Update from Dick & Alma Dole, retired missionaries from Brazil who moved to New Jersey.
Yes, we finally made it......and six weeks later, so did our stuff.
Now we have the challenge of trying to fit what is "essential" into this wee apartment... and give up the useful/meaningful things that don't. "Hard on the judgment," as the old story goes.
This has been a tough assignment---—perhaps the toughest one yet, in our 42 years as His missionaries. I confess that I`m still trying to recover from the hurricane of this humongous international move... the earthquake of moving from my beloved Brazil to this strange land... the landslide of moving from a city of 20 million to a town of 10,000... PLUS the shock waves of moving from a very active life to a retirement community... where the median age is, would you believe, 87!??!! Not to mention that everything is so EXPENSIVE in this country, and trying to live on Social Security & pension alone is a challenge! But God is still on the Throne, and one of these days we'll feel "at home," right? Pray for us?
I don't suppose retired missionaries are of much interest, but if ever you need someone to substitute or fill in, we'd sure love to try to work it out. Meanwhile, give our warm THANK YOU to any that still remember us? How faithful you folks at Myrtle Grove have been, and how we praise the Lord for your loving support.
May we keep on keeping on, pressing on to know Him, our Wondrous Lord!
Yours to see Him glorified,
Dick & Alma
11 Heath Village
Hackettstown, NJ 07840-4039
(908) 269-6046
Friday, November 19, 2010
Update from Doug and Beth Wright
Dear family and friends,
THANK YOU for praying! I picked up an exhausted Doug. Grizzled beard, "fragrant" after days of travel, and hungry. Oh, and his suitcase arrived the next morning. Due to the original flight out of Wilmington being canceled a month ago, somehow all of Doug's return flights were a mess. A stressful mess. In addition, he just made the mission's plane in Bunia DRC by 5 minutes, to find out they had made a booking error (booked him into the DR Congo twice, with no return out of Congo!). They fit him in anyway somehow. Then there was a housing adjustment again in Entebbe Ug, and when he went to check in for his international flights (Entebbe-Brussels-Philadelphia...), his reservations on all legs had been canceled!! With the gracious help of a Ugandan employee, Doug was able to restore all the return flights... and he's home. And by this weekend, now rested and recovered. This has had everything to do with God's grace and many prayers for him. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PRAYING for him!
Gratefully,
Beth
Here's part of Doug's final trip report:
Through God's grace and the faithful prayers of many, the Logo team and I have much to be thankful for after my 8 Oct - 7 Nov consultant trip to DR Congo. The 20 working days were divided equally between the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop at Muhito (near Bunia) and a Logo translation checking session in Isiro. Here are the highlights:
1. At the C. S. Discourse Workshop, I gave presentations and facilitated the work of the six teams for three days. All six teams, working with their assigned consultants, discovered much about the structures and functions of their languages especially at the narrative discourse level. The Logo team and I discovered and documented about 15 rules for telling stories more naturally. These rules will be of great help when we do final polishing of the gospels (narrative genre).
2. The Logo team and I completed checking of the first 8 chapters of Romans. Although the quality of the first draft had suffered due to inadequate time for the team to prepare between my previous visit and the workshop, we were able to bring the translation up to publishing quality. We dealt with a number of key theological concepts like justification "God's putting us straight (just) before his eyes", redemptive sacrifice "Jesus' sacrifice given by God to buy us back from sin", and being controlled by the Spirit "walking by the power of the Spirit". We have now first-drafted 82% and consultant-checked 80% of the N.T. and we are exactly on track with the plan (revised two years ago) to finish translation by the end of 2012 with publication by the end of 2013.
3. The team and I updated the translation plan, including a planned visit by Adara and Madrakele to Todro in January to coordinate reviewers' committee checking, do community tests, collect more natural texts (including hortatory/expository genre) and coordinate the literacy workers' plans. My next trip is planned for 4 weeks beginning the last week of February 2011.
4. Aguma, Adara, Madrakele and I all had many opportunities to see God's grace and power at work in our lives and those around us. We continue to see God's Word transforming us, which as Aguma says, it must do before it can transform the Logo people. We were also aware of the prayers of many faithful partners, including more and more Logo believers.
Dear family and friends,
THANK YOU for praying! I picked up an exhausted Doug. Grizzled beard, "fragrant" after days of travel, and hungry. Oh, and his suitcase arrived the next morning. Due to the original flight out of Wilmington being canceled a month ago, somehow all of Doug's return flights were a mess. A stressful mess. In addition, he just made the mission's plane in Bunia DRC by 5 minutes, to find out they had made a booking error (booked him into the DR Congo twice, with no return out of Congo!). They fit him in anyway somehow. Then there was a housing adjustment again in Entebbe Ug, and when he went to check in for his international flights (Entebbe-Brussels-Philadelphia...), his reservations on all legs had been canceled!! With the gracious help of a Ugandan employee, Doug was able to restore all the return flights... and he's home. And by this weekend, now rested and recovered. This has had everything to do with God's grace and many prayers for him. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PRAYING for him!
Gratefully,
Beth
Here's part of Doug's final trip report:
Through God's grace and the faithful prayers of many, the Logo team and I have much to be thankful for after my 8 Oct - 7 Nov consultant trip to DR Congo. The 20 working days were divided equally between the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop at Muhito (near Bunia) and a Logo translation checking session in Isiro. Here are the highlights:
1. At the C. S. Discourse Workshop, I gave presentations and facilitated the work of the six teams for three days. All six teams, working with their assigned consultants, discovered much about the structures and functions of their languages especially at the narrative discourse level. The Logo team and I discovered and documented about 15 rules for telling stories more naturally. These rules will be of great help when we do final polishing of the gospels (narrative genre).
2. The Logo team and I completed checking of the first 8 chapters of Romans. Although the quality of the first draft had suffered due to inadequate time for the team to prepare between my previous visit and the workshop, we were able to bring the translation up to publishing quality. We dealt with a number of key theological concepts like justification "God's putting us straight (just) before his eyes", redemptive sacrifice "Jesus' sacrifice given by God to buy us back from sin", and being controlled by the Spirit "walking by the power of the Spirit". We have now first-drafted 82% and consultant-checked 80% of the N.T. and we are exactly on track with the plan (revised two years ago) to finish translation by the end of 2012 with publication by the end of 2013.
3. The team and I updated the translation plan, including a planned visit by Adara and Madrakele to Todro in January to coordinate reviewers' committee checking, do community tests, collect more natural texts (including hortatory/expository genre) and coordinate the literacy workers' plans. My next trip is planned for 4 weeks beginning the last week of February 2011.
4. Aguma, Adara, Madrakele and I all had many opportunities to see God's grace and power at work in our lives and those around us. We continue to see God's Word transforming us, which as Aguma says, it must do before it can transform the Logo people. We were also aware of the prayers of many faithful partners, including more and more Logo believers.
November 2010 Update from Douglas and Jennings Boone
Dear friends,
Greetings from Nairobi, Kenya! We are here – together, in the same country, after three weeks apart – until our next house-sitting opportunity begins in Congo in early December. It has been good to catch up with friends here. We’ve also had some work meetings and lots of (routine) medical visits. Next week we’ll be on vacation at the coast! Thank you so much for your prayers for our travel and work over the past month. Here is an update:
Douglas’ trip to Asia: Thank you for praying for Bagamba Araali and me as we traveled to Penang, Malaysia for Language Assessment Community meetings. For the first week, I was one of six facilitators at a survey report writing workshop. The four people in my small group exchanged extracts from reports that they were writing. In the last two days, each participant got input from three colleagues (and me) concerning clarity, organization, and sound argumentation. Meanwhile, Bagamba was meeting with other consultants in sociolinguistics. During the main conference, he and I gave three presentations: "Handling Qualitative Data" (for the newer workers), "Depth and Scope of Research Planning" (for those with more experience) and "Cross-Cultural Sensitivity" in a session for everyone. We learned about developments elsewhere in the world, and enjoyed lots of interaction at break time and in the evenings with other sociolinguists and language researchers. One evening, we met with the other participants in the colloquium on language vitality in March 2011 for which we are preparing a paper. The next evening I was emcee for the "Do It Yourself" show; Bagamba's anecdotes about cultural misunderstandings in the Congo were a big hit! This time in Penang was valuable and fruitful; we'll be considering the things we learned for a long time to come.
We are thankful for safe travels and for the opportunity to see many old friends and to make new ones. Thank God for raising up language assessment workers among the citizens of countries in Asia and Africa! Bagamba and I have many opportunities to serve: please pray for wisdom to prioritize and to plan, and to apply what we learned.
Jennings’ translation-checking trips: Thank you for your prayers for my back-to-back trips – to Ibambi to check half of Matthew with the Budu team with our Translation Coordinator Dave Bradley, and to Goma to check Mark with the Tembo team. Both trips went very well. Thanks to the high quality of the translations, we were able to finish both checking sessions with time to spare! The Budu team will soon be able to publish trial copies of Matthew. It was very interesting to be in Ibambi, a large village deep in the Congolese forest… quite a change from urban Bunia! Then, I spent a weekend back in Bunia, staying with a friend, before leaving again for Goma. This was my third trip to work with the Tembo team, but the first one since their head translator Masumbuko Shabani left for graduate studies in Bible translation. The two remaining Tembo translators – Ndeshi Jimmy and Mwanjale Robert – are determined to keep the translation work going at a good pace. They have been using an adaptation program to produce first-draft translations based on a closely related language. The results are very encouraging – they have adapted most of the New Testament using this method! Adaptation is just the first step in a long, careful translation process, but it is still very exciting to see such progress.
Please thank God with us for the hard work of the Budu and Tembo translation teams and for the successful completion of these Gospel translations! Please pray that they will be encouraged in their work, in spite of financial and logistic challenges, and that the local communities will be blessed by the Scriptures in their language.
Something new…: There is so much to see and think about in Congo, and we wanted to be able to share it without making our updates excessively long, so… we have started a blog! It’s called “This Congolese Life” and the address is www.thiscongoleselife.blogspot.com . Our hope is that it will be a good way to share photos, stories and daily life in Congo, and to interact with you.
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
Mailing address:
SIL
PO Box 750
Entebbe, UGANDA
For Wycliffe info or financial gifts:
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862-8200
Dear friends,
Greetings from Nairobi, Kenya! We are here – together, in the same country, after three weeks apart – until our next house-sitting opportunity begins in Congo in early December. It has been good to catch up with friends here. We’ve also had some work meetings and lots of (routine) medical visits. Next week we’ll be on vacation at the coast! Thank you so much for your prayers for our travel and work over the past month. Here is an update:
Douglas’ trip to Asia: Thank you for praying for Bagamba Araali and me as we traveled to Penang, Malaysia for Language Assessment Community meetings. For the first week, I was one of six facilitators at a survey report writing workshop. The four people in my small group exchanged extracts from reports that they were writing. In the last two days, each participant got input from three colleagues (and me) concerning clarity, organization, and sound argumentation. Meanwhile, Bagamba was meeting with other consultants in sociolinguistics. During the main conference, he and I gave three presentations: "Handling Qualitative Data" (for the newer workers), "Depth and Scope of Research Planning" (for those with more experience) and "Cross-Cultural Sensitivity" in a session for everyone. We learned about developments elsewhere in the world, and enjoyed lots of interaction at break time and in the evenings with other sociolinguists and language researchers. One evening, we met with the other participants in the colloquium on language vitality in March 2011 for which we are preparing a paper. The next evening I was emcee for the "Do It Yourself" show; Bagamba's anecdotes about cultural misunderstandings in the Congo were a big hit! This time in Penang was valuable and fruitful; we'll be considering the things we learned for a long time to come.
We are thankful for safe travels and for the opportunity to see many old friends and to make new ones. Thank God for raising up language assessment workers among the citizens of countries in Asia and Africa! Bagamba and I have many opportunities to serve: please pray for wisdom to prioritize and to plan, and to apply what we learned.
Jennings’ translation-checking trips: Thank you for your prayers for my back-to-back trips – to Ibambi to check half of Matthew with the Budu team with our Translation Coordinator Dave Bradley, and to Goma to check Mark with the Tembo team. Both trips went very well. Thanks to the high quality of the translations, we were able to finish both checking sessions with time to spare! The Budu team will soon be able to publish trial copies of Matthew. It was very interesting to be in Ibambi, a large village deep in the Congolese forest… quite a change from urban Bunia! Then, I spent a weekend back in Bunia, staying with a friend, before leaving again for Goma. This was my third trip to work with the Tembo team, but the first one since their head translator Masumbuko Shabani left for graduate studies in Bible translation. The two remaining Tembo translators – Ndeshi Jimmy and Mwanjale Robert – are determined to keep the translation work going at a good pace. They have been using an adaptation program to produce first-draft translations based on a closely related language. The results are very encouraging – they have adapted most of the New Testament using this method! Adaptation is just the first step in a long, careful translation process, but it is still very exciting to see such progress.
Please thank God with us for the hard work of the Budu and Tembo translation teams and for the successful completion of these Gospel translations! Please pray that they will be encouraged in their work, in spite of financial and logistic challenges, and that the local communities will be blessed by the Scriptures in their language.
Something new…: There is so much to see and think about in Congo, and we wanted to be able to share it without making our updates excessively long, so… we have started a blog! It’s called “This Congolese Life” and the address is www.thiscongoleselife.blogspot.com . Our hope is that it will be a good way to share photos, stories and daily life in Congo, and to interact with you.
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
Mailing address:
SIL
PO Box 750
Entebbe, UGANDA
For Wycliffe info or financial gifts:
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862-8200
Update from Steve Kohl (Letter laying out a plan)
11-17-10
Dr. John,
I believe that it is vital that we serve the Lord by getting the dental project in Belize off the ground as reasonably soon as possible. As I indicated to you on the phone Annette and I need to go.
I need you to support and encourage us in the following activities which are necessary to complete this dental and chiropractic project. As you and I are aware the building needs to be completely enclosed, interior finished including electrical and plumbing and installing and organizing all dental equipment and making ready to host dentists and dental hygienists and others to serve.
I would ask that you approve me to do the following as soon as possible:
1. Go to Belize to obtain NGO status for Global Outreach Mission and titling or conveying the Global lease for the property into Global Outreach Missions name.
2. Go to Belize and obtain quotations from people that I know who can completely engineer load bearing walls to support a second floor when we add and enclose the bottom floor and finish the interior. I will get quotations also to just enclose the bottom and make it ready to occupy. We will employ local help wherever possible and bring from Myrtle Grove teams to come where locals may not be available. I do have a team of electricians who will come to do all of the electrical work. The electrical team will do the costing of supplies needed based on equipment needs for power including air conditioning and receptacles etc. We will need three phase electrical to keep power usage down. We will have hard costs for you to make a decision to get the building enclosed and ready for equipment.
3. I will continue to secure funds for all equipment or used or refurbished to make ready the dental clinic. It is my desire to equip this dental clinic with the best equipment to serve the needs of general dentistry and than find the dentists who are qualified and want to serve. I believe there are many. We hope to also secure at least 3 mobile units to take to the jungle as we promised Dr. Samos.
Could we discuss this track and if it needs to be modified in any way let's ask The Lord. I think that we must keep our eyes on the vision and that is to share the Good News with the people to whom we minister employing this critical need of dentistry. We are in prayer and we thank God that he has already showed us a plan and now is ordering every step with confirmation which we recognize. He will also supply the needed monetary requirements. We trust in Him and His timing.
