Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash
I’ve been reading the Minor Prophets the last couple of weeks. Lots of gloom and doom mark these pages! Warnings, threats and more warnings from different men across the ages.
It must have been hard to be a prophet. I’m not sure I could have done it. I want to be liked too much!
But what has struck me this time reading is the love and hope that comes across from each of them save Jonah (recently called “The very worst prophet”).
Hosea 1:10 God, through Hosea, reminds people of His covenant with His people which will not be broken: “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured…”
Joels 2:13 implores them to “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from seeing calamity.”
Amos repeats the phrase from God “…yet you have not returned to me” over and over again, but then calls out “Seek me and live!”
This is the kind of follower of God that I want to be. While I want to warn, I really want to love.
Giving people God’s words in their heart language is one of the best ways I can love people.
Thank you for your continued support both prayerfully and financially that makes this possible!!
Tags: Minor Prophets, Tough love, Wycliffe Bible Translators
Jaars in Waxhaw, NC
Our partner organization, Jaars, has 4 days a year that they open up for a great touring experience for the whole family! You can also come daily for a tour in the morning, but Jaars Day is the best way to see their facilities.
Here are some of the things you can do that day:
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Watch a pilot demonstrate the precision and skill needed to operate a mission airplane or helicopter overseas.
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Come see how people get Internet in the rainforest. Record your voice into the JESUS film.
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Learn how God’s Word is changing lives, how Internet access helps translation work, and much more.
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Chat with JAARS people on our campus. They’re pilots, software developers, boat captains, trainers, translators, and more—people who’ve served all over the world. And they all have stories.
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Hop into a missionary plane or helicopter. Or pile into a four-wheel-drive vehicle and enjoy our off-road course. Either way, you’ll get a taste of how Bible translators reach remote villages. Come early! Rides in both aircraft and the vehicle course are limited, and tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. (waiver required)
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Visit our museums to take a close look at the heart of our work: language, culture, and Bible translation. Come trace the history of writing. Or learn the importance of minority languages, and how former Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas made a difference. Check out the newest exhibit about Scripture Celebration.
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Shop at our gift shop and take home a souvenir of your day at JAARS. Your gift shop purchase helps JAARS make Bible translation possibleCome June 9, 2018 from 9am-4pm!
Check out these Bible portions that were dedicated in April 2018!
You helped with this!
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Garap New Testament dedicated on March 31, 2018.
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Location: Chad
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Population: 12,000
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Ramuki* New Testament dedicated on April 7, 2018.
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Thudanga* New Testament dedicated on April 8, 11 and 18, 2018.
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Location: South Asia
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Population: 500,000
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Vagla Bible dedicated on April 21, 2018.
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Location: Ghana
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Population: 16,000
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Lemi New Testament dedicated on April 24, 2018.
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Location: Myanmar (Bible Society of Myanmar)
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Population: 20,000
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Koromfé New Testament dedicated on April 28, 2018.
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Location: Burkina Faso
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Population: 196,000
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Soli New Testament dedicated on April 28, 2018.
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Location: Zambia
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Population: 54,400
For the second year in a row, Wycliffe USA “has been recognized on Forbes’ 2018 list of America’s Best Midsize Employers, ranking No. 310 out of 500 companies.” We find it a great organization to serve!
Thank you for partnering with us to make a difference in the world ending Bible Poverty!
Tags: JAARS, Wycliffe Bible Translators
Bible.com
This just in from Wycliffe USA:
Marketing has created a new, 7-day YouVersion devotional called “Dinner with Jesus” to go along with our quarterly theme, Feasting on Scripture.
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Jesus often used meals to engage with people and teach important lessons. And he continues to call us to his table to feast on who he is and learn more about him through his Word. Jesus’ example provides an opportunity to invite friends, outcasts and even enemies to know God’s story of love and salvation.
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You can find “Dinner with Jesus” by searching the YouVersion app or accessing the devotional online at Bible.com. Be sure to share the devotional with your family and friends too!
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Tags: BIBLE, Wycliffe Bible Translators
Didinga Men (Source: Africa Inland Mission)
Join with us in praising God for these March 2018 Bible Dedications! If you do the math, that is nearly 300,000 people who now have access to God’s words in their own language! Words like, But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, from Romans 5:8!
