3rd April 2025

Breaking news:  Please pray for Jana (in Portland) USA) who is being induced as I send this off.  Prayer for Jana and for a safe delivery for their No.2, a baby boy.  Thanks

Dear All,

Well it has been just over a month since you last heard from me, so apologies for the longer period.  Life has been busy and even more busy due to a water leak which has caused quite a lot of chaos and distraction from the work.  Thankfully, we are at the point where we are waiting for the builders to come in and rip up the affected flooring and replace the damaged insulation underneath and then put new flooring down, starting this Friday 4th April!

Praise
* For Bernard's life: For nearly 25 years he has faithfully served the S-people and how he was thought of as a person of strong faith
* So thankful we had finished Psalms so I could read Ps 23 to him on my last visit with him
* Started more frequent zoom consultant checks to increase progress and keep them up-to-date with work schedule!

Prayer
* For Bernard's replacement
* For zoom meetings to work well and good progress mid-April
* For us to get the funding for next project cycle Sept 2025-28

Sad news
Well first of all, sad news for us, Bernard passed into the presence of the Lord on 5th March - see photo.  This was not a surprise given how he was when I saw him on the way out.  I was soooo very thankful that I had that chance to visit him on the way out on 20th Feb and read Psalm 23 in the S-language, the last book he worked with (see photo), and pray with him!  

There was encouragement during his funeral.  Normally there is much wailing and crying that tears at the heart, even when the person died is a believer.  However, Thomas told me that there was no such wailing because of he was known as one with a strong faith; which is true.  He will be sadly missed and won't be easily replaced.  He started with us around 2000 as a someone who was not involved in the translation process whom the consultant asked the questions relating to the passages being checked during the checks.  He was good and dependable and kept telling me he got such blessing being involved and so wanted to be involved each time.  However, he was also proud but after I asked Thomas to speak to him about it, the cultural way is to go through a third person, he started to change and by the end he was such a humble servant!  So much so when we had finished the final consultant check of the NT, I turned to Bernard and ask him to pray and he started with the words "We are just ordinary people..."  This beautifully summed up the moment.  We weren't focused on what we had done but what God had been pleased to do through us.   Then he migrated into the translation team in about 2016 and was a very useful, loyal member who drank up teaching and was the person who translated my S-language preaching into the national language for outsiders living in the S-area.  I have many fond and happy memories of him.

Of course, this really puts pressure on us to find Bernard's replacement.  Armi looks a possibility but it is early days to both assess his ability and commitment.  So please prayer that will become clearer and if not someone else might be found quickly

Work-wise
After the first week off after i got back, I've made quite a good progress: finished the check halfway through ch 9 and now I've just finished revising/cjecking/making comments up to ch 13 Deuteronomy.  The plan is to do monthly zoom consultant checks to both increase progress and keep the teams up-to-date with the project schedule.  This week, I've had the first and second one with S- and T- team respectively. Hopefully have the third one with the G-team tomorrow.  Then the plan for the next series of zoom checks will happen on 15-17th April while we are in Cyprus for a bit of a holiday around a wedding of one of Lois' nephews.  Being there has the advantage of being two hours closer to their time so more time to check with them.

Submitted project goals for the next three year starting in Sept 2025.  The funding organisation is not able to fund all previous active projects at the moment, so we are praying we won't suffer in funding cuts.  This is another prayer point.

Family news:
Caleb and Jana moved to Portland, Oregon mid-way through Jan this year.  It has been quite a steep learning curve but things are improving and they are getting more settled.  The main prayer points for them are a green card for Caleb, earlier problems have been sorted so hopefully things will go more smoothly, and before they leave for Jana's sister's wedding in Mexico in mid-May they need a passport for No.2

Finally, what strikes me as I'm going through Deuteronomy is God's way of preparing the Israelites for entering the promised land.  In a nutshell before they undertake this massive task, God reminds them of who He is and what He has done in the past, so that his promises have a proven background.  Hopefully I will remember this timeless lesson for the next big undertaking as well as when I face major obstacles.

Blessings and thanks for your prayers

John

21st February 2025

Dear All,

Well it is great feeling to be at this stage in Singapore airport waiting for my long-haul flight back to the UK but I'm getting ahead of myself.

There is a push to try and engage the local churches more.  So this time we were at a different village, mainly due to volcano erupting at our usual place, but it seems like it was very short-lived and people are already returned to their village, but there wasn't enough time to change plans back.  Anyway it worked out well with us being very well looked after.  However since they are working people they aren't really free to just drop and see us working. 

So I thought I give a very short presentation of the three target objectives we aim for in a translation: accuracy, clear and natural using passages that we have worked on that very week - attached photo (apologies but the person who took it was in the congregation and if you remember from last week's photos there is quite a distance from the lectern to the congregation).  I got very good engagement but we need to try and think of more ways to engaging with them.

Praise:

* Good opportunities to teach again

* Good and better than expected progress

* Issue(s) with UBS is/are resolved so in theory we have their consultants helping to shoulder the load again

* For not the smoothest of exits but it got smoother with each leg

Prayer

* Replacement for Bernard and Thomas

* New working schedule with monthly zoom calls will increase the productive

* Some of the lessons taught will stick and they will use them in their various villages

* Producing a printed version of Leviticus some time in the future

Then Monday through to Wednesday we continued on with Deuteronomy and I was pleasantly surprised by progress.  I choose in the end to do two sessions with them working on the verses and then two session me checking their work.  By the end we finished halfway through ch 9 and they were charged with working through ch 10 the next day while I was travelling and I'll check it next time. There were some good opportunities to do further teaching too. God knows the human heart so well.  Nevertheless it seems incredible that as God outlines all that He is going to do and that they will receive without doing anything that anyone would be tempted to think that it was by their own skill (8:17). 

Then you think about yourself, it is so easy to think that it is us achieving but last Sunday at the home church we looked at ch 15 and there is very sobering verse and also very encouraging too 'You can do nothing without me but you can produce much fruit remaining in Him (v5)

One sobering lesson to finish with from previous week.  It was very sad to read the footnote about Lot (Deuteronomy 2:9, 19)  His bad choices left him without any godly descendants but he was totally swallowed up in the Moabites' and Ammorites' lands. Firstly he settled near Sodom and Gomorrah, then when those cities were about to be destroyed he doesn't obey the angel and flee to the mountains but asks to stay in a small town nearby which was not destroyed because of Lot (Gen 19:19-21).  His daughters would marry worshippers of foreign gods I assume, and that line would disappear.  Fleeing to the mountains would have given them a second chance but he didn't choose that. Contrast that with Abraham who sort a wife for Isaac from the family line, though they were foreign idols there but at least bringing her to their home to be under the influence of Abraham.  Making decisions without any thought to the spiritual implications was disastrous for him and obviously still today.

Blessings and thanks for standing by us in prayer these last three weeks in particular.

John

15th February 2025

Dear All,

Another week, another book.  It felt very good to finish another book especially Leviticus which was equally in its blessing as it was challenging and then start Deuteronomy on Tuesday morning.  Already Deuteronomy is making an impression.  It reads like recorded history yet it hasn't happened.  In some ways it doesn't read like history because there is so much detail that probably would get missed in a history that was written 100s of years later.  It can only have this so much detail because God is creating this fully knowing the heart of sinful people but always providing a way back to Him, if they will listen.  In Leviticus the wisdom of God was shown by the Lord closing off so many of the possible loopholes sinful man would try and exploit in the rules/regulations ahead of time, whereas our laws are created often as knee jerk reactions after the events.

Praise
* Finishing well at the end of Lev
* Making good progress despite approaching the end of the workshop
* The responsiveness of the team members to the teaching
* Armi is contributing and beginning to feel part of the team

Prayer
* For a complete resolution and reinstatement of previous consultants or for other consultants to be available
* For wisdom how to us the last few days
* For the on-going work of His Spirit in the team members through this process of translation
* Exit out of the country and smooth journey home

Thank you to those who prayed for a good ending.  I could not see how it was going to happen as we went through the last chapter.  As one of the team members put it 'Usually the last chapter of a book is easy but this one wasn't' - do not know about the former but the latter was certainly true.  Anyway, as we finished I asked for testimonies fully expecting a dead response since it was such a difficult last chapter at the end of a long day  but was very surprised by the quick-fire answers based around the teachings that had naturally occurred as we went through the last few chapters ch 21-27: Him moving from the passover to the communion, the timing of passover and the Sabbath the year Jesus died etc. Then we sang quite a rousing song about giving thanks the Lord followed by a prayer - it felt a very good and appropriate finish.  It also confirmed me in the objective of all this for me is not just a translation but teaching through the process to produce a better understanding and greater appreciation of God.  Mind I don't know who gets more blessing: the teacher or the student! 

I'm attaching a few photos to show how the usual formal layout for workshops is.  Then the less formal but hearing challenged due to the unseen fans  followed by the final layout which though hot was a more friendly layout.  Then where I'm staying at the pastor's house his front room.

Thank you for praying about Tensi and the other cluster group's consultant.  Alas it seems there are some unresolved issues holding up these consultants being released.  It seems delicately balanced and it could go either way so Tonga is looking into a future backup plan for other possible consultants.  This won't be easy since one of the key problems which has also been for the entire work worldwide is the lack of translation consultants, or consultants for any of the aspects of the work.  So hopefully this backup plan won't be needed. This is further complicated by this Sept is the end of the project cycle so we have to put in project goals soon without knowing if we any consultants available apart from me! 

I have ben pleasantly surprised by Armi.  He came last time lasted just two days went back and never came back during the rest of the workshop!  Not a promising start.  However, he has come to this workshop and is getting his feet under the table: contributing well and being punctual and it feels like he wants to be part of this. Mind he was called home towards the end of this week.  So we'll see if he comes back this coming week.  Alas another person attended as a possible member and just left after a couple of days - this work is not for everyone and it is not just ability that you need but commitment and vision which is difficult to test beforehand.

Well because of various factors before I left, I didn't get to where I wanted to be in terms of initial checking of Deuteronomy and comments for the teams to implement, so that means that I will finish what I have pre-prepared by Monday, leaving me two days to fill.  I could continue checking the unprepared sections knowing full well it will be painstakingly slow for us all  - which is my least preferred.  Other options: 1) I could divide the time between me preparing my comments, later them implementing those comments and then I check their work, 2) something different like more training relating to the main translation programme or 3) something else unknown at this time which I'm very open to the Lord showing me. 

 Then I start the trip back home early on Thursday 20th.  It is reverse order: 1)The most dangerous leg first: speed boat.  2) Flight back to my exit point which is the most uncertain with last minute changes to schedules 3) Exiting through immigration on the Friday and 4) the long flight back arriving early morning Saturday (22nd) in London.  1) - 3) need as ever prayer.  Once I'm passed through immigration and sitting the departure lounge about to leave the country I feel a real sense of relief!

 A verse that keeps coming back to me to meditate on is John 13:1.  "Having loved his own, he now loved them to the very end"  There is some discussion about whether it is loved them completely or to the end; most concluding to the end is the best choice.  This is because the word is about a process towards a goal and is used by Jesus on the cross to show the process of paying for our sins/salvation was finished.  For me I think both are probably there.  This verse is a header for the last section where Jesus goes from a public ministry to a personal ministry with his twelve.  To me, John is summing up personally for him about Jesus' ministry in these last few chapters in a single phrase 'loved them to the end and completely' So what does it mean to love to the end completely -well I think it means not just to love them but to love them well, for his love to complete their particular need.  For example, I'll just pick a few and this isn't an exhaustive list : ch 19, Jesus shows his love for his mother by asking John to take care of her, 20: appearing to Mary Magdalene to console at the tomb, making a special visit for Thomas to believe, ch 21: Peter's restoration and commissioning him in front of the rest of the disciples.  Each one Jesus' tailored his love to meet their needs completely - it just what they needed.  Of course though it is finished on earth it is being worked out in heaven every time we come to Jesus and find mercy/compassion (love in action) and kindness not only at the precise time we need it but in the appropriate form specific to us (Hebs 4:16).  Right beside God the Father who planned, directed everything so perfectly and appropriately for us, is a Jesus who keeps on loving completely to the end of time but surely it doesn't finish then but forever, whatever ever that means in heaven.  What a thought for now and forever...

 Blessings and thanks for praying for us and with us throughout this time

John   

8th February 2025

Dear All,

Well after the shock of last Sunday with Tensi not coming, the following week settled down into a nice pattern of work.  Whilst I was hoping to be ahead of where I am i.e finished Leviticus, nevertheless I'm very happy.with just one chapter left to hopefully finish off on Monday!  Thereafter start checking as much as I can of Deuteronomy.

Praise
* Good checking progress despite some very difficult passages
* Good opportunities to teach during the checking sessions
* Whilst there have been problems at the home end, they've been fixed easily and quickly

Prayer
* Tensi might still be able to come
* Finish off well the last chapter of Lev (27) on Monday. 
* The teaching will continue to give them a fresh and growing appreciation of God
* Lois will continue to see the provisions of God sorting things out so well 

Work end:
Well Leviticus is not well-known for cross references except maybe 'Love your neighbour as yourself' (v18, 34), but as we have gone through the book some new ones to me and the teams have cropped up.  Also the team have really enjoyed the times of teaching, too many to list in this email, but I'll just give you a flavour of them. 

Perhaps the ones that had the most impact, since they are farmers and very connected to the land, was the Sabbath year for the Land and the Jubilee year, both found in ch 25.  They were truly staggered by God's promise that if they let the land lie fallow God would bless the sixth year's crop so much so that by the harvest of the ninth year they would still have some from the sixth year (v21, 22).  Even after the session they were still talking about that.  Then the wisdom and fairness of God displayed in the year of the Jubilee when there is an economic and social reset: land was sold and is returned to its original owners/family plus slaves and their families would be set free to return to their families.  Fairness: Those buying would get the land at a reduced rate according to how many years were left before the Jubilee.  If this was followed the world's problem of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer would be greatly reduced. However, it appears that it was no longer practised after the exile to Babylon and subsequent return. Mind you the wisdom and fairness shines out particularly throughout the end chapters of Leviticus.

The cross reference that stood out and warmed their hearts was 26:11,12 with Rev 21:3.  It is remarkably similar and clearly when God speaks in Rev He is wanting people to remember Lev 26:11,12.  It is such a beautiful picture of God setting up his tent in their midst that is also being alluded to in John 1:14 of Jesus doing the same.  In the case of Lev and John, it was clearly going to be temporary but in Rev it will be permanent.

The cross reference which most surprised them was in ch 26 when God outlines both the blessings and punishments if the people would either obey or disobey respectively.  I had mentioned the story of the people in Gideon's time (Judges 7) as the opposite of God blessing the people with security (26v5) with their enemies (Midianites) attacking and stealing their crops.  However when they came to read it actually being spelt in v16, the person reading it stopped and looked at me as if to say,'Just like you said'.

Finally at the end of ch 26.  I discussed the grace of God that despite all that the people have/will do and their lack of repentance and be exiled in a foreign land as punishment.  Yet He still would not walk away from them, reject them and break the covenant He made with their ancestors because He is the LORD their God who brought them out of slavery to be their God.  then he finishes with 'For I am the LORD/Yahweh.  In other words this is the character of the 'I AM', this is what I do -  the opposite of what we expect or rightly deserve. 

It appears that there is a chance that Tensi along with another UBS consultant to check the other language cluster, might turn this coming week.  This would greatly reduce my load and also give some encouragement to the other language teams who have been treading water instead of progressing in the checking of NT books.  If this happens his delay will have been for the best because it would have been so difficult for Tensi, or anyone else, to finish checking a book he has not been involved in hitherto. 

Home end: 
As Lois said 'There haven't been so many problems with Lois' Mum flat and just in   the first week' and I would add with our house just before I left, as this time.  Yet they were quickly and easily sorted out either through a tradesman being quickly available or realising where the problem/solution was and being able to fix it.

I'm including the latest photo of us taking during a family photoshoot on a dismal December day before Caleb and Jana went off to the States. (See above)

Blessings and thanks from both of us for upholding both of us in your prayers

John

2nd February 2025

Dear All,

Apologies this is being written at speed so as to make it before church services in the UK and so it won't be polished at all.  A very quick update for your praises and prayers:

I've seen the Lord's good hand upon the journey out here:

1) First time I've walked to departure gate and walked straight on. My allocated group for boarding was being called as I approached so no queueing just showed my boarding pass and walked on.

2) The second international leg to the entry point was smooth too.

3) When I got to my entry point the immigration officer I could tell wanted to let me in.  However, I didn't quite fit the proforma: which hotel are you staying at? No hotels around here. You are attending a workshop, are there any others with you, No. So it went on.  However, I never felt he wasn't going to let me in.

4) I need a local sim for the phone each time I enter because mobile numbers here need to be regularly topped with credit even if there is still plenty of credit on it, otherwise the number becomes inactive.  So when I leave after a short period the number becomes inactive. Usually my host arranges a new one for me each time. This time the new sim didn't work but we didn't find out until 10pm!  So we went out looking for a place open that sold sim cards. Found one and the bonus was these new type of sim which don't need regularly topping up to keep the number active. So it worked out for the best.  Only downside was I didn't get to bed until midnight.

5) I was notified, first time ever, so that was a plus, that my morning flight for the third leg of the journey had been cancelled (10:30 departure and arrival at 13:10) and I was put on the early morning flight that left at 6:20am! So very little sleep between midnight and getting up at 4:30 to make the 06:20 flight

6) The fourth leg of the journey, in some ways the most dangerous since it is a speedboat journey.  Usually if there is going to be choppy seas it is in the afternoon, so the previous one had the chance of choppy seas.  So the earlier flight should mean a smooth journey.  However, though it was only mid-morning the sea was quite choppy, so I was praising the Lord that the flight had been changed since the afternoon one would have been worse!

7) the final leg, a car journey to the destination.  As usual dropped in to see people: The wife of Arnold (one of the original team members). Arnold had died on 16th Jan 2022, so this was the second anniversary.  Then to see Bernard, an old member of the team, who has been very poorly with heart and kidney problems.  It was hard to see him so poorly - according to Thomas he had worsened over the last few weeks.  He needs kidney dialysis but no chance where he is, so no hope of him getting better.  Anyway, clearly the Lord's hand was on the timing since I don't know if that was my last time to see him. So we sort to encourage him and raise his spirits reminding him of his part in the production of the S-NT, prayed and then left with heavy hearts.

So the bottom line for me was the Lord had blessed the journey right up to the destination.  However, during the midday meal today, Sunday, I learnt Tensi isn't coming!  He was coming so as to split the work between us.  Now it is all back on my shoulders.  After the initial shock, I reflected that the Lord had been especially good to me so that I realised that He was with me and though this was a setback, just like getting the sim and the flight being cancelled, turned out for good and so just as the Lord had been behind these other setbacks He was behind this one too, and somehow this would work out for good.

Praises:

* For the Lord's clear hand on ever aspect of my journey here

Prayer

* Given the change in plans; for sustained stamina and strength throughout the next two+ weeks and particularly for encouragements in the early days

Blessings and many thanks for upholding me

John

17th January 2025

Dear all,

Wishing you all a blessed New Year. Apologies been a long gap than usual since my last update at the beginning of Dec.  Hope you had refreshing Christmas break as you reflected on the grand miracle of God becoming man for us.  We had a packed Christmas with the whole family at one point in the house.  This was a special Christmas because it was the last one with Caleb and Jana plus 2 year old Lenora before they flew off to the States.  It was very nice to have them stay with us, which in a strange way made it easier to say 'good-bye' at the airport on Jan 14th.   They will be sorely missed and leave behind a hole in the family. Those who know them I'm sure will be praying for them as they settle in the US.

Praise
* A good family time at Christmas and then just with Caleb and Jana and Lenora in Jan
* God's timing for the volcano eruption
* Everything ready for the trip
* Tonga finding an alternate venue for the workshop

Prayer
* Good progress in checking for accuracy/revising  their drafts before I fly on 29th Jan
* Tonga would get all the logistics sorted in new workshop venue before it starts
* Travel and entry would go smoothly
* For Lois handling the extra while I'm away as well as starting a new term of lecturing at Brookes

Trip-wise:
I have everything in place: international and internal tickets, visa, booked overnight stay in SQ, plus I am starting to feel ready mentally for the trip.  However, the workshop will be in a different place. Alas, the volcano has erupted again (see photo) and the village where the workshop is usual held was evacuated on the 5th Jan.  Just had a WA call from Tonga, who lived in the said village to confirm where the workshop will be held which will be a little south of the usual place.  He has a lot still to do e.g finding accommodation, arranging for meals for approx 30 people, so prayer would be valued.  Mind you, it has better mobile signal and data too plus Tonga is trying to get the village satellite link setup at the new venues as well.  So it should be better for communication.  However despite this being a great inconvenience for them the timing was good i.e after Christmas and New Year and before the workshop starts on the 3rd Feb.

My itinerary:
29th Jan leave the UK
30th Jan overnight in SQ
31st Jan arrive in-country
1st Feb travel by plane, speedboat, car and arrive at workshop destination
20th Feb travel by car, speedboat, plane back to the exit point
21st Feb fly back to UK
22nd Feb arrive home

Workwise:
Alas, I'm not where I want to be with the exegetical checking/revising of their drafts of Deuteronomy - just finished ch 4.  The plan is for me to just check two teams (S- and T-) and Tensi (United Bible Society) will be checking the other two  teams (G- To-).  We hope to get the remainder of Lev (ch 21-27) and as much of Deuteronomy as possible - somewhere between ch 1 and 13.  Tensi has checked the final stages of S-language NT, so we know each other quite well and have a good working relationship, so I'm looking forward to working together again.

It was a blessed Christmas spiritually with some good sermons leading up to but also I had an opportunity to preach on the Magi for the last Sunday in 2024.  First time I've preached on this passage and as ever the Lord opened up the passage to me.  However, that is not what I close with.  We had a week of prayer at the beginning week of 2025 and for the session I was leading I was drawn to one of Paul's prayers (Romans 15:30-32):
I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by Godʼs will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

1) Intercessory praying for one another is something special for family members (brothers and sisters) who are one through the same Lord with a love that the Spirit gives us one for another for people we may never meet this side of glory.  2) Ministry is a struggle so we urge our family to join in our struggles through prayer so they become our struggles.  3) It is focused on specific requests for the person but the outcome is cavitated by putting them under God's Will. 

It is noteworthy that the requests are for three good things but only one is answered how Paul asked: his gift was acceptable.  He wasn't delivered from but delivered to the unbelievers in Judea and he didn't get to Rome to be refreshed but was put under house arrest.  Finally he never got to Spain which was his intention (Romans 15:28) after Rome.  But in being delivered to the unbelievers he had extra ordinary opportunities to witness in Jerusalem, to Roman leaders (Felix, Festus), king Agrippa and Bernice. So God's will was done and Paul's desires fulfilled to fully proclaim the gospel where Christ was not known (15:19b-20) but not in the way he envisaged.  Oh and lets not forget he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon while under house arrest. Quite an answer to his prayer request!

Thanks for joining in the struggle to translate God's Word to people in their own language

John

5th December 2024

Dear All,

Hope this time of Advent will be a time of encouraging reflection for us all.

Praise:
*Completed checking and making comments for the teams on Leviticus before the end of Nov!
* Two of the teams are keeping up with the work schedule and one of them is even ahead!
* Things for my next trip in Feb are falling into place; most importantly the UBS consultant has agreed to do the checking of two of the teams

Prayer:
* Despite it being December, the teams and I will still manage to make good progress
* The visa will come through without delay/problem
* The Lord will guide for Thomas' and Bernard's replacements

No much to report on since last I wrote which is probably a good idea since this time of year when there is so much seeking our attention: 

Not only very happy to have finished Leviticus but also blessed.  You remember I said it was the book no -one ever finishes.  Well mentioned this at a supporting church and some one came up to me and said that this book had been instrumental in her becoming a believer.  So felt, and rightly so, rebuked.  After all, God's Word is both living and active and that means all of it is!

The UBS consultant has committed to come and do the check for two of the three languages teams.  This is such a relief.  hopefully this will mean we can get through more passages.

I preached on John 1:15-18 at a supporting church (Duffield Baptist Church) at the end of Nov. (I should have included v14 as well but that verse is worth a sermon just on itself.)  The prologue (v1-18) contains two themes: the incarnation but also echoes of Genesis. Two things really struck me, one from the genesis theme and the other from the incarnation theme:
1)  Strong echoes from Genesis
*In John 1v1, uses language straight from Gen 1:1 except in the former there was no creation but there was God. 
*In  v5 the theme of light mirrors the 1st thing that is mentioned as being created. In both accounts the light overcomes the darkness, though implicitly in
* ...at the Father's side (v18) literally is: ...in the Father's bosom.  It is clearly metaphorical since both were Spirits.  It is meant to convey an intimate closeness between the Father and the One and Only Son.  Cannot remember where I read it but this is another reference to Genesis: the woman is taken from man's side (rib).  To convey the intimate closeness of the two.  So it is with God the Father and Jesus.  This gives Jesus a unique position in making (literally exegeting) God known i.e making Him clear.  No-one has seen God, but Jesus has both seen God and comes from God as an intimate co-equal, so much so if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father.
2) Incarnation: The strong theme of God dwelling (tabernacling) amongst us in v14
* This started way back in Exodus/Leviticus with the idea of the Tabernacle where God would be present with His people wherever they went, where God would meet with His people and they with Him, albeit via the priest.  Then later it becomes a static Temple but still with the limited access.
* So in Jesus, God was present with his people and also met with His people through Him and they met with Jesus in an unlimited form. 
* Then the Holy Spirit coming into us makes our bodies into a temple, so we have unlimited access to God. 
* He is with us when there are two or three meeting in His name. 
* But the best is still to come when the new heavens and the new earth are created and the bridegroom comes down from heaven (Rev 21:3).  it is interesting this verse is the first thing that God says and arguably the fact of greatest importance to God from which everything flows.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

So the consummation of God's plan is that we all, His people in our entirety, fully experience the presence of all the Three persons of God-head living with us and us with them. It is beyond comprehension that God would want that and has always wanted that!

May not only the wonderment of God becoming flesh and tabernacling amongst us warm our hearts and fill them with praise but also the glorious truth that God should want that and that ultimately everything is leading to that true and complete tabernacling amongst us. 

Special Christmas blessings to you all

John

11th November 2024

Dear All,

Apologies for not writing before.  Life has just been rather hectic and also this time it took me longer to fully recover from the time away abroad.  Anyway, some good news health-wise.  Thomas shoulder is a lot better and Bernard is getting better, though he is still pretty house bound and using a walking stick.  See attached photo (Bernard on the left, Thomas on the right and Yurfi behind Thomas). Whilst we are very thankful for that it does make our praying more urgent for the Lord to lead us to the replacements for both Bernard and Thomas and preferably sooner rather than later so there is time to train them.