Sincerely,
steve and annette kohl
11-17-10
Dr. John,
I believe that it is vital that we serve the Lord by getting the dental project in Belize off the ground as reasonably soon as possible. As I indicated to you on the phone Annette and I need to go.
I need you to support and encourage us in the following activities which are necessary to complete this dental and chiropractic project. As you and I are aware the building needs to be completely enclosed, interior finished including electrical and plumbing and installing and organizing all dental equipment and making ready to host dentists and dental hygienists and others to serve.
I would ask that you approve me to do the following as soon as possible:
1. Go to Belize to obtain NGO status for Global Outreach Mission and titling or conveying the Global lease for the property into Global Outreach Missions name.
2. Go to Belize and obtain quotations from people that I know who can completely engineer load bearing walls to support a second floor when we add and enclose the bottom floor and finish the interior. I will get quotations also to just enclose the bottom and make it ready to occupy. We will employ local help wherever possible and bring from Myrtle Grove teams to come where locals may not be available. I do have a team of electricians who will come to do all of the electrical work. The electrical team will do the costing of supplies needed based on equipment needs for power including air conditioning and receptacles etc. We will need three phase electrical to keep power usage down. We will have hard costs for you to make a decision to get the building enclosed and ready for equipment.
3. I will continue to secure funds for all equipment or used or refurbished to make ready the dental clinic. It is my desire to equip this dental clinic with the best equipment to serve the needs of general dentistry and than find the dentists who are qualified and want to serve. I believe there are many. We hope to also secure at least 3 mobile units to take to the jungle as we promised Dr. Samos.
Could we discuss this track and if it needs to be modified in any way let's ask The Lord. I think that we must keep our eyes on the vision and that is to share the Good News with the people to whom we minister employing this critical need of dentistry. We are in prayer and we thank God that he has already showed us a plan and now is ordering every step with confirmation which we recognize. He will also supply the needed monetary requirements. We trust in Him and His timing.
Sincerely,
steve and annette kohl
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Steve Kohl Update of the Belize Dental Clinic
Check out construction progress on the Belize Dental Clinic!
Go to the link below for Update #7 Youtube Video
Go to the link below for Update #7 Youtube Video
Doug Wright Update
Dear Praying team,
Doug's been working on the Logo translation of Romans, a very difficult New Testament book to translate, for the last month-long consulting trip of the year. The first two weeks of the month will be spent in a Central Sudanic Discourse workshop. Doug will land in Congo and the next day begin his three days of teaching (in French) the next morning! He'll be teaching six language teams, including the Logo team, how to better identify and use certain grammatical features in their translations. Then the last two weeks of the month-long trip will be spent solely with the Logo team in translation checking, beginning the book of Romans.
Please would you cover this trip in prayer? We (the Congolese translation teams, missionary colleagues, and Doug) covet your prayers so that we can fight the spiritual battle together in Christ, in bringing God's transforming Word to millions of Congolese who have never heard it in their heart languages.
Thanks for standing with us!
Doug called from an isolated Catholic conference center on Saturday. He said he was sitting on a veranda, overlooking a widespread valley, holding his cell phone out and praying it connected with a cell tower somewhere! (There were no electric lines or cell towers in sight, just lots of tropical rain forest.) And it did connect.
He thanked you for praying, saying that his teaching in French went well and that he and the Logo guys are now working together in the seminar. On Friday they fly to Isiro to begin translation checking of the Logo book of Romans. They'll spend the last 2 weeks in checking work.
Thank you for praying for his travels and for his initial days at the seminar. Please would you pray that his shoulder heals: apparently he pulled something while carrying two computers through about 5 different airports and it's causing pain. And add that to the metal spring bed (little support) and he's not sleeping very well. Thanks for continuing to pray.
Oh, and Doug's mentioned that he's seen the big "bird" spiders. If these are the same ones we had in Todro, they're about the size of a small adult hand :-) . He considered killing the ones in his room but then thought he might let them live to kill the mosquitoes!
Thanks again!
Blessings,
Beth
p.s. I'm feeling very well! (Three weeks in a row - yipee!) Thanks for praying. Will be heading to see the grandbabies for a week.
Oct 11-22: Muhito Center - Doug to help in training six teams of Congolese translators to better understand their own languages in order to produce more natural Bible translations
Oct 22: MAF small plane DRC: Bunia – Isiro
Oct 22 - Nov 5: Isiro - Doug & Logo team to check the first half of Romans in Logoti, always including informal training; the whole team will continue to focus their devotionals on living "in Christ"
Nov 5-6: Entebbe UTB Guesthouse - Doug to rest during long trip home
Nov 6–7: travel
Doug's been working on the Logo translation of Romans, a very difficult New Testament book to translate, for the last month-long consulting trip of the year. The first two weeks of the month will be spent in a Central Sudanic Discourse workshop. Doug will land in Congo and the next day begin his three days of teaching (in French) the next morning! He'll be teaching six language teams, including the Logo team, how to better identify and use certain grammatical features in their translations. Then the last two weeks of the month-long trip will be spent solely with the Logo team in translation checking, beginning the book of Romans.
Please would you cover this trip in prayer? We (the Congolese translation teams, missionary colleagues, and Doug) covet your prayers so that we can fight the spiritual battle together in Christ, in bringing God's transforming Word to millions of Congolese who have never heard it in their heart languages.
Thanks for standing with us!
Doug called from an isolated Catholic conference center on Saturday. He said he was sitting on a veranda, overlooking a widespread valley, holding his cell phone out and praying it connected with a cell tower somewhere! (There were no electric lines or cell towers in sight, just lots of tropical rain forest.) And it did connect.
He thanked you for praying, saying that his teaching in French went well and that he and the Logo guys are now working together in the seminar. On Friday they fly to Isiro to begin translation checking of the Logo book of Romans. They'll spend the last 2 weeks in checking work.
Thank you for praying for his travels and for his initial days at the seminar. Please would you pray that his shoulder heals: apparently he pulled something while carrying two computers through about 5 different airports and it's causing pain. And add that to the metal spring bed (little support) and he's not sleeping very well. Thanks for continuing to pray.
Oh, and Doug's mentioned that he's seen the big "bird" spiders. If these are the same ones we had in Todro, they're about the size of a small adult hand :-) . He considered killing the ones in his room but then thought he might let them live to kill the mosquitoes!
Thanks again!
Blessings,
Beth
p.s. I'm feeling very well! (Three weeks in a row - yipee!) Thanks for praying. Will be heading to see the grandbabies for a week.
Oct 11-22: Muhito Center - Doug to help in training six teams of Congolese translators to better understand their own languages in order to produce more natural Bible translations
Oct 22: MAF small plane DRC: Bunia – Isiro
Oct 22 - Nov 5: Isiro - Doug & Logo team to check the first half of Romans in Logoti, always including informal training; the whole team will continue to focus their devotionals on living "in Christ"
Nov 5-6: Entebbe UTB Guesthouse - Doug to rest during long trip home
Nov 6–7: travel
Douglas and Jennings Boone Update
Dear friends,
It seems we just wrote a September newsletter, but October is already flying by… and in a few days we will be flying, as well! This time we are going in different directions. Here’s the scoop (photos at the bottom of the page):
From Jennings:
From Oct. 22-29, I (Jennings) will be in Ibambi, D.R. Congo, helping the Budu translation team finish up the book of Matthew for publication, along with our Translation Coordinator Dave Bradley. I’ve worked with this team before, on Genesis, but this is the first time I’ve been able to visit their home area. Then, from Oct. 31-Nov. 10, I’ll make a trip to Goma to work with the Tembo translation team on the book of Mark. It will be great to see this team again and to see how they are getting on without their head translator Masumbuko Shabani, who has just started studies at Université Shalom here in Bunia.
Please pray that these checking sessions will go well, that the teams will be encouraged, that the translation will be good quality, and that the local communities will be blessed by them. Please also pray that I will stay healthy.
I had a rare opportunity this month to develop as a translation consultant. Our most experienced consultant, Liz Raymond, has been in town to work with the Ndruna translation team on Acts and some of the Epistles. She let me sit in on her checking sessions with them, to observe how she works. One of the key steps in becoming a fully qualified consultant is observing experienced consultants, and being observed by them. I appreciated Liz’ positive attitude with the team, and how she encouraged them to use the Greek/French interlinear New Testament, maps and translation aids. As a bonus, she let me prepare and check the book of Philemon (short but dense) and the fourth chapter of Philippians with them, while she observed. My first experience with Epistles, and with non-narrative Scripture… exciting! She gave me very encouraging feedback, as well.
I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to grow as a consultant!
From Douglas:
Bagamba Araali and I are about to travel to Penang, Malaysia for Language Assessment Community meetings. The centerpiece is six days of sessions (Nov 3-10) that for the first time in five years bring together language assessment personnel from around the world. I'll lead two sessions: one for experienced surveyors on planning the scope and methods of a proposed language survey; and one for new surveyors on analyzing qualitative data. I'll also team up with Bagamba to lead a plenary session on working well in cross-cultural teams.
We'll both stay an extra day (Nov 11) for meetings with other language assessment personnel from across Africa -- the first since March 2008! We're also going early for other "satellite" events. Bagamba is looking forward to two days of meetings with other sociolinguistics consultants (Nov 1-2). I leave a week earlier than Bagamba because I'm one of the facilitators for a "survey report writing workshop" Oct 26-Nov 2: I'll help a small group of surveyors polish their reports on language research that they've done. The value of our research is realized when the findings are clearly explained to those who make decisions about language programs (often including Bible translation), and to the wider community.
Please pray for our preparations, as we both have been very busy with other things. We are very happy that Bagamba received his visa without a lot of difficulty.
Office work: In addition to their sociolinguistic work, Douglas and Bagamba have found themselves overseeing construction work on a church-owned compound that currently houses three Congolese translation projects, and where our group will soon also have offices. Workmen are building a security wall, installing new plumbing, cleaning out the attic which had housed bats for several years, and making various repairs. They have also built pillars to support a container that will hold all our furniture and stuff until we have a permanent place to live. For Douglas and Bagamba, this has meant frequent trips to this office to check on progress, talking with the denomination's vice-president, Pastor Mbanza, and coordinating technicians and workmen. We will be glad to have an office to work in when the work is completed! In the meantime, it has been a challenge to balance all their various responsibilities while preparing for the conference in Malaysia.
Please pray this office would be used to give God glory, and for good relationships among the groups sharing it.
A few highlights from our first months in Bunia:
- Learning to make yogurt, granola and bread
- Finding a good tailor to sew dresses and shirts from African cloth
- Discovering which roadside boutiques have flour, cheese, oats, chocolate, dishwashing liquid, butter and other hard-to-find items
- Buying fresh passion fruit, pineapple, avocados, chickens, etc., from vendors who come right to your door
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
It seems we just wrote a September newsletter, but October is already flying by… and in a few days we will be flying, as well! This time we are going in different directions. Here’s the scoop (photos at the bottom of the page):
From Jennings:
From Oct. 22-29, I (Jennings) will be in Ibambi, D.R. Congo, helping the Budu translation team finish up the book of Matthew for publication, along with our Translation Coordinator Dave Bradley. I’ve worked with this team before, on Genesis, but this is the first time I’ve been able to visit their home area. Then, from Oct. 31-Nov. 10, I’ll make a trip to Goma to work with the Tembo translation team on the book of Mark. It will be great to see this team again and to see how they are getting on without their head translator Masumbuko Shabani, who has just started studies at Université Shalom here in Bunia.
Please pray that these checking sessions will go well, that the teams will be encouraged, that the translation will be good quality, and that the local communities will be blessed by them. Please also pray that I will stay healthy.
I had a rare opportunity this month to develop as a translation consultant. Our most experienced consultant, Liz Raymond, has been in town to work with the Ndruna translation team on Acts and some of the Epistles. She let me sit in on her checking sessions with them, to observe how she works. One of the key steps in becoming a fully qualified consultant is observing experienced consultants, and being observed by them. I appreciated Liz’ positive attitude with the team, and how she encouraged them to use the Greek/French interlinear New Testament, maps and translation aids. As a bonus, she let me prepare and check the book of Philemon (short but dense) and the fourth chapter of Philippians with them, while she observed. My first experience with Epistles, and with non-narrative Scripture… exciting! She gave me very encouraging feedback, as well.
I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to grow as a consultant!
From Douglas:
Bagamba Araali and I are about to travel to Penang, Malaysia for Language Assessment Community meetings. The centerpiece is six days of sessions (Nov 3-10) that for the first time in five years bring together language assessment personnel from around the world. I'll lead two sessions: one for experienced surveyors on planning the scope and methods of a proposed language survey; and one for new surveyors on analyzing qualitative data. I'll also team up with Bagamba to lead a plenary session on working well in cross-cultural teams.
We'll both stay an extra day (Nov 11) for meetings with other language assessment personnel from across Africa -- the first since March 2008! We're also going early for other "satellite" events. Bagamba is looking forward to two days of meetings with other sociolinguistics consultants (Nov 1-2). I leave a week earlier than Bagamba because I'm one of the facilitators for a "survey report writing workshop" Oct 26-Nov 2: I'll help a small group of surveyors polish their reports on language research that they've done. The value of our research is realized when the findings are clearly explained to those who make decisions about language programs (often including Bible translation), and to the wider community.
Please pray for our preparations, as we both have been very busy with other things. We are very happy that Bagamba received his visa without a lot of difficulty.
Office work: In addition to their sociolinguistic work, Douglas and Bagamba have found themselves overseeing construction work on a church-owned compound that currently houses three Congolese translation projects, and where our group will soon also have offices. Workmen are building a security wall, installing new plumbing, cleaning out the attic which had housed bats for several years, and making various repairs. They have also built pillars to support a container that will hold all our furniture and stuff until we have a permanent place to live. For Douglas and Bagamba, this has meant frequent trips to this office to check on progress, talking with the denomination's vice-president, Pastor Mbanza, and coordinating technicians and workmen. We will be glad to have an office to work in when the work is completed! In the meantime, it has been a challenge to balance all their various responsibilities while preparing for the conference in Malaysia.
Please pray this office would be used to give God glory, and for good relationships among the groups sharing it.
A few highlights from our first months in Bunia:
- Learning to make yogurt, granola and bread
- Finding a good tailor to sew dresses and shirts from African cloth
- Discovering which roadside boutiques have flour, cheese, oats, chocolate, dishwashing liquid, butter and other hard-to-find items
- Buying fresh passion fruit, pineapple, avocados, chickens, etc., from vendors who come right to your door
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
Friday, August 20, 2010
Update from Doug Wright on his August Congo trip
Dear Praying Team,
Thank you for praying for Doug's July translation consultant trip to work with the Logo team. We are so grateful to God for his enabling this trip. Thought you'd like to read about how God answered each of the prayers:
• No one was ill during this entire checking session: what a blessing after the March session when each translator and Doug were ill during the month.
• The box with 6 computers DID arrive, a day late but untouched. The computers are now being used by Congolese translation students at Shalom University, Bunia DRC.
• Doug, Aguma, Adara and Madrakele completed the consultant checks of 2 Peter and 2 Corinthians - 16 chapters of fairly difficult epistles genre.
• We updated the Logo translation plan. The team has now drafted 80% of the NT and we've consultant checked about 77%. We're still on schedule to finish translation at the end of FY2012 with technical checks, supplementary materials, and manuscript layout remaining after that. PRAISE GOD.
• Continued our Bible study on what it means to "live in Christ". Shared at a very deep and open level and it was very encouraging and challenging to all of us. Also resulted in some deeper insights on how to handle translation of expressions like "in Christ" in different contexts.
• Did some discourse-level studies (mostly confirming past studies) - pronominal and demonstrative systems, participant reference and clause chaining - in preparation for the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop in October (I'll be presenting all of these topics).
• Agreed on Logo expressions for a number of frequently occurring biblical notions (e.g. "to warn somebody" is "to pull their ear" or "to poke a finger in their eye". The Logo document of Key Bibilical Terms and other frequently occurring expressions now has almost 200 entries (including first and second choices in Logo and some cultural notes).
• Had discussions with Pastor Lalima, Abbé Malitano, Debbie Hatfield, Brigitte Nédellec on progress of the Logo Project, past challenges, current obstacles and the plan.
Looking ahead... Please would you cover these in prayer?
Regarding the translation process, two of the biggest challenges are getting feedback from the Reviewers' Committee in Todro (they're now five books behind the translation team), and finding good Mother Tongue speakers for the translators to do community testing of complex passages.
My next trip will be 7 October to 7 November, consisting of two weeks of teaching and participating in the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop in Bunia, DRC, followed by two weeks of checking with the Logo team in Isiro (first part of Romans).
And personally, please would you pray that Beth be completely healed of the recurrent sinus infections (about every 7 weeks for the last 2 years) that she has had due to allergies and upper respiratory infections. These (and really any) infections cause moderate-severe pain and they are taking longer to heal. Please pray about God's leading regarding allergy testing and desensitization injections.
Finally, we start the l-o-n-g road trip to take our daughter, Sarah, back to Wheaton/Chicago Fri to get settled for the start of her junior year. The May trip to pick her up was "eventful" with 2 mattresses flying off of an open pick-up truck on I-65, one of which bounced into the car in front of us and then into our car. God graciously protected all of the people involved, but not the mattresses! It was a harrowing experience which we'd like to never repeat again!
Thank you for continuing to pray.
Blessings in Christ,
Doug, Beth and Sarah Wright
Thank you for praying for Doug's July translation consultant trip to work with the Logo team. We are so grateful to God for his enabling this trip. Thought you'd like to read about how God answered each of the prayers:
• No one was ill during this entire checking session: what a blessing after the March session when each translator and Doug were ill during the month.
• The box with 6 computers DID arrive, a day late but untouched. The computers are now being used by Congolese translation students at Shalom University, Bunia DRC.
• Doug, Aguma, Adara and Madrakele completed the consultant checks of 2 Peter and 2 Corinthians - 16 chapters of fairly difficult epistles genre.
• We updated the Logo translation plan. The team has now drafted 80% of the NT and we've consultant checked about 77%. We're still on schedule to finish translation at the end of FY2012 with technical checks, supplementary materials, and manuscript layout remaining after that. PRAISE GOD.
• Continued our Bible study on what it means to "live in Christ". Shared at a very deep and open level and it was very encouraging and challenging to all of us. Also resulted in some deeper insights on how to handle translation of expressions like "in Christ" in different contexts.
• Did some discourse-level studies (mostly confirming past studies) - pronominal and demonstrative systems, participant reference and clause chaining - in preparation for the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop in October (I'll be presenting all of these topics).
• Agreed on Logo expressions for a number of frequently occurring biblical notions (e.g. "to warn somebody" is "to pull their ear" or "to poke a finger in their eye". The Logo document of Key Bibilical Terms and other frequently occurring expressions now has almost 200 entries (including first and second choices in Logo and some cultural notes).
• Had discussions with Pastor Lalima, Abbé Malitano, Debbie Hatfield, Brigitte Nédellec on progress of the Logo Project, past challenges, current obstacles and the plan.
Looking ahead... Please would you cover these in prayer?
Regarding the translation process, two of the biggest challenges are getting feedback from the Reviewers' Committee in Todro (they're now five books behind the translation team), and finding good Mother Tongue speakers for the translators to do community testing of complex passages.
My next trip will be 7 October to 7 November, consisting of two weeks of teaching and participating in the Central Sudanic Discourse Workshop in Bunia, DRC, followed by two weeks of checking with the Logo team in Isiro (first part of Romans).
And personally, please would you pray that Beth be completely healed of the recurrent sinus infections (about every 7 weeks for the last 2 years) that she has had due to allergies and upper respiratory infections. These (and really any) infections cause moderate-severe pain and they are taking longer to heal. Please pray about God's leading regarding allergy testing and desensitization injections.
Finally, we start the l-o-n-g road trip to take our daughter, Sarah, back to Wheaton/Chicago Fri to get settled for the start of her junior year. The May trip to pick her up was "eventful" with 2 mattresses flying off of an open pick-up truck on I-65, one of which bounced into the car in front of us and then into our car. God graciously protected all of the people involved, but not the mattresses! It was a harrowing experience which we'd like to never repeat again!
Thank you for continuing to pray.
Blessings in Christ,
Doug, Beth and Sarah Wright
Monday, August 16, 2010
Update from Isaac Anguyo
Thank you for your prayers and all the concern you have shown to us. We work because there is someone standing at the Gap interceding for us.
This year, I went to Germany alone and had some rest in between work. It was wonderful to meet friends and partners who are willing to share their lives with us in the Lord's work.
Sally is coming for a week to be with our son Joel and his wife Jane. It will give her some rest and do some medical check ups. She has not been all that well. She was admitted to hospital for malaria and typhoid.
Thank you for your concern for Elly and Rose. We had a BOD meeting. During this meeting the members appreciated Elly's work and have given him more responsibilities. As I grow older, I shall use him more. He and Rose really need prayers to shoulder more responsibilities.
The Lord called us to start from Jerusalem. Wilmington is your Jerusalem. I shall pray that you will be strengthened and empowered to reach many more for Christ. These too will join the band to reach the world.
This year, I went to Germany alone and had some rest in between work. It was wonderful to meet friends and partners who are willing to share their lives with us in the Lord's work.
Sally is coming for a week to be with our son Joel and his wife Jane. It will give her some rest and do some medical check ups. She has not been all that well. She was admitted to hospital for malaria and typhoid.
Thank you for your concern for Elly and Rose. We had a BOD meeting. During this meeting the members appreciated Elly's work and have given him more responsibilities. As I grow older, I shall use him more. He and Rose really need prayers to shoulder more responsibilities.
The Lord called us to start from Jerusalem. Wilmington is your Jerusalem. I shall pray that you will be strengthened and empowered to reach many more for Christ. These too will join the band to reach the world.
Doug Wright in Congo
Here's Doug's 3rd update from the DR Congo. The final trip report will come out in a few day... (He was due home Sunday night, August 15. They will leave the end of the week to take Sarah back to Wheaton).
I'm gett'n kind'a tired of beans. It's easy to imagine how eating too much of the same thing could lead to poor health. They still taste pretty good, but are kind of hard on the system...if you know what I mean! Really I have nothing to complain about. Joseph, my cook, takes good care of me. Although we only "touchons à la viande" (taste a little meat) about once a week, we still have plenty to eat...especially compared to the extremely poor people I've been meeting in Isiro and the surrounding countryside on my bike outings. But more on that later.
The Lord has really been answering your prayers for us! Aguma, Adara, Madrakele and I have really sensed his protection in the spritual battle. Not to mention the great fellowship, unity, encouragement and inspiration we've all experienced during the translation checking sesssions. We've almost checked 12 chapters of 2 Corinthians, and I expect we'll finish the last chapter tomorrow. Pastor Lalima gave us the ultimate compliment the other day after joining us for a checking session. He says, "Now this is really how the Logos speak, and it's powerful!" Of course, that implies that we need to bring the whole New Testament up to that standard. Next week, we'll print out 20-25 copies of 2 Peter and 2 Corinthians in Logoti for the Reviewers' Committee to check back in Todro. Then hope to finish some consistency checks and update the translation plan before I leave on Friday.
Had an unexpected surprise at church today where I met up with five Logo friends I hadn't seen for years. They'd traveled nearly 350 miles by bicycle on muddy rain-forest roads for some church meetings/training in Isiro (and a couple of them are my age!). After the service, we had quite a chat in Logoti about the progress of the translation project and how the Logo churches are praying for the team and our family. It's really encouraging to hear that the Logos themselves, like many other Christians around the world, are engaging in the battle to see God's Word translated into Logoti. And they were excited to hear that we hope to make it to Todro for the dedication in about 3 years.
I can't seem to shake a growing burden for the poorest Congolese I've been meeting here. It just doesn't seem like enough any more to just greet them and then walk (or ride) on by. And no coincidence that I've been reading a book Peggy Laney gave me on how to help the poor without hurting them (and yourself). So God sends a very special Congolese lady named Kabibi into my life. I first met her last March when she literally came crashing into one of our checking sessions. Some Congolese friends had tried to restrain her, but she was very determined to see me, the visiting "mundele" (white person). It only took me a few seconds to realize that she had more than just a mild mental and physical handicap, affecting the way she walked and causing very slurred speech. I soon found out that she had been abandoned by her parents as a child, was now about 28 or 30, a widow, and had four little kids (three out of wedlock by guys who took advantage of her frail mental condition and then split). I tried not to seem too bothered by the "interruption" of our translation work. Gave her a meager handout which seemed to console her for the moment, and she left. But I couldn't get her off my mind, and knew that I hadn't even asked the Lord how he wanted me to respond.
So guess who shows up again this time. Right! Kabibi - and even more determined than before! She somehow sidesteps Joseph's protesting gestures (he tries to protect me from the many vendors that come to the door), barges through the front door and comes hobbling right up to the translation table. Then she launches into what seemed like a 5-minute supplication for help with food for her kids, begging for mercy, stumbling over words, arms flailing, spit flying. By the end, she was actually trembling - thought she might break down sobbing right then and there. I was struck with pity for her, and even anger that any human being should have to abandon all dignity and beg like that in order to get through to hard calloused hearts like mine. Went over to her and said softly, "You don't have to ask anymore, Kabibi. I'm going to help you!" She was suddenly quiet and a big smile came over her face. I gave her a more meaningful gift, and she was off. But I still had this nagging burden that my gift wouldn't have any lasting effect, and that I hadn't really listened to the Lord.
Well, you wouldn't believe it. I just sat down to write this letter, when someone starts pounding on the front gate. As soon as I opened the gate, Kabibi comes barreling right into me with a baby in her arms and a little girl in tow. "Ok, Lord," I thought, "I'm going to try to listen to you this time." I almost had them sit on the porch, but then thought better of it and had them come in and sit on the couch. Tried to listen patiently as Kabibi stumbles through her plea - this time for help with her daughter, Ndisi's school fees. After repeating herself several times, she says, "I really can't explain what I want to say, so I brought Ndisi to explain to you."
Now Ndisi is a lovely young girl, about 10 or 12 years old, and well-spoken - no sign of any handicap - in fact, obviously quite bright, but with a look of desperation in her eyes. As I listened to her, it suddenly occurred to me, this is the answer! Ndisi is the way the Lord will provide long term for Kabibi and the other kids. She just needs a good education. I asked what she needed for school - a uniform (what a shame she hadn't had one up to then), notebooks and pens, for starters. For a relatively meager sum by Western standards, I was able to meet the need. You should've seen her eyes light up when I gave her a fistful of decent Bic pens! Then I felt led to say to Ndisi, "You should never feel ashamed because of your Mom. She loves you and your siblings so much, she never gives up looking for ways to meet your needs." Ndisi lowered her eyes as my words obviously hit home, then looked up at me through her tears and nodded in agreement.
Well the climax was Kabibi's prayer. In broken Lingala (which, by then, I was following pretty well), she thanks God for his great love for her and her children, only lamenting that she didn't have anything to offer him in return. "Oh Lord, you see us when we don't have food to eat, or enough clothes to wear, or even a roof over our heads at night, and you hear our cries for help!" Then she thanks the Lord for leading them to this fellow believer, who gave them a cup of water in Jesus' name, and then listened to them and met their need. Well by then, it was all I could do to keep from really losing it. Kabibi had finished praying, but I couldn't look up with my eyes filled with tears. When I did, both Kabibi and Ndisi seemed fixated on my tears, perhaps surprised that the Lord could break into even a mundele's heart. As I walked them out to the gate, I found myself thanking them even more than they were thanking me. I was pretty sure that I had received much more through them, than they had through me!
I'm gett'n kind'a tired of beans. It's easy to imagine how eating too much of the same thing could lead to poor health. They still taste pretty good, but are kind of hard on the system...if you know what I mean! Really I have nothing to complain about. Joseph, my cook, takes good care of me. Although we only "touchons à la viande" (taste a little meat) about once a week, we still have plenty to eat...especially compared to the extremely poor people I've been meeting in Isiro and the surrounding countryside on my bike outings. But more on that later.
The Lord has really been answering your prayers for us! Aguma, Adara, Madrakele and I have really sensed his protection in the spritual battle. Not to mention the great fellowship, unity, encouragement and inspiration we've all experienced during the translation checking sesssions. We've almost checked 12 chapters of 2 Corinthians, and I expect we'll finish the last chapter tomorrow. Pastor Lalima gave us the ultimate compliment the other day after joining us for a checking session. He says, "Now this is really how the Logos speak, and it's powerful!" Of course, that implies that we need to bring the whole New Testament up to that standard. Next week, we'll print out 20-25 copies of 2 Peter and 2 Corinthians in Logoti for the Reviewers' Committee to check back in Todro. Then hope to finish some consistency checks and update the translation plan before I leave on Friday.
Had an unexpected surprise at church today where I met up with five Logo friends I hadn't seen for years. They'd traveled nearly 350 miles by bicycle on muddy rain-forest roads for some church meetings/training in Isiro (and a couple of them are my age!). After the service, we had quite a chat in Logoti about the progress of the translation project and how the Logo churches are praying for the team and our family. It's really encouraging to hear that the Logos themselves, like many other Christians around the world, are engaging in the battle to see God's Word translated into Logoti. And they were excited to hear that we hope to make it to Todro for the dedication in about 3 years.
I can't seem to shake a growing burden for the poorest Congolese I've been meeting here. It just doesn't seem like enough any more to just greet them and then walk (or ride) on by. And no coincidence that I've been reading a book Peggy Laney gave me on how to help the poor without hurting them (and yourself). So God sends a very special Congolese lady named Kabibi into my life. I first met her last March when she literally came crashing into one of our checking sessions. Some Congolese friends had tried to restrain her, but she was very determined to see me, the visiting "mundele" (white person). It only took me a few seconds to realize that she had more than just a mild mental and physical handicap, affecting the way she walked and causing very slurred speech. I soon found out that she had been abandoned by her parents as a child, was now about 28 or 30, a widow, and had four little kids (three out of wedlock by guys who took advantage of her frail mental condition and then split). I tried not to seem too bothered by the "interruption" of our translation work. Gave her a meager handout which seemed to console her for the moment, and she left. But I couldn't get her off my mind, and knew that I hadn't even asked the Lord how he wanted me to respond.
So guess who shows up again this time. Right! Kabibi - and even more determined than before! She somehow sidesteps Joseph's protesting gestures (he tries to protect me from the many vendors that come to the door), barges through the front door and comes hobbling right up to the translation table. Then she launches into what seemed like a 5-minute supplication for help with food for her kids, begging for mercy, stumbling over words, arms flailing, spit flying. By the end, she was actually trembling - thought she might break down sobbing right then and there. I was struck with pity for her, and even anger that any human being should have to abandon all dignity and beg like that in order to get through to hard calloused hearts like mine. Went over to her and said softly, "You don't have to ask anymore, Kabibi. I'm going to help you!" She was suddenly quiet and a big smile came over her face. I gave her a more meaningful gift, and she was off. But I still had this nagging burden that my gift wouldn't have any lasting effect, and that I hadn't really listened to the Lord.
