Wycliffe Sweden reports on their progress
What do you do when you are a small organization in a relatively small country but called to do a large task? Read the rest of this entry »
Category Archives: Family
People Before Projects
Sometimes I am so goal oriented that people get in the way. And I said I never wanted to be that way.
The heavens rolled back in Waxhaw Tuesday afternoon and, after two days of cloud cover and rain, we were blessed with bright, light blue Carolina skies. The sun was shining and people were happy. And Anne and I saw our opportunity! Seed the lawn today, for rain is coming for the next two or three days. NOW is the time! Don’t miss this opportunity!
Laura was on the tractor mower, cutting the lawn before I seeded. Anne was raking or using the power push mower to cut small sections of grass. I was seeding and watching Luke at the same time, careful to keep him away from the mowers. Of course Luke, a little boy being the little boy that he is, would reach in the seeder, grab a handful of seed, and throw it – either on the driveway or in Anne’s 4×4 garden plot – anywhere but the lawn! (Anne doesn’t know this yet but I’ll sure she’ll figure it out when grass starts growing in around her plants). “But, that’s not where it goes Luke”, I told him, “throw it on the lawn. Throw it right here,” pointing to an orange-ish colored bare spot where grass should be.
Then ‘Lil Luke suddenly became afraid of the mowers. Each time either Laura or Anne started the mower engine, Luke would run to me with up-stretched arms and eyes wide with fear.
I worked around Luke while watching over him knowing that mowers were nearby, but always with the goal in mind – gotta plant seed for this is the day! Then it suddenly hit me – “Ken, you said Luke would never get in your way, that he would never become a bother.” And, here I was focusing on the task, not my grandson. Although I didn’t consider Luke a bother at that point, my 20 month old grandson certainly wasn’t my focus.
I changed directions. I picked Luke up and started carrying him while pushing the seeder. It was a challenge, especially given our sloping lawn. But, we talked and giggled throughout the time. And when the wheelbarrow became full with grass clippings, Luke and I jumped at the chance. Here is the result.
I pushed Luke around the yard, eventually dumping the grass in the mulch pile. Luke loved it and so did I.
Just a reminder, people before projects.
Wycliffe Japan Joins the Relief Effort
Wycliffe Japan's members work alongside other church members to prepare a relief truck. (Photo courtesy of Wycliffe Japan)
Many of us watched in horror as the videos and photos of the most recent earthquake and tsunami hit Japan last week. For those of us who have colleagues working in Japan, we were relieved to hear that all of our members are safe so far.
If you are like me, you are probably wondering how you can help and if it will make a difference.Wycliffe Japan has already joined in the relief efforts. They have teamed up with local churches in the area and have already packed up specific items needed in the area hardest hit in Sendai. A local church in Sendai sent them a list with very specific items to send and will be working at dispersing the items they receive.
If you would like to send a donation, you may send it to our Wycliffe USA headquarters and mark it “Japan: Disaster Relief Funds“. Here is the link online where you can donate: http://www.wycliffe.org/Give.aspx
You can get more updates on the situation on either of Wycliffe’s Websites www.wycliffe.net or www.thewordislife.net
Please keep praying! They have a long hard road ahead of them. What a wonderful opportunity for the body of Christ to come alongside those who are hurting so badly.
Would Jesus get a second “grant”?
Rob Martin, from First Fruit, spoke for several sessions. (Photo courtesy of TWR, Benjamin Tangeman)
I (Anne) just came back from Cary, North Carolina where I attended a one and a half day conference titled, “Unhealthy dependency to faith reliance.” It was hosted by Trans World Radio and HCJB (another radio related ministry) but about 27 organizations were represented with myself and one other person from Wycliffe Bible Translators.
It was a challenging two days both personally and for my work. This year alone, we in Wycliffe have been challenged to raise $40 million dollars for our projects world-wide. These projects range from printing a new Bible to AIDS awareness classes held in local churches. 80% of this money will come from the United States.
But when should our brothers and sisters in Christ take over the running of these programs? We in the “west” have made a lot of mistakes. We’ve started programs that others cannot replicate on their own. We’ve created an environment where people expect the west to supply the funds. And The Church world-wide has not learned generosity.
