Working to encourage Bible translation teams

Coming alongside Bible translation teams and considering how to improve the Bible translations each is working on produces a lot of puzzles.

For the Nyaneka people of Angola, there are many demons and many names for them.
In Greek, there is one word.

So what to do?

First up, ask questions and learn more:

It turns out there are generally two groups of spirits that people fear in their daily lives.

One is more likely to make people suffer illness (ondele)  and the other more likely to kill them (ocilulu).

But it seemed like, if one of those words was chosen (ondele=demon, for instance), then people might think Jesus had no authority over the other kinds.

So the suggestion was to vary the names of demons, as Jesus dealt with them, from one story to the next, to make clear that Jesus is Lord over all the evils we can fear.

Keep praying for knowing how to help Bible translators with the huge job of giving people God's Word in the heart language . It is a wonderful privilege and joy!

Thank you for your gifts and prayers backing us in this huge task!

Gifts can be sent to SIM USA by mail or online for our account (#070047):

Stuart and Sindia Foster
SIM Mozambique

SIM USA Box 7900 Charlotte NC 28241

Sharing skills in a Second Workshop: Praying for the Study Bible in Lomwe

Pray that schedules and funding will come together for the second workshop of the Study Bible in Lomwe. Most of our team is in the north of Mozambique in Lomwe-speaking areas, but two technical advisors are in the capital (in the south) and a Study Bible expert is in a neighboring country.

So we hope to gather early in 2019 to compare notes on how far we have come and take it to a new level in technical skills and using complex (and very helpful) software.

Thank you for your investment and encouragement, in gifts and in prayers.

We are grateful!

Stuart and Sindia Foster
stuart.foster@sim.org
Gifts can be given through SIM here and by mail: SIM Box 7900 Charlotte NC to account 070047 Stuart and Sindia Foster ministry.

Training Bible Translators for Southern Africa

Mentoring Bible Translators for the 100 languages still without one verse in Southern Africa

Praise for us in encouraging new Bible translators for languages across this region that are still waiting for the Bible in their heart languages.

Ask the Lord to bless Stuart's teaching and give practical Bible translation skills as well as convey the joy and trustworthiness of God's Word.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts for this ministry!

In Jesus,

Stuart and Sindia Foster
SIM Mozambique

Gifts can be given by mail: SIM USA Box 7900 Charlotte NC 28241 #070047

Or online:  

Our missionary account is 070047

SIM-USA, PO Box 7900,  Charlotte, NC 28241

On the road to an audio Bible in Lomwe

Hearing the Word

So excited to be able to tell you about this great answer to prayer!

When we were asked over and over to do an audio version of the new Bible in Lomwe, we asked you all for prayer. And the Lord answered.

We sought out lots of advice and people generously gave of their time to help us.

It turns out there is a way to make an app for developing an audio Bible that syncs with the written text so the voice is heard saying the words at the same time as the words are highlighted on the screen.

Exciting progress so far! But a few things remain...

So far, only one chapter of the Bible is on the app.

Just enough to show people and give a taste of what can be done.

So we can encourage people here to be involved -- and ask for your prayers!

Praise the Lord with us for this "firstfruit" and His providing a plan to do this.

Ask Him for all the other pieces that our team still needs as we proceed (wide support and interest from Lomwe leaders, gifts to enable us to start, the time and patience and internet to record all of the Bible)

and ask for His blessing so His Word in Lomwe can be heard!

Stuart and Sindia Foster
SIM Mozambique
stuart.foster@sim.org

SIM USA Box 7900 Charlotte NC 28241       Gifts to SIMUSA can be given for Account #070047

Children's Day

It is Children's Day in Mozambique!

I remember asking my parents when I was a child, why is there Father's Day and Mother's Day but not Children's Day?

Pray for us in producing fun-to-read books for children (and for adults)! You can imagine some of the hurdles involved in producing books in 4 different languages. We need your prayers!

Reading the New Bible

Praise God for the Bible in Lomwe!

It is amazing to read it aloud and people get quiet. They listen. Hearing the story of Hannah for the first time, in the early chapters of First Samuel, they are amazed.

A wife who has no births is in danger in this society. Her husband will leave her and look for a woman who can produce. No one will blame him. The wife will be shamed and abandoned.

What would a woman in this culture do? She would be strongly tempted to go to a witchdoctor and get a potion (for a price) to bless her womb with a baby. Or, failing that, to kill her rival.

But what did Hannah do? She poured out her heart to the Lord in prayer, trusting Him even in her pain.

Ask that the Lord blesses the teaching of His Word in Lomwe.

Ask Him to give faith and new lives, hope and trust and obedience, godly homes and wisely led churches.

Thank you for your support in prayer and in gifts!

Stuart and Sindia Foster
SIM Mozambique

Gifts can be sent to: SIM USA Box 7900 Charlotte NC 28241 for Ministry #070047

To give online:  https://web.simusa.org/give

Our missionary account  is 070047.

Assembling a Team

Gathering people to talk and brainstorm and plan is still important even in this digital age.

Shooting out an email might feel momentarily efficient but not actually reach anyone (if they don't have an email address, or email access or are too overwhelmed with other tasks).

And it wouldn't build the vision, respect and trust that is needed to develop a ministry.

Getting a complex team assembled is still a juggling act. 

We are needing your prayers, asking the Lord to bring all of these people and pieces together if He wants a Study Bible for the Lomwe people to go forward. 

And we are needing gifts to cover the costs of making this work. The expenses for travel, accommodation and meals for a week together are daunting.

But orienting the team, getting everyone on the same page, developing a timeline and roles, planning for the technical requirements and needs are all crucial to launch this wider network. 

The Study Bible ministry has a wider team and also a more local focus, both at the same time. 

So please also pray for Bible Weekends with Lomwe leaders. 

This ministry requires both: far-flung experts giving input and local Lomwe pastors owning it, and bringing us their questions and concerns, so the Study Bible will speak clearly into their ministry context and daily needs. 

Pray for us in building a sense of ownership of the Study Bible in the Lomwe language as we get the wider team together for the workshop -- and meet with some of the local Lomwe leaders for a Bible Weekend -- 

and get people ready for the Study Bible to come ! 

Thanking  the Lord for your gifts and prayers!

So glad of your fellowship in Jesus,

Stuart and Sindia Foster
SIM Mozambique
stuart.foster@sim.org

You can give to this ministry here or by mail: SIM USA Box 7900 Charlotte, NC 28241