January - March 2017 Be strong and courageous

Transcription

1 January - March 2017 Be strong and courageous Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NIV We re starting out with a new page on a new calendar That can be exciting, challenging, or maybe even a cause for apprehension, depending on what s happening in your life. We re also doing something new with Prayer Alive. For the first time, we are sharing prayer requests by electronic means for nearly all of you, either online or by . This new version is simplified, but the need for prayer is just as great as always, and the people prayed for are just as thankful. We greatly appreciate your prayers for the needs shared here. A thought for this first quarter of the year comes from Joshua 1:9, which encourages us to be strong and courageous: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9 NIV). We know we don t go into the future alone because God promises to be with us wherever we go. As you pray for the people and partnerships involved in Bible translation featured in this issue of Prayer Alive, pray for encouragement for the challenging situations in which they find themselves, whatever those situations might be. Ask God to assure each person that He is with them and they are not alone. Thanks for your prayers. During our transition time, Prayer Alive doesn t look like the version you are used to receiving. Please be patient with us as we choose a final format. Thanks! Janet Seever ******************************************************************* Sam and Dolores Wuermli, from Calgary, Alta. (prayed for Spring 2013) Sam and Dolores joined Wycliffe in September Sam is currently working with mobilization, which organizes the Race to 2025 each year to raise the awareness about Bible translation among college-age young people, encourages their participation in missions and raises money for a particular language project. Dolores works as the receipts manager in the finance department. They have two adult children, both of whom are married, and two grandchildren, Sam and Dolores Wuermli

2 with a third one expected. Last year s Race to 2025 weekend in February was the best one yet. There were 17 teams, 68 participants, many volunteers and great excitement in fundraising for the Ndop Cluster project in Cameroon. The race brought in more than $50,000. The results of these events are being seen in the race participants who are attending courses at CanIL, applying for Wycliffe membership, praying for missionaries and Bible translation, plus encouraging friends to do the next race with them. Pray for God s work through the next race to 2025, scheduled for Feb , Pray for the receipts staff who handle the funds that come in for Wycliffe staff and projects. Ask God for one more person to join the receipting team, who can commit to at least three days a week to help with the receipting processes. Praise the Lord with the Wuermlis for the opportunities to connect with a number of people they knew from various locations in the past. Praise the Lord that the Race to 2025 weekend in February 2016 was the best one yet. Praise the Lord for blessing the Wuermlis with the purchase of a home in Crossfield, Alberta. This has been an amazing journey of God s timing, provision and guidance. Praise the Lord with the Wuermlis that their daughter-in-law, Hannah, has been healed of a blood clot she had earlier, and that her baby is on track for the due date of March 25. Their daughter Natashia and husband Josh are expecting a baby on June 20, Pray that the pregnancy will go well. Yves and Christine Léonard, from Montreal, Que. and Calgary, Alta., respectively (Prayed for in Spring 2013) Yves and Christine have been serving Bible translation in Francophone Africa since 1994.They first partnered with the Baka pygmies of Cameroon to produce a story Bible which is told orally, sung, written, and illustrated. Since June 2013, Yves and Christine have been serving Africa remotely from Calgary. In partnership with The Seed Co., Yves makes Christine and Yves Léonard regular trips to Cameroon and other countries in Central Africa as a translation consultant specializing in oral strategies. He is passionate about equipping African translators to be consultants and facilitators for oral Bible storying. Christine facilitates inner healing prayer and develops literacy materials for the Baka. They appreciate your prayers! Pray for Yves in Chad in February and in Cameroon in July He will be in each of these places to train consultants and facilitators in oral translation strategies. Ask God for safe transportation for everyone, and his protection over the workshops, participants, staff and their families. Pray for good camaraderie, fellowship and discipleship through the Word. Pray that the Lord will help these men in their leadership roles and pray that they will grasp the concepts well and produce dynamic Bible stories. Organizing translation workshops for multi-language communities living in remote areas

