In our last email, we talked about the great
need for Bible translation and for consultants who can
check the translations for accuracy before they can be
published and used. In this email, we want to share how God
has called us to serve in Bible translation.
A team working on a Bible translation
Our Call
God works in many different ways to call us and move us
where He wants us to be. He often uses Scripture, inspiring
stories, impressions, desires, abilities, and doors of
opportunity to direct us.
“
I vividly remember when I first met a dear
Christian who loved the Word of God like Psalm
119 describes. And I knew I wanted to spend the
rest of my life getting to know God like that
and helping others do the same.
As early as elementary school, I was traveling
the globe through the mission biographies of
Gladys Aylward to China, Amy Carmichael to
India, Helen Roseveare to Congo and many
others. Their simple faith and unwavering
obedience continues to spur me on.
“
In high school, I distinctly remember the
impression that God wanted me to give my life
to Christian ministry because it went
completely against what I wanted to do with my
life.
I had all kinds of interests I wanted to
pursue, and I thought that serving in ministry
would mean giving up those interests. But God
finally changed my heart and led me to attend
Bible college to prepare for ministry.
“
During college and the years following, I spent
a semester in Cambodia teaching elementary
school to missionary children, traveled to
Zambia, and lived in Indonesia for 6 months
where I nannied for a family who had just
transitioned overseas.
“
After Bible college, I came to a period of life
where I felt really lost—like a boat floating
along in calm water, with no wind. It seemed
like the lives of all my friends were taking
off, yet I had no direction.
But God used this time to humble me, and
impress on me the desire not to be motivated by
trying to “climb the ladder of success,” but,
rather, to look for my calling in places where
no one else is going, where there is a great
need.
“
When Harold and I began to get to know each
other in 2013, one of our first conversations
was discussing a sermon on God’s sovereignty
and missions and we quickly discovered we were
headed in the same direction.
After marrying, Harold and I took a
global missions
course and attended a Wycliffe translation and linguistics workshop in
Dallas. While there, we became convinced that the gifts
God has given Harold are uniquely suited to serve in
translation work.
“
After hearing how millions of people were still
waiting for a Bible to be translated in the
language they best understand, God began to
impress on my heart the “great need” for Bible
translation.
At the same time, I began to recognize that
those interests I thought I would have to give
up in order to do ministry were the very things
God desired to use through me.
In 2015, this intersection of “great need” and God-given
abilities prompted us to point the ship of our lives
towards Bible translation, and God has been moving us along
ever since.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139:9–10
How to Pray
For bibleless people who are still waiting for the Scriptures
Unity and camaraderie with the translation team we will be serving with
An eternal perspective in spite of difficulty, trials, and unknowns
Our children to understand the gospel and choose to follow Christ
Request a Prayer Magnet
If you are partnering with us in prayer, we would like to
send you our prayer magnet. You can place it on a
fridge or file cabinet as a reminder to pray for us and the
work of Bible translation.
