January Prayer Letter

I have now experienced my first Christmas in Africa. How different from my previous Christmases! One morning shortly before Christmas, several friends were showing me some new outfits they had bought to give to their children or grandchildren. They told me how excited the children would be, because for most of them it would be the only nice new clothes they would get all year. How different from my own childhood, when we were bored with presents of new clothes and only interested in getting lots of new toys!

A few days before Christmas, I attended a Sunday School Christmas program. In Chad, each age group of children gives a presentation, including songs and Scripture verses and sometimes a short Christmas skit. Most of the presentations were in the local Sara Madjingaye language, and the melodies and words of the Christmas carols were all new to me. Yet in spite of all the differences between cultures and languages, the Savior that we sing about is still the same, and His gospel is still good news for all people. May the good news continue to spread in Chad and around the world!

Workshops in December

In the first week of December, I met with the Sara Kaba Dem translation team to finish editing the book of 1 Kings. In our last workshop, we spent many hours struggling through the construction of Solomon’s Temple in 1 Kings 5-7. Thankfully, the rest of the book was not nearly so difficult! However, even in supposedly “easy” sections, difficult translation problems can arise. In chapter 10, the translators struggled to find a way to translate the queen of Sheba’s words to Solomon: “The half was not told me”. How do you translate “half” in a language that doesn’t use fractions? The team was stumped until they remembered the word nusu, often used to express the idea of half or partial. Although the word comes from Arabic, it is so common that it will be easily understood in the translation.

The following week, I met with the Sara Kaba Naa team. We finished checking the book of 1 Chronicles, and then turned our attention to the book of Psalms. This book is generally more difficult to translate than the Chronicles, but the Lord helped us to find solutions as difficulties arose. In Psalm 104, there are a number of different trees and animals mentioned. Some of these things pose no difficulty, such as the “young lions” in verse 21. Others, such as the “coney” or “rock badger” in verse 18, don’t exist at all in Chad. For most of these, the team simply adapted the French word.

While we are thankful for progress made, both the Sara Kaba Naa and Dem Old Testaments still have a long way to go before they can be printed. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Coworkers coming and going

In mid-December, my coworker, Dr Joy Hart, returned safely after a nine-month furlough. She is settling back into life and ministry here in Chad. In late January, my fellow consultant, Susan Hossack, will be leaving for a year-long furlough. Pray for Susan as she enjoys a much-needed break, reports to her supporting churches, and seeks to raise additional support. Please pray for me and for my Chadian coworkers as we continue the translation work during Susan's absence.

Australia trip

Although I will be very busy this year, the Lord has given the opportunity to take a trip to Australia from mid-March through mid-May, to visit my parents and report to the churches and individuals there that support me. Please pray for a profitable and restful stay in Australia.

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell