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This mess is a blessing.

It may look like just a mess to you, but trust me, it isn't. Okay, well maybe it is a mess, but it is a very encouraging mess.

Let me explain.

As many of you probably already know, our second son, Josiah, recently graduated from Marine Corps Boot Camp in Parris Island, SC (if you want more details about that, check out our most recent letter on the newsletter page). While he was there, he was forbidden to use any form of "modern" communication. No email, no Facebook, no internet (he wasn't allowed to even have his laptop with him); no telephone calls and certainly no personal cell phones. His only means of contact with the world beyond Parris Island was through snail mail letters and postcards.

We, of course, wrote to him often; among the eight of us here in Maryland, I'm sure we averaged at least one letter per day, at least for the first few weeks. Josiah's girlfriend, Catherine, also wrote to him fairly regularly (I'm not even going to venture a guess as to how often!), as did his grandparents on both sides. So those letters make up a sizable percentage of the letters he received during boot camp.

However, we also shared his situation with everyone we could think of, asking for two things. First and foremost, we asked people to pray for him. Second, we asked people to write to him and encourage him during his time down there.

And this mess is the result. These are all the letters that Josiah received while he was on Parris Island, so many of them from our friends, people in the church and others, many who only barely know us as a family (and some who have never even met Josiah). These letters are a testimony to the love and support that the Lord raised up around us and around Josiah to help encourage him through the difficult trial of boot camp. This mess is a tangible representation of what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ, always loved, always cared for, always provided for.

Josiah with Lori and Kevin right after Boot Camp Graduation

We want to thank all of you who helped contribute to this blessed mess. We are so thankful for your love and support for our family and for Josiah as he went through boot camp, and we praise God for all of you!

The Games We Play

Creativity and imagination are wonderful gifts.

The girls playing Wipeout

I was invited into the twins' room this morning to witness them playing Wipeout. Some of you may be familiar with the game Wipeout from television; the show features a series of huge obstacle courses which contestants must navigate through, seeking to win $50,000 in the final round, the Wipeout Zone. Failure in these courses usually involves a short (or sometimes rather long) fall into the water below the course, and these falls are called Wipeouts!

The twins have greatly enjoyed watching this program, and today they decided to build their own Wipeout course. So, on the floor of their room, they put together a mini-Wipeout course using leggos and plastic toy dogs as contestants. They would roll the dice to move forward through the course, and roll against each other to see if they successfully passed an obstacle or if they got a wipeout

Caleb beating Daddy at Football

I'm pretty sure they got the idea for this from Caleb, who, the day before, had put together his own version of football using various G.I. Joes as players. The rules of his game are far too complicated to outline here, but it also involves moving the men around the "field" based on the roll of the dice, which determines if blocks are successful, whether passes are caught or intercepted and if the extra-point attempt is blocked (among many other things; I'm simplifying greatly). He played his mother in this game last night, and she managed to beat him 14 - 7; apparently she is a better football player than I am because in my match with him this morning, he managed to squeeze past me to win 7 - 6 (my extra point attempt was blocked). Hopefully later today we can have a rematch and I will fare better!

It was fun for us to see these bursts of creativity, to watch the children finding joy in the moment even in the midst of the busy, hectic and stressful season that our family is living in right now. That was a good reminder to me that we ought to always seek contentment, no matter what our circumstances, because He is working all things together for our good and His glory.

So take a moment right now to relax and find the joy that God has built into this moment. And if you think of it, pray for my kicker; he's got a history of being blocked and we've got a big game coming up!

Bible Translation: The Video!

A friend and colleague from England posted the following video on his facebook page; it was published by Wycliffe UK on September 10, 2013, and it gives many different statistics about the state of Bible translation throughout the world today and about Wycliffe's role in providing Scripture for the Bibleless people of the world. It also shares some testimonies from people whose lives and walk with Christ have been greatly impacted by having the Word of God in their own language.

