“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know
what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for
us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows
all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us
believers in harmony with God’s own will.” (Romans 8:26-27 NLT)
PRAISE ITEMS:
1. SCRIPTURE CAME ALIVE – Do you know the feeling of being so familiar with a
Scripture that you can read it without really being emotionally affected by it?
Take the passage above, for instance. I (Mickey) have read it many times in my
lifetime, but on August 12 when I read it during my morning Quiet Time, it seemed
as if God was speaking directly to me. I sobbed as I realized that the
Holy Spirit had seen my distress over the past couple of months – challenges
with medical issues, a long To Do List that overwhelmed me, feelings of sadness,
etc. - and had gone to the Father on my behalf. I saw Him agonizing in prayer –
only able to groan, not articulate, because of His deep concern for me. It was
a humbling – and encouraging – experience.
2.
ON-LINE PERSONAL SECURITY TRAINING PROJECT - Thank you for your prayers for me (Al) and
the team that are working on this project. We continue to make good progress
and we have been receiving good feedback from those who are working through the
trial package of this training. We very much appreciate your prayers as we
continue to work on the remaining details. There is a lot more work to be done
before the project will be ready for our Wycliffe and SIL staff.
3.
BANTOANON NEW TESTAMENT AUDIO RECORDING PROJECT – The
Faith Comes By Hearing recording specialists and team of Filipinos who are working
with our SIL colleagues Heather and Stan Crossley to make an audio recording of
the Bantoanon New Testament are halfway into the project now! Praise the Lord
for providing the needed voice actors (readers) and their commitment to work
this entire month (8+ hours per day; 5.5 days per week). Heather says, “People are coming back
whenever they can to read and hear the New Testament being read for the first
time in their language. They’ve seen portions of it before but are absolutely
thrilled, fascinated, touched (brought to tears, goose bumps and hallelujahs),
absorbed, and aware of the seriousness of God’s Word in the translation. As the
translator (after 35+ years) I’m also overjoyed to see how good the translation
reads.”
When the New Testament recording is finished and all
corrections made, it will be sent off for editing and adding sound effects. Then,
on September 19, SIL recording specialists will begin a month of recording
Genesis and Exodus in the Bantoanon language, so please continue to pray for everyone’s
health and stamina and that their equipment will work properly so these
projects can be completed and get into the hands of the people.
PRAYER ITEMS:
- TERROR ATTACKS
AROUND THE WORLD -
As you follow international news, you may have heard of the terrorist
attacks in Bangladesh and the bombings in Thailand. These and other
significant threats to our staff seem to be occurring on a very regular
basis. We are thankful to report that none of our staff members were
physically hurt by these events, though some have become very concerned by
their closeness. Please continue to pray for the safety and security of
our personnel. Also please pray for wisdom as I (Al) consult with and
assist them in being prepared to meet these threats. This past month I
have been able to provide some specific training to several of them via
the Internet. This is one of the areas I’m working to develop further.
This way I can hopefully maximize my ability to be of assistance even if
I’m not able to be in all of these places in person.
- UPCOMING TRIP TO
TEXAS – In
September, I (Al) will be traveling to Texas to attend a Risk Management
Network conference. Twice a year we meet as individuals from a wide range
of faith based organizations tasked with security and contingency care for
our organizations and staff. These are great opportunities to hear from
others about the challenges they are facing in their roles as well as
share resources and wisdom we each can use to serve our own staff. I have
often been blessed to be able to call on one of these friends during the
year when I had a specific question. There is a great deal of experience
present at these meetings. With so much that we could address in the short
time we have together, please pray that our time will be used wisely and
guided by the Lord.
- MICKEY’S HEALTH – This summer has
felt like a medical marathon for me (Mickey) with doctor appointments, tests,
x-rays, and physical therapy for some chronic problems. I have more tests
and doctor visits scheduled in the next couple of months regarding these
issues, but my bigger concern at present is the respiratory problem that I’ve
had all this month (August). Thanks so much for your prayers for me!
