The Kopfs’ tarp house

Jonathan and Susan Kopf along with their co-workers Keith and Angie Copley started to work with the Hewa tribal people of the rugged mountains of central Papua New Guinea in 2000. At first, all of their efforts were put into learning the language and culture of the tribal people. After learning the language, they turned their attention to translating key passages of the Bible into the Hewa language, developing lessons to teach the Bible, and also developing a literacy program to teach the Hewa people how to read and write. When everything was finally in place, they began teaching an overview of the message of the Bible in June of 2005. Five months later, they were privileged to witness the birth of a brand new baby church as the new Hewa believers shared their testimonies of their faith in Christ.

Since that time, there have been many setbacks and hardships that have threatened to derail the efforts of the Kopfs and Copleys. Violence and a series of murders have made it impossible for the families to live full-time at the original location. Despite these obstacles, the missionaries are excited to report that the Gospel message is still moving forward. Currently, the Kopfs and Copleys are assisting some of the most eager believers in their first evangelistic outreach to the village of Kulu. At the same time, they are continuing to translate the New Testament and develop Bible teaching materials. They are praising the Lord for how His Word is impacting the lives and culture of the Hewa tribal people.