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

The Bible in Lomwe has been launched!

Praise God with us in this exciting new phase:

with the Bible translation in Lomwe now finished,
we can go on to coaching Bible translation teams for other Bibles and languages,
producing fun-to-read books in 4 languages
so people are ready to read the Bibles currently being translated,
and mentoring leaders in PROFORTE Bible schools.

And working on a Study Bible in Lomwe -- the second book in the language -- to provide tools for preachers and teachers who are just meeting this Bible for the first time.

We also hope to record an Audio Bible in Lomwe and find ways to get it to people.

We'd love your prayers in all of these exciting open doors before us. Gifts can be sent to SIM to support this ministry.

In Jesus,

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

SIM USA Box 7900 Charlotte NC 28241
Gifts can be sent to SIM and marked "for Stuart and Sindia Foster ministry"

Cyclone and cholera season

Pray for Pastor Simoes and Pastor Campama of the Lomwe Bible Translation project during their trip to the capital, Maputo, to attend a Bible Society seminar on using computer software. Pray the skills and confidence gained will benefit the Lomwe Bible translation. Pray for their families at home. A huge cyclone is expected to hit the coast of northern Mozambique in the next few days. Torrential rains and several cyclones have already hit. 

Pray for the Pastor’s Book Set project: a plan for mentoring PROFORTE Bible school teachers and extending to their networks of alumni and partner churches, using the African Bible Commentary. Pray for planning for the several year timeframe and for funding for the costs involved. Pray that the Lord will guide as we work with PROFORTE to develop Bible schools and train leaders.

Pray also for the Bible story book we hope to print in Lomwe (LOM-way) which will be the first Bible many of the one and a half million people ever see. Pray for funding and for the hours involved in translating and formatting before printing. Pray the Lord will bless the Bible translation and also this Bible story book, so people can read and understand His Word.

Pray for our mission SIM (Serving in Mission) which works in over 50 countries around the world, sending people from 40 countries. SIM’s International Council which meets every three years, will be held in Lima, Peru this month. Stuart is representing southern Africa. Pray for the Lord’s wisdom for each of the people attending and for His directing the work of SIM around the world.