November Prayer Letter

Note: The letter below was actually written at the end of November, but never got posted to this blog.  Sorry about the lateness of this post!  But here it is now, anyway.

Dear Prayer Supporters,

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Isa. 40:8) It is the early dry season in Chad, and the green grass of the rainy season is fast withering to a dusty yellow. What a comfort it is to know that God’s Word never withers, that it is always true and unchanging even in an uncertain and ever-changing world!

Update on Mali Trip

When I last wrote, I was preparing to travel to Mali to conduct a workshop for the Songhay New Testament. My paperwork for that trip finally came through at the last minute, and though I had a little trouble getting through customs, everything was eventually sorted out, and the rest of the trip went pretty smoothly. I enjoyed working with the translators and missionaries, and we were able to make decent progress in checking the list of key Greek words. Please pray for the Songhay team as they continue making preparations to print their New Testament.

Other Work

In October, I met with the Sara Kaba Deme to check more portions of their Old Testament translation. We finished checking the book of Proverbs, and also checked portions of Psalms and Isaiah. We are thankful for the progress that is being made. However, over 50 chapters of the already translated portions of the Deme Old Testament have gone missing from the office computers (perhaps a result of computer viruses), and the hard copies have been destroyed by vermin. Please pray that these portions would be found somehow, or if not, that the Lord will give the Deme translators and committee grace to re-translate them.

In November, we had the joy of celebrating with the Rito people in the dedication of their New Testament, finally printed and ready for distribution, after many years of hard work. Praise the Lord with us for this blessing, and please pray that the Rito people will read and value the Scriptures in their language.

Pray for the Chadian Churches

Although the Bible translation work is moving along reasonably well overall, the churches that sustain them are facing a spiritual battle. Spiritual weakness among some of the church leadership has allowed false doctrine and unbiblical practices to infiltrate some of the Chadian Baptist churches. The Baptist association leadership has taken some measures toward correcting the problems, but not yet enough to resolve them. Clearly, Satan does not want the ministry here to move forward, and is doing everything in his power to hinder it. Please pray that the Chadian believers and church leaders will have the courage and faith to take a firm stand for the truth of God’s Word, and that they will desire God’s glory above all else. Pray that the Lord will work in people’s hearts so that they will be receptive to Him. Please pray also for me, that I will trust in the Lord to work as He chooses.

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell