Snow Angels and More!

Midnight Snow Angels

I went on a midnight walk in the snow last night... I won't be doing THAT in Tanzania next year!

It's vacation. The school week ended sweetly, with kids saying that they'd miss me so much (only a little under the influence of hot cocoa I hope).

My church decided to support me, which is a show of the encouragement a they are to me and their devotion to God's Word.
The additional support bumped me to at least 77% of the monthly quota!

Today I got the last installments of my Hepatitis A & B series... more shots to come in the spring!

My teaching certificate application for Tanzania is lost in the postal twilight zone... a minor inconvenience among the blessings God is giving me, as support comes in, my students are sweet & funny, and I get to spend time with dear family and friends over the vacation.

Translation Update

The number of languages still without the translated Word dropped to 2,078 from 2,252 this year!

Technology is a big part of this acceleration. A Columbian article my grandmother sweetly clipped and sent me shares one story of technology in translation: "In a remote island village of 1,200 people in Indonesia, a man hooks a notebook computer to a satellite connection and sends a Bible translation in his native Yawa language to a consultant sitting in her home office in Arlington, Texas." (This photo is from the article, courtesy of Linda Jones.)

If you want details about translation in Tanzania go to TheTask.net. You will be inspired to read about lively scripture dedications, people enjoying the Bible via cassette, a people group that is easy to translate for because their culture is so close to culture of Biblical times, and market vendors spending their meager earnings on Wycliffe scripture and literacy materials. The site has an interactive map that shows the location of the language projects. You can see Dar es Salaam, where I'll be, as well!

Mimi ni ninalala.

Me and some of my new vocabulary.

"That," Sarah says proudly," is a personal present tense conjugation of the Swahili verb, 'to sleep!'"

The whole sentence says means "I am sleeping" or "I sleep" ...Neither is true at this moment, but kulala, "to sleep," is my favorite verb so far, reminiscent of La La Land. I put in my first serious session of Swahili study on Saturday. Very fun :)

God, also, is not sleeping; my monthly support level is up to at least 65%, and likely higher! Many people are praying for me, another essential piece. I feel very blessed and thankful. Thank you to all who are taking interest and playing a part! I am glad God can use us together to bring the Word to those without.

Treasure in Earthen Vessels

Image from http://www.yellowleaf.org/
My dad creating an earthen vessel :)

It's about nine months from now to when I leave for Tanzania in mid July! Wow.

I got to share my Wycliffe status with the congregation in church today. It was fun. I was encouraged by speaking to people afterward who enjoyed learning about my work, had their own missions stories to share, and who want to support me.

I shared II Corinthians 4:6,7:

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.   

The verse reminds me of the importance of scripture, which is the light of God to give us knowledge of Him. It also reminds me Christ's centrality to my faith; I fall on Him in complete need of His redemption and new life. Christianity is more than becoming a better person and helping others.

I want to keep Scripture and Christ central in my life and my work with Wycliffe. They are the reasons for Bible translation in Tanzania. Finally, I am heartened to remember that I am an earthen vessel, made of dust. I am incapable of the work set before me, and therefore I rely on God's excellent power!

Tanzania Factoids

Principal Languages:
* Swahili, unifying many people groups speaking about 130 other languages, chiefly from the Bantu language family
* English, the language for international commerce and of the higher courts

Religions: Roughly 1/3 Muslim, 1/3 Christian, and 1/3 indigenous religions

Notable Features:
* Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa at over 19,000 feet (which I plan to summit with my family!)
* Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa
* Serengeti National Park, one of the country's several wildlife refuges
* Zanzibar, the island of spice!

Foods:
* Fruits like papaya (pawpaw) and bananas (ndizi)
* Grains like rice, corn, and millet
* Coconut!
* There is an Indian influence, due to Brittain's time of control over
Tanzania, when they brought railroad workers from India to Tanzania.

Invitation to Haven of Peace Academy!

This week Haven of Peace Academy in Dar es Salaam invited me to teach at their school for the next two school years! I accepted, and now I know where in I will be in Tanzania.

There are over 300 students in grades K-12 at the private Christian school. The students come from Tanzanian families, missionary families, and other foriegn families. Over 30 missionary organizations are represented at the school. My presence will make education more accessible for about 10 Wycliffe families attending the school. The Wycliffe parents are involved in administration, training, and logistics for translators and language projects going on in Tanzania.

A Year of Lasts

Image from http://www.fgbcworld-blog.com

This weekend I went to my church's family camp at Camp Clear Lake. The weather was glorious, the fellowship fun, and the worship sweet.

The camp was one of many lasts. I had my last opening day of school at Cheif Kamiakin Elementary. This is my last autumn for at least a couple years (Tanzania doesn't do autumn). Thanksgiving will be the last with my family for at least a couple years... et cetera.

All these lasts help me appreciate the blessings God has given me. Knowing that I will not have these things helps me see how dear they are. I am not feeling sad. Loss and sadness will come later. I am feeling blessed. I want to enjoy this year and I pray that the Holy Spirit will use me as He wills in the lives of my students, family, friends, and church.

Starting Partnership Development... A meditation on the Body of Christ

This blog is still a secret... but soon to be revealed! If you are here you have received my first newsletter as a Wycliffe member.

This summer I attended two Wycliffe trainings, one for teachers in Dallas, TX, and one for all new Wycliffe members in Orlando, FL. My Summer Training 2010 Photos show some of the highlights... I met lots of lovely people, including active missionaries with great stories and new missionaries sharing my experience. We learned about Bible translation. We practiced sharing the Wycliffe vision with individuals and churches (hence the banana "telephoning" activity in one of the photos). And, we enjoyed the beauty of the summer.

Image from: https://otbmusa.org/Home_Page.html

Now I am starting "Partnership Development." Partnership development is gathering a group of people who want to partner with me as I teach in support of Bible translation. Partners will pray, encourage, and give financially.

 Influenced by American culture, partnership development at first seems uncomfortable; Americans are self-supporting individuals. However, I have been reminded in the Word that God calls the church "the body of Christ." Each part functions to help the others. The body together does Christ's work on earth. I am one part of the body. I support other parts of the body by teaching. I am supported by other parts of the body, my partners. It may be counter-culture, but it is part of God's plan. I am excited to see how God builds my partner team.

Welcome!

Image from amazon.com

Thank you for your interest.

When I started thinking about going to Africa I read All That You Can't Leave Behind: A Rookie Missionary's Life In Africa by Ryan J. Murphy. The book is just a bound version of his blog. It tells about the reasons he went, the process of leaving one culture and entering another, and the reasons that led him to Africa.

I want to do something similar with this blog. It will be one way to link with friends, family, and supporters while I prepare and when I am away. It will be a window into Tanzanian culture. It will be a vision showing why Bible translation is important, and how teaching missionary kids fits into that vision.

Welcome!