April Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Supporters,

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:”
(2 Thess. 3:1).

Translation Update

I have been enjoying getting back into the full swing of Bible translation work. In February, I met with the Sara Kaba Naa translators to check the book of Jeremiah. The book is too large to finish in one two-week workshop, but we were able to finish 35 chapters, which is good progress. In March it was the turn of the Sara Kaba Deme for a checking session, and we checked 9 of the minor prophets (the other 3 having already been checked in 2016), plus the first five chapters of Ezekiel.

My next translation checking workshop will be in early May with the Day (pronounced “die”) Bible. This team has already finished translating and checking all the Old Testament books, and they are now working through quality checks on the whole Bible in preparation for printing. Please pray for me as I seek to help them move forward with their quality checks.

Scripture Use Materials

Over the last few months, I have been working with my Chadian coworkers to develop short, simple brochures with Scripture portions in Chadian languages. These are being distributed, and it has been exciting to hear of how much interest even these simple brochures have produced among those who have received them.

One young high school graduate had learned to read in French but claimed he couldn’t read his own language, and thus he had never bothered to purchase a New Testament in his language, even though the cost is well within his financial abilities. After he had read slowly but ultimately successfully through a brochure, he became quite excited as he realized how well he had understood it, and said he now wanted to buy himself a whole New Testament. We pray that many people will be encouraged as they read these verses from God’s Word. We will be working on developing more Scripture Use materials in the future. Please pray for wisdom and for God’s blessing on this endeavor.

Standing Firm against Paganism

In spite of the long history of Christian missions in southern Chad, traditional pagan customs are still practiced by many people, including many who would identify themselves as members of Christian churches. Pagan tradition includes initiation rites for both boys and girls which are held every few years or so (depending on the ethnic group); these rites consist of many idolatrous and harmful practices which no Christian should participate in, but peer pressure and even persecution makes it difficult for many young people to refuse.

 2017 is the year that initiation rites will be held for one of the major ethnic groups in this area, so please pray that our young people and their families will stand firm. Pray especially for a 16-year-old new believer named Desiré: his unsaved family is pressuring him to undergo initiation and threatening to reject him if he refuses, but he is trying to be strong and honor the Lord. My Chadian mother Linda and I are seeking ways to help him so that his family and friends do not physically force him to undergo the pagan rites.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell

January Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Supporters,

Thank you for praying for me as I completed my furlough and traveled back to Chad. I arrived safely in the village of Balimba (near the city of Sarh) in mid-December, and enjoyed a very warm welcome from my Chadian friends. I have been very busy getting settled back into life and ministry here, but I am so thankful that God has brought me back here and given me the privilege to serve Him here in Africa.

Translation Update

We have quite a busy schedule of translation checking workshops planned for this year. Besides the two language groups I usually work with (the Sara Kaba Naa and Sara Kaba Deme), I will also be assisting another language group, the Day (pronounced die). This group has been very diligent in translating the Old Testament, and is hoping to be finished within the next couple years. I have not worked with this group before, and their language is very different from the other Chadian languages I have worked with, so I’d appreciate your prayers for that.

Three other consultants who are based in the USA will make trips to Chad throughout the year to work with the Day as well as with two other language groups, the Sara Madjingay and the Ngam. Thank you for your prayers for the continued progress of the Bible translation work in Chad.

Coworker Update

My new coworkers, Les and Carol Carew, have finished their furlough but have not yet arrived in Chad. They are currently in their previous mission field, the Central African Republic, organizing their affairs there and preparing to move to Chad. Please pray for them during this time of transition.

Other Important Events

As I write, two visiting missionaries from BMM’s PEP ministry (Pastoral Enrichment Program) are busy teaching two module classes on systematic theology and on pastoral life and ministry. We have missionaries visit Chad to teach Bible school classes at least a couple times every year, but this time it is different: while in the past the classes have been taught to a small group of Bible school students and local pastors, this time people from our Baptist churches all over southern Chad have been invited. There are currently over 160 people attending the classes, including pastors, deacons, evangelists, and Sunday school teachers. Word from both the professors and the students is that it is going very well. Many of those attending have never had adequate theological training, and they have greatly appreciated all that they are learning. These classes are the first two in a series of 12 classes that will be taught to the Chadian church leaders over the next three years (four classes per year). Please pray that the Lord will use these important classes to ground our churches more solidly in the truth of God’s Word.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell

"So, Where's Home for You?"

