October 2021

 

Greetings on this early October afternoon,

I mentioned in our last newsletter that I’d been thinking about ships. Well, I’m still thinking about them. Not all the time, but sometimes! One of my favorite random, memorable books is Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time. It’s the story of watchmaker John Harrison, the inventor of the chronometer. Author Dava Sobel does a remarkable job of making a complex scientific and historical topic approachable and understandable: 

‘In literally hundreds of instances, a vessel’s ignorance of her longitude led swiftly to her destruction. Launched on a mix of bravery and greed, the sea captains of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries relied on “dead reckoning” to gauge their distance east or west of home port. The captain would throw a log overboard and observe how quickly the ship receded from this temporary guidepost. He noted the crude speedometer reading in his ship’s logbook, along with the direction of travel, which he took from the stars or a compass, and the length of time on a particular course, counted with a sandglass or a pocket watch. Factoring in the effects of ocean currents, fickle winds, and errors in judgment, he then determined his longitude. He routinely missed his mark, of course—searching.’

Harrison's  chronometer

‘Time is to clock as mind is to brain. The clock or watch somehow contains the time. And yet time refuses to be bottled up like a genie stuffed in a lamp. Whether it flows as sand or turns on wheels within wheels, time escapes irretrievably, while we watch. Even when the bulbs of the hourglass shatter, when darkness withholds the shadow from the sundial, when the mainspring winds down so far that the clock hands hold still as death, time itself keeps on. The most we can hope a watch to do is mark that progress. And since time sets its own tempo, like a heartbeat or an ebb tide, timepieces don't.’

Even the term, “dead reckoning” didn’t bode well for the sailors who, for centuries, had no other means of measuring. There was a way however, far superior to a tossed log, to track the progress of their journey. I think and write a lot about the concept of journey. It’s a big part of what I do in my role with the Wycliffe Global Alliance (and it was a major theme in my doctoral thesis). We apply the concept to how we approach organizational strategy. Nowadays it’s also something I think about in relation to world events. However and wherever you look, there are issues of power and control. Who has it, who wants it, how to get it. One of the notable lessons in the story of longitude is that there was no possibility of actually gaining control of stars or seas. It was about marking progress in order to journey well.

How do we mark progress in our journey? We’ve never been this way before. But we follow a God who knows each step of the way. Staying close to Him, growing in the knowledge of his ways, will keep us moving forward at His pace and in His time. We need to discern, make wise choices under His direction. And we need to remember we are no more in control of our journey than we are in control of the wind, the waves, or time. How much more reassuring to know God is in control of it all!

So, this isn’t just theory or spiritual musings. It’s real life. It probably applies to your life. I know it applies to ours! We’ve been serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators for about 35 years now and I can’t think of a year, a role, or a major decision that didn’t include God-given surprises, new life lessons, and unexpected blessings. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us! We continue to seek God’s guidance as we journey on.

Like most of you, we haven’t been doing as much literal travel as we did a few years ago, but that’s starting to change a bit. I was in Mexico for meetings twice this summer. Tom was there on the second trip as well. We were encouraged to see how God has been growing His Church and continuing to enable His Word to be translated. These difficult times were no surprise and no hindrance to Him. At our meetings, we mourned the loss of several colleagues, but also celebrated actual increases in translation progress and in people getting involved in giving and preparation for service. We also heard many such stories during our global meetings last month. We tire of meeting virtually, but doing so did allow the involvement of hundreds more leaders from Wycliffe organizations around the world. You can share in some of the worship and stories that are on the Alliance website. 

Surprises, life lessons, and unexpected blessings were also the order of the day at home in recent months. My parents, who came to live with us about three years ago, decided to move back to Tennessee. They went back to the same retirement community they lived in before, Uplands Village, but this time they moved into assisted living. They are doing well (Mother turned 90 this month!) and are still very independent, but appreciate the services there and on-hand medical care should they need it. The house they owned there never sold during their time with us, but they’ve now been able to exchange it to take care of some of the fees at their new apartment. This was not a transition we expected, but we know God is in it. My parents are content there. Mother is making lots of friends and Daddy is busy helping with the landscaping.

So, on to a new chapter here, as well. It now includes visits to Tennessee as well as connecting with our New York family and Colorado family as possible.  And since my parents’ apartment was now empty, we have refilled it with a lovely young couple from church. They come with a darling baby, six chickens and a dog. So, things are quite lively around here! We are very happy with the arrangement and hope they will be, too. We didn’t even need to advertise! They needed to move quickly, so are now graciously and patiently living in our upstairs while we finish work on the apartment as fast as possible. We hope to finish the work on the kitchen in the next two weeks. No small thing with Tom already working two jobs. I’m standing at the ready to paint, grout, and seal floors when my time comes.  

