Peter and Pam Van Der Decker have been missionaries among the Kaulong people since 1997. Today, they have the joy of seeing the younger generation taking up leadership roles within the church and bodies of believers meeting weekly for Bible teaching and fellowship in five different villages. It all started because of the diligent requests of a Kaulong man who would consistently hike seven hours up to the neighbouring Asengseng tribe to ask for missionaries. As the Kaulong believers later told the Van Der Deckers, when they looked in the eyes of the Asengseng believers, they saw light. When they looked into their own, they only saw darkness.
After the Van Der Deckers completed language and culture study, they started teaching the Kaulong people chronologically through the story of redemption five days a week for three months. In June of 2001, when they presented the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, nearly 50 people professed their faith in Christ and the church has grown since then.
The Kaulong belivers have not only grown in numbers but also in their walk with the Lord. The Van Der Deckers are now primarily involved with discipling the believers and translating the Bible into the Kaulong language. Since 2018 they’ve had the help of an Asengseng church elder who is having a tremendous impact in the lives of the believers. Pray with the Van Der Deckers for progress in translation, for the Kaulong church leaders and their growth and for the Spirit’s continued impact through the Word in the lives of both the saved and the unsaved.