It's a question I dread whenever I'm in a new place, meeting new people.  I know that sooner or later someone will ask, "Where's home for you?"  It seems like it should be so simple, just a straightforward one- or two-word answer, like "Chicago" or "New York", but I often find myself hesitating, because for me the answer is not so simple.

Mind you, I'm not offended when people ask me.  I appreciate this sort of getting-to-know-you small talk that always happens when you first meet someone, and I'm happy to engage in it.  It isn't their fault that I'm not sure how to answer.

The difficulty is not so much that I don't have a home.  I have too many of them.  It really ought to be a multiple choice question:

(A) Australia
(B) USA (with three or four several possible options within the US...)
(C) Chad
(D) All of the above
(E) None of the above

I'd like to answer (D), except that doesn't really answer the question "where are you from?" very well.  It's just so hard to choose between my different options...

(A) Australia

As most of you know, I'm an MK: my parents were missionaries in Australia for 36 years.  If you know much about MKs, you know that we are usually pretty confused about where we are from, and I'm no exception.  Growing up in Australia, I loved the country deeply, and I still do.  It is a beautiful and fascinating land, with lovely people living in a fun-loving, laid-back culture.  It's been fifteen years since I left Australia to go to Bible college in America, but I still feel so comfortable in Australia, and I look forward to those rare occasions when I can visit it again (ah, if only Australia wasn't so far away from everything!).  Yes, even after all these years, Australia is still home.

(B) USA

Although I've spent less than a third of my life in America, I haven't forgotten that I have an American heritage.  Actually, my first ancestors came to the US nearly 400 years ago.  I myself lived in America for about ten years.  I have enjoyed being able to experience the incredible variety of America, from the rugged shores of Maine to the quiet farming communities of Iowa.  America is a pretty neat place, and in spite of all my traveling, America is home to me too - though I'm still not sure which state to claim as my own!  Iowa, Indiana, Maine, and Michigan are the main contenders.  Oh well, they are all still within the USA!

(C) Chad

I've been in Chad for nearly four years: not that long compared to all the years I spent in America and Australia, but I have grown to love Chad.  It took me more than two years before I really felt like it was my home, but now that I am on the verge of going back to it, I do feel like I'm going home.

If you look at the statistics, Chad is on the worst end of nearly all of them: harsh climate, extreme poverty, poor education system and infrastructure, lots of tropical diseases, and surrounded by some of the most politically volatile countries on the continent.  It sounds like a terrible place to live.  But what the statistics cannot tell you is the warmth and hospitality of the Chadian people, all their cheerful smiles and resilience in spite of physical hardship.  Nor can the statistics explain how when God calls you to a place, He can give you a love for both the place and the people who are there.  So yes, Chad is indeed home for me.

(D) All of the Above

So, to go back to the original question, just which of these places really is home for me?  When I'm asked, usually the easiest response is to first ask the person what they mean by "home": Are they referring to where I grew up?  Where my parents live?  Where I'm based while on furlough in the USA?  Or where I spend most of my time?... When we have established that, then I can go on to offer a reasonably intelligent (and relatively short) answer.

But if you want to know which place I personally consider to be home, I'd say that home is wherever God puts me, whether that be Australia, America, Africa, or anywhere else that He may choose to place me.  For now, that is Chad (and I hope it will be so for a good while yet; there is still a lot of work to be done there!).  But if He should see fit to move me somewhere else someday, I trust that He will give me the grace to call that place "home" as well.

(E) None of the Above

Let us not forget that we who know the Lord are all strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  No earthly home lasts forever.  Only when He takes us to the home He has prepared for us will we truly be "home".

And in the meantime, maybe it's not so bad that my answer to the question "where is home for you?" is rather complicated.  At least it makes for a good conversation starter!

November Prayer Letter

Dear Prayer Supporters,

My furlough time in America is now drawing to a close, and I will soon be going back to Chad. As I look back over the past eight months, I praise the Lord greatly for having given me a really great furlough! I’m eagerly looking forward to what the Lord will do as I head back to Africa to continue the Bible translation work there.

Furlough Travels Completed! 