We will include more about our kids next time (including photos). We got to see everyone this summer! Numerous birthdays were celebrated, as well. Winslow turned 7, Wynnie turned 10 (!), Aurélie turned 7, and Chloe turned 2 (and suddenly for the first time started telling everyone she was 1! That’s a 2-year-old for you). Jude will be 6 in November, and Noah, 5 in February. They are a joy…and keep their parents busy. Both families are homeschooling. We appreciate you keeping them and us in your prayers, as we continue to pray for you as well!   

 

Tom and Susan

May 2021

     

Greetings on this early May afternoon,

I’ve been thinking about ships! Living by the Chesapeake Bay and in an historical region, we regularly see cargo ships, aircraft carriers, and other ships and boats ranging from tugboats to submarines, just a few blocks from our house. Enjoyable as these sights are, these are not the ships I’ve been thinking about. It’s the portraits of the mighty sailing ships that lure me in, particularly the paintings and etchings that depict entire fleets. I would so love to look out to the bay and see such a sight! So pathetic am I that I often pretend, particularly on misty mornings, to spot masts where there are actually giant cranes at the Norfolk docks across the river from us. Thinking such thoughts, I feel suddenly inclined to see what Scripture has to say about ships (and perhaps boats, as well). That should make for an interesting study.  My shipish thoughts are being pulled into many possible currents, but I’ll only touch on one here. 

“Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
They see the works of the Lord,
And His wonders in the deep.”                              Psalm 107:23-24

This is just a small piece of a larger section of a magnificent Psalm.  If you read only these two verses you can readily imagine sailors admiring the beauty of the seas God created. But as you read on you see the sailors in a fierce storm. You see them tossed to and fro, scared out of their wits, crying out in distress. In His time, God calms the storm and the sailors have a new appreciation for a quiet sea as “He guides them to their desired haven” (vs 30). The psalmist then takes up the refrain repeated throughout this passage, “Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (vs 31).

If you have the opportunity today, take time to read this stunning Psalm and be reminded of the God who redeems and restores. It proclaims Him as the God of refugees, rebels, fools, the fearful, the hungry, the thirsty, the oppressed…all who cry out to Him are delivered, saved, and secured. The psalmist says “Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.” (vs 43). It is a good reminder of where our confidence should rest. And that only in Him can we truly rest.

We have seen His lovingkindness, indeed. Tom and I continue to marvel at how God is at work around the world and rejoice that we can continue to participate in a small way through our work with the Wycliffe Global Alliance. I (Tom} continues to both untangle and organize the online resources of the Americas Area. The main job is keeping the MiComunidad portal functioning while adding new articles, events, documents and users to it. There are many online events these day, one current series is a course called Languages and the Mission of God which happens every Thursday for 5 weeks. I {Susan} am still working with colleagues on the book that will tell the history of the Alliance and how God has worked through it so that more people around the world can have His Word in their languages. ’m also working with a new group of researchers, helping guide them in collecting existing resources and producing new resources that will assist leaders from all walks of Christian life growing as global missional leaders. And I’m working on various behind-the-scenes projects to help the Alliance and our colleagues think about strategy from biblical and theological perspectives.

The work of Bible translation has not slowed during the challenging pandemic times. God has continued to provide for His people and every facet of His mission. As most of you know by now, the ministry of Bible translation isn’t about a product. It’s about people, people coming to know Christ, people in relationship with God.  I think you will be encouraged as you follow the link below to read an article and watch a video from Indonesia. You can see how the Church is rising to the occasion and encouraging congregations to read the recently translated Mangala Malay New Testament.  GMIM, Gereja Masehi Injili di Minahasa (Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa) is one of 14 Wycliffe Global Alliance Organizations in Indonesia! GMIM has its own translation center and teams of translators working on translations like the Mangala Malay.   https://www.wycliffe.net/reading-gods-word-together/

 The growth of the worldwide Church has opened up so many possibilities for involvement in translation that we never could have dreamed of, let alone planned for! We surely do see “God’s wonderful works to the children of men”.

Now that Tom and I, and my parents, have been vaccinated, we are starting to look at a few more work and personal travel possibilities and we are happily having an increasing number of guests in our home. We are grateful to have had good health through this unusual and extended season of semi-isolation. Kate and Jordan and family were supposed to come for a long-awaited visit in April, but were deterred by Covid. We are thankful they have mostly recovered, though Kate is still experiencing some weariness and aches (beyond the mom norm). They do plan to visit later this month. 

So, again my ship has been guided by the Creator and has reminded me that whatever storms are around us, whatever trials are to come, He is good, He is loving. “…He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness” (vs 9). “…His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (vs1-2) I hope we can join together in this proclamation! Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support. We appreciate you greatly and keep you in our prayers.

 

 

Tom and Susan