2014 Discovery trips; how they are shaping up

Yesterday we finished training eight team leaders for our 2014 Discovery teams; all the sessions went really well with good Skype phone connections and trainees who worked very hard on digesting and applying the material we had for them.  We have been so excited about these teams and leaders….but now we are a bit surprised and disappointed at the adjustments we are having to make due to the low number of applicants we received this year.  We will be sending Discovery teams to three of our locations as originally planned, (although with fewer numbers than we had hoped for) but now two of our locations and leaders will be hosting individual participants instead of whole teams.  We know God is in control….and we have all been praying for the right applicants for the trips…but to say we are thrilled about what has transpired wouldn’t really be truthful.  It’s not just about filling up our trips….it’s about recruiting future Bible translators/support workers, and since Discovery is one of Wycliffe USA’s most effective programs at helping people move into missions with us, our low numbers this year are a matter of concern.

 It’s interesting that this is happening at a time when there are some major changes being planned for our 2015 trips and beyond; it is our hope and prayer that these changes will result in more people becoming interested in and choosing to commit to getting the Word translated and into the hands of those who do not yet have access to it.  Just last month we learned that the remaining need for Bible translation projects still needing to begin is now below 1,900!  We praise God for what He’s accomplishing around the world, and rejoice that more men, women, children, and communities are one step closer to knowing who God is and how much He loves them.

So, how can you be praying with us this month?  By praying for:

·         The leaders and teams of the Discovery trips to Papua New Guinea, SE Asia and South Asia as they plan their trips and work through their pre-trip orientation on-line.

·         The leaders of the sign language trip and the trip to Mozambique as they change their expectations and plans to accommodate individuals instead of teams.

·         For John as he coordinates several individual trips as well as prepares to co-lead the trip to South Asia.

·         For wisdom for all concerned as we look to the future and how to adjust our trips in order to better accomplish our objectives of mobilizing more people for the work of Bible                 Translation.

·         For our upcoming trip to visit some of our partners in Ministry; that we would encourage and refresh each other.

Thanks so much for your partnership in prayer!

 

 

Last week John took a short trip up to Seattle to hear Leanna speak about "Parenting Myself, Parenting Him"
as she draws near to completing her graduate degree.  And of course there was time to play with George!
(Thanks Maryann Shaw for these wonderful pictures!)