The Promenade and How God Preserved It

Inspired by the song Rich Mullins wrote of the same title, Kevin wrote this play 8 years ago. Since this is a play with music and dance and we are not songwriters or choreographers we turned to our friend and colleague, Liz. God worked mightily through her inspiring her with most of the songs needed for that first production.

Bradley and Josiah were in the first show.

This time around, again, we went to Liz but we had added a couple scenes. God used her as before and she wrote new songs, including one for a scene we had previously borrowed music for.


Everything was moving along smoothly: God brought musicians, dancers, actors, stage crew, etc. But then....injuries, illness, technical difficulties, etc. We were still struggling when we got to the week of the show. At that point, if there had been one more illness or injury with the cast the show would have had to have been cancelled.

Caleb learning to be led so he could lead

As it was, Kaiah learned Hannah's part. Hannah learned Kylie's part. Kylie took over for Kaiah on the sound board. Mrs. Carmean took over the piano for Caleb B. but he kept his speaking role. Timote recovered enough to move around stage. David missed school (and two of the final rehearsals) to rest so he could perform. Ruth danced with ankle pain. After two separate injuries, Sam's ankle was miraculously strong enough to dance on. Eric, a musician, was flat on his back between songs. Felicia and Sion, also musicians, managed to play in spite of feeling ill.

But in spite of all these hardships, the show went on. And it was a blessing to many.

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Fun after the show

Meet Peter

Peter, a farmer by trade, waits patiently for his tomatoes to ripen every season so he can get them to the market to sell. No, these are not his tomato plants; folks here call them "vegetable" and Peter is nursing them in my yard. Peter also helps Kevin and I by cutting the grass during rainy season and moving dirt and tending to other things around the yard. 

Peter has helped me tremendously with my gardening efforts. He's tilled the ground, transplanted vegetables, bought seeds and built a trellis for passion fruit as well as fences to keep out chickens and one fruit loving dog, Ziva. 

Guilty fruit eating dog on the right, chicken attacking dog on the left

Most recently he's been helping to harvest the wild guavas. He's taller than any of us!

It's a bumper crop this season. We are getting plenty even though we lost one branch to the weight of them before we could prop and tie it up.

Please pray for Peter as he has two part time jobs and manages his farm. He is trying to save money to get married.

God's protection in some obvious ways

Sometimes we can't see how God protects us like when we are late leaving but might have missed a crash on the highway. But sometimes it is very clear how His hand is over us like when Josiah had a run in with a tractor and after healing, could run and play like any other child, eventually growing up to be a fine Marine. Or the time the dog alerted me to a snake not 12" from where I sat tending my flowers.

We thought you'd enjoy seeing some photos of recent events that show how God has protected us.

This event took us all by surprise during a late season storm when the ground was already very saturated. As you can see, one section to the left and it would have crashed into the wall of the house.







During a different storm the tree on the outside of our wall had a branch that twisted and came down on the wall and damaged only a bit of the roof - not even the bricks of the house, just the tin finishing. It grazed the electric cable but didn't pull it down.

Pascal, an employee at RFIS, helping us with the tree removal.

When taking the branch down another piece of the outer wall did come down but, again, no damage to the house.











We've had to have our well dug deeper (twice) and each time it has amazed us at the strength and bravery of the men willing to climb down into a well, tie ropes around a cement ring, climb back up, pull the thing out (15 meters or more depth!), shift it off to the side and do the whole process again. And then, of course, someone has to go down to keep on digging deeper.

 Now we have this wonderful water tank!








A few more times God has protected us. One time I didn't get a picture of is when the switch to the hot water heater in the boy's bathroom burned. This one that is pictured is two circuit breakers that also burned.

This photo I put on Facebook a while ago. It's where the papaya tree fell, also from a nasty storm, not toward the house or on the new chicken coop.




 Oh, and what about the time a  35L hot water heater started to fall off the wall at "just the right time!" Someone was here to help and no one was hurt and the weight of it didn't destroy the bathroom.

Sometimes we see His hand so clearly; sometimes we don't.Trusting Him as we walk though life can be a scary situation sometimes. It is good to remember how He takes care of us.

A Word in Karang - Why We Do What We Do

Our friend and colleague Bob Ulfers, who works with his wife, Yezmin, among the Karang people, posted the following on his facebook page yesterday, and we thought it was such a great message that we wanted to share it with you all.

The Ulfers have been working with the Karang for many years, and Kevin had the chance to teach their two older children, Josiah and Hannah, so theirs is another project that we have had a hand in supporting. 

Enjoy, and we pray that you have a blessed celebration of our Savior's birth!

Bob and Yezmin Ulfers

Testing ‘virgin’ – pure or empty?

