The Lord gave us a very profitable Consultant Seminar last week. Thanks so much for your prayers. We discussed numerous different issues: successful translation questionnaire, Scripture-in-Use, translation philosophy, collaboration on the internet, wikis, visions and values, literacy, mentoring, Bibleworks, etc. Now we need the Lord’s grace to implement these ideas, and we also need the Lord to send us more workers to help. I feel overwhelmed whenever I think of all that needs to be done, but I’m thankful that the Lord is more concerned about this work that any of us. I’m thankful that He has already sent us more laborers. There were four of us “consultants in training,” and a couple and a young man expressed their desire to begin the application process to join us. In addition, another consultant, Ashley Anderson, was accepted into BMM last month and will join us after she gets married and finishes some more schooling. So we praise the Lord for the help He is giving, but there are still many needs, especially here in the office. The director, Dr. Bernard, is greatly overwhelmed by the many responsibilities that have fallen upon his shoulders, since we have a couple of open manager positions. Please pray!
After the seminar I enjoyed a long weekend in the New York City area. It was good to set aside the responsibilities at Bibles International to enjoy some rest and relaxation. I enjoyed making new friends and seeing the sites of NYC. I was able to take a bus tour on Saturday through Manhattan, and I got to see Ground Zero and the Museum of Natural History on Monday. I am so thankful for the opportunity to present the gospel to a Muslim from Ghana on Saturday. What a joy it was to share Christ with him at the intersection in a very busy city! Please pray for him. He gave me his phone number, so I plan on calling him eventually.
Now I begin the transition back into full-time deputation. I’ve actually not been involved in that very much yet, since I’ve also been trying to keep up with linguistics courses at the same time. But we’ve decided that the bulk of my linguistics training is behind me at this point (Is it really possible that I don’t have to be a student any more?!!!), so now I can concentrate on raising support, except for the occasional trip overseas (to PNG in November, to Haiti in December, to ?? in Jan-Feb). I will be in IL for the next three weeks and then back to Grand Rapids for a week. Then I head to the eastern US for meetings that will take me into Jan. 09.
Please pray for safety, grace to overcome sin and to be effective, and provision. Praise the Lord that my support is now at 30%. Pray that it will increase quickly, because there is so much to do in the ministry, but I can devote so little time to it.
