Give Thanks to the LORD

Transcription

1 July - August 2017 Give Thanks to the LORD Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Isaiah 12:4b NIV ****************************************************************************** We thank the Lord for you, our prayer team, and for the many prayers you have prayed on behalf of Wycliffe Canada over the years. I have enjoyed sharing information and prayer requests with you during the time I have served as editor of Prayer Alive since fall We have now reached the point where Prayer Alive is transitioning from its current form that goes out every three months to a much shorter weekly , which is now being developed. This new Prayer Alive will contain different types of content each week. These will include devotionals, prayer items from field projects, prayer requests from individual Wycliffe missionaries, and information that will encourage you to pray in different ways. All of this content will continue to help you be equipped as a called community of pray-ers with Wycliffe Canada and the Bible translation movement. Other writers will be joining me and sharing their expertise. In this issue of Prayer Alive, you will be praying for people who serve in a wide variety of roles people working with the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) where students are trained for linguistics work; new members who have just joined Wycliffe; and people involved in translation, member care, teaching, and international administration. All have vital roles to play in providing God s translated Word for those who do not yet have it. Thanks for your prayers! Your prayers are making a difference. Janet Seever, editor ******************************************************************************

2 Danny and Ranette Foster, CanIL President and Assistant, Langley, B.C. Danny and Ranette Foster have been members of Wycliffe Canada since They spent nine years, from 2004 to 2012, in East Africa training Ugandans and Tanzanians in Bible translation, linguistics and literacy. They were also involved in the design and implementation of a cluster strategy for the region, which led to the start-up of Bible translation work for 19 language communities in three Tanzanian provinces! From 2012 to 2013, the Fosters lived in the U.K. where Danny began a PhD in education at the University of Bristol. In 2014, Danny became president of the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL). CanIL s main purpose is to recruit and train people to join the global Bible translation movement. Degree programs in linguistics are now offered at both Trinity Western University in British Columbia and Tyndale University in Ontario. CanIL enrolment for the 2017 summer session is up significantly! Danny is delighted that God is moving in the hearts of young people and challenging them to step up to this awesome task. Give thanks to God for bringing so many people to CanIL for training. Pray for them to succeed! Pray for CanIL s fundraising efforts. With the increased enrolment, they will need to raise between $400,000 and $500,000 this year to maintain the level of financial aid they are currently giving to CanIL students. This helps the students graduate with little or no debt and get to the field more quickly. Pray for Danny s research and studies. Balancing the tasks of leading CanIL and working on a PhD has become one of the biggest challenges he has ever faced! Justin and Tammy Hettinga, from Saskatoon, Sask. and Chilliwack, B.C., respectively (prayed for in Fall 2012) Serving with Wycliffe for 20 years, the Hettingas went to Peru in 2000 as adult literacy specialists to work among the Quechua people. There they helped several indigenous organizations develop sustainable literacy and Bible translation programs. In 2007 Justin completed his MA in NGO leadership from Trinity Western

3 University, done mostly via distance learning while in Peru. After completing their project in the summer of 2010, they moved to Wycliffe Canada s headquarters in Calgary, where they served on the leadership/administrative team for six years. Since May 2016, Justin has been working as the Americas Area director for SIL, Wycliffe s main field partner, which involves giving leadership to all of SIL s work in North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean. Tammy is his administrative assistant, as well as working as a part-time receptionist for Wycliffe Canada. Although their roles have changed over the years, their vision remains the same: to see that all peoples on earth have access to the Word of God in their mother tongue, enabling them to know God and converse with Him in a language that best speaks to their hearts. A challenge Justin faces is leading change with the 400+ people in SIL Americas, stretching from Canada to Argentina. One of the many shifts of the work is from Bible translation being led by outside missionaries to being led by local churches. Justin writes: One of the most exciting things in the Americas is being able to see the completion of New Testaments and whole Bibles, almost on a monthly basis. Most of these represent at least a couple of decades of dedication and hard work, some over half a century. He continues: Many of you have been praying for our son Caleb, who was injured in a serious sledding accident on Canada Olympic Park's bobsled track in February The accident resulted in a crushed face, loss of vision in his right eye, and a fractured occipital condyle (base of skull). It also took the lives of two of his close friends, Evan and Jordan Caldwell. It s been quite the journey to recovery, both physically and emotionally, and the journey is far from over. So far Caleb has undergone seven facial reconstructive surgeries, with more to come. He also requires extensive dental work, which will begin soon. We are thankful that Caleb is otherwise healthy and moving on with his life. His positive attitude and deeplyrooted faith in God, despite all he s been through, has been an inspiration to so many people. Thank you for your prayers. Pray for Caleb in this emotional and physical journey to recovery. Pray for successful surgeries/procedures, wisdom for all the medical experts involved, and that God will be glorified through it all. Caleb has been working as a swim instructor/lifeguard and will attend Ambrose University in September. (Caleb is on the right in the family photo.) Pray for the Hettingas youngest son Jesse, who will be graduating from high school in June and plans to take a gap year to travel. Ask God for wisdom and guidance for his future. Pray that Justin will be a humble servant leader and will listen well to those he leads. Pray for God s guidance for Justin. Pray that God will raise up many Latin American Bible translators. Pray that their churches will support them well and send them out. Pray for unity in the global Bible translation movement. Today there are hundreds of organizations involved.