The video is about 3 and a half minutes long, and I hope you'll take the time to watch it. I was inspired and encouraged by this reminder of what God is doing around the world through the work that we are a part of, and I hope it will encourage you as well.

In case the video above doesn't work, click here for the direct link to it on YouTube.

And, in case you are like me and have trouble following all the statistics that they throw at you, here are some of them:

Number of known languages spoken around the world: 6877
Number with a complete copy of the Bible: 518
Number with only a complete New Testament: 1275
Number with only smaller portions of Scripture: 1005

Clearly, there is a lot more work to be done, before all the people of the world have access to God's Word in the language of their heart! Please continue to pray for the Bibleless peoples of the world.

And, if you'd like to pray more specifically for the Bibleless, check out Wycliffe's Bibleless Peoples Prayer Project!

The Goals of the Misaje

Recently, Bert Visser, the General Director of our branch in Cameroon, visited the Inter-Church Committee in the Misaje area. Just to give you a little background, Misaje (pronounced "miss-a-jay") is a cluster of six related languages located in the North West Province of Cameroon; the Inter-Church Committee represents leaders from several different church groups (and denominations) within the Misaje cluster, and this Committee is critical in making decisions and guiding the course of the various translation projects that are in progress or that need to be started within the Misaje cluster.

Bert spent some time talking with the committee, and in particular, he asked them what they would like to see in fifteen years time, particularly in relation to Bible translation. Their answers are, I think, very significant. Some of their responses were that:

* People [of the Misaje cluster] would be able to understand the Bible in their mother tongue, and that their lifestyle will be changed.

* People would really experience the presence of God, like they did, for example, when a pastor was recently reading from a portion of the translated Scripture in the mother tongue; during this reading, the entire church was silent, focused intently on what was being read.

* People would see God as being closer to them (rather than impossibly distant, as is taught in many Animistic traditions) and that they would live by the Word.

* The church among the Misaje peoples would become the Church of the Word, as they receive the Word in their own language and are thus better able to understand what it has to say to them.

* The Church would grow physically, as evangelistic efforts (such as the Jesus Film) become more effective by incorporating mother tongue Scriptures.

* People would be able to be Christ centered, and be able to put God first in their lives.

Dave and Cindy Lux in front of their Misaje home

Hearing these goals and desires articulated by these people who are still waiting to hear God's Word in their own language helps to remind me of the importance of the work that we do with Wycliffe. These church leaders desire to have God's Word fill the lives of the people they serve, and the only way they see that happening is for the people to hear God's Word in their own languages.

Please join us in praying for the people of the Misaje cluster who are still waiting to hear God speak to them in the languages of their hearts. And also, please pray for our friends, Dave and Cindy Lux, who have recently begun working in the Misaje cluster as consultants; pray that they would be fruitful in their work and that God would soon make the desires of the Misaje Inter-Church Committee a reality.

A Taste from Home

We all have tastes and sights and smells that bring up precious memories, don't we? For example, I love the scent of the boxwood plant. The other day, I smelled one and it immediately evoked a sense of happiness and contentment as I recalled the long-gone summer days I spent playing with my brother in Mrs. Cox's pool.

For my kids, apparently the taste that "takes them back" is Coca-cola. Now, I can't say that I love the taste of Coke but some of my kids certainly do. They are particular, though; they don't love just any Coke. They are partial to the particular flavor of the Coke that we can buy in Cameroon (in case you didn't know, the makers of Coca-cola use a slightly different formula for different countries, tailoring the taste of their cola to the particular tastes of the target culture).

It is always a challenge to take kids to the grocery store (no matter what continent you are on!), because they are always so good at spotting the "bargains" in the store that you miss; they also tend to be very vocal in their attempts to persuade you to buy the "bargains" that they've found. Usually, I can manage to say "no" to their suggestions, but this time, it was different.

