This is your invitation.

I'm finally doin' it.  This Schuh is getting her shoes on and running under the banner of Bible translation.  What better thing to do with nice weather in Florida when the rest of the country is getting slammed with snow??  Wanna come?  See below for the invitation.

On Saturday (December 11th) I will be running the first of a few races I want to complete wearing this jersey that has been waiting for me in my closet for far too long.  You see, my original intent (way back in January of '09) was to run a full marathon.  I was signed up for it.  I was training for it.  I was committed.  Only problem was, I hadn't run a race since high school cross country!  Well, as it turns out I kind of messed up my knee in training once I got up to my 12 mile runs (who knew I could run that far?!).  Instead of running with all those who had been training around the country I had to see pictures of them on the internet after all was said and done.

Thing is, I haven't forgotten that I have a jersey sitting in my closet that was intended for ME to run for the glory of God.  It's for a mission.  One that I care deeply about.  I don't want to miss out on this opportunity.  I don't want to sit this one out.  So, I'm lacing up my shoes and running as a part of Team OneVerse this Saturday because there is a group of people in Asia called the Rutara who need to have God's written Word (read about them here).  It's for Bible translation.

Will you join me?  The main reason I am doing this is to raise money for the translation of God's Word for the Rutara people.  Trevor and I have been setting aside some funds to support this work and would love for you to take part in it with us.  Give WITH us.  Our goal is to raise $1500, and so far we have reached $520.  Everything goes directly to The Seed Company, who then passes it on to the translation team in place.  It's easy to give and it's the perfect time to give it.  Doesn't have to be anything huge.  Maybe $5 or $10 or $100...whatever you feel you want to give to further the work of His written gospel.

Click here to give to the translation of God's Word for the Rutara people.

As we think on all we are thankful for this Christmas, may we give to others one of the greatest gifts ever given to us.  To His glory and for His Name!


Sarah

P.S. Well, it is now the end of this post and I will give you one last chance to click on that link...just in case you missed it. ;)

Click here to give to the translation of God's Word for the Rutara people.

To Foreign Lands

Allow me to be a little "un-Wycliffe" for a moment.

This week dear friends that we met at Training Camp (a two-week training session you first attend to become a Wycliffe member) have come to spend some time with us and share at Wycliffe's EnterMission service.  Together with Justin and Beth--and mostly from a distance through Skype--we have walked through the excitement of joining Wycliffe, having kids, finding out assignments, and raising support (and all the joys and struggles that go along with that).  While we have only had a total of approximately 26 days together in the same room, they have become some of the closest friends we have.  They have sharpened us and have come alongside us. 

They have caused me to think a lot about the future...as well as the now, but mostly what the now means for the future.  You see, they are on the brink of reaching their 100% support quota to leave for their first assignment in Bulgaria.  They are about to close a two-year chapter of their lives of raising support, traveling like crazy (along with their baby boy), and speaking in churches and to individuals about what God has put on the hearts to do.  In fact, during the days they've been in our home, we have witnessed them reaching the point in their financial standing where they are able to purchase tickets to leave before Thanksgiving(!!!).  Forsaking the life they know is now staring them in the face.  It's no longer an idea or a goal they are pushing towards.  It's time to go.  Everything they've been telling people will now become a reality.  They are now forced to think about whether or not they will have their family come to the airport to say goodbye (because sometimes there's just too much emotion to be able to go through all that in an airport), what things are worth taking and what things they need to leave behind, what pictures will they take with them, what their new house look like, how will they communicate with the general population in the new country, and whether or not their new doctor understand everything they are trying to say when they need to take their son to the doctor, etc. etc.  The list goes on.

While I realize it's not very "Christian" or Wycliffe to say this, it's just about enough to invoke a fight or flight response.  These are big issues and in complete honesty, the gravity of everything can make you all but go numb.  At the moment I'm almost living vicariously through them as I anticipate our doing this in the future.  What a golden opportunity for the enemy to get a foothold and make all of us feel the need to do a 180, wondering "what are we doing?"

But then what would happen? 

This whole week has pushed me deep in thought about how it is that missionaries do this.  There is no amount of strong will or resolve that will take you through AND sustain you as you "forsake father and mother to do the will of the Father."  I liken it to raising kids.  There is no amount of good intention, wisdom, cajoling, or parenting methods that will ensure your kids wanting to follow the Lord or even much less OBEY you. 


And so, I've made my conclusion.  It is the grace of the Father.  It's HIS loving grace that allows us to do what He's called us to do, no matter what exactly it is that He has asked you or I to do.  We can't muster up enough courage, we can't convince ourselves it's not as big a deal as it is.  We can only rest in Him and trust that His grace will allow us walk through with joy all the in and outs of following Him.

Pray for Justin and Beth in these upcoming days.  Pray for them even now!  Pray that His grace would cover over them in such a way that it would drive out fear and infuse even more of first a love for the Father and following His will.  Second, pray for an ever-growing love for the people they are going to live amongst. That with each trial and with each joy they face, they can remember that Christ walked through all that and more for them (and for all of us).  He is good and He is gracious.  He will continue to carry out His good will through His people.  To Him be the glory!

