Streams of Prayer for May 2 2021
The Streams of Prayer for May 2, 2021, is a circular from Wycliffe Global Alliance. This is available through Wycliffe Caribbean.
Missions belong to God and the agent of missions is the Church. Please join with us as we pray for Alliance organisations engaged in the Church Participation Stream. We pray also for the Church as it participates in the Bible translation movement.
Our Caribbean Scripture Engagement Convention 2021 will be held on May 6 & 7 10:00 a,m, – 12:00 noon each day. Please also add this event to your prayer list. If you have not yet registered, registration is still open.
Thank you.
Answered Prayer: Canada
The mission of the Canadian organisation OneBook is to resource national partners, empowering them to effect spiritual and social transformation through Bible translation, literacy and Scripture engagement programs in their languages. OneBook staff have been praying for a new person to work as development lead. In February, they welcomed Sarah Jane Downing to serve in this role. Thank God for his provision. Pray that God will give her grace and strength as she adapts to this new position. Her work will mainly focus on raising financial resources for the ministry of OneBook.
Walak New Testament celebration: Indonesia
Praise the Lord for the 23 years of hard work of the translation teams working alongside Yayasan Pelayanan Antarbudaya Papua (YPA-Papua), or Papua Center for Intercultural Ministry, to complete the Walak New Testament. The completion celebration is scheduled for 6 May. Markus Killungga and the rest of the Walak translation team request prayers for guidance and protection for them and their families as they prepare and as they seek to honour God with the celebration. Thank God for the faithful partnership of the GIDI Church, Walak churches and partner organizations Yajasi and YMP3. Pray for good weather, safety and protection as participants travel either by plane or the challenging road route. Ask the Lord to provide for the physical needs of the celebration. Pray also for the future needs of the translation team planning for the Old Testament translation, curriculum development and training programmes.
Stepping out: Denmark
A key step in taking up an assignment with any Wycliffe Alliance member organisation is to help prepare people well f.or their work through training. Pray for wisdom and guidance for Kristin Westh from Wycliffe Denmark as she prepares to attend the CanIL masters programme later in 2021 based at Trinity Western College in Canada. Kristin is also in the process of building a team of prayer and financial partners. Praise God for Kristin’s response to God’s call to serve in the Bible translation movement. So please pray that the Lord calls more people to partner with Kristin financially, with practical help and in prayer. Pray that He makes clear what her next steps will be when she completes her training.
Support incoming director of Wycliffe Austria in prayer: Austria
Wycliffe Austria has confirmed Seraphin Koppler as the new Executive Director, beginning October 2021. Seraphin not only has worked part-time in HR with Wycliffe Austria since May 2019 but also served previously as Project Manager in an advertising agency and founded his own video production company in 2016. Seraphine is committed to helping churches to find their place in the Mission of God and giving them access to engagement with the Bible translation movement. Pray for Seraphin and his family as they seek opportunities to share with churches about his calling to lead Wycliffe Austria while he continues his part-time job as a personnel worker. Pray that God would bless them with the prayer and financial partnerships they need so that he can take on the full-time director role with Wycliffe Austria soon.
Serving language teams: Papua New Guinea
The Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association has several regional offices strategically located in various parts of the country. Personnel in these offices play a crucial role in providing logistical support and encouragement to language teams. They advocate for and connect the language teams to churches, businesses and the general public in the area. So pray for Area Programme Managers (APM) and their staff to serve with gladness and joy as they encourage and provide administrative support to the translation teams. Pray also for additional people to serve as APMs in regional offices that have no one.
Responding to God’s divine calling: Papua New Guinea
Josiah Javeve is a veteran Bible translator for the Miniafia language project. Soon after the launching of the Miniafia New Testament in 2010, he quit translation and declined to get involved with the Old Testament project. In November 2020, Josiah heard someone speaking of God’s divine and highest calling at a spiritual gathering in the village. The Scripture touched him deeply: “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.” (Galatians 5:7-8, NIV) He knew that God was calling him to Bible translation again.
During December and January 2021, Duncan Kasokason, a translation consultant with the Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association invited Josiah to participate in the Miniafa checking sessions of several books of the Old Testament. Josiah willingly joined in to help out. Praise the Lord for Josiah’s obedience to God’s call. So pray for him and the team and for the provision of a laptop computer to use.
Finding courage: Cameroon
It sometimes seems as if there is too much work and not enough workers. Ask God to provide volunteers and staff to invest in partnership with different communities with which the Cameroon Association for Bible Translation and Literacy (CABTAL) relates. Pray also for staff and volunteers involved in church engagement and Scripture engagement efforts. In addition, ask God to help those serving in the very challenging environments in the Northwest, Southwest and Far North regions of Cameroon. Pray for more perseverance and courage in the face of obstacles and frustrations for all the staff serving with CABTAL. Ask God to bring new ways of collaboration and unity.
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