Newly designed mola for book covers.

If you’ve ever worked on a huge project for a LONG time, you know how wonderful it is to see things coming together! That’s how we are feeling about the Kuna literacy project.

Years ago we began developing a whole literacy program using all the things we’ve been learning about successful literacy training. Since it has not been our “full-time” ministry, we’ve worked on it here and there between other projects as we could.

Well, we are in the very final stages of editing and formatting in order to take it down to Panama in a few weeks to check a few questions we have, get some artwork done, and then turn the whole Kuna primer series into the printers! Woo-hoo!

Would you pray for us as we finish up the last details on this huge project? We are thrilled with the financial gifts that have come in toward the project. The Kuna literacy fund has received 77% of the total cost.

To follow the progress, please go to:  usa.ntm.org/projects/kuna-literacy

reading Psalms for the FIRST time!

We had the most wonderful time in Panama for the Kuna leadership conference. It’s always a thrill to be able to reconnect with our Kuna friends, study God’s Word together, sing and hear reports of how God is working in the churches. But the thing that touched our hearts the most was something that they carried back to their villages.

Our Kuna friends received the first copies of the newly translated books of Psalms, Proverbs and Exodus. Let that soak into your mind for a moment…Makes us want to shout each time we think about it!!!

Most of us grew up hearing “the Lord is my Shepherd…” We have had free access to God’s whole Word through multiple translations in our language (often sitting in dust on our bookshelves), digital copies if we prefer, and even apps that go wherever we are. Praise God that by 2013 the Kunas will have the whole Bible in their language! Pray for the final steps necessary to get things finished up and off to the printers.

A part of preparing for the Kuna Bible is literacy training. The printed Kuna Bible will be wonderful, but how will it change lives if people cannot read with understanding? Next year we will be working hard to get this important step completed. We invite you to participate by giving to the project. Together our small gifts add up. God has provided 64% of the funds! For information on the project, please go to usa.ntm.org/projects/kuna-literacy

For pictures of the conference click on the photo tab above and go to the album:

our last trip. 

Ever wish that you could somehow invest in strengthening the Kuna churches of Panama?

As you’ve gotten to know some of our dear Kuna friends, have you ever wanted a tangible way to reach out to them, to spiritually encourage them and their families?

 If so, we’ve got an opportunity for you!

The Kuna Old Testament translation is nearing completion. Just think of it! Soon our Kuna friends will be able to read the Psalms and all those wonderful Old Testament books in their own language for the first time! Well, that is if they are able to read! There are many who cannot read and will not have access to God’s Book.

A whole literacy program in Kuna has been developed with a series of student’s books, writing practice, comprehension drills, daily lesson plans for the teachers, flash cards, and homework papers. We are asking God to provide partners to join us by giving to fund the printing, travel and training of Kuna literacy teachers and a literacy supervisor. New Tribes Mission has approved the Kuna literacy project and tax-deductible receipts will be given for each gift.

So even if you are able to share only a small amount, would you please consider this need? As we work together it adds up and God’s Word goes out stronger and stronger. For more information please go to: http://usa.ntm.org/projects/kuna-literacy

Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

There is great value in taking time to be sharpened, equipped, and refocused for the tasks God has called us to do. This guards us from becoming dull and ineffective. The annual Kuna leadership conference in Panama, held early in November is a “sharpening” time for the church leaders and their wives.  

Some specific prayer requests:

• Preparation of Bible study materials in Kuna for our teaching sessions. Pray that we will communicate well the things God has laid on our hearts.
• Safety as everyone travels – some are coming from jungle villages on horribly muddy trails. Others from island villages traveling in canoes on the ocean to airstrips where they will fly in. Then there will bus trips to get to the little town where the conference is to be held.
• Provision of finances for conference, food, printing and travels, including our own personal travel expenses.
• That God’s Word will speak to all of us with transforming power – each of these church leaders will be given Bible study materials in Kuna that they can take back to their congregations and villages. 
• For encouraging fellowship together – many of our Kuna brothers and sisters are serving the Lord in remote locations where they do not receive much encouragement. Many of them even face opposition for their faith.
• For wisdom as we present the upcoming new Kuna literacy program and teacher training to be held in 2012.

We appreciate and need your prayers!

reading the Word

The countdown has begun! Next week Joyce & I travel back “home” to Panama. So much has happened in the lives of our Kuna friends since we last saw them – the flooding and devastation, intense pressure on the believers to return to the traditional ways and forsake the Bible, a dear friend’s death, the Old Testament translation nearing completion! It will be so good to have time together to rejoice and grieve. Plus we have a lot of work to do!

The Kuna literacy program is ready for its final check and then printing. This means there are 6 primers, each with detailed daily lesson plans for the teachers, student writing practice, worksheets, extra reading practice booklets. Would you pray with us that God would multiply our time and allow us to complete all this checking and editing? Pray that this literacy program will be used by God that the Kuna people will be able to read and love God’s Word in their own language.

Please also pray that we will be an encouragement and blessing to our Kuna friends. We look so forward to hearing how God is faithfully working in their lives and churches.