"In repentance and rest is your salvation.  In quietness and trust is your strength".  -Isaiah 30:15

"American" Suburban Mom meets Bible Translation - Part 2

Reader, meet Seeds.

Seeds Family Worship is one of the most practical examples I can give you to help you understand the work of an Arts Consultant within Bible translation...a role that (if you haven't figured out by now), we are looking into going to school for after our term in Orlando.  We'll see.

Jason Houser, the dad who put Seeds Family Worship together, knew his purpose.  He wanted to help kids in his church engage with Scripture in a way that would permeate into their lives.  So he started picking verses/passages that he felt would be particularly helpful for the kids he was working with.  Then he got to work putting them to music (they have a couple videos they've done, as seen above, but their main products are albums)...one of the best mediums for kids--and adults--to memorize as well as actively interact with.  There is nothing added to the text as far as lyrics go.   They are by best definition straight-up Scripture songs.  This is exactly the kind of tool an Arts Consultant works to put together!  It's not a novel idea by any stretch of the imagination...many people have done it before, but we are now realizing the intense value of this type of thing in helping a culture engage with God's Word.

Now, for my disclaimer.  I realize that making this example is possibly a HUGE over-simplification.  I get that.  There is SO MUCH that goes into the work of an Arts Consultant.  But, at the heart of it, the purpose is the same.  To help the people group you are with to engage with God's Word in a form/language that they connect with best.  In this particular example we're talking music...but there are all kinds of expressions that all but define a culture that can be utilized to infuse Scripture into.  Maybe it's art, maybe it's basket-weaving, maybe it's dance, I don't know!  The different expressions of people groups around the world are endless because an outrageously creative God made us this way.

The definition of an Arts Consultant is "a person who works alongside local singers, dancers, and storytellers, researching a community's performing arts and then sparking artistic creation to reach mutual spiritual and social goals".  So, there is more to it than simply coming up with a good tune to put Scripture to and then recording it onto a CD.  It's a role of empowering indigenous people to use their own cultural art forms to bring glory to God.    

Just within the last couple of weeks I started popping my Seeds Family Worship CD in the stereo system so that my kids could interact with Scripture songs, and here I find myself being the one most impacted.  Seriously, I sing these songs in my head all the time.  God's Word is becoming more deeply rooted in my heart as a result of it taking on this form in my everyday life.


Click here to listen to any entire album.

"American" Suburban Mom meets Bible Translation - Part 1

Today was a good day.  You might call it "Craft Day" around here.  For those of you who know us and know our kids, give me a moment to indulge in catching you up on what we've done today.  If you stick with me I promise to let you know WHAT spurred me on to post these pictures and WHY I felt the need to do it.  It'll be quite a string.  You ready?

Okay, so this one doesn't really have much to do with what I want to say, but her face just cracks me up.  I let her go crazy with an index card and stickers and this is her final piece.  She was so proud of it she asked me if she could put it up on the "fridgelator" right away.

This morning started off with a wagon ride (a favorite of the girls) where we looked for anything we could find to put in our "nature box".  Once we had gathered all our "treasures", we put them all together to make this beautiful naturesque diorama.  Acácia added the little pony and Eliana added the cell phone...I think she wanted to make sure Little Pony wouldn't be caught without a line to the outside world.  The feather in the sky is supposed to be storm clouds (per Acácia).

We made some animals out of cut-out hearts.  First picture is a seal and an owl which Acácia so expertly helped me glue together.  She then thought the seal needed a mouth with a tongue sticking out of it...as well as an added belly, complete with belly button.

Lion.  Okay, the one thing that is NOT a heart is the tail.  BUT!  There is a heart to "end the tail".

Not to be out-done by her big sis, Eliana grabbed a black permanent marker that her mother (ahem...I mean, I) left out and then proceeded to decorate a nearby heart.  In the process, she also decided our white vinyl tablecloth ALSO needed a little jazzing up.  I'll admit I'm pretty proud of her creation.

Lest you think that making these little creatures was all my own creative thinking (ha!), let me give honor to where honor is due.  Last week I happened upon a website called Mother's Bible.  It was on this site, that I read about how this mom found this (see picture below) book, by Michael Hall, and turned it into a craft for her kids.  After seeing the book on her site, I found it at our local library.

Please forgive the wrong orientation.  My computer WILL NOT let me rotate this and I refuse to spend more time trying.

Now for the point of this post.  This Mother's Bible website is the coolest thing.  What first intrigued me was her posts on how her family (she has 5 kids) recently finished praying through the book From Arapesh to Zuni: A Book of Bibleless Peoples.  It happens to be a book put out by Wycliffe that goes through each letter of the alphabet which stands for a specific Bibleless People group.  It is complete with vividly colorful pictures that keep ME mesmerized.  For each people group she took the time to share how she went about helping the kids actively engage with each group.  Click here to see what she did with K - the Kola Lapp.  Here for P - the Padaung.  If you have kids at home (or even if you don't!), take some time to browse through this site and think how may be able to do it yourself!  Let me know if you're interested in snagging a copy of the book. 

