End of August Prayer Requests

Thanks to all of you who check here for information that
will help you to pray for us. Believe me: We need your prayers!

We hope you will pray for Lynda, Poppy, Lewynna, and Nety. These are the four young women and members of our translation team who will be going to the Capital City for the translation course.	All except Nety have recently had health problems which caused them to not be able to work. Lynda has a potentially serious problem with high blood pressure.
Lynda’s work is especially valuable because she has an Masters Degree in Bible from the Philippines, and she is very able to use English translation helps. A special long term prayer request for her is to be able to further her studies in Dallas— something I would  like to see happen. Lynda will soon finish a preliminary draft of Acts.	Lynda
Poppy has been working full time for over a year in the Double Stuff translation project— longer than the other three. The first syllable in her name is pronounced the same as the first syllable of “potato.” I rely on Poppy for so much! She has done preliminary work on 1 Peter, Philippians, Colossians, and Hebrews. She also has been helping Nety and Lewy in their first project, the book of Mark. Poppy also has worked with Isaak in comprehension checks of John and 1 Peter. She has a great desire that the Liturgy of her church be translated into everyday language like we are using in the translation.	Poppy
Lewynna is pronounced “lay-WEE-nah,” but she often goes by Lewy. She graduated with honors from the same seminary as Poppy. When I found out that she often helps seminary students with  their research projects using the Internet, I started asking her to do many computer-related chores for our team.	Lewy
Nety studied law at the local university, and she is a cousin of Poppy. She is at a disadvantage because of not having studied Biblical Greek, but she has worked very hard to be part of the team. I have seen both Lewy and Nety grow in ability as they have worked through Mark. They are starting work on James now.	Nety
All four team members are taking classes to improve their English skills, and would love to study outside the country.
	Please pray for the choice of a local organization to sponsor the Double Stuff translation project. It is important that the sponsor be one that works well with other organizations, and one that can request visas for expatriate personnel. If you understand how Bible translations can be controversial, I hope you can see the importance for sponsorship which can represent our work well in the eyes of the government and in a context that includes other religions.
	We plan to finish the New Testament in 40 months.* But at least $30,000 in funding will be needed to support the Double Stuff team, to pay for wages for our team members, and for things like office rent and Internet fees. Praise the Lord for that an anonymous group has provided a challenge grant for half that amount! They will double any gift given by you, our brothers and sisters. Please write to us for details on how to give, as the instructions are not the same as giving to our personal support. If you don’t know our e-mail address, you can leave a comment at this web site and give your e-mail address. (Your comment will not appear for everyone to see, as I will delete any comments that include e-mail addresses. This is to protect you from spam e-mails.)
	I will be one of five teachers for the translation training course that begins September 1. Because I am the only teacher who has completed a New Testament project, the team assigned me the hardest topics. Please pray for me! These topics include things that are so difficult to explain, and I have never taught this subject. I hope that I can give practical assignments that will inspire as well as teach. Please pray also for health for the 21 students, and for me.
And please remember Gale, that God will be with her while I am away.	Many thanks to all of you who have read this! Together in Christ, Phil & Gale
	*Footnote concerning our 40-month goal: We anticipate that not all of the New Testament will be consultant checked at the end of the 40 months. A check by an outside consultant is the final step before publishing approval. We do hope that the whole New Testament will be ready for a consultant check by that time. We are also hoping to have a draft of Genesis and Exodus by the end of 40 months. And we already have half of Proverbs in draft form now.