Well, you wouldn't believe it. I just sat down to write this letter, when someone starts pounding on the front gate. As soon as I opened the gate, Kabibi comes barreling right into me with a baby in her arms and a little girl in tow. "Ok, Lord," I thought, "I'm going to try to listen to you this time." I almost had them sit on the porch, but then thought better of it and had them come in and sit on the couch. Tried to listen patiently as Kabibi stumbles through her plea - this time for help with her daughter, Ndisi's school fees. After repeating herself several times, she says, "I really can't explain what I want to say, so I brought Ndisi to explain to you."
Now Ndisi is a lovely young girl, about 10 or 12 years old, and well-spoken - no sign of any handicap - in fact, obviously quite bright, but with a look of desperation in her eyes. As I listened to her, it suddenly occurred to me, this is the answer! Ndisi is the way the Lord will provide long term for Kabibi and the other kids. She just needs a good education. I asked what she needed for school - a uniform (what a shame she hadn't had one up to then), notebooks and pens, for starters. For a relatively meager sum by Western standards, I was able to meet the need. You should've seen her eyes light up when I gave her a fistful of decent Bic pens! Then I felt led to say to Ndisi, "You should never feel ashamed because of your Mom. She loves you and your siblings so much, she never gives up looking for ways to meet your needs." Ndisi lowered her eyes as my words obviously hit home, then looked up at me through her tears and nodded in agreement.
Well the climax was Kabibi's prayer. In broken Lingala (which, by then, I was following pretty well), she thanks God for his great love for her and her children, only lamenting that she didn't have anything to offer him in return. "Oh Lord, you see us when we don't have food to eat, or enough clothes to wear, or even a roof over our heads at night, and you hear our cries for help!" Then she thanks the Lord for leading them to this fellow believer, who gave them a cup of water in Jesus' name, and then listened to them and met their need. Well by then, it was all I could do to keep from really losing it. Kabibi had finished praying, but I couldn't look up with my eyes filled with tears. When I did, both Kabibi and Ndisi seemed fixated on my tears, perhaps surprised that the Lord could break into even a mundele's heart. As I walked them out to the gate, I found myself thanking them even more than they were thanking me. I was pretty sure that I had received much more through them, than they had through me!
New from Jennings & Douglas Boone
Thanks so much for your prayers! The move has gone really smoothly. The worst part was getting everything packed and out of the house in Nairobi! We had a very soft landing in Bunia, staying at a friend’s house that is all set up and comfortable… hot showers, excellent househelp/cook, good electricity (most of the time), etc. We jumped into 2 weeks of group meetings (crisis training, management training) and I’m getting ready for a 3-week workshop with Congolese translation teams starting Tuesday. So we haven’t had the normal “settling in” time of finding out what’s where and how to do things, and we haven’t really been able to look for housing yet, though a friend of Douglas’ showed him a couple of places (one didn’t seem secure enough, the other was too huge). While I’m at the workshop, Douglas will be able to concentrate a bit more on house-hunting.
Everyone here has really welcomed us with open arms. We are grateful for a strong community. There were a few rough days this past week when we didn’t have power for 4 days, and therefore didn’t have internet. That has helped us realize that we need to have ‘back-up plans’ in place when we set up our own house.
Everyone here has really welcomed us with open arms. We are grateful for a strong community. There were a few rough days this past week when we didn’t have power for 4 days, and therefore didn’t have internet. That has helped us realize that we need to have ‘back-up plans’ in place when we set up our own house.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Update from Doug and Beth Wright - July 2010
On the March Entebbe,Uganda flight to London UK, Doug was stuck seated in the very back of the airplane, between an interesting couple. He said they looked like they were in the diplomatic corps. Seated to Doug's left, the Diplomat, wearing a nice looking suit, never spoke once during the flight. He spent the entire 8 hours in a nearly comatose state (with an alcohol fog surrounding him.) Doug was grateful that the diplomat did NOT lean on him, an unfortunate occurrence that is sometimes all too real! To Doug's right, the diplomat's wife settled into her seat and also didn't speak. Near the end of the journey, a meal was served and Doug tucked into his food. After nearly 8 hours of complete silence, no greetings, no introductions, nothing ... a hand reached over onto Doug's tray and he heard the wife say, "You won't need that," as she took Doug's cream and sugar off his food tray! Doug said he thought she'd taken his candy bar, so he kind of grabbed it back, but then returned them when he saw she'd missed the candy bar! A sense of humor is sometimes very helpful during these trips... hope Doug doesn't have to exercise his too often this trip! Hope you are as amused as we were with his little story (and hope you're moved to pray for the 5 different flight legs he's facing - see prayer items below).
Doug's on his way to Isiro DR Congo. He left July 15 for the next month-long translation consulting trip with the Logo team. Goals of trip: to complete translation checking of the Logo II Peter and II Corinthians and to encourage the Logo team.
Praise and Prayer Items:
• Doug's father returned home after elective surgery and continues to recover well. Doug was grateful for the week with his parents, helping them and spending time with them before the trip. And we were able to participate in the Wright family reunion as well. Thank you for your prayers.
• Please pray that Doug's flights and layovers over the next 5 days will be uneventful and as restful as possible. This was "High" season for travel and flights were very difficult to come by, thus some layovers are longer than desired:
• Thursday 15 July: Wilmington NC – New York; New York - Montreal; 7:45pm-8:35am Friday, Montreal - Brussels
Friday 16 July: Brussels – Entebbe 10:40am-7:35pm
Friday-Monday, 16-19 July: Entebbe UTB Guesthouse (recover from jet lag, prep for work, buying medicines)
Monday-Tuesday, 19-20 July: Entebbe–Bunia DR Congo; overnight Bunia USB Guesthouse
Tuesday 20 July: fly Bunia – Isiro, DR Congo
20 July-13 Aug: Isiro SIL Guesthouse: reunite with Logo team of Aguma, Adara and Madrakele; begin translation checking of II Peter and then II Corinthians.
• Please pray for protection over Doug's baggage, including the box of 6 computers he's bringing for Shalom University in Bunia DRC. Please pray that they are not stolen out of the luggage on any of the flights, please pray for ease for Doug through the various immigration check points/countries, and for favor for the Shalom University people who will be clearing the computers through the DR Congo Customs office in Bunia.
• Please pray for safety and protection on the health of the Logo translators and families, for Doug (who was very ill after the last trip) and for Beth (protection from infection leading to Addison's crisis).
These checking sessions are often times of spiritual growth, through enormous challenges and tests. It's a huge encouragement to us to know we're covered by your prayers! Thanks for praying.
Doug's on his way to Isiro DR Congo. He left July 15 for the next month-long translation consulting trip with the Logo team. Goals of trip: to complete translation checking of the Logo II Peter and II Corinthians and to encourage the Logo team.
Praise and Prayer Items:
• Doug's father returned home after elective surgery and continues to recover well. Doug was grateful for the week with his parents, helping them and spending time with them before the trip. And we were able to participate in the Wright family reunion as well. Thank you for your prayers.
• Please pray that Doug's flights and layovers over the next 5 days will be uneventful and as restful as possible. This was "High" season for travel and flights were very difficult to come by, thus some layovers are longer than desired:
• Thursday 15 July: Wilmington NC – New York; New York - Montreal; 7:45pm-8:35am Friday, Montreal - Brussels
Friday 16 July: Brussels – Entebbe 10:40am-7:35pm
Friday-Monday, 16-19 July: Entebbe UTB Guesthouse (recover from jet lag, prep for work, buying medicines)
Monday-Tuesday, 19-20 July: Entebbe–Bunia DR Congo; overnight Bunia USB Guesthouse
Tuesday 20 July: fly Bunia – Isiro, DR Congo
20 July-13 Aug: Isiro SIL Guesthouse: reunite with Logo team of Aguma, Adara and Madrakele; begin translation checking of II Peter and then II Corinthians.
• Please pray for protection over Doug's baggage, including the box of 6 computers he's bringing for Shalom University in Bunia DRC. Please pray that they are not stolen out of the luggage on any of the flights, please pray for ease for Doug through the various immigration check points/countries, and for favor for the Shalom University people who will be clearing the computers through the DR Congo Customs office in Bunia.
• Please pray for safety and protection on the health of the Logo translators and families, for Doug (who was very ill after the last trip) and for Beth (protection from infection leading to Addison's crisis).
These checking sessions are often times of spiritual growth, through enormous challenges and tests. It's a huge encouragement to us to know we're covered by your prayers! Thanks for praying.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Update from Elliott Tepper - July 2010
Greetings in Jesus’ name. We would like to thank you all again for your many prayers and very generous support. Our short time in America to attend to Mary’s medical needs and for rest is coming to an end. We plan on flying back to Spain on July 14th.
During our stay in America we have been overwhelmed by the kindness, attention, and personal touch of family and friends in Wilmington. We have been spoiled by Mrs. Prevatt, Mary’s 95 year old mother, who has cared for us in her home. The Myrtle Grove folk regular brought us prepared meals in abundance, so much so, that we almost had to invoke Exodus 36:6 and Moses’ command to the Israelites to restrain their generosity.
David, Naomi, and Gabriel left Betel of America for ten days to be with us in Wilmington. After some initial confusion Gabriel finally was able to articulate the difference between Mum, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother. Gabriel and I befriended all the birds, cats, and squirrels in Great Grandmother’s yard. Following the ministry of St. Patrick to the snakes of Ireland, Gab, the fear less ‘Hunter of Spiders’, drove out all 8 legged pests and restored a spiderless ‘paradise’ to Great Grandmother’s environs. Pray for David and Naomi. They will be expecting another boy in August.
Over the last three months Mary has been thoroughly examined by doctors and taken many exams and tests in Wilmington and also at the Duke University Neurological Center in Raleigh. We are where we started, but have confirmed that Mary has had a very successful surgery in Spain. She is healing well and has retained all her intellect, faculties, bodily functions and remains bi-lingual. She is in the high ninetieth percentile of people who have had similar surgeries. However, she still struggles with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, trembling and weakness—very common post surgical symptoms for surgeries on the left side of the brain. Please pray. Mary still does not feel well. We are believing for a full recovery over time.
Mary and I have been almost ‘inseparable’ since her surgery in April 2009 as I have not felt the liberty to travel. However, at the end of April 2010 I was able to leave her for the first time with her family in Wilmington to spend two days at the Faith Training Center’s Missionaries and Ministers Convention in Walhalla, South Carolina. After the convention Barry Silverback of Australia, Kel Steiner of YWAM, and I were asked to meet with the FTC Trustees. I made the sacrifice to be with the brethren because I felt it was an important time for Faith Training Center and the legacy of A.S. Worley, the founder of FTC and a great missionary Statesman and Apostle to the nations. It appears that God is presenting a ‘Kairos’ moment to Faith Training Center. Kel Steiner, the Deputy Asian director of YWAM, has offered to assume the responsibility for the 50 acre campus and buildings and to start a YWAM School of Discipleship and a branch of the University of the Nations in Walhalla. It will not be easy for the few faithful brethren still at FTC to put their dreams on the altar and let God resurrect Brother Worley’s vision for the nations through YWAM on a far larger scale. My life was changed at FTC. I personally believe that this is the right thing to do. Please believe with us that all parties will hear God’s voice loud and clear.
In May I was scheduled to fly to Thailand to be part of WEC’s two week long INTERCON CONFERENCE where all the leaders of WEC’s sending bases, fields, and worldwide ministries gathered to seek God and plan our future advance. Unfortunately, as the departure date approached it became apparent that Mary’s condition was too delicate for me to leave her with her family. I cancelled and stayed in Wilmington. Lindsay, Myk, Kent, Keith, and Lolita represented Betel. It was a time for WEC to affirm its identity and heritage in God and to look to and prepare for the future. We, on the WEC-Betel Transnational Field, have declared, in faith, that Betel will enter 18 new nations in the next decade—principally in Asia. Betel is presently in 21 nations. Please believe with us for all the human, economic, and spiritual resources necessary for that great advance.
At the end of June Mary was healthy enough for me to fly to Canada to be the speaker for the WEC Canadian Field Conference. Jonathan took time from his very busy schedule to fly into Wilmington from London to be with his mother during my absence. I flew into Toronto to the Canadian headquarters in Hamilton. The next day I appeared on Christian TV on ‘100 Huntly Street’. In the afternoon we went out to see the 43 acre ‘Land of Goshen’ farm that has been donated to WEC Canada by a Canadian Korean couple for a Betel community. Paula and Daniel (WEC Korea) who have served in Betel of India are now living on the property. Canada is one of our 18 declared new fields for the coming decade. Please pray that we will know when God wants us to actually start Betel of Canada.
We are very short of English speaking Betel workers. We have just sent 6 new Betel missionaries (one Spanish couple and 4 British men) to renew the Betel of Australia team which has not really recovered its ‘breath’ since the tragic wildfire that destroyed our Marysville center and took the life of our dear Bian. Also, Betel of America is still struggling with a reduced team of mature workers and new US visa restrictions on religious workers which inhibits sending reinforcements. The US government is now treating ‘Christian’ religious visas with the same jaundiced eye that they use to approve Muslim religious visas—all in the name of ‘fairness’ and ‘political correctness’. Please pray for David and Naomi. They are under much spiritual, administrative and economic pressure because of the lack of good workers in Betel of America.
FUTURE EVENTS
We will hold our WEC-Betel TRANSNATIONAL FIELD CONFERENCE the third week of August and our ANNUAL CAMP MEETING the last week of August, both at our Betania Conference Center. We anticipate having most of our Betel WECCERS with us and 1,500 Betel folks from our Churches and communities around the world. Normally, we invite an outside speaker, but this year I will speak at half the main sessions for the Camp Meetings and Mario (Betel of Finland) and Dimitrij (Betel of Russia) will take the rest of the main sessions. Pray for Dimitrij. Since Putin’s government has ejected Mario, our Betel missionary, from Russia by denying Mario and his family visas, the weight of leadership of Betel of Russia has fallen to Dimitrij and other young Russians. Please pray that their hearts remain bound to our hearts and Russia stays an integral part of the Betel fold. This is one of our motives for honoring Russia and asking Dimitrij to address the whole Betel family at Camp Meeting.
At the end of September we will celebrate our ANNUAL PROPHETIC CONFERENCE in Madrid. We have invited Johnny Enslow of Atlanta to be the principle speaker.
In November we will celebrate BETEL’S 25th ANNIVERSARY in Madrid. We anticipate representatives from the major denominations of Spain, governmental and political leaders, and many of our special friends and supporters from around the world to be with us. We have invited Paul Johansson and Paul Anderson to help us mark this milestone in God.
Thank you again for your prayers and support. Please pray especially for Mary. She is understandably anxious about our return to Spain July 14th. She does find some comfort knowing that we will stop in New York for two days in New York with Betel of America and David and Naomi and Gabriel. When we arrive in Madrid we will find Peter, Michelle, and Sophia in our home. They have accompanied two teams of 40 Oxford young people from St. Aldates for a short-term missionary experience in Betel this summer. We close with this thought, knowing this year more than ever:
‘That if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens’. I Corinthians 5:1
Our love in Christ,
Elliott and Mary
PS We have a file with the text of a small booklet we have written called: ‘The Ten Distinctives of Betel’. It will be published soon, but if you might prefer a ‘peek’ before the published version full of Betel photos is available, contact Myrgle Grove office for a copy.
