Tara Ellis: God’s Light in Papua New Guinea

I met Tara Ellis on February 9 at 1:30 p.m. while I was perusing the different booths set up in the Jerry Falwell Library for Global Focus week. She works for Wycliffe Bible Translators as a full-time missionary. Tara was such a blessing and inspiration during my interview with her for my journalism class at Liberty University.

• How did God call you to missions? Was it an immediate knowledge or did it take time for you to realize God’s purpose for your life?

I was a junior at university and felt God’s call after I switched my major to public relations, but did not think much of it because I felt that God could use me on the mission field. However, after and graduated and got married, my husband felt led to part-time missions. He left for China but I was not able to go with him because I did not want to leave my children. It took 10 years for me to finally realize that my life’s purpose resided in the mission field. God’s timing is always perfect. Sometimes God does not always give an immediate answer, but he is always worth the wait.

• What part of the world do you work in and why do you feel God led you there?

My husband and I work in Papua New Guinea. When I first heard about the missions opportunities in this country, I did not even know where in the world it was located! Ever since learning about the country, we had felt led there, but it wasn’t until we attended a Wycliffe IT conference that we realized this is where we were going. Although we were confident in God and his plan, we were still worried that we were reading into things and that it might be where we wanted to go, instead of where we should go. My husband and I started speaking to our pastors and deacons, asking them to pray for us. One deacon jokingly asked if we were going to Guinea, and my husband thought that I had been telling everyone where we were thinking about moving! God has a great sense of humor, and through moments like that, we felt him give us peace about our decision.

• Why work with Wycliffe Bible Translators compared to other organizations?

A member of our church was a Wycliffe missionary and we attended the IT conference run by Wycliffe to learn a little more about the organization and ending up loving what they stood for. Wycliffe set themselves apart because they are mainly Bible translators. Bible translations are vital to missionaries because if the people group they are trying to reach has a copy of God’s word in their native language, it has a more lasting impact on the group.

• What is your job title with Wycliffe and what does it entail?

I am a recruitment coordinator, and I work with the language staff, meeting needs in various departments. I help spread information of various needs to contacts around the world and I find people that can help or suit those needs. I help connect and engage with people worldwide.

• Why do you feel mission work is vitally important to the life of every Christian?

You know, at the beginning of my journey to becoming a full-time missionary, I did not think I was the kind of person God could use on the mission field. However, God completely changed my mind and I discovered that I was created uniquely by him for his specific purpose for my life. Even though it was not what I originally had in mind, I could not imagine my life any other way.

• In mission work, there seems to be the constant threat of persecution. Can you describe one or two situations where God gave you peace in the face of persecution?

We are blessed to not have the imminent threat of physical persecution, although Satan is working overtime to try and stop us from making an impact. One example I can think of is women are not aloud to walk around outside after dark. It just isn’t safe. Another example is the local government placed our building on top of an ancient tribal battle ground to discourage villagers from fighting there. I believe that no matter what happens, if God chooses that to happen, then I will trust him. Having faith is very important in the life of a missionary and Christians in general. But I am also very respectful of the safety precautions put in place by the government.

• What is the relationship of a missionary with the government look like?

Wycliffe has a great relationship with the government, although there are many tight restrictions. Even though they are sometimes hindrances, I respect the laws and I understand they are here to protect me and the rest of the missionaries.

• How do you interact and witness to members of other religions?

Papua New Guinea is technically a Christian nation, with more than 96 percent of its citizens identifying as Christian. But they have taken the Bible and altered it as a hybrid of their old religion. It is not the pure gospel. It is sad that the Bible does not mean to them what it means to us. That is one reason why translating the Bible into their native language is so important. They can read for themselves and understand the Bible’s teachings fully.

• How many years have you been in full-time missions and what was the most challenging year to date?

It has been five years since we left to work in full-time missions, and if I am being honest, last year was the most challenging. The honeymoon phase was over and we experienced personal attacks and issues with the natives. We felt taken advantage of by the very people we were trying to minister to. It was very hard to unconditionally love someone who was giving death threats to my husband. I had to constantly ask myself can I forgive these people as Christ would have. God helped us through that situation and we came out stronger in our faith than before. Even though there are many exhausting days, seeing the results makes it worth it.

• What advice would you give to someone who feels called by God to the mission field or for Christians in general?

Don’t think God hasn’t called you. You might not realize it the moments you feel called, but God can use anyone he wants to. Make sure to seek out other Christians who can help you walk through this journey, they will become your lifelong friends. But also be prepared for God to tell you not right now. He always has a plan and sometimes it requires patience from you.