3 requires an administration miracle every time! Pray for the administration of the work in Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR) and Cameroon. Ask God for His grace on Christine as she holds down the fort when Yves is away. Pray for the Holy Spirit s enabling and direction as Christine continues to learn and practise inner healing/wholeness prayer. Ask for God s healing and freedom in the lives of the people she is ministering to. Pray for discernment as Christine considers taking up some unfinished Baka literacy material projects. Kenji and Sandy Kondo, from Japan and B.C., respectively (Prayed for in Spring 2013) Kenji was born and raised in Japan, and his wife Sandy is from Quesnel, B.C. Kenji served in Wycliffe Canada s headquarters for eight years prior to moving overseas. In 2009, Kenji and Sandy moved to the Philippines to support the media production needs for Wycliffe organizations in Asia-Pacific countries. After a time back in Canada, Kenji and Sandy moved to Japan in December 2012, to assist his ailing parents and work with the sign language Bible translation effort initiated by the Deaf Christians living in the Asia-Pacific area. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, while both of their sons are at school, Sandy's tutor, Akemi, comes to their house in Alberta. It's been a huge blessing to have her tutoring Sandy so she can learn to formulate Kondo family sentences, gain more Kanji knowledge (one of the three sets of Japanese alphabets comprised of thousands of characters), and build church vocabulary. After being on return assignment in Alberta, Kenji, Sandy and two boys plan to return to Japan in April 2017 to serve among Japanese people. After 16 years of working with Wycliffe, they will be doing evangelism under OM (Operation Mobilization). They are thankful for all they have learned through working with Wycliffe. Pray for Sandy s health. She was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a thyroid hormone deficiency. Past blood tests indicate that Sandy has had this problem since However, none of the doctors in Calgary and the Philippines picked up on this deficiency. Pray for a good pregnancy for Sandy, as they are expecting another baby in the summer. Pray that doctors will find the right level of thyroid medication to relieve Sandy s fatigue, feeling cold, dry skin and brain fog. Pray for physical as well as emotional health. Pray that their new evangelism work among the Japanese people will be fruitful.

4 Martin and Chrissy Engeler, from Calgary, Alta. (prayed for in Fall 2012) Originally from Switzerland, Martin has been working with Wycliffe for 31 years, while Chrissy, from Auckland, New Zealand, has been with Wycliffe for 30 years. After spending a number of years in Cameroon where they met, they began working in the Wycliffe Canada office in Calgary in Chrissy serves as the assistant to the vice-president of administration and field partnerships for Wycliffe Canada in Calgary, helping primarily with the aspects of that role that relate to Wycliffe Canada finances. Martin is currently seconded by Wycliffe to OneBook, a funding organization, created to fund and encourage local Bible translators in 11 countries in Africa, Asia and North America, to reach their own people with the good news of Jesus Christ Chrissy and Martin Engeler through Bible translation and literacy. As director of programs for OneBook, he relates to 11 partner organizations and interacts with 40 translation and literacy projects more directly. The Engelers have two adult children, Stephanie and Tony, who are both married. Stephanie and her husband have a 20-month-old son named Jacob. Pray for strength and wisdom for Martin as he makes decisions and interacts with others regarding the programs OneBook is supporting. Pray for clarity of thought and God s guidance as OneBook looks into which countries to expand their work, as 10 translation projects will be completed in Pray for wisdom for Chrissy as she seeks to support the Wycliffe Canada vice president and for balance as she juggles work and family life. Randy and Janine Barnett, both from Brampton, Ont. (prayed for in Spring 2010) Randy and Janine began serving with Wycliffe Canada in 2005 and have been working in Wycliffe s eastern regional office in Toronto since July Janine prepares prayer notes for Eastern Canada prayer groups, and serves as receptionist and media assistant. She would like to see more people inside and outside of Wycliffe make use of the Wycliffe books and videos available, to share what God is doing. Randy is a volunteer co-ordinator with the Wycliffe Canada volunteer management team. He is responsible for volunteer retention and recruitment. This means he thanks volunteers for their service, sends cards for special occasions, and also looks for short-term opportunities for Canadians to serve with Wycliffe Canada s field partners in its Focus Areas. He says, Only with God s help can we be effective in these matches. Randy and Janine have three grown children in their 30s, two of whom are married. They also have four granddaughters, between the ages of one and 12 years. Ask God for His help in the lives of their children and grandchildren as they all grow in the

