December 2020 Prayer Letter

 Dear Prayer Supporters,
 
Greetings from southern Indiana!  By God's grace, I arrived in the USA last week for a ten-month furlough.  Please note the furlough address and phone number at the end of this letter, and thank you for praying for me during this time.
 

Internet Restored

In my last letter, we had been under a total internet blackout for over two months, and I asked you to pray that it would soon be restored.  Thank you for praying!  The Lord answered your prayers, and internet access was restored in early October. Although the connection was even slower and more unstable than usual, we were just thankful to have any kind of internet connection! 
 

Translation Update

            The longest stage of the Bible translation process is the content checking stage, where the Bible text is translated and checked by mother-tongue speakers and by the translation consultant.  When all books have been translated and checked, the project moves into the quality checking stage, where the whole translation undergoes rigorous cross-checking to ensure consistency, good grammar, and overall good quality.  This stage does not take as long as content checking, but it can be quite difficult.  The work is often particularly tedious and technical, and by this late stage in the project, the translation team often struggles with fatigue. 
            Two of the three translation projects that I work with began quality checking in 2019.  The third project, the Sara Kaba Naa, was just a little behind the other two projects, but in October 2020, this project also completed content checking and officially entered the quality checking stage.  Please pray for all three of these projects as they complete the many necessary tasks in the quality checking process.

Furlough Plans

            Some of you have asked about my furlough plans.  Although the Covid-19 restrictions still make travel difficult, it is at least possible to travel now.  With my furlough already nearly a year overdue, and with no way to know for sure when things will be fully back to normal, November seemed to be an appropriate time to begin my furlough.  Praise the Lord that I safely arrived in the USA just a few days before Thanksgiving.  I am spending the holidays with my parents before starting to visit churches just after the New Year.  Well, actually we had to do Thanksgiving by video, since I'm currently in self-quarantine in my parents' basement!  But at least we were sort of together for Thanksgiving!
            As you are undoubtedly aware, many American states still have travel restrictions, while others do not, and the restrictions change constantly and without warning.  Please pray for wisdom as I plan to travel, and pray also for health and safety during my travels.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell