Water to Drink

Whew! Back into the land of the cold and the dead. My mother and I just returned from a trip to Friendswood, Texas to speak to my grandparents' friends and church about my Wycliffe ministry. The Lord was good; many people seemed interested in the work of Bible translation and He added several new partners to my Wycliffe team! Please pray that more of those I spoke to will desire to be a part of the exciting transformative work the Lord is doing for His kingdom around the world.

It was also a good to spend time with my grandparents and sister, not to mention that the weather was beautiful. We spent Sunday afternoon drinking in the sun, listening to the birds chirp and watching the lovely blossoms while it was freezing up here in north Texas. Soon we will be enjoying all of the above-mentioned things up here...I hope :).


Now on to another one of those fascinating comparisons about Bible translation and Papua New Guinea from the PNG Experience blog that I highly enjoy and hope you do as well.

Abundant Water

Physical life demands water in order to survive. In Papua New Guinea, water is abundant in most places and life displays its green color everywhere. Just like the physical life craves water, so the spiritual life craves Scripture. However, in PNG, there are plenty of places where the Scriptures are not translated into the language of the area. There, the spiritual life can become quite dry...like drinking from a rock. Pray that the almost 300 languages that need a translation project started would find resources to begin.

No water here!

Praying for the Pangkhua People

There are still 1,800 language groups-about 180 million people-who don't possess Scripture in their own language.

One of these groups is the Pangkhua language in Bangladesh, which has several names, including Pangkhu, Pankho, Panko, and Pankhu. Say all those ten times fast! This language is part of the Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman language family.

Speakers of Pangkua live in the Rangamati district of Bangladesh and also in parts of India. The people use Bengali in education and use the Devangari script and Latin script when they write.

The main religion for these people is Christian, but how can they grow in their knowledge of the Lord without His word? There is a possible need for Bible translation in this language group.

*Please pray that language surveyors can sufficiently research and assess the needs of for Bible translation in this group of people.

To find more information about the Bibleless people about the world and how to pray for them, visit https://www.wycliffe.org/prayer.

Wycliffe World Day of Prayer

Cameron Townsend, the man who originally formed Wycliffe Bible Translators, and L.L. Legters attempted to cross the border into Mexico on Nov. 11, 1933. Townsend had already translated the Scriptures in Guatemala into the Cakchiquel language and longed for people to read the Bible for themselves.

Townsend shared this vision with an educator in Mexico, Dr. Moises Saenz, who, impressed, wrote a letter inviting Townsend to work in Mexico. At this time in history, Mexico did not allow new overseas missionaries in the country and those already stationed there struggled with many restrictions. After praying long and deeply, a group of believers in New Jersey decided Townsend and his friend Legters should attempt to receive permission for Bible Translation work in Mexico.

Mexico City

At the border, guards refused to let the men enter. So, they prayed. Then Townsend remembered the letter Dr. Moises Saenz had given him and handed it to the guards. They knew the author of the letter, an admired leader, and called for orders.

While they waited for an answer, Townsend and Legters prayed and sang. And when the answer came, it was a yes. The men could enter Mexico. They could translate the Word of God for the those considered the least of these.

So, Wycliffe pauses on November 11th each year to remind themselves of the importance of prayer and to pray on behalf of those how don't know his name yet.

How to Pray for the Bibleless:

Papua New Guinea Children 

1. Pray for the message, that the last languages of the world would receive God's Word in whatever form they need it. Pray for quality translations that stick to the target of the true meaning of the Bible.

2. Pray for the people, that they would hunger and thirst for the eternal words that bring life. Pray that the Lord would transform their lives through the gospel.

3. Pray for the personnel, that the Lord would call, train, and send them. Pray for the safety and strength of the workers.

4. Pray that God would be glorified in all that Wycliffe does, plans, and dreams.

*On a separate note, Christmas is just around the leaf-choked, autumn corner! (I know, it's not even Thanksgiving, but this holiday is sneaking closer every day...) If you don't know what to give someone, or would like your gift to be more meaningful this year, please consider giving to my Wycliffe ministry at the link in Wycliffe's Christmas catalog: https://www.wycliffe.org/giftcatalog/partner/521-1.

Please also consider sending this link to your network to further God's work of Bible translation all over the world. May the ripples we make in this life spread out into eternity for God's glory and our joy!