September 2014

It’s been a while since we’ve written, so we need to start with family news. There are two new family members since we last wrote!

Winslow Joy Roberts.

Kate and Jordan welcomed Winslow Joy Roberts on July 15. Kate tells about Winslow’s name:

Winslow is named for Octavius Winslow, a pastor and writer who lived in the 19th Century. We appreciate his continual emphasis on the Gospel. Jordan's father has read daily to his family from Winslow's 'Morning Thoughts' and 'Evening Thoughts' for many years. Baby Winslow's name is a way of honoring her parents' Christ-centered heritage--and we also had a reading from Octavius Winslow at our wedding!

Aurélie Anne Van Wynen

 and big sister, Wynnie

Josh and Heather, and big sister Éowyn (Wynnie) welcomed Aurélie Anne Van Wynen on September 13.

Heather wrote the following when they announced Aurélie’s birth:

We are pronouncing her first name "ah-RAY-lee," though it may also be pronounced "oh-RAY-lee" or "oh-ray-LEE," which would be closer to the French pronunciation. When I was little, I loved that my middle name, Renée, had an accent mark in it. I thought it was sophisticated and special! Wynnie's given name, Éowyn, also has an acute accent mark. When I saw the name Aurélie, I thought it looked and sounded so pretty and that it would be fun for my daughters to have the accented é in common in their names. We chose Anne after the fictional character in Anne of Green Gables. 

We were in Philadelphia with Kate and Jordan before Winslow was born, but then I had to leave for meetings in Ethiopia (it was sooo hard to leave!) so missed Winslow’s birth. But Tom was there, hanging out in the waiting area with Jordan’s parents and I was able to join them briefly on Skype! I came back to the U.S. via Philadelphia so got to spend a few precious days with little Winslow.

Wynnie turned three in August

We haven’t seen Aurélie yet, but will soon! Wynnie was holding her the other day and told her “Grandma and Grandpa are going to come to our house to see you and hold you and hug you. Aren’t you excited? Yes, you are!” We’re excited, too. And every day Wynnie asks if we are on our way. She also suggests that she should come back to Texas! We had her here for a week in May and it was a major success. She is the only family member who has ever spent the 16 hour drive from Colorado to Texas (it’s that long West Texas stretch that gets to most of us) saying cheerily, “I’m so excited we’re going to Texas!”

We are doing a lengthy road trip in October going to Colorado, Michigan (for Tom’s board meetings at ASM), Philadelphia and Tennessee. Fortunately I can read and work in the car! I think Tom sometimes solves major web problems as he drives, too. The change of scenery is good…especially when it includes three granddaughters!

The reason we are also stopping in Tennessee is the other bit of major family news! My parents moved back to Tennessee from Waxahachie last month. It all happened pretty quickly and their house here sold in a day! We miss them a lot but they love being back in Tennessee and they bought a nice home there in a retirement community that can provide care when and if they need it in the future. They are in the same general area where they were before, near Crossville. We drove (well, Tom drove) the moving truck up there, hauling our car behind so we could then continue our journey to meetings in Oregon after helping with a bit of the unpacking. 

Yes, in the midst of all these family events, work continues! Tom has been making lots of improvements to www.wycliffe.net and doing all it takes to keep the site running. We have a good team to help support the site, too. Craig and Anne Combs in Oregon who handle editing, posting and manage the flow of translations, Nancy Duncan in Dallas who does special projects, Rick Harman who handles the server stuff, and Josh who is doing a redesign for us!

You may recall that in our last newsletter (May 2014) I told you about the Missiological Consultations on Funding sponsored by the Wycliffe Global Alliance during 2013-2014. They started with a global meeting in Turkey, followed by regional meetings in Thailand, Kenya, Germany and Mexico.  What an honor to spend time in Scripture and conversation with colleagues all over the world as, together, we sought to discern God’s heart and mind concerning His mission and His resources. As I mentioned before, we wanted to identify what principles need to be in place for us to be good stewards of the many resources (not just money) God provides. We have been looking at what it means for all of us to be both givers and receivers. Following our leadership team meetings in Ethiopia, a small group of us met to go through the pages and pages of input from the consultations. The goal was to articulate some of the principles that emerged from these meetings. You can read more about the consultations and the principles on Wycliffe.net. I’ll keep you posted on some of the “what next” as the Alliance organizations continue to think about how to put all this into practice!

This year’s travels continue. I’ll be participating in communication meetings in the country of Georgia, working with a colleague for a week in New Zealand and attending a missiological consultation on Bible translation in Europe. It will take another newsletter to share some of the wonderful things we are seeing God doing through the Wycliffe Global Alliance organizations and the rest of His Church worldwide. So I will try not to leave such a gap between newsletters next time!

We do appreciate your prayers and support so much. Be sure to let us know how we can be praying for you. We pray for you anyhow, but it’s great to have specifics to pray for from time to time!   And please do keep our family in your prayers—

Praise and Petitions

Josh, Heather, Wynnie and Aurélie. Rejoicing over the new baby! Josh is now working fulltime for a web design firm so no longer has the ups and downs of a freelance income. That’s good news since Heather has now quit her job to be home with the girls.

Kate, Jordan and Winslow. Also rejoicing over little Winslow! Jordan is back in seminary after a summer of manual labor as a roofer. Kate has a part-time nanny job and is looking for editing and writing work. Jordan is also looking for part-time work. Pray that their faith will continue to grow as they look to the Lord to meet their financial needs.

My parents, Jerry and Marlene Roach. We are grateful that they are getting settled in their new home, are making friends and have already found a good church home.

Vivian, Tom’s stepmom, turned 91 last month and is still doing well, gardening and entertaining dinner guests, at her apartment in Dallas.

Tom and I need wisdom and discernment as we juggle work and other projects. I’ve also started a study program, so am excited about that! Pray we will use our time wisely.  We are grateful our schedules are flexible enough to allow for the occasional road trip to visit family while still keeping up with very busy jobs!

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Addis Ababa 

Our Wycliffe Global Alliance leadership team was privileged to learn about this ancient country from our Ethiopian colleagues during the week we met in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia has a long and rich Christian history. Ethiopia (once also known as  the ‘Land of Cush’) is referred to 15 times in the Bible. The Ethiopian eunuch who was baptized by Philip became a disciple in approximately 36 AD (Acts 8:27-39) and brought the gospel back to Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has a membership of between 40 and 45 million. Ethiopian Protestant congregations include 13.7 million people. The largest Protestant group is the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, with about 5 million members. Mekane Yesus is also one of several Ethiopian Wycliffe Organizations. 

All 87 languages of Ethiopia are ‘national languages’ and are encouraged and supported by national organizations. The Ethiopian Wycliffe organizations are facilitating Bible translation in a number of these languages. But Bible translation is not new to Ethiopia. In 450-500 AD New Testaments books were translated into  Ethiopia’s Geez language. This was 1,000 years before any Scriptures were translated into English! 

May 2014

What happens when 100+ people, from almost as many countries, take time to read, think and pray about how God provides for our needs and His mission?

Over the past eight months, the Wycliffe Global Alliance hosted a series of five missiological consultations on the topic of “Funding God’s Mission.” The first consultation was held in Turkey. It included Wycliffe leaders (and other guests) from around the world. This meeting was followed by four regional consultations, attended by leaders from each of Wycliffe’s four Areas — Asia and Pacific (held in Bangkok), Europe (Germany), Africa (Kenya), and Americas (Mexico). I had the privilege of attending each of these consultations. It was wonderful to spend time in God’s Word with colleagues from around the world and to hear stories of how God is providing in their contexts.

One colleague from Indonesia told the story of a group of children in Jakarta who started praying for a Bible translation project in a specific language community. The story isn’t finished yet, but today these children, their parents, and their parents’ church and work colleagues are not only praying for the project, but also providing the needed funds. And it all started because this Indonesian Wycliffe leader was sent to speak to Sunday school kids instead of the adults! His initial disappointment quickly turned to joy and his story is a good reminder of how God works in ways we don’t expect and through people who are often overlooked or underestimated.

From Africa, there was the story of a language community that lost their external funding because of the U.S. financial crisis. As the local translation team re-evaluated their actual needs they realized they had the needed expertise and personnel to continue translation on their own, without outside personnel or finances. What they really needed was food so they could keep working! So the people of the community began donating food and the women of the community came together to cook. Soon they were all praying together as well! The translation was completed and when it came time to celebrate, they realized they could also do that without outside financial resources. “This is how it should be!” they said, as the whole community planned and celebrated together.