We need to make some changes…and fast. I’m challenged to share this with my pastor and see if we can promote good practices as we serve others…even the poor in our own neighborhoods.
I bought a book while at the conference after hearing the author, Brian Fikkert, speak so well. It’s called, “When Helping Hurts.” The subtitle is, “How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor and yourself.” I have a lot of work to do. How can i share what I learned and try to make changes in a system/model that we’ve used for 100-200 years?
Brian Fikkert said, “How many people would have given Jesus a second grant after his first three years of ministry? What did he have to show for His work? Most of what matters is difficult to measure.”
What is my new measuring stick?
Here is an excellent video on a people who have done this well:
Grandpa’s Sidekick
I love being with my grandson, Luke. I love wrestling with him, reading to him, taking him for walks, and working in the yard, you name it. And he likes it too.
I was washing my car this week and Luke wanted to join in. But you know what happens when toddlers join in. Just cleaned and rinsed areas receive another soapy sponge bath. Clean tires get a dirt bath. You get the picture.
Anne took the pictures of Luke helping me and shortly thereafter, found his “Grandpa’s Sidekick” t-shirt. Talk about making a grandfather proud!
Lord, Teach Us How to Pray
Do you sometimes have difficulty knowing how to pray, what to pray for, or how to pray without repeating the same stuff over and over again? I know I do. And, I suspect I’m not alone. In fact, Jesus’ disciples experienced the same problem and they walked with him.
My brother-in-law, Alan, is a pastor. This past holiday, he gave me the “Bookmark Prayer Card Sampler Pack” prayer cards from NavPress that he had received and thoroughly enjoyed, suggesting that I would too. He was right. They are topical, very specific in their wording, and articulate prayer in ways that I can’t. So, I’ve been reading and praying through them.
We have a holiday tradition where each of us share a special event in our lives over the past year. Esther, Alan’s wife, challenged our children to pick up the torch of Christ and carry it strong. Immediately thereafter, I read one of the prayer cards that addresses that very issue. So I decided to share it because, as my daughters, nieces, and nephews are especially dear to my heart, so is prayer for them. I hope it is helpful and/or challenging to you as well.
I am writing it out in its’ entirety so you have a better idea what I mean. I hope it means as much to you or challenges you in your prayer life as much as it has meant to me and challenged me to pray for my daughters, nieces, and nephews. Read the rest of this entry »
What’s the purpose of life?
Have you ever wondered why you are doing what you’re doing? I have. It was in the mid 70’s when I was working for a major U.S. company. Two of my work colleagues died, the first one week before he retired and the second one week after he retired, that caused me to consider the purpose of life. I was reading the Bible at the same time and came across the Mark 8: 34-36 verses that say, “Then he (Jesus) called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his lifec will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
These verses challenged me to consider my work, my purpose, and my life. It was then I asked God into my life, relocated to Billings, MT and started all over again. God has since led me into missions and, although there were times you could have given me $.50 and a plane ticket and I was “outta here”, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
And here’s why. May I challenge you to click on the link below to watch this video and see how technology is speeding up the process of Bible translation. Providing the technical infrastructure for our national co-translators is the work I’ll be focusing on this year, possibly even installing the BGAN satellites in Africa, India, or other locations in the near future. It’s exciting, give me purpose, and I’m glad I have the privilege of doing what I’m doing!
Welcome!
We are Ken and Anne Haugh, a couple of ordinary people on an extraordinary adventure. We are privileged to be called into full-time ministry serving God in the Bible translation process as members of Wycliffe USA .
Our blog chronicles our ministry experiences, thoughts, observations, experiences, tech stuff, helpful links, and whatever else comes to mind. In addition to this blog we also send out a newsletter several times a year that anyone can request to receive by email and/or snail mail.
Click on the links above to read more about our ministry and our family.
And welcome to our blog!
Birthday Bash
We discovered the secret to staying young. According to Anne’s birthday cake, just stop counting at 29!
29 and holding!
“50 isn’t all that bad” was the theme from the many cards and letters of encouragement Anne received at her 50th birthday party. She received cards from family and friends in here in the States and some from as far away as Germany, Denmark, and Indonesia.
The Haugh Herald 