The following is additional detail regarding our recent Praise Reports and Prayer Requests as well as additional items for prayer. You may print this page to help you pray over each item.
Please email us and let us know how we can pray for you too.
Praise Report:
· For the many good meetings we have had with partners and churches while in the USA. It has been a blessing meet dear partners in the Lord, fellowshipping in God's churches and meeting new people as well.
· The Ila language group has shown a lot of initiative in getting their Bible translation project going.
This committee has raised funds locally in Zambia to support their own work. Praise God for Zambians who are learning to be blessed.
· For the first time in our 25 years of missionary service we have been able to come home to a place we can call home. All this is due to the love shown to us by many volunteers who helped with the Missionary Home Building Project in 2007-2008.
In May of 2007 we began to build a home in the USA so that we would not have to pay rent each time. Besides, it's just hard to move every time we are back and we had no place to store things.
Over the course of a year nearly 200 people from over 40 different congregations came to help build. Other people gave materials and tools for us to borrow or keep. The home can be rented out until we can use it next time we are back.
· God provided a nice place for Sarah to live near campus.
Our oldest daughter, Sarah, chose Ohio State University for several reasons including the low cost of tuition. However the Freshman's dorm was being rebuilt and we had to look for housing off campus. Through a series of connections --- all of which was God's hand on the situation -- we found a vacancy in Christian girls home. They have Bible studies several times a week and it is a safe and very reasonable place for her to live while in school.
Prayer Needs
For facilities such as a home that can be made into a training center for Bible translation students. Pray for both the funds and the location of a suitable place.
Currently we have to pay rent to live in Zambia. This is expensive but unless we owned a place here there are no other alternatives. We could purchase a plot or facility where people could come to receive training. Pray that God miraculously supplies.
Our work has been hindered by a lack of facilities. Our office is cramped and facilities are needed where students could come to complete Bible translation training as well serve for other ministry opportunities that Sue has.
Empty lots or buildings are for sale in the capital city of Zambia, Lusaka, but can cost tens of thousands of dollars. God can supply. Pray that He puts the need on someone's heart and that property becomes available. Or perhaps we can join with another ministry to share some land. God knows how this can work.
· For the Harvest. For more members and capacity to support more Bible translation projects
 | That God would call
more Zambians into Bible Translation. There are about 10 languages
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For cooperation among all denominations that have churches among these groups. |
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That we would meet the key people who will best serve as translators. |
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That those areas of these tribes that are not reached would be prepared for the translated Scriptures. |
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Pray that more people from the USA and around the world would join with us in Bible translation as well as go themselves. |
There are about 10 different language groups here in Zambia that still don’t have any translation. During our last term in Zambia we worked mainly with the Soli and Ila languages. Much progress was made and the work in these Bible translation projects continue.
The key to all of this is prayer. Through our prayers God can supply the right people. God needs to bring them to this work and give them the initiative and strength to do it. We also need safety as we travel to these areas. The local churches that are here need to contribute finances to pay the workers in the project while other finances help with things such as travel costs and computers for the translation work. Financial gifts given through individuals and churches are a way that you are directly involved. We look at your gifts as an exchange of the time you spend at work to make the work possible on the mission field.
- Pray that more people get the vision to join the Bible translation work both from the USA and from African countries.
· For distribution of the Taabua New Testament
This is a big and exciting thing. The New Testaments were printed in South Korea in 2007 and traveled by boat to Tanzania. Then they traveled overland to the northern part of Zambia.
There are many needs in the Taabua area for the Gospel. War has devastated the western shores of this lake, where the Taabua people live. We helped to send the New Testaments to the Congo and northern Zambia where the Taabua people live but some boxes of New Testaments remain in storage locations. Pray that they get distributed and that God’s Word penetrates the hearts of the people.
Our Taabua team members, invited us to a dedication service at the end of November 2008. Ken joined with the Taabua people to launch completion of the New Testament and it was exciting to see copies being purchased.
The New Testaments are sold for less than what they cost to print and distribute them. Prices will be about several dollars. It's important that the local people pay for them as they will not value them as much if they are given away for free.
Pray also for the establishment of literacy classes among the Taabua in remote areas.
· For work among ladies leaving prostitution
During a previous term Sue met twice a week with these ladies.
Pray that they can find real, good jobs that would keep them from returning to such a terrible lifestyle.
· Pray for peace in neighboring countries
- To the south of us, Zimbabwe's economy has been ruined. where there is much unrest. Many refugees have fled into Zambia.
- In the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north of us things remain unstable. Violence erupted during their last election at the end of 2011. Some refugees have that fled into Zambia during the last war have started to return to the DRC. Pray especially for repentance to sweep across this country.
· Other prayer requests:
- That God would raise up Christian leaders in African governments who will serve their people honestly and with integrity.