Streams of Prayer for 1 May 2023
The Streams of Prayer for 1 May 2023, is a circular from Wycliffe Global Alliance. Wycliffe Caribbean makes this available.
April 30 – 6 May 2023
People
Our current theme for Streams of Prayer is People. It is our privilege to be involved with God’s mission both individually and corporately in a variety of ways. Alliance organisations committed to the People Participation Stream recruit and/or send people to serve in Bible translation movements, working either in their own country or elsewhere. They can serve with their sending organisation, other Alliance organisations or partner organisations.
We pray for the Alliance organisations involved in this Participation Stream to provide excellent supportive care to staff members whether they are serving in their country of origin or a different location. And we will pray that organisations collaborate well together across different human resources practices when personnel from one sending organisation are assigned to serve under another.
This year, as an Alliance we are undergoing a consultative process, to listen to God and to each other and discern changes needed in how we send, place and manage people in an ever-changing, complex mission context. We seek God’s wisdom together for how to adjust our paradigms and ways of working to best make use of our people both within and across organisations. We thank God for the first Global People Conversation held in Europe in January and pray for consultations that will take place in other areas of the world this year.
Training coordinator: Papua New Guinea
Alessandro Nunes serves as the training coordinator for Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association (PNGBTA) and academic training coordinator for the Pacific Institute of Languages, Arts and Translation (PILAT). As the training coordinator, he helps develop a curriculum to facilitate strategic training based on PNGBTA’s objectives. In his role with PILAT, he assists new students attending translation courses. This requires him to sit in the classes to understand the course content, collect curriculum data and seek ways to help students learn effectively. Pray for wisdom for Alessandro in this vital role of coordinating training and equipping people with skills and knowledge. Pray for good working relationships with staff and students in the Institute. Alessandro and his wife, Raquel, are Wycliffe Brazil staff assigned to serve with PNGBTA.
Stepping out after years of service: New Zealand
For more than three decades, Stephen Gwyn has served in the Finance Department of Wycliffe New Zealand (WNZ). For most of this time, he has been the only staff person in this department, and March was his last month with WNZ. Pray that his successor(s) will have a clear understanding of the various processes that make up the monthly routine, and of how these processes fit in the overall mosaic of Finance Department operations. Pray for joy for Stephen that he will rest in what the Lord has for him next. Stephen thanks the Lord for the many years of opportunity he has had to contribute to the cause of Bible translation, and for good working relationships with many special people.
Personnel needs at home and abroad: Hungary
The team at Wycliffe Hungary needs people to join its office team, especially in human resources. This is in part because they have a goal to find committed and servant-hearted people to send cross-culturally in support of Bible translation movements. The team aims to find five such people by 2025. Ask God to help them make connections with those he has already chosen to work with Wycliffe Hungary.
Language project partners: Hong Kong, Taiwan
The partnership among Wycliffe Taiwan, Wycliffe Hong Kong, Faith Comes By Hearing and others is a true blessing from God. In January, three people from Wycliffe Hong Kong were assigned to serve with Wycliffe Taiwan to assist with a few indigenous language projects. Pray for strength and grace as they adjust to living in Taiwan. Ask also for perseverance and wisdom as they start production of an audio recording of the Rukai New Testament this month. May this partnership continue to be fruitful and harmonious.
Resources for Deaf translators and consultants: Global
Praise God that, together with partners, the 4.2.20 Foundation has formed a team to create exegetical resources for sign language translation teams. This is an area of great need for Deaf translators and consultants serving in sign language Bible translation projects around the world. Ask the Lord for perseverance and encouragement as the teams work together in researching, writing and creating content for these digital resources. In addition, pray for strength and wisdom as a new cohort of Deaf students continues in an immersive programme to learn Hebrew for Deaf Bible translation. May both of these efforts result in good help for Deaf translation projects worldwide.
Remembering Mercy: Philippines
The Translators Association of the Philippines (TAP) expresses deep sorrow over the passing of Mercy Ramos. On 15 March, Mercy, a translation facilitator of the Ayta Ambala New Testament project, passed away at age 58 after battling stage-four pancreatic cancer since February. For over 26 years, she served with unwavering dedication, living among the Ambalas in Dinalupihan, Bataan. Despite her illness, Mercy always wore a smile, spreading joy and love to those around her. Pray for her family, especially her father, who is also struggling with health issues. May the Lord grant them comfort and provide for their needs. Pray also for the Ayta Ambala translation project to continue with God’s guidance.
Serving in several contexts. Wycliffe Caribbean
Wycliffe Caribbean has traditionally been involved in the mobilisation and recruitment of workers for the global Bible translation movement in the English-speaking Caribbean to fill roles in Asia, Africa and Europe, as well as the Americas. Praise God that the organisation is now involved in projects involving the Colombian island of San Andres, along with other Spanish-speaking nations with Creole speakers like those in Port Limon, Costa Rica. More recently there has been a greater focus on the Caribbean region with linguistics graduates from regional universities as well as mother-tongue speakers responding to God’s call to work in the region to provide God’s Word in regional Creoles. Wycliffe Caribbean is re-organising to facilitate and care for people serving in this mix of circumstances. This includes cross-cultural workers serving in Asia and Africa as well as those serving in the Caribbean region. Pray for the new director and the head office team as they recruit new staff and volunteers for training and member care. Pray for the financial and prayer support for Wycliffe Caribbean missionaries serving globally and regionally.
Streams of Prayer is the prayer bulletin of the Wycliffe Global Alliance.
Copyright © 2023 Wycliffe Global Alliance. All rights reserved.
Valrie McCarthy
Proclaimer Officer
Wycliffe Caribbean
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JAMAICA, W. I.
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