While you may be thinking that I titled this post "Suburban Mom Meets Bible Translation" because I was referencing the mom who put together the Mother's Bible website (can you tell yet by all the linking that I want you to go there?), I am in fact talking about myself.  At this point in life, I have to consider myself pretty much suburban "American" (American in quotes because I believe I think more like an American than a Brazilian, even though my passport confirms I wasn't born here).  "But you are a missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators!" you might say.  Well, yeah, but my life looks very similar to anyone else living in this country.  I have running water, our house has three bedrooms and is fully outfitted with finished floors.  I have so many books I can hardly find a place for them.  I have plenty to eat.  I don't have to kill my own chickens and my food mainly gets to my house transported by car straight from the grocery store.  Outside of trying to live life with as little air-conditioning as possible, my lifestyle screams suburban American.  It is not to say I am not grateful for all these things.  Lord knows I am.  I do, however, realize that I have a hard time truly relating and putting myself in the shoes of people who don't even have a written language, let alone God's written Word.  I often think that we can pray more effectively when we are more fully informed (not always...but generally speaking).

So while we are here in our US-based assignment, the Lord keeps showing me new ways that I (along with my family) can be more fully and actively involved in the task of Bible translation.  Stay tuned for Part 2! 

And now I leave you with one final picture.  My favorite animal creation of all, in his natural habitat.  Acácia added the legs ALL BY HERSELF.  Love it!  And, I'm sure that moose is very thankful as he can now see over the clouds.

A Greater Sacrifice

All I could think to myself was, "Are we crazy? How in the world did we get ourselves into this continuous cycle of saying goodbye? Do people actually choose this lifestyle? Did WE actually choose this?"

As we pulled away from my parents' house in Ohio on Monday I was simply overcome with grief at having to say goodbye to them yet again. More accurately, the reality of having to tell my kids once again that it might be a looong time before they see "Grandpa and Vovó" was getting to be just downright annoying.

I chose to be the one sitting in the drivers' seat for this, the first leg of our trip. As we had been packing up and stalling our goodbyes for as long as possible I had this growing feeling that I wasn't going to deal with this portion of our trip well. You know how you kind of get that feeling of a storm brewing up ahead? Yeah, this was it. You'd think I would want to simply be the passenger at this point, but no, I wanted to sit in silence and beg God to remind me once again. It wasn't a particularly high point for me. I know Trevor feared for the safety of our vehicle as he asked me several times if I wanted him to drive. Sobbing and driving aren't two things that should normally go together. However, the kids would need water or a snack or a book, and in selfishness I simply wanted to sit and think. I needed to sit and think.

Perhaps it all started with this clip that I watched about a month and a half back (take the time to watch it...it's only a couple minutes). Here is a young family (whom we know) who started out with Wycliffe, served stateside for a couple years, and now serves in Nigeria full-time. Now I have usually been pretty good with goodbyes and with the idea of wanting to go wherever the Lord wants me to go, but when I heard Christie say in the video clip that her parents would not have the privilege of being there for their son's first birthday or so many of his other milestones, for some reason something inside me started to come unglued.

And then over the last week I once again watched the movie "The End of the Spear" and then decided to read the entire book, written by Steve Saint--the son of the pilot who flew himself and five other missionaries into Waodani ('Auca') territory for the sake of the Gospel. The five men were speared to death, but that wasn't the end of the story. I'm sure you're familiar with this portion of history (if you're not, find the book here), so I won't go on about this except to say that I could not help but meditate on the fact that the decisions these guys made (obviously) affected the course of life for the entire rest of their families.

What I simply couldn't shake was the realization that our decision to follow God wherever He leads us not only affects me and us, but that our extended family (parents, grandparents, cousins, etc.) are by default forced into a situation where they have to give over to God their desire to be a part of the daily lives of their grandchildren (in a face-to-face, go-over-to-Grandpa's-house-whenever-you-want-to sort of way). Now my parents have never once tried to steer us away from following what we felt God was asking us to do, but I can't help but think that they have to continually give over that desire of their hearts to the Lord. And I am pretty sure that it is anything but easy.

It's so natural to think about how all the major life changes of "being missionaries" affects our little family. It's normal and necessary to think about all those things I suppose. Where will the kids go to school, who will their friends be, will life be 'normal' enough for them to thrive in? But I think the greater sacrifice is oftentimes made by those family members who silently cheer us on and support us, their loved ones, to follow God wherever and whenever He leads for the sake of His gospel. Who give to the Lord their desire, and even 'right' to be in the daily lives of our kids.

Even in writing this, I am reminded that we aren't even overseas yet! The Lord knows what will happen in the years to come, whether or not He will allow us to serve Him on the other side of the world or not. But I think that perhaps God is allowing me to work through some of these issues even now as we move in the direction of going to those who don't have His written Word yet.

God reminded me that He sent His own Son to go to a place far away from Him so that others could be saved. Lord, help us all to find our strength and our purpose in You alone. No other foundation will remain stable enough for us to pursue that which You've called us to. May we go for the sake of the gospel alone.

Dad and Mom, Bob and Gail, thanks for walking this road with us. For giving back to the Lord that which He's given you. I pray that He will bless you beyond your wildest dreams. Words can't express our gratitude for you.

