Twice Egged

family update

M&T Updates: Merry Christmas

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Let’s speak prettily to the Lord Owner Boss of the descendants of Israel….
“I have seen your salvation which you have prepared for all people.“


Merry Christmas!!

Teresa and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas as you celebrate the riches of all that our Great God has done for us!! How blessed we all are because of this marvelous Story that began in eternity past!!  A big hug for you all from us up here in the North land!!

Here is some of the Christmas Story from Luke 2 from the P. Bible:

     And at that time, there was one who lived there in Jerusalem.  His name was Simeon.  And this one, who lived in a straight (righteous) way, was continually thinking about the true God.  He lived continually thinking and waiting for the Savior whom God had chosen.  Yes, he was living waiting for that one who would help the descendants of Israel, the one who would give them salvation.  And upon this one who was waiting (Simeon) came the true Spirit.  And coming upon him, the Spirit caused him to think about the Savior that the Lord had chosen.  The true Spirit caused him to realize beforehand that he would see the Savior in person before he (Simeon) died.

Well on that particular day, the true Spirit led Simeon to the house of the true God (temple).  And then, when Joseph and Mary arrived to present their son in a setting apart prohibitively (sanctifying) sort of way, when they came to do according to what the hemming-in words (law) said, Simeon saw them.  And seeing them, he picked up little Jesus.  And thinking prettily, he quickly began to speak prettily (praise) to God.

And speaking like this he said:

“Yes Lord, you told me ahead of time that I would see the Savior in person.  Now I have seen precisely this one.  It’s true!  I have seen this one that you sent, this one who will provide passing through (salvation) for those who live in all lands, this one who was sent for everyone.  For he resembles a light.  And precisely he will cause the non-Jews to think in the light regarding yourself.  Its true!  To every person and to everyone who speaks a different language, yes, he will give them knowledge in order that they know you well.  And by his doing, he will cause the non-Jews to see the ones descended from Israel with true value.  And so now God, since I have seen this one, I will be able to die thinking with a refreshed liver (with peace).  So go ahead and give me, your servant, death,” Simeon said to the true God.

Down below here is our son Josh, his wife Josie, and their four children.  Thanks for your prayers for them as they continue to serve the Asian-Pacific Region, and as they transition to new things.  Their oldest son Spencer is in College now, and so that is a real adjustment to have him far away.  Pray for God’s continued leading in all of their lives.

And further down below you see our daughter Jodi, with her husband Brent, and the two little ones all bundled up for the cold.  Pray for them as they continue to work in northern Canada to reach the First Nations of this great land.

How thankful we are that our children know the Lord Jesus as their Savior, and that they want to live for His glory.  We are thankful too that the grandchildren know the Lord as well…..except the last two….who are still just a couple of little peewees!!

Josh, his wife Josie, and their four children
Our daughter Jodi, with her husband Brent, and the two little ones

Thanks again so very much for your partnering with us.  We are indeed thankful for the ongoing opportunities to serve the P. believers by preparing additional resource material for them.  We hope to get some more Bible lessons sent down to them shortly…and trust God for continued OPEN DOORS!!  Thanks for praying about continued ministry down there.  Thanks again for all you do to keep us going!!

Rejoicing in the Lamb that was slaughtered who will come again as the Lion of Judah who will reign supreme,

Merrill and Teresa

Behold, HE IS RISEN….and that message has touched the P nation, PTL!!

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If we believe in the one who raised the Lord Owner Boss Jesus from the dead, then we will be made acceptable, just like Abraham was.  For the true God gave His Son on our behalf in order to exchangingly die for us.  And in order that we might find acceptability before God, He raised Jesus from the dead.  Romans 4:22b-25

Christ is Risen!!

At this time of year, we celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!  How wonderful that many different People Groups around the world also know about and believe in the Risen Christ!!  And how sweet it was to see some of the P believers reveling in this amazing truth too.  Praise be to God for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!!

Here is an approximation of Matthew’s account of this blessed event as written in the P translation:

And on the next day right after the resting day, early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene, as well as the other Mary, went to the hollow in the stone.  And suddenly the earth trembled severely.  It was surpassingly severe.   For when the servant of the Lord came down from heaven, the land severely trembled.  Its true!  Because he moved the heavy stone to the side, and because he sat on the shut closed-rock, well the earth trembled severely.  And the servant who came down from heaven, well he was exceedingly bright like extreme lightning, in such a way that the human eye couldn’t look on him.  And his clothing was surpassingly true white.  And when the soldiers saw him, they became very fearful, thinking with trembling.  And they fell over like dead ones to the ground, fainting.  But the servant from heaven said to the ladies:
“Don’t be afraid. I know regarding you.  I know that you are looking for Jesus, the one who died on the pole.  But look, he isn’t here.  He has risen, just as he said he would,” he said to them.  “Come see the place where he lay.  And after looking carefully, run over to Jesus’s companions to tell them.  Go tell them that Jesus, having died, has risen.  And look, precisely Jesus himself goes before you to Galilee land.  You will meet him over there.  You will see him over there.  For in order that you not be ignorant, I have told you”, he said to the ladies, the servant from heaven.
And because of what he said to them, they entered the rock hollow in order to see the place where Jesus had lain.  And after seeing it, they took off quickly.  And even though they were afraid, they ran thinking with surpassing joy, in order to inform Jesus’s companions.  And as they were running, Jesus himself suddenly appeared before them.  And greeting them he said to them:
“Are you still living?
And the ladies kneeled before him.  And grabbing his feet, they thought about him prettily.
Then Jesus said to them:
“Don’t be afraid but rather go to my brothers,” he said to them.  “Go tell them in order that they go to Galilee land.  For there you will see me.  Go!” he said to them.

A great trip!

Praise the Lord that we had a great trip down south!  The great Door Opener went before us and opened up the way to connect with some of the P pastors.  What a treat to hang out together again and fellowship around the Word and together with the resurrected Christ!  We missed their wives and some of the other church leaders, but we thank God for those who could come out.  Truly things have changed in huge ways in this land.  Thanks so much for your prayers during this stint.  God greatly undertook in multiple ways.  Truly this is His work, and He continues to lead and guide and build His glorious church among this beloved nation!

Bits and Pieces of This and That:

  • On one of the trips that our coworkers took to a remote location where the P believers live, a bunch of young guys suddenly ran up to the stopped vehicle.  What were they asking for?  Not for fishing hooks or garden seed or matches, but for Bibles!!
  • On that same visit into P-land by some of our V coworkers, they were amazed with what rapt attention the young people were sitting and listening to the Word of God being taught!
  • More and more P bilinguals are reading the Scriptures in their own language!
  • Three elderly men who were believers have died in P-land.  And before they passed on, they gave strong testimonies of their trust in the Payer, and the uselessness in believing in the old teachings.  They encouraged the teachers to continue to faithfully teach, and the young to follow the straight truths of written word
  • On the road trip to meet up with the P pastors, we passed through multiple check-points and PTL there were no difficulties whatsoever!  God opened all the doors!  God sent distractions to so many guards as we drove through the checkpoint.
  • Due to a total lack of matches and salt, the P people are back to lighting all their fires by rubbing sticks together, and eating all their food in a bland sort of way
  • It was exciting to hang out with two new pastors in training and see how well they are doing in their reading and spiritual understanding
  • We were thrilled to hear of the new freedom some of the pastors are experiencing as they live before the Lord and not before people
  • It really was surprising to suddenly see many of the P people looking much better physically than the nationals.  PTL that they have their gardens, wild roots and fruits and seeds, as well as their fishing and hunting to sustain them during this tough time in the country
  • Some of the P pastors are more committed than ever, others seem to be pulling back a bit.  They all need our prayers for growth, encouragement, and Spirit-filled living
  • An item of concern is that formal literacy classes have stopped.  Some teachers are discouraged, some are hungry and need to get out to fish or go to their gardens instead of sitting in a classroom, etc. etc.  Please make this a prayer priority as READING is key to the ongoing development and growth of the P churches
  • What a joy it was to meet with these three men during an eight-day period and talk about the bigness of God, life in the Vine-one, shepherding the flock, raising kids, and reviewing the first 24 chapters of Genesis.  Pray for continued growth for all those teaching and shepherding the flock
  • When the Scriptures are read in Spanish among the bilingual folks, the ladies don’t pay attention at all, but when they are read in the P language, they all listen and quickly hush their kids up, telling them to listen too.  Thanks for your ongoing prayers for the many bilingual communities
  • Some nationals have coerced several bilingual P to steal from the homes of our V coworkers, and are now threatening to kick them out of the area, that is out of Pretty Water.  Thanks so much for your prayers regarding that too

Thanks Again…..

….for your partnership with us, for your prayers, for your encouragement, and for your fellowship in the Gospel.  God is working and is building His church among the Unreached People Groups of the world.  Thanks so much for being a part of the team!

Rejoicing in the Resurrected Christ,

Merrill and Teresa

Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas!!

Teresa and I, together with our children and grandchildren, want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas as you celebrate the riches of all that our Great God has done for us!! How blessed we all are because of this marvelous Story that began in eternity past!!  A big hug for you from all of us.  Know that we love you and truly thank God for your part in the work to see solid NT churches established among the P people.

