The internet has been causing our team a great deal of grief, lately. For almost two months it hasn’t worked at all, and we are uncertain if it will be working at all during rainy season. I know many of you use our team’s updates as a way of praying for us, and we are honored, blessed, and greatly helped by those prayers.
Because of that, I’ve made a small calendar of prayer request for the months we may be out of communication. I’ve include things that I know will happen during a month, that usually happen, or that we think might happen. =) Thanks for partnering with us to reach the Nahuatl and supporting us in prayer.
June
We have a small team coming out to set up a water system for a small, nearby village. Pray for safety in travels and for the water system to provide the needs of the village.
We will be asking the village leaders permission to teach literacy classes. Pray for wisdom as we talk things out and make plans.
As soon as the rains begin, the men start planting their corn. If the rain does not continue steadily, it can hurt the people’s crops and food supply for the year.
The beginning of the rains also signals the Nahuatl to do their customary rain dance. Pray that the Holy Spirit would begin to raise questions in their minds about the old ways and pave the way for the truth.
July
We anticipate starting literacy classes with adult Nahuatl speakers. Pray for wisdom for us as we teach and that the people will learn to read fluently in order to be prepared for the word of God.
During this month Rachel will be working on the translation of the book of Genesis. It is a labor-intensive process and she wants to have 500 verses completed before September. Pray that her helpers will come faithfully and that God will give her wisdom and energy for the task.
Liesl will be hard at work filling in some of the gaps in our team’s understanding of Nahuatl culture. She will interview the people we live and work with about their views of God, sin, death, and much more and file it all for easy reference. This understanding is crucial to helping us clearly communicate the gospel.
August
Pete will be preparing the chronological Bible lessons to be taught when we return from furlough. He will need a thorough understanding of the people’s worldview in order to be clear in his teaching. Pray for wisdom for him and for the exposure his helpers will have to the truth as they work with him on getting ideas down clearly in Nahuatl.
Pray for continued growth in language skills and cultural understanding. Although we are officially out of all day “class” we need to keep learning. We want to be, sound, and express ourselves like true Nahuatls for the sake of the Word.
By this point, my sweet friend Liesl will be 6 months pregnant. Pray for her energy levels, her health, and for a few more safe months until we head out of the tribe. Life out in the tribe can be pretty stressful, with many things and people needing constant attention. Pray that Liesl will be able to find enough rest to take care of her needs.
September
Pray for unity on our team. Ask God to help us be honest with each other, to keep short accounts, to be gracious and forgiving, and to be constantly reminding us that we serve him and are aiming for the same goals. Working as a team is challenging and we need to depend on the Holy Spirit constantly for help.
This is furlough month. We will be packing, preparing, and saying good-bye. It will be hard to leave our friends. They will be worried that we’re not going to come back. Please pray that we can show our love for the people. Pray for little details like good memories about what we need to pack, for safety in travel, and for a time of refreshment as we head to see friends, family, and supporters.