Story after story, God provided…through local people, through strangers far away, through children, through pennies, through cooking pots! And we each have our own stories. What’s yours? Our family has many examples of God’s provision…and many of you are a part of those stories. We continue to be amazed at how God has provided for us all these years through you!

The truths that come through over and over, all around the world, are that all things are God’s and that all things placed back in God’s hands multiply to meet the needs and to bless beyond measure or imagination. God will fund God’s mission and He is the source of all we need. That is true and good, but how do we move beyond acknowledging it to living it? And how do we live it, not only as individuals but as a community of organizations? That’s what we are exploring together.

We are looking at what principles need to be in place for us to be good stewards of the many resources God provides. We are looking at what it means for all of us to be both givers and receivers. We are looking at what happens when money isn’t considered the only resource or even the major resource. We are looking at what it means to think about and act on these things in community. There are some great examples in both the Old and New Testament. And we are also seeing wonderful examples in the lives of our colleagues, as well. And in our own lives! This gives you just a glimpse of where some of my travels have taken me in recent months…and why.

I attended Board meetings in El Salvador last month and then Tom joined me in Mexico City for the last consultation. We even had some time to explore on the weekend before the meetings started. I made it through the three days of meetings listening to the Spanish and understanding most of it, but was basically a mute. My listening is much better than my speaking! But that’s ok as I was primarily there to listen and encourage. Tom made up for my silence and thoroughly enjoyed working in Spanish for a few days.

Here’s an update from Tom on his progress with the Wycliffe.net website. As you can tell, he’s been
busy as usual!

• better maps for small countries / islands
• improved Language data pages:
  • added Language profiles, 
  • John 3-16 sound files 
  • more online Scripture listings 
    • FCBH : new Bible.is apps and iTunes links
    • added in the 740+ youVersion.org online resources 
    • some Deaf Bibles.
• new sections:
  • Spiritual Development: we now have a new section under Resources/Orientation.
  • Magazines and Collections section of www.wycliffe.net
    for a new series:Glossa Diaries

Lots of new stories have been going up, from around the world. Be sure to check back regularly, use the RSS feed options or follow the Wycliffe Global Alliance Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/WycliffeGlobalAlliance

Praise: we have finally made major progress on the new Identity system to allow all our Alliance organizations into our backend system. It is nearly ready for live use. This will improve accessibility and participation potential for many of the Alliance organizations.

Our family is doing well. They appreciate your prayers, too. My parents and Tom’s stepmom, Vivian, are all doing fine at the moment. Our kids are doing well, too. Josh and Heather and Wynnie are eagerly awaiting their next addition, due in September. And Heather just finished a semester of school that gives her all the
prerequisites to be able to go on for teaching credentials when the time is right. Kate’s husband, Jordan, just completed his first semester at Westminster Seminary and will be working as a roofer this summer. Kate’s nanny job just came to an end. With their baby due in early July, she is hoping to find writing and editing work she can do from home, since during the school year she is the main income provider. So please continue to pray! We appreciate your continued prayers and support. We’d also like to know how to pray for you. We do pray for you regularly, but it would be great to have some specific requests. So please let us know!

Spring 2014

I'm writing this from meetings at Taal,
outside Manila. Taal has a lake in a volcano
on an  island in a lake on an island in the ocean! 

Happy  newlyweds Jordan and Kate
 in their Philadelphia apartment.

Wynnie and Heather enjoying their Colorado snow. 

We continue to experience God's goodness and grace as we continue our journey through 2014. We are happy to announce this year will be highlighted by the arrival of two new grandchildren! Kate and Jordan are expecting a baby due in July.  Josh and Heather and soon-to-be big sister Wynnie are expecting a baby due in September. So it will be a big year for all of us. Thanks for praying for all our family!

Travels geared up gradually this year with a quick trip to Arizona and Southern California in January. We were able to be a part of a missions conference at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Prescott, AZ and visited family and friends in California. I also managed to get to Philadelphia to visit Kate and Jordan.

A very small picture of a
very large ship in the Panama Canal.

