Streams of Prayer for 8 May 2023
The Streams of Prayer for 8 May 2023, is a circular from Wycliffe Global Alliance. Wycliffe Caribbean makes this available.
May 7-13, 2023
Generosity, Funding and Specialty Services
Community is at the heart of the existence of the Wycliffe Global Alliance. Serving together in community, we love, respect and honour each other. Our interdependence and interconnectedness create an environment where all Alliance organisations generously give and graciously receive. Sometimes Alliance organisations give financially. We also give in other ways including providing time, expertise and staff. We affirm each other for who we are and not for what we contribute or for the quantity of the contribution. Our primary goal is to glorify God together in Bible translation.
Alliance organisations engaged in the Funding and Specialty Services Participation Streams demonstrate community and encourage generosity through raising funds for operations and Bible translation projects and by sharing other practical skills within the Bible translation movement. Therefore, our theme encompasses these three interconnected areas: Generosity, Funding and Specialty Services.
God’s generosity: Netherlands
On 31 March and 1 April, two Wycliffe Netherlands women’s events were held in the Netherlands with Ann Voskamp from Canada as guest speaker, as well as music and a Dutch author, Marianne Grandia, as host. An overwhelming number of women attended: a total of 2,900 (much more than the anticipated 500-600)! Wycliffe Netherlands is thankful for this encouraging time where women sang together, heard from Ann about brokenness and how God leads the way through that, prayed together, learned more about the work of Wycliffe and encouraged each other with the Word of God. Praise God with them for this beautiful time and pray for all these women, that the time they had together will help them continue with joy in their journey with the Lord and be more aware about the importance of God’s Word in their lives and those of others.
Raising appropriate means to meet the needs: Kenya
Praise God that in 2020, Bible Translation and Literacy (BTL) in partnership with their friends distributed food and medical supplies to 910 households among the Ilchamus community in Marigat, Baringo County. This act of generosity was carried out alongside the work of Bible translation in this community. Some years before, an appeal was made by BTL to support specific needs in the Ilchamus translation programme. For instance, there were requests for: funding two years for the translation of the Gospel of Luke, which was to be used to make the JESUS Film in the language; sponsoring the cost of a community translation reviewers workshop; and supporting the salary of an Ilchamus-speaking translator. Thank God for all of these contributions and the generosity of many people, so that the completed Ilchamus New Testament could be launched on 8 October 2022.
Contributing to Bible translation one verse at a time: Paraguay
LETRA Paraguay is an Alliance organisation dedicated to Bible translation, literacy and a comprehensive mission to the language communities of Paraguay and the world. Like many Alliance organisations, LETRA Paraguay staff face challenges of how to maintain translation programmes. Who pays for salaries, fuel, printing, computers, travel and the printing of thousands of hardcover Bibles? To help cover the cost of translation projects, LETRA Paraguay has created the “Donate a Verse” programme and invited people to participate. They have estimated that only $8 USD is needed for one verse to be translated. By taking part in this programme and contributing to the translation of one or more verses, a person receives a book in PDF format from LETRA Publishing House, which publishes content ranging from devotionals to testimonies from missionaries in the field. Pray that many people may show their generosity by joining the programme and donating gifts that enable the translation and printing of Bible verses, until the entire Bible is translated into all the native languages of Paraguay and other regions of the world.
Give the Word: UK and Ireland
Give the Word is the regular giving programme at Wycliffe Bible Translators UK & Ireland. Regular partners play a vital role, not only by providing consistent ongoing funding, but also by building widespread awareness of the need for Bible translation. Regular gifts mean Wycliffe UK & Ireland can be a reliable funding partner for translation teams worldwide. Like Pastor Bagne in Senegal says: “We cannot do anything alone—we need each other. So, I say thank you to all of you who pray and make savings to give financially. God bless you.” The team at Wycliffe UK & Ireland set the challenging target of finding 100 new Give the Word partners in April 2023. Please pray that as God answers this prayer, staff will see the initiative gaining momentum. Ask God to continue to provide new supporters even after this campaign is complete. To find out more, email givetheword@wycliffe.org.uk.
Bible lands study tour, a unique learning experience: Global
Thank God that the Wycliffe Study Tour of Israel organised by Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia in January was a great learning experience for all 22 people in the group. Telling relevant Bible stories at the sites where they happened was a valuable experience for all. Seeing biblical sites in person also will equip future consultants to help produce translations that are more accurate and meaningful. Thank God that the visas for the nine trainee translation consultants from India, Kenya and Tanzania were approved just two to three days before the study tour started. They benefited from the tour in many ways that will help them to make the Bible come alive for the communities and translation teams they serve.
Generous service: Malaysia
Pray for the two Tekun* pastors who are involved in the JESUS Film programme coordinated by Wycliffe Malaysia. They have many responsibilities in their churches as pastors. Ask God for strength, wisdom and good health as they serve the church as well as work on the translation of the JESUS Film in Tekun. Pray also for those doing exegesis and back translations, that they can arrange times to get together to do the checking. As they check and read God’s Word, may the Holy Spirit touch their hearts, speak to them and encourage them.
*pseudonym
Pray for Japanese returnees: Japan
Pray for Wycliffe Japan and their partnership and participation with the Japanese Christian Fellowship Network through the Global Returnees Conference 2023 (GRC 2023) scheduled for the first week of May. The GRC 2023 is designed to spiritually and physically equip Japanese “returnees”—those who became Christians outside of Japan and then returned to the country. Ask the Lord for his anointing and guidance to the Wycliffe Japan team as they prepare to introduce the work of Bible translation during the conference.
Streams of Prayer is the prayer bulletin of the Wycliffe Global Alliance.
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