Click on the link below to read our latest news (also coming by regular mail) of how we are continuing on with the work of Bible translation even though we are now based in the States. We also share about the financial need we have since returning. Thank you for reading and praying!
Send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner.)
We wanted to give a brief update on what has been happening in our lives since we left Papua New Guinea just over a month ago. What a busy month it has been: Seed Company meetings (John), family gatherings and then Thanksgiving with Grant and Sara, doctor’s appointments and John’s wrist surgery, settling into our temporary home on the Wycliffe center in Dallas, attending the wedding of a former PNG student (and friend of our boys), and buying a car. We are thankful for how smoothly things have gone so far and for the ways God has answered prayer. Honestly though, it has also been a bit overwhelming for us, especially when we think of all the things we still need to do! I (John) was recently encouraged when I read in 1 Peter to, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” We know that is true and would appreciate your prayers that we will be able to follow that exhortation each day!
We hope this Christmas season is one where you too sense His presence in whatever you are going through.
Please note our NEW email and current mailing address at the bottom of the letter, along with some prayer requests.
Before flying to the States, we enjoyed a few days in the beautiful Blue Mountains, near Sydney, Australia. We were there right when the rhododendron bushes were blooming!
The mobile home we are staying in at the SIL center and the car my brother Bill loaned us
My Seed Company Pacific Team at meetings in Arlington, Texas in mid-November
It was great to see all the people with PNG connections who were at Amaechi and Megan’s wedding, including Joey, Moriah, and Grant.
All 5 of us boys with my parents in Florida. First time we had all been together in many many years!
Enjoying time with Grant’s little family at Thanksgiving in Springfield, Missouri
PRAISE:
Our departure from PNG, while bittersweet, went very smoothly.
We were able to move into a fully furnished mobile home at the SIL/Wycliffe center in Dallas.
My brother loaned us a car until we bought our own.
We have had good times with extended and immediate family.
Joey and Moriah were just accepted as missionaries and plan to go overseas next year.
The surgery on my left wrist was successful (it will be in a cast for up to 3 months).
PRAY:
that God will give us wisdom (and peace) in making a decision about where to live long term.
that we’ll find a good church to get involved in.
for the safe arrival of Grant and Sara’s second child (daughter) due January 6.
for healing of the surgically repaired bone in my left wrist.
Send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner.)
In two days we leave Ukarumpa to start living permanently in America. Because we’re leaving, I was asked recently to speak at a ladies’ gathering here on our mission center about my experience of living overseas. Honestly, I didn’t feel qualified to speak because I know all of my shortcomings and struggles, but then I remembered that it’s not about me, it’s about God and what He’s done for me in spite of my struggles. The following is a story I shared that reminds me of that truth:
It was 1999 and we were preparing for one of our very first trips out to the village in the Solomon Islands. Grant was two and just a couple days before we were to get on the ship to take us to our village, he had a severe asthma attack. We had to take him to the hospital for oxygen and then the next day we went to see a doctor and he prescribed medication. Over the next week and a bit Grant slowly got better but he was still wheezing and not able to breathe normally. We went back to the doctor again, and he told us he thought that Grant was improving enough that it would be alright for us to go out to the village.
We came home and wondered what we should do. Should we keep to our plan and go out to our remote village? Or should we stay in town to make sure Grant was really okay. We decided to go.
On the ship we noticed there was a young European couple. It was highly unusual to see other expats on the ship, so we wondered where they were going. Then, when the ship arrived at our village, they too got off! What?? Come to find out they were visiting the Solomon Islands and while they were in town they met a Bughotu man from our village and had arranged a visit to experience village life. And the amazing thing was they were both doctors! And pediatricians at that! It was like God saying to me, “Brena, I see you. I know what you need and I’ve brought these two people to Sigana just for you. I love you.”
And that was the start of God showing me in more ways than I can count how He was with me. He was with me when we had to go home a few years later because I was really struggling with something I would later learn was OCD. He was with me through the many long (and often boring) days in the village, through the many moves from town to the village and then back, when we came to PNG and had to start over, and when we had to pack up again and live in transition in America for our furlough months. Through my struggles I have come to know deeply how much God loves me. And it isn’t dependent on how much I do or don’t do, or how much I struggle. I don’t have to have it all together. I can just BE and that is enough.
Now that I’m about ready to finish living overseas, there is some sadness, excitement, and also anxiety about the future. But I know without a shadow of a doubt that just as God has been faithful to me all these years overseas, He will also be faithful to me in America.
