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African Servants…willingly!

04 Mar
Pastors and farmers learn side by side.

Pastors and farmers learn side by side.

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave..” Matthew 20:26-27

Ken started his training in Bible Translation software. Some of the participants are taking this class for the first time. A few previously took this class and are learning how to teach the class. Training of trainers is the goal.

There is a large mix of people. What has struck me is how they have all humbled themselves to learn this new material.

We have young men who do farming in between Bible Translation. There are trained pastors. There are men who have worked as Civil Servants for many years. Some have had top jobs in the government.

Yet all are sitting behind their computers, learning how to open, close, minimize windows, and start the task of learning a very complicated piece of software.

How often would I put myself in the same situation just so that I could serve God in a new way?

Humble servants. All for the sake of Bible Translation.

Prayer items:

Ken is in day two of teaching. Pray for clear understanding. He usually teaches, has them review a video and then tests each one of them. Rewards come with the class saying, “Well done” and Starbursts and lollipops are handed out to keep things light!

Anne will be taking a village visit tomorrow. Please pray for safe travels as we’ll be out and on the road for 12 hours.

 
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Posted by on March 4, 2014 in Wycliffe Associates

 

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Feels like Home

02 Mar
African Communion

African Communion

Our hosts picked us up early to take us to church. The wife handed me a scarf and said, “You may not know this, but woman must cover their heads during church. I brought you a scarf.”

I was grateful for her forethought, since I knew we would be sticking out already in the service. I know that I am probably making lots of cultural mistakes each day, but it’s nice to be ahead of the game occasionally.

We entered the large meeting room to the singing of the praise group. Four or five young people were singing, accompanied by a keyboard, guitar and drums. “Be thou glorified in me,” they sang over and over. Their harmony was beautiful and I found myself immediately glad to be in the House of God worshipping with my brothers and sisters.

And that it what we are. Family. There is the unmistakable feeling of belonging when you enter a church. While I may not know when to sit or stand, I could feel the Holy Spirit in that place.

Then the offering took place. You know, it’s the awkward moment when the pastor explains once again that it is our duty to give back to God? Except that didn’t happen here. It was just announced and everyone stood up. The music started and in another language everyone was singing something about rejoicing and praising God.

One by one, everyone, and I mean every person in the room, went to the front of the church. All were singing, some were swaying, others were dancing up to the front. They happily placed their offering envelopes in the bag up front and went back to their seats. There was such joy on their faces!

And then, the pastor let loose. He spontaneously started singing some gospel songs and hymns and got everyone going. Faster and faster they sang the songs! Everyone sang louder and the smiles on their faces were huge! By the time we were done, we were out of breath, clapping and falling into our chairs with laughter! What a service!

The sermon followed and was challenging to me. And then came communion. Communion always humbles me before God. Confession of sin, thankfulness for God sending His Son to die on my behalf and then prayer for our family who doesn’t know Jesus as their Saviour.

It doesn’t matter that I am on a continent nearly 9,000 miles from home. This felt like home today.

 
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Posted by on March 2, 2014 in Anne, Ken

 

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African “Firsts”

01 Mar

Our trip to Africa went well. All of our flights were uneventful which is wonderful.

First views: Dry spiky grass, red soil, large rounded hills sprouting up here and there. (Apparently, they just call them “rocks” around here. Big rocks/small hills)

First impressions: Similarities to Indonesia where we previously lived. Lots of people in the city. Traffic. Large malls and tons of small shops. A variety of clothing from jeans and t-shirts to traditional African fabrics and head coverings.

First job: Getting over jet lag so we can do our jobs this next week. I am impressed with how often my husband makes this trip and manages to put in a full day/week/weeks of teaching just after arriving from so far away.

Tomorrow is Sunday, so we’ll go to a local church to worship and then prepare for the coming week.

Please pray for Ken as he tries to decide how to teach this particular class. Some last-minute changes means that he has a different audience with different needs.

Please pray for me (Anne) that I would make the connections and speak to the right people for some good articles. I’m already planning a village visit and will sit in while a Mother Tongue Translator works with his consultant.

Due to low-bandwidth, I may not be able to upload any photos until I get home. If it’s faster in the morning, I’ll try to put one up if I have time.Thank you for praying us here!

 
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Posted by on March 1, 2014 in Anne, Ken, Wycliffe Associates

 

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It’s My Turn!

21 Feb
Visa is in hand!

Visa is in hand!