The Jesus Storybook Bible

I've found a new Bible "translation" that speaks my heart language. (Okay, it's not a translation, but I DO love to read the book!)


Just recently Acácia received "The Jesus Storybook Bible - Every Story whispers His Name" written by Sally Lloyd-Jones. With every story, the author connects the point to Jesus. It's great. Between Trevor and I we have been reading 1-3 stories from this book each night with Acácia. And I have to admit, I love, love, love this time of day. Not only because I get to spend precious time with my daughter, but also because God has seemingly been using these few moments (among others) each night to speak loud and clear to my heart. I don't think there has been a single night that I have read with Acácia and not come away refreshed. And I am left amazed.

Tonight as we were reading the story of how Jesus fell asleep on the boat in the middle of the storm, it was a sacrifice of love (a joyful one) for me to keep reading the text out loud at some points. For some reason (well I know the reason...), I was overcome with a new-found, deeper realization of how God is with us in the storm. And that no matter how bad it may seem in our eyes and how hopeless it may look, our worries are still unnecessary. My voice got all choked up and I simply wanted to cry tears of joy and bask in the clear reminder God had brought to my heart through this "children's story". How gracious of our God to remind us of that by giving us a written account of this story that has stood the test of time. I am certainly glad I'm a child of God, aren't you?

You see, we have some very dear people in our lives who are walking through some incredibly painful and stretching times. My heart hurts for them and my (I think it would be safe to say "our") natural tendency is to worry, worry, worry. Here is what I read in our story right after Jesus calmed the storm:

"The little boat bobbed gently up and down. There was a deep stillness and a great quiet all around. Then Jesus turned to his wind-torn friends. 'Why were you scared?' he asked. 'Did you forget who I Am? Did you believe your fears, instead of me?' Jesus' friends were quiet. As quiet as the wind and the waves. And into their hearts came a different kind of storm. 'What kind of man is this?' they asked themselves anxiously. 'Even the winds and the waves obey him!' they said, because they didn't understand. They didn't realize yet that Jesus was the Son of God.

{And here is the part that got me}
Jesus' friends had been so afraid, they had only seen the big waves. They had forgotten that, if Jesus was with them, then they had nothing to be afraid of. No matter how small their boat--or how big the storm."

{Excerpt taken from "The Captain of the Storm" in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.}

If you have young (or even old) children, I highly recommend this book. It has been a great tool in helping Acácia get to know Jesus. Because truly, every story whispers His name.

There, I said it.

I can't believe we've had this blog for almost two years and we've never really talked about the thing that most people associate us with...music.

It's funny to see where I am now in comparison to where I was two years ago. Let's see, I think it was almost two years ago to the day that we announced to our church in Hudson, Ohio that we were leaving the music ministry to join Wycliffe. I don't really want to be honest about this, but I probably should be. I was ready to be done with music as a job.

There, I said it.

Don't get me wrong, I loved what I was doing. I loved my church. I loved the people who served wholeheartedly alongside of me. I loved having an incredible amount of creative leeway in the context of corporate worship. (Those of you who know the crazy ideas we somehow executed at Hope know exactly what I'm talking about! Remember the sanctuary waterslide, mountaintop waterfall, and figuring out how to get those stupid curtains to open until 4am the morning before the performance?)

I was ready for something new. Something exciting. Something that had nothing to do with what I had dedicated the majority of my life to.

I was rebelling.

I know...it's a quiet sort of rebellion. Like Tie-day Friday when seemingly everyone else in the building is wearing jeans. Normal people in my position would just toe the line of dressing a little more casual than business on Casual Friday. Me? I throw on a tie.

Even when I was given the opportunity to be EnterMission Coordinator when I was first asked to take this role, I rebelled against my musical roots. Does it involve music in any capacity? No thank you. I'm going to be a Bible Translator.

Funny story. I've been working in Orlando for about 6 months now, quietly rebelling against my musical background. Now...somehow I've found myself full circle as not only EnterMission Coordinator (a weekly gathering of Wycliffe USA staff: including coordinating and leading worship weekly), but coordinating and leading weekly musical worship in my church, being asked to be the worship leader for Delegate Conference with Sarah, thinking and praying about the possibility of being an Arts Consultant/Ethnomusicologist in the not too distant future, and most recently, hanging out with a friend yesterday for almost 12 hours to brainstorm/compose music together for a potential video project.

That'll show all of you! I won't be a musician, I just won't!

All of that is to say that God is humorous. As Julie Melon would say while I was doing swing dance and hip-hop evangelism throughout Western Europe, "God is NUTS!" (Although now it seems like I was the one who was nuts for doing swing dance and hip-hop evangelism in Europe as a 16 year old for two months.)

I feel like He is somehow rebelling against me, though I'm not sure of the theological ramifications of this.

Oh, and I'm loving it all, in case you were wondering.

