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!