Praise

* Improving health for Bernard and Thomas

* Exodus off to the printers

* Revising/checking Leviticus going well

* The Lord keeping me going for 20 years of travelling to and fro to the target area

* For 50 years of knowing Him and being known by Him

Prayer

* God's replacements for Bernard and Thomas

* Will get through the rest of Leviticus before the end of the month and make good progress in Deuteronomy before Christmas

* On-going grace, wisdom and strength to care well for our respective mothers

Workwise, I'm getting close to finishing off Leviticus; started ch 26. Hoping to finish this and ch 27 by the end of this month at the latest. Then it will be onto Deuteronomy.  Hoping to revise the first 13 chapters before I go abroad again at the end of Jan.  If we manage to check Lev 21-27 and Deu 1-13 during the workshop in Feb 2025, then we'll be, but for a few verses, 50%  of the OT will have been checked.  I've finished cleaning up Exodus (punctuation, speech markers and consistency) so hopefully by the time you read this Exodus should be off to the printers.  So there is much to give thanks for.  Talking, so to speak, of milestones, this year is the 20th year I've been travelling back and forth, twice a year mostly, to have Scripture checked for the NT (11 years) and since then having OT passages checked and doing some checking myself. Also this month I've known Jesus as my Saviour for 50 years, alas sadly and rather ashamedly I cannot say I followed Him as my Lord for 50 years, due to a number of years of drifting (Hebs 2)!

Continuing to look after our respective mothers at different stages of dementia - Lois' mum is in the advance stage whilst my mum is not there yet. We often are contemplating that difficult choice if it is wise/best for them if should continue to stay in their own houses. Thankful for two opportunities to talk of BT work and mission in general: One at Horsley church near Leatherhead for their mission Sunday and one at my home church on 'Making Jesus known globally'. Then this month (Nov 24th) will be preaching and speaking about the work at Duffield Evangelical Baptist church.

Finally, we are going through Galatians as a church in the morning services with follow-up in our homegroups.  In Ch 5:2 ...If you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. This verse jumped out and challenged me: 'How much do I value Jesus, how would I express His value to me?'  As I reflected on that I realised that I valued Jesus differently now from when I first was His: Previously I had valued Jesus for what he had done i.e saved me, set me free from sin's authority, forgiven me all my sins, marked me out for heaven by His Spirit etc.  Not that this is ever wrong, but somewhere along the journey, even though that is still there, it has been overlaid with I value Jesus for who He is: His beauty: the perfection of His character: His boundless gracious, merciful and great unfathomable loving heart, that reveals itself in the fact He NEVER treats us as we deserve, His wonderful power that shows itself in its loving control of our lives whereby He goes beyond what we ask, or don't ask, or can even think of.  I suppose what I'm mainly done is expounded Exo 34:6,7, when Yahweh revealed His character, not His power to save; but what made Him God above all gods and so worthy of Moses' and our 100% trust and devotion. Clearly this revelation struck Moses profoundly. His immediate response was not more questions but to bow down and worship (v8). What else can/should you do before such a revelation of such a God as this. 

Yes, Moses you were so right: What else can I/we do...

Blessings and thanks for your prayerful and loving interest,

John

27th September 2024

Dear All,

Apologies this has been a rush to get this done before the plane flies off to the UK - should be arriving in some 15 hours time - arriving early morning on Saturday 28th.
Headlines:
1) Reach the target of 10 chapters of Lev checked along with the end four chapter of Exo!  Close run thing but the teams clearly wanted to finish before they left, so we did very much with the Lord's help!
2)  Journey back to my entry/exit point was not uneventful but there were events shall we say but they were small ones - mainly delays!
3) Managed to visit Bernard the day I arrived before I left the country next day
4) Getting through Immigration again was a breeze - PTL

Praise
* Finished what we can all come to do.  Lots clearer in my mind with greater understanding and more appreciation of passages checked  - the first two at least were true and hopefully the last one too for the teams too.  Finished well in the sense we had a time of singing and praying which seemed so fitting given not only because of the hard work we had done but the help we had received from God.
* Tiring journey back to the entry/exit point mainly because I missed the first speed boat by minutes.  Usually minutes don't matter in this country but they did this time!  Then had to wait 2 hours before the next speed set off.  They don't run to a timetable- when they are full they set off and not before!  Then the plane was delayed so I got to my exit point more tired than usual.
* The new member to the G-team was a real asset and without her I don't think the G-team would have finished

Prayer
* Not so clear whether Armi is the replacement we had hoped for Bernard - read below.  However, it is even more evident that we need one given Bernard's worsening health
* Replacement for Thomas is proving even more difficult to even think of someone to approach never mind actually having him/her in place.  So we do need to see the Lord's clear leading
* For a good rest for all the teams (including Lois and myself) before they start preparing the material for the next workshop in Feb 2025, along with continuing good health so they can get it done!
* Tonga plans to publish a small run of Exodus as a trial edition as well distributing the same quantity of the Psalms also in a trial form.  May God mightily use them both.

Home front:
Lois has been even more busy than usual: Managed to fit in 6 days up with Maia helping out while Alex was away on one of his important Asialink trips. Then looking at place for the Uncle tom and Auntie Eileen's ashes in Bradford.  In addition to preparing for a new term of lecturing with all the admin that entails. So she is feeling pretty exhausted, so we'll be quite a pair of non-energetic people but still thankful to the Lord for the way He has looked after both of us according to our different needs.

Some highlights...
* Ways to solve solutions: The were so many times when we couldn't see a way to get the meaning across both clearly, naturally and accurately.  Then after trying all the usual ways, suddenly a new way would come to mind and the smiles and agreement from everyone was such an uplift and clearly from the Lord. 
* Last Sunday was a day with three notable encouragements (Super Sunday!)
    1)Sunday morning preach by Thomas (photos): Thomas preached so very well at one of the W-dialect church: powerfully with good application keeping to the passage: an encouraging sign of the Spirit's work through the S-NT and the years of translation and experiencing God.  I put a W-dialect version of S-language of the reading which was from John 6 but the earlier verses.  There was a lot of attention as the passage was read and I used it when Thomas was preaching.  I pretty sure there was more attention that usual due to Thomas' preaching and for the people to see it on the screen.
    2) Talking at the men's after-church group: With even less than usual warning I was asked to speak at the men's after-church group in S-language.  I'm always how much more engagement you get from use the local language.  I used what I could remember from my dedication message on John 6v68.  Then afterwards had an opportunity to talk some more about the android app and how to promote the language in the house.  One final thing that lifted me was to hear the language being used by the entire household, including making funny comments.  So I left thinking I must come back and do some more Scripture promotion there.
    3)  A walk around the village: Tonga, (national field director) invited me to go a walk around the village to discuss the future.  This was totally unexpected and though feeling the need of a good long siesta after the morning's church service plus men's meeting, I went with and was  very pleased I had done.  Just chewing the cud and discussing the future, ideas possible solutions was very therapeutic.  So went to bed very tired but much rejoicing.
* The new G-team replacement:  They have been struggling for years after the death of their best translator to find a replacement.  The lady (Betty) is very much enjoying and giving invaluable input without which I don't think the G-team would have finished.   The only problem is to see if the headmaster at the school she works at is willing to negotiate her work schedule so she could be involved in the G-team.  Then the training can go ahead full-steam.  It would be a real shame if this doesn't go ahead.  She clearly enjoyed: turned up every day and expressed appreciation for what she learned and made a real impact on the translation progress.

The low lights...
1) After the initial positive experience with Armi. He asked to go back to his village for a valid reason and said he would be back the following week.  However, he never came back; nor informed us why.  So this needs some checking by Thomas.  He seemed a real possible replacement but obviously you need people who are able to commit and contribute for the long-term to the schedule.  So a question mark hangs over him.
2) When I got back to the entry/exit point, I found that Bernard was back in hospital but a different one (see photo).  He was very difficult to make out what he was saying.  Anyway, I wanted to visit him but my options of how to get there were pretty limited.  Thankfully one of his relatives who he was staying with when he is not in hospital had a car came and picked me up.  Good job he did because if you were thinking of a nice big hospital with clear indications and one big entrance, think again.  It looked like it started of as a small hospital and they just kept on add new buildings and more buildings- it was labyrinth of buildings and I would never have found him if his relative had taken me.  Anyway, he was a sorry sight, lost a lot of weight and was looking a decade older.  Anyway, we had a good chat though he was difficult to follow.  His relatives from afar had visited and there some on a joint WA video call and it felt very much like people were visiting thinking it could be the last time and I could see why.  We ended the visit singing a favourite S-song, (wondered what the other visitors were thinking of it all: not the national language and not English either, what were they singing!) prayed and I left wondering if I would see him again.  Anyway, rang him again before I flew off and he reckon he was better with electric shock treatment they did in the morning on his feet.  He seems to em they are treating the symptoms and not the cause poor kidney function. 

Too much still being processed but a few thoughts about blood and life:
1) Right from the first murder (Gen 4) God has  clearly put a precious value on blood/life: Interestingly it is the blood that cries out to God when Cain is killed (4:10), obviously metaphorically speaking.  Then there are strong prohibitions with even stronger consequences- cut off from the people of God - should you eat anything still with life-blood in it (Lev 17:14). Then the Aaron's son (Nadab and Abihu) were killed because they had tried to approach God without blood (Lev 10:1) among other things, blood being one of the main the stipulations of coming into the Holy of Holiest (Lev 16:14) to perform the yearly atonement .  Then finally of course I ended up in Hebs 9:11-15 where it is all made sense of all of this when Christ fulfils God plan not with animals blood but his blood/life being given to cleanse and consecrate us once and for all time from all sin.

Then a few explanations of the photos:
- A morning photo taken when the volcano had made its presence known with what I can only describe as a bomb sound (like a large bolder being blown up out of a hole and then dropping back down) followed by a large billowing cloud.  I think there might have been just one day or maybe too when it didn't do this at least one time.  As the photo shows life goes on without a glance from anyone as the negotiating goes on involved in buying the fish for the workshop for the day!  One feels the frog in hot water seems to be applicable.  May the Lord continue to keep the people safe and the work continuing in that place.
- Another one of the teams gathering around my computer to look at either and illustration of either priestly garments, the breastplate of the lampstand
- Then one of both Betty and Armi during a checking session.

As I finish this off feeling very tired but so very grateful for the Lord's answers to your prayers - He is a bounteous prayer-answering God, praise His glorious Name!

John

21st September 2024

Another week has passed and it has been a mixture of opposites:
*  Feels both shorter and  longer. Yes, a strange mix of feeling longer than a week and shorter then that too.  I suppose because there has been a general daily feel of sameness so it merging into a shorter period in my mind. 
* Clear thinking despite being ill.  I was pretty under the weather due to a flu-like-cold which kept threatening to rob me of my voice but thankfully never quite did!  Yet this contrasts with being conscious of God's help in seeing both the problems and the solutions.  For example 'whoring after foreign gods', depravity, abomination and perversion - not the most positive aspects of translation to deal with.  However, it opened up for me the need to really work hard at translating not only the meaning but also the impact of the words chosen by God. 
* His great love despite our depravity:  In doing so I reflected how much more of God's heart is revealed in a deep way, how He views/feels about our sins especially in the spiritual and sexual arena.  God feels like that because of his love for us and his special position of being made in His image.  I used much of these chapters to try and explain the impact of these things they were reading about had on God.  So going through these chapters is both sobering in a downward direction but also uplifting to see such a God that we are invited to call our own and who desires to call us His own, despite knowing what we are capable of!

Praise
* Despite feeling pretty tired, managed to keep on working pretty flat out and very happy with the outcome due to God's help
* Managed to finish the ten chapters this week
* A deeper appreciation of God's heart/feelings
* For the timing of finding Bernard's replacement (Armi)

Prayer
* Bernard's health, which has worsened.  Does not look a good outlook but poor kidney function and narrowed heart arteries.  Praying their might be a miraculous turn around.
* Whilst thankful for the first replacement (Armi for Bernard) we still need a second replacement (? for Thomas when he retires or is not capable anymore!).
* Tomorrow would be a mutual encouragement for Thomas, Yurfi, myself and the W-people
* Finish well: Finish off the remaining chapters of Exodus so I can sign off on this book and then it can be printed as a trial edition
* Smooth trip out: getting to the exit point and through Immigration and then all the way home

There have been some disappointments too:
* Bernard's health has taken a turn for the worse: He is back in hospital and on the way there in a taxi, he lost consciousness!  It is not looking a very good outlook for him with bad kidney function and then narrowed heart arteries: He is 88% percentile relating to the calcification of his heart!  The report talks about a change in lifestyle but it seems hard to reverse this given this is not a country where you can get regular exercise easily in this heat and the diet, though healthy in some ways, it is not in other ways!  So it is hard to see him accompanying us to any workshops soon and probably ever again!  This is a sadness, he has been a faithful advocate, always cheerful and contributed over many years (20+) to the S-translation project.  I need to visit him before I fly out of the exit city of this country.
* The second person to be a replacement has not come to mind, never mind been here.  Given Bernard's health we realise that Armi's arrival, who looks like he'll be a replacement for him, was well-timed.  However, we need a replacement for Thomas too.  This is going to be a harder one and will need the Lord to show us very clearly.

Work-wise:
Well we finished checking/revising ch 10-20 on Thursday later afternoon.  The last chapter (20) of just 27v taking a whole day but I was happy with the outcome of the hard work put in  working on the above terms to bring home the vividness of the language.  Friday: Each team worked on the parallel passages at the end of Exodus (ch 36-39) which arise because some 10 chapters earlier, God gives Moses the instructions on the building of the tabernacle and then the court yard etc. Then from ch 36 onwards, these various instructions are followed literally to the letter. Then today (Saturday) I have started going through them with the teams.  Making sure not only the details are correct but also all these details which are foreign are laid out in a logical and helpful way for those who will read/hear it for the first time. One of the translators mentioned he has never heard this book being read in church and I had confess it is a rare thing in the UK!  

Against the backdrop of a list of don'ts, some of which should not even come to mind, there are the positive exhortations to His people to be holy because God is Holy, meaning both moral purity but also a life lived for Him according to his regulations i.e separate and dedicated to Him because he has dedicated himself to us by choosing them.  Anyway, there was plenty of appreciation of my explanations which were also new to me and so brought a certain passion to them.  So that was encouraging.

Tomorrow, we (Thomas who is preaching, Yurfi and myself) are going to a village about an hour's drive away which predominately has W-people (W:dialect of S-language) living there.  It appears that they have not had many S-NTs distributed to them.  So we'll being taking quite a few boxes of them.  I am being given 15 minutes before the service when normally all the notices are given to give a motivating talk to promote the use of the new NTs!  So that is going to be a challenge indeed!

The fourth and final reason why I've become even more confident in God's ability to fulfil His promises due to my sermon preparation on Gen 21: 1) His promises are both gracious and unconditional upon us doing anything right or wrong, 2) Nothing is impossible to Him.  In fact he makes things He seeks to make His promises more impossible to fulfil humanly speaking, 3) Nothing can stop his gracious plans being fulfilled and finally in this update 4) He can turn round evil things round for our good and His glory.  

This strictly doesn't come out of this passage but things are put in motion towards this great statement from Joseph in Gen 50.  In ch 37, things are not looking good for Joseph.  Looks like he is going to probably die alone in a cistern, unless Reuben can come back and rescue him later (Gen 37:22) but this would not have furthered God's plans.  Instead who should happen to come over the horizon but a band of the Ishmaelites!  The descendants of Ishmael who Sarah had tried to kill but God had not only rescued but prospered because He was with him (see previous update).  There was a lot more going to happen to Joseph before he utters those famous words (Gen 50:20) directed at his brothers but this was key step in God's plan to move Joseph to Egypt.  So we have God's words to Abraham in ch 12:2,3 saying he would be a blessing through his descendants , then in Gen 18:18 all the nations would be blessed in him, finally he would make a nation out of Ishmael (Gen ch 21:13).  So Ishmael is blessed because of God's promise to Abraham's descendant of which he is one and then Ishmael's descendants bring blessing to Joseph by saving and putting him in the right place for God to bless him!  

Blessings and thanks for keeping us in your prayers

John  

14th September 2024

Dear All,

So good to have the first week under my belt, just two weeks more before I'm back home!  Progress has been steady but I'm not where I wanted to be verse-wise.  I realised the reason for this is because of the amount of illness that happened in July and August among the teams.  This has mean the teams have not been keeping up with incorporating my comments before they got here.  This has been shown as we have had a slow but steady small decline in the number of verses checked each day.  So I have lowered my personal targets for the remainder of the time but still hoping to finish the target, but it will be a close run thing.  This shows the need to be praying for good health among the team members during the in-between-workshop periods.

Praise

* Steady progress, that will still enable me to finish the intended target 10 chapters of Leviticus and last remaining chapters of Exodus
* Armi joining us and thus far looks likes he has the potential to become one of the necessary replacements.
* Been so conscious of God giving solutions to very difficult verses
* For this opportunity to have our dictionary endorsed, printed and published by the dept of education.

Prayer
* Continuing health, stamina and insight going into the second week
* Will finish checking up to ch 20 by the latest the end of next week so as to finish the last remaining chapters of Exodus in the remaining time
* For a second possible replacement to join us this coming week.
* For the teams to have a greater understanding and appreciation of God and His desire to have a relationship with us, ultimately fulfilled though the sacrifice of His Son
* For Lois has she gears up and prepares her teaching material this coming week for the start of the University term during my final week here. 

Thankful for the highlight of the week, Armi joining us and thus far looks like he has the potential to become one of the necessary replacements, showing both ability and the necessary character. Hoping for another to join us next week.

At the end of one hard-working day, had an unexpected pleasure of seeing a skilled village person climb up a coconut tree of some 80+ feet without a rope to cut down all the palm branches and the coconuts which we gladly enjoyed drinking the milk and eating the flesh from (see photo).

Today, Saturday being a half-day, I decided to work on the dictionary with the S-team for the afternoon (see photo).  For those who can remember a year or so we can across a poorly researched dictionary that the dept of education had already published and was almost certainly going to use in the schools.  Thomas approached the head of this dept and asked that they would not promote this in the schools.  Thankfully he agreed but in return asked for us to hand over ours to be publish instead!  So I need to go through this and make sure there are as few errors as possible before handing it over to the dept of education to both endorse it, publish and distribute it!  This is beyond what we could have hoped for to such an endorsement.  At the same time we need to do an edition that is going to be a final copy rather than a trial edition which is what we had been aiming at some time down the road!   This will take more than this trip to get it ready; so it will be an on-going work with a target of early next year to finish it.

Though it has been a hard slog translating all the details, nevertheless it has given me a fresh appreciation of God. It would be all too easy to think of Leviticus as a book of endless list of detailed sacrifices setup by hard-to-please God.  However, for me I see such a set apart God who being so pure cannot abide sin, nevertheless He reaches out endlessly to provide a way back, albeit costly, for every situation that His people sinned in, so they could approach Him, albeit at a distance, and have a relationship with Him.  A God who is endlessly gracious, patient, and loving so much so that He paid for the endlessness of sacrificing animals to end, by providing the ultimate sacrifice once for all and for all time.

The third reason for me that God can and always fulfil promises from Genesis 21 is that nothing can stop his gracious plans being fulfilled.  In ch 17:20 God shows what a gracious God He is by promising to bless Ishmael and not just the promised son Isaac.  God promises to make him into a great nation despite him being a product of Abraham's and Sarah's rebellion .  Yet in ch 21, despite Sarah plans to get rid of  Ishmael and Hagar once and for all, in ch 21:13 God reminds Abraham that He will make Ismael into a great nation because he is a descendant of Abraham.  So he tells Abraham to do what Sarah has asked.  Abraham tries to provide for them with meagre provisions of water and food but restricted to what she can carry.  [Sadly Abraham will never see Ishmael again and lives with a broken family for the rest of his life some 70+ years more.]  However, God makes sure neither he nor his mother dies and provides water.  Then we read that God is with Ishmael as he grows up so much so that Ishmael is not only just able to survive but thrives in the wilderness (ch 21:20).  So despite Sarah's seemingly perfect plan to finish off Ishmael, it is thwarted by God gracious plans to bless Ishmael and he thrives in the harshest of environments because God is with him.  

Is this not so for those persecuted believers who find themselves in such harsh environments that should be an obstacle to spiritual growth and well-being but because God is with them they thrive and the church continues to grow in the harshest of environments for nothing can stop God's gracious plans spoken through Daniel (ch 7:13-14) that there would be an everlasting kingdom.  A kingdom that will not pass away because of the Son of Man's eternal authority (Dan 7:14) that surely Jesus is referring to in Matt 28:18, and whom will be with them and us always to the end of the age (Matt 28:20).   

Blessings and thanks as ever for lifting us both up to the throne of Grace

John

8th September 2024

Dear All,

Well we'll be starting the consultant checking tomorrow, so here is the story thus far:

Praise
* Good journey to the country
* Smoothest entry into country for a long time - no awkward questions
* Best first four night's sleep ever
* Bernard's medical problem turned out to be low blood count which was easily remedied with a transfusion but still needs lots of check-ups due to poor kidney functioning and high cholesterol levels.
* Good communication with Lois for the first time due to Starlink (satellite internet) being installed in Tonga's house

Prayer
* Lots of church denominational politics at the top at the moment here in this region, pray it won't affect negatively what we are trying to do
* Make good progress in 1st week of checking Lev 11-20
* The two new S-trainees would settle in and it would become evident quickly whether they have the God-given abilities to do this kind of work or not
* Home end: technical things in the house would run smoothly for Lois. 
* Lois preparation for her Brookes term especially given already extras to pick up while I'm away and then all the unknowns

Well leading up me going was very much dominated by ill-health Lois had bad hay-fever, followed by COVID.  For me a bad sinus cold with a probable short-lived Covid element.  This meant that the intended plan of taking a few days off together was completely blown out of the water - this is a new pattern we are trying to introduce to help with the long separations.  However, in the Lord's mercy we were both pretty close to totally recovery on the Tuesday evening and Wednesday before I left to enjoy some quality time together.

Then flying in the evening this time means that my body is already ready to go to sleep without the need to take any sleep-aid drugs.  Then start taking the latter for the overnight Thursday stay in SQ due to the 7 hours time difference, before flying off to enter the country the next day (Friday) then continue in total for a week.  The sleep on the flight didn't start well with no sign of me dropping off and then I'm sure it was the Lord popped into my head to wear a mask which would decrease my oxygen intake whilst increasing my CO2 levels and so help me get off to sleep.  This plan was further reinforced when the passenger next me started to cough and wasn't wearing a mask!  So doubly a good idea.  Anyway, next thing I knew was waking up some 4 hours later!  I was able to repeat this later for another hours or so of sleep!

Entry into the country was the smoothest for a long time, if not ever.  Thankful for the Lord guiding me to the right immigration channel.  The immigration officer after seeing my visa was straight away in the mode of accepting me without any grilling.  Right at the end he asked me what was my purpose and where I was staying but he didn't write anything down and handed me back my passport with my visa stamped in and I went on my way rejoicing.  Later I looked at my passport and saw the icing on the cake: He had used a page already been stamped and towards the front of the passport.  The trend is us to use a single page and keeping advancing through the passport, so increasing the need of new passport before it expires!

Sleep wasn't too bad first night in-country using the sleep-aid drugs and improved when I woke up feeling rather hot and realised there had been a power outage so the a/c had stopped. Anyway, after I got up and switched it back on I was able to go to sleep and next thing was being awakened by the alarm -  a nice feeling! 

Flight to the next province was uneventful but the speedboat was less so.  Since it was the middle of the day, the heat was nigh unbearable in enclosed fibreglass boat all crammed together with very little windows which were closed to stop the spray coming in.  In fact all the locals were sweating buckets during the 1 hour journey, so I don't know what the next one up is from buckets, gallons(?), but that was me!  Also due to travelling mid-day the sea was definitely more choppy and the pilot was doing a lot of turning into the swell to reduce the impact on the speedboat, which wasn't so swell (pun intended) for the passengers. Then the 2+ hours car journey picking up Yurfi and Thomas on the way before arrived about 4:30pm local time!  So very glad to be here and in a such a better state than usual sleep-wise which reduces the effect of the jet-lag.

On getting out of the car the volcano let off a welcoming grumbling noise and plume of smoke which is pretty normal now, according to the people here,  but was a little worrying since it clearly has not totally died down.  It is such a beautiful setting shame about the noisy volcano.  Then the first night here in the village sleep was good due to no power outage and drugs, once again being awakened by the alarm.

So not unsurprisingly, I'm finishing off this update with my heart full of praise after experiencing such a good trip here and smooth entry in-country experience too.

If you remember I mentioned the first of four things that have increased my already strong confidence in the God's ability to fulfil his promises, as I prepared a sermon on Gen 21.  Last time it was that His promises are both gracious and unconditional.  So whatever we do: show great faith or not, try to circumvent it or not, His promises are fulfilled.  The next thing that struck was He is truly the God of the impossible.  The Lord mentions this in ch 18:14 in a slightly different form: "Is anything too hard for the Lord" This is response to Sarai's laughing and then her lying that she didn't,though we should remember that Abraham also laughs too.  So lets recap how impossible this was for Sarai to conceive a child.
•    Gen Ch 12: 75 years old Abram and Sarai 65 years old.  Chance of a child virtually impossible, might be a slight chance.
•    10 years on with Abram 85 & Sarai was 75 (Ch 16) all hope had long gone in Sarai’s eyes, it was impossible. 
•    Hence devises a plan via Hagar to have an heir, Ishmael
•    But God waits 15 more years to make it utterly impossible then Sarah conceives so all the glory goes to Him.
•    If that is utterly impossible, what about 1) God becoming man and 2) through a virgin: two impossibilities: there’s a reason why there's never been a virgin birth before or ever since, and God being born as a man before and ever since because it is utterly, utterly Impossible but Not to God
•    Then 3) Jesus the most righteous man that every lived has to die on a cross, a shameful death preserved for serious criminals and rebels against the Roman Empire.
•    Jesus, who says give to Caesar what is his due, who backs away from any kingship attempts, heals the sick, speaks out for the poor & oppressed. Impossible but not to God.
•    Then he has to be buried in a new tomb, not thrown on a pile of other dead criminal bodies, (which is what normally happens to crucified victims) who has to die after the Passover  meal  which coincides with the Sabbath next day (average 1:9 chance) so the Pharisees will ask for the bodies to be taken down and thus allowing the possibility of raising on the third day.  Any other year in those three years of ministry the Pharisees would not have asked for the bodies to be taken down (crucified criminals usually take a long time to die, then their rotting copses are left as an extra deterrent)
• For Pilate to grant Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea's request, Jesus has to die quickly which he does because He as the Son of God can choose when he breathes His last.  Furthermore,  His death has to happen before the Pharisees ask Pilate otherwise the soldiers would have broken His shins and thus he would not have been the perfect sacrifice.  Then even though He is dead somehow God stops those soldiers from breaking His shins just to make sure.
•   Who could devise such an utterly impossible complex intricate interwoven plan.  Only God, nothing is too difficult for Him.
•   Who could direct and control all these things so nothing doesn't happen that should happen and at the correct time, otherwise it fails: Only an Almighty God for whom nothing is impossible.