-Trevor

God Brought Me Flowers

A few weeks ago I started getting unnecessarily obsessed with landscaping. More specifically, I was obsessed with OUR landscaping. Or rather the sheer absence of it. Now to my defense, there wasn't much there to work with when we moved in here, so it's not that I felt I had ruined all things beautiful and good. It's just that I couldn't help but notice that the dressings of our house looked more as if I was trying to start a new trend of weeds and stick-y little tree-bushes being the "in" thing.

You know how you can get something in your mind and you simply feel like you HAVE to resolve it? Like your quality of life will be dramatically improved if you could just FIX the issue. Well, I had gotten to that point with the front of our house. I was simply thinking about it too much. Hadn't spent any money yet, but I HAD given it too much brain power. Thankfully, God helped me recognize what was happening.

So I prayed and asked Him to show me what to do about it. To either give me the grace to let go of it, or to simply provide the actual trees or plants or bushes with which to beautify the place a bit. I didn't feel like He had given me the freedom to spend any money on it, so I just asked Him to provide the actual plants. In all honesty, I'm pretty sure that my request ended up being half-hearted for the sole purpose of not being able to think HOW He would actually do it. Who was just gonna GIVE me a bush or a tree or flowers to plant? It's not a normal occurence. I thought up all these different scenarios and couldn't see any of them realistically happening, so eventually I kinda forgot about it and came to appreciate the weed-looking plants (they may actually BE weeds...I don't even know!!) we DO have.

Being Florida, people spend a good bit of time outside, and consequently, many of these people are excellent gardeners. The neighborhood we live in has some very beautifully landscaped yards. So when the girls and I go on walks, we have about 3 or 4 houses that we especially like to walk by. We'll actually stop and look more closely at all the flowers, pointing out how beautiful they are.

Well on Wednesday of this past week, we were walking past one of these previously mentioned "all-star houses" and the husband-wife team happened to be outside laying down mulch. I had been curious about a specific flower we'd been seeing, so I stopped and visited with them for a bit and asked them what it was. Turns out the flower is called Amaryllis. Coincidentally enough, the man said he had a bunch of extra bulbs and would be more than willing to drop some by. So later that evening after Trevor got home, he dropped off 6 amaryllis bulbs!



It wasn't until midnight that it struck me. God had provided. Even when I didn't remember, in His kindness He provided flowers completely by His own doing. I know that in His wisdom He doesn't always give us everything we ask for, but this was one of those moments where all of a sudden the light bulb came on and I saw the fingerprints of God all over those amaryllis bulbs.

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I need to go do some planting!

Sarah

Kande's Story

While I was in California last month, I had the privilege of working with Kathie Watters, a wonderful woman of God who has been the real champion of what is called "Kande's Story". Watch this video to see more about this project and how it is impacting communities in Uganda and all around Africa in the midst of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

If you want proof that Bible translation has a much broader impact in communities around the world, here you go!

Trevor

Alligator on the LOOSE!

So as I'm sitting here waiting to go to bed, I thought I'd let you know that the Lord has officially driven the fear of alligators deep into my soul.

May I introduce you to Florida?

Florida is a place where alligators live. Up until this point I had convinced myself (as well as the grandparents over and OVER again) that there is no need to worry about those silly gators cause they only stay near the water anyway. Big Al--as we affectionally call our backyard water-dwelling friend--is harmless. Those pesky little holes in the fence in our back yard are seriously of no concern.

Well, let me tell you. I have been proven wrong. VERY wrong.

I'm driving the short distance to the park to meet Trevor on his way home from work today (it was the decided-upon drop-off point for the carpool today) and on the one side of the road I see police lights flashing. I wonder what they are for. As any good citizen would do, I stare. As I get closer I notice that a whole section is blocked off. I also notice that there are people standing around gaping at something. What in the world has happened at this house? Did someone get murdered?

And then I see him.

This gigantic, monstrous alligator sitting in the front yard of this house. He is HUGE. And don't even think I'm exaggerating. He's just sitting out there in plain daylight. I get the chills just thinking about it. And not only that, but somehow they got a rope around this cutie pie's jaws. The officer is standing (very still, I might add) quite a distance away just holding onto the other end of this rope. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. All these people had gathered around and were just waiting to see what this fella was going to do. Do police officers in Florida get trained in alligator fighting?

Anyway, so I pick up Trevor and we go right back by the place to see if anything's changed. Alligator is still there...this is probably 5 to 10 min. after my initial sighting. At this point, the other officers are obviously trying to get people to move away. Hmmm...I wonder why.

Acacia REALLY wanted to play at the park (not just drive to it), so we turn around AGAIN and once again drive past the scene. This time there are several men trying to hoist this thing into a pick-up truck. It is obviously either dead or tranquilized. The picture we finally were able to get (on Trevor's phone) is of the gator on his back just about to be thrown into this truck.



All I can say is, we will continue to NOT play in our backyard.

The Word of God

"My God is so BIG! So strong and so mighty there's NOTHING my God cannot do! ..."

So Acacia sang to me with all her might, throwing her arms up as high as they could go and jumping as high as her little legs would take her as she shouted the word "BIG!". I love it when words are put to a visual. Especially when that visual is small and so very passionate.

