Photographs and Memories

First, the photographs:
Last week Christiane sent me a number of beautiful photographs to use for the New Testament. At the same time I had a terrific conversation with Carolyn, the typesetter at Life Publisher. (Typesetter is the wrong word, "Publishing Guru" might be better!). It was exciting and wonderful to see how the New Testament is coming together in all the little details that make it a book people will treasure for generations. There's much to be done. Neil is still spell checking Acts, which is 14% of the New Testament and that will speed along the final check. When Webers return from their skiing holiday I'll be begging them for some help with the topical index as well.

At present, we are in Bothel, WA for a couple of weeks to afford us some time at Missionary Renewal Asia Pacific. This is a pastoral care center for missionaries. Although it is staffed by AGWM missionaries, members of many missions take advantage of the help and resources that are available. The transition back to the US for Tony is much greater than for us, and we are very proud of him and thankful for some time to get those college applications in while we've still got a decent Internet connection.

Then the Memories:
At this point in life, we do reflect on the many years we've spent working to this point. It's never been something we have or could have done without the Lord's Body sustaining us all the way through. We began living in a remote village without electricity, before the days of email and cell phones, waiting for those planes to fly over and drop the precious mail bag. How often friends and family encouraged us with letters and cards and packages. Times have changed and it is no longer possible to live in the deep interior. Now we live with a cell phone, have real honest to goodness electricity ( and a back up generator as the power is intermittent) and even access to the Internet. Yet spiritually we have the same desire as we did so many years ago. We still long to see a real move of God among the Mesem, one that is characterized not just by reading the Word but by being doers and hearers of the Word of God. We remain committed to the belief that if the Church of Jesus Christ did what He told us to do, it would change the world.

There's a beautiful line in John just after Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. He said, "Now you know these things. You'll be blessed if you do them".

May we be blessed.