C/Antonia Rodriguez Sacristan 8
Madrid 28044
Spain
c/o WEC International
PO Box 1707
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
USA
During our stay in America we have been overwhelmed by the kindness, attention, and personal touch of family and friends in Wilmington. We have been spoiled by Mrs. Prevatt, Mary’s 95 year old mother, who has cared for us in her home. The Myrtle Grove folk regular brought us prepared meals in abundance, so much so, that we almost had to invoke Exodus 36:6 and Moses’ command to the Israelites to restrain their generosity.
David, Naomi, and Gabriel left Betel of America for ten days to be with us in Wilmington. After some initial confusion Gabriel finally was able to articulate the difference between Mum, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother. Gabriel and I befriended all the birds, cats, and squirrels in Great Grandmother’s yard. Following the ministry of St. Patrick to the snakes of Ireland, Gab, the fear less ‘Hunter of Spiders’, drove out all 8 legged pests and restored a spiderless ‘paradise’ to Great Grandmother’s environs. Pray for David and Naomi. They will be expecting another boy in August.
Over the last three months Mary has been thoroughly examined by doctors and taken many exams and tests in Wilmington and also at the Duke University Neurological Center in Raleigh. We are where we started, but have confirmed that Mary has had a very successful surgery in Spain. She is healing well and has retained all her intellect, faculties, bodily functions and remains bi-lingual. She is in the high ninetieth percentile of people who have had similar surgeries. However, she still struggles with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, trembling and weakness—very common post surgical symptoms for surgeries on the left side of the brain. Please pray. Mary still does not feel well. We are believing for a full recovery over time.
Mary and I have been almost ‘inseparable’ since her surgery in April 2009 as I have not felt the liberty to travel. However, at the end of April 2010 I was able to leave her for the first time with her family in Wilmington to spend two days at the Faith Training Center’s Missionaries and Ministers Convention in Walhalla, South Carolina. After the convention Barry Silverback of Australia, Kel Steiner of YWAM, and I were asked to meet with the FTC Trustees. I made the sacrifice to be with the brethren because I felt it was an important time for Faith Training Center and the legacy of A.S. Worley, the founder of FTC and a great missionary Statesman and Apostle to the nations. It appears that God is presenting a ‘Kairos’ moment to Faith Training Center. Kel Steiner, the Deputy Asian director of YWAM, has offered to assume the responsibility for the 50 acre campus and buildings and to start a YWAM School of Discipleship and a branch of the University of the Nations in Walhalla. It will not be easy for the few faithful brethren still at FTC to put their dreams on the altar and let God resurrect Brother Worley’s vision for the nations through YWAM on a far larger scale. My life was changed at FTC. I personally believe that this is the right thing to do. Please believe with us that all parties will hear God’s voice loud and clear.
In May I was scheduled to fly to Thailand to be part of WEC’s two week long INTERCON CONFERENCE where all the leaders of WEC’s sending bases, fields, and worldwide ministries gathered to seek God and plan our future advance. Unfortunately, as the departure date approached it became apparent that Mary’s condition was too delicate for me to leave her with her family. I cancelled and stayed in Wilmington. Lindsay, Myk, Kent, Keith, and Lolita represented Betel. It was a time for WEC to affirm its identity and heritage in God and to look to and prepare for the future. We, on the WEC-Betel Transnational Field, have declared, in faith, that Betel will enter 18 new nations in the next decade—principally in Asia. Betel is presently in 21 nations. Please believe with us for all the human, economic, and spiritual resources necessary for that great advance.
At the end of June Mary was healthy enough for me to fly to Canada to be the speaker for the WEC Canadian Field Conference. Jonathan took time from his very busy schedule to fly into Wilmington from London to be with his mother during my absence. I flew into Toronto to the Canadian headquarters in Hamilton. The next day I appeared on Christian TV on ‘100 Huntly Street’. In the afternoon we went out to see the 43 acre ‘Land of Goshen’ farm that has been donated to WEC Canada by a Canadian Korean couple for a Betel community. Paula and Daniel (WEC Korea) who have served in Betel of India are now living on the property. Canada is one of our 18 declared new fields for the coming decade. Please pray that we will know when God wants us to actually start Betel of Canada.
We are very short of English speaking Betel workers. We have just sent 6 new Betel missionaries (one Spanish couple and 4 British men) to renew the Betel of Australia team which has not really recovered its ‘breath’ since the tragic wildfire that destroyed our Marysville center and took the life of our dear Bian. Also, Betel of America is still struggling with a reduced team of mature workers and new US visa restrictions on religious workers which inhibits sending reinforcements. The US government is now treating ‘Christian’ religious visas with the same jaundiced eye that they use to approve Muslim religious visas—all in the name of ‘fairness’ and ‘political correctness’. Please pray for David and Naomi. They are under much spiritual, administrative and economic pressure because of the lack of good workers in Betel of America.
FUTURE EVENTS
We will hold our WEC-Betel TRANSNATIONAL FIELD CONFERENCE the third week of August and our ANNUAL CAMP MEETING the last week of August, both at our Betania Conference Center. We anticipate having most of our Betel WECCERS with us and 1,500 Betel folks from our Churches and communities around the world. Normally, we invite an outside speaker, but this year I will speak at half the main sessions for the Camp Meetings and Mario (Betel of Finland) and Dimitrij (Betel of Russia) will take the rest of the main sessions. Pray for Dimitrij. Since Putin’s government has ejected Mario, our Betel missionary, from Russia by denying Mario and his family visas, the weight of leadership of Betel of Russia has fallen to Dimitrij and other young Russians. Please pray that their hearts remain bound to our hearts and Russia stays an integral part of the Betel fold. This is one of our motives for honoring Russia and asking Dimitrij to address the whole Betel family at Camp Meeting.
At the end of September we will celebrate our ANNUAL PROPHETIC CONFERENCE in Madrid. We have invited Johnny Enslow of Atlanta to be the principle speaker.
In November we will celebrate BETEL’S 25th ANNIVERSARY in Madrid. We anticipate representatives from the major denominations of Spain, governmental and political leaders, and many of our special friends and supporters from around the world to be with us. We have invited Paul Johansson and Paul Anderson to help us mark this milestone in God.
Thank you again for your prayers and support. Please pray especially for Mary. She is understandably anxious about our return to Spain July 14th. She does find some comfort knowing that we will stop in New York for two days in New York with Betel of America and David and Naomi and Gabriel. When we arrive in Madrid we will find Peter, Michelle, and Sophia in our home. They have accompanied two teams of 40 Oxford young people from St. Aldates for a short-term missionary experience in Betel this summer. We close with this thought, knowing this year more than ever:
‘That if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens’. I Corinthians 5:1
Our love in Christ,
Elliott and Mary
PS We have a file with the text of a small booklet we have written called: ‘The Ten Distinctives of Betel’. It will be published soon, but if you might prefer a ‘peek’ before the published version full of Betel photos is available, contact Myrgle Grove office for a copy.
C/Antonia Rodriguez Sacristan 8
Madrid 28044
Spain
c/o WEC International
PO Box 1707
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
USA
Update from Steve Kohl - July 2010
This is a current update of Belize Dental outreach. It includes tropical storm Alex landing there. Daniel Wiens is the construction manager on site. I am currently equiping the clinic with necessary equipment in order to host dentists and dental hygiensts when they come. When all equipment is gathered and shipped, Annette and I will go to Belize.
She and I often are weak and feel inadequate to do this ministry in a foreign country. Annette and I are convinced that as we trust Him who saves us that His power is made perfect in our own weakness. It is our complete weakness and His strength that brings Him the most Glory.
You have been a great blessing to us in every way. We thank you and will keep you updated.
steve and annette kohl
Paste this in your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajoKnH7qp1c
She and I often are weak and feel inadequate to do this ministry in a foreign country. Annette and I are convinced that as we trust Him who saves us that His power is made perfect in our own weakness. It is our complete weakness and His strength that brings Him the most Glory.
You have been a great blessing to us in every way. We thank you and will keep you updated.
steve and annette kohl
Paste this in your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajoKnH7qp1c
Update from Douglas and Jennings Boone - July 2010
Change is in the air! And soon, we will be, too! July 24, we will fly from Nairobi, Kenya to Bunia, D.R. Congo to begin a new phase of our life and work. Last night our church home-group sent us off with prayers and a lovely card. In the next two weeks, we’ll be saying good-bye to friends and colleagues, as well as packing up our belongings to send by road in a container. It will be a big transition for us. We are confident that it is the right move to make and the right time to do it. We are excited about being closer to Congolese friends and colleagues. But there is still a grief process involved in moving from a place that has been home for 6 years for Jennings, and for 13 years for Douglas. Our work involves a lot of moves and transitions, but they do not necessarily get easier.
Developments for the Tembo team: Last month, Jennings made a trip to Goma, D.R. Congo to work with the Tembo translation team. They finished checking the book of Matthew! The translators and the Tembo community were all excited and encouraged by this progress. They, too, are facing a time of transition as their head translator, Masumbuko Shabani, leaves for a 2-year study program in Bunia. Please pray for strength and courage for the two remaining translators, Ndeshi and Mwanjale, that they may continue to work well. In addition to losing an experienced colleague, they are also facing rising prices in the city of Goma. School fees recently doubled, and the translators are not always able to pay them. Then their children are sent home, which is discouraging to them. Please pray for God’s provision and peace for these translators.
What we’ll be doing in Bunia: For the first three months, we will be house-sitting, which will give us time to look for our own place. The housing market in Bunia is very tight—and expensive—due to the large number of United Nations and development agencies based there. Please pray for us as we look for good, affordable housing. Jennings will continue to work with the Tembo translation team as they move forward in the New Testament. Douglas will be doing strategic research, working closely with colleague Bagamba Araali. Here is how he describes how his past work relates to his upcoming role:
“In the 1990s, I worked with other surveyors to prepare the way for language projects in eastern Zaïre (now DRC). We investigated how well speakers of these languages knew other languages; we looked into dialectal variation; we assessed the readiness of the local community for language work. These same questions are relevant today, as we and the Congolese church plan new translation and literacy programs. I am looking forward to joining my colleague Bagamba in Bunia so that we can work together in identifying the crucial issues, formulating research questions to address them, and devising research instruments to answer the questions.
We are looking into how people in the DRC use the various languages they speak and hear in daily life. Written Scriptures in their ethnic language will probably be only a part of what is needed to assure spiritual growth and the advance of God's Kingdom in their communities. The rest of the package will include materials in trade languages such as Swahili, as well as recordings, radio broadcasts, and stories and songs passed along in oral form in their languages. Our research will help shape program plans concerning the languages and media to use to transmit Scripture.
In the fourteen years since I left Bunia, Bagamba and I have both learned a lot and interacted often with other language assessment specialists. The Congolese scene has changed as well in that time. We thank God for the opportunity to use our skills and knowledge to serve minority language communities so that they can use their languages in new ways and more fully take hold of God's Word in the midst of the challenges they face.”
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
Developments for the Tembo team: Last month, Jennings made a trip to Goma, D.R. Congo to work with the Tembo translation team. They finished checking the book of Matthew! The translators and the Tembo community were all excited and encouraged by this progress. They, too, are facing a time of transition as their head translator, Masumbuko Shabani, leaves for a 2-year study program in Bunia. Please pray for strength and courage for the two remaining translators, Ndeshi and Mwanjale, that they may continue to work well. In addition to losing an experienced colleague, they are also facing rising prices in the city of Goma. School fees recently doubled, and the translators are not always able to pay them. Then their children are sent home, which is discouraging to them. Please pray for God’s provision and peace for these translators.
What we’ll be doing in Bunia: For the first three months, we will be house-sitting, which will give us time to look for our own place. The housing market in Bunia is very tight—and expensive—due to the large number of United Nations and development agencies based there. Please pray for us as we look for good, affordable housing. Jennings will continue to work with the Tembo translation team as they move forward in the New Testament. Douglas will be doing strategic research, working closely with colleague Bagamba Araali. Here is how he describes how his past work relates to his upcoming role:
“In the 1990s, I worked with other surveyors to prepare the way for language projects in eastern Zaïre (now DRC). We investigated how well speakers of these languages knew other languages; we looked into dialectal variation; we assessed the readiness of the local community for language work. These same questions are relevant today, as we and the Congolese church plan new translation and literacy programs. I am looking forward to joining my colleague Bagamba in Bunia so that we can work together in identifying the crucial issues, formulating research questions to address them, and devising research instruments to answer the questions.
We are looking into how people in the DRC use the various languages they speak and hear in daily life. Written Scriptures in their ethnic language will probably be only a part of what is needed to assure spiritual growth and the advance of God's Kingdom in their communities. The rest of the package will include materials in trade languages such as Swahili, as well as recordings, radio broadcasts, and stories and songs passed along in oral form in their languages. Our research will help shape program plans concerning the languages and media to use to transmit Scripture.
In the fourteen years since I left Bunia, Bagamba and I have both learned a lot and interacted often with other language assessment specialists. The Congolese scene has changed as well in that time. We thank God for the opportunity to use our skills and knowledge to serve minority language communities so that they can use their languages in new ways and more fully take hold of God's Word in the midst of the challenges they face.”
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Update from Steve Kohl
I am currently in the US gathering and learning about dental equipment and preparing to ship it to Belize for installation. After the equipment is shipped to Belize Annette and I will go. We will have very good equipment that anyone coming from the U.S. will be able to use for general dentistry. I would like everyone to be aware of the progress and hopefully get dentists and dental hygienists to pray about coming to Belize on a short term service trip. There will also be other opportunities for short term missions in Belize. There are at least 15 villages in the surrounding area where dental and evangelism will be brought to them. This is a mercy and compassion ministry but, without the message of the Gospel it is useless.
I have a prayer request about equipment. We would like to use digital X-rays using phosphorus plates. This is an excellent diagnostic method to evaluate patient dental problems and images of the mouth can be downloaded into a laptop computer almost instantly for evaluation. The images can be moved anywhere in the world for second opinions and storage for records. This method is also very cost effective once you have initial set up. Please pray that we can get the needed funds for this equipment.
steve and annette kohl
Belize Update #5 is up, check out our progress! Copy the following link in your browser to see. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odWrD3SmSyI
>
> Regards,
>
> The Journeyman Team
I have a prayer request about equipment. We would like to use digital X-rays using phosphorus plates. This is an excellent diagnostic method to evaluate patient dental problems and images of the mouth can be downloaded into a laptop computer almost instantly for evaluation. The images can be moved anywhere in the world for second opinions and storage for records. This method is also very cost effective once you have initial set up. Please pray that we can get the needed funds for this equipment.
steve and annette kohl
Belize Update #5 is up, check out our progress! Copy the following link in your browser to see. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odWrD3SmSyI
>
> Regards,
>
> The Journeyman Team
Friday, April 30, 2010
Update from Douglas & Jennings Boone in Kenya
Dear friends,
We hope you had a good Easter celebration! This has been a relatively calm month for us, with a long holiday weekend at the beginning and a 9-day vacation in the middle. We are gearing up for a busy May, June and July filled with travel, workshops and preparing our move to Congo. Here is our latest.
An honor for Douglas: Next month, Douglas will be honored as a Distinguished Alumnus by Euclid High School, where he graduated in 1977. This is truly an honor, and we are sorry we won’t be able to attend the ceremony. However, Douglas’ parents Bob and Barbara will make the trip from Greenville, South Carolina to Euclid, Ohio to accept it for him!
