A Plentiful Yard

It is a tropical paradise outside. My day-guard has worked hard over the past several months to create this passion fruit canopy.

And now it is yielding fruit!

This is in addition to the papaya trees:

A lemon tree:

And avocado!

Upcoming Changes

In December I was excitedly telling a friend that I expected to finalize the Zinza, Jita, and Kwaya orthographies by the end of September. These were the three main projects that I'd been working on for the better part of 5 years. They suggested that September would, therefore, be a very natural and convenient time for me to end my time with Wycliffe. At the time I was strongly drawn to that idea, but more strongly drawn by my desire to remain in Musoma, so I put the idea away.

Over the past couple of months God has brought that idea and timeline back into focus and I am now convinced that it is God’s timing for me to leave Musoma, and Wycliffe.

This has been a hard decision, I didn’t feel ready to move on. I can point to several events over the past year+ that should have clued me into this plan, but I didn’t want to see them. The amazing thing is that now, having made the decision, I feel so much peace and even joy and excitement about what God is going to lead me into next.

So, I will be coming back to the States in early October, and back in Tulsa by December.

I would appreciate your prayers as I seek God’s leading on what is next for me. I do believe that it will include studying the Bible in one way or another and moving into some type of discipleship or teaching role. I have two ideas that I really love, but I still don’t know if either of them is where God is going to lead me. If you want to know what they are, I’ve described them briefly below:

1) YWAM and their DTS program followed by their School of Biblical Studies.  This would be an intensive inductive study of the whole Bible. I would be equipped to work in discipleship and bible studies and various other work along those lines.

2) Polis: The Jerusalem Institute of Languages and Humanities; MA in Ancient Philology. This would be studying the biblical languages as living languages so that I would be well equipped to read the original texts of the Bible and study theology from there.

These are two completely different programs that I could see God using in different ways in teaching/discipleship training. One is non-academic and the other is academic. One is a religious organization, the other isn't. But, both are exciting to me and have drawn me in a bit. So, please be praying about this. And if you hear some thing from God for me, PLEASE pass it on!

If you have ANY questions about this upcoming change, please feel free to write and ask me! My email address is available in the contact section of this blog.

Genesis Arrives in Another Language

Last month while I was in Dar, the Ikoma language group celebrated receiving the book of Genesis in their language.

All the normal elements of a scripture celebration were there:

A dancing choir.

Dancing up to the podium with the gift of a box of books.

Rejoicing as the box of books is opened.

Selling books out of the back of a land cruiser.

Food, and lots of it!

And the occasional rough roads.

BUT, however normal these elements may be to a Scripture celebration, the fact that the book of Genesis is now being read in the Ikoma language is still NEW and AMAZING. God is so good and faithful and it is always exciting to see his word spreading.

We're Getting So Close!

For all of you who have been chomping at the bit to hear that the Kwaya orthography has been finalized, well, that time is drawing near. (If you haven't been chomping at the bit...that is ok too).

Five years ago I was assigned to help develop the Kwaya orthography. Last week I finished my side of the work. It is being reviewed a final time by others and then it will be official, the Kwaya language will have an approved orthography.

Getting an approved orthography is a HUGE step towards being able to print the New Testament in a language. Even if the New Testament was fully translated and ready to be printed, it can't be printed without the language having had an approved orthography for at least two years.

So, this is one barrier to the Kwaya language community getting the New Testament in their language that will soon be removed!