 

 

My visa has arrived for Africa! Ever since I was a child, I have wanted to visit the huge continent of Africa. Next week I get to accompany my husband to the place he travels to on a regular basis. Ken will be teaching software, and I’ll be writing stories, taking photos and doing some interviews.

Thanks for going with us with your prayers and funds!

For more specific details, please sign up for our newsletter.

 
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Posted by on February 21, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

The Race is On!

11 Feb
Source: blog.syracuse.com

Source: blog.syracuse.com

Did you know that Wycliffe Bible Translators holds races to raise money? Do you know some healthy, energetic people who might be interested in a fun way to shed light on Bible Translation needs? Perhaps you could send a team from your church youth group and have everyone support them. Here are some details and a link below.

When: 3/14/2014 5:00 PM – 3/16/2014 5:00 PM
Where: Tall Timber Ranch, 27875 White River Rd
Leavenworth,Washington 98826
Contact: Kris_Russel@wycliffe.org

Race to 2025:

Wycliffe USA’s Adventure Fundraising Race with Eternal Impact!

Racers: Hike through wilderness territory.  Climb and rappel precarious heights.  Face various challenges along the way to discover a hidden village!  Race to 2025 bridges the adrenaline of adventure sport young people crave and the extreme challenge to which Jesus calls His church – to make disciples of all nations.  Young people are joining the Bible translation cause-praying, advocating, giving, and going.

The Race

Inspired by intense language survey trips conducted by Wycliffe linguists in remote regions worldwide, this race is hosted in the beautiful outdoors of various locations.  Co-ed teams of four race against time and other teams in demanding linguistic and wilderness challenges, all in search of a remote ‘Bibleless’ tribe.  Upon contact, teams share an ethnic meal with villagers, conduct a simulated language survey and race to the finish with valuable linguistic data.  Prior to the race weekend, teams commit to raise a minimum of $2,000 per team ($500 per racer).  These monies go to support Bible translation projects around the world.  Cool prizes are awarded for the most money raised, fastest team across the finish line, and various other categories.  Each night, veteran missionaries engage racer’s hearts and minds with stories of lives spent serving God in tough places, unlocking the fascinating world of language and linguistics.

Shop at Wycliffe!

Shop at Wycliffe!

Are you looking for some unique gifts? Wycliffe has a website with interesting items for sale, ranging from t-shirts to bracelets. Proceeds support Bile Translation. These would be great gifts for family or for a church function where you are highlighting missions. Click here to start shopping.

 
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Posted by on February 11, 2014 in Wycliffe

 

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Greedy with my Abundance

28 Jan

Yesterday’s sermon at our church was so powerful for me. Our month-long series titled “Strapped” has had us looking at what the Bible says about money. We’ve looked at how God sees our money as a tool and a test. We’ve considered contentment in our lives. Yesterday we tackled greed in our lives.

Yikes. At first glance I thought, “I’m glad this is not a problem with ME!” But as our pastor said, “Greed is hard to see in the mirror [in ourselves].”

We looked at the passage in Luke 12:13-21 where the rich man decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to store his “abundance” rather than giving it to others in need.

And then came the illustration…

Our pastor asked, “Who likes chocolate chip cookies?”  Hands went up all over the auditorium. He called a naïve woman named Shelley up on stage who had enthusiastically raised her hand. Our pastor then pulled out two freshly baked cookies on a plate. He talked about how much HE loves chocolate chip cookies and how delicious they are. He then proceeds to eat one in front of the woman (and the rest of us, with stomachs growling, and mouths watering).

Photo Source: easyveganmeals.com

Photo Source: easyveganmeals.com

While eating he talks about how much he’d LIKE to give Shelley a cookie, but he really likes them himself. He wonders, “If I give Shelley this cookie, what will I do if God never provides me with another chocolate chip cookie?” Then he prayed for Shelley and asked God to provide her some chocolate chip cookies, or someone who could share theirs with her.

That was the stab to my heart. What if God doesn’t provide?

How often do I lead my life as if God might not provide? In my effort to “be a good steward” of what God has given me, how often have I held on to my “stuff” just in case God doesn’t provide for me?

In my desire to be frugal, how many times do I come across as being greedy?

How many times am I standing by the person who has a need and instead of taking care of it, I just promise to pray for them?

While I am all about not overspending and “saving for a rainy day,” I’m vowing now to be more generous at the same time, not holding back my “chocolate chip cookies” and trusting that God will continue to be generous to me as He always has been in the past.

Thank you for your generosity towards us. Ken is presently on his way home from his latest travels to South East Asia.

