My internet has been down recently, so it wasn’t convenient for me to update my blog until now. I wanted to give a short report on my trip to Grand Rapids last week. The trip was to meet with various parties connected with BI’s projects in Chad, Africa. We currently have 8 projects in that country, but many of them are suffering. They are having difficulties because of the fatigue that ensues from the long, arduous task of Bible translation.
It’s relatively easy to generate excitement about a new project, but to sustain that excitement throughout the 10-20 years of the project is completely another task. The work of Bible translation does not move at the pace of Ussain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who has captured the world’s attention by his record-breaking speeds in the 100-m dash. Rather, it rolls along at the pace of Lance Armstrong, the 7-time winner of the Tour de France. Multiple stages and strenuous obstacles must be overcome. Apparently, many of our projects in Chad are not maintaining a winning pace right now.
Added to that is the most recent loss of a strategic missionary couple. They were BI’s coordinators for the construction of the translation center as well as all the other translation and literacy activity. This comes on the heels of the death of our national consultant, Ouya Bongo. Thankfully, the newest missionary family, the Joshua Hedges family, are set to return back to Chad on January 7, though they had a health setback that brought them back to the States for a few months. Thankfully also, Anna Beth Wivell (www.annabethwiv.com) is on deputation and hopes to arrive in Chad by the end of 2010. She currently has 41% of her support. So we are seeing the Lord raise up laborers to replace the losses, but the losses are still significant.
I praise the Lord that all of the Chaddian missionaries were able to attend the “Chad Summit” last week. I flew in from South Carolina, one flew from Paris, and the others drove from Ohio and Illinois. I also praise the Lord for how He helped us to get all the necessary information on the table and to begin making a strategic plan for each of the projects. We have much work to do, but we are thankful for the progress that we’ve made. Hantz Bernard, Bob Thompson, and Gordon Wyant will be going to Chad in February to work with the translation committees to finalize our strategic plans. Please pray for us as we prepare for this trip and for them as they work with the believers to “revive” these works.
I’m excited about what the Lord is going to do in Chad. Though the laborers seem to be decreasing for a time, I’m praying that the Lord will burden the nationals to take up the slack. I would really like to see the Chad field turn a corner and become more indigenous. BMM has been working with the Chad field since 1920, and there are over 500 churches there, so it’s time for the nationals to assume more responsibilities. Thankfully, many have already done so, but we need additional, qualified men and women to do the work, especially since the projects are primarily THEIRS not OURS. Please pray that the Lord will raise up Chaddians to help get the Word into their people’s hands.
On another note… I have pasted onto the “Translator’s Page” an article I wrote after returning from my trip to Togo, Africa, in July 2009. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be published in some other way, so I haven’t posted it on my blog until now. I plan on writing an article about my trip to Haiti a few weeks ago, but until then, here’s one for your reading pleasure.
Merry Christmas to all my readers!