February found me (Susan) in Orlando, Bangkok and Panama. Tom was able to join me for our Wycliffe Global Alliance Leadership retreat and meetings in Panama. And, yes, we saw the canal! And we had the privilege of having a dinner with the staff of PAAM, a Panamanian organization that is training and preparing Panamanians for work in Bible translation and other global ministries. It was also a good time of catching up with our widely dispersed leadership team and their spouses.

I was home most of March, which meant I got to catch up with my own spouse :-), my parents, lots of work, and even started preparing the yard for spring which was so reluctant to come this year! (I'm sure it will all be lovely now that I'm not home to see it!)  I'm currently on a trip that takes me to Germany, the Philippines and Kenya. Tom is holding things together at home, but will be traveling to Michigan for Audio Scripture Ministries' board meetings this month. Along with all his other old sports injury-related pains, he now seems to have carpal tunnel in his wrist which is making computer work difficult. Very discouraging for a webmaster who spends at least 12 hours a day at his computer! Please keep him in your prayers.

I'll share more next time about what happens at all these meetings around the globe. We are most definitely seeing God at work in us and others everywhere we go! For now I just wanted to share a bit of news, encouragement and thank you for your faithful support and prayers. Thank you! We do appreciate each one of you so much!

Great Commission, Greater Promise--We are all familiar with the "Great Commission" in Matthew 28. In the context of this passage it says the disciples were worshipping the resurrected Christ, but also doubting. We're not sure just what they were doubting, but Jesus knew! So He reminded them that He had all authority and they'd have His presence. Understanding this context sheds a different light on "the Great Commission."

It seems like most of the emphasis is usually on verse 19, where Jesus says to "go." But if you look at those verses that wrap around verse 19, you get a better picture of the whole package. Jesus says all authority in heaven and earth is given to Him and that He will be with us always...so that,  we are able to go and make disciples because of His presence and through His power and authority. It isn't a commanded task that's all up to us. It is the gift of a gracious invitation to participate with Him in His mission. It's about Him and He will see it through. That's good news!

Christmas 2013

Mosaic on Haggia Sophia ceiling, Istanbul, Turkey

What makes it worth packing and unpacking suitcases (I actually like that part), standing in security lines, and coping with jetlag? Seeing and being a part of how God is at work through His Church around the world!

In 2013, I (Susan) traveled for meetings in Thailand, Germany, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Canada and Turkey, Philippines and various U.S. locations. Tom joined me on several of these trips. What do we actually do (besides packing, standing in lines and not sleeping)?

Tom has continued to serve as webmaster for the complex, ever–growing multi-lingual wycliffe.net Wycliffe Global Alliance website. And he consults with Wycliffe organizations around the world regarding their websites as well.


I’m continuing to serve with the senior leadership team of the Wycliffe Global Alliance, focusing on strategy and communication…connecting with and facilitating Wycliffe leaders and communication personnel worldwide. The meetings I attend are rarely just “business meetings” (though we do have to have a few of those). Some are communication workshops with fellow communication colleagues. Many of the meetings are missiological consultations with Wycliffe leaders from around the world. These are times of reflection and discussion of key issues such as—
• What does it means to serve in community?
• What is God’s desire concerning how His work is funded?
• How does Bible translation fit into the holistic picture of God’s desire for His whole Church to reach the whole world?

Many voices from many cultures are participating in these discussions. And, from the discussions, new guidelines and ideas for sound theological mission practice are growing.

Perga marketplace

While attending meetings in Turkey this year, some of us were privileged to visit Haggia Sophia in Istanbul and the ruins of the city of Perga. These ancient sites are reminders of how God has called people to Himself across continents and across centuries. Today, Perga is a jigsaw puzzle for archaeologists, but it was a thriving city and a crossroads for trade and communication during the Apostle Paul’s day. He probably spoke in this marketplace.

Nations, cultures and languages may rise and fall but God continues to be faithful. Organizations, too, rise and fall! But we are living in a time when God is raising up new organizations… not to build empires and commerce but to contribute to His Kingdom come and coming.