Thank you for your prayers and finances which made this possible!
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Didinga New Testament and Old Testament portions dedicated on March 3, 2018.
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South Sudan
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Population: 60,000
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Ngomba New Testament dedicated on March 16.
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Cameroon
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Population: 120,000
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Avatime New Testament dedicated in Volta area on March 17.
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Tonac Mixtec* New Testament dedicated on March 18.
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Mexico
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Population: 45,000
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Modla* New Testament dedicated on March 24.
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Americas
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Population: 14,300
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Baeggu New Testament dedicated on March 24-25.
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Solomon Islands
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Population: 10,000
*pseudonym
Tags: Dedications, Wycliffe Bible Translators
Jaars airplane just waiting to be washed!
A job was posted this past week at Jaars. Jaars is a non-profit ministry associated with Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL. They aid in finding solutions in transportation, technology, media and training for the Bible Translation task.
There are many jobs at Jaars. Pilots, Vernacular media trainers, nurses, drivers and food service to name a few. But the recent job posting caught my eye.
“Airplane Washer”
At first I thought it was a cute joke. They do have airplanes at Jaars. Because we live only 1.5 miles from their campus we hear and see small aircraft taking off and landing there all the time. But do they need to be washed down?
Apparently, they do.
Brief Description:
This employee will work under the Aviation Manager and Flight Coordinator at the JAARS Center located south of Waxhaw, N.C. This is a part-time, “as needed”, position.
Major Job Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
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Demonstrate a deep and growing walk with the Lord Jesus that includes your personal growth and the ability to support others in their spiritual growth.
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Embrace the vision, mission and core values of JAARS, and help us live them effectively across all facets of the organization.
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Must view this position as a ministry.
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Must be 17 years of age or older.
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Must be dependable, detailed, careful and have the ability to follow instructions well.
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Be available when aircraft are available to be washed.
When we share with groups, we usually tell people that God can use anyone with any of their gifts in the Bible Translation Task.
This kind of proves it.
Let me know if you’d like to apply for the job.
Tags: JAARS, Wycliffe Bible Translators
Graduation watch
I lifted the side flap on the canvas lunch bag. The pocket was empty. I had stashed my phone, car keys and watch in there when we went to the beach. I unpacked the trunk of the car. Soggy, sandy towels, sandy beach toys, and sandy half-eaten lunches rounded out the contents. Where was my watch? I know I had put it carefully in this pouch, but now it was no longer there and no where to be found.
I dumped out my entire purse and pawed through wallet, receipts, gum wrappers and warm lip sticks. No watch! I guess it’s possible I put it somewhere else….but I knew I hadn’t.
We all showered the salt water off of our bodies, wrung out our bathing suits and got dressed for dinner. When I told my family about the missing watch, everyone jumped up and helped me search through the car trunk and under the seats, several times asking about the last time I had seen the watch. The watch had been given to me as a graduation gift from my family for finishing my degree just last year. It was special to ALL of us. My eyes filled with tears thinking that it might be gone forever.
The tide had been coming in when we had left the beach a few hours earlier. Upon arriving to the beach we had placed our towels about 100 feet from the edge of the water. By the time we left, it was a mere 5 feet away from our gear. No one remembered anything being left on the sandy beach. If it was on the beach, it was now under the salty water and undoubtedly ruined.
The only place it could be was the parking lot where we had left our car. “Let’s drive back before getting dinner. It’s only 15 minutes away,” my husband said. I was relieved that he had suggested it knowing how hungry everyone was and not wanting to delay our dinner any more.
We drove the 15 minutes in silence. I was silently praying for a miracle. When we arrived at the parking lot, three people on bicycles were resting at the entrance of the parking lot where we had recently parked. All three were in our way, in the exact spot where we needed to stop. Ken courteously waved them by and two of them moved on. The third person waved us through. Ken pulled in to the left of where we had parked our car. The parking lot was nearly empty. We all anxiously jumped out of the car, heads down, frantically scouring the ground for the watch.