So the second reason for me why God can fulfil any promise He makes is because there is nothing he cannot do.  There is nothing that is impossible to Him that He cannot promise, that He cannot fulfil.  There is no such word as impossible in God's arsenal of words - hence Jesus words put this the other way round, "What is impossible for man is possible for God!"

Blessings and many, many thanks for upholding Lois and me in your prayers, hope you are encouraged by the answers to them already

John

26th August 2024

Dear All,

My trip is just over a week away - start the journey on the 4th Sept.  My visa, the final and rather important jigsaw piece has come through.  So I feel all the mechanics of the trip are in place. 

Praise
* Visa came through
* Volcano continues to be quiet (see photo)
* Managed to check and send in my exegetical comments to all three languages up to the end of ch 18 (Leviticus)
* Liturgy workshop the week before the Consultant checking workshop
* Ugu is back at home (see photo)
* Starlink internet access good enough to do WA/Zoom chats and the internet in general (see photo)

Prayer
* God's blessing on the Liturgy workshop so that the pastors/leaders will be encouraged, enthused and confident to use their usual liturgies in their local languages
* Bernard's on-going kidney problem will not stop him being part of the team, Yurvi's child will get the speedy and correct treatment she needs
* two possible replacements: would become clear sooner rather than later during their two year trial period they are God's future replacement for Bernard and Thomas
* Smooth entry into country [starting off (4th), arriving in-country (6th) and at the workshop place (8th) which starts (9th)]
* Lois looking after her mother without my support, thankful for her brother, Jeremy's help, and for wisdom as she will almost certainly field telephone calls from my confused/worried mother who has has been diagnosed with dementia while I'm gone.

Work-wise
I've managed to check and send in my exegetical comments to all three languages up to the end of ch 18 - target was to the end of ch 20.  I might have achieved that but there is Liturgy workshop the week before I arrive so I've been busy working on revising and cleaning up so there are some complete liturgy ready to be printed and used by the local pastors/leaders.  

This is an important part of church worship for them since once every month they are to have a service totally in S-language (in fact this is for all local languages in the area) from beginning to end.  Obviously without the liturgy this is impossible to achieve.  This is quite a translation challenge given the national language that is used in the liturgy is very high, formal and full of religious language that is rather opaque in meaning.  I'm waiting for clarity as to which of the some thirty services definitely are going to be focused on in the three days, so as to get as many of them as ready as possible.  I am hoping I might get back to Leviticus, depending upon what I hear back.

Communication
Amazingly we have a reliable internet communication link with Tonga and during the workshop will enable better communication with Lois and anybody else, downloading any extra resources and send our daily checked data to be stored in the cloud.  This is a massive and welcome step forward.  I'm sure we will find many other ways to rejoice in this development.

Health
Ugu, the main T-language translator, whom many of you have been praying for is back home - see photo.  Bernard has come out of hospital and then back in again with either heart problems or poor kidney function or both (see photo).  This is almost certainly an on-going health issue which has already affected his work - no output for months- and will continue to for the foreseeable future.  This means a greater burden on Yurfi, especially since Thomas' age is starting to impact his output and so Yurfi is picking up some of Thomas' work during the workshop sessions too.  So this brings me onto one of the major prayer points for this coming trip. Two new people from the S-group should be joining us on a trial to see if they are gifted in the area of translation. Even though this will their first exposure to the work, please pray it will be obvious quickly whether they are going to worth the investment of time and energy.  Not only is the gifting assessed but also their lifestyle.  Many have failed at this point.  However, it is more difficult to assess this at a workshop and we rely upon testimonies from their village people.

Just today, Yufi WA to ask for help for his child going to hospital in the place I enter the country  i.e not local.  So better but more expensive help.  This also means he will have to go with her because you have to have a relative (mother and father in the case of a young child) accompany you to get you food and any medication - there are no pharmacies nor paces to eat in-hospital -  and of course moral support i.e even sleeping next to the patient.

Health is something that is too expensive for them and when regular it becomes expensive time-wise/lost work for the projects too.  I'm not just talking about in their country but also here,  given the increasing hold dementia is having on my mother, it will inevitably effect my time spent on the projects while in the UK.

Finally, I was very much blessed on my prep for preaching Gen 21, a few weeks ago  As I looked at the story of Abraham's walk with the Lord from ch 12-21, I became even more sure and grounded into the Sovereignty of God.  From these chapters the Lord showed me there are four reasons why His promises are secure.  I'm not going to elucidate all four this time - would make this update too long. However, I'm going to mention one in each update:

God's promise are both gracious and unconditional: 
We are used to the fact that we don't deserve God's grace, concerning His promises or His general blessings, it is not merited and God chooses whom he wills not based on them.  This is clearly the case with Abraham.  Called out of pagan background, not in a high-raking position, nothing to show his potential.  Yet after a hundred years of waking with God, he is rock-solid in his faith in God to deliver His promises even though he never saw the second promise of the land fulfilled and is rightly mention and given more space then anyone else quite in Hebrews 11.  Yet he was weak in other areas.  The new aspect that struck was God's gracious promise to give them a son was also unconditional too.  Both Abraham (15:2)  and Sarah (16:1)suffered with doubt that it was possible, both laughed (Abraham 17:17; Sarah 18:12) at the possibility of having a son via Sarah, both were complicit in trying to fulfil the promise themselves (16).  So God could have said laid down a condition to Abraham and Sarah so that He might give them the promised son Isaac: If you don't show faith in me but instead seek to have a child any way other than as I have promised, I will not give you Isaac. He would have been justified.  However, His promises are always gracious and unconditional.  So for me that means God's promises are always sure and will never fail because they are not dependent upon us in anyway; either God formulating them or in Him keeping them.  So this for me is the first reason out of four that His promises are sure and will be fulfilled because they are gracious and unconditional.

However, that doesn't mean he stops the consequences when we don't show the necessary faith and rebel against his known will.  Clearly he could have stopped Hagar from having a child just like he stopped Sarah from having a child until Isaac, but He didn't and He doesn't.  The consequences are many and so far reaching from that single act.  It will cause both Abraham and Sarah pain but God doesn't withhold His promise, which brings so much greater blessing than the pain of rebellion.  A sober warning for us too...

Blessings and thanks for praying for these final days before I depart and for my entry and beyond,

John

25th July 2024

Dear All,

Apologies for another email but feel the need for concentrated and focused prayer.
Praise
* Internet wireless point installed and working in Tonga's house
* Holiday break

Prayer
* Ugu's (main T-translator) operation will go ahead tomorrow (06:00 UK) and he will recovery well without any complication
* End to health issues amongst teams for at least a while.
* T- and G-Teams in this next week would be able to produce the next four chapters of Leviticus for me to come-back to

T-team: In addition to problems with formatting which I managed to sort and poor internet signal which there was a way round, now have Ugu (main translator) in hospital awaiting an operation to remove a bladder stone.  So hopefully tomorrow (Friday) he will operated on to get rid of the bladder stone (Friday 06:00 UK).  However, his blood pressure is not good and his blood (whatever that means) isn't either, so I assume this will have bearing on whether the operation goes ahead or not.  

S-Team: Added to that, Bernard has a pain in his shoulder which hopefully will respond to the medication.  This really brings home that progress is very much vulnerable to volcanoes, poor internet signal and health of team members, none of these very surprising but it does seem to have been a run of them.

All this to say, that we are behind where I would want to be in checking/revising Leviticus before the Sept 9th workshop.  So would value prayer that while I'm away next week on a holiday house-sitting, a real holiday this time, that the T-team and G-team will be able to finish off the remaining 5 chapters (16-20).  Then assuming nothing gets in the way at this end, I might be able to get make good progress and even finish those 5 chapters!

On a positive note and it is a huge positive note - drum roll!  Pak Tonga has got fitted a internet wireless point in his house.  Today we successfully had a zoom session.  Amazingly no problems at all: video smooth and audio too.  Absolutely amazing, going from not able to do a WA phone-call chat at all, a full visual zoom session!  Now we need to check on the G-team and S-team to see if their internet signal will enable a zoom session first of all individually then all three teams together.  If so this would open the door to a lot of possibilities like regular zoom sessions with the 3 teams and immediate contact with the teams over questions.  Also as a nice side for Lois and I, outside of working hours we can be in contact, visual too, when I'm in Tonga's house.  Furthermore, could even send WA video to the churches while I'm away.  The list goes on and on... 

Just a short follow onto last time's thought's about Abram's faith being credited as righteous ness.  In James 2:23, this single act was the reason why he was called the friend of God.  Makes sense being in a right relationship with God will make you a friend of God, as opposed to an enemy which is what unpaid for sin naturally makes us.  This isn't just James' opinion but also Isaiah Ezra (2Chr 20:7) and (Isa 41:8) mention this too.  Then Jesus in John 15:13-15 "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." 

The sign that we know we are Jesus' friends is that he lays down his life for us.  He could not have made it clearer that we are His friends, He could not have made it clearer how greatly he loves us.  We make it clear Jesus is our friends we do what he commands. In John 14:15, we make it clear that we love Jesus when we obey his commands. What an imbalance: lay down your life out of love vs obey commands out of love to prove friendship.  The only common thing is love but the difference in the cost to show that love is an enormous chasm.  

How great it was for Abram to be called God's friend.  How much greater is it for us to know what lays behind bringing that reality into being was nothing less, nothing short of Jesus laying down his life. Wow borrowing words from Joseph Scriven: what a friend we have in Jesus...

 Blessings and many thanks for responding to these important issues with your prayers

John

12th July 2024

Dear All,

For those who don't have the time to read my update.  Here are the praise and prayer points first.  The flesh to the bones follows after them with a bit of a devotional at the end.

Praise
* Martin will be preaching at at Uncle Tom's funeral service at the crematorium on Tuesday 16th (3pm)
* For the encouraging amount of work I the Lord had enabled me to manage, until this week.  
Prayer
* That God would speak powerfully through Isa 55 at Uncle Tom's funeral service.
* T-team will be able to start producing and sending back translation via the internet again
* New work arrangement for the G-team will enable the work to progress at a smooth unaltered speed until the early Sept face-to-face workshop.
* Wise as to how to fit in extra zoom workshops for the G-team.

Uncle Tom's funeral
A bit earlier than usual due to the fact that the funeral for Uncle Tom will be on the 16th July and we would very much value your prayers.  Tom's younger brother (David) who once professed faith but now has fallen away, doesn't want a church funeral service but a crematorium funeral service of about 30 minutes!  Other downsides are we'll be singing to piped music and it won't be streamed! 

However, we are so thankful to the Lord, that Martin, a long-standing friend, who gave the address at Auntie Eileen's church funeral has been asked by David to do the same for Uncle Tom's service as well as lead the service.  Uncle Tom asked that Isa 55 would be preached/read at his funeral!  So the gospel message will still go out, albeit in a shortened period.  So please pray that God would this message to reach David and his son, Jonathan.

We are thankful that we will also have some involvement: Lois will be doing the reading (Isa 55) and I'll read the eulogy which Lois has prepared.  This was Lois' choice and it seems it was a wiser choice that she realised since she has unusually gone down with a bad cold which is taking some shifting.   Hopefully it won't hinder her reading.

Work-wise
Last week I was quite encouraged by the very good progress.  This week not so because of a problem with the T-team: not been able to send their work due poor internet connection(?) plus a problem with the formatting of the back translation had meant they had not been either to send the work or do any work on the new chapters.  I believe the latter has been sorted but not the former.  So I'm waiting for their BT for ch 14 onwards before I continue with the other two languages.

A new working solution is being tried with the G-team to see if this will increase productivity.  We still need to arrange more multiple zoom sessions with them for Leviticus ch 8-10 which I with the other teams managed to get checked satisfactorily in June.  

This just underlines how vulnerable the work is to any and every problem and how very little I can do when these things happen.

On the positive note: There was a baptismal service at our church of a couple who are new believers.  We were privileged to take them through Christianity Explored.  It was just amazing to see the Spirit work before our eyes: to bring spiritual sight to those blind.  Then so encouraging to hear their testimonies and witness them being baptised.  We felt it was so gracious of the Lord to give us this much needed and well-timed encouragement!

I'm preaching on Genesis 21 on the 28th.  What a great chapter and an even greater chapter when you read the back story preceding chapter 12-20!  There is far too much to say so I'll restrict my comments to just ch 15:6 "Abram believed the Lord and He credited it to him as righteousness".  I feel that greater men and minds have written about this verse but what struck wasn't so much the theological importance of it which cannot be over-emphasised, but the implications of it.  First of all it is important to note that the word is righteousness not righteous: a noun vs an adjective.  The latter would involve works and a lifestyle e.g Noah was classed a righteous person (Gen 6:9) by the people and walked with God.  

Next, if we look at the chapters before and after Abraham responds each time to what God says with faith and action based on it. However in v6 this was a moment in time, a moment when something profound happened on earth and in heaven. Something that is impossible for us to gain was given as a gift: righteousness!  I don't how know how God knew because Abraham didn't do anything except accepted it without comment - his next comment shows he has moved on to the next impossibility: possessing the land.  But obviously God saw inside Abram's heart and mind an acceptance that God would/could do the impossible.  Clearly the time when an illustration powerfully worked under God's hand i.e the night sky.  The way it is written it appears that God sets Abram a challenge: count the stars, if you can! That is challenge to you but not to me I know how many there are, and that is how many your offspring will be! 

Abraham didn't become a righteous person in that moment.  In fact it wouldn't be that difficult to show that his actions in certain instances were the opposite i.e unrighteous! But what is happening here is quite remarkable:  faith is being counted as righteousness, not moral actions/conduct.  His faith does lead to righteous actions (18:19) but God statements of spiritual righteousness towards Abram is purely given based on Abram's spiritual faith at that moment.  This is totally different way of 'gaining righteousness'.  So instead of being acquitted before a holy God due to your actions.  God is acquitting Abram based on how he responds to God's promise, which is how we should naturally react to God's words.  So God is not being unreasonable to expect faith but once again He is being gracious beyond understanding that something that should be the norm is viewed with such utter grace as to be counted as righteousness! This is single verse is so deep and profound in its implications that three different NT writers show the significance of this verse: Paul in Romans 4:3-8, 16-25, Gal 4:21-31; James 2:18-26 and the writer to Heb. 11:17-19.  [Leave that to you all to look the verses up]

So the implication is that we safe in our faith-saved relationship with God.  God views our appropriate response of faith to what He says in and through Jesus' death once-for-all time on the cross, as righteousness (Romans 4:24).  This is so contrary to the previous view that our moral conduct/living are counted as righteousness.  But as Paul points out the flawed theology that is: "There is no-one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10) i.e it is impossible for man to save himself through works.  Praise the Lord for such a way of salvation that is based on faith which should be a normal response to what God says and which is a gift from God too (Eph 2:8) - nothing too difficult for us to do.  Surely this shows also God desire not wanting anyone to perish but for everyone to come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9) because he has made salvation so accessible.

Blessings and thanks as ever for your loving prayers and support

John 

22nd June 2024

Dear All,

Work-wise
Well good news first: After twelve mornings of consultant checking (4 days for each team) over zoom I can report two teams (S- and T-) teams have successfully reached the target of ch1-10 of Leviticus. Alas the third team only 6+ chapters.  Also thankful that I think we have got good options for each of the sacrifices and so thankfully for some excellent in-house articles which have really give me an in-depth understanding of the sacrifices.

This very good progress has been despite poor internet connections, bad tropical rainstorms which means they cannot hear me, ill members (one from the T-team had blood pressure of 160, another (Bernard) had transfusion of four pints).  Thankful for the opportunity to teach about how they fit together, albeit not so easy and not so rewarding - something about remote working that makes things more difficult and less rewarding but nevertheless much better than no interaction!

This new method of splitting up the teams I very much feel came from the Lord.  I quickly could see the main benefit was the poor T-team who didn't have to be away for two weeks from their difficult stressful time relating the volcano eruption.  However, a by-product has been to highlight the problems with one of the teams which we have known about but now have clear empirical data as to the effect on output!  I have been discussing with the Tonga (national director of the translation centre) about the options for the way ahead especially give the Sept face-to-face workshop is just around the corner.  This is a very important one because we make most progress during these face-to-face workshops. 

Holiday-wise
I have truly been astonished that despite this concentrated times on zoom, outside of them we have been able to relax and get out and enjoy this beautiful setting.  I must say I did wonder if this would not be a good mix with the outcome falling between the two stools of neither a relaxing holiday or a satisfactory zoom workshop!  So very thankful to the Lord my fears were not realised!.

Home-wise
Also thankful for the people who have picked up our responsibilities relating to look after Lois' mum, plus a good care agency, have meant we could do this.  Thankful also nothing untoward has happened to either of our mothers that would have meant we either would have to come home or our attention would have been focused at home, not here.  Furthermore the timing of Uncle Tom's death has meant that his brother is away on holiday for this week and the next.  So nothing will happen regarding the funeral until he gets back, as he is the nearest kin.

Future meeting
We will, hopefully, be back in the UK on the evening of the 26th June. Then problem will be in going forward that G-team is behind the others.  So I have to arrange more time on zoom for them and if these previous pace is continued it will need 3 more sessions without the advantage of the improved time difference being here in Cyprus.  Therefore probably 4-5 sessions to get them to the same place!  This also means I'm not checking with the other teams' work while I'm doing this zoom sessions! 

Praise
* Achieving the target of chapter 1-10 (Leviticus) for 2 out of the three teams
* Opportunities to share some teaching about the sacrificial system
* Good holiday despite the zoom workshop sessions

Prayer
* Solution to enabling the third team to be able to work at the pace of the other teams
* The teams would remain healthy and therefore productive in getting the material ready for the Sept workshop 
* We would be able to have a church funeral service for Uncle Tom

Personally, I feel I have gained so much from studying/checking ch 1-10 but at the same it has highlighted how little I did understand before about the sacrificial system.  
1) I think the revelation that really struck me was the heavy emphasis upon restoring a right relationship back with God. We tend to think of that as a NT concept but it is there in the OT too!  2) The cost of restoring it through animals without blemish i.e the very best of the flock for both the general daily offering on the basis that you were a sinner and also the  specific occasions you would need to offer an sacrifice. 
3) The inclusiveness of the poorer people within the system i.e you could offer birds (turtle doves or pigeons) if you couldn't afford the animals.  This s what Joseph did for Mary when they went to the temple to cleanse her from childbirth. So once again the sheer planning, foresight and the willingness of the Saviour to be born into such a poor family that for the mother of the Lord only the poorest of offering could be given.  However she realised rightly that she was rich beyond comparison to have been chosen as the women to give birth to the Lord.
4) The wonderful realisation that no matter what the reason why we have sinned and will continue to sin, Christ's sacrifice has paid for it all and cleansed from all unrighteousness so we can approach the throne of grace.  

I had been told that you get a much better and deeper understanding of Hebrews when you have translated Leviticus and I would totally concur with that and I that is just from the first 10 chapters - 17 more to go -  so looking forward to even more blessings.

Blessings and thanks for bringing before the throne of grace

John

15th June 2024

Dear All,

Just a quick update of the matters for prayer in the previous update plus some new ones:

1) The volcano is still very active but just smoke so the authorities are saying that if the activity doesn't increase but continues to decrease then next week they can return to their homes.  However there are many struggling with smoke/ash inhalation and three have died.

2) The workshop started on Monday and finished on Thursday with us reaching the target of 10 chapters (4 days of 3.5 hours zoom each day!) for the S-language (see attached photo) This was despite:

• heavy tropical rainstorm which meant they couldn't hear me so next time they need to have headsets.

• Bernard on the Sunday before had to go to hospital and receive 4 pints of blood transfusion.  So on Monday morning /I woke up tot his situationand managed to send off the required money for this to happen.  I was so thankful for internet transfers that enable me to transfer money to their banks in seconds.  Alas this has meant Yurvi doing his work during the workshop.

• technical problems: audio totally dropping out nearly every day and resorting to using WA while on zoom.

3) Then on Friday and today, being working with G-team.  As expected not going so well.  Well behind the target and will be thankful if we reach 8 chapters (minimum).  This is dues to difficult issues with the content that are unavoidable but other issues are avoidable.  So on Monday the national director will be sitting in to help out with those.

4) The plan is to start and work with the T-team on Wednesday through to Saturday.  I don't envisage problems with the text but I do wonder how they will be able to cope with the work given what has happened and what maybe happening some time next week.  It will be understandably difficult for them to concentrate and cope with the intense workload. I'm praying that it might be therapeutic focusing on God's Word.

Others matters:

- On Thursday (13/06/24) Uncle Tom (husband of Auntie Eileen Edmonson, Lois' aunt) passed into the Lord's presence.  This is less than 3 months after Auntie Eileen's death (17/03/24).  he too contracted chest infection and died two days later.  Whilst Lois feels the loss, we recognise God's good hand towards him.  He had profound hearing problems and has been struggling to cope even more without Auntie Eileen.  Also His good hands towards us in the timing: If his chest infection had happened before we left, we would have been wondering whether to postpone our holiday and if it had happened afterwards it would have been difficult to give it the time it needed given the busy few weeks we have immediately after we get back.

As to the funeral, there are a lot of question marks: His brother, his only next of kin, is not a believer and is off on a two week holiday so nothing will happen.  Whether the funeral will be a church one or just at a crematorium we don't know, The former, would be best so we can rightly remember him and give God the glory for his life.  If so we will probably be heavily involved.  If the latter which will be anything but honouring the Lord and him and then we'll probably have little or no involvement.  So a matter for prayer.

- Despite the workshop both of us continue to marvel at God's goodness in the sense that we are finding a good balance between meaningful, restorative relaxation and the necessary work during and after it and Lois' continuing Brookes' work.

Praise

* Volcano dying down without a catastrophic explosion preceding it and deaths just a few

* Good progress with S-team i.e reaching the maximum target of 10 chapters

* Uncle Tom being spared a long time before he was called home and the timing of that

* Good holiday despite our workload: workshop and Brookes' work

Prayer

* The T-people will be able to go back at the end of the next week but then the rebuilding and massive clearing up process plus their mental and physical recovery

* G-team will be able to reach even the minimum target of 8 chapters

* The workshop time (Wednesday through to Saturday) the Lord might use as a therapeutic time together working on God's Word for their own people

* The sustaining grace of the Lord during the next week as undoubtedly I'll get more tired - Zoom sessions of this duration are tiring.

* Uncle Tom's funeral will be church-based so as to remember him appropriately among God's people and give the rightful glory to God

So very thankful for the instances of the Lord's goodness shown to us in answer to your faithful prayers

John

4th June 2024

Dear All,

I'm sorry for the delay in writing again but given the uncertainty produced by the continuing eruptions of the volcano, it was difficult to know when was the best time to email again.  

Volcano
Well the volcano has been increasing in activity in terms of spewing out flaming red hot sand/small stones and lots of smoke and ash over the last week.  This has resulted in virtually all the villages in the vicinity evacuated to safety near the coast.  However, the ash and smoke is still reaching them causing coughing and in a site of some 2000+ crammed-together refugees, people are getting sick.  Thankfully there is enough food and water but not enough room for everyone to sleep in the tents so only the sick are sleeping in the tents and many are sleeping on the beach or the forest.  Alas, there is talk of people having to move to a different village i.e not going back which is undoubtedly increasing the stress levels. 

Whilst there is no good time for a volcano to erupt, I was reflecting on the Lord's goodness shown in this eruption since this volcano has been getting more active each time I have visited, so it was only a matter time especially given there had been recently earthquakes not too far away. Thankful for His Hand in that the lava did not flow towards the village where the translation centre is and where we hold face-to-face workshops.  Also, His timing: It didn't happen during one of the face-to-face workshops with all the teams there from all over the island.  Also thus far there hasn't been any loss of live especially for the T-team and their families.

Zoom workshop
In the midst of this, trying to organise a normal zoom workshop of two weeks for the three teams to be away seems a bit cold and uncaring.  So I have been talking with Tonga (translation centre director) and giving him the option of postponing the zoom workshop until July/August along with the suggestion of splitting the two weeks up between the teams i.e 4 days for each team (G-, S-, T-).  [The downside of the latter is the loss of synergy and the cross-fertilisation between the teams over suggestions for translation solutions.]  This latter suggestion was particularly aimed at the T-team during this uncertain time will only be away for 3 days from their families instead of two whole weeks.  Also put them as last group which I'm hoping will mean the eruptions will have died down and their future will have become clearer, consequently they might be able to concentrate/focus a little better on the checking.  Anyway, just this morning Tonga has rung me back and after consulting with others, he has decided to go for the latter suggestion: three teams meeting separately for 4 days each.  The target is the first ten chapters of Leviticus, though I would be happy if we get to the end of ch 8.  This is because, although there are not too many verses in the 10 chapters (~250), the first 8 chapters cover the 5 main key terms for the sacrifices plus the key term 'atonement'.   Therefore very important to spend a disproportionate time on them so as to decide good local language equivalents for these terms.

So the plan is to start on the 10th June and just for the morning, which equates for the afternoon period for them.  I'll start checking with the S-team through to the 13th, the G-team 14-15th, 17-18th, and T-Team 19th-22nd June.  Yes, this does include Saturdays!  The place that the zoom workshop is planned to be run from is also affected by the volcanic eruption since it too has a volcano nearby which is linked to the erupting one and that too has become more active but thankfully no eruptions as yet!

Holiday
We arrived on Friday night (31st May) and Nicolas and Naomi are being very generous in the taking care of us over the weekends when they are here.  Then during the week we are enjoying a good balance between work, reading, swimming, walking and eating well which is, not unsurprisingly, producing better sleep too!

Praise
* God's timing and His hand  -  see above
* Enough food and water for the refugees.
* Dedication of the T-team to carry on with the Zoom workshop
* Feeling the benefits already of the holiday

Prayer
* The volcano will start to reduce in its activity and likewise the other volcano nearby the zoom workshop location
* In the end, people will be able to go back to their villages
* Bad weather won't add to the people's misery living in tents and sickness won't be a major issue
* God's goodness would be evident and there would be 'good' that comes out of this
* Zoom workshop will be encouraging time of being in God's word
* Would reach a good place (end of ch 8 or beyond) in Leviticus at the end of the checking period for each team
* The Lord will guide as to how to wisely use each day of the holiday so as to maximise its effect
* Things would run smoothly at the home end

Blessings and thanks for your loving concern and prayers for us but please please particularly remember the refugees in general and the T-team and their families specifically,

John

21st May 2024

Dear All,

Apologies for being a little later than usual.  Apologies for a long devotional thought but hopefully helpful....  