The Wycliffe Global Alliance now includes more than 120 organizations worldwide. These organizations are integrally engaged in Bible translation movements in their own countries and around the world. Two more organizations joined the Alliance recently—the Bible Translation Organization of Tonga and the Bible Translation and Literacy Partnership of Solomon Islands. You can read more about the growing movement in the Tongan church at tinyurl.com/kvnphma. This is just one of numerous stories about Tonga and the Solomon Islands on wycliffe.net. Just as Paul was strategically placed to spread the Good News, the people of the Pacific are strategically placed to reach some of the most linguistically diverse regions of the world that still need to hear God speak their language.

As we celebrate Christmas and recall the coming of Christ, we also celebrate what God has done in enabling more and more people around the world to have the story of that Good News in their own language. But the work continues! More than 1900 language communities still have a likely need for Bible translation. See more at wycliffe.net/statistics.

God is accomplishing His mission to redeem and restore His creation through the participants in new Wycliffe organizations like those in Tonga and the Solomon Islands. He also continues to provide through local churches worldwide and through faithful partners…like you! We want to thank you for helping make it possible for us to serve with Wycliffe, through your prayers, encouragement and giving. God, in His infinite grace and mercy, has chosen to accomplish His mission through the Body, the Church worldwide, and there is a role for everyone!

One of the most rewarding parts of our work is seeing how God has made us all to work and live in community. We pray that you are rejoicing and celebrating in community this Christmas!

To Fall—

to move downward,

typically rapidly

without control

to lose one’s balance

and collapse.

To Descend—

to proceed,

to lower oneself.

stoop.

to progress downward,

purposefully.

We are the fallen.

A mess of flailing limbs

Pulled down by the gravity

Of our sin.

He descended.

Limbs moved by perfect grace

from manger to cross

to grave that could not hold Him.

We are the fallen.

Hands clawing at thin air

Nails scrapping

at nothing.

He descended

Hands reaching for the hurting

Nail-scarred

For the fallen.

We are the fallen

For whom He descended.

We are the unworthy.

Claimed by mercy.

Bought by love.

Beyond

Heights or depths.

Beyond

Our imagination.

Beyond

our grasp.

In His grasp

For His glory.

Family

Tom’s dad, Don Van Wynen, went to be with the Lord in January. Susan’s mom, Marlene Roach, continues to have health problems and underwent major surgery in September. Please keep Susan’s parents, Marlene and Jerry, and Tom’s stepmom, Vivian in your prayers. As they say, getting older isn’t easy!

Our son Josh, his wife Heather and our granddaughter, Wynnie (now 2!) are doing well…even if we don’t get to see them as often as we’d like! Josh’s web design business has grown a bit, but like all freelance work is up and down and it’s also challenging to work while watching Wynnie. Heather is still working at Whole Foods and plans to start classes after the first of the year so she can eventually get teaching credentials. They would appreciate your continued prayers as well.

Our daughter Kate married Jordan Roberts on October 5. It was a joyful event and a beautiful day. They are now living in Philadelphia where Jordan will attend Westminster Seminary, beginning in February. They are still driving back to the Bronx each weekend so they can stay involved in their church, The Bronx Household of Faith. Pray for them in their new life together and as they will need new jobs when their holiday season work ends.

We will close this letter with wedding pictures so you can share some of our joy! Many of you have prayed for our children for many years and we are so grateful.

May your Christmas season be blessed by the realization of God’s presence, goodness and love and through fellowship with those you love.

May - June 2013

“One may not ask the Latin language how to speak German…one must ask mothers in the home, children on the street, the common man at the market, and watch carefully how they speak. After that one may translate. Then those who read will understand you and know that you are speaking German with them” Martin Luther

Tom and I spent a week in Germany this past month. I attended the Wycliffe Global Alliance board meetings and Tom met with communication and IT staff from Wycliffe Germany and Wycliffe Europe Area. A highlight of our time was a field trip to Wartburg Castle. Martin Luther lived here in hiding, under the protection of Fredrick the Wise of Saxony.  If Luther had been captured during this time, he would have been tried as a heretic and most likely condemned to death. How did Luther spend this time? He translated the New Testament into the German language!  He was passionate about and committed to making Scripture available and understandable to all the German people. The desire for Scripture in the common language of the people spread across Europe, inspiring many others to translate the Bible into their own language as well.