4 Larry and Kim Hayashi from Langley, B.C. (prayed for in Winter 2012) Larry is originally from Edmonton, Alta., while Kim grew up in California and Oregon. The Hayashis now live in Langley. Serving with Wycliffe for 29 years, Larry began working at the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) in 2001, where he teaches linguistics and serves as the assistant vice-president of administration. In this latter role, he oversees the directors for the admissions and recruiting department, and the communications department. He also serves as director of the summer session at CanIL. Larry writes, The Lord has blessed the work of our recruitment and communications teams. Our summer session has record enrolments for introductory courses! We are bursting at the seams for these classes. Many of these students will be staying beyond summer to complete a training track or degree program. In April, a number of faculty and students completed a Participatory Methods for Engaging Cultures workshop, where they learned a variety of techniques to encourage communities to own, engage with and actively participate in language development and Bible translation. Larry s wife, Kim, meets with students to listen, encourage, mentor and pray, helping to build community and providing input into the spiritual life of the students. The Hayashis have two adult children. Anna is married to Josh and doing a graduate degree in geography at University of Victoria, and Matthew is studying business at Trinity Western University. The Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL) has a maximum number of students for the introductory courses of linguistics for the summer session. Thank the Lord for increasing workers for His harvest. Pray for Larry as he directs the summer session. Pray that the students will succeed in their studies and hear God s call on their lives. Pray for an increase in the number of people partnering with the Hayashis so they can continue to effectively serve with Wycliffe. Their level of support is currently at 60 per cent. Pray for the Lord s comfort for Kim's family as her dad, Jay, passed away in May due to cancer. Matt and Caitlin Windsor, from Vancouver Island, B.C. Matt and Caitlin grew up in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, where they met at a local youth group. Matt has wanted to work for Wycliffe ever since he was 15. When he became

5 a believer, he immediately felt a deep connection with the Bible God s way of speaking to all His people throughout all time and across all cultures. One of Caitlin s biggest gifts is encouraging other people in their walk with God, and she always considered that as a Christian she would be a missionary wherever she lived. God has called them to work among First Nations people in Canada. The work they will be doing includes training local Bible translators, collaborating with them in translation, developing literacy materials for mother-tongue education, and generally helping communities plan for the future of their language. In fall 2017, Matt and Caitlin will begin an eight-month internship with the Naskapi Nation in Kawawachikamach, Que. Over the past 30 years, the Naskapi have worked on translating the New Testament for their community, with Wycliffe s Bill and Norma-Jean Jancewicz acting as facilitators. The Naskapi are continuing work on the Old Testament, and have already published Genesis. Matt and Caitlin will be providing support to the Naskapi Old Testament project, while the Naskapi translators help them gain experience working in an indigenous language and culture. After their internship with the Naskapi, the Windsors will move to another linguistically related First Nations community that is just beginning a new Bible translation. This will most likely be the Kingfisher Lake First Nation in Ontario, where motivation is high to translate the entire Bible into their language, Oji-Cree. The community has already selected individuals to be trained as translators; they are starting to draft sections of the New Testament. The Windsors have a baby daughter named Hazel. Pray that God will give them wisdom as they parent their baby daughter Hazel on the road and that He will help them adapt to Naskapi culture together as a family. Pray that God will give them clarity of vision for their time with the Naskapi First Nation, for how they can best serve the community during their time there and what community they can best serve after their internship. Pray for the Naskapi and Oji-Cree translators and their families. Many of them continue to persevere through health and family challenges, and balance other important demands on their time as they continue to bring God s Word to their communities. Karen Block from Saskatoon, Sask. (prayed for in Summer 2013) Working with Wycliffe since 1988, Karen arrived in Southeast Asia in She now works as a member care provider. Part of her role includes serving on the pastoral care team at a member care/counselling centre. It s a challenge to have her colleagues spread over five countries and coming from many sending countries and cultures. They work in several distinct Asian cultures, which is also a challenge. Karen loves seeing people journey with God and grow in their relationship with Him. As a single person, her main concerns are for her father who is in a lot of pain, and her siblings who face various challenges in their lives.

