from the Old Testament.

Meanwhile, 60 miles away, theyounger John Pryor, son of David and Sharon, decided to join

thehis parents in translatingNew Testament.

"I was just 8 when we movedto Papua New Guinea," he said."So I learned the language playing soccer and volleyball with thepeople. By the time (my parents)had devised the grammar, I knew(how to speak) the language.

His decision to help translatewas made while he was in highschool."We take high school by cor

respondence," he said. "Insteadof taking Spanish or French asmy foreign language, I tookGreek to help prepare me for thework of translating.

"Meanwhile, I also read thetextbooks my parents had gottenat the institute on creating a newtranslation."

He started with the book ofMark, the shortest of the fourgospels with the simplest grammatical structure.

"I finished it a year ago," thecollege senior said this week."Then I went back this summerto revise it."

He said he does not plan tomake Bible translation his life'swork, but he does plan to returnto help his parents complete theNew Testament, a task they hopeto be able to finish in eight years.

In the meantime, ham radioserves to keep the families intouch with each other on theSouth Pacific island and with thefamily members here on theJohnson Bible College campus.

"I was given help by RoyZiegler, KF4CB, a salesman wholives in Morristown," the olderJohn Pryor said.

"Bonita's dad was a signalmanin the Navy during the war(World War II)," Pryor said. "Hesaid, Tf you ever get your license,I'll get mine,'" Pryor said.

"I got mine in 1980 while I was

Please see BIBLE, page B3

^!i

In Papua New Guinea, John Evin Pryor keepsin touch with the folks in Kimberlln Heightswith long-'range ham equipment.

BibleContinued from page B1 ~home on furlough, and he had his in '81," he addedshaking his head in admiration 'we substitute for it," Pryor said. "Wherewe are, there are no telephones "The two families use 2-meter rigs for short-raneeSiX" bS Jhf their homes and out fntrucks. But they use long-range equipment to keen"Wo Kimberlln Heights.We (brothers) are in touch each dav" Prvor

fyear." ' to toe

Special to The News-SentinelBonita Blevlns Pryor uses a 2-meter rig forshort-range communications between theirPapua New Guinea home and trucks.

^ schedule for checking in withother missionaries m the area about three times each

"We talk to East Tennessee about two or three

whirh moi ' earned her technician's license,which means she has passed the written exam for'^eense, but still has passed only the nov-

Jht speed. All she has to do now is passthe faster code exam to get her general license.That license allows ham radio operators to use

voice as well as code on a wide variety of frequen-016S*

Should be a snap for someone who finished UT inthree years at the top of her class.

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