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Dear Companions of the Road, November 2, 2019
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As Linn and I wind down our 3-month stay here in Côte d’Ivoire, we want to thank everyone who made this, and our 40-year ministry here, possible. You have been faithful partners with us!
We have asked you all to pray for the ongoing ministry of Scripture-in-use following the completion of the Nyarafolo translation of the New Testament and Old Testament portions. As of now there are 7 individuals and 3 churches that have committed about 1/3 of the total budget need or about $1000/month. Thank you, Lord!
The Côte d’Ivoire mission leadership has therefore decided to pay the translation team's severance pay at the end of November, ending their employment status with the mission as this coincides with the end of that translation project. The team, however, desires to continue with literacy at a time when many churches in the town of Ferke are now clamoring for this teaching among their Nyarafolo congregants. So they will proceed to get organized as an association officially recognized before the government with the goal of providing this service, producing literature and Sunday School materials, and doing an audio recording of the translated Scripture with Faith Comes by Hearing.
Once the mission is satisfied with their progress in getting organized, they will authorize the release of funds from the project funds. The team has agreed to work with what is available, trusting that the balance of the proposed budget will come in over time. We will set up quarterly reporting and we will be their US liaison, passing on the reports, stories, and pictures to you. Pray with us that the needed funds will come in!
It has been shown all around the world that where the church has grown strong, with deep roots over time, it is due to having the Scriptures in their language and being able to read them. If you would like to help make this possible with either a one-time gift or a three-year-commitment, please use the link below for the Scripture-in-Use project. And let us know via email what amount you wish to give if it is a commitment. This helps us plan ahead.
I, Glenn, leave Nov. 4th from Abidjan, having transferred my treasurer responsibilities to Joshua Wohlgemut (a very talented young man). I also helped implement and debug the salary and general ledger programs that I wrote. And what proved to be an unexpected but truly crucial focus has been helping the Nyarafolo Widows’ Co-op with their current project: a chicken farm. They needed counsel with organizational and administrative details as they start a business of raising and selling chickens. There is great potential in this project to provide significant income for the widows in the group in a few years if there is good administration of the project, a lot of hard effort with little reward at the beginning, and the development of a loyal client base that buys their product in significant numbers. Pray that they will have the courage and perseverance to stick to the hard work it takes to see the beginning stages through to real benefit.
Linn changed her flight to return on Nov 22nd, praying that the typesetting process will completed by then. It has taken much more time than anticipated to do the read-throughs of the Pentateuch, Psalms and the New Testament (which took almost twice as long as reading about the same number of verses as the OT portions). Linn has worked from early morning to late at night entering the various changes and making sure that all the links to the glossary work.
Right now she and Moise are at the SIL center here in Abidjan, working with Laurel Miller (SIL) who is putting the Pentateuch and Psalms into the type-setting software. Abdoulaye will arrive this weekend to help with checking this, then the New Testament formatting. Pray that the process goes smoothly, and for the Spirit's guidance. The team is exhausted but thrilled to see their years of work resulting in these key parts of Scripture at this final stage of being published for their people.
Grateful for all the Lord is doing here,
Glenn, speaking for Linn too
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