The story continues today! “The Word of God is for every person. The challenge is that we have 800 languages,” Reverend Jacob Harry, Cassowary Road United Church. Papua New Guinea. Check out the new video from PNG on wycliffe.net to see how one church caught and is spreading the vision for Bible translation in their country. You might want to share this video with your church, too!

The field trip to Wartburg was just one highlight of a busy week in Germany. Among the many things accomplished in the Wycliffe Global Alliance board meetings was the adoption of a newly revised mission statement.

"In communion with God and within the community of His Church, we encourage and facilitate Bible translation movements that contribute to the holistic transformation of language communities worldwide."

I'm pleased with the work the Board did on this and feel it really captures who we are and who we are becoming as the Wycliffe Global Alliance. Next month I'll write a bit more about this. After our time in Germany, Tom and I joined Hannes and Esther Wiesmann on a train to Switzerland. Hannes is on the Board and is also the Director of Wycliffe Switzerland. We spent about five days with them and their office staff. We enjoyed the Swiss hospitality, (including Swiss chocolate, of course) and worked with Hannes and his team on web issues and communication strategy. We appreciate these opportunities to work one-on-one with the Wycliffe organization teams. Wycliffe Switzerland and the Swiss Church have made and continue to make a valuable contribution to the ministry of Bible translation. 

We are now home for several weeks, my longest time at home in a while. So, in addition to our usual work, we are also trying to get back to house projects--especially the kitchen! Yard work always awaits attention as well. We are making a bit of progress!  Tom's stepmother Vivian seems to be doing well though still missing Don. She stays busy entertaining guests and gardening. Tom will be taking her to visit family in Minnesota at the end of June while I'll be going to visit Kate and help her with some wedding planning! The wedding will be October fifth in Pennsylvania.

I promised you a bit more information about Kate's fiancé, Jordan Roberts. Introducing Jordan Peter Roberts… the man about to marry our daughter! He and Kate helped put this brief bio together:

Jordan was born and raised in The Bronx, New York, where his parents and a few others began the Bronx Household of Faith, a small mission-minded church in the Reformed tradition. His father’s work as the director of a Christian discipleship program for men with addictions, his parents’ commitment to their 13 children (7 adopted), and the Christ-exalting faithfulness of the church to the Word of God have all influenced his perspectives and formed his convictions.

Jordan is a gifted artist, songwriter and musician (He and Kate make beautiful music together!). He studied English and Bible at Grove City College in western Pennsylvania, and spent a year teaching high school Bible in NYC.

Jordan and Kate met in 2005, on staff at a camp for people with disabilities. God had lots for each of them to do and learn before He would turn their attention fully towards each other. Jordan’s family were Kate’s first contacts when she was job-hunting in New York, and in 2008, God opened the doors for Kate to move, quite literally, into Jordan’s backyard, to live with other women from the Bronx Household of Faith, the church she would come to love. After Jordan’s return from college, their friendship eventually blossomed into what it is today.

We are so excited and looking forward to their wedding, October 5, 2013. It’s been a delight to watch God’s work in their lives. They’re planning to move to the Philadelphia area after their wedding so that Jordan can attend Westminster Theological Seminary. He’s looking forward to preparing through study to teach the Bible, whether that may be as a layperson in the church or as a professor or pastor. Kate would also like to attend seminary to study biblical counseling. But they haven’t figured out how to survive without someone working a paying job, so her studies are still in question! At this point they look forward to discovering together what God has for them as part of His church, whether that’s in the Bronx or elsewhere. Together, they want to build a Christ-centered marriage and family.

Jordan also has a few words to say about Kate-- Right here in my own backyard I found the woman who more than any other I've ever known is submitting every beautiful gift she's been given--her intelligence, her creativity, her enthusiasm for discovery, her interest in the whole wide world and every person she meets in it--to the greatest commandment of her Savior: to love.  She loves God and others, and not like it’s a hobby; she turns every hobby every job every task every conflict every celebration into a medium for love.  That He would allow me to be drawn into the closest circle of her obedient, infectious, welcoming love by making me dear to her and her dear to me is an overwhelmingly exciting blessing.  I'm so grateful.  We want to serve Him together, according to His word, in love.