5 knowledge of the Lord. Ask God s direction for two of their adult children as they consider career options. Pray for God s direction in recruiting Canadians to volunteer for short-term service with Focus Area partners. Randy is chair of the refugee sponsorship committee at their church. Ask for God s timing for the arrival and protection of a Syrian family (mom, dad and a young child) who are waiting for the opportunity to settle in Canada. Belinda Cheng, originally from Hong Kong (prayed for in Spring 2013) Belinda is thankful for God s providence since she left her job in September 2013 and began serving full time with Wycliffe Canada. For her first two years, God fully provided for her financial need. She has constantly shared her prayer update with donors and prayer warriors at her church to keep them informed about her needs. For her first two-year project an exegetical summary for the book of Acts she helped complete the work of volume one, up to chapter 14 of Acts. For her current project, she has joined Wycliffe s church connections team, focusing on the Chinese Diaspora ministry. This is new to her, and she is gradually attempting to connect with Chinese churches through participation in some public events. Belinda Cheng Belinda writes, I have participated in events like the monthly Chinese ministerial fellowship, winter conferences, and missions fairs, where I was able to set up a Wycliffe display booth. I have paid a few church visits, hoping that Kingdom Friendships* can be built over time. The most important of all is to introduce Wycliffe ministry to churches, arousing their awareness of Bible translation needs and the value of this ministry. Belinda is thankful she can be involved in missions courses like Kairos and Perspectives. She is also excited to be a facilitator and to be a part of the missions movement! Pray for Belinda s monthly financial and prayer support, trusting that God's providence will be sufficient. Pray for the church connections ministry. Pray that God will connect Wycliffe and churches to promote Bible translation. Ask God to open the eyes of church leaders to see the need for Bible translation for the Bibleless peoples and the positive work that Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada is doing. Pray that Kingdom Friendships can be formed and field projects needs can be met. *Kingdom Friendship Canadian churches linking with local partners in the field in projects located in Wycliffe Canada s Focus Areas.

6 Kevin and Laurel Penner, from Three Hills, Alta. (prayed for Winter 2013) Penner Family Since January 2003, Kevin and Laurel Penner have worked as linguists/translators among the Ixtayutla Mixtec language group, located in Oaxaca, Mexico. They have three children: Kyle (19), Gabrielle (17), and Daniela (14). The family moved to Three Hills in 2006 to better care for daughter Alyssa, who suffered brain damage at birth and subsequently passed away in January Kevin is currently working on a PhD in linguistics on the Mixtec language they work with and carrying on the translation program remotely. He travels to Mexico each year to work with their Mixtec co-workers on translation and linguistics. Pray for unity among Mixtec translation team members, and wisdom and diligence as they work on drafting the book of Matthew. Pray for Kyle as he attends Capernwray Bible School in England. Pray that his time in England will be a rich one of drawing close to God. Pray that Kevin will have uninterrupted time to work on his dissertation and that he will make good progress. Pray that the Mixtec church s love will abound and that they will understand what it means to follow Jesus daily (Phil 1:9-11). Pray that Kevin will be able get a reliable Internet connection established with the Mixtec cotranslators in the village so they can interact with Kevin on translation. The Cree Initiative Wycliffe Canada Focus Group The Cree Initiative project could serve more than 100,000 people in up to five related Cree language groups located across much of Canada. This effort builds capacity for local First Nations Cree peoples to do Bible translation and promote the use of God s Word in their heart language. It will meet a need expressed by speakers and leaders of the indigenous church in these groups. They have requested technical training and assistance from SIL (Wycliffe s key partner) and the Canadian Bible Society. Speakers of this language cluster live in dozens of communities that are widely scattered and usually isolated, stretching from Alberta to Ontario. The culture in these groups is quite similar, and their languages have grammatical structures that are very much alike. The languages in this cluster include Plains Cree (70-plus communities), Northern Alberta Cree (20-plus), Woods Cree (20-plus), Swampy Cree (20-plus) and Oji-Cree (12-plus). There has been a long history of missionary work among First Nations groups, but speakers of these Cree Initiative languages are hindered by a lack of Scriptures that they can clearly understand. God s Word in their mother tongue will also equip Christians in these Cree communities to