Here are some pictures of recent “lasts” for me and also some prayer requests at the end. But check out our last newsletter where we shared how John will continue working in Bible Translation and making trips back to the Pacific.
Thank you for your friendship and prayers all of these years!
Brena
The two last cafés
The last time to host friends in our house and Grant when he’s on a work trip!
Just some of the last meals and coffees with friends
PRAISE & PRAYER
We are so thankful that our last weeks of packing up and saying goodbye have gone so smoothly.
We are so grateful to God for allowing our house to sell (especially when there were almost 20 other houses for sale here on our mission center)!
I feel so blessed and privileged to have lived overseas for all these years. I’ve learned and experienced so much and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.
On our way home to America, John and I will spend four nights in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney. We’re looking forward to the time to rest after the busyness of leaving PNG and before the busyness of establishing ourselves in the States.
Please pray for us as we settle into our apartment in Dallas, TX, on the SIL (Wycliffe) center. November will be a full month of meetings, visiting, and getting used to things. We are looking forward, though, to spending the holidays with all of our kids.
John has an appointment with a doctor on November 12th to schedule surgery for the broken bone in his wrist. Please pray that God will give the doctor wisdom and also that John won’t further injure his wrist before his appointment.
Please pray that God will show us clearly where we are to settle down and then guide us in buying a house. I am so looking forward to putting down roots and not moving again.
Pray that God will show me what to do with my time in America. I may end up doing something similar to what I’ve been doing here. We’ll see.
Even though John will continue his work with Bible translation and be making several trips a year to the Pacific, pray that God will help him adjust to a different work schedule and setting.
Send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner.)
Because not everyone reads our updates online, this is a general 2-page update being sent by post to everyone on our mailing list. You can read it below in the post or click on the link below the letter to see it larger.
To those of you who keep up with us more regularly, some of this information will be a repeat to what you have heard before.
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers as we head back to the States! We will send out another update before we leave on Nov. 1 about all the bits and pieces of finishing up.
Recently, when I was thinking about our upcoming return to the U.S. in November, I thought back to 2003, when Brena and I had to leave the Solomon Islands and return to the U.S. because she was struggling with OCD. I remember thinking at the time we left that it was unlikely we would ever be able to return overseas. It makes me so thankful to God, that after we returned to Solomons in 2005, He has allowed us to serve overseas for another 19 years! It also makes me very thankful for Brena who has persevered in living overseas in spite of the difficulties of dealing with OCD.
Aitape West Interns
This group of six interns are translators in the Aitape West multi-language project (11 languages) in the northwestern part of PNG. In their quarterly reports over the years a few of them have shared prayer requests concerning problems in their communities that have ended up with them and/or their family members being threatened with harm. I have been so impressed with how they have dealt with these issues in a Christlike way (not seeking revenge as many do), so it was a joy for me to be able to work with these men in July when they came to Ukarumpa to receive training in how to check translations for accuracy. Interacting with translators like these is one of the things I will miss greatly when we are no longer living here!
Aitape West Interns
Kakabai Trip
In early August I spent a week in Alotau, a city in the far eastern part of Papua New Guinea, working with the Kakabai language translation team. I had planned to do a consultant check of 1-2 Corinthians, but during my preparation, I found that there were numerous errors. I decided to cancel the check and just go work with the team to help them figure out a way to produce a better quality translation. The time we spent together was very productive and I was pleased to see that they were humble and open to learning better ways to work in the future.
Kakabai Team
Seed Company Pacific Team Meetings
Most of our Seed Company Pacific team was here in Ukarumpa last week for meetings with Jed Carter, new SIL-PNG Director, and some of his team to discuss how we can work together to support translation projects. My boss (and brother-in-law), Pat Andrews, and I have known Jed since he was a teenager, as his parents worked with us in the Solomon Islands. It is great to see the young generation taking leadership positions in Bible translation!
The Seed Company Pacific Team (missing a few who weren’t in Ukarumpa).
A fun evening with Jed and family (minus Katie who had to leave early).
PRAISE GOD WITH US FOR:
my good interaction with interns and the Kakabai translation team in July and August.
good progress in our preparations to leave Ukarumpa (and PNG) on November 1st.
the profitable meetings our Seed Company Pacific team had with the SIL-PNG directorate team.