Bob Ulfers·Saturday, December 24, 2016

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (Matthew 1:23)

It was a typical dusty and smoky afternoon in the dry season of northern Cameroon when Jacob, Abba and I went out to comprehension test the Karang language translation; the end of 2nd Corinthians. We gathered at Mr. Noel’s compound with several Karang people of different ages. As is our practice, for each verse we asked key questions to make sure the Karang translation is understandable, natural, and accurate. We had no idea that Mr. Noel and his friends’ replies would require three days of revision on one verse, actually only one word – tikla our choice for ‘virgin’. It was the second verse of chapter 11.

Our culture influences how accurately we understand the Bible. That day at Mr. Noel’s the Karang culture became a problem. It changed the meaning of the holy message. You see, the image of a virgin girl for most of us evokes the idea of ‘purity’, ‘chaste’, ‘reserved for a special purpose’ or something along those lines. That’s because for most us, the Bible has influenced our culture for centuries. The Biblical view of ‘virgin’ has become ours. It’s how we see Mary the mother of Jesus, for instance. But the concept of a virgin girl for the Karang is quite different.

That dusty day at Mr. Noel’s, the Apostle Paul’s virgin bride analogy of Corinthian church induced an unexpected wrong idea. Paul wrote: “I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.” Earlier the Corinthians’ moral lives were dirty - real dirty. But in time and by God’s reconciling power Paul was hoping to present them as ready for Christ, as a pure virgin bride is to her groom. The word we used for ‘virgin’ in Karang is tikla. It describes accurately a young female who is unmarried. We naturally used this term and to make sure about her purity we also added, ké tu wo̧ro ya (who does not know a man). Our testing session at Mr. Noel’s went like this:

Our question - “Who is Paul referring to when he talks about a tikla ké tu wo̧ro ya (virgin)?”

Their answer – “ The people who follow Zezu (Jesus), the ones Paul is writing to.” “The ones living in Kɔrente.” “Good.” I replied (We happily check off one question).

Next question - “Why did he call them a tikla?”

Their answer – “Paul wants to bring them to Zezu. He is like the groom and they are like the tikla.” 

“Good,” I reply. (They know it is an analogy so we check off another question.)

Next question - “What is Paul trying to say about the Corinthians when he says they are like a tikla?”

Noel’s answer - (After some thought) “They don’t know anything about Zezu and Paul wants to introduce them to Zezu so they can believe for the first time.” (The others all nodded their heads!) I looked at Jacob and Abba whose eyes were wide open too. “Ooooookay” I remarked taking a deep breath. I tried not to look surprised. I paused to form a logical follow-up question.

Next question - “So how do you know Paul says that the Corinthians know nothing about Zezu?” 

Their answer – “A tikla is somebody who knows nothing.” “That’s right, why else would Paul call them tikla?” I quickly confirmed by asking one last question - “Like an empty blackboard?” (They all agreed!)

Jacob and Abba gave me that oops-time-to-go-back-to-the-drawing-board look. So we did. And over the next few days we modified tikla. We embellished it with ‘pure-hearted’, changed its place in the phrase, we then explicated more saying she did not have sex with another, etc. But each time it did no good. The response was always, “Paul is saying that he wants to present the unbelieving Corinthians to Zezu.” What they understood confused them as much as it disturbed us. You could see the silent query in their eyes, ‘Why is Paul presenting them as empty and ignorant to Christ.’

Finally on the third day we came to the conclusion that we could not use the analogy of virgin (tikla) at all. Culturally it just refused to conform to the Biblical view. Then another idea came to us: use fiancée (mbana). We used the following analogy “I want to present you as a mbana who guards her body with a pure heart for her groom, Christ.”

We then tested it at the next session -

Their response – “Oh, Paul wants them to be pure and ready for Zezu. He wants them to keep themselves for Zezu and nobody else.” There was no confusion in their eyes.

One more question – “So they are NOT ignorant?”

Their answer – “Of course not, because a mbana already knows the one she loves and the Karang says it clearly, she, the Corinthians, are pure to him.”

Finally we could really check off that verse, that word. And what a reminder it was again that translating God’s word into a different language means translating it into a different culture, a culture that God wants to make pure and ready to receive him. People who can say, we are ready to be one with you, Zezu.

As we celebrate that great day when the God of the universe lowered himself down to be born into all our dirty humanity through a ‘pure’ virgin, we also look forward to the day we are presented to Christ as his pure fiancée, ready to love him back as he did us.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Bob (& Yezmin) Ulfers, December 24 2016

When I think it's ok to be proud....

We are commanded not to be proud. But wait a second. I don't want to be proud for anything I accomplish or what I am. I am nothing. I am only something because of what God has done. So, I'm gonna brag about what God has done... in my kids!