Discourse study: From April 26-May 14, Jennings will be attending a course and a seminar on language discourse features as they relate to translation consulting. She will be studying texts in the Tembo language to gain some insight into their discourse structure and to learn how this can help her work with translators to improve the naturalness of their translation. Please pray she will learn well. This training has the potential to positively impact the Tembo translation project, as well as her work with other projects in the future.
Something completely different: As part of Douglas’ 50th year celebration, we traveled to Ethiopia for 9 days this month. We saw beautiful countryside and breathtaking mountains, and we got a taste of the country’s fascinating history, culture and cuisine. We were also able to visit some friends in the capital Addis Ababa on our way back home to Nairobi.
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
We hope you had a good Easter celebration! This has been a relatively calm month for us, with a long holiday weekend at the beginning and a 9-day vacation in the middle. We are gearing up for a busy May, June and July filled with travel, workshops and preparing our move to Congo. Here is our latest.
An honor for Douglas: Next month, Douglas will be honored as a Distinguished Alumnus by Euclid High School, where he graduated in 1977. This is truly an honor, and we are sorry we won’t be able to attend the ceremony. However, Douglas’ parents Bob and Barbara will make the trip from Greenville, South Carolina to Euclid, Ohio to accept it for him!
Discourse study: From April 26-May 14, Jennings will be attending a course and a seminar on language discourse features as they relate to translation consulting. She will be studying texts in the Tembo language to gain some insight into their discourse structure and to learn how this can help her work with translators to improve the naturalness of their translation. Please pray she will learn well. This training has the potential to positively impact the Tembo translation project, as well as her work with other projects in the future.
Something completely different: As part of Douglas’ 50th year celebration, we traveled to Ethiopia for 9 days this month. We saw beautiful countryside and breathtaking mountains, and we got a taste of the country’s fascinating history, culture and cuisine. We were also able to visit some friends in the capital Addis Ababa on our way back home to Nairobi.
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
Update from Steve Kohl
I am currently working on 3 operatories all exactly the same and other equipment that will go into the clinic. There is a great deal available from many sources. We want to put in equipment that can be used by anyone who comes to serve. In most cases the utilities will come to each chair. All chairs will need air, water and vacuum lines through the floor chase as per plans.
All of the operatory systems that I have looked at are refurbished and in excellent condition. We will also be looking at basic dental equipment for the lab. A computer and record keeping system is one of and maybe the most important things that we can install for the patient and the country. A system that can be interfaced with medical record system to locate endemic areas in Belize. I am working with a man who has a software record system which is extremely simple and easy for anyone to use for third world countries.
As soon as we decide exactly what equipment will be best for the dental clinic and all costs, I will pray and write a letter to a number of people who the Lord will touch to contribute to this very need. Please pray for God's mighty hand in all of this, not the least of which is the construction of the clinic.
There is great interest in Christian chiropractors coming to serve in Belize also. We had donated to Global a mobil table for chiropractic. It's in excellent shape. Also, a chiropractor in Wilmington is considering raising funds for a stationary table to be installed in the clinic. Somehow we will make room. God is going to see that this clinic will be used all the time.
May God's hand continue to be on this project as he guides this team to the finish line.
steve kohl
All of the operatory systems that I have looked at are refurbished and in excellent condition. We will also be looking at basic dental equipment for the lab. A computer and record keeping system is one of and maybe the most important things that we can install for the patient and the country. A system that can be interfaced with medical record system to locate endemic areas in Belize. I am working with a man who has a software record system which is extremely simple and easy for anyone to use for third world countries.
As soon as we decide exactly what equipment will be best for the dental clinic and all costs, I will pray and write a letter to a number of people who the Lord will touch to contribute to this very need. Please pray for God's mighty hand in all of this, not the least of which is the construction of the clinic.
There is great interest in Christian chiropractors coming to serve in Belize also. We had donated to Global a mobil table for chiropractic. It's in excellent shape. Also, a chiropractor in Wilmington is considering raising funds for a stationary table to be installed in the clinic. Somehow we will make room. God is going to see that this clinic will be used all the time.
May God's hand continue to be on this project as he guides this team to the finish line.
steve kohl
Friday, April 16, 2010
Update on Kendall Suh's Ankle Surgery
Brothers and Sisters,
Thanks for your prayers, emails, calls, and cards for me and my ankle surgery, which is the first surgery I have ever had.
Everything went very well. After sawing my fibula and flipping it out of the way for access, Dr. Linz cleaned out the softened cystic and diseased bone of my talus. He stated that it was actually worse than my latest MRI. Dr. Linz painstakingly spent quite a bit of time shaping and molding the bone graft until it fit perfectly. He was excited to show EJ the photos of how well the graft fit in place such that it is hard to even tell that it is a bone graft.
I declined a nerve block for pain control and was able to tolerate the pain post surgically without even taking any pain medication. Although I had throbbing pain, and woke up frequently ,it was tolerable. After 24 hours the pain was much decreased although I was still in a fog from general anesthesia. I have spent time painstakingly camped out in the family room with an air mattress which I use on missions trips as my bed with my ankle propped up on an ottoman. I have kept my ankle above my heart for 99.99% of the time since my surgery so that swelling will be reduced. EJ, Rachel and my mother and father-in-law have sacrificially served me in my incapacitation.
I and my team around me have great faith that the Lord will provide an excellent result so that I can continue to serve Him in medical missions. I thank you very, very much for your care, concern, and most of all, your prayers.
Kendall Suh
Thanks for your prayers, emails, calls, and cards for me and my ankle surgery, which is the first surgery I have ever had.
Everything went very well. After sawing my fibula and flipping it out of the way for access, Dr. Linz cleaned out the softened cystic and diseased bone of my talus. He stated that it was actually worse than my latest MRI. Dr. Linz painstakingly spent quite a bit of time shaping and molding the bone graft until it fit perfectly. He was excited to show EJ the photos of how well the graft fit in place such that it is hard to even tell that it is a bone graft.
I declined a nerve block for pain control and was able to tolerate the pain post surgically without even taking any pain medication. Although I had throbbing pain, and woke up frequently ,it was tolerable. After 24 hours the pain was much decreased although I was still in a fog from general anesthesia. I have spent time painstakingly camped out in the family room with an air mattress which I use on missions trips as my bed with my ankle propped up on an ottoman. I have kept my ankle above my heart for 99.99% of the time since my surgery so that swelling will be reduced. EJ, Rachel and my mother and father-in-law have sacrificially served me in my incapacitation.
I and my team around me have great faith that the Lord will provide an excellent result so that I can continue to serve Him in medical missions. I thank you very, very much for your care, concern, and most of all, your prayers.
Kendall Suh
Monday, April 12, 2010
Seamen Center Update
Exciting things are happening at the Seamen's Center; here are a few:
Because the TWIC card is in force, no one can be on the port without a TWIC card or a person who has one and has taken escort classes, therefore the seamen are prisoners of their own ships if it was not for the Seamen's Center. We go pick the men up from their ships and take them to most places they want to go. Praise be for the volunteers because we would not be able to do this. Here is a few ways we were able to show the love of Jesus.
Around three weeks ago a ship came in, then the same day another. We got a call for help. On one ship was a father and on the other Ship was his son and they had not seen each other in two years. But because of the law they could not get together. We went and picked up the father and took him over to his son's ship. After a few hours we went and picked the father back up and took him to his ship. Praise be to GOD that we were there for them.
A ship came in two days ago; unknown to the seaman, his sister came down from Virgina to see him. The seaman asked for permission to leave the ship, so we went to the ship and picked him up and took him to his sister who was waiting outside the gate. They had not seen each other in a long long while.
The port police have been cut so they have no time to help the seamen; it's left up to us.
Forgive for not keeping everyone informed as to the many exciting things happening at the Center.
We have prayed with the men, shared Jesus Christ with them.
A couple of months ago our preacher was preaching on persecuted Christians. It took me by surprise, because I am able to talk to many of the men where their nation persecutes Christians and have given them Bibles, prayed with them, talked to them about Christ Jesus and many start asking me questions, (I ask the Lord to give me the right words to say. I pray that all the volunteers seek the Lord for answers.) But here we are able to talk freely with the men, where as if they were home we could not. My prayer is that they are filled and that they go home and let others know of the goodness and love of Jesus Christ.
We have such a good way of being able to reach others from lost country's.
Also by us (meaning the Seamen Center) showing all the seamen the Love of Jesus by our deeds, actions and words, it is changing the hearts of the seamen to Christ.
I do want to thank all who are a part of the Seamen's Center. There are many ways to be obedient to Christ and Praise GOD for all in every way that a person serves.
Because the TWIC card is in force, no one can be on the port without a TWIC card or a person who has one and has taken escort classes, therefore the seamen are prisoners of their own ships if it was not for the Seamen's Center. We go pick the men up from their ships and take them to most places they want to go. Praise be for the volunteers because we would not be able to do this. Here is a few ways we were able to show the love of Jesus.
Around three weeks ago a ship came in, then the same day another. We got a call for help. On one ship was a father and on the other Ship was his son and they had not seen each other in two years. But because of the law they could not get together. We went and picked up the father and took him over to his son's ship. After a few hours we went and picked the father back up and took him to his ship. Praise be to GOD that we were there for them.
A ship came in two days ago; unknown to the seaman, his sister came down from Virgina to see him. The seaman asked for permission to leave the ship, so we went to the ship and picked him up and took him to his sister who was waiting outside the gate. They had not seen each other in a long long while.
The port police have been cut so they have no time to help the seamen; it's left up to us.
Forgive for not keeping everyone informed as to the many exciting things happening at the Center.
We have prayed with the men, shared Jesus Christ with them.
A couple of months ago our preacher was preaching on persecuted Christians. It took me by surprise, because I am able to talk to many of the men where their nation persecutes Christians and have given them Bibles, prayed with them, talked to them about Christ Jesus and many start asking me questions, (I ask the Lord to give me the right words to say. I pray that all the volunteers seek the Lord for answers.) But here we are able to talk freely with the men, where as if they were home we could not. My prayer is that they are filled and that they go home and let others know of the goodness and love of Jesus Christ.
We have such a good way of being able to reach others from lost country's.
Also by us (meaning the Seamen Center) showing all the seamen the Love of Jesus by our deeds, actions and words, it is changing the hearts of the seamen to Christ.
I do want to thank all who are a part of the Seamen's Center. There are many ways to be obedient to Christ and Praise GOD for all in every way that a person serves.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Elliott Tepper Update from Spain
Dear Friends,
Greetings. Thank you all again for your many prayers and kind support this years. We would like to send you this short prayer letter, only a few months after our last letter, to keep you all informed of some new developments in our family and in Betel. We would greatly appreciate your prayers.
MINI-FURLOUGH
We have decided to take a short mini-furlough from March 20th through July 14th in America. Our motives are to give Mary a chance to rest and recover in an English speaking environment and in the presence of her family and friends. This last month has been very difficult for Mary. While she has made progress on many fronts after her brain surgery, she is struggling with panic attacks and adverse reactions to the myriad drugs she has had to take, and simultaneously to the associated abstinence syndromes each time her medication is changed. We are told this is not unusual and that, all in all, Mary is doing well. Nevertheless, she does not feel ‘well’ and is often dizzy and weak. She would welcome your prayers.
If Mary finds rest and refreshment in Wilmington at her mother’s home, I will fly to Thailand for two weeks to participate in Intercom, WEC’s tri-annual leader’s conference, in May. I will also participate in Faith Training Center’s Annual Conference the last week of April in South Carolina. WEC Canada has asked me to speak at their Annual Conference in July. Other than those three commitments, I will be in Wilmington. Believe with us that Mary will be comfortable with these short separations. I have been right at her side since last April.
BETEL SPAIN
This last Saturday Betel of Madrid hosted the National Day of Prayer for the Comunidad de Madrid. Each Region of Spain gathered their churches in a large auditorium for intercession and every Region was connected by internet and conference video allowing the entire Evangelical Body of Christ in Spain to pray together. Betel’s auditorium was full to the walls with representatives from most of the Christian streams in our Region. Truly there is a new ‘Spirit of prayer’ rising up in our midst which bodes well for Spain and the nations.
On March 16th,17th, and 18th we will gather most of the Betel pastors from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and the UK (Not all of them, but over 50) for a time for us to seek the Lord at our Betania Conference Center in Ciudad Real. Please pray. This will be a very important time. We want to refine our vision and commitments for future advance. We need all of our Betel pastors on the same page and in perfect harmony with the faith declarations we have made and will make at WEC’s Intercom in Thailand in May. We few senior WECCERS who have lead Betel these last 25 years, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, can really give no more than the ‘roar’. It is the indigenous Betel family, born within the house, that has the ‘Lion’s heart’ and makes the greatest sacrifices as we together endeavor to fulfill the Great Commission. Pray. We will discuss and pray over many delicate and difficult internal matters concerning finances, movement of workers, opening and closing centers and churches, families and children, businesses and new ministries and projects.
We need two IT specialists to oversee our worldwide data network for accounting, records, publications, software, and maintenance of our information systems. We also need a sound, video, and TV and engineer, and a graphic designer and media specialist. We have relied for a long time on short term volunteers, but we really need missionaries with these giftings. At least one must be bi-lingual: English/Spanish or willing to study Spanish, as Spanish is the ‘lingua franca’ of Betel in the world.
Give thanks with us. For the first time, after two decades of having to yearly renew our license and certification, the Comunidad de Madrid informed us that they have issued Betel a ‘permanent license’ that will not need to be renewed again. After so many years of semi-persecution and skeptical handling by the Regional government, this comes as a relief and a sign of their respect for our work among the marginalized and addicted. Very few benefic entities have this classification in Spain.
This last Friday I was invited on to the ‘Cesar Vidal’ show in Madrid. It is one of the most watched programs in Spain. He is conservative and Evangelical and one of the best selling Spanish authors, certainly the most prolific modern author (check Wikipedia). He is a cross between O’Reilly and CS Lewis. He speaks 12 languages and is a polymath who knows everything about everything. His appeal and popularity is amazing, especially in the light of the fact that his audience is mostly Catholic and secular. He gave me 20 minutes, which is an eternity on TV, and let me speak to a half million viewers about Betel’s communities, Christ, Missions and my personal testimony.
After the show he called my home at midnight to say how pleased he was with the interview and how positive the audience response was to the program. He suggested we have lunch together and discuss some future projects. Pray.
BETEL INTERNATIONAL
RUSSIA
Pray for Betel of Russia. Demitri and Mario informed me recently that one of our men’s houses in Moscow was intentionally burned to the ground. There was no loss of life, but everything inside was destroyed--our communal property and all the personal belongings of the men. The house was rented from a Baptist Church. It sat near the edge of their property within view of a luxury hotel. The hotel owners had made repeated offers to the Church to buy the house to eliminate the ‘eyesore’. The Church would not sell, so it was burnt down. There is little justice in Russia. We have no recourse. We are rebuilding the house with modular units.
INDIA
Pray for Betel of Calcutta. We are about to lose our only house in Calcutta. The owner of the house we rent has not paid his mortgage in five years and his bank has finally foreclosed on the mortgage. We have been given less than a month to leave. Properties are very difficult to find in that crowded and needy city. Conservative estimates count over 100,000 homeless children on the streets. Who knows how many adults are homeless? If we had five houses in Calcutta, we could fill all five. Pray. A half finished school property is available for $100,000 which would be perfect for a large headquarters and community. They need a miracle. Pray for our ABC (the Asha Bhwan Childrens) Project. Check out our web page for more information. We already have approximately 80 children living in Betel’s communties.