Our Season of weariness
Well, Ecclesiastics is famous for quite a few things but one of them is the idea of 'seasons'.  I think we have been in a season which is difficult to define in one word but 'weariness' seems to fit best.  This has come about due to difficulties & losses over an extended period.  1) Difficulties on the work front from the teams: computer problem and illnesses in the T-team and 2) losses: three deaths of people in the UK in three months and a different kind of loss which I cannot go into here.   This is on top of the usual responsibilities with Lois' Mum and now my Mum with recently diagnosed dementia in Derby.

1) Ideally, I check the three languages (S, T G) verse by verse (T & G via back translations(BT) and S w/o BT) and send my revisions to them pre-consultant check.  However language T had not got their BT up-to-date.  Due to computer glitches and illness the BT did not go beyond a few verses into ch 4.  This meant I have had to check four chapters (ch 4-7) of Leviticus on just two languages.  Now I have T's back translations in, I have only three weeks to do the remaining three chapters ( ch 8-10) and the earlier chapters have proven to be very difficult chapters and so am only averaging a chapter a week.  So unless ch 8-10 are fundamentally easier, I cannot do ch 4-10 for T language in three weeks whilst doing ch 8-10 for the other two languages at the same time.  So, I will just focus on getting ch 8-10 for the three languages ready for the zoom workshop starting on the 9th June for two weeks and I'll have to check ch 4-7 for the T language at the time - not ideal.

2) I think three deaths have just taken it out of us.  One of them heavily involved i.e planning the order of service and the funeral arrangements between us plus the other loss.

So we are coming out of that period but still feel the aftermath to some degree.  However and it is a big however, we were both remarking independently how the Lord has been especially close and precious to us both during this period and we have found encouragement in serving and being served by the church family here and supporting churches too.  There is a song which summed up and was very real to us during our evacuation one year period in Australia (Day by day and hour by hour) which talks about being carried by grace-scarred hands.  As we sang it on Sunday, it felt like it summed where we were well!

Our plans for June...
We are planning to go to Cyprus for a holiday-work time from the 31st May until 26th June.  I'll be doing a two week translation consultant check and hopefully check Lev 1-10 for all three languages from 9th June until 21st June during my mornings, their afternoons.  We realised that if we timed our Cyprus trip with the zoom workshop then I would be two hours closer to the teams which would make a significant difference: instead of working with the afternoon dregs of their energy each day if I am in the UK, I will be checking with them at the start of the afternoon.  Hopefully this will mean we can take a snack break too. We'll probably need it because the first seven chapters of Leviticus which lays out the sacrificial system are very detailed and complicated plus finding a single term for each of them is quite difficult and probably won't be the same for each language!  So I've had to do quite a bit of reading of resources to understand them and then I've got to explain these terms to the teams so they can choose an appropriate term in their language. So this will be a major prayer request since this will affect so many books in the OT too.

Praise
* For a good God who carries us
* The church body who support us
* We have a holiday planned!

Prayer
* Logistics and technical side would work well for zoom workshop (June 9th-21st)
* Have ten chapters and at least six chapters ready for two and one language respectively by the time of the start of the June workshop (10th)
* Work out good terms that reflect the meaning for each of the sacrifices for each of the languages during the workshop
* Get a good break for us both despite the mixture of work and holiday
* Lois would get enough cover for all her responsibilities for her Mum while we are away

I was very struck by Martha and Mary in John 11, a very important chapter being the last time Jesus did any public ministry on Lord's journey to the cross.  We all know Martha and Mary so well from Luke 10:38-42 where Mary is praised for her open devotion shown in her desire to be at Jesus' feet rather than being helping in the kitchen with Martha.  Then Martha being told; some would say even rebuked, albeit softly, that this position was not going to be taken away because it was the right choice at that moment,

Now they appear in the raising of Lazarus and each has a one-on-one with Jesus.  Both have the same opening comments to Jesus showing their past faith in Jesus (v21, 32) : "If you had been here my brother would not have died."  However, Martha's faith goes further and reaches remarkably into the present:"... But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."  She doesn't know what that means in fulfilment but she knows this is not the end.  To which Jesus replies "Your brother will rise again."  Martha continues to elaborate on her faith, this time in the resurrection at the day and aren't we glad she did because Jesus then replies with words that have brought so much comfort and strength to so many: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though He dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?"  With those words Jesus showed that this concept of the resurrection-to-be is tied up, in fact will be fulfilled, in the present Jesus standing there. This was new and a full understanding was surely beyond her, and anyone else that side of the resurrection; nevertheless she could agree to it, such was her faith.  Why could she say 'Yes'?  Well because it was backed by a solid understanding and faith in who Jesus was.  What she next said was only uttered by Peter too and she arguably gives a slightly fuller statement of faith: "I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world."

Whereas Mary on seeing Jesus, falls at his feet. Once again her open loving devotion is evident.  She too utters the same words as Martha but for her that is where her faith ends and she weeps - my Greek dictionary: to weep or wail, with emphasis upon the noise accompanying the weeping.  There is clearly beautiful devotion but her words and her faith end there. Therefore the end of the story for Lazarus; he is dead with the accompanying weeping/wailing.  [BTW, Jesus cries (with the shedding of tears) not weeps i.e not the same word as used for Mary's out-flowing of grief]. We are all equally thankful for Mary's tears because because in response Jesus cries tears too and so this out-pouring from Him brings such strength and comfort to those who are experiencing the loss that only death brings.

So in Martha's case, where did all this mature understanding of faith in Jesus come from?  Well I can only come to the conclusion that she did take to heart Jesus' teaching/rebuke and learn from him, devote time to listening to him.  I suspect there were more visits then we have in the Bible, or perhaps a longer stay then a short visit.  I think at least the latter is implied in Luke: Martha opened up her home to him (Luke 10:39).  Her faith grew as she listened and was readily accessible and openly expressed that day when Jesus came to raise Lazarus.  Whereas for Mary her faith was more of heart devotion and also readily available and expressed openly on that same day despite her grief.  Both responses are received by the Lord and evoke a wonderful and unique response from the Lord.  These responses of Jesus, we are all are so thankful for, that find such a ready place in our heads and our hearts at funerals and beyond.  

These two women provide a wonderful balance to seek for ourselves: both a devotion and faith that is strong, sure, open and accessible.  Also they might help help those who are more head than heart in their walk with Jesus, to see that both are received, welcomed and responded too.  They both come into their own, and both have strengths and weaknesses.

Finally in ch 12, we have such a fitting conclusion.  There is a party probably organised by Martha, as the older sister, but notice this time she is not in the kitchen but serving - not just the servants who i suspect normally she would have been organising from the kitchen.  She is there in and out of Jesus' presence, maybe even lingering there.  Then Mary anoints Jesus feet preparing him for his burial, the last act of devotion, the last act of devoted kindness shown to Him.  Both of them serving showing their thankful devotion in their different ways.

Blessings and thanks as ever for your prayers, love and support that have and will keep us going

John

6th April 2024

Dear All,

Well on Sunday 17th March, just over a week after I got back, we heard Lois' auntie Eileen had passed into the Lord's presence peacefully in a care home in Bradford.  Whilst this was not totally unexpected, it was still a shock particularly for Lois.  Nevertheless since she had been suffering from vascular dementia for a number of years so we saw it was a mercy to her and were thankful for the Lord's wonderful timing i.e didn't happen whilst I was away abroad and Lois' teaching was over for this term. 

Since her husband is in shock and not functioning well mentally anyway, arranging the funeral, and associated things involved in a death has fallen to Lois, being the next nearest relative - Lois' mother (Kathleen) given her dementia would not be able to engage with this process at all. This has been hard work to arrange for the last 2-3  weeks given that she has been grieving the loss of her aunt who she/we had close ties with since our University days. We are thankful to the Lord after things were not going smoothly at first there has been a significant change enabling Lois to have just finalised dates (12th April) and times for the funeral (12:00) at Christchurch, 2 Leyton Dr, Bradford BD10 8RQ and cremation service (14:15) elsewhere.  Now Lois is methodically going through the many things to arrange before the day along with her eulogy and I'm working on leading the service.  If there any of our supporters who receive this who know Eileen Tom and want to send any memories of them or the streaming link then please do get back to me.

We'll be stopping up there and doing a S-report at Christchurch on the Sunday (14th) which has been a long-standing supporting church wholly due to Auntie Eileen and Uncle Tom.  Then travelling back on Sunday evening back down to Oxford.

Work-wise:
1) The significant thing workwise has been on the AI front.  After reading an email about Capability Innovation group inviting innovative ideas,  I wrote off suggesting using AI to finish existing translations off more quickly in addition to starting new ones that are related to existing/finished translations.  I got an email back saying great idea and that there was a special project already doing this (Scripture Forge) already with 100-200 languages already involved!   So much for a new innovative idea!  

Reflecting on it, I though better to be the 200+1th than the 1st!  So I gave this AI team access to all the S-data plus back translations and was very pleasantly surprised by the results.  I don't think I nor the team are going to be replaced any day soon by AI, if ever, but I can see it will be a help.  So the plan is for me to clean the AI drafts up on the books we haven't done, then let the team do the final polishing.  This will run concurrently with them drafting new books too.  This will speed up the process on one hand but increase the workload for me.  Even more reason to be praying for national consultants to come through the training pipeline so I can focus solely on S-translation.

2) The next significant thing is replacements for Thomas and Bernard and obviously they need to be trained beforehand.  Thankfully, the national translation director has identified two possible people who will be attending the Sept workshop to start their evaluation and training.  This is major prayer request.  Apart from the original team at the start it has proved very difficult to replace the previous two people when they either died or retired.  I forget how many people were tried before Yurfi was found.  This is not peculiar to the S-language but too all the other teams.  To find the people with the right skill set, Christian lifestyle and servant heart attitude is difficult.

3) In addition with working on the AI drafts, I have started checking the team's drafts for Leviticus which is going relatively well.  I can see that I'll need to be disciplined to divide my time well between the new and exciting AI development vs the well-trodden path of checking, revising the S-language and making revision suggestions for the other two languages.

Finally, appreciate general prayer for the teams.  The chief drafter on the T team had a problem with his laptop so could not send his work to me.  Just a reminder to me it doesn't need much to upset the work pattern and translation output.

Praise
* The Lord's timing of calling home of Lois' aunt
* Seeing the Lord moving us forward when things were bogged down regarding the funeral
* AI advances enabling usable 1st time drafts
* Two possible people have been identified to replace Thomas and Bernard

Prayer
* Strength and stamina for Lois as she finalises the funeral details
* Funeral for Lois' aunt, Eileen Edmondson, that it will both glorify God, honour her and challenge non-believers there
* Teams would remain healthy, laptops functioning well so there is steady translation output

Finally, we are going through John's gospel, which is my favourite gospel along with many, many others of you I am sure.  Three new reflections for me on chapter 10:
1) We have in v28, 29 that no-one can snatch us from either Jesus' or His Father's hand.  This is a wonderful promise and that we are doubly safe because both the Father and the Son hold/ protect us [metaphorical meaning of the hand means power/authority].  Therefore since no-one is greater than the Father and implicitly Jesus too since the Father and Jesus are one (v30), we are truly safe; in fact we cannot be safer! 

2) Jesus is deliberately using the same word for snatch as in v12 of the wolf which probably refers to the Evil one or at the very least someone who wants to do harm.  The hire hand who are probably the religious leaders are those who don't own the sheep.  Another reason we are secure not because of any our spiritual leaders no matter how good they are but because they don't own the sheep and the Good Shepherd does and shows it by willing to pay the ultimate cost of laying down his life for them to give them eternal life.  Eternal life that cannot be snatched from them  (v28,29).  [It is an interesting aside that the word used for snatch in v12 and 28,29 is not the same as in v39 when the people try to snatch Jesus probably because in the former there is an implicit meaning of violence (used of wild animals violently snatching and carrying away their prey) whereas in the latter cause there was no such violence towards Jesus.]

3) The final reflection has to do with what happens in v12, the wolf snatches off a sheep and the rest scatter.  This is is what happens when the hire hand is in charge but what happens when the shepherd is struck (Mat 26:31).  Jesus tells his disciple that when this happens the sheep of the flock will be scattered.  [Short aside: Interestingly in v32 Jesus said after he has risen He will go ahead of them into Galilee -  a beautiful illusion to the shepherd coming back to lead his sheep again.] Anyway, there is one thing missing that you would expect in Matt 26:3:  one of the sheep would be lost when the sheep are scattered!  No, instead though the disciples are scattered not one of their number is lost because whilst the shepherd is dead, the Father is still protecting the sheep so none are lost, not even denying Peter or doubting Thomas.  Perhaps that is an additional reason why Jesus mentioned the disciples being in the Father's hand too.

Praise the Lord, we could not be safer than we are....

Blessings and many thanks for praying for us

John

8th March 2024 End of third week

Dear All,

Very thankful for you following us with your prayers.  As I look back the theme of timings seems to be a recurring theme: 
This workshop being here: There have been the two funerals which, though I could not attend, nevertheless due to the much better internet and the timings of the service, I have been able to watch them live!
The timings of rain:
1) I was toying with the idea of when/whether to start training the teams to use parallel passages tool in the translation program which is very powerful or just try and finish and not do that this time.  Well my mind was made up for me with the heavens opening - which meant zero communication across any distance because of the noise of the rain on a tin room coupled with the fans trying to keep us cool, cutting up the sound waves.  So I switched to training on the parallel passages tool going round individual teams teaching them close up with a chuckle inside myself.  The Lord knows me so well that I needed a push towards the other.  The added bonus was after the initial training I kept an eye on them but had the time to put together the next work schedule for the next six months too.
2) Then on Thursday arrived at the airport after a short 1.5 hour trip and the plane was slightly delayed 20-30 minutes, which is not bad.  Non-eventful plane ride and bit bumpier on the approach and it became very clear why.  It had been raining heavily and had probably delayed the out-going flight to us and we managed to land between heavy downpours.  As we drove through this massive rain storm the taxi driver informed that yesterday a flight had to be re-directed to another airport because of the rain.  So very thankful we got in before the heavens opened again!
The timing of the Lord's leading
On Saturday 17th, Ron, Jana's father who is also attending the workshop and teaching/training gave a short devotion on Deut 6:4-9 and focused on the fact that the responsibility to teach starts at home - something which is a very foreign concept here and pretty worldwide- just let the church do it instead without any backup at home.  Anyway, it go me thinking, what does it mean to love the Lord God with your whole being? Clear thoughts came thick and fast and is this usually a sign there is a sermon somewhere down the line.  So next day checked if there was a need to preach in S-language the following Sunday as we were going to another church as whole group.  Nothing doing.  So thought all well probably when I got home and continue to develop the sermon.  On Monday after the morning sessions, pastor Bob, who I have known over a number years, and we had done S-workshops together in the past.  Alas, he has moved to the present workshop location, so haven't had much contact.  Well after the usual pleasantries, he asked me if I would preach at his church the following Sunday!  I leapt at the opportunity and explained why.  Then it got even more amazing when he heard what I was preaching since it was a Sunday when three new members to the diaconate were being ordained and he wanted something special to challenge them.  So it is pretty challenging to the love the Lord your God with your whole being.  Both of us left with our hearts so encouraged. 

The next Sunday, I preached in the S-language dressed local language robe so got nice and extra sweaty! Pastor Bob (the one in the white gown) translated into the national language since there were a lot of outsiders.  We have done this many times and it was really nice to be working together again. [As an aside, I asked Thomas to check the language out in the sermon.  I felt bad since this was after a long day's working.  I should have not been.  He visibly brighten up and clearly enjoyed reading the sermon in his own language.  It always amazes me the pull and lift of their own language in any form.]  

Finishing:
I did ask for prayer for this too.  So did we finish the second half of Exodus and therefore the whole of Exodus?  Alas only T-team (S- and G team didn't finish) and this was due to me having to leave early on Thursday morning  before the end of the workshop (Friday) and there being some conflict/change of priorities.  Whilst this is disappointing I consoled myself we exceeded my previous expectations/targets.  I particularly felt a disappointment for the teams.  As I mentioned before, finishing together a book there is a big kick.  Anyway, I've told the S-team, who were disappointed, they can have a rest and I'll finish it off.   Good news this means we will start checking Leviticus during the June zoom workshop rather than Sept workshop.

Another thing I ask for prayer to finish well. So did we finish well on Wednesday afternoon? Yes, a resounding 'Yes'.  As ever I felt the Lord's leading.  As we came to an end I thanked them for the hard work a very easy thing to do that I can say with true feeling!  One of the T-team members, thanked me all the knowledge I had passed on and before this workshop he had not realised that so many of the passages we had checked pointed to Jesus!  This was very heart warming because I had made much of the foreshadowing of Jesus as I went through Exodus with them.

Then we did our favourite fun activity.  Difficult to explain but great fun.  I think we all enjoyed it more than usual because of all the hard work and the release of it through this physical activity.  Then I gave the S-team there copies of the Psalms just been printed and attach a photo (L-R: Bernard, Thomas and Yurfi) and a few others (the large group photo has Ron, Jana's father, on the front row in a blue shirt and the guy in a yellow shirt is Tom, who is the seed company project manager for this translation cluster project, who had hoped to see the Head of the Synod too).  So yes, did most certainly finish well.

Journey back so far:
I've mentioned the flight out to the point of exit already.  Today, the journey out of the country has gone well.  The weather has been good with no rain.  The check-in was smooth and more importantly getting through Immigration.  The foreigners' queue was shared between two officers and you don't get a chance to pick who also you cannot see much until you get there.  Well it came to my time, I stepped and found myself looking at the officer with the name Bobby who looked very S.E Asean.  So almost certainly a believer.  Just checked my name and stamped my passport!  So I was very happy to see a Bobby (pun intended)!

The flight to Singapore went fine although a bit bumpy so probably added to the later than usual arrival.  I've enjoyed a shower and some good food, so just finishing this off and do some parallel passages before I set off for the UK.

Praise
* The Lord's timing throughout this time
* Exceeded the target and hopefully will finish it off soon after my week off
* Smooth journey out
* The teams will go back with the Psalms to use

Prayer
* The teams and myself will recover well - everybody is given a week off
* The published, albeit in trial form, will not only generate interest especially coming up to Easter but also will speak to their hearts in a fresh way
* Also what the teams learnt will linger and just keep building a bigger picture of Jesus in their hearts and minds 

An interesting verse that I came along which I had to read twice and also caused the teams to stop and think; so I turned into a good teaching time.  It is Exo 31:15: The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD's offering to make atonement for your lives (ESV).  You think hold on that seems unfair.  Now I don't know why we thought that. Was it because the rich can afford to pay more or maybe they are worth more or maybe something else?  Anyway, I think it does show up how we view life as not equal in worth i.e some people are worth more than others. Well that is how the financial world operates, rather than think like the Lord who views every single life made in His image is worth the same because He made them and gave them life and He puts the same worth on them - God shows no favouritism, whether to the poor or the rich.  

Of course when we look at the NT theology we see same principle playing out: each person is saved by the same payment i.e Jesus pays the same price for every one that is saved.  However, instead a half shekel which the rich could pay more easily than the poor, the price of salvation is beyond anyone and everyone to pay not even if they gained the whole world. It is the unique and beyond price life-blood of the perfect son of God.  So whilst the Lord can foreshadow the same principle in the OT offering of atonement He can only up to a point.  I suppose that is a general principle of the OT i.e foreshadowing only in a small part and hence the well-known illustration of the OT being just a shadow of the reality is so true.

Well starting to fade here and making more mistakes, so I better get this off....

So very thankful for your prayers

John    

3rd March 2024

Dear All,

Well this week seems to have whizzed by.  First of all I want to give thanks for the Lord's wisdom yet again relating to the funeral of our dear friend Mike which happened on the 29th Feb.  I had been praying that it wouldn't happen while I was away, especially since I was to preach at it at Mike's request.  When the date was set, I was initially disappointed but then came the thought maybe this is the best because I doubt I could preach without breaking down and so distract from the message.  So I recorded the message on the Monday before I flew out on the Wednesday Well I proved the wisdom of the Lord as I watched, as indeed I did breakdown at the loss of him.  However, the Lord's wisdom was not only that the message got out via a recording during the service but because I am where I am it has good enough internet to stream plus the time of the funeral meant I could watch it live!  Also, this is the first time I have attended a workshop here!  If it had been at the usual place I could not have even downloaded it, never mind watched it online! These factors (internet and timings) were true of the funeral the previous week.  So this has helped me to feel part of the church community as we remember the passing into glory of friends and fellow-believers ahead of us.

Workwise.  Up until Friday we steadily falling behind and I had all but given up of reaching the target of finishing.  Then Friday we hit a good patch: plenty of 'easier' verses and suddenly we were back on target.  There have been lots of time of teaching too.  It is really encouraging to see their connection and engagement when we briefly stop and I point out something new from the passage.  I'm am really surprised by this 'newness' since it isn't as though I haven't gone through these verses before I came.  There seems be something that I only get from looking at large swathes of verses in one go that means I get into the flow of it and suddenly see big picture things I hadn't seen before.  In fact I have started to write them down in a file, so I can keep a record of them.

Pastor Bob has asked me to preach today.  I looking forward to that but feel even more the need of his help at the end of the second week of checking!  It is a honour to being do it since three leaders are being commissioned too.  Also amazingly the Lord had lead me to an appropriate passage before I was asked; such an encouragement!

Home-wise.  Lois has been keeping busy and was able to attend both funeral services.  She is noticing a further downturn as the dementia continues it relentless path.  This is hard but she continues be able to engage at least while people are with her and attend church, but how long that will remain to be the case is difficult to determine.  I must it has been a real plus to be able to have long WA calls with Lois and keep in immediate contact with the kids' and grand kid's lives.

There are plenty of things to prayer for too apart from finishing well.  The flight back to the point of entry/exit is scheduled for this coming Thursday (7th March) morning.  If it is cancelled which is what this airline company is famous for, it is not the end of the world.  However, it does mean a few hours car journey then a speed boat trip and then hopefully get on a plane out to the exit point. Then flight back to the UK starting on Friday afternoon and arriving on the morning of Saturday (9th March).

First week back in the UK will be my mother's 90th on the Tuesday 12th.  So planning to make that special especially given her increasing dementia she won't remember many more.  The following week is the memory clinic appointment for her, which I hope they will be able to be definitive in which form of dementia she has.

Well there is plenty of things to praise and prayer for:
Praise
* The Lord's wisdom in organising the timing of the funeral so I was here and able to watch it live
* Good times of teaching while checking Exodus
* Good progress

Prayer
* Preaching tomorrow (for you), that the Lord will use it to open hearts and minds
* Finish well; whether we finish Exodus or not.  Mind you, there is a great sense of achievement each time we finish a book, which would be nice to have this time rather than during the zoom workshop in June.
* Flight to the exit point will not be cancelled
* Get through Immigration smoothly
* Good recovery back in UK for us both

Struck by how well God organises, plans and His power to fulfil them.  The whole story of the Exodus shows all three motivated by His love.  What struck me as I went through all the instructions for the Ark of the covenant in the Holiest Place and the general associated things in the Holy Place, was how much gold, silver, bronze and yarn was being used.  Thinking where did this all come from?  Well it was from the plunder they were given by the Egyptians having been make responsive (Exo 3:21-22, 11:2, 12:36) to the Israelites asking them.   

So there are going through the wilderness with all this plunder and then God instructs Moses about the making of the Tabernacle and the ark of the covenant (Exo 25-30) etc and asks the people to make an offering of materials to facilitate the building of everything and makes it a freewill offering as people feel led in their hearts (Exo 25:1-7).  However, before they can give to this, they give their gold earrings to make a golden calf to worship (Exo 32:1-6)!  Finally some 3 chapters on, after a lot has happened, in chapter 35v20-29 the people bring their freewill offering of just about anything and everything that is needed.  In fact they keep on bringing so are told to stop bringing any more (Exo 36:3-7).

So God gives them the gifts via the Egyptians to build His place to be with his people.  He doesn't tell them this is his plan, nor seek to coerce them nor does he try to force them but it is a freewill offering.  I wonder how hard that must have been for slaves to come into so much riches and then to be presented with a project like this to give back the riches.  It appears that it wasn't difficult and they gave voluntarily it back.  In fact, so willing that they gave more than was required.  What changed?  Well ch 33 they are told God is not going to lead them in fact if he were to among them He would consume them.  Then ch 34 we get the famous meeting with Moses and God makes a covenant to go with them, all because of one man's mediation i.e Moses.  So for me I think this is reason they gave so generously and so willing so as to have the Lord in their midst.  

Three things spoke to me: 1)The Lord gives whatever it is to us for us to use not only for our good but to be used for the needs he puts before us and expects us to freely give to give as freely as we have received and He has a clear plan.
2) Next, which for me is a matter of great praise, that Jesus promised to be with us unconditionally i.e irrespective of what we have done, because His blood pay the price so that is why He could make such a promise to be with us until he comes back again and then wonderfully we will actually be with him too. 
3) God with us.  This of course what makes us distinctive, as Moses so rightly deduced (Exo 33:16), from all other religions in the world in his time and for all time- God was with them and us and the wonderful reason and reality is Jesus, God himself.       

Blessings and grateful thanks for your prayers

John

24th February 2024

Dear All,

Appreciate as ever your prayers following us in the different parts of the world we are.  

My host has been every generous with his house which has the luxury of a/c in the one bedroom which has been given to me and very good internet.  So thus far Lois an I have been able to connect at any time we have wanted as opposed to just in the early morning.  Also he likes to practise his English as well when we connect most breakfasts.  The jet-lag and recovering from it never fails to amaze me.  You would think it would be a gradual, but it seems to me to be more like a cliff edge.  So last night for the first time I slept through to mid-early morning!  This would not be too bad if I wasn't trying to put in some demanding days while I recover.  I am feeling more tired than usual and it is difficult to put my finger on why?  Is it due to be perhaps being in a slightly more tired state beforehand or due to the culmination of the small extra changes or both. I doubt I will be able to be conclusive as to the reason(s). 

We are not quite up to target verse; I am about 1/2 day behind where I want to be, which doesn't mean it won't be impossible to reach the target, just more work next week to get there.  I am not too surprised since we have just gone through the difficult passages surrounding the construction of the Tabernacle and its courtyard plus everything in it.  Now we are onto the priestly garments!  These are unique things that no longer exist, not even the priestly garments, so there is much discussion and no real clarity, admittedly more about the detail of the making rather than the final outcome. Thankfully all of this is repeated towards the end of Exodus.  So we should be able to speed up then though I want to use that time to train them to use one of the powerful tools of the translation program called parallel passage checking, which might slow us down.  As ever, we all work together well and there is always a real genuine desire on their part to want to get it right and to work at until it is right, well as right as we can be sure give the complexity of the passages.  I admire them: they work hard and leave tired at the end of each day and then come back and do it again next day with unwavering enthusiasm; this has to be the work of God in them! 

On the plus side, I have enjoyed some good teaching times with them.  For example the wisdom and underlying theme of the 10 commandments, more on that later, or the holiness i.e being consecrated/dedicated to the Lord to do his work which obviously is pointing to Jesus, the importance of blood which was used to ratify the covenant on both sides and it pointing to Jesus and the Lord's supper.  Another plus is that there is a lot of Scripture being published this time around due to having more access to places that are capable of photocopying/publishing of large amounts of material.  This material is both for the new teams and also the more established teams: gospels for the former and the psalms and part of Exodus too, for the latter.  

Alas, the head of the synod was away this week so the main aim of getting more involvement/engagement with him and the synod has not happened.  I don't think this will change until the next head of the synod change in about 2 years time.  This position has been historically key in the work either being supported and/or the Scriptures being used and promoted in the church or not. So we need the Lord to provide the right man next time to move things.  However, while we are waiting we need to get as much material checked and out there so when that happens we are in the best place to maximise the spiritual impact of those two things coming together: The right person and plenty of consulted-checked material ready.  I suppose the maxim I have found to be so true comes to mind again:  Work on doing what you can with what you have and leave God to change the things you cannot change.

At the home end, Jeremy, Lois' brother has been helping Lois with the extra responsibilities with looking after her mother in my absence, plus there have been no major issues.  The internet been so good here, virtually as good as at home, so this has led to more and better communication.  Also it has meant that I could watch the first of the two funerals online which was very encouraging with a clear message about Christ in/ working through a man's life.  This would have been impossible at the usual workshop place.  So technology has been working well for us.  Next Thursday will the second funeral which my recorded sermon/message will be played, I hope without any technical problems for them or for me watching it. Would you believe just had a power-cut so no internet and a/c!

Praise
* Scripture portions being printed
* Over the jet-lag
* Good progress despite the difficulty of the passages
* Continual desire/hard work of the teams day after day
* Good internet meaning better communication for us and also being able to watch live the funeral

Prayer
* For stamina to keep going with good quality outcomes
* For wisdom and insight to solve the problems and provide good teaching opportunities
* For better progress so to be able to finish next week and go onto checking 
* For more of the same of the good things: communication, times of fellowship, eyes opened to God being revealed in Scripture
* For the second funeral to go well on Thursday and a clear message about Christ through Mike's life be given and part of that would be through the recording
* For the next leader of the synod to be a strong supporter/champion of local Scripture usage

I want to  highlight the 10 commandments and even more specifically the end of them i.e 6th-10th commandments.  The sixth - ninth are single line commands, the 10th commandment contains qualifications but basically is one simple one: Do not covet.  I wonder why God didn't just say 'Don't covet'? The 6th -9th commandments don't have any qualifications i.e do not murder/commit adultery/steal/give false witness mentioning neighbour / neighbour's wife / slaves or property. 

Well I wonder if it because the 10th commandment lies at the heart of many times why the 6th-9th commandments are broken, so God spells it out.  So If you obey the 10th commandment in its entirety it will make keeping the 6-9th easier and keep both the desire to break them reduced if not removed and the number of times they are broken.  For example if you do not covet your neighbour's wife, you won't be either committing adultery in your mind, which Jesus points out in God's eyes you have already done it (Matt 5:27,28), but actually prevents it.  Not all murder or stealing results from coveting but quite a bit does.  Also giving false witness can be result of coveting too.  Interestingly 1 Kings 3:16-28 has three of them: coveting/stealing/giving false witness and would have resulted in the fourth murder! If you do not covet but rather seek contentment from what God has given you (1 Tim 6:6) this help to stop coveting and quite a bit of murdering/stealing and giving false witness. 

The other thing is that basically these commandments are about the people of God keeping a good relationship not only with God and enjoying His great love being heaped upon them but also with one another / fellow men.  Jesus puts it positively when he condenses everything into two love-commands directed towards God and one another/fellow-man which only really becomes possible/more possible for a believer because of the help of the Holy Spirit.    

Thanks for reading this far and even more thanks for praising and praying for these matters,

John      

18th February 2024

Dear All,

Just a quick update about the journey:

1) Flight to SQ was uneventful and the main benefit of flying at night was I managed more sleep probably because my body was ready for sleep.  On arriving at SQ airport, I had to find the hotel which was outside the terminal which was not as easy to find as I had hoped.  The hotel room was not for those who suffer from claustrophobia - no outside window and just room for a bed and a shower/wet room behind the bed.  The added benefit of flying at night plus the time difference was I had another sleep during the same 24 hour period. Whilst it wasn't as good even with the sleep aid tablets, nevertheless it was more sleep than usual.  So two pluses

2) Flight into country was uneventful.  As I feared there was a problem at Immigration due to the new visa.  The officer behind the desk asked his colleague sitting next to him whether this was a business visa. Also unusually his English was not good so it made everything protracted and there were more questions than usual.  One of them was who was the sponsor for my visa.  Well it was on the visa and then I remembered that I had asked for a sponsor's letter from the national organisation before I left.  I haven't asked for one for a number of years since it was never asked for by Immigration so stopped asking for one.  So quickly got it out and he was relieved to see that and it seemed to me that thereafter he was convinced and after a couple of more questions he put the visa sticker in my passport and let me through. When I got to the baggage hall, I was disappointed to not see my suitcase on the full carousel and no more were being added! Anyway, I went over to the baggage entrance and peered through and could see my suitcase on the other side.  I suspect there was no room to put it on so they had put it on yet.  Anyway, some kind luggage porter went to the other side and got it for me.  So another plus: my luggage did travel with me.

3) The final flight to my destination was not so smooth.  It was an early morning flight so I got up at 04:15 to be ready for the taxi to leave for the airport at 05:00 for the 07:00 departure. After waking up, I switched on my mobile only to find a WA at 00:50 telling me my flight was delayed for two hours.  [Mind you not as bad as the other colleagues who were travelling on the same flight but on Sunday whose flights were cancelled!] It appears that this is not uncommon for this particular flight.  So with the taxi driver well on his way, I decided to go to the airport anyway.  It was a long wait and there isn't anything to do in the airport.  The information boards weren't updated with the new departure time and there was no information nor any ground staff around.  Anyway, we left finally at 09:30 after a four hour wait in the airport. Arrived safely at my destination and was greeted by Tonga. Then after a 1.5 hour drive I was in the major town in the north.  This leg of the journey was a much shorter because of the lack of overnight plus speed boat.  So one minus due to an unreliable flight schedule and one plus because it was a quicker final leg to final destination due to the lack of a speedboat journey.

Bottom line: Thankful for the Lord's leading in changing over to an overnight flight from London which made for a better overall international journey. The extra time spent spent before the workshop starts has meant I have had more sleep and more through the jet-lag process before the workshop starts tomorrow.  So it will be interesting to see if that translates (no pun intended) into a better first day experience tomorrow. The opening ceremony has moved from today (Sunday) to Monday due to my colleague's flights being cancelled. To make up for the lost working time on Monday, we'll be working for a full Saturday as opposed to half-Saturday.  Just one small change has had quite a knock-on effect.

Praise:

* For a smooth journey plane-wise

* Asking for a letter from my visa sponsors which helped me get through Immigration

* Less time involved in-country travel

* At the home end, things are running smoothly

Prayer:

* The new logistics due to working in a different place won't affect the amount work achieved in the first week of progress

* Get back into a good sleep pattern quickly

* The teams will be quick to get into a good working pattern

* Wisdom and insight as we go through some difficult passages

Apologies, this email seems to be a bit too verbose but brain rather befuddled at the moment.

Thanks for praying, I have very much seen the answers to them

John

14th February 2024

Dear All,

This trip is going to be typified by small changes:
1) Stay over at SQ airport.  Usually I have just got on the connecting flight but for the last two times my luggage hasn't made it, so I've decided to see if having an overnight break in the journey would not only mean my luggage stays with me but a night's sleep might be beneficial.  [In fact the previous flight times are no longer available, I suspect due to the luggage troubles.]
2) New type visa.  Hopefully just a name change that won't cause any problems
3) Shorter in-country travel to the workshop destination:  Normally, it is short plane trip, followed by a speedboat next day and then car journey.  This time a slightly longer flight and a car journey to the location.
4) New location for staying (sleeping and eating(?)).  Due to it being on the coast, and therefore hotter, I think the organiser(s) have been looking for somewhere which has a/c.  Doesn't bother me as long as a fan backed up with reasonable electricity supply!
5) New location for working.  The previous place was purposed-built to be a place to hold long arrangement of tables for these groups of languages.  In this new place I suspect we might be doing the check in a church with a generator to run data projector and multiple laptops when there are the inevitable power-cuts

You might be asking why the change?  Well since it is where the church synod office is, we are hoping that there will be more engagement, interest and involvement from them.  To that end, they are hopefully going to pop in and see the checks, though this might be a bit intimidating for some of the village translators.  So please pray this move will achieve these aims.

The sad news is that two long-standing friends have died since I last wrote.  Both have run their race well:
1) Nigel died on 24/01/24.  He was a long-standing member in my church who for many, many years had faithfully kept the overseas workers before the church with energy and fervour.  He leaves behind his wife and three children and one grandchild
2) The other (Lois' best friend Mandy's husband, Mike) died the next day (25/01/24)!  I was so thankful that I had visited Mike the day before.  Alas, he just leaves behind a handicapped son, Mandy his wife died over two years ago and his eldest son many years before that. 
Alas, the funerals are 23rd and 29th Feb respectively, so I will miss both which is hard enough but in the case of Mike's funeral/thanksgiving service, he had asked me to preach!  So I spent quite sometime video recording the sermon on Monday.   Of course neither Nigel or Mike will miss the fact I'm not there given what they are already experiencing.  However, as I mentioned to people this is one of the unforeseen sacrifices of working overseas, that you inevitably miss out on these important milestones in the life of a believer/church. 

 Two additional things that are noteworthy:
1) Amazingly, and I genuinely use that word, I have reached my target of verses for the remote 1st stage checked of Exo 20-36 and given feedback to the teams.  So thank you for praying.  Hopefully this will mean that the 2nd stage face-to-face will go faster and maybe even exceed the target - as ever optimistic!
2) We managed a short break and were blessed by the location and weather.  I have a friend who puts it as a time to decompress and recalibrate!.  Like those terms and they convey well the effect of getting away.

Lois is well into term time and I'm thankful the workload is not as bad as the Autumn term.  Nevertheless it is significant especially given there is more load on her in my absence.  The main prayer is for the technical side.  For example the internet: this provides us with communication and also enables Lois to do her University work

Praise
* Known two friends who were such faithful followers of Christ
* Reached my target for 1st stage remote check of chapters 20-36 Exodus
* Had a short refreshing break together

Prayer
* For the new travel plans to bring some noticeable benefit - at least my luggage not be separated from me!
* For smooth entrance into the country   
* For all the small changes (above) enable increased engagement, interest and involvement by the synod
* Reach the target number of chapters/verses during the face-to-face check in Exo (20-36)
* For the video recording of the message for Mike's funeral (29th Feb) will be used by God to speak to any unbelievers there
* For stamina for Lois and specifically good internet and appliance behaviour while I'm away.

Travel itinerary- God willing
14th (evening) leave the UK
15th arrive in SQ
16th enter country
17th (early morning) travel to workshop destination
18th opening ceremony
19th - 6th March checking, except Sundays
7th - travelling out to point of exit
8th leave country
9th back in the UK

I was thankful for an opportunity to preach at my home church on John 6:1-21. It is interesting that three gospels the feeding of the 500 is mentioned, the incident on the lake is also mentioned. Anyway three things to briefly mention:
1) Impossible: The key to the miracle happening was the boy's meagre provisions.  If the boy had kept quiet about his food and if Andrew had said, 'Go away that is not going to help' and dismissed him, the miracle would not have happened.  There is something about a child's attitude should challenge us that we have lost at adults - willingness to help/offer despite the logical inadequacy of the offer.  We as adults are too quick to logically weigh up the situation and discount/despise anything that we deem to be inadequate.  So don't despise the resources you have to give to the Lord (Zec 4:10)
2) Possible: They want to make Jesus king by force.  He had face this temptation from the devil but this time it is by the crowd by force - possible opportune time for the Devil to tempt via them (Luke 4:13)?  It must have been a temptation after all he would have made the greatest leader that ever was, wiser than Solomon, so caring and compassionate, so powerful.  So unlike any human leader has been or ever will be.  So he retreats up the mountainside in solitude to with His Father in prayer  - I could be wrong but I suspect to find strengthen and help in time of need.  For us to become top leader of a country is not going to be a possibility - I'm too young for the US president and too old for the UK prime minister! However, the lesson is there when there is a possibility of elevation of status to spend time with the Lord, Scripture and seek godly counsel to see if this is what the Lord wants (The Lord Jesus only needed the Father, since He knew Scripture so well and who would counsel him!).
3) Probable:  The disciples set off rowing to the other side at night fully knowing there is a strong wind blowing against them which only gets worse away from the shelter of the hills i.e the middle, with the sea getting quite choppy.  It is hard work but their lives are not in danger.  Jesus approaches them walking on the water.  They think it is a ghost but when they are reassured it isn't (ghosts don't usually say 'Don't be afraid') they let him board the boat.  Then  immediately they reach the shore.  The disciples didn't need a Jesus who could walk on water that night but Jesus in the boat with them.  So often we struggle with things even though they are strengths, when we need to ask Jesus into the situation to help us battle through it with Him on board.  

Blessings and thanks for following us both with your prayers

John

17th January 2024

Dear All,

Wishing you all a Christ-blessed New Year for 2024, that at the end of it you will know Him to be once again the Faithful One.  This might be the last one before I go, so you may need to refer to this again as I leave on the 14th Feb.

Well the appointment on the 11th Dec about my eyes went fine.  The consultant was happy with the state of the retina and was discharged with no further appointment unless something else happens.  Another sign of A.D is the fitting of hearing aids.  These have helped in general and specifically in crowded rooms with multiple sources of noises i.e after church!  Thankful for a plateau time with my Mum's dementia and likewise Lois' Mum too. 

Work-wise
Well I hit a 'wall' but didn't realise that was the cause of lack of concentration.  This wall was probably due to the extra strain of trying to continue on when the three language drafts which were at different stages.  Thankfully, due to a necessary change in preaching dates at my church from end-Dec to mid-Dec, I switched my focus to preparing for that.  When I came back to checking/revising their drafts which by now were in sync, I was able to concentrate and make progress again.  So the Lord knew I would hit that 'wall' and had arranged a change in the preaching dates to help me recover and then be able to carry on!

After a good family break at Christmas and the following week, I've been pleased with the progress.  However, it will be tight to reach my target of another 17 chapters of Exodus to be ready for the face-to-face consultant check for the three languages (including S-language).  I had been hoping to finish Exodus this time around but it will be most likely in the June Zoom workshop as per schedule.

Glad to be able to say, all the preparation pre-international flights is in place: international and internal plane tickets, e-visa and an overnight stay in SQ.  The latter should mean that my luggage travels with me all the way!  

This time, the workshop for the consultant check with be in a different place so the synod have an opportunity to see the kind of work we are doing.  I'm told this town will be even hotter because it is on the northern coast, so that is the downside.  However, on the upside, I'm taking an internal direct flight, assuming it is not cancelled, from my point of entry in-country to the island where the workshop is being held and so missing out the speedboat to southern part of the the said island!  So taking the workshops to a different place will introduce good and not so good changes. The main thing is that the synergy, fellowship and good working relationships will continue which enables good progress in the checking.

We hope to try and fit in a weekend away before I leave.  We felt we both benefitted from it before my trip abroad.

For those who follow my travels here is the itinerary:
14 Feb Leave UK
16 Feb Arrive in-country
17 Feb Travel to workshop
19 Feb checking starts
7 March start journey back
8 March international flight
9 March back in the UK

Praise
* The Lord getting me past the 'wall'.
* All pre-flight preparation is in place.
* Good family Christmas break.

Prayer
* Keep making good progress in checking/revising Exodus.
* Teams remain healthy and on schedule.
* Preparations for the workshop in a different place with go well.
* Might be able to fit in a short weekend break.

As you know I've been going through Exodus and whilst it has been very detailed and difficult to follow, there has been some golden moments.  One such time was going through the garments of the priest in ch 28 and in particular the ephod (6-13) and breastpiece of decision that went over the ephod in (15-30).  On the shoulder pieces of the ephod (9-12) two onyx stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes (six on each shoulder) and then twelve stones engraved with each of the names of the twelve tribes (21) on the breastpiece which the priest is to wear this over his heart (29).   So he it is clear that he is representing the twelve tribes. [Perhaps, on the shoulders represents their burdens and over his heart is their requests.]  These are memorials/serve as reminders (12, 29).  It is ambiguous who is doing the remembering: Maybe for the priest that he is a representative of Israelites and for the Israelites to be reminded they are being brought before God and for God to remember His people and act in mercy; cannot be sure.  Since the high priest was foreshadowing the great High Priest Jesus, what is/are the equivalent(s)?  Well for me the nail marks in his hands and sides and the gash in his side.  

Lets me turn your mind to Isa 49:14-16 and in particular v16.  The context is 'Can Yahweh forget his people?' and basically Yahweh says 'No way' and does it the vivid metaphor of a mother with a baby at her breast and follows it up with 'Though she might forget, I will never forget you. See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands'.  Surely this points to Jesus and the nail prints and is in connection with remembering us i.e we know he never can forgets us.  So Jesus still bears those marks for both identification with us and for us to know He never can forget us - how could you he forget when He still has the marks in his body.  So let us remember, we are being remembered by Jesus when he comes before the Father to intercede for us and likewise the Father sees and never forgets us but remembers to show us mercy and grace to help us in the exact time of need (Hebs 4:16).     

Blessings and thanks for starting the New Year with us in your prayers

John

8th December 2023

Dear All,

Thanks for praying about the various issues.

Eyes: After a flurry of almost daily new floaters for a few days and a worrying cluster, things have quietened down and there haven't been any new ones for a few weeks.  Of those that have appeared, just one that is more central is still visible, which is a bit annoying, the rest the brain seems to have mapped out!  I'm seeing the consultant on the 11th of this month.
Mother: Things seem to be settling down with my mother in the progression of the dementia and as of today I have access to internet banking!  I've been very conscious and encouraged that when I have rung to try and sort things out, the Lord has arranged it so I've talked with someone who has had/having experience with caring with someone with dementia, and who has been able to move things forward, especially regarding internet banking.  
Thomas and Bernard: Their medical issues seem to be under control through medication for the moment, but I don't know what this pertains for their future health.

Work-wise:  The S-team have continued to keep up with the work schedule.  However the other two teams haven't: Two members of the T-team have struggled with illness and the G-team just haven't kept up - this is a constant problem in the latter's case.  Trying to carry on means it is more difficult to keep tabs where they all are and it means you have go back over chapters you have already done.  This is worsened because the chapters are very detailed (building of the tabernacle, furniture inside it and priestly clothes) and demand a lot of concentration.  I was finding this very tiring. So in the end I stopped last week and this week checking the S-draft.  Instead I worked on writing up what I have found out about the said things, with the help of a fellow colleague/consultant, so as to be able to refer to it readily in one document, no small nor bad thing.  Thankful in the last few days, the T-team have really worked hard and the G-team are producing some drafts, so next week I should be able to make progress with all three.  Hopefully despite Christmas fast approaching there will be sufficient work coming in that it won't mean a big push in January to get ready for next workshop in Feb!

There is hope concerning the G-team.  If you remember, during the training of the CiTs one of the language helpers (Betty) for the G-team session was very sharp! Since then, she has been  approached to join the G-team and was willing.  She is a teacher and so the headmaster has been approached to see if she can have time off for the workshop in Feb.  Disappointingly, but understandably, he is unwilling especially since it would mean she is far away and cannot be called back to teach.  So we need the Lord to make a way forward so she can attend and get the one-to-one training

Praise
* Thomas and Bernard seem to be healthy again due to medication
* Made good progress with getting financial things sorted for my Mum
* Eyes are pretty stable now
Prayer
* The three teams would remain healthy and able to continue producing work
* Sufficient work come in for me to make good progress with ALL three languages before Christmas break
* The Lord would open a way so Betty can join the Feb workshop.

I mentioned at the beginning 'no small things' meaning a big thing. I want to end with another 'no small thing' i.e the incarnation of God in human form -  the greatest miracle of all, in my opinion.  For God to remain God but in human form, to reveal every aspect of God's glory i.e his character but in a reduced intensity so we can look upon God and live, is mind-blowing.  Though John doesn't record the birth of Jesus but rather starts from the very beginning, before time, nevertheless he does have the incarnation themes and one in particular that I want to focus on: the Good news that Jesus is the Saviour is for all people (Matt 2:10) appears not only in John 3:16, but in John 4:42 too.

They said to the woman "We no longer believe because of what you have said, now we have heard for ourselves and we know this man really is the Saviour of the world."  

This wonderful insightful moment of understanding is uttered by a Samaritan!  Clearly the person spoke better than he knew. Since this incident is only mentioned in John, this phrase doesn't appear in the rest of the gospels though not unsurprisingly it does appear in John's First letter:

1 John 4:14: 'And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.  So this great miracle will be for and reach the whole world.

This is not just a NT theme but clearly mentioned in Isa 49:6 “It is too light/small/insignificant (ESV/NIV/NET) a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”  As you can see from the three alternatives at the beginning of this verse there is some debate how to translate this word.  In fact it can also mean easy i.e too easy and maybe this is also meant i.e limiting salvation to the descendants of Jacob would not highlight the significance, the greatness of this salvation and so would not bring the praise and honour worldwide that God is due.  This was first hinted at in veiled terms to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through Him, in Isaiah it is fleshed out who would bring it about, the servant of the Lord, made possible by the incarnation, became a reality through the cross and is being seen today and until He comes again.  A great plan that had a quantum leap forward with the incarnation which shows that nothing was impossible to God, to the God whom is was too easy to save Israel and not beyond Him for His salvation to ripple out the whole world.

So very thankful for  your help over many years that has enabled at least one of the groups in the ends of the earth category to be reached and continue to be reached by His Word

John

10th November 2023

I'm afraid health seems to dominate the headlines

Health issues for S-Team

Thomas:

After going to a good hospital, they have concluded that his swollen leg is due to heart problem. So they are trying out some medication. I believe he did have cellulitis but it was compounded by a secondary issue i.e heart. The problem is the doctors don't talk to patients as they do here. They basically tell them very little.

Bernard:

He went on the same trip with Thomas. It appears his problem is due to kidney function: one of them is not functioning well so he too has swollen legs. One positive thing is that in this day and age, it is very much easier and inexpense to transfer money to them.  Alas, this ease is also abused by evil people!

My Mum (in Derby)

Her onset of dementia symptoms has resulted in me actioning the LPA (Lasting Power of attorney - used to be called POA). This has not been a smooth operation with her bank that basically messed up the application for internet access for me. Furthermore, my mum has been diagnosed with macular degenerative disease in both eyes. This has involved me in travelling to support her through her checks and her first injection of unspecified number.

Yours truly:

On 26th Oct noticed a floater in my left eye. Very thankful for the speed at which I was seen. However there have additional floaters and now a cluster. It appears that my brain will adjust to them and not see them in a few months time.  However, rather intrusive due to the nature of my work: looking at computer screens most of the day and every time i move my eyes I see these squashed flies!

Praise

1. Cheap and easy transfer of money to Thomas and Bernard. Before it would have taken maybe a week and involved people in significant travel

2. Reasonable progress in checking the drafts from the three languages.

Prayer

1. For the health issues with Thomas and Bernard that they can be resolved with medication, so they can continue with translating in good health. Thankfully they are ahead of schedule.

3. That the intermittent problems with connecting to the internet to send their data and receive my comments, will not affect the progress

4. Make better and sustained progress in checking Exodus.

5. Teams would keep up with the translation-drafting schedule and be on top of the necessary village checking of their drafts too.

6. I would be able to get the bank internet access to be able to help my mother with her financial matters.

7. These floaters would not start to affect my eyesight (presently mostly on the peripheral) or prove to be a precursor to retinal detachment - seems unlikely at the moment.

Despite all of the above, managed to check nearly four chapters of Exodus (ch 18-20, 23) for the three languages.  Whilst this continues to be challenging at the same time this has given me a lift as you see the connections with the NT. 

One very clear one is in Exo 19:11-20:21 and Hebrews 12:18-21 It seems like a cut 'n paste in places which shows how much they retained the history of the OT as it passed down the generations.  Do read Exo passage first and the Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews paints the picture of Mt Sinai so well (12:18-21).  Then shows the massive eternal difference Jesus has made so we can come to Mount Zion to the heavenly Jerusalem (12:19-24).  So when we get these mountain-top statements in Hebs 4:16 lets us approach the throne of grace with confidence...and receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Then Hebs 10:19 Therefore, brothers since we have confidence to enter the most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus....10:22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith....Just utterly beyond their wildest dreams that which once filled them with terror can be wiped out By Jesus so you can boldly come into His presence and find mercy and grace not judgement - day and night experience!

Exo 20:22 The Lord said to Moses , Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves I have spoken to you from heaven...Then in John 3:12, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus (Israel's teacher) in this way "I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?"  I think Jesus is drawing a parallel with Himself and God.  In John 3:31-34.  He makes the connection between Himself and God even stronger.  

The happenings on Mt Sinai is burned into their memories and Jesus is both the same as God and yet makes a huge difference, He makes it possible to approach God not on Mt Sinai but on Mt Zion through Himself (Hebs 10:19-20: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body... ) 

Praise His holy name we only know, and will only know because we are His children, Mt Zion! 

Blessings and thanks for lifting up these issues to the throne of grace

John

29th September 2023

Dear All,

Thank you for praying.  The last three days were very different not just to the last two weeks of checking but also each day was different.  This was because of three very different CiTs (Consultants in Training: Tonga, Evie and Novi) and three different group of village people helping along with checking of three different languages - might have noticed the significant number 3! Alas there was only one of me! [Ideally there would be there three consultants mentoring the 3 CiTs, not just one!]

Anyway, it was also good experience for the language translation teams to interact with their people group in such an immediate way. So we did manage to check ch 21 and 22 for all three teams; so that means the target was met, though it did take the entire time. I thought I would be more tired but I think the change of working one on one with the CiTs and also working with the village people, gave me the energy I needed. It turned out that for the S-language, some people came from the village we had lived in way back.  So that had the added bonus of a happy reunion. The only downside was Thomas could not be with this. His presence was missed not just for his ability in the language but also for himself too.  In fact an unlooked outcome was it looks like we may have found a very good possible translator for the G-group who lost a very good member to cancer a few years ago.  We never thought she would/could be replaced but this lady (Betti) definitely has that potential to do that.

Lois started lecturing and though there were new challenges with the room and the technology not working, the first lecture got off to a good start. So it was a good week both sides of the world!

On the way out on Thursday, I popped into to see Thomas at his home.  It was good to see him and his legs in a much better state. A fellow supporter reckons it might be cellulitis, which given the medication he has given Thomas, would seem to the diagnosis of the doctor, just he didn't tell Thomas!  So it appears that it was bacterial infection due to dirty water which he would have walk walked through going to the fields.  When I looked up the photos of it, it was clear that Thomas was in a more advanced state, which what we have always found in the village because they leave it much later before they go to the doctor.  So I was much relieved and felt a lifting of a burden.  So thank you for your prayers which worked through this doctor, who said he had seen cases of this before.

The trip out starting on Thursday morning when smoothly, a bit of a wavy sea but nothing that the big fast speedboat could not cope with.  The scheduled flight did take off on time to my point of exit/entry.  I got a bit of practice with Immigration officials too when I was about the enter the airport building to travel to the exit point.  Suddenly this said guy appears from nowhere and asks to see my passport and ask what I was doing and where I did it. Thankfully, I quickly gave some satisfactory answers but he did strangely want to take my photo for his records!

The smooth journey out continues.  I'm waiting in the departure lounge of the exit airport.  So have got through Immigration without a question.  The plane is about 20 minutes off landing, so feeling pretty confident of departing on time and then there is just the long wait in Singapore airport before heading off home. I cannot quite smell home but is getting much closer.

As ever the teams and myself will take the next week off to recover before getting back into preparing the next chapters for the workshop in Feb.  We all need that refreshment that can come from doing something different...

Praise

* Thomas in a much better and looks like he is well on the way to recovery.

* Good experiences us all including the 3 CiTs and teams as well

* The potential great find of a third person for the G-team

* The verse target was reached which means we are still on target to achieve the end of the project term goals

* Lois first lecturing week has gone well

Prayer

* Good recover time for myself, the teams, the national translation director (Tonga who was also is a CiT) and Ibu Evie (one of the CiTs too)

* Thomas would recover fully- might the odd chance of scarring but if it is cellulitis he should make a fully recover with antibiotics

* We need to get printed the checked translations e.g Psalms, so they can be used.  This is no small undertaking given its length and all the poetic formatting!

It has been a very rich time of seeing many things I had not seen before in Leviticus but if I had to just pick out a couple of aspects it would God's grace and His power.  He has shown his Grace to his people even though they turned their back on his appointed leader Moses, even though they were showing their true colours in grumbling when they saw the Egyptian bearing down on them.  Also He showed His grace to Pharaoh and his officials and even his magicians with the many opportunities to repent so much so, the middle group believed and acted on his warnings concerning the plague of hailstones and the latter group told Pharaoh this was the finger of God, consequently some of the Egyptians even left with the Israelites.  But for me both are so wonderfully and vividly portrayed not in the plagues but in the crossing of the Red Sea (ch14).

His grace and his power, the former in saving so many Israelites (1 million plus) whom He knows the first generation won't follow him and the latter in the power He displayed to do by splitting the Red sea so there were huge walls of water which were needed to produce such a wide path so 1 million people could cross in a reasonable time on dry ground.  For the Egyptians and particularly Pharaoh, the time of grace was gone and now it was judgement.  The same power that saves is used by God completely wiping out the Egyptians who follow some chosen 600 chariots plus the rest of the chariots and the footmen and the horsemen too, so no small number but only in their thousands perhaps.  Anyway, it a moment they are gone.  So the same means of His power is used to both save His people and bring judgment on His enemies.

In the NT God uses the Lord Jesus to achieve the same thing, instead of looking down from a cloud (14:24) Jesus looks down from the cross becomes the place where the Father and the Son's grace are centred in saving His people, i.e those who believe in Him. The power of God expressed in forgiving us.  At the same time He is the person whom God's judgement is centred around i.e those who don't believe in His Son, Jesus and so don't receive the power of forgiveness, are judged and condemned.  They in contrast to the Egyptians whom the waters cover them at God's command, ask that the rocks and mountains would cover them so they would not see the face of God.  (Rev 6:16).

I attach some photos of the CiTs with the three CiTs with language teams members on either side and the village people opposite them. Thankfully, due to being in a better bandwidth area, unlike the last lot, I can send bigger files so you can actually see them!

Blessings and thanks for your prayers which God has answered in his characteristic way of above and beyond what we asked, showing His grace and power.

John

23rd September 2023

Dear All,

So conscious of God's help to keep going this week.  There have been nights when there has been a power cut and so the fan was off.  So two options, boil under the thin blanket or take the blanket off and let the mosquitoes have their fill of you?  Next day, you feel like death warmed up yet somehow not only do you get through the day but you have insights into difficult verses.  For example Exo 15:16 'Fear and dread/terror and dread' or it could be 'dreadful fear/dreadful terror'.  Abstract nouns i.e nouns that are not concrete that you can touch/see etc are famously difficult to translate due to the lack of them in the target languages.  So in the heat of the afternoon with energy sapping away, to try and think and make distinctions between these abstract nouns in Moses' song (ch 15:1-19) is quite a challenge.  So thankful for breakthrough when suddenly it comes to mind a solution that is translatable.  In the case of the example above went for: great fear what would happen to them.   So thank you for praying.

Anyway, somehow, and mean that, we managed to be bang on the target up to this point when we finished this lunchtime.  All that is left is some 60+ verse which hopefully will finish next week, that is assuming we finish the allocated verses between Mon-Wednesday.  These three days are dedicated to three national consultants in training (CiT).  I'll be mentoring a different one and a different language each day but using the same passages.  I have been squeezing in some sessions with two of them already. Thankful I know two of them well and so will enjoy working them, as I am sure I will the third one.  However of course we don't know each other so it will take a time to mutually adapt to one another. 

Onto a very important matter for prayer.  Thomas, the senior and eldest translator in the S-team has had to leave today (Saturday) because of a health issue.  When I arrived he showed me his swollen leg, which didn't seem to be infected, and wasn't given him any pain.  Anyway, the local doctor advised him to see a particular doctor who alas was on maternity leave and there was  no cover!  So we managed to get some medicine to reduce the fluid in his leg and after a series of compresses all seemed well.  So he came on the workshop.  Suddenly last night (Friday) he woke up and was shaking and had a temperature, so early in the morning he was take back to the village.  I only found out after the event and don't if this is a separate thing or related. Anyway I'm trying to contact him and find out what his plans are since the said specialist doctor is on maternity leave until Dec!   Please pray for him to receive the right treatment.

Well I'll set off on the journey home early on Thursday morning.  As ever there is the speedboat journey followed by the flight to the exit point.  The question is will the flight follow the scheduled times?  The last two times, I have had to dash to the airport to catch an earlier flight because the scheduled one has been cancelled with me being told!  Then Friday, the start of the long international journey.  Would be nice if that flew on time and I could rest during the long lay-over before the second and final leg, arriving in the UK early Saturday morning.

Praise:
* Despite poor sleep and very hot days, managed with the Lord's help to be on target to finish next week the allocated verses
* Lois has had extra things happen but thankfully all have been
* The dedication of the teams : They are so dedicated to make the translations as good as possible
* For three able nationals coming forward for consultant training 

Prayer
* Thomas to get the right treatment quickly so it doesn't develop into anything life threatening
* Three days of mentoring that the Lord will bless the 3 CiTs through this time of training
* Lois starts lecturing next week on Tuesday.  Please pray for her especially given it is the start of the term so things don't usually smoothly admin-wise or technology-wise
* Smooth journey out including immigration and flights read above.

A brief thought to pass on.  I think what has stood out about Exodus is the amount of detail, which in turn has made it difficult to translate. It is amazing the amount of detail the Lord gave to Moses a lot that would have significance way beyond the time it was given and amazing that Moses remembered to write down.  For example a small phrase: you shall not break any of its bones (Exo 12:49).  Doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the passage, only mentioned once, whereas a lot of the detail is repeated.  Then it pops in John John 19:36 Not one of his bones will be broken.  This time relating to the Lord Jesus!  Amazing that the Lord should mention this to Moses that would point to The Passover Lamb, so this would further tie the Lord to being the Passover Lamb.  The degree of control of God Lord exercises to have this written down and then controls so that though his Son dies fulfilling all Scripture passages that are his responsibility there is still one relating to the dying Lamb of God that God must fulfil!  

For this to be fulfilled Jesus has to die quickly, otherwise the soldiers break his bone.  This bringing on the death more quickly was so no body would left hanging on a cross on the Sabbath but also it would mean that that his rising on the third day would not have been on Sunday i.e when Jesus rests from his plan of salvation but on another day. So Jesus is given authority to lay down his life in John 10:18 i.e His death and the timing of it is in His hands.  So Jesus dies under his own control, not because He is finished but because everything pertaining to our salvation is  finished and surprisingly quickly too quickly for the soldiers to break his bones.  Then of course God has to control those burly Roman soldiers, not just for the fun of it break Jesus' bones just to make sure He is dead too!   Just one small part of what John ends his gospel saying has been written down.  Thanks be to God it was all in God's detailed plan, was said and it was written down those thousand of years before to be fulfilled and written down to so we might believe and in believing might have life through His Son.  Hallelujah what a God, what a Saviour.

 Blessings and thanks for keeping us in your prayers

John

16th September 2023

Dear All,

First of all, the final leg of the journey went off without any drama: the flight wasn't cancelled and it took off on time.  I barely got on the speedboat before it set off and the driver was waiting for me at the port on the island to drive me and the S-team to the workshop location. 

Then I wanted to thank those that prayed for my talk at the opening ceremony.  I arrived at the village and no surprises the subject matter had changed.  Now I was just giving thanks to a group of 10  different people!  Whilst I was glad of that given my jet-lag, how to make a list of thanks interesting is quite a challenge - I remember only to well having to do it at my wedding!  Also these are big wigs and I was to sit at the front with them, so not a relaxing environment since I didn't know them from Adam.  Anyway as I ponder this written list I asked the Lord for help.  Well the Lord was good and it came rather surprisingly through the local minister as he opened the ceremony with a reading from 1Cor 12 - I think he was more nervous than me and was certainly much younger - straight out of school it looked like!  Anyway, he mentioned  about 'many parts one body'!  Suddenly I had a structure to use for my thanks.  I split into three groups and gave them titles and then gave I reason why they were important to the body here and gave a reason why I was thanking them.  This mention I didn't have to use any notes part from listing their names each and so it was more natural.  Though this was a small thing it really bucked me up, turning something I was dreading into something  I quite enjoyed it and think the audience did too and it left me praising the Lord.  Then afterwards we had a meal all together and  I had some really good talks with these important people. So this altogether made a really good start to this time.

Monday to Saturday lunch time has been a continuing tale of coming across problems in the text from ch 2-9. In fact in every chapter, except ch 2, there was a significant problems!  Here are a few examples from the text, for those who don't have the time just skip this section:
3:3 (turning aside proved difficult to translate) 3:8 land flowing with milk and honey (difficult metaphor to translate meaningful), 3:14 the name of Yahweh "I AM that I AM"
4:25-28 Just difficult
5:6 slave masters (Egyptian) and foremen (Israelites) don't have any equivalents in their language, straw (v7,10,11) don't have it -have an equivalent to wheat but it is dry rice but could not use that since the Egyptians didn't grow rice and anyway straw was being used in direct speech so couldn't use a simile!
6: genealogy - difficult at points
7:11.  There are two groups of people who do 'magic' and a collective term for these people.  First of all the English renderings (wise men, soothsayers = magicians) conjure up the wrong image.  Thankful had one clear and useful resource which proved pivotal but it still took quite a bit of discussion and more than one time.  [In fact for two of the languages we couldn't find a collective term.  This was more problematic then it would seem at first, because thereafter the two groups are not specified but referred to thereafter as the magicians.  So for those two language groups we had to use the two individual terms each time!]
7:19 canals and reservoirs: they don't have
8: getting the right type of frog (river not land based)
9: 9 (Boils that burst from the skin or that burst and fester?) v18 hail - don't have

Needless to say this has meant haven't been able to reach the target I was hoping but that is not the most important thing which is we have made sustained progress and never thus far not resolved a problem satisfactorily, thanks to the Lord's help.  I'm hoping to keep within sight of the target so in the last week, when I'm helping trains new national consultants, I'll get extra verses done outside of the general checking during the first two weeks.  Anyway, hopefully won't fall behind too much since we are scheduled to finish Exodus by summer 2024.  Despite the hard work there have been good times of teaching and general fellowship and throughout it all we have had good interactions!

Praise
* Lord helped with the opening ceremony talk
* Good and sustained progress
* Lord's help to overcome the translation problems

Prayer
* Stamina for me and the teams during the second and last week of checking- feeling really tired after just the first week
* Be conscious of the Lord's help throughout this next week
* Continuing good working relationships and times of teaching

Just so conscious as we go through this what an amazing God He is:
On the one hand so gracious and compassionate which drives the dialogue between God and Moses in ch 3.  Even when God rightly gets angry when Moses asks God to send someone else even though Gods has said he will go with him, which should be sufficient for anyone.  Nevertheless he produces Aaron, seemingly like a rabbit out of a hat, whom as far as we know he had seen in decades just so happens to be on his way to see Moses in the wilderness! 

Then on the other hand the incredible power.  The plagues in many ways reveal his control and power in ever increasing and vivid ways.  This is especially striking and well-planned after the low point of end of ch 5. Pharaoh has seeming won showing his great authority by breaking the Israelite's spirit by making life so difficult for the Israelites: the Israelite foremen  have been told to get their own straw and even use stubble.  Thus producing division between the Israelites and Moses and Aaron: they blame Moses and Aaron and wish God's judgement on them because they have given Pharaoh the means to kill them off.  This causes division between Moses and God who turns against God and basically said matters have got far worse since You have got involved and you haven't done what you said you will do i.e you certainly have not rescued them! 

THEN God steps in first of all reminds them of this incredible generous far-reaching covenant with its incredible goals then He reveals His great power through the plagues (ch 7 onwards) as a sign that he can achieve this:
1) water turns into blood everywhere (BTW, where did the magicians get the clean water to turn into blood from (7:22),
2) frogs which normally live in the rivers/water come out onto the land everywhere (BTW, where did the magicians get the frogs that were still in the water (8:7) - maybe threw a few frogs back in some water who would have jumped back onto the land anyway because of God's control)
3) Gnats everywhere - magicians could not replicate that and recognises this is due to God's power not a human like Moses
4) Flies everywhere except Goshen!  Try keeping flies in one place or restricting them in open land!  By now the magicians aren't even attempting to do anything.
5) Disease everywhere except Goshen.  Trying restricting a disease amongst outside animals
6) Boils everywhere except Goshen!  Trying restricting a human epidemic - we couldn't control the spread of COVID.  The poor magicians cannot even stand before Moses and Aaron because of their boils - they are afflicted just like the rest of the Egyptians!
7) Hail that has not been seen before with such devastating effect except in Goshen.  By now Pharaoh's servants/staff know what is going to happen and act on this one.  God shows mercy so that the people won't suffer outright loss of livestock and man-power.  That is as far as I have got, so I'll stop there.

For me, there are a lot principles being laid down in Exodus that will extend throughout the rest of the Bible narrative including God getting victory at the lowest point.  Surely this is best shown through the cross.  Humanely speaking, it cannot get any lower than God's Son being killed such a shameful death with the unity between His disciples and Jesus in disarray and disciples fearful and meeting behind closed doors; surely this is the end.   It is hard not to believe that the devil was not gloating. Then the resurrection changes everything: God's Almighty power is revealed to both showing victory over death but over sin too.  In this one great act, the devil's power is stripped off him in that instance.  He is never the same again, he has lost his great and ultimate power, the fear of death that he held sway over us.  However, the best revelation of His power is yet too come: the second coming, the new creation and the new dwelling man with God and God with man!  What a way to end the story!

Apologies for the reduced quality of the photos but the bandwidth is so poor here it is necessary otherwise I might not be able to send this email!

So thankful for prayerful support and for the mighty God who always answers our prayers....

John

9th September 2023

Dear All,

Really appreciate your replies reassuring me of your prayers. First of all I had a good night's sleep with the aid of my antihistamines last night. However, more importantly I am reunited with my luggage but not without a bit of drama. The original driver they sent couldn't find the address, mind you it is within a labyrinth of small roads but was despite sending a google map pin! So the boss had to come and find it, which he did seemingly without any difficulty! All in all it took three hours from when it landed to get it to the address where I'm staying - sorry no photo, I'm on my own and my selfie skills are still needing honing!

So I'm now set for getting on my early morning flight tomorrow (Sunday) 06:40. Then a speedboat followed by a 2+ hour car journey before I get to the workshop location late afternoon when there will be a workshop opening ceremony - I’m supposed to be saying something which will be quite a challenge in this jet-lagged condition. Anyway, appreciate prayers for this last stretch of the journey.

Blessings with many heartfelt thanks for your prayers and God's answer

John

8th September 2023

Dear All,

Well the long first journey went well except I didn't sleep well at all.  Have some ideas why but nothing concrete.  The second leg to the entry point flight-wise and entry-wise was smooth except my luggage didn't make it again. I checked before we departed and I was told it wasn't on the plane.  I still watched the luggage carousel but with little hope which was not disappointed! Thankfully I had put some minimal changes of clothing in my hand luggage.  Also since I had rescheduled my in-country flight last time in March it made it easy to do it again.  The only flight was a 6:40 flight on Sunday morning!  Please pray my luggage will turn up tomorrow, especially after just talking with my host here who told me his wife's luggage with the same flight carrier didn't turn up for a week! 

However, I wasn't totally disappointed because as I walked to my gate for the second leg, a thought came into my head: If my luggage doesn't make it again, I'll change my flight times.  So I'll fly in the evening from LHR and stay there overnight after landing at my first leg and then continue next day to point of entry and then the following day carry onto my destination.  I realise this was the Lord providing a way of reducing the tiredness from the journey by travelling at night, which is what I do coming back and all it would cost is one-night stay!  Also he knows me too well that after many years doing this same trip it is hard to think outside those parameters unless something dramatic changes.  So misplaced luggage certainly counts!

So I wasn't too discouraged and I don't want you be who prayed for the luggage to continue with me all the way.  However, please do pray it does make it to me tomorrow, or that will involve another change in a flight and mean I start to eat into the workshop time!

I'll send a very brief one tomorrow to keep you updated....

Blessings and thanks for your prayer support

John

2nd September 2023

Dear All,

Really appreciate the replies I received last time relating to my mother and her possible dementia; more about that later.  Apologies in advance, this has been written in a rush, so probably mistakes which I apologies for in advance.

Work
First of all, thankful that my visa has come through since last I wrote. Then I have to confess work has been slow due mainly to the major annual celebration in mid-August in the target country (in August and December there is a greatly reduced work output).  This has meant I have been waiting for their back translation.  However, this worked out well since we decided to take this week to reset the circuits by taking a long trip down south coast to visit supporters and an old friend of Lois.  The weather for a bank holiday was really good and we managed a long walk along the coast and in the New Forest on the good days.  It was just so therapeutic to get away from our responsibilities here and enjoy God's wonderful creation.  Thinking this might be something we repeat just before I go on the workshop trips in the future!

Trip
Well I'm off on Thursday (7th) and won't be back in the UK until 30th Sept.  The two week consultant checking workshop for the first half of Exodus will start on the 11th Sept.  Then for the last few days (Mon-Wed) in the final week (25-27th), I'll be helping a national with their consultant training.  This is a new thing and I'm excited and also slightly apprehensive.  Excited because we need more consultants than ever with the acceleration in BT work, and especially nationals.  Apprehensive because I've never done this and barely experienced doing myself - sat in many consultant checks but only in the last year or so have actually done it myself!  However, I console myself that I know the teams and the consultant-in-training well, who is well experienced in translation.  The other downside is that we will both be rather tired after the two week checking.   So we both will need your prayers.

Itinerary:
7th leave UK
8th arrive in target country around 6am (UK)
9th travel in-country to workshop destination
10th arrive at workshop (10am)
11-16th, 18-22nd consultant check on Exodus 1-18
25-27th national consultant-in-training mentoring

Family:
Zoe and David: Had a couple of weeks of enjoyable holiday with David's parents in August.  Of course all the boys will be going up a class and Toby will start school.  So a big change for him and the home.  Zoe is restarting work again and particularly looking forward to her assistant admin role at her old church (St Peter's Fulham).  David will be pretty hectic as music director for the Dundonald church as it gears up for the Autumn term.
Maia and Alex: They had their holiday with us in June in Cyprus which seems a long-time ago.  Ezra, like Toby will be starting school.  So like Toby going from part-time reception school to full time school can be quite an adjustment.  Lyla will still be in nursery while Maia works part-time.  Alex has been pretty busy as the director of AsiaLink too.
Caleb and Jana: They went over to the States for Lenora to meet Jana's side of the family in June.  She of course was quite a hit being the first grandchild.  Jana has to go back to work as nurse as part of the NHS maternity pay contract.
Lois: Will start lecturing at Brookes again during my third week away.  It is Lois' Mum's (Kathleen) 91st birthday today.  So the family members nearby all visited her today which she greatly appreciated. 

Lord answers prayer above and beyond:
On our way up to Maia and Alex on a Friday (18th August), we decided to pop in and see my Mum.  The Lord gave Lois the idea that while we were there we could drop in and see her doctor.  I had been trying to ring and get a phone appointment to talk about my Mum and the need for a diagnosis for a few weeks.  However, it was proving impossible to get through and when I do get through there are no phone appointments for that day and they couldn't book any in advance.  So you have to ring the next day! 

Anyway, I went in with my mother hoping that there might be the possibility of somehow getting a phone appointment.  Well the receptionist mentioned the best way was to turn up at 8am and queue to get an appointment!  My Mother mobility-wise is beyond queueing and I pointed out I lived in Oxford!  So we seemed to have reached an impasse.  Anyway, the Lord obviously moved in receptionist heart.  For she got up and came back a few minutes later saying we could see my Mum's favourite doctor at 3:40pm!  Absolutely amazing!  The Lord had exceeded our prayers.  We went to see the doctor who did the standard dementia test with my Mum and concluded that she needed to be referred for an appointment at the memory clinic.  So she is in the system.  I hope to be back to attend with her this appointment when it comes.       

Praise:
* Visa came through in good time
* God's gracious above and beyond answer to our prayer for my Mum
* A refreshing break away

Prayer:
* Smooth journey in, including through Immigration and luggage accompanying me all the way!
* Good progress during the first week of checking of Exodus - teams all present and well throughout
* For Lois while I'm away relating to preparing for her Brookes lectures and her family responsibilities while I'm away

I was preaching on Ps 139 the other Sunday, which is a reflective psalm of David that he probably penned towards the end of his life. 
v1-6: God All-seeing: God's intentional finding out everything about him (inner and outer life) so as to protect him, is so wonderful and too deep for him to comprehend.
v7-12 God All-present: God is everywhere both physical and spiritual and even in darkness (outer and inner) so as to guide and hold him safe.
v13-18 God All-powerful: God is even in the dark womb so as to use His great power to create us from our beginning to our end in the womb, to pre-determine our first and last day outside the womb.  His workings are awesome and wonderful to him, His intentions are so incredible and too many for him to count.
v19-24 God All-Holy:  All this reflecting and resulting wonderment causes David to desire two things: 
1) Outwardly:  for those who are guilty of being blood-thirsty: who do not value created life nor the God behind that created life, showing they are God's enemies, a) therefore David desires they would be far away from him and b)David desires God would kill His enemies
2) Inwardly: David himself desires 1) to be holy and to that end asks God to examine even his intentions to find/show any part of his path/lifestyle that is offensive (that leads away from God) and 2) to be with God and to that end asks God to lead/guide him along the everlasting ways (that lead to Him).        

Finally I'm attaching a photo that Bernard (one of the S-team) sent me of his home group reading the S-NT.  Always good to remind myself that this is what I/we want to see Scripture in people's hands and them reading it - both physical copy and app too.  Not the end but an important step along the way to spiritual reformation in the local churches

Blessings and thanks for your prayers for this next trip for me and for Lois back here.

28th July 2023

Dear All,

I've been very remiss and not sent out an update after the zoom workshop finished on Friday 21st.  I must say after the first couple of days I wondered if I could do another 9 days!  So thank you for your prayers that sustained me and also the teams at the other end; though it was noticeable that our production dropped off during the last couple of days!  A nice touch was many of the teams got a new laptop: Some like Thomas were running windows 7 laptop, which was well past its sell-by date!

Anyway, so very thankful we managed to finish off the psalms and to so over chapter of Exodus which though a simple narrative is very detailed and so needs quite a bit of work to make sure it is all in.  This week seems to have flown by, hence writing this brief update at the end of the week.

Now August is a slow month due to their Independence day, so we will lose momentum but then there will be the next 3 week workshop starting on the 10th Sept!  However, we on both sides of the world will need to get ready for checking first half of Exodus.  Thankful on one hand that it is face-to-face but by the very same token it will be extra tiring factoring in the travelling and heat.   Tickets are all booked, all I'm waiting for is the visa and then every thing will be ready.  Don't anticipate any problems with the latter but always good to cover such matters in prayer.

I would like you to prayer for Tonga and Evie, they in addition to their normal responsibilities are seeking to be trained as national consultants!  There are plans to try and reduce their present duties, but like I'm sure our own experiences, there will be some overlap when they are doing both. 

Home front:  In addition to caring for Lois' mum who is in Oxford with her dementia, it looks like my mum in Derby has already started on that journey -  not been medically confirmed but it looks like a strong possibility.  I don't know how we will be able to support her too.  At the every least it will involve more travelling and taking on more responsibilities.  Then of course include in my overseas trips too and I cannot see how this complex variety of responsibilities can be worked out.  However, I'm confident that the Lord can work it out.  The other day, the Lord brought to mind His words in Matt 6:33, 34 "But seek His kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough troubles of its own"  Has there been a truer word spoken of our everyday experience!

Praise
* Psalms finally finished - over 2.5 years from start to finish
* Many of the TAGASA team have a new laptop
* All 3 sets of plane tickets are booked

Prayer
*  Despite barely finished a zoom workshop, we need to get quite a lot of work prepared for 10th Sept workshop
* Visa to be issued without any problems
* If my mother is diagnosed with dementia, a way forward to include her care of her along with everything else

Finally, I had  really powerful experience as we went through checking the opening scene of the Israelites plight in Exodus.  First we have the supernatural blessing of the growth of God's people (1:7).  Pharaoh's response: order the midwives to kill the sons (1:16).  God's response: His people became even more numerous.  Pharaoh's response: All the Egyptians, if they see a Hebrew boy, are to thrown them in the Nile.  So pause the story: This looks dire.  How can God prevent this.  Well a boy, not ordinary there was something special about him, is born to Levi couple try and keep their baby boy hidden (2:2).  However, babies become vocal.  Now instead of the Nile becoming like a killing field it becomes a place of refuge.  Instead of keeping her son as far away from the Nile as possible: She approaches it and places him in a covered basket amongst the reeds at the edge of the Nile (2:3).  It must have been so hard to do that.  I am sure she turned away with a very heart and tears in her eyes, unable to watch what happened next.  However, Miriam watched. End of scene one.  

Scene two: Enter the Pharaoh's daughter whose heart was not like her father's who was callous and uncaring.  Despite seeing first-hand, or perhaps because of seeing first-hand his heart, hers is one of compassionate who upon hearing just a normal crying of baby is moved to take care of him (2:6) - she must have heard many babies crying - despite fully knowing this was a Hebrew boy, despite knowing that her father would be angry if he found out.  I can only assume that compassion that flowed out was visible and Miriam with great courage and wisdom approaches her and asks if she could get a Hebrew mother to look after him (2:7).  If she hadn't we don't what would have happened: Clearly Pharaoh's daughter could not take it back to the palace, maybe she would have looked for a Egyptian mother to nurse him; but would such a woman be found willing to do that against her father's edict.  So before such troubling questions arise Miriam is there with her offer. No hiding of the truth: a Hebrew boy needs a Hebrew mother.  Decision time again for Pharaoh's daughter, further trouble if found out.  Bur her compassion holds as we close scene two.

Scene three (2:8-10): Moses mother is reunited with her baby she thought was lost and was paid to look after him, what a moment that must have been.  How precious that time must have been for her.  Then the Pharaoh's daughter keeps her promise and accepts this Hebrew son as her own into the palace.  How she kept it a secret I don't know.  God's plan of salvation was so vulnerable but right under Pharaoh's nose He produces an amazing act - you just could not write it. 

Of course God does it again even more spectacularly some 1500 years later: Son born to virgin, in danger of being killed, the same edict to kill young born sons and the same God protected his vulnerable son and the key to our salvation.  The rest as they say is history or should I say His-story

Blessings and thanks for your sustaining prayers through the workshop and ongoingly,

John

17th July 2023

Dear All,

Thanks for praying. 

Last week and today, there were days when we could have the video on and days when we had to have the video off, days it rained so they couldn't hear me.  Days when there breaks in the connections and every day there were multiple times, we had to repeat on both sides.  The good news is that finished Ps 119 this morning!  We finished in just seven working days. This was ahead of the scheduled 8-9 days!  So if Ps 68 goes as well, we might even get onto Exodus!  This improvement is due to them really committing to putting the work into not only draft but improving the drafts beforehand, so they are not so many revisions.

Their end there is one screen and nine people in three tables in series in front of one screen with one microphone (see photo 1-3).  This is a good recipe for growing in patience especially with the connection that keeps cutting out. As you cannot keep on going for 3+ hours without some form of break, well you could do but by the end I would not be able to vouch the quality towards the end of those three hours.  So at the end of every stanza (8 verses) we had exercise time (see photo 4-6), we do the exercises 8 times once for each verse! Mind you all it needs is a couple of poor days of weather anywhere in the internet network and that progress will be lost.  So please continue to prayer.

I've been thankful for the Lord's help when facing some difficult issues: you want to keep the metaphor but you cannot say 'How sweet your words to my taste' 119:113) and to express some verses more clearly (I look on the faithless with loathing.  Who are they godless people e.g foreigners: 119:158) .  Well in the former: Your words are just like food that is sweet to my palate and in the latter the word translated faithless according to the dictionary I have, is quite a strong one and can mean act treacherously or faithlessly relating to relationship, rights and covenants.  Well we cannot say act treacherously or act faithlessly or even have the adjective (treacherous) but we could say: I feel loathing when seeing those (pointing back to 157) Israelites who betray their faith (for/because they don't obey your Word).

Yesterday, went to one of our supporting churches (Bishopdown Evangelcial Church) and I preached and then we gave a report during the fellowship meal.  We haven't been to see them since Oct 2019.  It was so encouraging to be there and see and experience again, despite that long time, their genuine interest and support which was very tangible and heart-warming.  We came home tired but rejoicing.

Praise
* Despite the less than perfect internet connection, great progress
* Good times in Ps 119
* Great synergy and dedication from the teams

Prayer
* Continuing progress with the necessary stamina and insight to translate through to Friday
* Might finish Ps 68 (and thereby finish Psalms after 2.5 years!) and even get into Exodus
* The teams would go home so encouraged by what they done and learnt

The great thing in checking it over a concentrated time is you start to get inside the psalmist's head and heart.  Clearly he loves God's Word.  How has he come to that loving?  Well meditating seems to be a key followed by delighting in doing it.  Resulting in Him finding out God's word is utterly sure/trustworthy because of the God behind it always is gracious to those who obey His Word.  A bit long but to me from my reading of this great psalm, meditating and delighting in doing it are the keys to the journey of proving to yourself God and His Word are utterly trustworthy and growing in love for His Word.  It is not hard to see how that would be cycle that would increasingly feed itself more and more. 

Blessings and thanks for your prayers and encouragement

John

4th July 2023

Dear All,

Well our Cyprus holiday is fast coming to an end.  We are very thankful for the time we have been able to spend away from Oxford and the responsibilities that brings and instead focus on a family holiday enjoying Maia and Alex and their kids (Ezra and Lyla) and some time together.  However, after we get back on the 7th July,  we'll hit the ground running
1) Zoom workshop starts on the Monday (10th July) until 21st July and includes the Saturday! As many of you know, Zoom is better than nothing but you achieve less than face-to-face and is prone to being vulnerable to the extra vagaries of technology and internet!   Furthermore, recently found out that Tonga and Evie, two people who would normally be present with the teams to help me, they are going to be involved in a national translation consultant training course from my second week of checking until 28th July.  So it looks like I'll be flying solo after the first week!

2) I'm going to be away on the 16th July preaching at a supporting church in Salisbury (Bishopdown Evangelical church) and giving a report. 

Works-wise, I've been working on the opening chapters of Exodus. I'm thankful the teams are seeming to get into a good working pattern of implementing my suggestions too.  Also booked my international flight tickets for the September (7-29th) face-to-face consultant check of Exo 1-18.

Praise
* Great family holiday with Maia and Alex and two of our grandchildren (Ezra and Lyla)
* Good progress working on Exodus, given I'm on holiday!
* Teams getting into a good working pattern implementing the new system of working

Prayer
* Zoom workshop will go smoothly technology and internet-wise
* Will have some support at the village end during the second week of the zoom workshop
* Will finish checking Ps 68 and 119 and thereby finish checking the whole of Psalms!

While I've been here in Cyprus,  been working on the opening chapters of Exodus (1-6).  These are the formative years for Moses in both himself an his relationship with the Lord.  Ch3-4 contains his encounter with God and God's subsequent mission through Moses as his leader to bring His people out of Egypt.  However, Moses fears that he will fail as the leader of God's people according to what he has seen you need to be a leader: a leader needs to be important so as to be recognised as a leader, be believable in the message he brings and to that end be a good orator.  So he fears he will fail on all three accounts:
1) Who am I... I am...I am...? (3:11)He will fail as their leader because he is not recognised as someone important by Pharaoh and probably by the people either.  Not helped by the only reported interaction with Israelites after he had killed an Egyptian, resulted in him clearly no being viewed as their leader plus his fall from the royal courts to become a humble shepherd in the wilderness.
2) Who are you? (3:13) Therefore he fears that a) the people won't believe him so he needs a name to validate his claim that God has appeared to him - God only appears/reveals himself to leaders/important people!
3) They won't believe/trust me! (4:1).  b) I need something to prove/validate God you have appeared to me.
4) I'm am not eloquent speaker! (4:10) Furthermore, he will fail as leader because he is not good enough in the Hebrew language (slow of speech and tongue) to be an orator that is required by their leader.  Understandable given that whatever level of Hebrew fluency he had before it would have diminished over the 40 years of being away.
5) Please send someone else!!! (4:13)

God answers each one of his fears:
1) But I AM (Yahweh) with you (3:12).  It is not who Moses is, it is who is with Moses.  On whose authority is he going; God's.  This reminds me of Jesus speaking about his authority being not His own but the Father's authority in John's gospel.  Amazingly it is John 8 again! [Last update I mentioned the three themes of Liberation, light and life which appear in Ps 119 appear in John 8 relating to Jesus.]  In John 8:28-30 we have: So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him. Notice the response to this: many believed in Him.  Then right at the end of the chapter we have Jesus saying, Truly, Truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am (v58).  The response this time was is to try and stone him!  Both times, people realised what Jesus was saying and he deliberately used words that would invoke OT Scriptures.
2) ...I Am who I Am... say  'I Am has sent me to you' (3:14) God reveals His name three times just like Moses uses 'I am' three times for himself.  God reveals not so much His name but that 'He Is', His presence, His reality has always been.
3) God gives him three miraculous signs to be able to perform (4:2-9). 
Therefore no need for him to fear their unbelief, His revealed name and these signs will be prove he has met with God and God is sending him.  Look at Jesus' words in John  8:29: And He who sent me is with me.   Jesus is so conscious of being sent by God.  Therefore He has the right to speak and with such confidence.   
3) ...I Am with your mouth (4:12) God's presence will be with even His words.  God will provide the words He is to speak, he will speak with God's authority.  Look at John 8:28(b) but speak just as the Father taught me. 
4) God is angry by Moses' continuing belief that God is not enough, but graciously God provides Aaron as Moses' mouth piece to the people (4:14).

So bottom line: Moses + God is not enough for Moses to overcome his internal fear of failure as a leader.  Anyway, nevertheless and despite his internal fears, Moses does go and do all God asks him, with the help of God's provision of Aaron.  The start of his life's walking with 'I Am', the start of a life that was going to be so blessed by God.  What is interesting is that the external fears didn't seem to figure in his mind, and yet you would think they would be greater than his internal fears.  For example: The fear of appearing before Pharaoh with God's impossible demand and his reaction!  After all Pharaoh who could have him killed.  Then God was going to harden his heart so he wouldn't be compliant at all until he loses his firstborn son.   But is that not like us, or should I say, I see myself in Moses' responses.  I think our internal fears have such a strong hold on us, maybe an even stronger hold than external fears, is it because we feel irrationally that God cannot help us internally but He can externally?  Maybe it is because our internal fears are with us all the time, plaguing our thoughts?

So how did Moses conquer his internal fears? He obeyed God and so in doing so was able to see God at work in and through him.  God proved to him that Moses + God was sufficient to do all that God had said.  So much so, during his meetings with God on Horeb, in response to God saying an angel will lead them forward (33:2), he says to God,"If your presence does not go with us, do not take us from here."Exo. 33:15.   His external fears are gone and his only fear is that God won't go with Him: Moses + angel is not enough to move from Horeb, God+Moses is enough!  

Similarly for me, before we went out, my fears, which were very valid, were very much internal: Could I cope with living in a village to learn an unwritten language, Could I learn a language especially one not written, would such detailed work in the Scriptures mean it would lose its freshness and impact on me?  I was worried far more about the internal fears than the external fears: For example, I did not worry about: Would there be capable village people to help me,  would I get visas long enough to finish the translation, would any of us die due to some horrible tropical disease (e.g malaria - we all had it twice) etc.  However, the internal fears became just background unanswered questions rather than debilitating fears that stopped me going forward.  This was because of seeing God's leading, showing he was with us made the difference; that God with me, was enough. Perhaps this was the same for the disciples.  Jesus left his disciples with an impossible task to do by themselves but it was a possible task with His presence; hence Jesus' words: Lo, I am with you to the end of the ages. 

So often our internal fears are so strong they can stop us walking with God through the storms of our fear and finding His blessing.  The answer to our internal, and external fears too, and so to finding God's blessing, is to step forward in obedience, despite our fears, trusting that all we will need is 'God with us', all we need is the 'I Am' with us. 

Finally, sometimes as well, we need an Aaron type figure to help us to start that journey, to help us to step out to face our fears (for me that was Lois).  So we need to be on the look-out for God's provision and welcome him/her.

So thankful God is with us and that you are with us via your prayers, support and encouragements

John

12th June 2023

Dear All,

This will be brief, well the front part is! We are off on holiday on Wednesday (14/06/23), a little earlier to Cyprus in order to miss the worst of heat.  Maia and Alex, along with Ezra and Lyla, will be joining us for two weeks  As usual we are looking forward to having time with Lois' sister, Naomi, and husband, Nicolas and their two sons, as well as enjoying their generous hospitality; which makes it possible for us to even go to such a beautiful place.  Alas, the teams will still be working so I'll need to keep up with some work so they won't get too far ahead!

I finally finished checking and making comments on Ps 119 at the end of May, which incidently was the 8th anniversary of the NT being dedicated.  Whilst it was hard work, I must say it was a blessed time.  The teams now need to weigh up my suggestions and see how they can implement them in their language before the July zoom workshop (10th-21st July).  The objective of the consultant check is to finish off the consultant check Psalms with a check on Ps 68 and 119.  Now I have started to checking and making comments on Exodus.  Foolishly I thought it might be a lot easier!  However, it is hard too, but in a different way: the level of detail in the opening chapters.

Yesterday (11/06/23), we had the honour of attending a 150th anniversary of Trinity, our supporting church in Buxton, and both of us speaking briefly from the front.  It was a very good service and good sermon from a evangelical bishop challenging us to  keep on showing and sharing Jesus for the next 50 years!

Praise:
* Finishing off Ps 119
* Attending and taking part in a momentous 150th church anniversary

Prayer:
*Good break with a nice balance between relaxing and fitting in some work
* Stamina and insight as I check Exodus

As I've gone through Ps 119 which is a long psalm about Scripture/God's Word, there are three themes (Liberation, Light and Life: Kidner) which are the benefits that come from the Torah.  In reading that, I saw a strong connection with John's gospel: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God (ch1:1).  There is a big difference between the Word of God (Torah) the Word (Logos). We have been given the Word of God but Jesus was the Word and He was God and he was given to us.  Not a written or even spoken form but the human form.   John is putting forward Jesus as the better Word of God, not the word from God but the Word himself, the visible Ps 119, the living Word, the visible God in human form, the tangible form of God.  It gets even more interesting when you look at the meanings of the two words (Torah): simply put is the written expression of God's character whilst Logos was a Greek (Stoic) concept of the 'principle of reality'.  So we have the written expression(Torah) and the reality(Logos) of God.  So the Greek language had the word already to express the next level of revelation: God himself!

In v4 the twin themes of light and life are evident: 'In him was life and that life was the light of man'.   Light and life are very strong themes through John's gospel: John 3:16 for eternal live and John 8:12 Jesus as the light of the world.  Interestingly in the same chapter i.e 8 we have all three: Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (8:12) i.e will live in the light.  Then in 8:36 'If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed'.

Irene Lipson in her book 'The twelve word Jesus knew' shows how Jesus fulfills twelve particular Hebrew words.  When it comes to the Torah she draws a connection with Rabbinic tradition and Jesus words in Matt 11:28-30 Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.  She says "One of the ancient descriptions of the Torah was that of a yoke: Whoso receives upon himself the yoke of the Torah, from him the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the worldly care will be removed".  The parallels are so obvious and staggering!  Surely Jesus was aware of this and was pointing to himself as the better Torah, a more gentle and humble teacher than any of the Pharisees, a better message of a higher rest.  

Finally, I leave the last word to the writer to the Hebrews 1:1-3:  In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

I've attached a document for the keen ones.  It arose out of a request for one of our supporting churches asking for prayer items for three Sundays.  I decided to do it based around past, present and future.  Plenty of interesting details and matters for praise and prayer...

Blessings and thanks for all the encouragement we receive from you all in the many and varied forms

John

 10th May 2023

Dear All,

Apologies, a bit more than a month since my last one which indicates I have been rather busy.  Visiting two supporting churches (Bradford and Kingswinford, outskirts of West Birmingham) and giving 2 reports and preaching which was very encouraging.  It never ceases to amaze me how committed the churches still are to us and the work of bringing long-term spiritual change to the S-people. Then liaising with a colleague over producing the dictionary.  Thankfully finished off checking Psalm 68 and have checked 8 stanzas of the 22 stanzas of Psalm 119 for the three languages.  Not only is it the longest psalm but the longest 'chapter' in the whole Bible.  We don't know for sure who the author is but it is truly an amazing psalm:  Whilst it is clear he is very gifted in poetry and music too, it is equally clear he really loves God's Word; it is foundational and pivotal in every aspect of his life and this psalm would not exist if there wasn't that overflowing love for God's Word.  It is an amazing feat to create 22 stanzas of 8 lines of musical poetry each line of the same stanza start with the same letter of the alphabet i.e stanza 1 starts with 8 lines all starting with their equivalent of 'a' and so on.  He does this for all 22 letters/stanzas of the alphabet!  Furthermore he makes it challenging for the translator by using 8 near synonyms for God's Word the central theme throughout the psalm! According to  Phil Moore, none of the 22 stanzas use fewer than 6 of these and 5 stanzas contain all 8 (v41-48, 57-64, 73-80, 81-88, 129-136)!   Whilst my desire is that the team(s) would likewise come to love the Word of God and Him through it, I realise it is a journey.  After all, I love God's Word and Him far more than when I first became a Christian.  Whether it is short or long, whether I see it or not, it is my on-going prayer they will have a personal relationship with God and Jesus that deepens through His Word.

Workwise for the teams: They started off well for a couple of weeks: achieving the work targets according to the schedule but are now falling behind the work schedule.  Since this is a new system, it is my fault for not reminding them more often.  This won't be an issue for the next workshop in July since we are just doing Psalm 119 and 68 via Zoom.  However, it will be very important they get back in sync and reach the target for the September workshop which is Exodus completely ready for consultant check.  This means: drafted, checked for accuracy against a literal translation and naturalness with people, along with a back translation and checked by myself for accuracy against the original language.

This Sunday I'm giving a report at my home church and preaching, thereafter it will be a quiet month.  Then will be attending a rather special event at a supporting church on June 11th: 150th anniversary for Trinity church in Buxton.

Praise:
* So very thankful for the visits to some of faithful supporting churches
* Thankful for progress, albeit slower than I would like
* So thankful for Psalm 119

Prayer:
* Teams would be able to get back on schedule workwise
* Teams would start/continue of that journey to personally loving God through his Word.
* For insight and wisdom in finishing off Psalm 119 -  the last one!

I have very much enjoyed going through Exodus using Alec Motyer's (one of my three favourite commentators) commentary in the BST series.  He made a very helpful comment on Exo 19:4-6 : (4)You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. (5) Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, (6) you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

So he points out election in v4 which is unconditional divine decision but then we come to the conditional 'if' in v5, "this forms the bridge between what the Lord has done and what He promises (5b-6a) the only 'if' in the whole sequence."  They gained the great blessing of election by Divine will but the greater blessing (becoming his treasured possession having access to Him as priests, to show His glory to the world as His nation) involved obeying and keeping His covenant.  This got me thinking and it is not totally proven but this principle holds for at least one other group of verses: John 3:16-18.  The divine unconditional blessing: For God so loved the world He gave his one and only Son.  The conditional greater blessing was linked to faith i.e that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For clearly Jesus coming into the world was a blessing to many it but the greater blessing to a greater number (multitude that cannot be numbered) is to have eternal life.  So I think there is a principle that God does give many and varied universal blessings to all; but to gain the greater spiritual blessing it is conditional on our response which is usually faith.  Even then the greater blessings is not merited, it so totally out of proportion (eternal life with God) to the condition for it to be gained (faith in Jesus), it is still an incredible act of bounteous grace. What a God, what a Lord...

Blessings and our most grateful thanks for your prayers and support

John

24th March 2023

Dear All,

Well another week, where God's good hand was seen.  Though first of all, I want to mention His power shown in the phenomenal Tuesday afternoon thunderstorm.  I have never experienced such a one, even here.  Normally in the UK, you hear rumblings high up and then crack of lightning sometimes very close that make you jump out of the skin.  Here, usually they are more powerful but this was in a different league.  The thunder was like rolling waves moving across the sky very low, making a noise like crashing waves on pebbles.  It felt so close like it was right over you just a few metres above you, going over the house one way and back the other way.  The power was truly awesome and I was thinking if this turns into lightning and hits this house it would destroy it.  Thankfully the lightning was intra-cloud and then came the rain!  Altogether this weather was enough to knock out the power for a couple of  hours, which wasn't good for work, it was good for lowering the general temperature significantly and made checking less tiring that afternoon.

Sunday: I went to church and met many old friends, who fondly asked after Lois and the kids.  Thankfully, I didn't have to do anything in the service apart from endure it, as my ears were bombarded with the over-turned up amp which distorted the music was exceedingly painful to your ears.  However, Thomas asked me to speak at the men's group afterwards.  I must say I accepted with great reluctance in my heart.  I suppose not only do I raise the profile of the local language but also it gives him a rest from doing this.  The Lord was very gracious despite my poor attitude and gave me what to say.  Alas, the house owner, where the men's meeting was taking place, was on the church leadership which always meets directly afterwards, so had to wait around in the heat of the midday, my skin visibly sweating.  Anyway, I was asked to speak after the main speaker.  I used one of the newly translated psalms (139) to show how much clearer the S-translation was than the national language.   Then in the afternoon a minister from the T-dialect popped round to see Thomas wanting some help to run a service, songs and a sermon in the local language.  I was coming too and my ears pricked up and came out and showed him all the digital resources too (dictionary, the Bible app and website). In the end we invited him to come along on Monday to help making the dictionary more complete in the other two dialects.  After that I visited Arnold's widow and the village head's widow, where stayed at when we lived here as a family.  Good to remember the good times between us, amidst the losses.

Dictionary checking: Monday morning was not a promising start.  The W-speaker said he couldn't come until the afternoon which basically meant the next day.  We had one T-speaker who wasn't very good but the day was saved by the minister of the T-dialect, who had came to visit Thomas on Sunday, turning up. So we made progress but of course I had to log the entries that we had filled with a T-word but not a W-word.  We tried various people in the evening for another W-speaker, assuming the one who promised would not turn up.  No joy and so went to bed praying for the Lord's help in providing one.

Long story short, we ended with four informants: two of each dialect! While this is good, you start to find out the personalities and who knows the most about the language: would be nice if a strong personality went with knowledge but doesn't seem to be always the case!   Anyway, though we started late, we got through quite a bit in the morning but the afternoon was delayed starting due to the thunderstorm - see above.  However we made very good progress in the afternoon due to the reduced temperature.  Looked like we would finish on Wednesday.  Well the two T-speakers turned up late next morning and one of the W speakers didn't turn up at all, and the other one turned up very late.  So we started the work after coffee break!  Thankful anyway, that we did manage to finish going through the dictionary just before lunch time.  This was a good thing because they were able to depart before another thunderstorm in the mid-afternoon hit, thankfully a tame one compared with the previous day.

Tuesday evening: Thomas and I visited Rikado, the S-speaker from here who is head of the local languages for schools department.  This was very profitable because he was starting to put flesh on the bones of a curriculum.   My intent was to discuss the teachers' handbook I had produced for an hour or so.  However, we ended up helping cleaning and improving a couple of songs in the local language that he had translated from national school ones with moral value and his general lesson plan until 10:30! I now realise that I should have put songs in the handbook as additional material in the back, and not just assuming the teachers would do that.  Their primary school has a lot of singing and even a little in their middle schools.

Wednesday evening:  We went round again to Rikado's to help out more.  Yet another surprise.  He showed us a S-language to national language dictionary!  Both Thomas' and my face must have been a picture.  However after opening our faces were a different picture!   One of horror that such a shoddy work should have been paid for by government money and been published.  It had so many mistakes and the only good thing was that it was nicely produced.  Thomas was angry and was planning to visit the head of education to complain and also worried that people might equate it with the S-team.  I was worried that teachers, who don't know the language, might use it as a resource.   However, the outcome was I need to get ours out and printed to counter this poor and false version. Also I had printed off the relative bits on the writing and reading system of the language to discuss it with Rikado.  He said it was helpful and clear with a smile so he feels he can teach it to the other teachers. 

Thursday: Early morning set off to catch the speedboat at around 7am and then some time resting before taking the 1pm flight to the exit point.  Well that was the plan.  To cut a long story short, my 1pm flight was cancelled again.  This not only took some clarifying but also whether the one hour flight either side of it were cancelled or not.  In the end was able to clarify both were still scheduled and so went straight to the airport without any rest and just got on the 12:10 flight, even though as I went through security I glanced up and saw on the board that check-in had been closed for that flight.  So I got to my exit point today with my luggage too, praising the Lord yet again for his wonderful intervention and leading.  Then in the late afternoon met up with more work colleagues and discussed a potential music workshop to turn some of the psalms into songs.  The Lord needs to lead us to a local who has both the gifting and the ability to run with this with little intervention after some training.

Friday: Everything went smoothly: Got through immigration without a single question.  It was back to how it was years ago.  So I'm wondering whether there had been a new incentive from above which meant stricter checking, which like most things here, is enforced but only for a short time, before resorting back to the previous status quo. Incoming flight landed between showers and low cloud cover.  Now at the international hub waiting for the long flight back to the UK. 

Praise:
*A very productive time checking psalms and the dictionary
* Good times with the 3 language teams during check, with the S-team during the dictionary checking, particularly Thomas and also to meet up with Rikado again and thankful he is in a position of influence
* Good discussion about potential music workshop

Prayer:
* For the teams as they work through a more demanding work schedule, that they would keep up the output and quality as well
* For recovery for both Lois and myself
* For the Lord to lead us to the right person to take on developing the use of local language in music.

I think overall, the psalm that has struck me the most is Ps 139 because of its theme, vivid language and metaphors, plus David's structure and deep insight.  It was a real blessing to go through it slowly and recognise all those features.  Doing this line of work forces you to slow down and see things that a normal read through will naturally miss.  Not enough time to expound further but maybe one day...

Want to finish with some heartening stories about Thomas ( the only one of the original three members of the translation team).  We were sitting around with the W- and T- dialect people and Bernard, after eating after the dictionary work had finished.  Got onto these incredible thunderstorms and the increasing number of earthquakes in this country.  I pointed this was a sign that the Lord's 2nd coming is getting closer.  Thomas said well he has already come.  Stunned silence.  Well into me He has, he said. I said you mean your second birth which he agreed with. He had also talked earlier about how the Lord had helped him before when he was given zero notice to do the sermon.  How he had prayed and the Lord showed him a passage.  Also how an M had been searching and met up with Thomas and came to find Christ through attending the local church.  This is quite amazing and gives all the glory to God given the church services and preaching here.  It shows how little the Spirit needs to bring some to Christ.  Thomas has come such a long way and he testifies quite openly and clearly he is His, as is Bernard (a member of the translation team).  I think Yurvi (the other member of the present translation team) is getting there too.  Such a blessing Thomas and Bernard are and neat to see first-hand the effect of translating God's Word on them over the years.

Attached some photos for you to enjoy....

