Category Archives: Partner Organization

A Small Gift from a Giant of a Person

She was in the first Bible translation software course I taught. She stood out in her beautiful, colorful dresses. I remember how much she struggled to learn the material.

She had been sitting in the front row during this entire follow-up course, again struggling to stay abreast of the presented modules. Always wearing a smile, she constantly asked others around her for help, but had a dogged determination to understand the Bible translation software I was teaching.

Today, at the end of the last day of formal instruction, she approached me slowly and whispered in my ear. “I have a little present for you and the other facilitator but,” she said inching a little closer to my ear, “it’s not a lot.” She sounded rather embarrassed. I thanked her quietly, but told her that a gift was not necessary. “I’ll be right back,” she continued and walked off.

Moments later she returned and carefully set a black plastic bag on my table. I carefully opened it to find two green apples. For many, two apples of any color is inconsequential. For her, it was a sacrificial gift of love and appreciation and I was humbled, quickly reminded of the woman in the Bible that gave not out of her abundance, but out of supply.

Sometimes I am frustrated with the lack of progress in our work,  until I return overseas and observe our colleagues diligently serving not with much, but with so very little. And sometimes it takes just an apple to be reminded that our overseas brothers and sisters give not a little, but so very much.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve.

Visa’s can be tricky things. Whether you are coming to the States or trying to visit another country, your approval is in the hands of another government. Rules change day to day. Sometimes there is no explanation for the changes. The whole process is out of our hands. Good thing God is still involved!

So, we wait. Ken has changed his departure day once already. We’re hoping he doesn’t have to do it again. He’s needed somewhere else in one week!

Ken wrote to the national in charge of the workshop where he is planning on teaching. Ken told him that they might need to find another teacher at the last minute. He received a lovely note from this man:

Sorry for all the wahala [trouble] this has thrown you into, the good work you are doing is likely to receive attacks like this, but you are often in our prayers and I am confident that our good Lord will break all fetters and bring you to us. There is no replacement for you and there will never be, uniqueness is a gift from God, I do know that we are what we are and no other person can be we.

So there you have it. The call for more prayer. We are praying for GOD’s WILL to be done. He alone knows where Ken should be in another week.

Thank you for standing with us.

Several years ago I was given a new journal.  I’ve only used about 1/3 of the pages up in three years. I’m terrible about writing down my thoughts on a regular basis.I’m pretty good about doing my devotions most days, and often make note of something that God is teaching me. But after praying about it, it often goes out of my head. How can I make progress if I don’t review what I learned?

There is something about recording and remembering. As I read through the Old Testament, I’m reminded of how many times God has people look back at how He took care of them or the promises that He made to them. He often had them pile up stones so that when they passed by they would remember a covenant. He even used pain, such as “touching” Jacob’s hip, so that he would be reminded of his dream.

God even uses different items to remind Himself! The rainbow that He put in the sky after the flood? It wasn’t for Noah. It was for God. (Check out Genesis 9:13-16).

So if God “needs” reminding, shouldn’t I do the same? Gwen Smith states that when David often looked back too. “His past victories fueled his faith and helped him trust God for his present deliveries.”

Happy Moments!

I saw this idea recently.Take an empty jar, and each time something good happens throughout the year, write it down and put it in the jar. At the end of the year, dump it out and remind yourself of all the good things that happened throughout the year. Some people keep a notebook, and write down one sentence each day. I’ve already made my jar and plan on keeping track this year.

As we start a new year, we are remembering all the ways that you have supported us throughout the last year. We’ve never gone hungry, we have a good roof over our heads, and we live in a peaceful country. We could write each of your names on a small piece of paper and put it in our “happy jar” because we remember you with fondness.

Thank you! Thank you from the Nigerian Bible translators that we serve. Thank you from the mother tongue translators in Southeast Asia we helped. Thank you from the Christians in a huge Asian country we have worked with. We look forward to serving with you another year.