Robert & Debbie Petterson

After joining WBT in 1983, they worked in the Rumu language group of Papua New Guinea. In 1993 a Rumu Scripture compilation was dedicated, after which they returned with three children to live in NZ. From 1994-2004 Robbie taught at a tertiary college in Palmerston North, taking several research trips back to PNG. In 2004 Robbie left the college, and they started working in PNG again on literacy projects involving ten languages of the Gulf Province of PNG. At the same time, from 2007, they started Jesus Film translation projects in several languages of the area: Gibaio, Kope, Mouwase and I'ai. In 2018 they based themselves in New Zealand in order to care for Robbie’s aged father until he died in 2023, continuing to work on these PNG projects while doing so.

“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.” Isaiah 58:9a