Upcoming travel to Omaha and Chicago

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope you had a great Easter celebration remembering the resurrection of our Lord.

We wanted to let you know about a trip to the north we're about to take. We would appreciate your prayers.

On Friday (4/29), we plan to leave for Kansas City. We'll stay overnight and part of Saturday with one of Lynee's cousins and his family. Then, we go on to Omaha to see more family and friends. It's been 2.5 years since we were there. On Wednesday (5/4), we hope to go to Chicago to see Lynee's sister and family. We will leave on Monday (5/9) and get home on Tuesday. We will be visiting many people who are part of our support team. Please pray for safe travel, good contacts, and great times of being together.

Before we leave, Lynee and I are both trying very hard to finish some projects. My team hopes to get a font (Andika) off to some testers. Since this font includes many new features, we're finding a lot of things that need additional programming work. Lynee has four directors here for orientation and is trying to prepare things for the upcoming teacher's orientation so others can do their part while she's gone.

Thank you for your friendship, encouragement, and support. How can we pray for you? May the Joy of the Resurrection fill your heart.

Apr 2011 Newsletter (pg 1)

Progress in Bible Translation
We recently heard some great news. For the first time in Wycliffe’s 70+ year history, the number of languages waiting for Bible translation to begin (2,078) is going down! In the past, this number has been increasing as we discovered languages faster than we started new translations. Based on recent trends, it’s likely that the number will drop below 2,000 this year. Currently, translation is proceeding in over 1,700 languages without Scripture.

“We must make the Bible known by all means possible, for its message is for all people on earth. We recommit ourselves, therefore, to the ongoing task of translating, disseminating and teaching the scriptures in every culture and language, including those that are predominantly oral or non-literary.” This endorsement of Scripture translation came from a meeting of over 4,000 Christian leaders from 198 countries in October 2010. They were meeting “to confront the critical issues of our time as they relate to the future of the Church and world evangelization,” and Bible translation was a major concern. There is great potential for starting the remaining translations in this generation as many people around the world work together. (See www.lausanne.org/cape-town-2010)

Personally Speaking
On a more personal note, Lynée has been making progress creating an online orientation course for teachers going overseas. She’s also scheduling orientations for four leaders coming here at the end of April. Please pray for her manager, who recently lost both her parents in just five-weeks’ time.

I had surgery for a hernia about eight weeks ago. We’re thankful for a good recovery and for some extra financial gifts that should cover the cost. I’m working on the final stages of a new font called Andika. It was designed with literacy experts for people who are just learning to read. Its appearance is closer to handwriting than most fonts. We hope to release it to testers by the end of April. The “Revelation 7:9” title for this letter is in Andika (pre-release).

Our committed financial support has increased by $200/month since our last newsletter. We are very thankful to the Lord and our support team for their generosity and prayers! We have to determine a new budget with Wycliffe for the coming year, but based on our current budget, we are now about $275/month short. We are thankful that occasional gifts over the last 12 months have continued to cover the shortfall.

Photograph used with permission, Wycliffe Bible Translators. Photographer: Jewel Fink

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Apr 2011 Newsletter (pg 2)

Setbacks and Progress

After my trip to Colombia with my aunt in 2008, we told you about the language group that my aunt and uncle have worked with since the 1960s, the M* people. I was a bit discouraged as I read over the hopes we had then – most have not been realized. Robbie and Johnny have ended up working for an Indian organization instead of doing  Bible translation, and the primers have not been given out for the children to learn to read their own language.  A third man, who gave up medical school to work on the translation, ended up straying from the Lord.

However, there are things to rejoice about too. We bring the M people before you to ask you to pray for them and the work of translating Scripture into their heart language. Here is what is happening now.

One translator, George, is working on the translation. When his cousin Johnny invited him to work on the translation over a year ago, George had no idea what he was doing there. It took him two months to figure out what Bible translation was about, how to write his language, and how to type the language on the computer. But he persevered, moved in with a couple who is dedicated to helping the Ms, and is being discipled by a local pastor. In November he called my aunt and uncle on Skype with this news, “Gwazi, I wanted to tell you that I gave my life to Jesus this afternoon.”

“Now,” says George, “the greatest desire of my life is to translate the Bible. And I don’t just mean the New Testament. I mean Genesis to Revelation.” Please pray that God would put a hedge of protection around George – that he would not get distracted or be drawn away by the enemy. Pray that God would bring him a Christian wife.

My aunt and uncle are currently in Colombia for a month. Please pray for them as they hope to teach and encourage George both in his walk with the Lord and in his work on the translation.

An amazing opportunity has presented itself. My aunt and uncle have been invited to visit a group of 50-60 Ms who are just starting a new settlement. Their leader told my aunt and uncle they all want to become Christians, and the invitation was given for the express purpose of teaching the Bible. My aunt and uncle are hoping to spend Easter week with them. Please pray that God will work out all the details for that to happen. They have the Christmas and Easter stories in the M language to share with them.

Please pray for my uncle to have good health while they are there and for good contacts with other M people. May God’s Spirit do a mighty work in them. We even pray that the translation team members who have wandered from the Lord will return to Him. Thank you so much.

* The names of the language group and people have been changed for their protection.

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