Martins' Memos |
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| Duncanville | Texas, USA |
February 2017 |
The Lord provided an interesting example of teamwork during my last trip to Manus Island in August - September 2016 to teach the Principles of Bible Translation component to 44 participants at the Manus Translators Training Course (TTC). One of the principles we teach in our translation courses is the necessity of teamwork. One day I happened to look down at the cement floor and noticed that God had provided an excellent example of teamwork right there on the floor of the classroom. There before our eyes were a few dozen ants performing an amazing feat of teamwork, as they worked together on a seemingly impossible task - moving a large green grasshopper across the floor of the classroom!
Bible translation for a given language group is a very large task and it takes teamwork to accomplish it. Many people need to work together over many years to see a Bible translation project to completion.
You can see this marvelous example of teamwork in motion. I've posted a short 13 second video (26MB) of the ants transporting the grasshopper at:
http://www.martintribe.org/billandlenore/video/Ants-transporting-grasshopper.MTS
Tropical diseases and health emergencies can be a significant challenge for those involved in Bible translation work. For most of the month of January, Charles Kowak had been battling malaria. In early February he was taken to the local hospital with breathing problems due to a virus, complicated by the long bout of malaria. A few days ago, we heard that another national translator named Belden Sirip was being transported by boat from his village to the local hospital due to severe inflammation in his joints and feet, and a debilitating ulcer on his leg. About the time that Charles was released from the hospital, one of our colleagues, Sue Pfaff, had to be air evacuated from Manus Island due to a mysterious infection. Please pray for these team members that God would turn their health crises into blessings, and restore their health and strength.
On January 11th our son Joel turned 40 years old! How can that be? The whole family was able to gather to celebrate the occasion.
Lily (2), Mari (5), Rebecca, Joel, Bill, Sammy (4), Lenore, Jason, Caellum (5mo), Jachin (2), Kaya (3 1/2), Anne, Torin (5)
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.
Adapt It team member Bruce Waters, completed his chemotherapy for prostate cancer in late December. Pray for Bruce and his wife Glenys that the Lord would continue the healing process and give him the strength and clarity of mind to continue his contributions to the Adapt It project.
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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