
By: John L. Winright
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Roger and Suzanne Doriot of rural Fayette are enjoying life back on the home farm after spending nearly 47 years as missionaries in Indonesia.
This farm has been in the family since Roger’s great-great grandfather bought it in 1861 and has been handed down over the generations until today, being owned and lived in by Roger and Suzanne.
It is around 100 acres, and the family has produced and sold vegetables on it for many years going back a couple of generations.
Roger was born in Wauseon, OH and graduated from Archbold High School, Class of 1961. He has three brothers. “Suzanne and I have been blessed immensely, as we have served the Lord together for these last fifty years, and more!”
“Before we went to the mission field in Indonesia, we took a year off from my studies at Dallas Seminary, to pastor a church that was just starting from a Bible study group, in Buckhannon, West Virginia.”
“Being the first pastor of Calvary Baptist Church was a blessing, but there were many individual moments of great blessing as well.”
One was seeing a young lady, about 20 years old, attend services for some time, absorbing the teaching with obvious pleasure. Then, at one point, she trusted the Lord as her personal Savior, and was so obviously changed.”
“We still keep in contact with her, as she continues to follow the Lord, with her husband and their children in North Carolina. Another blessing at Calvary Baptist was when one member cornered me after a service, and said: “Pastor Doriot, you are not a preacher! … You are a teacher!!!”
Well, I was happy to hear that confirmed, as I had concluded that my spiritual gift was teaching! (And by the way, teaching is probably the most appropriate spiritual gift for doing Bible translation – getting into the text, deciding what it means, and then explaining that, in written form [in the case of doing Bible translation].)”
“In our work with the Nalja tribal group in west New Guinea, who were very primitive in those initial years of our ministry, it was such a blessing to see the changes in their lives, as they received God’s Word, comprehended it, and began to put it into practice! “
“There were times of discouragement, when it seemed that they were not readily accepting and putting into practice some of the important things that we were presenting to them. “
“But then we realized that we are all resistant to some degree to new and different things, and we like to continue on with things with which we are comfortable.”
“However, as months and years went by, we saw definite changes in their lives, as they began to receive more and more of what God’s Word said and obeyed it. We emphasized to them, that we, and God, were not trying to just change their culture.”
“We were not trying to make Americans of them. We were sharing the Truth, God’s Word, and they were responsible to evaluate what God’s Word said in relation to their culture. They definitely should keep cultural activities and values that were not in conflict with God’s Word.”
“But, when there were differences, they were responsible to change and follow God’s way, rather than what their culture might dictate.”
Roger & Suzanne Doriot are missionaries providing linguistics, medical, and general support in southeast Asia since 1975.
Their work consists mostly of translating the Scriptures for one of Indonesia’s many language groups and assisting them with their practical needs. Suzanne has used her nursing skills while most of Roger’s work has been leading translation teams.
The Nalca New Testament was completed and released in 2000. The Old Testament translation continues and is expected to be published by 2025.
Beginning with the Nalca tribe in 1975, Roger and Suzanne have served in Papua, Indonesia (formerly Irian Jaya), to plant churches and translate the Bible into local languages. The New Testament for the Nalca tribe was completed in 2000.
Their passion to see the Word of God translated continues to escalate. Roger is working on a plan that involves partnering with other mission organizations and the national church to begin translating each of the 200 remaining local languages by the year 2025 (www.wycliffe.org.uk/vision2025-org).
Much of the Doriots’ work today is done with Mother Tongue Translators (MTT). MTT’s approach involves working with at least one skilled individual from a people group with no access to Scripture in his/her native language learning English or their national language and translating scripture from that second language back into their mother tongue.
Roger is involved in recruiting, training, and supervising nationals to do this work. In addition to their translation work, Roger and Suzanne serve the Nalca Church in an advisory capacity.
“It is a blessing to look back over our lives, without regret” says Roger. “Oh, certainly, we have failed at times, we have not been as faithful to God’s leading at moments as we wish we had been.”
“But, in general, we can look back, without regret, and thank the Lord for the opportunities we have had to be part of His plan to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth! “
“We can look back, and see many, many people, both here in the US, and in Indonesia, and in other places, that are now God’s children, and following the Lord, due to our ministry and influence.”
“Many have thanked us for our part in their lives, and we just praise the Lord, and thank Him for working through us. Actually, I have many times mentioned to others, that in our many years of ministry, God has often done some great things, sometimes despite us, not always because of us!!!”
“People have sometimes mentioned that we could have had a nice life in the States, if we had not given our lives to ministry. Myself, as a Civil Engineer, and Suzanne, as a Registered Nurse, could most likely have made a lot of money, and had a lot of nice things.”
“However, having the peace, fulfillment, and satisfaction, of knowing we have followed the Lord’s leading, and served Him faithfully (though imperfectly in our humanity and weakness, at times), is worth far more than having lots of nice things, a big bank account, and a comprehensive retirement plan.”