At the same time, the woman on the bicycle came driving over toward us. “Are you looking for…..” Her sentence was cut off as I pounced on my watch, its gleaming silver edge protruding from the sandy driveway. The watch had been run over and was on level with the soil which was, thankfully, sand! I couldn’t even speak! I just held it out in disbelief and joy!! “I saw it just as you arrived“, the woman shouted, joyful as well that we found my prize possession! We yelled our thanks as she drove off.
Our eight-year-old grandson was so pleased and surprised. Unbeknownst to me, he and his Papa had prayed together that the Lord would lead us to the watch minutes before we departed on our search. He was able to see the answer to his prayer in 15 short minutes.
We prayed AND we looked! Two actions. What would have happened if we had only prayed? What if we had just looked? I’m not sure what the results would have been. Had we delayed even 30 seconds later the watch would have been innocently picked up by one of the bicyclists and carried home. We would never had known its story.
This reminds me about the woman in the Bible who had 10 coins and loses one. She lights a lamp, searches for the coin, then rejoices when she finds it. We don’t read that she prayed, but she looked and she celebrated as we did. Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Every month several people groups receive the Bible, newly translated, in their own language. It may not previously been prayed over by the people, since they didn’t know what they were missing, but someone prayed over that language. Someone worked and gave them the ability to find out the way of salvation. It is theirs for the choosing. And when they find it, there is rejoicing in the presence of angels.
Thank you for making that possible. You do it month after month. Your prayers, your gifts, your hope, your action.
Tags: Wycliffe Bible Translators
Translating Accurately
Do you think translating is easy? Why can’t we use a computer to just translate the Bible word for word in all of the languages we work in?
Check out this very short video here to see what it takes to accurately translate God’s Word into the language that speaks to people’s heart!
Your gifts allow us to continue in this work! Thank you so much!
Everyone parent and every child knows “the Look.” You know, when the child is fidgeting in church and you turn to them and “look” at them? Or maybe it’s at the dinner table! Everyone is holding hands so you can pray and then two kids start arguing because one is squeezing the hand of the other too hard? They get “the Look” from the parent.
Stop.
Cut. It. Out.
It might look like this:
Credit: Dreamstimes.com
Or this:
Credit: business2community
When my dad gave me “the Look” or when my husband gave our girls “the Look” they usually stopped what they were doing immediately and settled down. While each of us love our children immensely, sometimes we don’t love their behavior. “The Look” gets them back on track.
In John 18, we read the account of Peter who denies Jesus three times when asked if he was a follower of Jesus. The book of Luke (22:61-62) records that Jesus “looked straight at Peter” after he refused to admit three times to others that he was a follower of Jesus.
The difference between my parenting look and this look of Jesus was that this was not a gesture of condemnation. Instead, it was one of complete love and of one who knew Peter’s heart. He knew that Peter loved Him deeply, he knew that Peter would deny Him (he had warned him), yet he still loved him.
What struck me again was the difference between Peter’s remorse over his sin and Judas’ actions after he had turned Jesus in. While Judas immediately ran out and hung himself, Peter didn’t. He wept bitterly, but he still came to the place where Jesus was hung on a cross. We know from later chapters and church history that Peter went on to be a great leader and writer in the church.
Why the difference?
Because one had a relationship with Jesus and the other didn’t. Judas hung out with Jesus and looked like he was a disciple of Him, but his heart had never really changed. He was the same sinful Judas, whereas Peter spent the same amount of time with Jesus and had a changed life. Yes, he was loud and impulsive (sounds like me) but little by little, he turned different areas over to the Lordship of his Savior.
We don’t have the privilege of physically walking and talking with Jesus, but we do have the Holy Spirit with us here on earth who guides us as we have a relationship with the entire Trinity.
We have been given God’s very words to read and study so we can learn from people like Judas, Peter, and even Jesus Himself. That’s why we are committed to getting God’s Word in to the hands of the Bibleless people of the world!
Who will you be today? Choose to be a Peter…a follower…a sojourner. Then when you get “the Look” you’ll know it is one full of love, not condemnation, and you too can look forward to the day when you see Jesus face to face.
Tags: Wycliffe Bible Translators
We were gifted a few days at the beach last week, so I practiced my doodling while walking alone one morning.
Thanks for praying as Ken spends two weeks in our Orlando, FL office. He’ll be serving our members who are on furlough as they get refreshed and cared for at our home office.
The Haugh Herald 