August Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Supporters,

Is furlough really a time to rest? With a missionary’s busy schedule of traveling and speaking engagements, furlough may not sound particularly restful! Yet I have found that although furlough may not exactly be a year’s vacation, it has been very refreshing, both through the encouragement from the Lord’s people, and through all that the Lord is constantly teaching me through His Word.

Furlough Travels

Over the last couple of months, I have visited supporting churches from Pennsylvania to Illinois. I have appreciated the encouragement and fellowship in each place. At one church, I enjoyed being reunited with my former roommate from my seminary days. At another church I had the unusual opportunity to help with the church’s float for a local parade (which even won first place)! Other folks have graciously invited me to their homes for meals and good fellowship together. Thanks for your continued prayers as I visit my remaining supporting churches before heading back to Chad in December.

Conferences at BMM and BI

The highlights of these last couple months included several conferences. Baptist Mid-Missions holds its annual conference in July, and it is always a good time of fellowship, spiritual refreshment and biblical challenges. I appreciated the encouragement from interactions with veteran missionaries, who shared insights from their years of faithful service.

Bibles International holds its annual consultant seminar in August. This is a time when our consultants can meet to discuss various matters related to our unique ministry. This year, we learned to use a computer program that will help us to collect linguistic data useful to our work. Besides this sort of technical work, it is a blessing to be able to interact with many of my colleagues face-to-face, when we are usually oceans apart from each other.

Following the consultant seminar, B.I. enjoys an annual retreat for all the staff and their families. Our time together this year was a very great encouragement to me. I am thankful that the Lord has given me such godly and supportive colleagues!

More changes on the Chad field

My coworker, Susan Hossack, has determined after much prayer that the Lord is leading her to leave Chad. She has transferred her ministry to France. Please pray for her as she transitions to a teaching ministry in a Bible institute.

As you may remember from my April letter, my other coworker, Dr Joy Hart, has also left Chad. This means that the Chad field is temporarily without any BMM missionaries on the ground. However, Les and Carol Carew, who spent seven months in Chad before moving to the Central African Republic in early 2015, have determined that the Lord is leading them to return to the field of Chad. As soon as their furlough in the US is over, they will transfer back to Chad in early 2017.

All these changes in field personnel mean that although I will be continuing the same work in Chad that I have been doing, I will be facing a complete change in my missionary coworkers. Please pray for myself and the Carews, that we will be an encouragement and blessing to each other as we serve the Lord in this difficult place.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell