TRANSLATION IS A BATTLE
We have been told by other translators that the final months of a translation project can be, well… daunting. In addition to the work and the pressure of a looming deadline, there is increased opposition by our enemy.
You can imagine. After holding the Palawanos in his grasp for millennia, Satan is not exactly thrilled for them to have God’s Word printed and available in their language.
Of course God is supreme (he wins in the end) and sovereign (nothing happens to us that our Father does not allow). So what the Lord wants us to do is to maintain our close connection with him more than ever. and to commit each step into his powerful, loving care.
So what this means is that for you and us both, now, more than ever is the…
TIME TO PRAY!
Please stand shoulder to shoulder in with us in prayer.
We are not paranoid, but we do realize the need for an greater level of taking initiative to commit everything to the Lord daily. There are so many things that can “go wrong” at this point in the work. We’ve seen it happen to others. And for ourselves recently, we have actually sensed an increased level of stress and opposition.
Here’s a partial list of what we’ve experienced so far:
- Horrendous noise from construction next to our house almost 24/7
- Our driveway/road frequently blocked
- The landlord wanted to raise our rent by 33%
- A number of loud all night parties (no sleep = little work the next day)
- Minor accidents and injuries
- Construction workers flirting and yelling crude comments at the Palawano girls
- Spiritual problems in some of our translation assistants
God has been faithful, and we’ve seen him provide solutions to each of these. But only after a time of trial and some fervent prayer. And when we feel it wearing us down, we go to the Lord and he gives renewed strength.
Because of the construction outside our gate for over a year now, our presence and routine are more well-known now to the construction workers. This means an increased risk of petty burglary. So we’re conscious of a sense of needing to be more careful.
We also realize that we’re not the only ones who might potentially be a target. There might be temptations or other situations to discourage or sideline our translation assistants (TAs). And this would be the worst possible time for either of the two girls, Bingbing and Mylene (who cook and care for the constant stream of TAs) to have a “romantic interest” here in town, which in this culture, would necessitate our sending them home to their parents. They are vulnerable to verbal or even physical assault here in town.
The list of prayer request below will be a little more extensive and specific than most. We’d like to ask you to bring all these before the Lord starting now and right up until the New Testament goes to the printers next year.
PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THE COMING MONTHS
- That we stay focused and close to the Lord each day
- Wisdom in translating the last few books of the NT
- A good final consultant check of Mark in late November
- Health and safety for us, our pets, and the TAs
And pray for God’s protection from…
- Break-ins, theft or failure of our computers, etc.
- Distracting family or financial problems for our TAs
- Moral or sin issues in the Palawanos’ lives
- Problems that might affect Bingbing and Mylene
We’re in this together… us, the Palawanos, you and of course our almighty Lord. He doesn’t ask us to go it alone, but he calls us to prayer. Thanks for your part!
Reaching Palawanos together with you,
-Bill and Donna
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