“Our five children, who have grown up for most of their lives, in Indonesia, have had to “sacrifice” in various ways through the years, as well.”
“Though this was, to a degree, imposed on them, we attempted to follow the Lord’s leading in raising them, pointing out the importance of following the Lord’s leading, and the great opportunities of being a spiritual blessing to others.”
“However, we also emphasized to them, that they did not have to automatically become missionaries, to please us, but that they were free to follow the Lord’s leading in their individual lives, in whatever way the Lord led them.”
Roger and Suzanne returned to Fulton County just over a year ago and have five children and twelve grandchildren. The couple met in Texas while Suzanne was earning her nursing degree and Roger was completing courses in Bible translation.
“Our work in Indonesia was sometimes difficult, many times discouraging, even exasperating, but also rewarding, fulfilling, satisfying, and we would not have traded places with anyone, as we believed this was where the Lord wanted us to be,” Roger said.
“Now that we are based on the Doriot family farm in NW Ohio, we feel greatly blessed in being in this area. With the things we see happening in our country, much being beyond our understanding, and some, to our horror, it is a great blessing to be in an area where there are so many people of faith, and where rules, regulations and expectations seem so much more “reasonable” than we see in some other parts of our country and the world.”
“We are blessed, and we hope, in the years that the Lord adds to our lives, that we can be a blessing to many more people, here in NW Ohio, in our country, and around the world, as the Lord leads.” =
The Doriot’s are planning to return to Indonesia in 2024 and beyond. Roger states that it has been a good year… “We have had many blessings, along with hardships and difficulties, which is everyone’s lot on this sin-cursed earth. But, best of all, the Lord has been with us in it all, which is all that really matters.”
“We are completing our first full year on the Doriot family farm here in NW Ohio. This is our NEW BASE. We are NOT retiring! … We had two important ministry trips to Indonesia this year, and in our time in Ohio, our ministries included getting reacquainted with many of the families that have been here for decades, as well as getting acquainted with a lot of new people.”
“Much of this happened as we did some small-time farming, raising produce like melons, tomatoes, sweet corn, etc., and sold it at our road-side stand, and in the Fayette Farmers’ Market, and wherever we could. We sold some and gave away a lot.”
“Now, for our future plans, the BEYOND: We have served 48 years in Indonesia, particularly in Papua, Indonesia (west New Guinea).”
“We plan to work two more years there, to help with two primary goals: 1) the completion of the Nalja Old Testament translation; 2) a huge Jubilee celebration in the Nalja area, celebrating 50 years of having the Gospel and seeing the Church established.”
“There have now been 60 churches planted, one in every village in this 1,000 square mile area. Over 8,000 believers have been baptized!”
“Basic education and health services have been established. They had NOTHING when we Crossworld missionaries arrived there a half century ago.”
“With the Church established, and the Gospel and God’s Word available, NOW is the time to see the Church in the Nalja area mature and begin to reach out – to the ends of the earth!!!”
“They also have the responsibilities incumbent upon all Christians, as given in Matthew 28:18-20! Help us finish OUR task there, help us finish our part in the TRANSFORMATION that had taken place in this entire people group, now 25,000 strong!!!”
“YOU have had such a key part!!! We have had supporting churches, and individuals that have been unbelievably faithful, who at times have given sacrificially, who have put forth significant effort to keep in contact, to encourage us, and help meet our every need, to enable us to minister and make a difference, in this needy area of the world – literally, one of the “uttermost parts of the earth”.
“During our time in the States in these coming months and years, we will continue to minister as the Lord gives us health and opportunities.”
“We will visit supporting churches, and other churches, promoting prayer for missions, recruiting workers for needy areas in the world, and helping develop effective missions programs in churches who need and desire help.”
“We will minister in evangelism and discipleship, in our home area. We have been invited to share programs about our work in Indonesia in Senior Centers throughout our home county.”
“Very likely, we will be able to expand this to other counties in the area, and we are planning to volunteer to do similar things in nursing homes.”
“We do not want to neglect our own family, our five children, their spouses, and twelve grandchildren. (1 Timothy 5:8) Among other things, one thing we would like to do, is take various grandchildren at different times, to national parks around the US.”
“We are also working on our family tree(s) and want to be a blessing to distant relatives as well, as the Lord provides opportunities.”
Roger and Suzanne said, “We have much more that we could share, but this should be sufficient for the time being. Please do contact us with any opportunities to share, in your church, in other churches where you have good contacts, or in various groups, wherever we can be a blessing in sharing what God has done and is doing in Indonesia, and wherever we can serve Him by challenging people to be involved, or more involved, in the important aspects of fulfilling the Great Commission!”
For more information or support you can contact the Doriots at rogerdoriot@gmail.com