Not Just for the Non-literate

Generally we focus on reaching out to people who cannot read, giving them the ability to hear God's Word in their own language.  In many places this includes elderly people whose eyesight is failing or who never received enough formal education.  In other areas it means ministering to people who are somewhat bilingual, who may even know how to read Spanish, but have not had an opportunity to learn to read their own mother tongue.

Looking at the text above (from Amuzgo de Xochistlahuaca in Guerrero, Mexico), you can see why reading some of these languages is a tremendous challenge, even for people who know how to read their secondary language.  Glancing at the highlighted portion, I see one word with seventeen characters.  Reading the scriptures in their native tongue can be a chore that does not resemble a devotional act.  Some may possess the capability of slowly sounding out the words, much as a first grader can sound out the vocabulary in their early primers, but few can read for comprehension or retention.

Now this problem can be remedied, thanks to new technology developed by friends of ours with Wycliffe Bible Translators.  They have created this phone app that enables people to listen to the scriptures in their difficult-to-read language while they look at the text, which is highlighted in sync with the audio.  What an exciting tool to encourage literacy among people groups!  We learn best when we can see and hear the narrative.

Audio players are still necessary for listening groups, the visually impaired, those without cell phone service, and for non-literate people who cannot access the internet even where it is available, but this option offers great potential for wider and free distribution of scripture translations we continue to record.

Praise the Lord for this new advancement in the use of Bible translations in both written and audio formats.  It's not just either-or, but both seen and heard.

We used to adapt the prayer from Psalm 119:18 for non-literate people groups, asking God to open their EARS that they may HEAR wonderful things in His Word.   
Now we can ask God to open their eyes, ears, and hearts that they may know Him more fully.

To view or download this app, go to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.wycliffe.amuzgoguerrero.amu

Can't We Just Send Money?

Many times we hear short term team members verbalize an inner conflict regarding the cost of their mission trip.  Seeing the many unfilled needs of the village, local church, and people, and the financial needs for our ministry with ASM, they ask sheepishly,

"Wouldn't it have been better if we had simply sent the money rather than spending it on our own airfare and ground costs?"

Our answer is always the same.  Yes, perhaps, but people don't.  No one understands the need until they experience it for themselves.  We have yet to be able to show pictures and tell stories that portray the reality of the needs in a way that stirs people's hearts.

Secondly, we remind our teams that God uses their visit to encourage believers who seldom have any opportunity to interact with believers outside their small flock.  Our teams infuse hope and joy into the lives of pastors and those struggling in their faith.  Together with teams, we bring them tools to use for evangelism and discipleship.  We remind our brothers and sisters that they are not alone.

Is it worth the price of the trip?  I would say it is!

Our prayer is that God would strategically raise up prayer and financial partners among those we have hosted on short-term teams.  As Pastor Jerrod (from a supporting church that has sent several teams to work with us) challenged his latest group: 

"Decide now what God wants you to do differently as a result of your week in Oaxaca.  The default is that each one will return to Ohio and go right back to your same way of living, interacting, and spending - forgetting the plight of the needy, the suffering, and the lost." (my paraphrase)

Please pray for those who have walked the dusty trails, driven along the mountain passes, eaten the local food, slept in modest homes with few comforts, and prayed for very real and impossible (barring a miracle) requests, distributing audio Bibles to people who desperately need the hope of the gospel.... Pray that their lives would be forever changed.

Pray that they would become passionate about the spiritually lost in their circle of influence and be bold about sharing the gospel truths, and that they would have a fresh missionary perspective of the world that will rock their church and community.  Pray that their own lives would be changed so drastically that they would daily experience and express the joy of their own salvation.

Lastly, please pray that some would become hooked on missions and obey the call to pray, give, and go wherever God leads, whether across the street or across the world.  May God

call some to be ambassadors for Audio Scripture Ministries, raising funds and awareness for our ongoing ministry to the unreached people of Oaxaca, Mexico, and beyond.

Premature Praise

Photo by Amanda Pitts

Having devoted our lives to daily service in hopes of someday hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servants," it seemed premature to be honored this side of heaven. 

Well acquainted with the honor of suffering for the sake of the gospel, being "awarded" things like loneliness, bed bugs, head lice, amoeba, hepatitis, and dengue fever, this was a very foreign experience to find ourselves in the spotlight being honored with the prestigious Meritorious Achievement Award, the Pro Ecclesia Medal of Service.

Walking down the Baylor equivalent of a red carpet, and having Judge Ken Starr place this medal around my neck with the flash of cameras, and then again at half-time during Baylor Homecoming, the only thing that I could think of were all the people we represented, the team of people who made our accomplishment possible:  the Bible translators, our technicians, the financial supporters, our prayer partners, and the many who came on short-term teams to distribute audio Bibles.  On behalf of all of them, we received the medal.