MOROCCO
Carlos and Leticia have obtained a commercial rental property and have incorporated our first Moroccan legal entity for our first tent making ‘business’ in Morocco. We rejoice cautiously. This month the Moroccan government made a sweep and kicked out 42 Christian missionaries from the country. Please pray for Carlos and Leticia and their little flock and also for other missions and missionaries living and working in Morocco. Someone in government has decided to purge missionaries from Morocco or at least to cower them.
BRAZIL
Fran and Monica informed me today that we now have a community of 16 and a waiting list in our Sao Paulo community. Give thanks with us for all the help they have received from the Brazilian Churches in restoring their property. A Church has agreed to build them a new large multi-use building on the land for another dorm and shops.
We close with our love and look forward to seeing some of you face to face soon. We will be spending the first 10 days in America in NYC with Betel of America and David, Naomi, and Gabriel. Peter has just been accepted for ordination in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and will be ordained in Wilmington at Myrtle Grove in April. We will be there. Peter, Michelle and little Sophia will again bring two teams of Oxford student to Betel Madrid this summer. Jonathan has been very active with his new ventures: ‘Demotix’ and ‘Variant Perception’. (Check out Youtube for ‘Jonathan Tepper” and you can see some of his interviews on BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Canadian TV, and TV3 of Barcelona.)
In Christ, Elliott and Mary
C/O WEC, International
PO Box 1707
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
USA
emtepper@yahoo.com or emtepper@betel.org
(34) 629 356652
Greetings. Thank you all again for your many prayers and kind support this years. We would like to send you this short prayer letter, only a few months after our last letter, to keep you all informed of some new developments in our family and in Betel. We would greatly appreciate your prayers.
MINI-FURLOUGH
We have decided to take a short mini-furlough from March 20th through July 14th in America. Our motives are to give Mary a chance to rest and recover in an English speaking environment and in the presence of her family and friends. This last month has been very difficult for Mary. While she has made progress on many fronts after her brain surgery, she is struggling with panic attacks and adverse reactions to the myriad drugs she has had to take, and simultaneously to the associated abstinence syndromes each time her medication is changed. We are told this is not unusual and that, all in all, Mary is doing well. Nevertheless, she does not feel ‘well’ and is often dizzy and weak. She would welcome your prayers.
If Mary finds rest and refreshment in Wilmington at her mother’s home, I will fly to Thailand for two weeks to participate in Intercom, WEC’s tri-annual leader’s conference, in May. I will also participate in Faith Training Center’s Annual Conference the last week of April in South Carolina. WEC Canada has asked me to speak at their Annual Conference in July. Other than those three commitments, I will be in Wilmington. Believe with us that Mary will be comfortable with these short separations. I have been right at her side since last April.
BETEL SPAIN
This last Saturday Betel of Madrid hosted the National Day of Prayer for the Comunidad de Madrid. Each Region of Spain gathered their churches in a large auditorium for intercession and every Region was connected by internet and conference video allowing the entire Evangelical Body of Christ in Spain to pray together. Betel’s auditorium was full to the walls with representatives from most of the Christian streams in our Region. Truly there is a new ‘Spirit of prayer’ rising up in our midst which bodes well for Spain and the nations.
On March 16th,17th, and 18th we will gather most of the Betel pastors from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and the UK (Not all of them, but over 50) for a time for us to seek the Lord at our Betania Conference Center in Ciudad Real. Please pray. This will be a very important time. We want to refine our vision and commitments for future advance. We need all of our Betel pastors on the same page and in perfect harmony with the faith declarations we have made and will make at WEC’s Intercom in Thailand in May. We few senior WECCERS who have lead Betel these last 25 years, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, can really give no more than the ‘roar’. It is the indigenous Betel family, born within the house, that has the ‘Lion’s heart’ and makes the greatest sacrifices as we together endeavor to fulfill the Great Commission. Pray. We will discuss and pray over many delicate and difficult internal matters concerning finances, movement of workers, opening and closing centers and churches, families and children, businesses and new ministries and projects.
We need two IT specialists to oversee our worldwide data network for accounting, records, publications, software, and maintenance of our information systems. We also need a sound, video, and TV and engineer, and a graphic designer and media specialist. We have relied for a long time on short term volunteers, but we really need missionaries with these giftings. At least one must be bi-lingual: English/Spanish or willing to study Spanish, as Spanish is the ‘lingua franca’ of Betel in the world.
Give thanks with us. For the first time, after two decades of having to yearly renew our license and certification, the Comunidad de Madrid informed us that they have issued Betel a ‘permanent license’ that will not need to be renewed again. After so many years of semi-persecution and skeptical handling by the Regional government, this comes as a relief and a sign of their respect for our work among the marginalized and addicted. Very few benefic entities have this classification in Spain.
This last Friday I was invited on to the ‘Cesar Vidal’ show in Madrid. It is one of the most watched programs in Spain. He is conservative and Evangelical and one of the best selling Spanish authors, certainly the most prolific modern author (check Wikipedia). He is a cross between O’Reilly and CS Lewis. He speaks 12 languages and is a polymath who knows everything about everything. His appeal and popularity is amazing, especially in the light of the fact that his audience is mostly Catholic and secular. He gave me 20 minutes, which is an eternity on TV, and let me speak to a half million viewers about Betel’s communities, Christ, Missions and my personal testimony.
After the show he called my home at midnight to say how pleased he was with the interview and how positive the audience response was to the program. He suggested we have lunch together and discuss some future projects. Pray.
BETEL INTERNATIONAL
RUSSIA
Pray for Betel of Russia. Demitri and Mario informed me recently that one of our men’s houses in Moscow was intentionally burned to the ground. There was no loss of life, but everything inside was destroyed--our communal property and all the personal belongings of the men. The house was rented from a Baptist Church. It sat near the edge of their property within view of a luxury hotel. The hotel owners had made repeated offers to the Church to buy the house to eliminate the ‘eyesore’. The Church would not sell, so it was burnt down. There is little justice in Russia. We have no recourse. We are rebuilding the house with modular units.
INDIA
Pray for Betel of Calcutta. We are about to lose our only house in Calcutta. The owner of the house we rent has not paid his mortgage in five years and his bank has finally foreclosed on the mortgage. We have been given less than a month to leave. Properties are very difficult to find in that crowded and needy city. Conservative estimates count over 100,000 homeless children on the streets. Who knows how many adults are homeless? If we had five houses in Calcutta, we could fill all five. Pray. A half finished school property is available for $100,000 which would be perfect for a large headquarters and community. They need a miracle. Pray for our ABC (the Asha Bhwan Childrens) Project. Check out our
MOROCCO
Carlos and Leticia have obtained a commercial rental property and have incorporated our first Moroccan legal entity for our first tent making ‘business’ in Morocco. We rejoice cautiously. This month the Moroccan government made a sweep and kicked out 42 Christian missionaries from the country. Please pray for Carlos and Leticia and their little flock and also for other missions and missionaries living and working in Morocco. Someone in government has decided to purge missionaries from Morocco or at least to cower them.
BRAZIL
Fran and Monica informed me today that we now have a community of 16 and a waiting list in our Sao Paulo community. Give thanks with us for all the help they have received from the Brazilian Churches in restoring their property. A Church has agreed to build them a new large multi-use building on the land for another dorm and shops.
We close with our love and look forward to seeing some of you face to face soon. We will be spending the first 10 days in America in NYC with Betel of America and David, Naomi, and Gabriel. Peter has just been accepted for ordination in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and will be ordained in Wilmington at Myrtle Grove in April. We will be there. Peter, Michelle and little Sophia will again bring two teams of Oxford student to Betel Madrid this summer. Jonathan has been very active with his new ventures: ‘Demotix’ and ‘Variant Perception’. (Check out Youtube for ‘Jonathan Tepper” and you can see some of his interviews on BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Canadian TV, and TV3 of Barcelona.)
In Christ, Elliott and Mary
C/O WEC, International
PO Box 1707
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
USA
emtepper@yahoo.com or emtepper@betel.org
(34) 629 356652
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Kendall Suh Update from Thailand and Prayer for Surgery
Dear Praying Brothers and Sisters,
I highly value your prayers for my Ankle surgery now scheduled for Monday April 12 at Mercy Anderson Hospital in the Cincinnati area by Dr. John Linz.
Dr. Linz will have to do an osteotomy to saw my fibula bone near the ankle to remove it to get access to my talus bone which has a large osteochondral defect. This relatively rare injury was caused by my foot being on the brake pedal when the 18 wheeler pulled out in front of us causing us to crash at 65 mph 16 months ago. Once the talus bone is exposed, he will have to remove the diseased and damaged bone. Then he will transplant and screw in a freeze dried cadaver talus bone graft after shaping part of it to fill in the hole created.
Please pray for wisdom and skill for Dr. Linz and for the anestesiologist. Please pray for my rapid and excellent healing without complications. Please pray that I will be able to resume my work in medical missions as soon as possible. Apparently the healing and rehabilitation can take an extended period of time, up to 1 to 2 years as my bone incorporates with the bone graft. I am planning to go to Thailand in September for evangelistic church planting medical clinics and Nicaragua in November for evangelistic medical clinics. Please pray that I will be able to GO. I have faith in the Healing and Saving power of Jesus Christ! Thank you for your effectual and fervent prayers.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have returned from Chumphon and Surat Thani, Thailand and our evangelistic medical clinics. We had a great week treating patients in five different locations. The physicians and the medicine are the "smelly fish bait" which attract masses of people. Then each patient is sent for spiritual counseling where a fellow Thai and former Buddhist who is now a Hope of Thailand Church member shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ one on one for 15 to 30 minutes. Most are trained in Evangelism Explosion. This leads to many Thais praying to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 200 people (about 30 to 40% of patients) made decisions for the Lord in this nation of 1-2% Christian! Praise the Lord! In two areas we are praying that there are now enough new believers to plant two churches.
We are like a catalyst which is a unique substance which transforms a slow weak chemical reaction into a strong and explosive reaction. We saw Pastor Saman and his church members catch a fresh vision for how the Lord can use this medical ministry to pioneer new areas in Thailand for Jesus Christ. We went to some new areas and have plans for this September and next March to hit many new areas with this new found fervor to pioneer new and unreached areas for the Gospel. We believe these are historic works for the Gospel and God is really using the Hope of Thailand churches to transform many, many Thai people.
All this would not have been possible without your fervent and effectual prayers which really do avail much. Everything went smoothly during this whole trip.
I passed through Tokyo for a day and was impressed with the cleanliness of the large city and the politeness of its people where cellphones must be turned off in subways which are quieter and as safe as libraries. I also visited the Tsujiki fish market where the 200 to 400 pound Bluefin Tunas we have caught in North Carolina waters end up. The auction is quite a spectacle with dozens of huge tuna being inspected and bid upon every day. The whole fish market supplies all of Japan with seafood which is their prime protein source. The bustling warehouses have all varieties of fish, crabs, eels, shrimp, shellfish, squid, and octopus in a giant facility the size of at least two football stadiums.
Thank you again for your prayers!! Interestingly, my ankle gave me very little trouble UNTIL the hours after finishing the final medical clinic. Since then, it has had progressive pain, which confirms my need for surgery. Upon my return home, I have been running around getting pre-surgery examinations and clearances. I will have to miss the Uganda medical trip with ORH to the Pygmy tribes in May but am hopeful to be healed enough for evangelistic medical clinics in Trinidad and Tobago in July. Please pray that the Lord would heal me through His power and the Gifts of medicine. There are so many people to reach with the saving grace of Jesus Christ!
Thanks for being prayer warriors for me!!!
In His service,
Kendall
I highly value your prayers for my Ankle surgery now scheduled for Monday April 12 at Mercy Anderson Hospital in the Cincinnati area by Dr. John Linz.
Dr. Linz will have to do an osteotomy to saw my fibula bone near the ankle to remove it to get access to my talus bone which has a large osteochondral defect. This relatively rare injury was caused by my foot being on the brake pedal when the 18 wheeler pulled out in front of us causing us to crash at 65 mph 16 months ago. Once the talus bone is exposed, he will have to remove the diseased and damaged bone. Then he will transplant and screw in a freeze dried cadaver talus bone graft after shaping part of it to fill in the hole created.
Please pray for wisdom and skill for Dr. Linz and for the anestesiologist. Please pray for my rapid and excellent healing without complications. Please pray that I will be able to resume my work in medical missions as soon as possible. Apparently the healing and rehabilitation can take an extended period of time, up to 1 to 2 years as my bone incorporates with the bone graft. I am planning to go to Thailand in September for evangelistic church planting medical clinics and Nicaragua in November for evangelistic medical clinics. Please pray that I will be able to GO. I have faith in the Healing and Saving power of Jesus Christ! Thank you for your effectual and fervent prayers.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have returned from Chumphon and Surat Thani, Thailand and our evangelistic medical clinics. We had a great week treating patients in five different locations. The physicians and the medicine are the "smelly fish bait" which attract masses of people. Then each patient is sent for spiritual counseling where a fellow Thai and former Buddhist who is now a Hope of Thailand Church member shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ one on one for 15 to 30 minutes. Most are trained in Evangelism Explosion. This leads to many Thais praying to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 200 people (about 30 to 40% of patients) made decisions for the Lord in this nation of 1-2% Christian! Praise the Lord! In two areas we are praying that there are now enough new believers to plant two churches.
We are like a catalyst which is a unique substance which transforms a slow weak chemical reaction into a strong and explosive reaction. We saw Pastor Saman and his church members catch a fresh vision for how the Lord can use this medical ministry to pioneer new areas in Thailand for Jesus Christ. We went to some new areas and have plans for this September and next March to hit many new areas with this new found fervor to pioneer new and unreached areas for the Gospel. We believe these are historic works for the Gospel and God is really using the Hope of Thailand churches to transform many, many Thai people.
All this would not have been possible without your fervent and effectual prayers which really do avail much. Everything went smoothly during this whole trip.
I passed through Tokyo for a day and was impressed with the cleanliness of the large city and the politeness of its people where cellphones must be turned off in subways which are quieter and as safe as libraries. I also visited the Tsujiki fish market where the 200 to 400 pound Bluefin Tunas we have caught in North Carolina waters end up. The auction is quite a spectacle with dozens of huge tuna being inspected and bid upon every day. The whole fish market supplies all of Japan with seafood which is their prime protein source. The bustling warehouses have all varieties of fish, crabs, eels, shrimp, shellfish, squid, and octopus in a giant facility the size of at least two football stadiums.
Thank you again for your prayers!! Interestingly, my ankle gave me very little trouble UNTIL the hours after finishing the final medical clinic. Since then, it has had progressive pain, which confirms my need for surgery. Upon my return home, I have been running around getting pre-surgery examinations and clearances. I will have to miss the Uganda medical trip with ORH to the Pygmy tribes in May but am hopeful to be healed enough for evangelistic medical clinics in Trinidad and Tobago in July. Please pray that the Lord would heal me through His power and the Gifts of medicine. There are so many people to reach with the saving grace of Jesus Christ!
Thanks for being prayer warriors for me!!!
In His service,
Kendall
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Douglas and Jennings Boone Update from Congo
Dear friends,
Thank you for your prayers for our recent trip to Congo! It was a very eventful trip, involving translation checking in Goma, a week of visiting and scouting in Bunia, and a week of group meetings at a retreat center outside Bunia. We went with a lot of questions, and came back with some encouraging answers.