 
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Posted by on January 28, 2014 in Anne, Family

 

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Pat yourself on the back!

15 Jan
Source: inspirationalposter.org

Source: inspirationalposter.org

This just in! 2013 achievements from Wycliffe Associates, the organization that Ken is seconded (lent) to.

*Accelerated the work of Bible translation in 71 countries

  • *Mobilized 3,145 volunteer and staff members to advance the cause of Bible translation throughout the world
  • *Installed 197 Bible Translation Acceleration Kits (BTAKs) in 25 countries for 295 language communities since started installing BTAKs.
  • *Improved hundreds of facilities for Bible translation around the world

Thank you for making these achievements possible!

 
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Posted by on January 15, 2014 in Uncategorized

 

Happy Moments 2013

02 Jan
Happy Moments 2013

Happy Moments 2013

One year ago I wrote a post titled “Keeping a Record.” I had seen a suggestion of keeping a jar on hand and occasionally writing happy moments down and inserting them in the jar. At the end of the year, the papers would be dumped out and read.

We made our jar this year and filled it with different thoughts throughout the year. Yesterday we read them. It was surprising how emotional it was to read over the notes. Some brought immediate tears (Ken’s mom released to heaven pain-free), some were celebrated events (graduations, new jobs) and others brought sigh’s of relief (Anne’s mom lived through a horrific car accident).

It’s a new year and a new jar has been labeled. We’ve put two happy memories in it already. We’re determined to add more memories than last year. It’s good to reflect on God’s goodness in our lives.

Many people make resolutions at this time of year. “I’ll lose 5 pounds and exercise more.” “I’ll call my mother more often.” I’ll turn off the TV and read more.” I’m still formatting mine this year, but I’m dividing them up between “Body, Soul and Mind.”

Ken read a suggestion of coming up with one word which would remind you of your resolutions. It’s easier to remember one word rather than a long list. The word could come from a verse from the Bible. Ken is choosing “Strength” for 2014. It comes from the verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

As we look back on 2013 I feel a little tired! But I also feel so grateful. Grateful for God’s grace that has carried us through the rough times. It gives me hope for 2014.

What are your resolutions this year?

 
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Posted by on January 2, 2014 in Family

 

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Video

Those last four words

20 Dec

Those last four words…

Most people know the story of Jonah in the Bible. Runaway prophet, he ends up spending three days in the belly of a large fish after being thrown overboard by god-believing (small g intentional) sailors.

After having enough of his dark, smelly quarters, he relents and decides to follow God’s instructions to go to the city of Nineveh to warn them of God’s impending judgment. Much to his surprise and chagrin, they repent immediately.

Jonah is ticked off with God. He wanted the evil Ninevites to feel the wrath of God. He’s judgment-oriented and wants people to get what they deserve. But he testifies about the character of God when he says, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”

After Jonah relishes in his self-thrown pity party, God quietly rebukes him, reminding Jonah that he has been concerned about the unimportant things in life (like a dying vine), rather than the 120,000 people of Nineveh that could have died.

Requisite cute animal photo!

Requisite cute animal photo!

And then comes those last four words….

“and also many animals.”

God was concerned that if the people of Nineveh were judged, their animals would suffer too.

God is an animal lover! That warms my heart since I’m pretty crazy about my dog, Brandy.

Cute Brandy photo!

Requisite cute Brandy photo!

But more than an animal lover, God cares about the small ones who can’t help themselves. Isn’t that wonderful?

The work of Bible Translation does the same thing…it attempts to bring the very Words of God to those who can’t get access to it themselves. Some of those people groups are small, just thousands, but if God would lift his hand for just a few thousands Ninevites and their animals, shouldn’t we do the same?

Each month, many of you lift us up in prayer or write a check out on our behalf so that the work of Bible Translation can continue. You must have the heart of God!

So thank you. Just like God’s care of those animals, illustrated by those last four words, you care. And we’re not complaining!

Click here to see Wycliffe USA’s president and his wife say a word of thanks to you too.

 
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Posted by on December 20, 2013 in Video, Wycliffe

 

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Why do we do this work? (Bible Translation)

06 Nov

We have just entered our 24th year of working for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Here is a short video which speaks to our heart and the reason we do what we do. People’s lives are changed!

video

We can’t help but thinking it speaks to yours as well since many of you have stood with us the 24 years we’ve been with Wycliffe. That’s why we’re sharing this with you.

Thank you for being a part of the Bible translation team!

 

http://vimeo.com/74464611

 
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Posted by on November 6, 2013 in Uncategorized

 
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