Ever wonder why God doesn't bring His Word to the nations Himself? If He's "so big", why does He need US to do it? In a Bible translation organization, it's easy to think that God is depending on us to "get the job done". And by "us" I don't mean just Wycliffe and other Bible translation organizations....I mean all of us who are believers and have an overabundance (if there ever was such a thing) of access to His written Word. I've subconsciously thought this for years, long before we got into full-time ministry with Wycliffe.

Truth be told, I've always felt a little uneasy with the thought that if we don't get to that tribe in the farthest corner of the earth, they will die without ever hearing about the God who created them for His pleasure and for His glory. That they are without hope. Isn't God big enough and strong enough to give His Word to not only us, but people around the world, too?

So I've been thinking. I usually (or rather...used to) think of "God's Word" as the Bible. As in, the physical book that sits next to my bed. It was my mahogany leather-bound NASB book that I can hold, flip the pages of, set down, put in my purse, or read from. About a year ago, a pastor that I had the privilege to sit under revolutionized my understanding of "God's Word" (and it's effect is still taking shape!). I can still hear the tone of voice he used and the pace with which He said, in reference to Galatians 3:8, "God said it; Abraham wrote it down." He repeated the phrase, a little more slowly this time, just to make sure we GOT IT. Doesn't seem that profound, does it? Well, here's the thing...

⁸The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU."

"The Scripture preached the gospel beforehand"? What? How do words on a page preach? The point is, God spoke to Abraham AND THEN Abraham wrote it down. He penned it. God's Word is God's Word whether it's written down on a page or not. Please don't misunderstand and think that I'm insinuating that we can all go write our own Bibles. Not at all! What I AM saying is that God is not limited to a pen and paper. Did He reveal Himself in what is written? You betcha. But can He speak His Word to someone who doesn't have His Word that is written down? There's no doubt. In fact, I'm pretty sure He did that when He sent His Word in the form of flesh...living, breathing, human flesh. Not exactly a pen and paper. Sound familiar?

So I pray that we'll never feel like God needs us to do something for Him. It's kind of burdensome to think of it that way, anyway. Instead, He lets us enjoy Him so fully that in the process of doing so our only natural response is to bring the blessing we've been given in His written Word to those who don't yet have it.

Seriously, God is so big. And His love is SO BIG. Thank You, Lord for the life you give us!! Thank You that Your Word is ALIVE! May we never fail to let you have us completely. I praise You, most Holy God.

Sarah

Is it Worth It?

One of the "modules" that we were trained to develop when starting with Wycliffe was something we labeled the "Is it Worth it All?" module. We wanted to have stories of impact that show how our calling to the Bible translation movement pan out to be worth more than what we "gave up". Now, we gave up our comfortable life in Ohio to live a relatively comfortable life in Orlando, but we hadn't really seen the stories of impact that we were trying to talk about yet. I'm stealing other people's stories for now, but they're becoming my own as I interact with literally hundreds of people who have truly understood what it means when we ask "Is it worth it all?"

This video was just made in the office that I look at each day for 8 hours or so. A normal office in a normal building in a very normal city in Florida. The stories that come from within these offices are anything but normal, however.

I cannot tell you how great it is to be working with so many people that have given up so many things to be a part of God's story in the work of Bible translation around the world. It's not about the people that have followed this calling, either...it's about the impact of God using us as His instruments to bring what we have been blessed abundantly with, God's Word in our heart language, to the least, the last, and the lost.

I hope you enjoy this interview with Bob and Dallas Creson as much as I do!

Living Water: Worth from The Well on Vimeo.

My California Excursion

While I was extremely busy during my trip to California this past weekend, I did manage to take a few pictures of my time there. I'd like to narrate a few things from this trip with the help of these.

Meet Katie. Katie handled every single detail of the weekend PLUS the entirety of Calvary Church's 10 day Missions Conference. I couldn't have done my job without her.

This is a portion of the musical group "IziBongo"...they're brilliant. 9 of them came out to California to perform in, let's see...about a gazillion different venues and events. They play music from many different cultures, worship music that sounds quite different to our Western ears...music that I love. Every time I spend time with this group of musicians, I tell them that I'm one step closer to being recruited into the EthnoArts department!

I didn't get to see most of the Global Fair that we put on for the church and community, but I did spot this little guy checking out one of our sweet interactive kiosks...he's a pilot in training!

One of the highlights of the weekend was the chance to celebrate 25 Bible translations that have been dedicated around the world. Many of them were actually translated by Calvary members, both Wycliffe and other partner agencies. During the processional of flags, Scriptures, and flowers, I was crazy busy with details...yet I still got pretty emotional seeing these incredibly dedicated servants that gave so much up to help bring God's Word into the heart language of the least, the last, and the lost of the world.

Here are some of the books we celebrated. I carried William Cameron Townsend's Cakchiquel New Testament (Wycliffe's founder, supported by Calvary Church over 70 years ago) in my carry-on, just to be sure it wouldn't get lost.

All in all, this weekend was a great testimony to the relationship that Calvary and Wycliffe have had from the beginning of our organization. They have given so much and been so faithful to sending their members across the world...they currently have 100 missionary families serving around the world, which is absolutely incredible.