Jennings in Goma: Over the past year or so, we have given news from the Tembo translation team (photo below). They are unable to live in their home area because of militia attacks there, and so they work on a displaced basis in the city of Goma. I (Jennings) was very excited to have the chance to visit them in February, to check part of Matthew’s Gospel. It was my first solo trip into Congo and my first trip to Goma, and it was quite amazing. Much of the city is built the lava left by centuries of eruptions of the volcano Nyiragongo. It looks as if someone poured asphalt everywhere but didn’t smooth it down. For their translation work, the Tembo team are using adaptation software which creates a rough draft of Scripture based on a related language. The translators then modify it to fit the natural discourse of their language and check it with speakers of the language to see that it is clear. My job, then, is to check accuracy with them, to ask about naturalness and clarity, and to discuss whether the style will be acceptable to the churches. We made excellent progress, completing more than half the book of Matthew. During break times and on the weekend, I got to learn more about Tembo culture and their current events, and to visit the city. War has dispersed the Tembo community throughout the North Kivu region. On Sunday nights, there is a Tembo language radio show broadcast throughout the region. The show includes songs, Scripture reading and a sermon. At the end, people are encouraged to call in to the station to greet friends and family in other areas, keeping the Tembo community connected. So far, only Luke and Genesis are available in published form, and Tembo pastors are very eager for more. The head translator, Masumbuko Shabani, says that when they send portions of Matthew to the villages for checking, the pastors do not want to send them back; they want to use even the rough drafts in services. I was greatly encouraged by the hard work the Tembo translators are doing, and moved by the strength of their community, even in war. I look forward to working with them again.
Moving into Congo: One of our big questions prior to this trip was about moving to the town of Bunia. We spent a week there in February, visiting friends and colleagues (including Bagamba Araali, below) and getting a feel for the town and housing possibilities. We already knew “why” the move made sense: it puts us much closer to our work and to our Congolese colleagues. They are encouraged to have more of us expats living “in country” with them. The time seems right. What we didn’t know was the “when” or “where”. And now we think we have answers! Friends working in Bunia have asked us to house-sit for them from late July until mid-October of this year. That fits perfectly with the timeframe we were thinking of for our move, and it gives us a “base” in Bunia from which to look for our own housing! We are very grateful for this answer to prayer. Please pray for wisdom and stamina as we plan this move to Congo in July, and all the packing, logistics, and other preparation that will go with it.
Future of our group: Eastern Congo Group spent a week at a conference center outside of Bunia to talk about our structure and the future of the group. We had seen for some time that our activities were out of balance with our resources (personnel, financial, etc.), and that we needed to adjust. We voted to relinquish our charter, which puts much of our administration and governance in the hands of the Africa Area department of SIL. This will free up more of us to focus on the language work that we were called here to do. We are grateful for the leadership of our director, Tim Raymond, our Executive Committee Chair Jill Brace and Francophone Region leaders Gary and Glenys Sweetman who led these meetings. Please pray for this time of transition, for increased unity in our group and shared vision with our partners. One day during that week of meetings, we invited Congolese church leaders to join us, so we could hear their vision and concerns about Bible translation and share with them SIL’s vision and role. It was encouraging to hear these Congolese partners take increased ownership for this ministry, and to hear how using mother-tongue language Scripture creates excitement and better understanding in their churches.
Douglas’ work: These days, I (Douglas) am working on two main fronts: planning research in the DRC, and designing sociolinguistics training for use across Africa. March 31 is the deadline for me to submit Research Department plans (activities and budget) for the next fiscal year, which begins in October. It was very helpful to talk with Bagamba Araali last month about these. (He and I are the department; we both have other responsibilities as well.) Now I'm looking forward to the closer collaboration that our move to Bunia will make possible. On the "training" front, I am the lead developer of an introductory course in sociolinguistics to be offered—in French—in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in October and November. We expect about thirty students in four "tracks": Linguistics, Literacy, Bible translation, and Scripture Use/ Missiology. To do their work in these fields, they need to understand the role of language in society. I'm preparing the framework that the teachers will use in six months' time: suggested readings, learning objectives, sample assignments, etc. The tasks on both fronts are stretching me, and I appreciate your prayers that I'll learn and grow while doing a good job on them all.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Douglas and Jennings
Thank you for your prayers for our recent trip to Congo! It was a very eventful trip, involving translation checking in Goma, a week of visiting and scouting in Bunia, and a week of group meetings at a retreat center outside Bunia. We went with a lot of questions, and came back with some encouraging answers.
Jennings in Goma: Over the past year or so, we have given news from the Tembo translation team (photo below). They are unable to live in their home area because of militia attacks there, and so they work on a displaced basis in the city of Goma. I (Jennings) was very excited to have the chance to visit them in February, to check part of Matthew’s Gospel. It was my first solo trip into Congo and my first trip to Goma, and it was quite amazing. Much of the city is built the lava left by centuries of eruptions of the volcano Nyiragongo. It looks as if someone poured asphalt everywhere but didn’t smooth it down. For their translation work, the Tembo team are using adaptation software which creates a rough draft of Scripture based on a related language. The translators then modify it to fit the natural discourse of their language and check it with speakers of the language to see that it is clear. My job, then, is to check accuracy with them, to ask about naturalness and clarity, and to discuss whether the style will be acceptable to the churches. We made excellent progress, completing more than half the book of Matthew. During break times and on the weekend, I got to learn more about Tembo culture and their current events, and to visit the city. War has dispersed the Tembo community throughout the North Kivu region. On Sunday nights, there is a Tembo language radio show broadcast throughout the region. The show includes songs, Scripture reading and a sermon. At the end, people are encouraged to call in to the station to greet friends and family in other areas, keeping the Tembo community connected. So far, only Luke and Genesis are available in published form, and Tembo pastors are very eager for more. The head translator, Masumbuko Shabani, says that when they send portions of Matthew to the villages for checking, the pastors do not want to send them back; they want to use even the rough drafts in services. I was greatly encouraged by the hard work the Tembo translators are doing, and moved by the strength of their community, even in war. I look forward to working with them again.
Moving into Congo: One of our big questions prior to this trip was about moving to the town of Bunia. We spent a week there in February, visiting friends and colleagues (including Bagamba Araali, below) and getting a feel for the town and housing possibilities. We already knew “why” the move made sense: it puts us much closer to our work and to our Congolese colleagues. They are encouraged to have more of us expats living “in country” with them. The time seems right. What we didn’t know was the “when” or “where”. And now we think we have answers! Friends working in Bunia have asked us to house-sit for them from late July until mid-October of this year. That fits perfectly with the timeframe we were thinking of for our move, and it gives us a “base” in Bunia from which to look for our own housing! We are very grateful for this answer to prayer. Please pray for wisdom and stamina as we plan this move to Congo in July, and all the packing, logistics, and other preparation that will go with it.
Future of our group: Eastern Congo Group spent a week at a conference center outside of Bunia to talk about our structure and the future of the group. We had seen for some time that our activities were out of balance with our resources (personnel, financial, etc.), and that we needed to adjust. We voted to relinquish our charter, which puts much of our administration and governance in the hands of the Africa Area department of SIL. This will free up more of us to focus on the language work that we were called here to do. We are grateful for the leadership of our director, Tim Raymond, our Executive Committee Chair Jill Brace and Francophone Region leaders Gary and Glenys Sweetman who led these meetings. Please pray for this time of transition, for increased unity in our group and shared vision with our partners. One day during that week of meetings, we invited Congolese church leaders to join us, so we could hear their vision and concerns about Bible translation and share with them SIL’s vision and role. It was encouraging to hear these Congolese partners take increased ownership for this ministry, and to hear how using mother-tongue language Scripture creates excitement and better understanding in their churches.
Douglas’ work: These days, I (Douglas) am working on two main fronts: planning research in the DRC, and designing sociolinguistics training for use across Africa. March 31 is the deadline for me to submit Research Department plans (activities and budget) for the next fiscal year, which begins in October. It was very helpful to talk with Bagamba Araali last month about these. (He and I are the department; we both have other responsibilities as well.) Now I'm looking forward to the closer collaboration that our move to Bunia will make possible. On the "training" front, I am the lead developer of an introductory course in sociolinguistics to be offered—in French—in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in October and November. We expect about thirty students in four "tracks": Linguistics, Literacy, Bible translation, and Scripture Use/ Missiology. To do their work in these fields, they need to understand the role of language in society. I'm preparing the framework that the teachers will use in six months' time: suggested readings, learning objectives, sample assignments, etc. The tasks on both fronts are stretching me, and I appreciate your prayers that I'll learn and grow while doing a good job on them all.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Douglas and Jennings
Steve Kohl's Update from Belize
Annette and I are grateful and privileged to go to Belize in His service. We especially thank you all in making it possible for us to go. It will be our policy to honestly and accurately share the challenges and situations we face in all areas of this ministry.
Here are some pictures of the Belize dental clinic as work is progressing. We will be working to secure equipment and everything needed to operate as it is getting finished. I will doing some interstate traveling to attend auctions and make stateside arrangements to ship dental equipment such as chairs, x-ray equipment and supplies to Belize. For now, much of my work will be working closely with the ministers of health in Belize to get as much duty free equipment into Belize as possible.
This past week I attended a dental clinic in the village of Red Bank, an all Mayan Indian Village about 15 miles into the bush from Independence where I received training in serving people in need of dental work. We pulled at least 200 teeth and drilled and filled some and taught dental hygiene. I learned how to manage teams and organize for the work that was done.
This is an update as to the work currently in progress. I would ask for your prayers continually as I have had some difficulties with other missionaries and that God would be with Annette and I as we continue to prepare and raise a team who will partner with us as we are sent to Belize. We do not seek our own increase but, are free to serve when we seek the increase of others.
sincerely,steve kohl
Doug Wright Update from Congo
Dear friends and family,
Most of you heard of my bouts with food poisoning and then malaria during my travel home from a very successful translation consulting trip with the Logo team in Isiro, DR Congo. I want to let you know that I sensed the power of your prayers and got progressively stronger from my lowpoint Thursday night in Bunia (with a 102 degree fever). I was amazed to see how God answered your prayers by sending people to help at every turn, from the Logo team who laid hands on me and prayed in Isiro, to John Vandermeer who took me to the airport and saw me off, to the sometimes-nasty-turned-nice Isiro airport officials who had compassion on me, to the British doc who gave me Immodium, to MAF pilot Joey who tried to give me and the other passengers the smoothest flight possible through thunderstorm-filled skies, to the University of Shalom pastors who met me at the airport, to Kent and Kim Rasmussen who took me into their home and cared for me, to Pastor Anguandia who came and prayed for me, to Ted Whitmer who took me back to the Bunia airport when my ride fell through...well, you get the picture. I arrived home Saturday night as scheduled despite some other BA flights being canceled due to a cabin crew strike. The way Beth greeted me at the Wilmington airport, you would've thought I'd been gone for more than a month or something (oh, I guess I was!). Each day since, I've gotten stronger - even enough to take a walk on the beach yesterday with Beth.
During my three days of travel with little sleep, I had a lot of time to reflect on the trip and the way it ended. From the great relationships among the Logo team members and me, the good translation checking progress, the many obstacles overcome through prayer, the deep spiritual discussions and growth among all concerned, it was obvious to me that my trial was a parting shot by the enemy (allowed by God, of course). But why, you might ask, would the enemy try to keep me from getting home? I found my answer in reflecting back to my low point with food poisoning. Now I don't know about you, but I don't do the nausea/throwing up thing too well. In fact, it's pretty repulsive to me. And the thing is, that's how I started looking at the whole trip - exactly what Satan wanted! That would of course made the next trip look like a pretty tall mountain, and the one following that, etc. So now I realize that your prayers were more about fighting the spiritual battle alongside of me, than just about getting me home safe and sound. And I can tell you the Lord has already replaced those feelings of repulsion and doubt, to blessing and satisfaction. The Lord is good, and his love endures forever! And blessings on all of you who continue to fight the battle with us, until the Logo people and many others have God's Word in their own language!
Here's what the Lord accomplished through us all:
• Two Catholic translation candidates evaluated, and Madrakele recommended as third full-time translator;
• Four more epistles checked and pretty much ready for publishing - rest of 1 Corinthians, Philemon, Jude, 1 Peter and beginning of 2 Peter (we've now final-checked about 73% of the NT);
• Times of deep spiritual challenge and growth for the Logo team members and me;
• Discussions with local church leaders and other partners to continue planning and providing for the Logo team's support;
• Broader meetings with my Eastern Congo Group colleagues and Congolese church partners to plan for the expansion of Bible translation work in north-eastern Congo;
So that hundreds of thousands in Congo may hear God's Word in their own languages for the first time, understand, and be changed...forever!
In Christ,
Doug
Most of you heard of my bouts with food poisoning and then malaria during my travel home from a very successful translation consulting trip with the Logo team in Isiro, DR Congo. I want to let you know that I sensed the power of your prayers and got progressively stronger from my lowpoint Thursday night in Bunia (with a 102 degree fever). I was amazed to see how God answered your prayers by sending people to help at every turn, from the Logo team who laid hands on me and prayed in Isiro, to John Vandermeer who took me to the airport and saw me off, to the sometimes-nasty-turned-nice Isiro airport officials who had compassion on me, to the British doc who gave me Immodium, to MAF pilot Joey who tried to give me and the other passengers the smoothest flight possible through thunderstorm-filled skies, to the University of Shalom pastors who met me at the airport, to Kent and Kim Rasmussen who took me into their home and cared for me, to Pastor Anguandia who came and prayed for me, to Ted Whitmer who took me back to the Bunia airport when my ride fell through...well, you get the picture. I arrived home Saturday night as scheduled despite some other BA flights being canceled due to a cabin crew strike. The way Beth greeted me at the Wilmington airport, you would've thought I'd been gone for more than a month or something (oh, I guess I was!). Each day since, I've gotten stronger - even enough to take a walk on the beach yesterday with Beth.
During my three days of travel with little sleep, I had a lot of time to reflect on the trip and the way it ended. From the great relationships among the Logo team members and me, the good translation checking progress, the many obstacles overcome through prayer, the deep spiritual discussions and growth among all concerned, it was obvious to me that my trial was a parting shot by the enemy (allowed by God, of course). But why, you might ask, would the enemy try to keep me from getting home? I found my answer in reflecting back to my low point with food poisoning. Now I don't know about you, but I don't do the nausea/throwing up thing too well. In fact, it's pretty repulsive to me. And the thing is, that's how I started looking at the whole trip - exactly what Satan wanted! That would of course made the next trip look like a pretty tall mountain, and the one following that, etc. So now I realize that your prayers were more about fighting the spiritual battle alongside of me, than just about getting me home safe and sound. And I can tell you the Lord has already replaced those feelings of repulsion and doubt, to blessing and satisfaction. The Lord is good, and his love endures forever! And blessings on all of you who continue to fight the battle with us, until the Logo people and many others have God's Word in their own language!
Here's what the Lord accomplished through us all:
• Two Catholic translation candidates evaluated, and Madrakele recommended as third full-time translator;
• Four more epistles checked and pretty much ready for publishing - rest of 1 Corinthians, Philemon, Jude, 1 Peter and beginning of 2 Peter (we've now final-checked about 73% of the NT);
• Times of deep spiritual challenge and growth for the Logo team members and me;
• Discussions with local church leaders and other partners to continue planning and providing for the Logo team's support;
• Broader meetings with my Eastern Congo Group colleagues and Congolese church partners to plan for the expansion of Bible translation work in north-eastern Congo;
So that hundreds of thousands in Congo may hear God's Word in their own languages for the first time, understand, and be changed...forever!
In Christ,
Doug
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