PRAY:
for us as we prepare to return to the U.S. in November. Pray that our remaining time here will go well as we say goodbye to many people we have lived and worked with for years. Also, there are numerous things to do, and it is easy to get overwhelmed, so pray we will have peace and trust that God will be with us each day.
for me, that I won’t re-injure my wrist (which I found out has a broken bone in it) before we return to the States and I can get surgery on it.
for me as I prepare for a consultant check of Genesis 1-25 for the Enga language translation.
for Brena as she does her last few cafés and haircuts and also that there will be someone who will take over after we leave.
Send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner.)
You may remember that while we were in the States on a short trip (for a Seed Company meeting and to see our kids), our son Luke and his girlfriend Kate announced that they were going to get married on June 15th. We are so thankful we could extend our time in the States so we could be there for the big day (and also a couple weeks ahead to help and spend time with Kate and her family!).
It was amazing that their wedding came together with just one month of planning! Everyone in the family pitched in to do different things too so it ended up being done very inexpensively and beautifully! It was held outdoors on the property of Kate’s parents and grandparents, and in spite of the 94-degree heat, everyone had a lot of fun and it was such a memorable and special time. From our family, unfortunately only Grant could be there because of the short notice, but it was special to have some extended family there.
Luke and Kate spent their honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico and are now setting up an apartment in Charleston, South Carolina.
We arrived back to Ukarumpa on June 21st and picked up where we left off. John just finished a consultant check of Joshua 1-10 for the Madi language group, and I, Brena, am cutting hair, cooking, and planning cafés for the next few months.
The sweet happy couple.
(L) It was so fun to hang out with Charlotte and Kairu during our time in TN! (R) Brothers – Grant & Luke
The Bruner/Peters Family
The Brown/Williamson Family
John’s Seed Company Pacific Team at their meetings in NC in May.
A special week in Houston with Grant, Sara, and Lillian.
While Grant and John were at their meetings, my sister, Beth (right), and I were able to spend a few days with Lillian while Sara was working. What fun to get to know that little girl!
We spent some time with Joey and Moriah in Charleston.
John’s recent Madi consultant check.
PRAISE & PRAYER:
We are so thankful for Luke and Kate’s marriage and that we were able to be there for it! Please pray for them as they start their new life together.
Please pray for John as he prepares for a consultant check of 1-2 Corinthians that will be happening in August in the town of Alotau on the coast of PNG. It usually takes him several weeks prior to a check to study the translation and make notes on what doesn’t seem clear or have the correct meaning.
Please be praying for Grant, Sara, and Lillian as they make a big move to Springfield, Missouri next month. Sara accepted a job at Mercy Hospital to be their Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. They are excited to be closer to Sara’s family and their college friends.
We are so happy that Grant and Sara are expecting baby #2 this coming January….and it’s another girl! Please pray for Sara and baby that the pregnancy would continue smoothly.
Send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner.)
Earlier this year we mentioned in an update that our son Luke was dating Kate Brown (whose family had lived in Ukarumpa for about 5 years). Before Brena and I left PNG at the end of April, Luke told us that he and Kate were thinking about getting married in June (as opposed to sometime in the fall), so it wasn’t a complete surprise to us when they told us just over a week ago that the wedding will be June 15th! It will be held at Kate’s parents and grandparents’ property in Chattanooga, TN, and will be fairly small with just family and close friends. We are really happy for them and thankful we will have another wonderful daughter-in-law! Shortly after their wedding they will be moving to Charleston, SC, where Kate has a nursing job lined up.
Brena and I managed to change our return flights to PNG without too much pain/expense and we have also found housing and vehicles to use up until the time of the wedding. We are thankful for God’s provision! We now plan to leave the U.S. on June 19th to return to PNG.
PRAISE & PRAYER:
We are very thankful that Luke has found a wonderful girl who loves the Lord (and him)!
It’s been encouraging to see how God has helped us in changing our plans and in finding housing and transport for our extra time in the States.
Please pray that God will help Luke and Kate as they prepare to be married, make arrangements for the wedding, and start their new life together.
I will be doing a consultant check a few days after we arrive back to PNG in late June, so please pray that I will have enough time to prepare for it.
Send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner.)
For a number of years now John and I have been talking and praying about when would be good time to leave Papua New Guinea and start living in the U.S. When we returned to PNG in August 2023, we thought we would be here for two years because our son Luke had a Missionary Kid scholarship at Liberty University which required us to be serving overseas. But Luke decided to not return to Liberty in January and that allowed us to consider moving back to the U.S. sooner. So, after more talking and praying, we have just made the decision that we will move to the U.S. by the end of this year or in early 2025.