The Kuna ladies sent a message to us that made us smile. They have lost the recipes that Joyce had given them for desserts, especially the banana bread and squash bread. They need these recipes as the churches in several of the villages have purchased little stoves and would like to make the goodies for activities as well as to sell to support their missionary outreaches. In the absence of measuring cups, the recipes were written using tomato paste cans as the standard measurement – something they all would have!

So as the Lord brings us to mind, please hold us up in prayer. There is a lot to do, but we can hardly wait!

he's not old...he's vintage!

Jerry is now a certifiable antique person. Yep, he has turned 50! The kids helped me pull off a surprise birthday party with about 60 friends and family members. Check out pictures of how bad we were to him on our photo page under the family album.

Everyone asks, “When’s your next trip?” We are glad to report that we actually have several months without travels! We’ve taken on some huge projects and are thankful for some time at our desks to organize, write, and make materials available to the missionaries and consultants working in literacy. Trips are lining up for Panama and Africa later this year. We appreciate your prayers for wisdom and clarity as we work.

the understatement of the day - dangerous curves ahead

Thank you so much for standing with us in prayer while we were in Bolivia! We had a wonderful time getting to know the missionary candidates who are preparing for service. They learned about literacy’s importance in church planting and discipleship and practiced writing primers and teaching them.

look Mom - no railing

After class was done we traveled to the other side of Bolivia to the Simba work to encourage the team with their literacy ministry. (For pictures of our harrowing trip along winding mountain roads, click on the Photos tab and then on: our last trip). God is doing exciting things in the Simba church. But with very low literacy levels among the Simba people, there are only a handful of people who can read and use the Simba Bible translation and study materials. Even many of the church leaders struggle to read the Word with comprehension. Pray that the team will have wisdom as they move forward with their literacy strategy – that every Simba person will have the opportunity to read God’s Word in their own language!

Simba-Guarani lady, Bolivia

We are very excited for the opportunity to train 22 Bolivian missionary candidates, begin equipping a new literacy consultant, and make some trips into tribal areas to evaluate and move literacy forward.

Most of us haven’t heard much about the country, but Bolivia is quite the fascinating place! The landlocked country could be summarized by the word “diversity.” Besides Spanish, Aymara and Quechua languages, there are 34 other officially recognized indigenous languages spoken! That’s quite a challenge for missionaries seeking to clearly communicate the most important Message of all time!

Bolivia has the largest deposit of salt on the planet. And under all that salt is the largest deposit of lithium in the world (used for batteries). Bolivia is located in one of the wettest zones – receiving over 8 meters of rainfall per year. This makes its tropical rainforests and wetlands full of life. Forty percent of all types of animals and plants in the world are found in Bolivia.

We should see some beautiful butterflies in Bolivia. It ranks 4^th in the world for the most butterfly species. Important exports are Brazil nuts, organic coffee and cacao. Bolivia has the two highest cities in all of the world – Potosí and La Paz. And we have a connecting flight in La Paz!  

We appreciate your prayers as we minister in Bolivia!

Bolivia, one of the first countries that New Tribes Mission opened up in the 1940’s, is the location of our next trip!

Even though it’s an older mission field, there’s still plenty of work for tribal missionaries. Several groups in Bolivia have yet to hear the Gospel even once! And to finish up well, there is church planting work to do among the Ese Ejja, Chimane, Guayaru, Weenayek, Yuqui, Yuracaré people. An extensive survey is going on this year to clarify the needs.

One thing is for certain. Both in the new works where tribal people will be hearing the Gospel for the first time as well in the older works where churches are moving toward maturity, literacy will play an important part so that people can read God’s written Word in their own language.

We appreciate your prayers as we prepare for this upcoming trip in October and November.

for another adventure!

This time we are returning to the lovely country of Colombia with its dramatic rainforests, mountains, and colorful cultures. We will need to pack warm clothes because temperatures in Bogotá will be cooler than most of the places we travel (44 – 65 F). But the delicious hot chocolate and Colombian coffee will warm us up! 

We look so forward to the fellowship with all our dear Colombian friends and co-workers and are thrilled for the opportunity to bring encouragement and practical help in the area of literacy. The motto of the team in Colombia is “boldly pressing forward!” Because of security concerns, the missionaries face great obstacles and risks, yet they serve faithfully in 10 different tribal groups. We are convinced of the great value literacy skills will be to these isolated tribal people.

Our three main focuses:

• To help teach the literacy course in their missionary training center. This prepares Colombian believers to join the work as tribal missionaries.
• To meet with tribal missionary teams, evaluating their literacy situations and giving practical help so that the tribal people may read God’s Word in their own languages with good comprehension
• To continue to equip literacy consultants

Will you join us in prayer?

• For safety in travel – for us and all the missionaries traveling out of their areas
• Good health during a hectic schedule
• For clear communication in Spanish – the vast majority of missionaries there are our Colombian brothers and sisters! This means that all of our meetings and classes will be done in Spanish.
• For wisdom as we teach the literacy course to the missionary candidates and also meet with the tribal missionary teams.
• For the country of Colombia. While there have been great strides in recent years toward resolving issues, there still are vast areas that are considered too dangerous to enter. This limits access to the more than 50 language groups that are still unreached and without the Gospel. Let’s pray that God will work in a mighty way that His Message can go out into these areas.

So as God brings us to mind during these next few weeks, we sure appreciate your prayers!