MISSION NEWS
Eileen Gasaway
SIL, PO Box 206
Ukarumpa,
EHP 444.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
July 17,
2005
Dear Friends in Atwater,
Perhaps the most relevant and exciting news right now
is that I am planning to come to the US for
four months for a kind of mini-furlough. I had
originally planned to come home for two months for Thanksgiving and
Christmas with my family, using my airline frequent flyer points. I
had finally amassed enough for a trip across the Pacific. I had
planned for mid-November to mid-January. When I
began to make my bookings, I found that there were
not many seats assigned for award bookings. First I had to go a
little earlier in November (the 9th) and then there were
no seats available in January or most
of February until Feb. 23. And any time over 2 months
is treated as a furlough with all the paperwork and forms that need
to be filled out. I began calling this my "accidental" furlough
although I know that
there are no true accidents in God's plan. Some of
rny financial partners have not been able to continue
their partnership with me so I am going to use my
"extra" time at home to visit as many of my current partners and
develop new partners, either churches or individuals, near my home
town of Atwater,
California. So I will be available for speaking
opportunities or small group presentations while 1 am home. If you
have any suggestions or places to visit, please let me know as I
want to be able to use my time as wisely as possible. I don't think
I will able to go out of California because of winter and other
constraints. In any case, please pray that God will
raise up new financial partners for me and this work.
Thank you so much for your continued faithfulness to
me in this wonderful work of Bible
translation here in Papua New Guinea. I am so blessed
to have you behind me. Thank you for money you sent for me in March,
April and 2 in June. I trust you are enjoying the summer and it
isn't too hot.
: We are starting our cooler dry season and our
nights are getting cold. I am looking forward to seeing you all
again in November.
At the Graduation of this year's Translators'
Training Course (for Papua New Guineans) the students acted out the
coming of the original missionaries to Papua New Guinea by boat from
the
Polynesian Islands. The Devotional Message speaker
took up the theme, but brought out the spiritual
significance, making it even more memorable. "When
the original missionaries came to PNG, they
brought salt, mirrors, axes and matches. You, as
Bible translators, are giving your people the Word of
God, which to them is spiritual salt, a mirror,
sharper than any axe, and light/power." Various groups of students
practiced songs in their language or trade language, praising God,
and one translation team acted out the Creation and Fall story which
they'd just translated into their language. Sixty-seven graduation
certificates were presented to students and mentors, having been
reminded by the
Graduation Message speaker that it's just a piece of
paper, yet serves as a memorial to what God has
taught
us and done in our lives during the course. One wrote in his
evaluation "I'm being translated
from my old being
to a new being, and very much need your prayer support to fight the
good fight"
In God's unfailing love,
Eileen
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