As you can imagine we are so thankful for what God is doing in Kate and Jordan’s lives. Other family news--my parents, Marlene and Jerry, braved the long drive to Jacksonville, Florida so my mom could have a check-up and some additional tests with the doctor who did her surgery about eight years ago. Most of her current health issues aren’t actually related to that surgery, but the folks at Mayo do an amazing job of collaborative medicine and sorting things out. We all appreciate their professionalism and expertise. And Mother also appreciates their attractive decor! As it ends up, her problems are largely related to having so many different medications. So they’re going to try some different prescriptions and approaches. We are grateful they got good help and that they arrived back home safely!

In late April we were able to make a quick visit to see Josh and Heather and Wynnie. They are doing well and we, of course, had great fun with Wynnie. She loves to draw (no surprise since both her parents are artists). She answers lots of questions with nonchalant shrugs and whispers most words except for "chocolate!" which for some reason comes out loud and clear and enthusiastic. But thanks to her health-conscious mom and dad, she is usually content with blueberries, cheese and yogurt. But she only whispers about those. 

Our summer travels, in addition to the New York trip for me and Minnesota for Tom,  include meetings for both of us in Costa Rica, meetings I'll be attending in Calgary and then two weeks in the Philippines in August to work with the communication team there. So we do appreciate your continued prayers! Thank you so much for your ongoing support and encouragement.

April Update

The first few months of this year provided lots of opportunities for appreciating and reflecting on family. We enjoyed a family holiday in January with Josh, Heather, Wynnie, Kate and Jordan. It was both Wynnie's and Jordan's first visit to Disney World! The photo on the top right was taken in front of the fountain at Epcot where we've been taking Josh and Kate's pictures since Kate was an infant. Even transient folks like us have a few traditions!
In February, Tom's dad, Don, went to be with the Lord just a week after his 89th birthday. Though we will miss him, we know he is now in full health and rejoicing in the presence of Lord. All of Tom's siblings and their kids, plus our kids, came to Texas for the memorial service. It was a good time of family fellowship and celebrating Don's life. There were people at the memorial service who had been his friends for more than 60 years! Do be praying for Vivian, Tom's stepmom, as she adjusts to life without Don. She has been such a blessing to our whole family.

The latest family news is Kate's engagement to Jordan Roberts! We've been expecting this good news for a while now and are so happy for them. They hope to get married this October. Jordan has been accepted at Westminster Seminary in Pennsylvania, so if the Lord provides scholarships, new jobs and a place to live they would like to begin school in January. In our next newsletter we will have a special  "Meet  Jordan" article and update on their plans so you can learn a bit more and be praying with us and with them as they look to their future together. Josh's wife, Heather, is also hoping to go back to school to get teaching credentials. I'm sure both families would appreciate your prayers!



I'm writing this letter between journeys. Last week I was in France for global communication meetings.
Tomorrow I leave for meetings in Germany with colleagues working in Eurasia and then go on to Fort Lauderdale, FL for the Forum of Bible Agencies International meetings. But it has been good to be home this past week and to celebrate Easter with Tom and my parents. Next month Tom and I will be traveling together to the Wycliffe Global Alliance board meetings in Germany. We always enjoy it when we can travel together!

I've started this newsletter about four times, so am going to keep it short to make sure I really finish it before it gets to outdated!  We do want to share at least one bit of news concerning what's happening in Bible translation. I don't know if you read and pray through the wycliffe.net weekly Prayer Bulletin (you can find it each week on the front page of the website) but these prayer requests are also a great way to get the news of what's going on around the world. This last week featured requests from Papua New Guinea. Here's just one example--

Praise the Lord for the Bible Translation Association's (BTA) translation consultants who are busy with a number of checking projects in March. Kidu Magi is checking the Gizrra language books of Acts of the Apostles, Philemon and 2 John. Duncan Kasokason is checking portions of Genesis in Kanasi and Buhutu  which are part of the Translators' Training Course assignments for the two translation teams. Aluis Simatab is preparing to check Isaiah in the Guhu Samane language in April. Praise the Lord for consultant training being organized to train more Papua New Guineans to check translated Scriptures.