Our "Taste of Home"

Because this time, Caleb pointed out a particular treasure that he had found: Coke in glass bottles. "Mom," he exclaimed excitedly, "it's like the kind from home!" I was skeptical, but had to see for myself. Sure enough, there they were, Coke bottles that looked just like the ones we often buy in Cameroon. And at the top of the display was this enticing advertisement: "A Taste from Home: Coke from Mexico."

With an ad like that, how could I refuse? So I bought some, primarily to discover if they tasted anything like our Coke from Cameroon. And sure enough, everyone agreed: they tasted like home. And as a result, for a while I had happy, peaceful children reminiscing about Cameroon. That lasted until something else, a stress or concern or annoyance from the world around them, distracted them from their peace.

In all of this, I was reminded of how we need to keep our hearts, minds and bodies focused on our eternal home, rather than on the world that currently surrounds us. Only when we focus our attention on our Heavenly home are we able to truly enjoy this present, physical world as God intended us to. Even more than that, it is only as we turn our eyes on Him and the promise of His Kingdom that we can find true, lasting peace.

Berry Blessings

     Seeing my friend, DeAnna's web page with short, interesting stories about everyday, average activities has inspired me to renew my efforts at blog posts. We had started a series about the various Cameroonian New Testament translations that we have been privileged to support during the years of our ministry, but, after the first post, it became difficult to get all of the details we needed to continue that series. I do hope that Kevin will soon be able to acquire the necessary information so that we can continue the stories of those translations, but in the meantime, my stories will have to do.

     I love how God provides for some of the "little things" in our life. I love picking fruits (and eating them!), and there are several farms here in Maryland that allow people to come and pick their own fruit. However, just when the Maryland fruits were getting ripe for picking at these local farms, we became too busy to get out and pick them! Most of the activities centered around getting Josiah ready, both physically and emotionally, to ship out to Marine Corps Basic Training.

Don't they look yummy!

     But in the midst of all that busy and very emotional preparation, the berries right here in our own backyard were beginning to ripen too. We discovered that there are a LOT of berry bushes, of various different types, scattered about the woods on the edges of the enormous property where we are living at Liberty Church, PCA, and all of them were there, waiting to be picked! So I have thoroughly enjoyed escaping the confines of the house, feeling the summer heat, getting pricked here and there, and getting a bit of exercise too. I suppose we all enjoyed eating the berries as well!

Caleb being silly while "helping" pick berries.

     Thanks, God, for Your "little" blessings! Keep us ever mindful of them, that we would always know how blessed we truly are, no matter what our circumstances might be.

A Focus on Translation: Nzime and Badwe'e

We would like to introduce you to Keith and Mary Beavon. The Beavons came to Cameroon in January of 1976, and began working with the Nzime people. They moved into the home of Joseph Azabor (who later joined them in their translation work) and began learning the Nzime language. As they put it in a recent newsletter:

Joseph Azabor

"In 1976, Mary, Virginia [their daughter] and I began living with the Nzime people, sharing the roof and food of one family. We also exposed ourselves to their language and worldview, learning it in part. It also meant that some of them have had the opportunity to learn ours and maybe God’s, too. (We aren’t sure the two are identical.) Their way of access to the worldview of God is the translation that was our shared passion over many years."

At the Nzime Dedication

After almost 25 years of work among the Nzime people, the translation of the New Testament was completed and dedicated to the Nzime people in 2000.

During their time working on the Nzime language, the Beavons realized that there were many languages that were closely related to Nzime, and they discovered that some of these could use the Nzime translation as a starting point for their own translations.  One of these languages is Badwe'e, a language they came into close contact with when they moved, in 1981, to accommodate their growing family (at this point, they had been blessed with two sons, David and Garth), into the home of the Yangyang family, who were Badwe'e speakers. When the Nzime translation was dedicated, they began working on a translation for the Badwe'e. This New Testament was dedicated to the people in 2003.

Several others assisted them in their work among these two language groups. Mo Perin, from England, worked with them for a time, and they were also assisted by several Cameroonian colleagues: Joseph Azabor and Joseph Mbong with the Nzime; and Samuel Mpiale and 'Janvier' Ekoalea with the Badwe'e, to name a few.