I had moments of stress, for sure. I was working like crazy, yes. But at the end of the day...or days, rather...this event has shaped my view of Wycliffe, the work we do around the world, and the partnerships that it takes in order to further the worldwide movement of Bible translation.

Thanks for praying for me and the team that I've been working with for months...this project has been an incredible learning tool for me, and I'm so glad that so many of you essentially came with us to California. Next time, let's do a little more sightseeing, okay?

Trevor

California or Bust!

I wanted to get a quick post up before leaving for California at 4:30am tomorrow. Since starting my job in September, I've been working on managing an event in Santa Ana that is really quite exciting. This weekend, I'll be heading out to Calvary Church to celebrate how God has been working throughout the world in the Bible Translation movement. Here's link to a video that gives you an "insider's glimpse" into one of the aspects of this weekend.

http://www.wycliffe.org/About/Presscenter/LLCBriefing.aspx

I'll tell you all about it when I get back, I promise!

Trevor

A Day in the Life of the Schuhs

Perhaps you've noticed we've been a little non-existent on the blog-front for the last few weeks. It's been a particularly busy set of weeks, so now, as we all collectively take a deep breath, let's dive back into the world of blog.

Today is an especially exciting day in the Schuh household. In fact, EVERY Tuesday is. It's "Tuesdays with Jennifer and Dustin". Jennifer and Dustin are two fellow Wycliffe colleagues (also in their 20's) wanting to gain a new skill. I'll give you one guess at what skill we--Trevor and Sarah--have to offer....you guessed it. We teach them how to play the piano, and in return they bring us food of the most delicious sort. One brings the main course and the other brings dessert. Genius.

In case you don't know me very well, cooking is not "a stress reliever" for me. While I wish I enjoyed it more, it more frequently creeps up on me towards the end of the day as I look at the clock and realize Trevor will be home and hungry in 15 minutes! It would be fair to say that the thought of cooking (at least in this stage of life) stresses me out a bit. It's hard not to burn the chicken while making sure a toddling toddler isn't climbing on the couch and diving off head-first. On Tuesdays I don't have to worry about a thing. I can set the table and be pleasantly surprised at what ends up on my plate. It's fantastic. AND, I get to have intelligent adult conversations.

So, on Tuesdays, we get to celebrate really good food with really great people and have an entirely enjoyable time doing it! Our girls looove having Miss Jennifer and Mr. Dustin come over, as they are convinced that they are coming for the sheer bliss of dancing and playing with them (which may, in fact, be true;)). At the end of the day, Dustin and Jennifer are in fact, becoming such very accomplished musicians. At least that's the aim.

Here's a glimpse into this wonderfully delightful exchange. (I suppose I should probably post some pictures of actual piano learning taking place, but I was more interested in the food....stay posted for more pictures to come).

Gluten-less Death by Chocolate by Dustin. Spectacular.

Miss Jennifer savoring the flavor. That's right...mmmmm.

"This allrecipes.com app is amazing."

Come back next week to see a tangible example of what it is we're involved in here at the headquarters and how your partnership makes it possible for all to hear.

Ministry

"Ministry" has been on my mind. Not ministry in terms of..."we're in full-time (vocational) ministry"...not even "what is MY ministry". None of those things. I've just simply been thinking about the word itself. I throw it around so loosely that I fear I have lost the actual meaning of it. Is it goodwill? Is it a strong affection for someone? Is it risking your life for someone? Is it giving to the poor? Is it being a part of a Bible translation organization?

So here's the reason it's on my mind. A week and a half ago I feel like I was ministered to in the purest sense of the word (or at least in my understanding of it).

Our family has come out of a wonderful stretch of having many people into our home over the last month and a half or so. One particular set of guests came and went so quietly but left such a deep impression on my heart and spirit that I can't seem to get this word out of my head.


Never can I remember a time when someone (besides my husband) confronted a heart issue so head-on that it made me want to weep so immediately. During our short time together (only one full day), my friend observed something in my life that, while having the appearance of servitude, was really not glorifying to the Lord, but instead it was something that quietly kept me in bondage. She never judged me, never looked down on me, but rather at just the right time brought light to what was really going on in my heart. She was genuinely so concerned about my relationship with God that she was not afraid to speak bluntly and unveil an attitude of bondage that I've quietly been harboring in my heart for who knows how many years. God used her to minister to my heart and I am closer to the Lord as a result of my time spent with her.

I know that ministry can look so different in any given situation, but my dear friend's ministry to me resounded so deeply in my mind and heart that no other word would do this particular encounter justice.

Not only am I thankful for her, but even more so I am thankful for a God Who loves me so much that He'll use one of His own children to audibly say something I've been needing to hear for a long time.

To borrow from a familiar song, "He loves us. Oh, how He loves us."

Sarah's Birthday Festivities

Today is Sarah's birthday. Woohoo!

Let's celebrate with a few pictures of the day.

Spending time at SeaWorld, if you look really close, you'll see a dolphin stranded on the little island in the Dolphin Nursery. Don't worry, she was just playing.

Waiting for Shamu...Acacia's new obsession.

These flamingos were fluorescent orange! Awesome!

