goodbye friends, goodbye church, goodbye house, goodbye Holland

Here we go...



We love our friends, we love our church, we are thankful for the Calvary mission house, and we will miss Holland.

"You can bring your cookbooks if I can bring my commentaries."

That's the kind of bargaining you can hear at our house right now.  We're trying to pack all our stuff into two minivans.  Our key word is RUTHLESS!  If we haven't used it in years - trash it!  If it's still in good condition - donate it to the rescue mission!  If we think someone else will appreciate it - give it away!

Please pray for us, we're leaving in 24 hours.



boxes, boxes, boxes



twenty-six ways to say "carry"

 
Imagine a small village in southern Mexico. You’re a missionary and you’ve discovered an unreached people group called the Tzeltal people. Your passion is to see these people trust Christ for salvation so you pull out your Bible and read Romans 6:23, "the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." And the people just stare at you. {blink, blink}


And then you remember, of course, you’re in Mexico, what Bible do you need? You need the Spanish Bible. So you pull out your Spanish Bible and read Romanos seis veinte tres. And again the people just stare at you.

They don’t speak Spanish! These people are descendants of the Mayan Indians who speak their own indigenous language called Tzeltal. Not only is there no Bible in the Tzeltal language, there is no writing system for this language.

That’s where Wycliffe Bible Translators step in. That’s what we’ll be doing in Tanzania. Our vision is to see God’s Word accessible to all people in the language that speaks to their heart. Wycliffe missionaries analyze the language, develop a writing system, teach the people to read and write their own language, and equip nationals to translate the Bible.

Back in Mexico, you’re translating the Bible into Tzeltal and you come to John 5:10, Jesus healed a sick man and told him to take his bed and go home, “The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” Notice that little word “carry.” In the Tzeltal language there are 26 different ways to communicate that idea. Let me give you some of them:

> bahel - carry in a container
> q'uech - carry on the shoulder
> cahnuc'tay - carry over the shoulder
> tuch - carry in vertical position
> pich' - carry an animal by the scruff of the neck
> ch'et - carry by gripping tightly
> chuy - carry in a bag
> lic - carry something dangling
> nop' - carry with the fingers
> lats' - carry under the arm
> lat' - carry on a plate
> yom - carry different objects together

And that’s not even half of them!  Which word will you choose in John 5?

Can you think of other Bible verses with the verb “carry?”

Mark 15:21, A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

Luke 14:27, And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

II Cor 4:10, always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

I Tim 6:7, For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Which word will you choose? Can you feel the immense responsibility of Bible translation? Do you see the importance and the value of Bible translation?

Please pray for us. We cannot do this alone. We need your help. In Tanzania, we will be working with mother-tongue speakers from nine languages, equipping them to translate God's Word.  Pray for wisdom, knowledge, and discernment.

Cafe Tanzania - so much fun!

Cafe Tanzania was a huge success!!!  Thank you to everyone who helped and donated and attended and enjoyed.

We had live music by Dying Will be Easy (aka Ben and James Woiwode), homemade cheesecakes by Gayle, and African coffee blends from JP's Coffee.  Over 150 people attended and raised over $1800 toward our one-time launching expenses.  Thank you!

Load 'em up, move 'em out

Here we go..... moving to Dallas.  This is the only way we could fit everything into the van.  Sorry kids, hold on tight!

Panic, terror, or delight?

What's going through Ellie's mind here?  Sheer panic or utter terror or supreme delight?

That's kind of how we feel right now.  Packing for our move to Dallas, studying for the GRE, saying goodbye to family and friends, learning Swahili, finishing the homeschool year, connecting with partners and trying to find new partners.

But surprisingly, we're really calm.  God has granted us overwhelming grace to enjoy this time with family and friends.  He strengthens us everyday to finish our work and prioritize our time.  We actually look forward to meeting new people in new churches and new situations.

So maybe this picture is a better illustration of how we feel right now...

United and excited, plunging into the unknown.



28% in 28 days, is it possible?

We are praying for God to provide the remaining 28% of our monthly financial support before we leave for Dallas, Texas...in 28 days!!!!

Is it possible?

Matthew 19:26, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible," -- in the context of God saving sinners.

Mark 9:23, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes," -- in the context of Jesus casting out a demon.

Luke 1:37, "For with God nothing will be impossible," -- in the context of the angel's announcement to Mary that she will conceive a child.

John 14:13-14, "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it," -- in the context of believing in Jesus to the glory of God.

So yes, it is possible!  Please pray with us and join our team and talk to your friends and inform your church.  Thanks.