July 13. Stanley Dale. Dale was an Australian who first visited New Guinea while he was in the army during World War II. When he first saw the high mountain ranges of the interior, he set his mind that someday he would come back and bring the message of God’s love to the Yali people, who lived in those remote areas.
And when he came to them, once they shot him, but he didn’t die. Another time they shot arrows at him. He pulled the arrows out of his body and broke them over his knee. Dale knew that if God had sent him someplace, God would take care of what is npp steroid the details. On this date in 1960, Dale set out for his third attempt at missionary work in New Guinea and Indonesia.
God guides the bold man willing to take action.
It took a long time for any outsider to find the Yali people. Hidden deep among the ridges and valleys of unexplored New Guinea, these hostile tribes lived in stone-age conditions and worshiped the mystical spirits of kembu.
Climate, terrain, language barriers, and danger of attack kept anyone from daring to explore the area—until 1960, when Dale arrived.
Dale and his partner Bruno DeLeeuw first scouted the land by plane and looked for space to build an airstrip. Then, they boated and hiked back into the area. With them came five natives from a neighboring, friendly tribe called Danis and two guides from Balinga, the village they were heading toward. At the last moment, one of the guides named Suwi ran ahead to warn his people about the strange beings who were on their way.
Dale and DeLeeuw finally stood at the edge of a pass, looking down at a ridge swarming with armed strangers. Hands on his hips, Dale eyed them unabashedly. With only a moment’s hesitation, he held up his palms in a sign of peace and started moving—then running—straight downhill toward the crowd.
Natives shouted in alarm, some ran away, and a few brave men stood their ground. Suwi, the messenger guide, did his best to explain to his kinsmen that these men were not dangerous. And Dale was able to interact with the men and establish a sort of relationship.
Next, Dale pressed on to investigate the potential airstrip site he had spotted earlier from the plane. He descended into the valley and headed straight for the enemy of the Balinga warriors: the Yabi and Kobak tribes.
The Balinga warriors behind him screamed battle cries and followed with weapons raised, but Dale kept going.
The Yabi and Kobak warriors screeched their own cries and held their weapons ready.
Dale had no way to know of the long-standing rivalry between these tribes, but he knew he was facing a challenge at that moment, and it was not in his character to back down. So he pressed on—oblivious to the fact that the Balinga tribe was slowing to a shocked halt.
The Balinga tribe had been bluffing.
Dale reached the lowest part of the valley, and armed warriors lined the ridges in front of him—and behind him. Alone, Dale crossed the river that divided the two territories and headed for the other warriors.
The Yabi and Kobak warriors stood stunned.
But suddenly, they were struck by the impression that this magnificent, courageous entity must have appeared to bring peace. A voice suddenly issued a command. “Don’t kill him!”
Warriors relaxed their weapons, and the crowd disappeared, and when Dale reached the bank, only a few were left standing at the bank.
These men greeted Dale openly.
When the rest of Dale’s group saw it was safe, they all crossed the river to join him. That was the moment the messenger Suwi was finally able to communicate to Dale that these two tribes were at war.
With authority that only God could enforce, Dale ordered Suwi to tell the Balinga and Yabi war chiefs that it was time to make peace. Suwi hesitated, but Dale gripped his shoulders and sent him on his way.
Suwi rallied the leaders from his village and the enemies. With DeLeeuw praying behind him, Dale used his interpreters to talk with the war chiefs.
Finally the people, who had just been ready to let their arrows fly at one another, grasped arms in forgiveness.
“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6 NIV).
With God leading you today, what is your action step? God guides the bold man willing to take action.
Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. The Complete Book of Christian Heroes: Over 200 Stories of Courageous People Who Suffered for Jesus. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005.
Richardson, Don. Lords of the Earth. Glendale: G/L Publications, 1977.
Story read by: Peter R Warren, https://www.peterwarrenministries.com/
Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter
Audio production: Joel Carpenter
Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/
Project manager: Blake Mattocks
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