This gives you just a glimpse of what's happening in PNG, one of the regions of the world with the greatest number of language communities still needing Bible translation. PNG has more than 800 languages! BTA, the organization mentioned above, is a Papua New Guinean Wycliffe organization with a growing number of Papua New Guinean translators, translation consultants and literacy workers. Many people in North American churches still picture Bible translation and mission as primarily "western" endeavors being carried out by expats. While there are still many people from the west going out, the majority of Wycliffe participating organizations today are from the majority world, not the west. It is exciting to see how God's Church has grown and how His people all over the world are joining Him in His mission. Tom and I are privileged to work with and serve these colleagues through our roles in the Wycliffe Global Alliance.

Many of you are also a part of this global ministry. Your prayers, support and friendship are constant sources of encouragement to us. We value you greatly! Thank you for all you have done and are doing. We also want to say a special thank-you to all those who sent notes and condolences when Tom's dad went to be with the Lord.  Thank you!  I started this letter talking about family. We consider you part of our family as well.

October update

Last month we launched the fifth wycliffe.net site language--Chinese! Tom and a small team of Chinese-speaking colleagues in Asia, plus our able web editor and translation coordinators, Craig and Anne Combs, made this long-prayed-for dream a reality. We are grateful to God for providing this capable team and are trusting He will be glorified as the Chinese Church worldwide now has greater access to stories, prayer info and other information about the needs and progress of Bible translation and related ministry.

Petronas Towers, Malaysia

As for me (Susan), I've decided I need another word besides "meetings" to describe this major component of my work and life. When people ask what I’ve been doing and I mention meetings in Malaysia, Kenya, Ghana, Canada or Germany (that’s the past three months) there’s usually more interest in the country than the meetings. People seem to have an aversion to meetings and often say, "better you than me!"
I wish I could better express just what these meetings comprise! It is difficult to do justice to experiences that allow me to worship with and delve into the Word with colleagues from all over the world. Together we seek God's direction, pray for discernment, confess our failings, recount God's blessings, and track this journey He has allowed us to be a part of. We listen to Him and to each other, marveling at His goodness and mercy, relying on Him, hoping in Him, and rejoicing in Him as yet another people group has access to and is applying His Word in their language and as the Church worldwide participates in His mission of redemption and restoration. And we look for ways we can participate!

Communication Forum - Kenya

Communication Forum - Kenya

In September I was privileged to attend the first-ever communication forum for 10 of the African Wycliffe organizations. I learned so much during this time of fellowship with colleagues from Sudan, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon and numerous other countries and they left inspired to share what God is doing in their midst.

Celebration, Accra, Ghana

Following the Kenya forum, I traveled to Accra, Ghana where we had an amazing couple of days in a multicultural missiological consultation on the topic of "community." Together we explored the deep joy and significance of recognizing community as beginning before Creation with the Trinity, then established by God as the means for His people to enjoy Him and each other. We spent time considering how we should think and act differently knowing that community is ordained by God and that interdependence and unity are not optional. We are continuing this discussion and reflection throughout Wycliffe and with other partner organizations. It brings a much deeper and richer perspective to partnership.
During the rest of the week in Ghana we joined our colleagues in celebrating the 50th anniversary of GILLBT, the Ghanaian Wycliffe organization. GILLBT is integrally engaged with Ghanaian churches and the University of Ghana. See more at http://www.gillbt.org/

Canada Communication meetings

Banff, Canada

October also included global communication meetings near Calgary, Canada. It is always a joy to get together with colleagues I’ve counted as friends for many years and to also have new faces, energy and creativity in the mix as well. We all appreciate how privileged we are to participate with God in His mission and to be able to communicate what He is doing around the world. Then it was home for a few days and on to Germany! (more on that next month)
Enroute to Germany, I was able to pay a short visit to our daughter Kate in NY. She is doing well. You can check out the progress on their church/school building (and hear her voice on the video) at http://www.indiegogo.com/AHomeForHopeAcademy and at http://www.bhof.org/
And you can see what our son, Josh is up to on http://www.evergreencomputerservices.com/
He is trying to build up his web design, graphic design and video clientele so Heather doesn’t have to have an additional outside job. We appreciate your continued prayer for Josh, Heather, and Wynnie and for Kate and her boyfriend, Jordan. They are all trying to build up businesses and/or make major decisions about ministry and livelihoods. Well, everyone but Wynnie. She's pretty busy just being a one-year-old.
Thank you so much for your encouragement, support and prayers! We are so grateful for the community that keeps us going. And do let us know how we can be praying for you!