I've loved music for a very long time. I've loved remembering the music my mother used to enjoy. I REALLY enjoyed the moment a few weeks back when I informed my children that their grandfather had played the tuba. AND I'm very proud that Kaiah has been persistent in learning guitar, piano and improving her singing so she can lead worship and sit in her room with friends singing praises. No, she probably won't be the next country/gospel star but she's written a song or two. And one of them will make you cry.

I've respected the United States Military and all they've accomplished for our great country for a very long time. I grew up knowing that my dad went to Korea and did something with big guns and later it took its toll and affected his hearing. I knew there were battles and lives lost for my freedom but now... now, it's really personal. Most days I'm still in shock that God has brought two Marines forth from me. I'm so proud of Josiah and Daniel for their choice to serve the United States.

I've enjoyed sports for a very long time. I love watching a good baseball game with my dad! I even enjoyed watching bowling with him as a kid. I was never very adept at sports, tried gymnastics for a bit but... well, I couldn't ever stick the landing. I remember the school really wanting my big brother to play football, ha ha. But I'm super proud of Caleb's athletic prowess and incredible goalie abilities. And, yeah, he just might go places with these skills.

I've always appreciated arts and crafting. I could paint a little craft, made my fair share of cards, designed my dream house as a kid, and, oh, did some nice flower designs as a teenager (I can still do that one). When Bradley started carving up wood and making bows and arrows as a little boy, I wasn't too impressed. Until one day when the arrow he shot went straight through the banana tree. Then, I made sure no one was around when the shooting started. I'm amazed and proud every time I see one of his creations, be it computer generated or earthen.

I've been intrigued by twins for, forever really. And then God laughed and gave me a set!
I've always loved animals, just ask my brother about the worms crawling up my arm on a fishing trip. But my Channah's passion for them, especially furry ones, astounds me. I am proud that she has so much compassion and wants to help all creatures great and small.
I've usually thought of myself as sympathetic or compassionate; I'm usually a good listener but the sensitivity that leaks out of Charis is beyond any I've seen. I'm proud that she always wants to be sure I'm OK and I look forward to how God will develop this characteristic in her.

So, there you have it: my pride.

Happy Birthday Wycliffe US

This year, Wycliffe Bible Translators celebrates it's 75th birthday. They created this video to celebrate the occasion. Check it out:

You can also visit the following web page for a brief history of where Wycliffe Bible Translators came from and where we are heading in the future:

https://www.wycliffe.org/75?utm_source=pardot&utm_campaign=1075TH01&utm_medium=enews

Enjoy!

The Summer Travelings of the Chilton Clan... or The Story of Lots and Lots of Road Time

Ceilidh Meadows Farm

What an amazing blessing God gave us by providing all we  needed to fly to the U.S., drive around, and visit so much of our family. We are grateful to Him and those he prompted to give so we could be there for Daniel's graduation from Marine Corps Boot Camp.

One sweet (rental) ride.

An overview of our weeks there and  few pictures....

Lori and the four younger children arrived in Maryland in late July. We occupied the Hancock's farm in Carroll County. Thanks, Hancocks and Bohmers, for the use of beds and camper space!!!

This was most of our summer.

 We soon traveled south to spend time with Lori's dad and then east to pick up Josiah and back up to the farm. Now, as I'm writing, I realize I didn't take nearly enough pictures! It was good for the younger kids to see Josiah's world there at Cherry Point.

Many of you know that Josiah severely broke his arm on the 2nd of July. Poor Ben, had to call me and tell me they were on their way to the hospital! Please pray for complete healing.

Bang! Bang!

The twins, Caleb and I left Kaiah to be nurse for Josiah and headed off to Ohio for a long weekend visit with friends. Charis enjoyed her first experience shooting a weapon.

A fun reunion with friends in Ohio

We enjoyed seeing Bradley and Melissa off and on throughout the summer even though they had a trip to Honduras in the middle of it all!

Returned from Ohio in the nick of time for a dear friend's wedding

Whew! after much juggling and arranging, Grandma, Uncle Paul, Mom, Dad, Josiah, Kaiah, Caleb, Charis, Channah, and Ben made it to Parris Island for Daniel's graduation. What a scorching hot day for a celebration.

Our Marine Corps graduation tree.

 With Daniel and Ben we headed west to celebrate with Pop on Lookout Mountain. A few days later Kevin went back to Cameroon. And on that day all the kids and I drove back north to Maryland. Kaiah, Caleb, Charis, Channah and I only had a few more days to spend before our flight back to Cameroon. Daniel's leave ended the day before and he made his way on to Camp Lejune for the second part of training. Josiah remained a few more days before heading back to Cherry Point.

All in all it was an incredible time to share with our family and friends.

Stevie enjoyed the ride.