In Vanuatu’s national language Bislama, talemaot means to reveal, confess, or declare.
It is often used in the Bible in the context of proclaiming the gospel. Isaiah declares beautiful the feet of the one who comes to talemaot good news (Isa 52:7). When Jesus gathers his disciples before sending them out, he instructs them to talemaot that the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mat 10:7).
Talemaot is related to another word, soemaot, which means to reveal, or display. Whereas talemaot focuses more on speaking and declaration, soemaot focuses more on showing or displaying.
God the Father soemaot Jesus’ identity to Peter when he declared him to be the Messiah the Son of the living God’ (Mat 16:16-17). Likewise Jesus soemaot God the Father (Matt 11:27).
Often it is God who reveals (soemaot) and others who proclaim what has been revealed (talemaot). And this is what we are going to Tanna to do; to proclaim what has been revealed—to proclaim, as Jesus taught his disciples to do, that the kingdom of heaven is near. That is the work of the age we are in: to proclaim the gospel to the whole world (Matt 24:14).
Our work is to telemaot this gospel and to teach others to do the same; it is to take God’s self-revelation and teach it and to help others to teach it as well.
Our prayer is that we will see kingdom growth as people come to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, as Christians deepen their understanding and love of God, as we learn to trust him more, and also as those who partner us take joy in the work of the kingdom.
We thank you already for your partnership in this work. It is exciting to be standing with you in prayer and finances as we embark on this adventure for the glory of God. Please keep us in prayer as we prepare to leave in January.
Full prayer letter