These flamingos were not so orange...but much bigger. Look closely for the kid with the smushed cheeks...she's not a fan.

Not posed. At all. I promise.
The shark encounter was pretty cool.

I know Sarah's not in this, but who can resist a two year old chasing squirrels around?

We went on a date! Alone! To Outback!
(can you tell it's been awhile since we've done this?)


Blowin' out the candles...too many to count.

I hope it was a great day for my wife...I know I had fun. Thanks to Grandma and Buppa for making the day extra special by watching the munchkins so much.

Trevor's Thoughts

So, I've been trying to figure out what to blog about tonight since I've been incredibly lazy on this lately. I thought about posting some deep thoughts about missions organization's business models or issues facing the leaders of the worldwide Bible translation movement. Then I reacted violently against that urge and thought I would just post a video that I saw today about signed language Bible translation.

All of these options were good, I suppose, but you won't read about them today. Maybe later.

I'll try not to meander too far in this post, but please forgive me if I don't arrive at the destination that you, or I, expected.

This weekend I've been wrestling with a few things concerning the future. Some of them are big things, and some not so life altering things. It's an interesting position to be in, being a member of a large missions organization, working alongside peers who may be paid staff or members as well. I've never really worked in the secular workplace, but it seems like my work environment is more fluid than most. People are in and out, here and there, transferring horizontally just as easily as vertically, seemingly on a whim.

I know it's not a whim, of course, at least for most of them. When Sarah and I agreed to come to Orlando, it was with the understanding that we would commit to about 2 years working in the Offices of the President. We knew from the outset that it would probably be a little more than that, but we still don't know for sure just how long we'll be in this city, in this state, in this country, or...well, you get the picture.

It may seem weird, but we've only been here for about four months and we're already talking about what the next step will be for us. Leaving my old job in Hudson, I had to be hush-hush about the process of leaving, keeping certain details mum until "the right time". It was difficult, but for the most part wise. Maybe my supervisor doesn't like this kind of talk, but that's okay, because my "calling" is involved, and she knows better than to get in the way of God's movement! (That's a compliment, Erica, in case you were wondering)

So here's what I've been thinking about lately:

We've got this team of people with us on our journey. We spent the past two years praying together, talking, building relationships, pooling resources, gaining trust and respect. The last thing we want to do is make decisions as if they will only affect Trevor, Sarah, Acacia, and Eliana in the long run. So I hereby proclaim that we will include you all (our team...and I suppose anyone else who reads this blog that cares!) in praying for and deciding on our next steps in our ministry.

Sorry for the declaration...I get dramatic when it's late.

Today there has been news of violence in Jos, Nigeria, where some of our friends live. Thankfully, both of these young families are in Florida during this really frightening time. A few weeks ago, Sarah said "maybe we should go to Nigeria"...just a passing thought. Then we talk about living in Brazil, or maybe this or that country. We'll see. You'll help. I'm glad.

I'm looking forward to continuing this conversation throughout the years. At least, I hope it's a conversation...not just a late night soliloquy.

As always...thanks for reading.

Trevor

P.S. Since some of you may not have seen this picture yet, this is our friendly neighborhood alligator. We saw him a few days ago and snapped this picture from the back yard! Don't worry, the girls have literally never set foot in the grass back there!

Link between Wycliffe and Avatar?

While I haven't seen the movie Avatar yet, it IS all over the news. Here is an article I was made aware of by the Wycliffe USA blog that talks about how Wycliffe is using an avatar to explore new ways to translate the Bible for the deaf communities across the globe. Fascinating!

USA (MNN) ― With the popularity of the new movie Avatar, you may be amazed that Bible translators may need to use that type of technology to aid in Bible translation. In fact, this technology could help people groups all over the world in some of the most difficult places for evangelism with deaf speakers/listeners. Julia, with Wycliffe Bible Translators, says she wants to make sure these people can understand God’s Word clearly. Read more.

MNN's Greg Yoder and 'Julia' with Wycliffe at Urbana 09 in St. Louis, MO.

Taste Of Translation And Linguistics...TOTAL it up!

This morning Trevor and I led a devotional time with a group of "TOTAL It Up-ers". Wycliffe holds a week-long event where students (or even those beyond student-hood) can preview what it is like to be involved in linguistic work (TOTAL=Taste of Translation And Linguistics). The week is full of linguistic study, worship times together, ethnic foods, and getting to know the organization better. It's also exciting for us because we have a dear college friend who is here participating in it.

It was neat for us to be able to recount how God worked through the time we were raising support and building our partnership team, even considering it was not so long ago. I pray that I will never forget what God revealed to me about Himself during that time, nor the journey of the heart He took me on.

If you're at all interested in learning more about what linguistics actually looks like, we highly recommend you sign up for Total It Up. Trevor and I hope to go through it sometime in the next year and a half as we look to see where God will take us from here and whether or not it involves the linguistic side of things. If you're interested, let us know, and maybe we could all go to the same one!;)

In other news, Eliana is walking. 9 steps! In celebration, I thought I'd post a picture of the birthday girl (a couple weeks late) eating her birthday morning cupcake.

Thanks for keeping up!

Sarah