The most humbling part was watching the "story of our lives" flashed before us, knowing that we follow many like Billy Graham and Max Lucado whose names are known throughout the world.  We are not sure what God will do with this experience, but we are trusting Him for more ministry partners as a result of this recognition and publicity for Audio Scripture Ministries.

To read the full story and see the lovely tribute, go to the Baylor website here
and also here.

Here is our prayer for you who share in our inheritance, from Colossians 1.

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth....

⁹ And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹ May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We would ask that you pray the same for us, that we might continue to be filled with the knowledge of God's will... and walk in a way fully pleasing to Him, being fruitful in good works, strengthened with all power, enduring patiently and with joy, etc. - even in Michigan when our hearts are in Mexico.  Thanks!

Big Changes Ahead

"Never say never."  How many times have we said this?  Yet here we are anticipating the unthinkable:  moving to the U.S. as our primary home base after 27 years of living in Latin America.

Yes, it’s true.  We are facing a significant move in 2014.  However, don’t get too eager to redirect your monthly missions money, because we’re not letting you off the hook just yet.  We are not retiring!  If anything, we are broadening our base and hoping to do even more in the area of Audio Scripture production and distribution world-wide.

Jim is the new Executive Director of Audio Scripture Ministries, effective April 1, 2014.   The family will transition to living in the U.S. as of June 2014.

It was a difficult decision for us, believe it or not, as we prayerfully agonized over the possibility of accepting this leadership position in Michigan.  The job description fits Jim perfectly, and honestly I (Jamie) can’t imagine anyone with more field experience, passion, and vision.  The hesitation was mostly a fleshly one, a dread of making the U.S. our new base of operations. We always presumed we would live and die in Mexico, which has been our home for all these years.

  

So, what does this mean?  From the sounds of it, you are only half finished with recording the New Testaments in Oaxaca.

True.  We are just completing the sixtieth audio New Testament, and there are at least that many more to be done, not to mention all the ones that will be revised to bring them up-to-date linguistically.  Our plan is to continue managing the recording operations long-distance, trusting our faithful group of recordists to continue in our absence.

Will you still be in Cleveland for furlough next summer and fall, as planned?

Unfortunately, no.  Instead we will be living in Holland, Michigan, and making weekend trips to Ohio to visit each of our supporting churches and friends to assure them of our continued commitment to our primary missions goals.

So you will still need monthly financial support?

Absolutely!  While ASM will cover Jim’s travel expenses to places like India, Nepal, Mozambique, Mexico, and who knows where all he will need to visit, we are still considered “missionaries” in every sense of the word.  If anything, we are hoping to expand our support base so that we can help fund other recording projects around the world. 

  

Will you buy a house in Michigan?

Lord willing, yes.  This is huge for us, but Jim needs to live near the home office in Holland.  A benefit is that we will have a home base a bit closer to the rest of the family.  The downside is that we will need to start completely from scratch.  We have absolutely nothing to furnish a house -- no furniture, no appliances… no nothing.  (And yes, that is a major hint-hint for anyone who might have surplus anything to spare.) 

Will you sell your house and belongings in Oaxaca?

No, no, no, no, no.  There are still many recording needs in Mexico, so we will be coming and going a lot in the coming years.  I have visions of our grown children thinking of this as a “time share” location where they will want to visit with our grandchildren in the future.  We have twenty years of memories wrapped up in this home.  Maybe we will even retire here someday.  No, we are not selling.

What about team trips?  Will people still be able to bring groups down to Oaxaca?

We may cut back on involvement with team trips at first, but occasionally Jim and I can bring small teams to help with audio distribution efforts or to help with practical needs among new indigenous churches.  We love to share our passion for the unreached by hosting “vision trips” for supporting churches, and we expect to continue doing short-term trips once we are settled in Michigan. 

  

Are you excited?

Yes!  At the same time we are nervous about this new cross-cultural adjustment.  We are not the same Americans who moved to Guatemala 27 years ago, and we are uncertain how our worldview may clash with the culture of Holland, Michigan.  Soon we will discover how weird we really are!

Mostly we’d appreciate prayer for all that this decision entails:

• ·      Buying and furnishing a house

• ·      Replacing one or both of our vehicles, leaving one behind for team trips

• ·      Redefining our roles in marriage and ministry together

• ·      Finding a supportive church in Michigan

• ·      Figuring out education options for Jonny and Debbie, who will be 15 and 17

• ·      Making new friends for all of us

• ·      Keeping things in Mexico running smoothly by remote

• ·      Maintaining a good support base with an increased cost of living

• ·      ETC. That etcetera is huge, and we trust God to direct your prayers as you think of us. Only He knows what we will really need in the days to come.

Bless you, as you hopefully remain partners in this ongoing ministry with us, reaching the unreached, non-literate people groups around the world.  We are forever grateful for your participation with us in the past, while we humbly submit our future plans to you.

May God be glorified in our lives as we seek to serve Him in greater ways through this new leadership opportunity.