7 address the problems around them, including addictions, suicide, abuse, depression, illiteracy and loss of language and culture. Wycliffe s Bill and Norma Jean Jancewicz are heading up the Cree Initiative. They bring 26 years of experience serving within the Naskapi language group in northeastern Quebec, where local Naskapi staff themselves are now translating and encouraging the use of God s Word. Pray for the people serving in the Cree Initiative. Ask God for a growing Cree team that is unified, healthy and enjoying God s protection. (For more information, prayer@wycliffe.ca.) Pray for more Canadian churches to become involved in this project. Wycliffe Canada facilitates Kingdom Friendships between Canadian churches and field partner organizations engaged in Bible translation around the world. Please write to: church.connections@wycliffe.ca. (Learn more at: friendship.wycliffe.ca.) There is still a need for non-cree personnel to train and advise Cree mother-tongue translators. Other skilled staff are also required in Canada and around the world to support the work of Bible translation. For more information, recruitment@wycliffe.ca. Pray for more workers to join in the work. Pray for funds for the project. Isabel Kerr, from Allison, Ont. Isabel is excited to see what the Lord is doing among the Cuiba people of Colombia. She and her translation partner Marie first met the Cuiba people in July 1965, and the New Testament was completed in Isabel shares the following memories: The Cuiba people were nomadic hunters-gatherers, moving frequently to find wild animals and other foods along the rivers where they travelled. They suffered due to lack of medical care or their fear of seeking help. They did not have a written language, didn t read or write or speak Spanish, didn t recognize themselves in a picture and did not have money. They were very excited Isabel Kerr when we first set up schools in the village to teach them how to read their language. Today, they have four elementary and high schools in the village with five Cuibas teaching. There is now a large computer centre building in the village. Praise the Lord that the number of Cuiba people attending church has increased. Pray that the people can soon complete the walls on the new church. Thank the Lord that the four Cuiba couples studying at the Bible institute run by Swiss missionaries are excited about their studies and their home assignments in the village, where they are to put into practice what they have learned in school. Three couples completed their studies in June 2016 and have returned home to help Pastor Tsepe. The fourth couple completed their studies and graduated recently.

8 Natasha (Schmale) and Andrés Ramirez, from Winfield, Alta. and Colombia (prayed for in Fall 2013) Natasha studied photojournalism at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology before working as a freelance photographer and volunteering with Wycliffe Canada s communications team. Discovering the value of Bible translation, the role of journalism in missions and seeing a need that she could meet, Natasha made the transition to a full-time position with Wycliffe in July Frequently travelling on photo-gathering trips, Natasha Andrés and Natasha Ramirez and her camera have journeyed to Bangladesh, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana and Canada. Most recently she travelled to Kingfisher Lake, Ont., where she did photography on the Cree Initiative for the current issue of Word Alive. In the past year and a half, Natasha has taken on more of a role as a mobilizer for Alberta, and spends much of her time visiting and speaking on college campuses and meeting with students, introducing young adults to the work of Wycliffe, and encouraging them to see how they can be part of building God's Kingdom. We all have a part to play! says Natasha. Pray for Natasha as she travels with Wycliffe writers to remote areas gathering stories and photos. Ask for the Lord s protection over her. Thank the Lord that He has protected her on past trips. Thank the Lord for the contribution Natasha is making to the communications and mobilization departments. Pray for Natasha as she interacts with students and youth, for both creativity and opportunities to have meaningful and challenging conversations. Thank the Lord for a successful photo-gathering trip to the Oji-Cree community of Kingfisher Lake in October. Give thanks for the men and women among the Cree First Nations who are so eager to translate Scripture into their local language. Pray for Hope in the Dark, a charity that Andrés and his friend started in Colombia. Pray that God will continue to use it to bring hope and the truth of the gospel to children and their families, who are trapped in poverty, abuse and lies. Also pray for the local churches, as the prosperity gospel runs rampant throughout Latin America. Pray for Natasha as she raises her support that has decreased significantly in the past year. Pray for God s provision and others to partner in her work with Wycliffe. Thank God for His faithful provision! Pray for Andrés and Natasha as they continue to build and grow their marriage. May they continue to learn to make their home the primary place where they live out the gospel.