6 Karen s current visa sponsor is changing the counselling centre is applying for its own status as a foundation. Pray for favour in the eyes of governing officials. The counselling centre is moving to a new and larger building because the group is growing. Pray for the staffing, as some of the staff is new, and they are losing one staff member. The counselling centre has a constant stream of Christian cross-cultural workers coming for help. They process life with the help of debriefers and clinical counselors. Pray for Karen who is involved in offering debriefing, spiritual direction and retreats. Pray for wisdom and clarity and for deep spiritual renewal each day so she can serve from an overflowing heart. In the region of the world where she is serving, there are a lot of people in the five countries where the SIL group (a close partner with Wycliffe) is working. Pray for the new members who are engaged in language learning, settling into Asian cultures, and especially the single men in their group. Men are a very small minority and need special ways to build community in these cultures. Many in the group are isolated geographically and others are surrounded by many other expatriates. Both situations bring a unique set of challenges. Pray for those who Karen has been privileged to journey alongside of in special ways mainly as a person to process life with. Pray for wisdom, for her to always be able to point them to the Father, Jesus and the Comforter for all their needs and struggles. Pray for creative ways to encourage their well-being in terms of Master Care (their growing experiential knowledge of God), self-care (growing understanding of themselves and how to cope) and mutual care building community here and maintaining community at home. Maria Mach, from B.C. colleagues work together to: Prior to joining Wycliffe Canada, Maria practised law in Abbotsford, B.C., for five years. She enjoyed problem-solving and helping people work through challenging situations. However, God gave Maria a burden for people who do not yet have the Bible in their own language. Initially reluctant to leave her job, she felt God was asking her: If you were the person who didn't have God s Word, wouldn't you want others to help bring it to you? God led Maria to join Wycliffe, where she uses her skills and knowledge to facilitate Bible translation, bringing God s love to those without hope. Maria provides administrative support to Wycliffe Canada s People section (human resources department.) Five hundred workers including members and volunteers serve with Wycliffe Canada in 51 countries worldwide. Maria and her screen new applicants and prepare them to serve with international partners offer care to members and their families in times of transition or crisis maintain personnel records and keep policies and procedures current celebrate with staff as they reach landmarks in their ministry.

7 Maria is also the legal officer for Wycliffe Canada, helping ensure compliance with Canadian law and minimizing liability. Praise the Lord that Maria has sufficient prayer and financial partners to begin work in the Calgary office. She moved to Calgary in April. Thank the Lord that Maria passed bar exams again and that the B.C. Law Society reinstated her membership in January. Pray that her application to join the Alberta Law Society will be accepted without difficulty. Pray that Maria will be able to access medical treatment that is difficult to obtain. Marilyn Schmitt, from Elmwood, Ont. After joining Wycliffe Canada in 1995, Marilyn moved to Burkina Faso in She knew God had called her to serve in Africa, so chose a hot and dry country rather than a hot and wet place because she thought the snakes would be smaller. (They were!) During the 17 years she served in Burkina Faso, she saw many national colleagues trained and taking leadership in the Bible translation task. Translated Scriptures are being made available in digital format that is downloadable to cell phones and nearly everybody has one or two of those! Marilyn then returned to Ontario to get her OHIP card renewed. She transitioned out of her roles in Burkina Faso and into the applications department of Wycliffe Canada. I have the best job in Wycliffe! writes Marilyn. Since 2014 I have served as applications adviser to people from the Prairies and Canada-East whom God has called to invest their lives and skills in making His Word available to Bibleless people. Applicants bring their competence, confidence and passion for languages and Bible translation; I get to help them align that enthusiasm with Wycliffe Canada's vision and strategy. She helps applicants pursue pre-field orientation that will equipment each one to serve effectively, and she gets to coach them while they build a team of prayer and financial partners. What hope and joy! she says. She also says she has the most difficult job in Wycliffe. Sometimes I have to dig in secret closets and expose old stuff that would undermine successful ministry, she explains. Sometimes I have to say no or wait when the way isn't clear or the doors won't open. Sometimes I have to say goodbye to people heading off to where the risks are bigger than any I've faced. Faith holds us steady. Pray that translated Scriptures in Burkina Faso will inspire hope and build faith. Praise God for 26 people in various stages of the Wycliffe application process, some of them leaving for assignments this summer. Pray for wisdom and discernment to screen applicants carefully, and send them off well equipped and fully supported.