This does not mean we will stop working with Wycliffe Bible Translators since John can continue to do his same job from the U.S. It just means that he will have to make regular trips the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea to manage interns and do consultant checking.
The main reason for the decision to base in the U.S. is because I am very tired of all the moving. Since we left the States 27 years ago, we have moved houses about 60 times. That’s a lot of transitions and with that comes a lot of stress. I am at a point where the thought of doing it again (after another furlough/home assignment) just exhausts me. I have also struggled the last few years with feeling more down than up and not enjoying my work and life like I used to.
The second reason we’ve made this decision is because we feel like after all these years away, now is a good time (especially considering how I’m doing) to be close physically to our parents, kids, grandkids, and extended family.
As you can imagine, this decision doesn’t come lightly, and we’ve gone back and forth many times with all of the pros and cons. Even though I am wanting stability, I will miss having a ministry overseas that meets a need and that God has gifted me in. We will also miss the simple and slower pace of life here, the mission community, and feeling really comfortable in a developing country. Overall, we’ve had a wonderful experience living overseas and raising our boys in the Solomon Islands and PNG. We have so much to be thankful for!
Since we are staying with Wycliffe we will continue to need monthly gifts from partners. We hope those of you who already partner with us will continue to do so. Because the cost of living in the U.S. is higher than here, we will likely have a higher budget, though we don’t yet know how much that will be. We are so thankful that for so many years we have had all the financial gifts we have needed, and we are trusting that God will provide what we need when we return to the U.S.
Please be praying that God will make it clear where we should settle in the States (right now we think it will be the Dallas, TX area). Pray for all the adjustments that transitioning full-time to the States will bring. There will be a lot! I am confident, though, that just like God has helped us these last 27 years, He will continue to do so with whatever lies ahead. And finally, please pray for us that we will finish up well our remaining time in PNG.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please pray for those things listed in the paragraph above.
Thank you for praying for John’s recent consultant check of the book of Esther for the Domung language. It was their first consultant check and it was encouraging to see they have a team able to produce a good quality translation.
John and I will be making a trip to the States the end of this month so that John can attend Seed Company meetings. We will be visiting immediate family as well. We will return the end of May.
Please pray that more people will join the Staff Care department here at Ukarumpa. Quite a number of us are leaving which leaves big holes.
Here are a few pictures of our family over these 27 years:
1996: One month before leaving for the Pacific Orientation Course in Papua New Guinea (PNG)1997: Our first Christmas in our village, Sigana, Solomon Islands1999: On vacation in Australia2001: In one of our group houses in Honiara, Solomon Islands2005: A visit to Ukarumpa on our way back to the Solomon Islands from furlough2007: In front of the ship we regularly took to our village2009: At the dedication of the Bughotu NT, Sigana, Solomon Islands2011: One year after moving to Ukarumpa, PNG2014: Grant’s graduation from Ukarumpa International School2016: Joey’s graduation from Ukarumpa International School2019: Luke’s graduation from Ukarumpa International School2021: Our kids in America celebrating Luke’s birthday while we were in PNG2023: On furlough during our cross country road trip2023: Our growing family just before returning to PNG from furlough
Send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner.)
February and March were full months for us. Here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to, and thank you for praying!
JOHN:
A Check of Exodus: I returned to Papua New Guinea on March 8th after spending three weeks in Solomon Islands checking Exodus for the Zabana language. It was the second time I have checked Exodus in the last year. While I can’t say that going over the details of the translation of the construction of the tabernacle and making of the priestly clothing was much easier this time, it was encouraging to go over again how God rescued the Israelites from Egypt and showed them his faithfulness even in their unfaithfulness.
This consultant checking was a bit different in that I was supervising a fellow Seed Company colleague, John Miller (below right), who is training to be a translation consultant. John originally came to Papua New Guinea to do translation, but his family had to end up leaving because of medical issues. As his mentor, it was good for me to observe John, assess how he is doing, and let him know what areas he needs to focus on in his future training.
On the last day of checking, Isaac (below, second from right) expressed how his team tries their best to produce a good translation, but that it is difficult because they base their translation on English versions which are hard for them to understand. He said that the consultant check is something they appreciate very much as it helps them to correct the places where they have not understood the English well. It was a good reminder to me that translation is a team effort and people with different sets of skills are needed and also that it is important that people have the Scriptures in their own language.
