What is it like to be a missionary?

Dudley and Lana King can tell you! In 2019, God led the Kings to join His vision for Bible translation by serving as missionaries in Papua New Guinea.

God is changing people and communities worldwide through the transformational power of the Bible for evangelism, discipleship, church planting and spiritual growth. And in their roles as regional center managers, Dudley and Lana connected people and communities with the resources they needed to thrive. They welcomed missionaries and Bible translators to the center’s guest house for opportunities to rest or focus on work. From maintaining the grounds and managing the office to organizing shipments, the Kings helped solve problems and accelerate Bible translation.

Dudley and Lana shared what a day in their life as overseas missionaries looked like.

Getting Started

Dudley and Lana’s home was located in an urban area of Papua New Guinea at the regional center. Each morning they walked to the office and prepared for the staff to arrive for work. Dudley said, “Our typical day was to be out in the center probably around 6:45, and we would unlock doors for the staff to come in.”

After a quick walk back home to eat breakfast, Dudley returned to the office with Lana at 7:45 to meet with the staff. They worked alongside several housekeepers, groundsmen, office staff and a maintenance person to provide excellent service to their guests. They gathered over coffee to pray together before starting work each day.

The Kings enjoyed empowering their team to thrive. As they worked, prayed and grew together, they developed comradery and built meaningful relationships. Lana said, “[The team] became our family. They were our community. … God prepared us and prepared them for each one of us. It was amazing.”

Doing Daily Tasks

Lana worked in the office of the regional center with the receptionist and the office supervisor, answering questions and offering guidance. She also did payroll, evaluations and HR paperwork. Because the center was in a port city, freight that needed to be transported to missionaries living farther inland was often delivered to the center. Lana and Dudley oversaw the logistics to ensure the supplies were transported by truck to the proper locations once or twice a week.

Papua New Guinea is just south of the equator, so the weather can get hot. And, in the coastal area where the Kings lived, it can also be humid. Whether it was a painting project, general upkeep or yard work, there was always maintenance work for Dudley and the team to do. They even installed a new swimming pool for guests to enjoy.

Dudley said, “It was a very tiring … job, but it was very rewarding also because of everything that we got to see [and] the people that we got to meet.”

Finishing Up

Because two staff members lived at the center full time, they shared on-call duties until 8 p.m. Then, while Lana cooked supper, Dudley handled late check-ins and helped guests with their AC units or televisions. If someone locked themselves out of their room, Dudley was on call and ready to help out.

Even though it wasn’t always easy, Lana and Dudley were eager to work with a team for something bigger than themselves. They were in it together, following God’s lead. Dudley said, “We were blessed. We really were. God placed us in a staff that took care of us.”

Thinking Outside of the Box

The team worked to keep up with what God is doing through the local churches and communities in bringing His Word to people. Several times each year, Bible translation teams from eight different language groups stayed at the guest house. The group had to rent out a building large enough for them all to meet together, but Dudley saw an opportunity to think outside of the box. He said, “I was able to come up with an outdoor structure that I could put up [in one day] and take down [afterward].”

This new structure allowed 70 people to work in it at the same time and made an impact beyond what the teams could have imagined. Dudley said, “While we were there and … [the translation teams] came and used the facilities, there were over 11,000 verses that were translated. … That was really rewarding.”

Lana enjoyed visiting the translators and taking photos to send back to the teams of people in the U.S who supported their ministry by giving faithfully. She said, “I just liked going to see [the teams] each time, just laughing with them or praying with them or encouraging them.”

Growing Exponentially

Dudley and Lana understand the longing to thrive under the influence of God’s Word. They realized that serving overseas was an example to their children and grandchildren of what it looks like to trust God and follow His lead. All around the world, the Church is taking ownership of translating the Bible, and when the Kings joined in the work God was doing, they saw Him on the move in their own lives too. Lana said, “I used to pray that God would raise up missionaries from our family, I just didn’t know He would start with us!”

In the midst of challenges, the Kings remained rooted in Christ. Experiencing life in another culture, meeting new people and building relationships had a lasting impact on them. Lana said, “[The teams] are part of us now, and we’ll never be the same.”

At Wycliffe, we’ve been connecting organizations and communities with the people, resources and tools they need to experience the Bible in a language they can understand for more than 80 years. This is a God-sized movement that can’t be done without Him! It also requires working in partnership with churches and like-minded organizations around the world and being willing to work in new ways, trying new things and continuing to be innovative and collaborative.

God is on the move around the world, and we all have an opportunity to participate in His vision for Bible translation. Are you ready to do your part?