Surrounded

I have been completely surrounded by God's people. My officemates and small group friends have kept my refrigerator full and been so very gracious. For those of you who aren't local to me, your many prayers and notes and emails and texts and calls and encouragements during these past two weeks have been such a blessing... and I'm sure they are the key to my recovery.

My surgeon was extremely pleased with the results and with the recovery process so far, so we are moving forward to schedule the right hip replacement near the end of February. He also said I should be good to fly, so I arrive in Indy on Dec 8.

Though my mobility is way ahead of schedule for the recovery, my stamina has been a little slower to return, just as expected. It's likely that I'll be hanging out in Brownsburg a little more than "normal" this December, but I plan to be at Faith Church on December 9, 23 and 30, and at Solid Word Bible Church on December 16. I look forward to touching base with many of you then.

As you continue to pray for me, also pray for those who will not be able to know the story of Jesus' birth this Christmas in a language and form that speaks to their hearts. There are good resources available on wycliffe.org to help guide your prayers. It's also possible to get involved in praying for a specific group of people and to receive updates as progress is made in translation for that language group. Sign up here.

At home!

I will admit to being a little disoriented as to which day of the week it is, so I had been up a while before I realized it was Friday and I had not yet sent an update! In the midst of all the Black Friday ads, I know this may get lost in some inboxes until next week sometime... but here goes!

Thanksgiving - yes, very much of that in my life right now! Things did go very well this week with the surgery and the beginnings of rehab. I can tell that things are a little easier each day, for which I am grateful. I am only taking acetaminophen as a pain reliever, so there's another reason to be grateful, as my mind is clearing up... well, as much as can be expected!

My refrigerator is already full and folks here have plans to continue bringing meals through December 6. In-home health/physical therapy begins today. I have received countless cards and texts and emails and facebook messages... I am feeling very surrounded by the love of God's people and am very, very grateful.

My next milestone will be the follow-up appointment with the surgeon on December 5. Then we'll see what is next. Thanks so much for all your prayers and encouragements. I'd be honored to pray with you, too. Let me know how I might do so.

Program Season

The Connection programs are designed to provide a caring environment, to celebrate how God is using our colleagues, to help renew their passion and vision for the Bibleless, and to assist them as they connect with the people and services available through the Orlando office. In the typical year, we will host four or five programs for those who reside primarily overseas and then four programs for those who reside primarily in the United States. In 2018, 148 adults and 80 of their missionary kids (MKs) came through Orlando during the Connection programs.

We hosted two groups of colleagues for Connections last month. One of our joys is to celebrate them by acknowledging their years of service with Wycliffe. The experience of those at the Wycliffe Stateside Connection ranged from a “low” of 27 years to a “high” of 45 years of service! What an encouragement to spend a week with those who have committed their lives to Scripture translation. We always hear stories of God’s faithfulness to them, all along their journey.

Next week, the entire Development~Orientation~Training (DOT) team will be off-site for meetings. More than half of our team of 34 people are not based in Orlando, so it will be great to have some face-to-face time together. Then the next program we host in Orlando will be January 12-25, 2019, Equip new missionary orientation.

Personal Update

For a personal update, take a look at this newsletter. My annual financial update follows on page 2.

Waiting

Waiting... the Keliko of South Sudan are no longer waiting for Scripture in the language they understand best. Their New Testament was the 1,000th in which Wycliffe was privileged to have a part. Take a look at this video to see a glimpse of their celebration.

https://youtu.be/aKI9zN61vWA

The waiting is over for our two weeks of Connection programs that begin on Monday, celebrating colleagues who have served overseas and stateside. Thanks for your prayers for our preparation. It has all gone well. Now, please pray that we will listen well to our colleagues and serve them well.

I am waiting now on surgery. The date has been adjusted to Monday, November 19 for a left total hip replacement. In the meantime, I am thankful to be reasonably mobile. I would appreciate your prayers that I sleep well. Thanks.

The good part about waiting is that there is time to reflect. When I do, I see the goodness of God and the faithfulness of his people who so graciously pray and give for my Wycliffe ministry. Thank you for your consistent encouragements.

I'd be honored to pray with you, too. Let me know how I might do so.

Surgery Date!

Thanks again for your prayers for Equip. We were able to finish well. This week's Endeavor orientation for new paid staff has also been going well. Eleven new colleagues have been learning the basics about Wycliffe, Bible translation and their role in accelerating the process!

We have a decision regarding the next step for my health. I am scheduled for a left full hip replacement on Tuesday, November 20. (Looks like I might be having hospital turkey dinner this year!) Plans are taking shape then for in-home physical therapy and healthcare during my recovery. Lord willing, I will still to come to Indiana during December, but those dates will be firmed up later. In the waiting time, I'm grateful for a combination of meds that is keeping me moving. Thanks so much for your prayers and many encouragements.

Now that a surgery date has been set, the focus has changed to final preparations for two Connection programs this month and the DOT Team meetings where our group of 35 from across the US will have time together. I'm looking forward to all of the conversations that are possible in those three weeks.

God is using your prayers and gifts for my Wycliffe ministry to sustain and empower me to serve. Thank you! As I have said so many times before, we are completely dependent on your prayers and God's strength.