Martins' Memos |
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| Duncanville | Texas, USA |
October 2016 |
Thank you for praying for my visa to enter PNG. The visa and my passport arrived at our Texas home just 10 hours before my flight out of DFW airport on August 4th. The Lord's timing is perfect!
I spent about 5 1/2 weeks on Manus Island teaching the Translation Principles part of the 4 1/2 week Translators Training Course. It was a very good course and well-attended. There were 44 participants representing 15 of Manus Province's 30 language groups.
Participants and staff of the 2016 Manus Island Translators Training Course (TTC 1)
I was very impressed by the God-given talents and level of commitment of each participant. At the end of the course each language group was given a fairly ambitious assignment - to complete the draft, self-checks and village testing of 10 chapters of the Old Testament - within 10 weeks after the end of the course.
We have already heard encouraging reports from Charles that many of the language teams are working hard and are ahead of schedule, and have already made good progress toward meeting their course assignments. They must have their translation work checked by a translation consultant in order to qualify to attend the next translation course in their training regimen. I am happy to report that four of the course participants are from the Nyindrou language area, and their plan is to work on the translation of the Nyindrou Old Testament (we dedicated the New Testament in 2002).
The equipment that I took to Manus Island was put into service and has already improved their ability to connect to the Internet via the cellular mobile phone network. Charles and other Manus translators are now able to backup their translation data to off-site servers, and communicate better from their Manus Island location(s) with me and other consultants based in the USA as well as other parts of PNG.
We are so grateful to those who sent us special gifts to help with my travel to PNG this summer and the cost of the equipment I took over there. We feel especially blessed to be able to help further the work of Bible translation in that part of the world. Presently, there is a lot of momentum for each course participant to work on Bible translation, but it is a very big, long-term project. Please pray that each of the translation teams will maintain good relationships with their churches and communities, and that their commitments to make steady progress in Bible translation will endure the test of time. Pray also that they will be able to get help from translation consultants and technical (computer) consultants when needed - such consultants are in short supply in PNG.
Would you like to personally encourage and provide practical help to one or more of the Manus Bible translation teams through your prayers and financial assistance? Each of the Manus translators asked me to help them find prayer and financial partners to assist them with their training and equipment expenses, and make it possible for them to devote themselves to Bible translation work on a full-time basis. If you would like to pray for and/or financially assist one or more of the Manus translators/teams, please let us know, and we will supply you with the information you need.
While I was in PNG we heard that Bruce Waters, who originally conceived of the Adapt It software program, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and that it has spread to other parts of his body. Please pray for Bruce and his wife Glenys that the Lord would provide healing, and that Bruce's treatment regimen will be effective, while still allowing Bruce to continue his fruitful contributions to the Adapt It project.
While I was on Manus Island, our seventh grandchild was born. Jason and Anne had their fourth child on September 22nd. Caellum (pronounced Kay-lum) was born a very big boy at 10 pounds 7 oz.
"Babu" and Caellum at 3-weeks old
We thank you for your prayers, partnership and encouragement!
| Your servants in His grace, |
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“And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. (2 Corinthians 9:8).
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” (Psalm 127:3)
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