8 Justin and Danielle Luth, from Chatham, Ont., and London, Ont., respectively Justin has been serving in the IT support role in South Sudan since late 2010, keeping the computer systems running well and working on Linux/LibreOffice programming. He and Danielle were married in August 2014 and Danielle joined him in late 2014 in South Sudan. She currently serves as medical adviser and distance studies co-ordinator with SIL. She also trains girls at a local orphanage/girls home in medical and sewing skills, as well as training two women from the church they attend in sewing skills. The biggest challenge is security, writes Justin. While our day-to-day lives aren't directly affected, we do live with the realization that at any time the security situation could deteriorate rapidly and we'd have to be evacuated again. The most exciting thing they have seen lately is that one of the translation teams (the Baka) finished publishing their New Testament and celebrated the dedication in March. Four more teams hope to finish as well in the next year or so. Justin and Danielle are on home assignment from June to September. Pray for safe travels as they visit family, friends, and supporters. Pray that teams approaching completion of the New Testament will finish well despite all the challenges they face. The challenges include the security situation, being away from families who are in other countries due to security and lack of good schooling in South Sudan. Pray for the girls Danielle works with. Many of them have faced multiple challenges, including abuse that has left them with emotional wounds. Pray for Justin as he works with the various teams doing final checks before and during the typesetting processes. Wanda Davies, from Langley, B.C. After joining Wycliffe in 1964, Wanda Davies worked first in Mexico and later in literacy and translation in what is now South Sudan among the Ndogo people. She also helped other language groups for 28 years. She was married to John Davies from 2001 until his passing in Currently she is teaching online literacy courses at Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL). Pray for lasting peace in South Sudan and for safety for those who are working on preparing the JESUS film in minority languages. Four of the languages have been able

9 to do the recording and now have the film available to show to their people. Pray that the Ndogo team can do their work on the "JESUS" film, despite their insecure situation in a part of South Sudan where there is much unrest. Wanda has checked the Ndogo translation of the script for the "JESUS" film and has sent her comments and questions to the SIL office in the country. Pray that the office can get the document to the Ndogo team to work through before the final consultant-check that is planned for September, so that the recording of the film can be done sometime in the following months. Pray for stamina and wisdom for Wanda as she works on revising and updating CanIL's online literacy courses. Sharon McGrath, from Kitchener, Ont. (prayed for in Summer 2012) After serving with Wycliffe since 1980 first in Papua New Guinea and later in the Philippines Sharon Dickinson married Eric McGrath in Together the two of them served in the Philippines from 2006 until Eric s untimely passing in Sharon has been working with Libby Hooper with member care responsibilities in Eastern Canada. She enjoys communicating with Wycliffe Canada members and being able to help them with questions they have. The challenges come when she needs to handle the administrative side of things. Praise the Lord for the way He has faithfully supplied her needs in some very unexpected ways. She is thankful for the opportunity to get involved in her home church by taking over work in the church library. This suits her well, because she previously worked as a librarian for many years. She is thankful that the church purchased a new computer and she s getting used to the library program. Sharon is able to work from home three days a week, but drives to the Wycliffe office in Toronto the other two days. Pray for her safety and alertness when she drives the busy highway between Kitchener and Toronto. Sharon says, Although Eric and I were married such a short time and he s been gone for five years, I still find that it is an adjustment being on my own again. Pray for her continuing adjustment.

10 Janine Meisner, from Winnipeg, Man. (prayed for in Winter 2012) Janine grew up as a missionary kid (MK) in the Philippines from the time she was six weeks old until she was 16. Shortly after joining Wycliffe in 2001, Janine arrived in Davao, Philippines, and has taught children at Faith International Academy (FIA). She instructs students in Grades 6-8 and also serves as the middle school lead teacher. There are about 160 students at the K-12 school, more than 50 per cent of whom are Korean. The rest come from a wide mix of other countries. Some of the students have parents who are helping to reach people in the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia through translation, church planting, Bible schools, etc. Other students have parents who are working for different businesses in Davao. Pray for trained administrators to join the Faith International Academy team long term. Ask God for qualified staff interested in coming to teach overseas. Pray that the school board members would have God s direction as they lead the school through current trends in missions and international school systems. Ask God to give wisdom to each board member. Ask the Lord to give Janine personal direction for the future. 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! There s been a great improvement with Paul s chronic pain. Pray for complete healing. Dave Jeffery ALS. His right hand and arm continue to weaken, and the disease is slowly progressing to his left shoulder and arm. So far he is able to work full time. Prayers are appreciated. Jack Newton (Retired) idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). He s on oxygen 24/7. Evangeline Birtles She has continuing health needs around Lyme disease and other chronic health concerns. Keith Kerr, Geert De Koning, Darrel Yoder continuing prayer is appreciated for these Wycliffe alumni who suffer from various health problems. 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 partnerships before they can join us. Others are already working in their positions, but still need to raise their full support quota as set by

11 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.