Herchenroeder

We arrived in Papua New Guinea in early August, 2007, to serve two years as the branch's Missionary Care Facilitators. Mike also serves as advisor to the Akukem language mother-tongue translation team.

This is not the first time we have called Papua New Guinea "home." We came in 1984 with our two young sons, Matthew and Joshua, in order to serve as part of PBT's town-based support network for Bible translation and literacy teams working in remote village locations. Our daughter Karissa was born here that December. We thoroughly enjoyed being a young family serving in ways that helped put God's Word into the hands - and hearts - of formerly Bible-less people. We envisioned being here forever

But God had other plans. Following our second term (during which we ourselves lived in a village to help another people group translate God's Word for themselves), we accepted an invitation for Mike to help develop software to facilitate the work of Bible translators serving all over the world. This meant moving to Dallas, Texas, for a year before returning to Papua New Guinea. That "year" began in 1993 and finally ended in 2007. During our time in Dallas, we became part of the growing staff at PBT's International Service Center, Mike in Information Technology and Eunice in Publications and Editorial Services.

In September, 2006, God granted us the joy of returning to Papua New Guinea for a three week visit. A highlight of our time here was attending the dedication of the books of Luke, Acts, and Galatians in the Mbore language - the people's first complete books of Scripture. We left with heartfelt invitations to return and again be part of what God is doing through PBT's work in PNG. We agreed to pray about the possibilities.

And here we are, amazed that God has brought us back to PNG to serve alongside special friends from the past and many new friends who have joined the team in the ensuing years.

Our children treasure their memories of PNG (and recently had opportunity to relive many of them as well as make new ones by spending Christmas 2008 here with us). If you asked them, they would all tell you that they treasure their heritage as missionary kids growing up in a cross-cultural ministry environment.

Birthdays:

• Mike - June 24
• Eunice - April 1

Wedding Anniversary:

• April 22