Blessings and thanks for keeping us before the throne of absolute Grace 

19th March 2023

Dear All,

Let’s start with the great news that at the end of working day on Friday,  we reached our target of finishing book 5 of the Psalms - except for Ps 119, that is being left for the workshop via zoom!  Thanks for praying for times to teach as well.  Got quite a few chances to explain the significance of David's words.  The one that caught their attention most was Ps 139 v 12 which had struck me too and which I mentioned in my 23/02/23 email.  The Lord gave me a neat way of getting it across.  I just asked them what would happen if God should came into this room?  They answered correctly it would be filled with light.  So they realised that darkness and light cannot co-exist.  So therefore darkness is as light to God.  There were some funny moment too: they translated literally, 'Let a righteous man strike me, it is a sign of his love (Ps 141:5).  So I asked them all to line up so I could hit them and thereby show them my love!  There was no take-up on that one!   So we changed it to, 'Let the righteous man rebuke me... This theme is repeated in Proverbs too.

Due to the lost time with one of the team's laptops being down, I had not got beyond Ps 140 in my checking and suggestions.  Alas this showed in the need to work until 6:30pm, instead of 5pm, most nights this week.  A good reminder that the work that is done before we get to the workshops pays dividends!  On Friday night I worked all night getting the work schedules for the three languages finished ready to be printed and handed out at the closing ceremony today.  Not surprisingly, I had my best night's sleep on Friday night, almost certainly due to a real sense of relief and achievement under God's good hand. 

On Saturday, at the closing ceremony, I explained to them that if they needed to finish under 10/11 years they need to follow this fairly strict timetable of work which should produce better quality work ready to be checked and so increase productive at the workshops.  Time will tell if that is the result.  Anyway, the teams seemed to understand the importance of this and seemed to be on board.  One of the team members saw this extra hard work I put in creating these work schedules as a sign I was really committed to helping them finish!  I was told he was so touched he was in tears!  

This coming week
Well I have been amazed again by God.  Thomas had a phone call earlier this week from Rikardo, those with incredible memories might remember he was the best person to help us check out the Scriptures in that he was also able to give helpful suggestions too.  We very much missed his input in the project when he was posted off to far away place as a government teacher.  Therefore, he never took any more part after his early involvement.  Well now he has risen in the teaching ranks to be head of local languages department, never knew there was such a one, so probably fairly new.  He was running a conference and wanted Thomas to come along, which he couldn't of course since he was much needed here.  However, I managed to send him my teacher's handbook, which I was told he was very pleased with it.

This is amazing in two ways: 1) because he has risen to such a high position and so his passion for local language use will really be useful and drive that forward but 2) since moving over to full-time checking I've been feeling the disappointment that I don't have the time nor energy to do any language promotion in either the schools or the churches.  So the latter looks like it will be wonderfully sorted out by the Lord.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the Lord will provide and answer to the need of promotion of local languages in the churches. Finally he is in the same village as Thomas so I hope to connect with Rikardo during these few days here.

So since nothing else came up so I'm staying with Thomas and going to continue on with the dictionary work, cleaning up and including T- and W-dialect entries.  This is assuming that we can get both a T- and W- informants. Whilst you never finish a dictionary I'm hoping to get to a point by Wednesday where I can put this to one side and produce a final(?) dictionary app, well for the moment any way!  

At some point, I need to check the formatting of the Psalms for the three languages so when we hopefully finish at the next workshop, I can quickly produce a booklet.  So if it doesn't work out for doing the dictionary this week, there is plenty to do here, though I would prefer to be working on the dictionary here.

Will leave the area on early Thursday morning to start the journey home, hopefully leaving the country smoothly on Friday afternoon (5am UK time) arriving early on Saturday morning in the UK

Praise
* We reached the target set of doing the psalms in Book 5 (107-150) except 119, which was a real sense of achievement
* God's leading to produce a way forward that doesn't involve me directly in promoting the local languages in this area
* God's sustaining hand despite the long hours
* Really impressed that the team's put in those extra hours without complaining, even though they were tired too.

Prayer
* For the teams to really desire and work towards finishing sooner than 10 years
* For a good three days work preferably on the dictionary
* For smooth and safe travel to the point of exit
* For good recovery back in the UK

This week I've continued to meditate on John 3:16. Two things that have struck me:
1) This is the pinnacle of God's love: giving His Son.  It is the Everest point, the vantage point where you stand surveying all the other mountains of his love. 
2) This is where we should look for our true worth.  For it is only God's love that is truly unconditional, all other loves have at least an element of conditional love at their very best.  Only His love is one that is one way and where His desire is to give for our good without any motivation to get anything in return.  He does not seek to be loved in return, He does not need our love or anything else.  He is totally self-sufficient, self-existing.  He gives without cost being a factor, He gives because He is God, He gives and it does not reduce Him, He gives because He is total love and so He and only He can love unconditionally.  So we need to look at all other loves as well below the pinnacle of His great and everlasting unconditional and rooted ourselves in it and enjoy it.  

I'm attaching two photos: one of the electricity meter blown off the wall by the lightning strike and the other, the coconut tree that acted as God's lightning rod.  It is the one to the right on the photo. 

Blessings and thanks for following us during these three + weeks, well it will be by the time I get back, with your prayers

John

11th March 2023

Dear All,

First of all many thanks for praying for me to be reunited with my luggage which was left at the international hub due to the arriving late and not enough time to get it on my connecting flight.  So I had to reschedule and delay my internal flights a day. 

Weather and God's timing
There seems to be common theme of weather and God's amazing timing in this first week.  The weather for flight into my entry point was bad i.e. lots of rain, so we had to circle twice before landing.  Then my on-going flight we had to circle once to land.  This one was a little more interesting since we were coming into land and he was on the final approach, then decided to pull out of it.  I totally agreed with his decision since it was difficult to physically see the airstrip through the clouds and given the airstrip is on the edge of a big volcano, you do not want to make a mistake.  He did quite a big circle and then came in and landed safely! Then my speedboat trip was unusually choppy and I was thankful for being in one of the bigger speedboats.  In fact I just missed the previous smaller speedboat, which I was disappointed at first until I saw how low it sat in the water as it set off!  So very thankful for God's timing that I missed the previous smaller speedboat, as we hit choppy water to be in a less than half full large speedboat able to carry close to 50 people but only had about 15.  I suspect the important person who got on last paid for most of the remaining seats so we could set off, since we don't usually set off until we are full!  So God's hand was very much in my travel.  I should mention that because of prolonged stay in the point of entry I met up with my director which was planned but also some nationals that was not planned and discussed important things relating to the broader picture of the work in this country.  So as ever, He had purposes in my delay, which didn't effect my work schedule at all.

On the journey to the workshop I stopped in to pay my respects to Arnold's wife.  He was the second person of the original three in the S-team to die (aged 82), only Thomas left.  It was a good time and I was pleased that we talked about heaven and him being with the Lord.  So amidst the tears, there was the acknowledgement he was in the best place and we would see him again.  It as helpful to me as well not seeing him, going to his graveside to realise he is not there in the village any more.

Then arriving at the workshop I was told that there had been a lightning strike very close to the translation office.  Thankfully it hit a coconut tree which acted as a lightning rod - being by far the tallest tree around and also one of the toughest woods and no branches.  Therefore, it not only didn't spilt and fall on the office, but there were no branches to hit the office either.  It blew the electricity meter off the office wall and there were a few laptop power adaptors damaged and other electrical equipment but no-one was hurt.

Work-wise:
As usual we started slowly but have picked up speed.  As ever impressed with the dedication of the teams.  On the third day we were going to be so far behind the target, I asked them to work until 6:30pm rather than stopping at 5pm, which they willingly did.  So thus far we should finish the allotted psalms.  However, I'm not sanguine about it since all it needs is a couple of days of difficult psalms, people sick, trouble with the electricity etc and we won't make it. 

As I feared, the local translation director had decided that the workshop will finish on the 18th.  However, due to the culture, he could not tell me but left me to deduce it, which I did one early morning which helped me to accept it. However, two things have arisen out that decision:
1) I'm having to do the translation programme training in the evening which I had planned to do during the next week which is now taken up with finishing off the checking.  So straight after evening meal (8pm) until anywhere between 9 and 10:30pm, I'm helping the teams to use the program better.  It is encouraging to see then progressing and they are enjoying increasing their knowledge and use of this program, but it does make for a longer day!  This will be the pattern for next week too.
2) I'm not clear what I should do until I leave on the 24th.  I had thought about leaving early.  However there are two problems: 1)The first stage of my international flight only flies out three times a week (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday).  So I would have to leave this place on Monday the 20th to catch it.  2) changing the internal flight is more difficult, as I found out earlier.  Though it looked like you can change it on the phone app, you cannot and I had to go to a physical office.  The problem is that physical office in this locality is quite a distance away and by the time I travelled there, I might as well continue on and leave the country.  So you might pray as to how to use that time profitably.

On the home front: 
Lois is doing alright.  There was an amazing sign of God's timing too.  One early morning (6am) the power was out when I went to WA Lois, so the usual wifi place was not available but as I walked back rather disappointedly, I noticed the lights on at the other wifi place.  Sure enough, he had a generator going!  So I was able to WA Lois!  She needed some help with some technical computer thing, so I was able to help and then barely had she tried it out successfully then the generator was switched off because the sun had risen and so that was the end of the WA call!  In fact there was no electricity for most of the day.  So such incredible timing and provision of the Lord for Lois. 

Praise
* the Lord's good hand in my delayed luggage and His wonderful timings
* A meaningful time comforting and grieving with Arnold's wife
* Despite bad weather, arriving safely at my destination
* Thankful for the team's willingness to put in the hours to get the job done and the good progress

Prayer
* God's sustaining hand as we crack on with the checking and hopefully finish the allotted psalms
* Continuing insights into solutions and then how to phrase them
* Continuing opportunities to do some teaching from the psalms, which makes it a richer experience for us all
* God's continuing daily provision for Lois

I recently preached on 1 John 3:16-18 in my home church at the same time I looked at the mirror verses in John 3:16-18.  The former defines the extent of Jesus' love for us and the latter the extent of God's love for the world.  [Amazing isn't it that God was working through the people who decided the versification of the Bible!] Both define the extent of their love by a mostly costly action.  But I want to focus on the latter.  What jumped out at me was the word 'gave'.  You see Jesus could have said God so loved the world he sent His Son, which is true.  But he didn't he said, 'God so loved the world that He gave.  I think that Jesus was in some way aware of the cost of the Father and so says He gave...

So to show the extent of His love, He gave and didn't hold back: He gave His very and absolute best, and Heaven's best, His one and only Son.  To 'give' implies a loss, a willing loss, a loss that is not for a moment but permanent.  God lost the presence of his Son as a fellow-Spirit forever, as that loss cost his Son to become a man and to ultimately suffer the shame of the cross, a loss we cannot comprehend either the depth or significance of to both parties.  However that loss resulted in a greater glory for the Son and is seen and experienced in heaven.  The Father rightly rewarded His Son and exalted Him to the right hand place next to Himself, that exalted place that was empty before the cross/resurrection/ascension happened, a place where every knee shall bow and acknowledge Jesus is the Lord. 

So whilst we can never give as much as God has given, nor suffer an equal loss, yet in some way we will experience such exaltation for we are seated with Him in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6).  Due to incredible love and grace (both mentioned in Eph 2:4-6) we are so joined to Christ that we experience being raised from death, being made alive and then being seated at God's right side!   The first two are amazing enough but to be exalted along with Christ for doing absolutely nothing but rather being the causing of the death of his Son, seems to me to be the definition of the extent of God's grace.  Rather than hold back at the last and rightly separate us from such a position along with Christ, both of Them allow us to share in that exaltation.   But I return to what I said about God's love: He gave and didn't hold back, this time in blessing us even when it comes to the highest place of honour to be seated with His exalted Son.  And of course, He will continue to give and not hold back until we are with Him.  But there is one final act of God's grace which involves our exaltation and great blessing right at the end, or should I say the beginning of everything new, He will give us as a costly-bought, precious, glorious bride to be His exalted Son's bridegroom.    

Blessings and thanks for following us at both ends of the world with your prayers

John

4th March 2023

Dear All,


Finally reunited with my luggage at nearly 9am UK time.  Here is proof: photo attached

Thanks for praying
John

Dear All,

Just a quickie but important prayer need:  The London flight on Thursday took off late and didn't make up anytime so when I arrived at my connection hub airport on Friday morning, there was only an hour before my flight into this country took off.  I got on board despite it being the furthest point away from my landing gate.  However, my luggage did appear on the carousel, along with one other couple's!  This is the first time ever that my luggage has not made with me to the entry point. 

However, thankful that getting through Immigration went smoothly and had reasonable sleep on board but the main issue is to get my luggage.  Thankful too that I could change my on-going in-country flight easily without any hassle.  Today (Saturday) there is a flight in (5am, UK time) but the next one after today is Tuesday.  So if it doesn't arrive today I'll need to buy replacement clothes etc and travel on to my destination without my luggage to start the translation checking on Monday.

Praise:
* Reasonable sleep on the long-flight.
* No problems getting through Immigration
* Able to change my internal flight easily, and without cost

Prayer:
* Would be reunited with my luggage today!
* Smooth travel to the workshop location on Sunday
* Good start to the checking on Monday and throughout the first week

Blessings and really appreciate your prayers - those of you who receive this in time

John

Feb 2023

Dear All,

You can be forgiven if you feel a sense of deja vu.  I thought everything was sorted with the workshop dates: March 6-22nd, the synod 15-18th March.  The pastors would just a few days and then come back to finish off the check.  That is where I left you on the 20th Jan!

Well just over a two weeks ago.  All change!  Now the workshop dates were changed to Feb 26th-March 17th.  It appears that what I wasn't told was that the pastors need to be all there the day before at least and some travel for two days before the synod meetings on the 15th.  So that would mean them leaving on the 13th.  Then after the meetings were finished they too would be finished so they wouldn't be coming back for the rest of the check!   So just one week of checking.  Some quick checking on possible flight changes but they would only have got me there on the 2nd March (gain an extra 1.5 days) and I would miss a meeting with my director on the Friday which we had been trying to arrange for years. So in the end kept the dates and re-arranged the schedule within this date period.  So I miss the first week completely and extend into a four week for the three teams I'm associated with.

Furthermore, the laptop of the person who did the back translation for one of the three teams had a serious problem for three weeks!  No-one told me!  I kept asking why is there no back translation - silence.  [Alas, this is a very cultural response:  I should have asked 'Do you have a problem with your laptop'.]  Thankfully that got sorted but overall he has lost four weeks.  Knock on effect was until I found out there was a problem I was not doing any checking.  Then when I found out, just started checking the other two languages.  This is not the most efficient way of checking -usually do the same psalm for all three languages.  This means whilst I'm praising the Lord for getting through some 80% of the target psalms for two languages, alas I'm only 60% through for the third one!  However, no surprises the Lord knew all along about this problem!  Now with the new schedule, the back translation can be worked on in the 1st week when I am not there.  So, hopefully they'll have the back translation finished and ready for me when we start the check on the 6th March!  

However, even then they will be behind since I won't have had time to make comments for them to revise their drafts, which I have already done and the teams have implemented.  So the check should go quickly for two of the languages and slowly for the third language.  I would value prayer since this needs to be handled sensitively given the shame culture: making people feel guilty, or even unwittingly causing them to feel guilty, doesn't work at all!

Hopefully, I'll be fly off on Thursday 2nd March around 11am (UK time), arrive at my point of entry Friday (6am UK time) then a short flight on next day (Saturday) followed by a speedboat to the main island.  Then car journey visiting Arnold's recent widow, and Delman (the advocate for the W dialect) on the way, hopefully arriving at the workshop destination by mid-morning Saturday (UK time).  This is such a tiring journey, coupled with the jet lag means I'll arrive pretty worn out out.  Thankful that I'm not preaching on the Sunday (5th) and hope to have time to start the recovery on Sunday.  Then we start on Monday (6th) checking book 5 of the Psalms.   

Family:
Zoe and David:  Demanding times at the church for David.  Zoe just got her TEFL certificate.  She is hoping to help out at the church using that certificate.  All the boys continue to grow and have endless energy.
Maia and Alex: Lyla is a very happy baby bringing much joy with her smiles, except when she is teething.  Ezra continues to develop at a frightening pace. Alex is hoping to go abroad on a trip in May/early June.  Maia is back at work part-time being a doctor.
Caleb and Jana:  Lenora is growing very well and starting to show a quiet and contented character, long may it last!  Caleb is very busy at work but he is be being allowed to keep a pretty good balance between work and home life.
Lois: Her work at Brookes is more manageable but still hectic.  Kathleen, her mother, continues to diminish due to the dementia, which is so hard to bear.  However, we are thankful that she still does recognise us and seems to be content.  Please pray that while I'm away, the technology at home will run smoothly for her especially the internet which is the communication life-line between us.

Praise
* Despite the roller coaster ride, it appears that the workshop is going ahead
* Made good progress in checking book 5 of the Psalms and very much enjoyed some of the psalms, particularly 139
* Blessed through the opportunities to speak for Wycliffe and preach at home church.

Prayer
* I might be a comfort to Arnold's widow and encourage Delman despite not having have any time to do any Scripture engagement work this time
* For smooth journey to and entry into the country, followed by the in-country travel
* The team that is well-behind, will manage to make up the lost ground, so all the three teams can progress at the same rate.  If not, then for wisdom how to manage this difficult cultural situation.

It has been a rich time in God's word both preaching and checking the psalms.  So plenty to chose from but in the end went with Ps139.  It rings of such a personal experience rich in metaphors but also quite challenging too.  The verse that particularly struck me was v11-12 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,and the light about me be night”,even the darkness is not dark to you;the night is bright as the day,for darkness is as light with you. 

The main theme of Ps 139 is the Always present God which is a comfort which echoes Paul's end of Roman's 8 - makes you wonder if this influenced him.
1) Verse 7 sets up the impossible task it would be, to be unreachable by God's presence and Spirit (v8-10): whether it is the beyond the earth or in the depths of the earth, or the furthermost parts of the earth, in all these places God will be there and able to keep Him. Then David mentions the idea of darkness covering/overwhelming/crushing so much so that the light around him doesn't penetrate to him - like a black hole in space. Then David says that even then, It would not stop God's Spirit, God's presence coming to him.  As soon as God is there, there is light and so darkness flees, disappears.  So instead of darkness causing David to disappear, God causes darkness to disappear. This links beautifully with John 1: 5 The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.  So darkness and light are the same to God because in his presence there is never darkness.  He has never felt darkness ever, for darkness disappears it cannot co-exist with God i.e there is no darkness in heaven.

2) I think we tend to think of created light being the same as the uncreated light of God's presence, but it is not.  Rev 1:17 John fell at his feet as though dead.  There is weight to his uncreated light, his glory which is overwhelming.  Moses face radiated light so much so that he was the Israelites were afraid and he had to put a veil over it.  It is far more than created light, more powerful at dispelling darkness. 

3) Then there is one other thing to ask ourselves what is this darkness?  After all the depths of the earth is going to be dark and also beyond earth.  So I wonder if this is figurative darkness e.g inescapable danger in David's case especially since the word translated cover/hide is far more negative rather than neutral i.e crushing, to wound plus v19-22 talks of his wicked enemies 'Away from me you blood thirsty men' (v19).  The confidence that David has God is there in this figurative darkness is because/indeed God was there in the literal darkness of womb doing mysterious and awesome creative work (v13-15), His worked out plan (v16) His unfathomable yet good intentions for David ultimately revealed in when he awakes from the darkness of death, God is with Him.(v18). 

Clearly whatever the form of the darkness is, it is inescapable, 'all around me', nothing good is happening, it goes from bad to worse.  But this darkness will disappear before him.  Note that this does not happen for David during this psalm, he is expectant that God will come because of God's intention and that nothing can stop God coming to Him.  While he waits, he fills his mind with the wonders of God.  He turns from the darkness and choose to focus on the light of God and it brings comfort and thanks.  Obviously this lesson is wider than physical danger from enemies i.e extending into every realm i.e there is spiritual darkness and mental/physiological darkness and any other type of darkness.

4) Finally thought: God the Father nor the Spirit have ever felt darkness, but God the Son has.  Firstly He felt the physical darkness of the womb.  But more significantly He felt the spiritual darkness of bearing sin on the cross, the agonising mental darkness of extreme temptation in Gethsemane, the darkness of that unjust trial, the darkness of evil men crying for his blood, the complete and overwhelming torture beforehand surrounded by those soldiers.  

So he felt and experienced the full range of figurative darkness in those 24 hours that David never did nor thank God, anyone of us ever will.  But in the end the darkness of death did not overwhelm him, it was not victorious but was defeated.  All that darkness He experienced was for us, He was not spared any.  In response He too waited patiently for God to vindicate Him. He knew that even in the darkness of death, He was not abandoned, He was not unreachable, that God could reach him and He did.  He raised Him from the dead, so the Holy One did not see corruption. The darkness of death disappeared, was dispelled by the glorious light of the resurrection.  

Whether we face separation of a physical nature or of unnatural darkness, whatever form that takes, God's presence: His Spirit will reach us and His light will dispel the darkness.  We just have to wait expectantly, focusing on what we know to be true about Him which will bring comfort and give us thankful hearts in the midst of it.

Blessings and thanks in advance for you following us with your prayers

John

Post-script January 2023

Dear All,

Just thought you would like to rejoice with over two pieces of news that couldn't wait for the February update:

1) The March workshop is still on in March (6th-22nd)! In fact, the Monday (16th) after the update went out, after some discussion between Tonga, field translation centre director, and the Synod on Saturday and then Tonga and I discussing on Monday how we could adapt to their dates, we suddenly realised the dates didn't have to move! We will lose about four people during my Paratext training period but they won't miss all of it and they won't miss any of the checking period. I was so thankful to the Lord for that lightbulb moment when I saw a way forward that was such a good compromise: the Synod had their wish and we kept the workshop dates. This will have an additional positive outcome: these pastors will have an shorter and easier journey to the synod meeting and I can go to my home church weekend away plus, plus I won't have to change four lots of plane tickets with the inevitable increase in cost. I know at least some of you had prayed straight away after receiving my update, so thanks for praying - a direct answer to prayer.

2) Arnold Solong died on Monday (16th Jan), the second member of the original team to die. He had been on and off with illness and getting weaker but it was still a shock. I'm so thankful that I will meet him and Demos, the first member of the original team who died some 10 years ago, again. I look forward to discussing aspects of the language with them. At the beginning of the translation process Arnold was in the salvation by works camp but moved into salvation by faith camp as we went through the NT. So whilst there is sadness there is also rejoicing, both Demos and Arnold were so faithful in serving their people, instrumental in them receiving God's Word in their own language and came to a greater understanding and knowledge of the Lord through translating His Word.

Blessings and do rejoice with me

John

January 2023

Dear All,

Hope you all had a refreshing break over Christmas and the New Year; that the former was filled with joy at remembering the Lord's incarnation and the latter with hope for this coming year.  This email will be shorter than usual because I'm attaching a file with highlights of 2022 and hopes for 2023 plus a couple of photos. (SEE BUTTON BELOW)

Family:
- Had a great family Christmas, though it was not plain sailing:
- Took Lois' mum (Kathleen) who has dementia into A&E the Saturday a week before Christmas and spent most of the evening there.  Thankfully it turned out to be just chest infection, so she could discharged that same night.  Alas this chest infection was passed onto Lois which very much sapped her energy and torpedoed Christmas for her. Thankful for the kids being around who took over most of the cooking, so we didn't have to fast over the period!
- Also the Thursday before Christmas, our pastor went down with flu and so I did the Christmas morning preach which was a great privilege - especially nice Christmas Day fell on a Sunday - to focus people on the Saviour's birth plus the added benefit to me to be able to focus more on what Christmas is really about.

Work:
I booked my tickets (international and domestic) on Monday for the March 6th-24th workshop.  Then on Thursday (yesterday), Tonga informed me that the church synod had moved its February meetings to sometime in March!  Since we have four pastors within the teams, it looks like we have to change our dates since the synod trumps us.  Please pray the synod would be willing to choose dates either side of our workshop schedule.  Otherwise, I won't be able to my home church weekend retreat and it would prove rather tight timings for the other consultant to have her visa extension ready by the 12th Feb - usually visa extensions don't run on smoothly without a break between it and the old visa.

The teams have started to get back to work, as I have too.  I'm checking the psalms of Ascent at the moment, which are proving easier.  Incidentally, found my easy psalm: 117 (two verses!).  Also need wisdom which book to check next. Probably going for a simple narrative from the Pentateuch e.g Deuteronomy.

Praise:
* A good family Christmas break despite Lois' ill heath
* The Lord's help in preparing and preaching on Christmas day
* Lois' mother (Kathleen) didn't have to spend time in hospital which is very disorientating for people with dementia

Prayer:
* The timing of the next workshop, hopefully still in March, to be confirmed shortly.  [When I went onto SQ website to look at earlier flights, there were many seats left!]
* For the teams and myself to get back into a good work groove, making good progress in our work objectives to be ready for the workshop
* For wisdom as I plan the work schedule for the next six years.

As I was thinking about Christmas, John 1:11-12 came to mind: He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.  A few thoughts flowing out of these two verses

He came into this world knowing He would not be accepted, recognised for who He was.  Yes, he was recognised as Jesus but not as the Son of God, the Messiah/Christ.   So His authority was not accepted.  At best the world were indifferent to Him, at worst hostile.  An indifference that has always been, even today with all advances of the unbelieving world, it is still indifferent to Him - a poem i came across:

When Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed Him by,
They never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die
For men had grown more tender, they would not give Him pain
They only passed down the street and left Him in the rain

Perhaps this was to be expected from the unbelieving world but incredibly even when he came to His own people who had waited centuries and longed so much for, they did not receive Him not only as the Son of God, despite the miracles, nor the Messiah despite He fulfilling the prophecies, nor even one of them despite born of a Jewish virgin descended from the priestly line: He loved sinners too much, He didn’t hate Gentiles, He stood against the corrupt priestly line.  The vehement hostility ended with emotional and physical abuse at the hands of foreigners, culminating in nailing Him to the cross!

Thankful for verse 12 where there is a step change, a change in direction signalled by 'But' (Yet, in the NIV) – that lovely connector when used of God – despite that, to all who did receive Him recognise him and His authority for whom he was and so believed Him(trusted and accepted what He said and did to be true and following Him as their saviour and Lord), something wonderful was given: He gave to them the right to become children of God something that by nature they aren’t and cannot be.  It is not human right but a given right upon believing and recognising Him for who He was and still is and following him.  Despite His Son not be recognised instead being rejected, God recognised and accepted us as His children.

So we see God’s grace.  After all, it is only right and proper that we recognise and receive Jesus as the Son of God and and the Christ, why should there be any reward for that?  If you recognise Charles III as your king and believe what he says and decide to obey him, you are not called the children of the king. But upon belief we have a change of status to children born of God by His spirit through faith in Christ.  Our spiritual birth certificate has God as our Father, what an great honour has been bestowed upon us. 

Blessings to you all and thanks in advance for your prayers at the start of 2023,

John