Josh & Josie and their four children

Josh and Josie and their four children are still on medical leave from their country of service and we trust they will see improvements in the health of Josie, and their daughter Katrina, beforelong.  Thanks for your prayers for them as they journey onward.  We will miss them here in the North Land but thankful they can be together with family there in Wisconsin.

Jodie, Brent and Hudson

Jodi and Brent are here in Salmon Arm, BC to have their second child since medical services in their host country aren’t adequate.  We are delighted to be able to hang with them this Christmas and get to know our newest little grandson Hudson!  Jodi is due here shortly and your prayers for a safe delivery for mom and baby would be appreciated.  And yes, thanks for your prayers for them too as they continue on in life and missions.

Here is an approximation of how some of the Christmas Story from Luke 1 sounds in the translation of the beloved P people:

When Elizabeth had been full with child for six moons, the true God sent his servant to the town of Nazareth.  It’s true.  He sent Gabriel to the town that was located in the land of Galilee.  He sent him to a girl named Mary, to her who had never once slept with a man.  For she was promise-given to Joseph who was a descendant of the deceased David.  Precisely to him was she promise-given to become his wife.  And Gabriel, arriving to where she was, said to her:
—Look woman, be joyful, for precisely the Lord sees you with great compassion.  He is with you.
But when Mary heard these words, she really thought deeply wondering:  But what is he saying to me?  Why is this servant from heaven speaking to me like this?
But Gabriel said to her:
—Look Mary, don’t be afraid.  For the true God sees you with truly much compassion.  For you will remain pregnant and after a time has passed, you will give birth to a baby boy.  You will name him Jesus.  And he will be truly valuable / great.  People will say to him that he is the Son of the surpassingly great God.   And above and beyond that, he will live just as his deceased forefather did, sitting on a truly important seat / position.  It’s true!  By the Lord God causing it to happen, he will live as king just as his ancestor David did, becoming the king of the descendants of Israel.  He will live forever as their king, being a ruler —he said to her.
But Mary asked the servant from heaven:
—But how will I give birth?  For I have not ever slept with a man, not even once.
But the servant from heaven answered her:
—Look, the true Spirit will come upon you in such a way that you will be in the sphere of the surpassingly powerful God, in such a way that you will become pregnant.  Therefore, the child that you will give birth to, well, he will be exceedingly holy, being one who will not mix with evil.  And the people will say to him, “You are the Son of the true God.”  However, when you hear these words that I’m telling you, you could think that you can’t really become pregnant like this, that it isn’t possible, but know that the true God is easily able to make this happen.  And look, even your aunt has become pregnant not so long ago.  It’s true!  Six moons ago, Elizabeth also became pregnant. Even though she had become old, even when it didn’t seem like she could become pregnant, it happened by her husband, the true God having caused it.  And the true God can cause the same to happen to you even though you have never slept with a man.  For the true God easily does those things that seem like they can’t be done.  Even when there is nothing one can do, the true God does precisely what is needed, for nothing is impossible with Him —the servant from heaven said to Mary.
And when Mary heard this she responded to the servant saying like this:
—I am the servant of the Lord.  So may he do to me as you have said.  May what you have told me become fulfilled in me.
And the servant from heaven left her.

Thanks again so very much for your partnering with us as we continue to provide resource materials for the P churches.  And thanks so much too for your continued prayers for the P nation, for their spiritual growth, and for their homeland that is hurting so badly right now.

Rejoicing in the TRUTH of the Biblical record of what Christmas really is all about,
Merrill and Teresa

Christmas 2016 For The P People & Translations

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Merry Christmas!!

Teresa and I together with Mom Dyck want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas as you celebrate the riches of all that our Great God has done for us!! How blessed we all are because of this marvelous Story that began in eternity past!! So hey, a big hug for you all from us up here in the land of ice and snow!!

Here is how some of the Christmas Story from John 1 and Gal 4 reads from the P. Bible:

Way back in the very beginning, the One named the Word existed. He was together with the true God, for He too is the true God. And since he also is the true God, he was together with him back in the very beginning. And it was through this One named the Word that the true God created all things. For if he hadn’t created, not one thing would exist. For only through him does life exist. For he is the one who is the Giver of life. Only in him did it all begin way back. And precisely the Giver of life is the one who gives illuminating thinking to all people. For He shines brightly right in the middle of the darkness, and the darkness is not able to defeat this Light.