BRENA:
Valentine’s Café: I, Brena, was able to put on a special Valentine’s Evening Café for 34 couples last month. It was extra work because we (Catherine & Max, below left) transformed the Staff Care building (with 11 rooms and space outside) into cozy spaces for all of these couples, but it was fun. One couple told me how wonderful it was to have this to go to after having just come back from the village. Finding a way to have a date here is often difficult, so I was thankful that it all came together and that God kept the heavy rain away so that those sitting outside stayed dry (photo on right).
Village Ladies’ Tea: Because the biennial Branch Conference was happening this month many ladies who live much of the time in villages were here at the mission center. So I put on an Afternoon Tea for them to eat cake and talk about the joys and difficulties in their programs and lives this past year.
A Week With Grant: While John was in the Solomons for three weeks, our son, Grant, came and stayed with me for one of those weeks. He needed to interact with translation projects he oversees plus do a presentation at one of the meetings for translation teams. It was special to have time together, although he didn’t enjoy the last half of his week as he came down with the stomach flu.
Fun Run: We also put on another Fun Run for the community. It put a smile on our faces to see 120 people, ages 3 to 70, come out to walk or run!
PLEASE PRAY:
Thank you for praying for John’s consultant checking in the Solomons and for me while he was away. God answered!
John will be doing another check in early April here at Ukarumpa. He will be checking the book of Esther for the Domung language. I also have two cafés coming up in the next month and weekly haircuts. Please pray for strength and wisdom.
There has been a fuel shortage in PNG and it is affecting how many flights the aviation department can do. Please pray for resolution to the problem so needed flights can go ahead.
Send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner.)
Happy New Year! The older we get, the faster the years go by. 2024 looks like it is going to be another full year of ministry here in PNG and also in Solomon Islands and U.S. We are trusting God to continue to guide us as we make decisions and keep up with our work.
Christmas at the Bruners’
We had a quiet Christmas here at Ukarumpa but over the two-week break enjoyed some gatherings with friends, hobbies, and Brena put on a Christmas Café for the community.
Each of our kids spent Christmas in a different state. Grant, Sara, and 6-month-old Lillian drove up to Arkansas to be with Sara’s family. They have been doing a good job adjusting to being a family of three plus having Sara working full-time at M.D. Anderson hospital in Houston. So far, Grant is working from home (with Seed Co, an affiliate of Wycliffe) so is able to look after Lillian.
Joey and Moriah stayed in Charleston, SC, for Christmas with good friends visiting them. They have had a busy past few months remodeling their kitchen with Joey building the cabinets and installing the flooring (he’s learned a lot through working for a cabinet maker). Moriah is still working at East Cooper Baptist Church as an assistant to several pastors. And we’re very thankful that God protected them when they were in two car accidents recently (one very serious)!
Luke spent Christmas in TN with his girlfriend’s family, the Browns. He decided to quit Liberty University after the fall semester since he still wasn’t sure what to study. He is now living with Kate’s parents while she, a fellow MK from PNG, is in the last semester of her nursing program at a university several hours away. Luke has found a job and is in the process of deciding what career to pursue. We are thankful for how God is guiding and working in his life.
Beyond in 2024
After Christmas, on January 6, Brena and I (John) organized another Uka Fun Run for the community. We had about 125 participants, ribbons for placers, and food and drink for all. It was fun! We plan to put on another one in a couple of months. I also did a consultant check of 1 John for the Pinai-Hagahai language here at Ukarumpa. This week I will be traveling down to Port Moresby (the capital of PNG) for some meetings. In February and March, I will be in the Solomons for a 3 ½ week consultant checking trip (Exodus for the Zabana language) and in May both Brena and I will go to the U.S. for a few weeks. I have Seed Company meetings and Brena will visit family.
120 colleagues came to the Christmas Café that Brena and team put on.
The little guy on the right (with his dad) was so excited to run in the 1-mile race and he even won a ribbon.
The Pinai-Hagahai team I worked with in checking 1 John. Markus Melliger (right) is my good friend and we have run together for many years.
PLEASE PRAY:
that God would continue to give us wisdom and strength as we head into this new year.
that God would give me wisdom for the consultant check of Exodus in the Zabana language in February in the Solomon Islands and that God would protect Brena while I am away.
that God would continue to work in each of our kids’ lives and that they would know deeply how much God loves them.
for Joey, Moriah, and Luke as they make important decisions this year.
We’re so thankful that God kept Joey and Moriah safe in their car accidents! (apart from concussions)
Send gifts to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, PO Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 (The check should be made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators and include a note that says preference for the ministry of John and Brena Bruner)
VIDEO:
You are welcome to view a short video of our work with Wycliffe. It is located in our About page.
johnandbrena 