Merry Christmas!

 

Wycliffe's Christmas Message

Hear, Listen

Christmas can be a very busy, noisy season. It can be hard to hear God’s voice in the midst of it all. Why not take some time to listen to him each day this week? If you’re struggling, it might be helpful to remember that shema, the Hebrew word for “hear” or “listen” can also mean “pay attention” or “obey.”

Pray that the Lord will help us to pay obedient attention to him over this Christmas season which is so full of distractions.

One of the easiest ways to hear God speak is to listen to an audio Bible. Shema closely: let the words reach not just your ears but your heart and mind too – listen with attention and obedience to God. The big challenge now is to do the same thing every time we hear or read a verse or passage from the Bible this Christmas – especially when those passages are very familiar.

Praise God that he communicates in ways we can understand – above all, through coming to live as a human – God with us.

In lots of places around the world, people prefer to learn and share information orally. In these contexts, it is often effective to share the good news of Jesus through Bible storytelling and Bible-based songs. And when people can hear it in the language they understand best and in a way that makes sense to them, it is so much easier to pay attention and obey.

Praise God for people who want to help others understand the Bible.

Read more at wycliffe.org.uk/stories/have-you-not-heard/

Personal Update

Thank you for your prayers for a smooth move to Indiana. The Lord provided the right people at the right time to help sort, pack, load, and unload. My trip north was encouraging. I am grateful for friends over the years and the miles. Then I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. The last time I had done that was immediately before the move to Florida in 2010.

The time-sensitive essentials are now in place and I’ve begun to settle in… not only into my childhood home, but also into a more permanent life back in Indiana. It feels very different than all the wonderful visits here I’ve had over the past 11 years.

For the next few months, I’ll be in transition in my role with Wycliffe, too. We’re preparing for another virtual Equip (orientation) in January. I’m still helping with logistics for upcoming programs. And, I’m part of a group who is defining a new role/team to facilitate care for approximately 800 Wycliffe staff who live in the U.S. but are outside the Orlando Headquarters area. To me, it is providential that I am now one of those folks!

For an additional personal update, visit my google group.

Last Florida Update

Thank you for your prayers for Wycliffe Stateside Connection (WSC). Things went very well and it was wonderful to be face-to-face with colleagues. As they heard about my coming transition, they cared as much for me as we worked to care for them! It was truly an encouraging week.

Once WSC finished, the packing and sorting process began. All has gone well and I am so grateful for all the help I have had! The moving "pods" will be delivered this morning. We're still planning on a November 19 closing.

In an unexpected turn of events, I have been approached about helping develop a new role with Wycliffe that would come alongside those in the US -- most of whom are not in Orlando -- more fully. It's exciting to think about that! Fulfilling the role from Indiana rather than Orlando would be perfect, too! More details as that begins to take shape.

headed north

Would you pray with me for these things?

• Good closure -- the hard good-byes
• Sale of the rest of my furniture and household goods
• Smooth closing for the house
• Safe travels north, Nov 19-24

Thank you again for your many prayers and encouragements. Please let me know how I may pray with you.

I am so grateful for these 11 years here.

Changes Coming

Thank you for your prayers for Wycliffe Stateside Connection (WSC) preparations. Please continue praying that, November 1-5, we will serve our colleagues well, so they feel celebrated, cared for, and connected to the resources available through the Orlando headquarters. I'll be leaving this week to join that team for my first in-person Connection in 21 months. That's exciting!

Once WSC is complete, I'll be packing my house in Saint Cloud and moving to Indiana. Mom and I decided last week that this is a good time for me to move in with her more permanently. The Lord provided confirmation of that decision -- within 24 hours, I had accepted an offer on my house. Plans are moving forward for a November 19 closing.

My role with Wycliffe as a coach will continue exactly as it has. There is an internal reorganization in process that is changing my role as a logistics coordinator and trainer, but I've been assured that my role can be modified to permit me to serve remotely. If I need to make a change, there are other open remote roles I could fill. I am grateful that I am able to continue to serve with Wycliffe, as together we ask God to transform lives through the translated Scriptures.
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headed north

Before I moved to Florida, a friend encouraged me to "take some time" on my trip south to be able to process the transition I was making. I took four days away before settling into an Orlando routine. That was a highly valuable experience. I will be taking that same kind of time on my trip north. Above, you can see the route I hope to travel, with some "eastern" stops to see folks I likely won't see again soon. It's a lot of miles, but time in the car for me is good reflection time, so I am looking forward to the drive. Lord willing, I'll arrive back in Indiana just before Thanksgiving.

For those of you in Indianapolis, I look forward to many more opportunities now for us to connect. I am so very grateful for the season of life in Florida and will dearly miss the daily interactions with the Wycliffe office staff I have grown to know and love. I am thankful for technology that will permit me to serve alongside them still.

Thank you for your many prayers and encouragements. Please let me know how I may pray with you. It is a blessing to know God hears and answers prayer!

Thankful for God's remarkable grace,

Lisa

Equip #52

Equip #52 is complete! The technical challenges were different from any of the previous virtual sessions, but the Lord was gracious to enable us to adjust quickly. The participants were highly engaged and worked hard. Their growth during the two weeks was obvious. Thank you -- God used your prayers and gifts for my Wycliffe ministry to help us. You have a part in the journey of these 21 new colleagues working in Bible translation! Among them are linguists, theologians, and software developers; a pilot, Sign Language worker, language researcher, counselor, ethnoarts specialist, and church relations worker; and those who will help many to engage with Scripture as it comes in their language for the first time. We thank God for his call on their lives and for their obedience to follow his leading.

Equip #52 virtual, Map by Marty Pelton

This coming Monday and Tuesday, I will be helping with Endeavor orientation for new Wycliffe paid staff. This will be a hybrid event, with some in Orlando and some virtual. I'll still be working from Mom's. Thanks in advance for your prayers for us!

Plans are coming together now for a face-to-face Wycliffe Stateside Connection (WSC), November 1-5, with colleagues who have lived in the U.S. for four years or more. Our goal is to celebrate and care for them well while connecting them with resources available through the Orlando headquarters. Pray that we are able to see all the logistical details we need to see, as this will be the first in-person WSC since February 2020.

Please let me know how I may pray with you. It is a blessing to know God hears and answers prayer!