On the appointed day, the true God sent his Son. After being birthed by a woman, he began to live among people. God sent him in order to deliver us that we might not live under the rule of the words that Moses wrote down, but rather that we might be untied and set free, and not be slaves anymore. Its true!! He sent him in order that we become God’s children and that He become our Father. And because you have become God’s children, okay then, he has sent the Spirit of his Son to make his home in your bodies. And now precisely by means of this Spirit, we relate to the true God as Father. We tell him, “Father, you are my Father”. Therefore, I tell you all, none of you are slaves any longer for now you have become His children. You have become children of God. And because you have become his children, you will be ones who receive / inherit. Yes, that which is God’s you will inherit, that which He has set aside safely for his children.

Christmas in the land of the P People:

They don’t have Christmas trees or decorative lights….
….but they know that Jesus is the Light of the world….and that they are now children of light.

They don’t exchange gifts or Christmas cards….
….but they know that they have received the gift of eternal life….and the Holy Spirit as well.

They don’t have a Christmas dinner….
….but they participate in The Lord’s Supper using water and yucca cakes to remember the spilled blood and death of their Savior.

There are no Christmas Carolers moving from house to house to sing the traditional songs or manger scenes….
….but they make up their own songs and sing about the True Son who was sent by a non-stingy Father to this earth.

Report on Eye Surgery

Thanks so very much for your prayers for me regarding the surgery on my cornea. The transplant of the endothelial layer went fine and I had my patch off the next day. There was no pain, even though I still had the sutures in.

Well, after three days, I took a short walk down the trail and when I looked down, I was totally amazed at the clarity of the gravel below. I hadn’t seen gravel that clearly for years and years!! I was thrilled and suddenly had a sweet little time of worship there on the trail to the “God of Eyeballs and Sight” as the P people say. Yes, what a joy it has been to be seeing with steady improvement out of that one eye. Now we wait and see when it will work out for the surgery on the remaining eye. Thanks again so much for your prayers on this.

Prayer Items

—we don’t hear much news from the P believers as they are still cut off from contact with all the heavy rains. So there isn’t anything specific to pass on to you all right now. However, thanks so very much for your prayers for their growth, encouragement, and ministries as they walk with their Lord
—pray for our beloved Host Country that God would wonderfully intervene down there and bring His solution to the many problems that only grow worse as the days go by. We just talked to a couple of our national co-workers down there and they have never seen or imagined that anything like this could ever happen to their beloved country. So yes, thanks so much for praying!!
—pray too regarding the proliferation of evil and controlling men who are really effecting the P believers, as well as many other folks
—pray for our dear coworkers there who continue to labor under extremely trying circumstances that they would truly be Jesus in skin to those around them
—pray for us as we seek the Lord’s direction in making another trip down there to connect with the P. saints
—pray for our son Josh, his wife Josie, and their four children as they celebrate Christmas in Asia, and also for our daughter Jodi, her husband Brent, and baby Hudson as they celebrate in their host country. We miss these guys a lot but we are thankful that we can all serve the Lord during this brief stint on planet earth before the big party and family reunion in Heaven!!

Thanks again so very much for your partnering with us. We are indeed thankful for the ongoing opportunities to serve the P. believers by preparing additional resource material for them. Thanks again for all you do to keep us going!!

M&T

Update On Merrill’s Eye Surgery

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Update on Merrill

Thanks for your overwhelming response of prayer. God has answered!! The doctor said three different times how well the surgery went. God surely did guide the surgeon’s hands! You all were a huge encouragement and blessing!! Thanks so much for praying. And God gave us both such peace, and a spirit of praise and prayer throughout the day of surgery. God is so good!!

The hardest part of the recovery was that Merrill had to lie flat on his back without a pillow for 24 long hours right after the surgery, getting up only for the bare essentials. Well this was really hard on his back and drove him a little crazy! But he survived nicely and now has the freedom not only to move about during the day but also sleep on his right side as well. Now the challenge is simply to keep the three different types of drops for his eyes straight, giving them 1, 4 and 6 times a day.

He had his post op check the day after surgery, and the endothelial graft was still perfectly positioned. Praise the Lord!! Now please pray that this graft will start doing its job. It can take up to 2 months for the endothelial tissue to start properly controlling the amount of moisture to be retained in the cornea! So he will continue to have cloudy vision in his operated eye (left) till it kicks in. And he will also be living under various restrictions for the 2-month period. So anyway, thanks so much for standing behind us.

Update on Brent, Jodi and baby Hudson

As I write this note, the three of them are on a jet plane winging their way back to their host country. They left for the airport yesterday afternoon and if they make all their connections, they ought to touch down in the town where they live at about 9 PM tonight PST, which would be 4 PM tomorrow afternoon their time. Thanks for your continued prayers for them in this long journey, especially with baby Hudson. We had some teary goodbyes yesterday. Sure do miss them already, but we are thankful that they want to serve our LORD and we cheerfully release them for His Glory.

Thanks for your awesome support in prayer!
Teresa for us both!