Over the past six months, I have traveled through 15 states, spoken in 25 churches, and logged nearly 9500 miles on my car. In the process, my supporters and I have become much better acquainted with each other, and I have enjoyed reviving old friendships and forging some new ones. In spite of all the traveling, I have also been able to find time for physical and spiritual refreshment along the way.

I spent the last couple months of my furlough travels in Illinois and Iowa. Besides visiting supporting churches, I also had the opportunity to participate in the annual missions conference at Faith Baptist Bible College and Seminary. I spent nearly 6 years as a student there (2002-2007), so it was a blessing to be back and to re-connect with many old friends, classmates, and professors. I also enjoyed meeting some of the current students. Please pray for several Faith students who are seriously considering a future ministry with Bibles International.

I am now back at my parents’ home in Indiana. I’m looking forward to spending a full month with my family, then I will fly back to Chad on December 8. I will spend several days in the capital to renew my visa before finally traveling on to Sarh in the south of the country. Please pray for safe travels.

Scripture Use 

Scripture Use material is anything other than the published Bible translations and literacy materials which is designed to encourage people to use their Bible translations more widely or more effectively, such as tracts, Bible verse posters, Bible reading plans, and materials to aid in Scripture memorization. I will be working with BI and with the Chadian committees to try to produce more such materials in Chadian languages. Please pray for wisdom in this endeavor.

What's Happening in 2017

Here are some of the events planned for 2017:

• 3 translation checking workshops with the Sara Kaba Naa
• 3 translation checking workshops with the Sara Kaba Deme
• 2 translation quality checking workshops with the Day (pronounced “die”)
• Hosting short-term missionary guests: I am expecting at least 8 or 9 different visits from missionaries in 2017. Some will help in the translation work, others will teach in the local theological school. Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.

In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell

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

What do you do in your spare time?

Someone asked me this at a supporting church this morning, and I thought it was a pretty good question!  I have several favorite hobbies and past-times, so I'll just list them here.  Some of them I've had to adapt a bit for my situation in Africa, of course.  Anyway, here are a few of my favorite leisure activities, in no particular order:

• Computer games. I especially enjoy puzzle games, word games, board and card games, and a few of what are called time-management games. However, when I'm in a translation checking workshop, I spend so much of the day on the computer that I sometimes find I need a break from it.  Sometimes, a book of word puzzles is just as good as a computer game!
• Reading books: I enjoy novels for light reading material, and sometimes devotional or doctrinal or language books for more academic reading.  I have a pretty good collection of books at my home in Chad, both my own and many books that other missionaries left behind.
• Listening to audio books and sermons: I have quite a large collection of audio books from Librivox and Audible, mostly the same kinds of books I like reading as hard copies.  I also have quite a lot of sermon recordings that I've collected over the past several years.  This furlough, I've discovered the usefulness of podcasts to get profitable or informative listening material, but that probably won't be possible to do from Chad because of our limited internet access.
• Watching videos: My movie tastes are conservative, so I mostly watch family films and old classics and animal movies.  I also enjoy documentaries, especially on animals, science, history, and true crime.  This furlough, I've been enjoying video streaming over the internet, but that is impossible on our slow internet connection on the field.  So in Chad, I have a slowly growing collection of favorite DVDs which I watch over and over.
• Digital photo scrapbooking: I discovered several years ago just how much fun this hobby can be!  But I've steered away from scrapbooking sites that are web-based such as Shutterfly.  Those are too cumbersome and frustrating to try to use on a slow internet connection.  Instead, I use free software from a company called Blurb, because even if they don't have as many fancy trimmings, they do produce nicely bound books.  And best of all, I can work on my books offline as much as I like, and upload them when I am finally in a country with high-speed internet.
• Jigsaw puzzles: I enjoy jigsaws but never get to do them as much as I'd like.  In America, I am usually traveling too much to do them.  In Chad, I am usually too busy to do them during the day, and the lighting at night is too bad to see the the pieces properly.  But I enjoy them when I'm able to do them!
• Table games: I love table games, but rarely have anyone to play them with!  Discovering people who enjoy them is a special treat for me.

Well, those are a few of the fun things I like to do in my spare time.  Do you enjoy doing any of these things?  I'd love to hear about which books or games or movies or hobbies you enjoy!