Heart, Soul, and Mind

After the dedication of the Jamaican New Testament, a ceremony was organized in London to introduce it to the sizable Jamaican community there. As part of the ceremony, some short passages from the translation were read. The people shouted with joy! They all stood. They waved their arms and jumped, some with eyes filled with tears of joy.

They were hearing passages they had heard in English many times. But the Scriptures had a dramatic, fresh effect when packaged in the heart language. That is interesting and moving, but is it important? Jesus said we are to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind, implying that the soul and heart are as important as our understanding. Words that activate our emotions – that touch our hearts – are more likely to change our behavior and our thinking – to align our hearts with God’s. As you partner with my Wycliffe ministry through your prayers and gifts, God uses you to help others align their hearts with God's heart.

The Jamaican New Testament, Story Source: heartlanguage.org/2019/08/08/no-new-understanding/

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Wycliffe Conversations

Yes, it is only Thursday. I'll explain a little later. First, I'd like to introduce you to Jack & Lindsay, a couple who are headed to Francophone (French-speaking) Africa. Click here or on the image below to see their story.

It's my privilege to be their coach as they ask God to build their teams of prayer and financial partners for their Wycliffe ministry. As you pray for and encourage me, you have opportunity to also share in the ministry they have! Thanks for your prayers for them and others I coach.

Jack & Lindsay, new Wycliffe colleagues

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Connections

The quick trip to Indiana was wonderful. It was a blessing to attend two family gatherings and reconnect with those special people in my life. It was also a joy to see so many of you at Faith Church.

This past week, we hosted colleagues who serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators in eight different countries. It's sometimes easy to forget that the twists and turns of life that we all experience in God's sovereignty are exactly the same for those who serve overseas. They just have the added complication (and often heartache) of being thousands of miles away when challenges occur. Most who are here this week have experienced hardship... the sudden loss of a parent while the colleague was overseas; parenting a special-needs teen; parenting a teen who develops a health issue that could be life-threatening; the joy and loss of grandparenting from overseas. Yet the stories of God's faithfulness are amazing. Our privilege to be a listening ear or a hand on the shoulder is an opportunity to minister grace. As so many of you have ministered grace to me -- it's a gift to be able to be that same kind of blessing to these co-workers.

Carl & Carol, who've served 10 years with Wycliffe, Photo by Mark Borland

These are the servants who are extending your ministry to the Bibleless. Would you ask God to renew them and empower them to continue to serve faithfully? The Lord knows their names. Just pray for the participants of The Wycliffe Connection #52.

Next week, we'll host a group of Wycliffe colleagues who live in the US, but whose jobs are all around the world, thanks to technology. Pray for those same kinds of grace-filled conversations and times of renewal for Wycliffe Stateside Connection #33.

May the Lord minister grace to your life this week as well. Please let me know how I may be praying on your behalf.

Hello from Indiana!

Hello from Indiana! I had a last-minute opportunity to come up for a quick weekend of family events. We had a wonderful day enjoying time together yesterday and will celebrate another milestone on Saturday. Lord willing, I will be at Faith Church on Sunday and will fly back that evening.

Thanks for your prayers for Equip! We finished well and that group of new missionaries is off to continue sharing their story and Wycliffe's story on behalf of the Bibleless. We are now preparing for two Connections -- caring for and celebrating two groups of co-workers who will be with us, July 15-19 and July 22-26. And, two gals I coach are getting very close to complete partnership teams. Then they will be released to their field assignments -- one in Dallas, one in Romania.

I'm so grateful for your prayers and encouragements regarding my hips. I've continued physical therapy and have seen some progress, thankfully, especially on my stride. Now to just get my stance figured out! My follow-up doctor appointments are August 1.

The Lord has been so gracious in providing all of you to be alongside on this journey. Your faithfulness through your prayers and gifts for my Wycliffe ministry is a constant blessing to me and spurs me on as it also accelerates Bible translation. Please let me know how I might join you in prayer.

(Prayer requests are in bold above!)

Equip Update

Hello from the participants and Crew of Equip #43! I told the participants you are praying for them -- they asked me to thank you!!

We have all been healthy through the first week and are doing well. This is a very focused group and has been working hard... but they also are a very personable group and have come to know and enjoy each other on meaningful levels in this short time together. Please continue to pray. Each of the adults will be presenting a "Five-Minute Talk" on Saturday morning and then a "10-Minute Talk" (or a "16-Minute Talk" for couples) next Thursday as part of the process of learning to share their story and Wycliffe's story.

Reviewing Wycliffe history with Equip #43, Photo by Mark Borland

I received much news this week regarding my stride and stance. The hard news was confirming that I do have an unusual and significant "functional leg-length discrepancy." My right leg behaves as if it is longer than my left leg now. But I also received some very hopeful news and am on a new plan for physical therapy. In the meantime, I have some accomodations so that my stride and stance are better as we still work toward reducing or possibly even eliminating the discrepancy. I would appreciate it if you'd ask the Lord not only for continued improvement, but also that He would guard my heart as I go through the ups and downs of this process. I know this is no surprise to God and I need to trust that He has gone ahead of me every step of this path.

The many blessings the Lord has provided through your encouragements especially these past six months have been overwhelming. Your faithful prayers and gifts for my Wycliffe ministry make it possible for me to continue to serve. Thank you!