Polynesian Outlier of PNG
Mortlock and Tasman atolls are home to 1,680 people, two groups of Polynesian Outliers who speak the Takuu and Nukumanu languages. An atoll is the rim of an ancient undersea volcano, which has formed a large ring of islets and coral reef encircling a huge lagoon. A snorkeler’s dream come true, this paradise would seem the perfect “get away from it all” destination; but for those who live there, it is no vacation. When Jesus spoke about the “ends of the earth” in Acts 1:8, surely He must have had these atolls in mind. The Polynesian Outliers who inhabit these atolls are isolated in every way by time, distance, communications and resources. Forgotten and forsaken, these Polynesians are a marginalized minority in a developing country of Melanesian minorities. In the 1980s, young adults who had been sent away to school returned with the good news of Jesus Christ. At first they were persecuted and could only meet quietly in homes, but now three protestant church groups have been established. Though many people over 50 on Mortlock still hold to animistic beliefs, twenty percent of the islanders now claim to be Christian. On Tasman, most everyone attends church. With the help of Adapt It the Project goal is the NT plus OT portions, Bible Stories and Luke Video.