We’re on fire for Bible Translation, and many of you are too!

It has been a blessing to connect with many people during our time here in Virginia! We have had different opportunities to speak at churches where we have met many people who have a heart for missions. It has been a joy for us to share with you about Bible translation and our ministry in Cameroon.

We are thankful for everyone who partners with us in our Wycliffe ministry. We value you! You are an encouragement to us as we serve the Lord. 

During our time in Cameroon, our monthly partnership fell below what Wycliffe requires for us to be at each month. This is due to rising cost, partners who have passed away in recent years, and other circumstances. We currently lack $1,377 in monthly partnership to be at 100%. We need your help to bring it back to 100%! Please consider joining our monthly partnership team. If the Lord has laid it on your heart to become partners with us, either prayer or financial, contact us. Please share with your churches, neighbors, small groups, and friends and spread the word! We would love to come see you and talk with your more.

Fish out of Water

Many days we feel like a fish out of water. We are called by the Lord to support Bible Translation in Cameroon and French-speaking Africa. In Cameroon, we are active members of a team all committed to the same goals. Every few years, we transition back to the US for a season. We itch to be back in Cameroon where we are most fulfilled...but for a season we are called back to re-connect with the culture and community we left and for further educational study. Some days it is hard for us to be far away from the activities happening in Cameroon, but spending time in the US is necessary and valuable.

During our time in and around Virginia, we are called to reconnect personally with those that we left behind. We have changed in the last 4 years, and so have you, so that means meeting people where they are. That means reconnecting with family, old friends, and, of course, partners in our Wycliffe ministry. That means spending quality time with you that may, or (more often) may not be directly related to our ministry. Sometimes that means speaking to churches and small groups. Sometimes, that means listening in the pews as part of the congregation to be fed. Sometimes, it even means healing friendships that have been strained by distance. It means processing the hurt from those that have passed away while we were gone. (Both Teresa and I lost a grandparent while in Cameroon.)

The Wycliffe Connection

Looking Ahead

In January we are headed to Dallas, TX. One major goal for this time in the States is because Wycliffe has asked Matthew to finish his Masters in Linguistics. He is taking one online course now, and the rest will be done in Texas at Dallas International University (formerly G.I.A.L). We hope the final courses and thesis will take less than a year.

Teresa is in the process of renewing her teacher licensure. With this she hopes to find a place to work with children while in Texas. She also has been offered the opportunity to return to Orlando to help periodically with the children's program during Wycliffe Orientation (Equip) and The Wycliffe Connection.

Matthew still has some remote duties while away from Cameroon. He will be traveling twice in the next months, once in October for a planning meeting for the future of Paratext, our main Bible Translation Software and again in November to Yaoundé for a workshop to reinforce Language Technology Capacity in French-Speaking Africa. He also meets regularly with Louis Pascal for some training and encouragement as he continues to learn.

All of this is so that, after this season in the US, we may return to serve in Cameroon in early 2020.

Praise and Prayers

- Praise God that we have had many opportunities to speak at churches and with individuals about our ministry in Cameroon. 
- Prayers that God will raise up more monthly financial partners to fill our monthly budget. 
- Praise that we have been able to spend time with our family and visit with a few friends. Prayers for time management as we schedule times to meet and see as many friends and partners as we can during our time in Virginia. 
- Praise for God's strength and that we have found time to rest. 
- Prayers for upcoming meetings. Matthew will be traveling Oct. 8-13th to Switzerland for meetings and to Cameroon to lead a workshop from Nov. 3-15.  
- Praise that we have housing for our time in Dallas. Prayers as we prepare for the time in Texas.

Serving 

God calls us to serve. In 1 Peter 4:10 it says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." While we have been back in the states we have been serving in different ways than we do in Cameroon. 

One of the first things that we did after coming back to the States was to go on a "local" mission trip to West Virginia for flood-relief. During this time, we were simple servants in a group again, working towards common goals.

We helped with a team from Court Square Presbyterian and other Christian organizations to move in the incoming Freshmen at James Madison University and Teresa got to work to help clean up a park that the same church had adopted.