“I have to do this,” Bishop Leidimo Edoni said.

The “this” he was referring to was sailing in a small, marginally seaworthy boat through choppy, pirate-occupied waters in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. The trip would take five hours, and danger lurked everywhere.

So why was the bishop making such an arduous trip to begin with? The answer was simple: God moved Bishop Edoni of the United Church in Papua New Guinea to see transformation happen among all communities in Milne Bay. Bishop Edoni sought a partnership with another bishop at the opposite end of the island. Unity meant that two of the most prominent church groups in the province, representing thousands of people, would be brought together — all in the name of Bible translation.

The shared desire for and commitment to translation was a promise of eubone, which means “unity” in the Dobu language. Together, these two bishops promised to lead the work of bringing the Bible to their people.

Bishop Bogar, the bishop of Dogura Anglican churches in Milne Bay, met Bishop Edoni at the end of this five-hour journey with a hug. But the hug was more than just a physical gesture — it was a symbol one of their promise. The two bishops prayed together and committed to their desire for unity.

The meeting took just a few minutes, but I was blessed to witness it and hear why it was so important to Bishop Edoni. It was an honor to be invited into this sacred moment by these God-honoring men. As Bishop Edoni noted: “Our work is about life and death.”

God is on the move in Papua New Guinea! Imagine having so much passion for God's Word in your language that you are willing to travel 10 hours, round-trip, by boat in one day to share a few moments of someone's time.