Lynn Wood, on furlough in the UK, 2010

Lynn Wood has been working in Papua New Guinea (PNG) with Wycliffe Bible Translators since March 1977. Papua New Guinea is located off the northern coast of Australia.

Location of PNG relative to Australia

Lynn went to PNG in March 1977 with the view to doing Bible translation. It wasn't long before her experience as a High School Maths teacher was required in the High School for the children of SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics) workers and other missions. She taught Maths, a little English and some Religious Studies in the High School for many years. One year she was the High School librarian.

Another year, she taught a wide range of ages of the staff's primary aged children in the orientation course for new arrivals on the north coast of PNG, in Madang (see map of PNG below).

Map of Papua New Guinea

She was involved in a language programme in the Madang area for about six months, typing up translated Scriptures. For a few years, she helped an Australian lady, Elaine Geary with the Kunimaipa language programme, by typing up hymns for a hymn book on the computer and producing small reading books.

In 2009, Lynn had the honour of being awarded the MBE in the Queen's birthday honours list "For services to education and to the Summer Institute of Linguistics", as reported here and here.

Lynn is teaching English as a second language to some Asian members of the SIL-PNG Branch and some Papua New Guineans. Not being able to communicate easily in English can be a barrier for some Asian members. It has been very thrilling to Lynn to see various ones gain confidence in being able to speak English. She also sees her role as being something of a member-care one. Often, her students share very intimately.

The Papua New Guineans she's presently teaching are students at the STEP (Supervisors' Tokples [Vernacular] Education Programme) course. This course trains teachers to become supervisors of language programmes in some of the many languages (over 800) spoken in Papua New Guinea. The course is broken up into five modules taking place over two years. Most modules last for four weeks. Many of the students are glad to receive help with their English, so that they can better communicate with education officers and write funding applications.

Papua New Guineans are very much relationship oriented. Developing relationships with the students gives much joy to Lynn. Since the students have widely varying levels of English, it is a challenge tailoring classes to meet students' needs. From her experience in village locations, Lynn realises that anything she can do to help the students be effective supervisors in the long term is beneficial. One of the things she does is have Bible study and prayer at the beginning of her classes, believing that faith in Jesus Christ and following what the Bible teaches can help people, especially when the going gets tough.

Having been in PNG many years, Lynn knows quite a bit about language work throughout the country. Language teams have support teams that maintain contact with them and run errands when necessary. Lynn regularly communicates with teams over the two way radio and runs errands, like purchasing items at the Store and Clinic and sending them to teams. Having someone to turn to and on whom they can depend can be a tremendous encouragement to teams.

There's a lot of coming and going at the Ukarumpa Centre of SIL-PNG. Lynn is able to have some who arrive new to the country, are returning from, or going to villages or on leave to meals. Not only does this help those people, but it is also a good way of keeping abreast of what God is doing.

Lynn believes prayer is very important. During school term time, she attends a prayer meeting for the schools on a Tuesday morning. Most Sunday afternoons, she attends a prayer meeting for language work being done in either the Highlands region or the Sepik region of PNG. Once a month, the Branch holds a Half Day of Prayer, usually on the second Thursday. On Saturday mornings, she meets with some other ladies to pray for a variety of things here at the Centre, throughout the country and the world.

God has given Lynn a heart for people and teaching. For many years, she has taught Sunday school classes.

Every now and again, Lynn has the opportunity to attend a New Testament dedication.

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