Greetings from Lancaster!
We’ve had quite a busy few months, so there is much to catch you up on. If you want to know more about something specific, please do feel free to get in touch. July was our birthday month. Ali’s was on the 1st and she and Dan celebrated by playing board games (Dominion and Splendor for those who care) as Tim was away. Dan’s was on the 10th when he left the comparative safety of the teenage years and strode out into his twenties! This was also celebrated through the medium of board games. Tim’s was on the 24th, while he was away in Germany. He celebrated with a lovely post-evening-meeting gathering with the folks there, in such increasing numbers that they had to keep adding tables to their area on the terrace. Tim thinks that maybe that was less about him and more about the excuse and opportunity to gather! We compensated for the lack of board game playing on his birthday by gifting him several new-to-us games.
Tim has travelled to East Africa for a Global Literacy Conference, dealt with a high volume of funding applications, got involved in a complex inter-organisational software funding strategy group, rode his motorbike to meetings in south Germany, and attended the Global Translation Services meetings in Rome. The literacy gathering was a highlight for Tim, not only being in Africa again but meeting people working in his area, the meeting content and catching up with folks from previous assignments!
He is about to head to the USA for Area leadership meetings and then scooting off to Asia with Ali for a conference followed by a workshop, followed by (drum roll please) a holiday!
Ali travelled to Guyana (in South America if you are wondering) in early August, to be part of a Global Voice event. Global Voice events are workshops to give the speakers of those languages a voice to tell us and the rest of the world about their language. The updated information will be shared through Ethnologue and will help mission organisations, academics and others understand how best to interact with and bless the speakers of these languages. This event was in collaboration with the University of Guyana and the government of Guyana. We also worked with representatives of Indigenous Guyanese languages, including 9 Amerindian groups. It was a very positive time for all involved.
In a couple of weeks, I am heading off with Tim to a conference in Asia where I will be presenting twice on different aspects of our language data collection and use as well as the online systems that utilise the data.
We would like to ask you to pray for Dan. He had a difficult second semester at uni last year and struggled with feeling disconnected but kept it to himself at the time. He is now having to work through the consequences of missing a lot of lectures. He returned to Newcastle in August to resit some exams and we are awaiting the results. He is doing well within himself, but depending on results will carry on to 2nd year or need to resit some or all of the 1st year. Please pray for him that he will lean into God in this difficult time. He is remaining upbeat and has worked hard for his resits, please pray for focus and the ability to process and not forget any extra paperwork that might need doing! He should hear about his results next week.
Praise
Safe travel for Tim to East Africa despite some unrest, safety riding to Germany and productive meetings in Rome
Fun times celebrating our Birthdays despite not always being together
Safe travel to Guyana for Ali and a productive and God-honouring time there
Prayer
That we stay healthy with all the upcoming travel
For good adjustments from travelling on our own to travelling together
May Dan experience God's peace and wisdom and strengthen his trust in Him.
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