Hi, Susan here. I'm just finishing up a week in New York. I was attending the Forum of Bible Agencies, International meetings. This year the meetings were in Manhattan, hosted by the American Bible Society. The meeting agenda included "field trips" to visit and explore various aspects of urban culture, life, and ministry. But I don't think any of the field trips can match the experiences I have when visiting our daughter, Kate, in the Bronx! Fortunately I did have time to enjoy a few days with her before and after the Forum meetings.

Kate teaching ESL

Urban life and ministry is relevant to all of us these days. For Kate it is about ministering as part of a local body of believers and reaching out to the immigrant population in her very diverse Bronx neighborhood. For the Bible agencies that met in Manhattan, the interest in urban ministry comes from the recognition that more than half of the world's population now lives in cities. And for those of us serving with minority language communities, this urban population growth means many of the users of those minority languages are as likely to be found in hi-rise apartments as in remote villages. It also means these language "communities" are connecting through social networks that spread across the globe as well as back to their geographic homeland.

Urbanization and globalization also have an impact on languages themselves and on the people who use these languages. As people move and new generations are born in cities across the globe, will they keep their language? Will they want to preserve their culture? What mediums of communication will they use? Who will introduce them to Jesus? These kinds of questions lead to new thinking concerning where ministry needs to happen, how the Gospel should be made available, and how the Church can and must respond to the needs of the cities and their peoples.

While I've been in New York, Tom spent several days in Michigan attending the Audio Scriptures Ministries Board meetings (ASM). ASM is one of several key organizations producing audio recordings of translated Scripture. Audio and video continue to grow as strategic mediums. Recordings once produced on cassettes are now as often found on microchips and listened to on mobile phones. Tom and I have seen the reality and potential of this as we've traveled. One of our favorite memories while staying in Kenya a few years ago was being scolded by the local vegetable lady. Like generations before her, she carried heavy loads of fruits and vegetables on her head every day from market to outlying neighborhoods. But her expectation was that we would call her mobile phone to place our order. We didn't have a mobile phone while in Kenya, so couldn't comply. She shook her head at us as I handed her my hopelessly old-fashioned handwritten grocery list.

Globalization, urbanization, technology--all important considerations, not just in business but also in mission. But at the heart of all our observations and reflections, it always goes back to God's heart for people and our desire to see God glorified as people come to know and worship Him. Discerning the times and knowing what to do comes not from keeping up on the latest trends, but from keeping close to Him and trying to see the world as He sees it.

For Prayer

The new kitchen sink!

Thank God--

• For good relationship building at Tom's meetings in Michigan and mine in NY
• For the time I was able to spend with Kate while in NY
• That Tom finally found time to get our kitchen sink in!

Pray for--

Granddaughter,Wynnie, 7 months

• The Church worldwide and particularly the urban churches as they seek to reach people with the Good News.
• Our colleagues worldwide who are working in the ministry of Bible translation.
• Our comings and goings and relationships as we serve with the Wycliffe Global Alliance.
• Our Wycliffe Global Alliance meetings in Asia in May.