More Than Many Apples

Recently a very old man came to Mark Woodward's compound in Tanzania, selling apples. They were not very good apples, and they were very small.

First Mark said, “No, Father [a term of respect for an older man],” but he wanted to encourage the man, so Mark told him he would buy one apple.

“Take two,” the man said. “They are very good apples. I raised them myself.”

So Mark took two apples, but paid him for three. Then Mark asked him, “Father! Do you go to church?”

“Yes, I go to church,” he said.

“Father, do you know Jesus as your Savior?” Mark asked.

“Yes, I know Him,” he said.

“Then I have a gift for you,” Mark told him. Mark went back into his office and got the Gospel of Mark in the man's language, Kinga. The man thanked Mark and left.

About ten minutes later, there was a very loud knocking at Mark's office door. It was the man, holding out to me a big pile of apples in both hands.

“You must take these,” the man said.

“Me? Take your apples? No! Why?” Mark said.

“You must take them. The book! The book you gave me. It blesses my heart! I will keep it always. I have no way to know what such a book is worth. Truly it is worth more than many apples.”  (Story source: http://everytongue.co.uk/blog/2014/04/worth-many-apples/)

I am so grateful for your continued partnership in prayer and with your gifts for my Wycliffe ministry.  God provided much encouragement and refreshment in the past two weeks with visits from three different gals.  I am thankful for times to step away in the midst of what continues to be a very busy season of ministry.  I also praise God for your ongoing prayer for the disciplines of life in the midst of the busyness.  I think somehow I expected God to reduce "the busy" - but instead, He is giving much grace and opportunities for new growth (and others to come alongside in new ways!) in the middle of it.  That must be the way I learn best!

These next two weeks, we will host 48 other missionaries and 21 missionary kids (MKs) in programs designed to celebrate and care for them and to connect them with resources as they serve in Bible translation.  Thank you for your partnership now with them, as together we ask God to impact those just like the Kinga man with the translated Word.

Equip #22!

Routines and Disciplines

Here's today's update.

Thanks for reading!

Email and Encouragements

March has gone so quickly!  Mom and I have had good times together.  We will be traveling to Ft. Myers this weekend to meet with some friends who moved here from Indiana; then she heads home on Wednesday.  (Thanks in advance for your prayers on our behalf.)  I am blessed to have had this time with her and thank the Lord for her.

There have been some significant changes in office email procedures this month and consequently, many things to learn.  It has been challenging (and at times frustrating) to get up to speed with new ways of doing things, but the changes should allow us as an organization to better steward the resources God has given us.  We also should be able to work more effectively with a number of our partner organizations now, as we are all on the same system.  It was a gift to have time within my schedule to become familiar with the new practices before our onsite programs begin again in April.  Thank God with me for growth opportunities!

This month in particular, I have been encouraged and spurred on as I have watched God at work in the lives of those whom I coach as they are asking Him to build their initial prayer and financial partnership teams.  My faith is being renewed and energized as I see the Lord confirm the call He has placed on each of their lives and as He meets their needs

Mom is visiting!

Mom is here for a visit this month, so we are enjoying some Florida diversions, like a Braves/Nationals spring training game last evening.

It's great to have her here, and she seems to be enjoying stepping away from the last bits of Indiana winter. (I just saw "freezing fog" in the forecast there for today!)

There are no onsite programs for our department in March, so we are catching up and preparing for the April through July stretch ahead.  Please pray we are able to both rest and plan well during this time.