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Full speed ahead!

When we're driving on an unfamiliar highway beyond the reach of cell towers, we start looking for mile markers to tell us where we are and how far we have to go. We have four exciting "milestones" to share!

In the US we talk about "milestones" but our highways have "mile markers".
Image by Alan Levine via flickr (CC BY 2.0)

#1: 1000 New Testaments

In August, the Keliko people of South Sudan will receive God’s Word in their language! This great milestone for them is also significant for Wycliffe USA and SIL International: the Keliko New Testament is the 1,000 New Testament translation completed with the assistance of Wycliffe and SIL. Best of all, Keliko people can hear and read God’s message in their own language.

“The Keliko story vividly represents the dynamics and challenges of language-based ministry in the 21st century,” says SIL Executive Director Michel Kenmogne. Since the beginning of their translation project, the Keliko people experienced war and unrest, and many still live in refugee camps in neighboring countries. Yet the local church has persevered, holding firmly to their strong desire to have God’s Word in Keliko.

Read more about the Keliko translation project at Celebrating the Keliko New Testament.

#2: 10 years of the YouVersion Bible app

This week is the 10th anniversary of the YouVersion Bible app! 1,738 Bible versions in 1,134 languages, and counting -- all for free. You can get it at youversion.com.

#3: 500 hitos (milestones) to Mexico

Next week, most of our family will be in Reynosa, Mexico, serving Isaiah 55 Ministries with a group from Arlington Presbyterian Church. (All of us but Ruth: she's already hard at work studying chemistry at the University of Dallas.) Pray for peace and safety in our van as we travel 1000 miles, and that the Lord will use us to bless folks in this border town. We'll be out of reach of cell phones and emails in Mexico, but we promise to report back when we return.

#4: Fundraising progress

Fraser is still waiting to start his new role of boosting literacy so that God’s word will be open to the unreached peoples of the world. For the last 3 months our ministry focus has been inviting people to join our team of prayer and financial supporters, as Fraser gets ready to start his new role in Wycliffe's partner agency, SIL LEAD.

We now have commitments for 87% of our Wycliffe ministry budget, up from 58% (thanks, everyone!). SIL LEAD has projects that are waiting for Fraser to begin managing them, so we're praying for 16-22 additional partners to join us at $100-200 a month,* so that Fraser can start his new role in September!

Give to Fraser and Liz's Wycliffe ministry

* Or some such numbers: just as as we look to God to provide our needs, we expect those whom God calls to be part of this ministry with us to ask the Lord where they should invest the resources he has entrusted to them. The most important thing is that God gets the glory all around!

Prayer points

Thank the Lord that the Keliko people will soon have the Scriptures in their own language.
Pray for spiritual fruit from our service in Mexico.
Ask the Lord to fill out our team of financial and prayer partners, so that Fraser can start work for SIL LEAD in September.

A missionary friend said recently, “Prayer is not participating in the work of mission—prayer is the work of mission!” Thanks for doiing this work with us.

Warmly,

(for us all)