Day 4 - Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ - Why Bible Translation when you are both musicians?

I’ve often asked myself the very same question. Trevor and I have had all of our formal training in music up to this point. So why would we switch gears completely to become a part of the task of Bible translation?

Life was pretty comfortable before we began this journey with Wycliffe. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. It was predictable and good. The Lord had blessed us with a home, family nearby, a loving church family, and a stable job which was completely in line with our music and Christian university training. We really couldn’t have asked for more.

In the middle of all of it, though, God put this unrest in our hearts, whispering quietly in each of our hearts that He had something else planned for our family. Basically, He said to us, “Better not get too comfortable. Watch what I’m gonna do.”

When He showed us that we were to pursue getting involved in Bible translation, I thought to myself, “But God, where does music fit into all of this? Was this training and love for music all for naught?” Over time, He has taught me that He does not let anything in our lives go to waste. While music will no longer be our main “profession”, it will always shape who we are and how we function in this ministry, whether directly or indirectly. To be honest, it has me sitting on the edge of my seat to see how He’s going to bring this all together, cause I know that He’s got something planned.

God’s like that, you know...He’s always got something up His sleeve. I wouldn’t trade the journey we’re on for anything, cause I’ve come to know God more deeply. Sometimes He has to pull us out of “normal” to get us to listen more intently.

What is God asking you to do that seems crazy to your own ears? That simply doesn’t make sense to your human mind? Don’t write it off. You may think your whole life is mapped out and it “makes sense”. Be careful, God may ask you to shift gears. He may not, but you certainly don’t want to miss all that He has for you.

“The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Want to get involved in Bible translation? Click here to see a list of the opportunities that are available.

Sarah

Day 3 - Mugshots

Uncle Cam

Curious about how Wycliffe was founded? Then let’s start at the very beginning...a very good place to start, don’t you think?

William Cameron Townsend, also known as “Uncle Cam”, was just a young man when he decided to try to spread the gospel by selling Spanish Bibles in the country of Guatemala. But most of the native people that he met didn’t actually understand Spanish. So Townsend began living among the Cakchiquel people who didn’t even have an alphabet for their beautifully complex language. He gave up trying to sell Bibles and settled in to analyzing Cakchiquel and translating the New Testament into it. An astonishing ten years later, Uncle Cam had finished his translation, and his heart was moved for the minority languages of the world that had no access to Scripture in their heart language.

So he began “Camp Wycliffe” (named after the first man to translate the entire English Bible, John Wycliffe) in the summer of 1934 in order to begin training men and women in linguistics. What started as a couple of men “roughing it” in the Ozarks eventually became thousands of men and women all around the world involved in the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), Wycliffe Bible Translators, Wycliffe Associates, The Seed Company, and JAARS.

Uncle Cam had a grand vision for every language on earth being able to have God’s Word accessible to it’s people, and he devoted his entire life to the pursuit of that dream. He was involved in many translations in Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and the former U.S.S.R. But his legacy certainly didn’t stop with only the places that he personally visited. Millions of people around the world have been impacted for eternity through this one man’s vision of how God could use him.

You can read more on Uncle Cam here if you’d like, and we hope that you will be inspired by how God used one seemingly insignificant person to change the world for God’s Kingdom!

Day 2 - Selah

If you think about it, Sunday is a pretty incredible day. All over the world, people gather together every week to lift up praises to God. Millions of people singing, praying, teaching, learning nonstop somewhere in some part of God's creation at some point in the day. And when you really dwell on it, when you spend time trying to wrap your mind around the whole time-zone continuum thing, you can start to think that we're doing pretty well in our worship as the church. We're doing enough. We're singing enough. Praying enough. Growing enough. At least I start to think that.

But that's the problem. I start to think about the church. I start to think about you. I start to think about me.

The main passage of Scripture that we are drawn to with Connect 8.6.09 is found in Psalm 86. Aha! That's the connection! Psalm 86.09 (or 8.6.09) says:

"All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name."

Nothing about me. Nothing about you. It's all about HIM. HE made us. HE made us for HIS glory. And we are to come together (ALL the nations) and worship before HIM.

See, the rest of this chapter talks about David crying out to God.

"To You I cry out all day long."
"Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and give heed to the voice of my supplications!"
"I will call upon You, for You will answer me."

David recognizes that he cannot accomplish on his own what he desperately needs to happen. He knows that God is the only one who can lift him out of his pit. God is "slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth."

The thing that I think is really cool is that David thanks God regardless of his current situation. "I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever." He expects great things from God. So much that he thanks Him BEFOREHAND!

We need to expect great things from our Creator. I mean, look back at your life. Has He ever NOT done great things to show His power and might eventually? Even if we never see the things that He does directly, we can have CONFIDENCE that He is at work. He wants us to be LOOKING for His hand, not because of what we can gain from it (though I know I'VE gained quite a bit), but because He is always working! Let's open our eyes!

Over 200 million people in the world don't even have the option to go to Scripture in their own language to seek out comfort, restoration, and hope.

Will you spend time today praying that God would raise up His people to bring His word to ALL NATIONS so that we can see the vision that David had come to fruition?

Take some time to rest in His faithfulness and perfect will. The pressure is off of US. We can't do anything for His kingdom without first falling at His feet in worship.

Have a great Sunday!

Trevor

Video Intro to Connect 8.6.09

Psalm 86.09

"All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name."

Day 1 - Intro to Connect 8.6.09

Welcome to our blog for Connect 8.6.09! At the top of the page you’ll find a video that talks about what we hope to see God accomplish over the next 40 days. Really, we want to be connected to God, connected to YOU, and connected through prayer for our ministry with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

You can see on the right side of the blog that there is a graphic of a circle with connected dots around it. This represents our financial goals that need to be met in order to begin our assignment in Orlando, Florida. As our percentage rises, the dots will be connected and the gap will be filled. BUT this is not our goal for the next 40 days. While we would love for God to finish connecting the dots of our ministry by 8.6.09, we are solely focused on praying for HIS will to be done in this timeframe.

Every day during these 40 days, we will be posting something new on this blog. Please come back and check once in a while! You’ll be sure to find some interesting stories from around the world, fun facts, questions being answered, guest appearances, and a whole lot more.

There are also links on the right (go ahead, look...over there) to the website of Wycliffe Bible Translators, our family’s website, and where you can go to get involved financially with this ministry. Our prayer is that you will be encouraged by this blog and that you will not only feel more connected to it, but also that you will be more connected. Tell your friends about it! Tell your family! Get excited with us as we watch what God is doing in Bible Translation all around the world!

We’ll see you very soon!
Trevor and Sarah