Janvier Ekoalea teaching a Badwe'e literacy class

The Beavons are continuing their work among these people groups. They have worked on producing an audio copy of the Nzime New Testament as well as a catechism that is currently being used by parts of the Presbyterian church. They are also progressing on the translation of some parts of the Old  Testament into Nzime. They have also been working on Old Testament portions for the Badwe'e, and have been asked by Badwe'e believers for a catechism as well.

But there are other language groups that the Beavons long to serve as well, particularly the Njyem, another language related to Nzime. They began the process of learning Njyem in January of 2001, but were largely unable to live among the Njyem people, which has hindered their ability to effectively minister to this people group. Their hope is to soon be able to move into the Njyem area, living in the truck camper that was their home once their children had graduated from high school and returned to the United States.

We first met the Beavons when we arrived in Cameroon in 1993. When Kevin began teaching at RFIS, Mary was a member of the school board and their two sons were both students, David in 12th grade and Garth in 9th. Both of their boys were in Kevin's English classroom, and Garth participated in several of the plays that Kevin directed while he was a student.

Please pray for the Beavon family as they seek to find ways to effectively continue their ministry to the Njyem speakers. Also pray that the Nzime and Badwe'e Scriptures would be powerful and effective in transforming the lives of believers in those language groups.

The Nzime and Badwe'e New Testaments

A Focus on Translation: Introduction

A selection of several of "our" New Testaments from Cameroon

Some time ago, we decided it would be fun to figure out how many New Testament translations had been dedicated in Cameroon by translators whose children Kevin had taught at RFIS. We hoped to gather a copy of each of these translations, so that we could have a concrete record of the impact that our ministry has had over the years.

It turns out that, since our arrival in Cameroon in August of 1993, we have directly supported the completion of New Testaments in eleven different languages. If that sounds like a rather small number to you, stay tuned to this space; over the next several weeks, we'll be sharing some of the stories behind those eleven translations, which will help put into perspective for you the years of effort that has been put into finishing each of those translation projects.

To put all this in another way, our ministry has helped to bring God's Word to 985,000 people in the languages of their hearts. And there are more to come; some other New Testaments which we have directly supported are nearing completion or are awaiting publication, so that number will soon climb to more than 1 million people who now have free access to and understanding of God's Word who didn't when we began our work in Cameroon almost 20 years ago.

We were very encouraged by all this, and we wanted to give you an opportunity to "get to know" these languages groups that have been impacted by our ministry over the years. So, over the course of the next several weeks, we will be posting blog entries that focus on each of these language groups, sharing the stories of the people and the family that worked on the translation project. Hopefully, this will give you a better sense of what each of these books means to the people group that received it. And we hope, as well, that you will be encouraged, just as we were, to hear of all that God has accomplished through your faithful support of our ministry in Cameroon.

To whet your appetite a bit, here is the complete list (roughly in alphabetical order) of the New Testaments that have been (or soon will be) dedicated in Cameroon by families whose children Kevin has taught:

Akoose - Robert and Sylvia Hedinger (and several others)
Badwe'e - Keith and Mary Beavon
Bafut - Joseph and Becky Mfonyam
Kako - Ers and Gerd Ernst
Kom - George and Val Shultz, Randy and Sherry Jones
Kwanja - Martin and Joan Weber
Mbuko - Richard and Sue Gravina
Mofu-Gudur - Ken and Judy Hollingsworth, Jim and Annie Pohlig
Ngiemboon - Steve and Julie Anderson
Nooni - Dave and Cindy Lux
Nzime (or Koonzime) - Keith and Mary Beavon

And soon to be completed:
Wuzlam - Willie and Annukka Kinnaird
Hdi - Lee and Tammi Bramlett

We will be starting this focus on translation series by highlighting the work of Keith and Mary Beavon in the Nzime and Badwe'e projects. We hope you will join us!