Expanding our Reach - Robinson Ministry update 1st May 2025

Good morning from Lancaster!

We have some good news about Dan. Newcastle University has accepted him back to restart his course in Chemical Engineering in September. This has been quite the journey and we are not there yet but this is certainly an encouraging step along the way. Praise God with us! Please do also pray for us as we continue to work with Dan to help him prepare for this next stage. 

Alpha Tiles App

The Alpha Tiles workshop that Tim was involved with was a success. There were a number of challenges along the way, including some participants not being granted visas, which meant they were unable to attend in person but were able to join via zoom for some sessions. The teams are now better equipped for utilising Arabic fonts within the app, opening the doors to a whole new set of languages that might use it in the future.

In February, we mentioned that SIL (one of Wycliffe's implementing partners that we work with) has a new incoming Executive Director, Johnstone Ndunde. He will officially take over in May and as part of that there are some significant changes coming in the organisational structure. SIL currently has 8 geographical Areas, and they are being reduced down to 5 new Areas. The Area that Tim has been working in, Eurasia, is being combined with Mainland Asia (now known as EurAsia) and as a result, we are not sure what this will mean for Tim’s current role in security, contingency planning and risk assessment for Eurasia. We have no doubt that there will be a role for him, but it is not yet clear what that role will be, or who he would be working with and for. This is combined with the other team he works for being shut down and different parts being sent in different directions, which mean Tim probably won't be in that role either. The unknown of these changes is unsettling for Tim.

I (Ali) have started my transition into the role of General Editor of Ethnologue. I am starting by checking and approving edits that have been made to our information by the Assistant Editors and by our trusted contributors. Chuck Fennig, whom I am taking over from, has been so helpful, humble and gracious in sharing his vast knowledge with me. We will continue to work together on this role through this time of transition, with the aim of fully handing over by the start of July. I am enjoying the challenge of digging into the new information and checking that it seems reliable and consistent. Often, one piece of new information triggers a series of other questions about the language in question, which sometimes leads me off on what feels like rabbit trails. Learning when a rabbit trail is worth following and when to stop and move on is a skill I will have to learn!

We will be visiting New Life Church in Crewe this coming Sunday (4th May), where we will be sharing an update. Do come along and say hello if you are in the area!

If you would like us to come and share at a gathering at your church, please do get in touch. I am sorry that we have not gotten out to see more of you over the last few years. With Tim travelling so much, we have found that on the Sundays that he is here, we have really wanted to invest in our church here in Lancaster. But we do value all of you, and we also want to see you. With Tim travelling less this year, we hope to find the space to come see folks further afield around the country.

Please do continue to pray for us.

Praise

Dan now has a clear goal to prepare for

Ali is enjoying the challenge of her new role

Prayer

For wisdom for Dan and for us we work together to give him the best possible preparation for his return to Uni

Peace for Tim as we wait to see what the SIL structural changes will mean for his role