9 Elaine Bombay from Brantford, Ont. (Prayed for in Spring 2013) A lot of interesting and exciting things happen because of Bible translation, says Elaine Bombay. Without someone telling those stories, no will know about them. Photojournalists tell those stories through words and images, so the global church can be informed and be involved. The stories are used by Wycliffe organizations to communicate and mobilize their constituencies. After joining Wycliffe in 1998, Elaine worked in Cameroon and Chad, and then in Kenya where she he served as the communications and prayer co-ordinator for the Africa Area of SIL, Wycliffe s key partner organization. In 2013, she returned to Canada, where she studied photojournalism for two years. She doesn t yet know where she will be travelling in 2017 as a photojournalist with the Wycliffe Global Alliance. Because their Elaine Bombay communications team is spread out across the globe, they don t get to see each other face-to-face very often. They will be having team meetings in Thailand in February. Her team leader will decide what stories she will be working on this year. Elaine will be based in Canada, but travelling for story assignments. Pray for Elaine s health. She struggles with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and sciatic pain on a daily basis. Some days are better, but no days are good. Pray for grace and stamina for each day. Pray for creativity and wisdom so the stories Elaine tells will not just inform people, but lead them to glorify God for what He is doing in language communities around the world. Pray that Elaine can settle into the community where she is living. She is a missionary kid. Her family moved to Canada when she was nine, and since then she has lived in numerous places. Now that she is planning to stay for a while in the community she is in, Elaine wants to put down roots. Beat and Robyn Kunz, from Switzerland and Calgary, Alta., respectively (prayed for in Winter 2010) After joining Wycliffe in 1995, Robyn taught missionary kids in Cameroon from 1995 to There she met her husband, Beat, who had joined Wycliffe in 1993 as a trained linguist. They were married and worked in Canada before returning to Africa with their first child in Since that time, they have lived and worked in the Kunz family Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Switzerland, and most recently, Chad. From 2010 to 2016, Beat served as director for language development at SIL Chad. Robyn coordinated children s education and prayer, co-ordinator, and also works in Chadian Arabic literacy.

10 Their main focus was, in partnership with nationals, enabling them to have an ever-growing influence and responsibility in making Bible translation, literacy, multi-lingual children s education and related activities available to their respective language communities. Robyn and Beat returned to Canada in June 2016 so their children can finish high school. They are now serving with Wycliffe Canada, helping churches in Canada identify and engage with churches across the globe for mutual encouragement and development of Kingdom Friendships. The Kunzes have three children: Tabea (17), Simeon (16), and Nadja (15) who are all attending a local Christian high school in Calgary. Pray for the Kunz family as they transition in Canada. Praise the Lord for their safe arrival in Calgary last June and the purchase of a house. Thank the Lord for the new activities and relationships which await them. Pray for the renewal and strengthening of old relationships, and that they wouldn't miss anything that the Lord has for them during this new season in their lives. Pray for Beat as he travels in his work with field relations and for Robyn as she manages the home front. Pray for their children as they make new friends, adjust to new routines and take on new activities. Serious Health Problems A few Wycliffe Canada members and retired members are dealing with serious health issues. Please pray for God s healing touch and encouragement for the following people. Paul Arsenault Thanks for praying for Paul s tendonosis in his arms. A new medication has reduced the pain significantly and restored the use of his hands so he can use a computer and do handwriting. Pray for complete healing. Dave Jeffery ALS. His right hand and arm continue to weaken, but so far the rest of his body is unaffected. Jack Newton (retired) idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Keith Kerr, Geert De Koning, Darrel Yoder continuing prayer is appreciated for these Wycliffe alumni who suffer from various health problems. Evangeline Birtles She has continuing health needs around Lyme disease and other chronic health concerns. Praying for Key Personnel Needs in Canada There are a number of new members in the pipeline who are much needed to fill key positions, and are working to develop their financial partnership before they can join us. Others are already working in their positions, but still need to raise their full support quota as set by Wycliffe Canada and fully develop their partnership teams. Pray that the Lord will provide for the financial needs of each of these key people and prayer and financial partners for each one.

11 Yes, you can become engaged in prayer via the Internet! Here s how: Read Prayer Alive online at <prayeralive.wycliffe.ca > (Issues posted online don t cover individuals working in sensitive areas.) Would you like to have access to more worldwide Wycliffe prayer requests? Go to to read Prayer Focus, which is updated bi-weekly by Wycliffe International. Linking the Canadian Church with the World s minority language groups, to see community transformation through Bible translation, use of translated Scriptures, mother-tongue literacy and education St NE Calgary, AB T2E 6K prayer@wycliffe wycliffe.ca