Twice Egged

team update

M&T Updates, Twists and Turns During the Journey of Life

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Off they go again!!

Even in the midst of intense hardship and difficulty, God’s work moves forward on thousands of different fronts all around the world, and one of those fronts is our beloved Host Country. Yes, even in times of severe upheaval, turmoil, corruption, suffering, hunger, fear, and death, God Almighty continues to work to open doors and prepare the way for his servants to move forward.

And so YES, our coworkers are indeed moving forward!! In spite of many delays and setbacks, this past week they were back on the road once again with their beat up vehicles heading out to Pretty Water to minister to the beloved P people. Even with the many challenges of finding the needed car parts, getting sufficient gas and oil, as well as groceries, God has brought this together for them and they were excited to be heading back their homes among the P people. And as they passed checkpoint after checkpoint, they finally let us know that they had cleared all the potential problem areas, and none of their supplies were taken away, PTL!! Yes, they had wanted to get back in there a long time ago but circumstances didn’t permit. They made their plans, but God directed their steps, in HIS time and in HIS way.

As they were heading out, we were in contact with them, praying that God would open the needed doors for them. And as we communicated and saw the pictures they were sending to us like the one above, well our eyes teared up as our hearts filled with emotion, wishing we were going back out there with them. But no, God has us in the north writing Bible curriculum for these dear believers. Again, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways and thoughts so much higher than ours!

As far as a trip for us to rendezvous with some of the P pastors this Dry Season, it isn’t looking too likely. However, we continue forward trusting our Chief Strategist to work things out for His honor and glory when it comes to the P work. Thanks again for your prayers regarding this. How good to know that our great Lord Owner Boss God is all-powerful and that He is the one who sits at the helm of world events…. and so we continue to rest in Him for the future.

Another Twist in the Road

For at least the last year, I have been having a slight discomfort in my throat. It would be there sometimes, and at other times I never felt it. However, I felt recently I should get it checked, and here it turns out I have a lesion on my vocal chords. So on the 20th of March I’m slated for surgery for a micro laryngoscopy with laser. The specialist plans to take a biopsy from the lesion, which is about 3 mm long, and then cauterize it using the laser. He said he doubted that it was cancer but that we needed to find out for sure. He also mentioned that the procedure could be damaging to the vocal chords. So this is a call to pray for God’s healing hand. He could easily heal that lesion completely before surgery! But he may want to use the surgery to take care of the problem too. So yes, your prayers are much appreciated!! Again, as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are His plans and thoughts higher than ours!

Prayer Items

  • Please pray for our coworkers as they continue to encourage literacy among the bilinguals and share truth with them, and as they make a trip out to the monolinguals where the 9 village churches are. Because of all the turmoil in the country, they were delayed from going sooner. Usually they get out there in December or January. So the people will be very anxious to see them
  • Please pray for continued freedom for our coworkers to minister to the people, as there are a several dangerous groups living in that area
  • Please continue to pray for this wonderful country as bad leadership has brought it into severe ruin. Pray for God’s will to be done, and that His Name be hugely glorified in it all
  • …and thanks for praying for healing and the upcoming surgery. Pray for the safety of my vocal chords, and that no complications take place
  • Thanks for your continued prayers for the Bible curriculum. We plan to get a book published this month and sent to the P before Rainy Season sets in

Rejoicing in the God whose thoughts and plans are higher than ours,
Merrill and Teresa

M&T Updates, News from Pretty Water

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Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. – Proverbs 25:25

We have been out of the loop here for a while as we have been traveling, sharing at different churches, seeing doctors and cornea specialists, visiting family, and also hanging out with many of you who have been partnering with us in the work. Thanks again for your partnership as we continue to work to provide all the spiritual resource material we can for the beloved P churches in the very deep south.

Proverbs 25:25 in the P language:

My “inner” is as if with great thirst, but when tasty words arrive from a land far away, it is as though cold water refreshingly wakes it up in such a way that it finds pleasant relief.

Câ tjo üdë ui jâbomî darî cjiadique mâê oa târëdëâ oaiä, jabo jachi ârêmê chiriri pio judiri mânâmê mâê goae üdë mânânârâ oaiä, jabechjî ui chjöchja üdë câ tjo oa mâ chjupî bagari bedü tänêmî darî japadique goaerî cjatäcjie jôrêtareâmî darî.

Good News From a Far Country

What a thrill last week to get good news from our country of ministry! Our coworkers, who we’ll call Jack and Roz, had just come out to town from the P community of Pretty Water. They had literally used up the very last of their food supplies, and so needed to get to town to replenish what they could. They hated to leave as they were seeing God do some pretty cool things.

Pretty Water is a bilingual community of P people located along a river system where multiple villages have been established with about 7000 inhabitants. For several years some of these P people have been exposed to Bible teaching in the national language that has pushed a message of salvation by good works. But most who attend have very little comprehension because the Word has not been taught in their heart language.

Then, two and a half years ago when we completed the Bible translation in the P language, some of these beloved bilinguals from Pretty Water also received copies. However, there were problems. The village chief, who had embraced a religion of works, was suspicious of the translation because he thought it had been written with an inferior dialect spoken only by the monolinguals! And others mistakenly thought the Word of God could only be taught in the Spanish language, that God wasn’t interested in their language. Plus they had only been taught to read and write in the national language which didn’t at all enable them to read the many foreign symbols in their own. So even though they now had a Bible in their heart language, they couldn’t read it, and were suspicious of it!

Well, ever since the translation was completed and the P Bibles were distributed, we have prayed daily that God’s Word would go forth powerfully and accomplish all that God had purposed it to do in this beloved people group. Now we hear that there has been a change of heart. While efforts have been made down through the last five years to teach them to read and write in their own language, the investment hasn’t seemed to bear much fruit. However, Roz told us in her text message to us just last week that 18 people came when they recently organized the reading club so that the people there could learn to read and write in their own language. The Scriptures are still being taught in the national language but now several key people have begun reading from the P Bible during their gatherings. They are getting a taste of how much better God’s Word communicates in their own heart language, and this is spurring them on to learn to read in their own tongue! So you can imagine the thrill this news has been to us who labored long hours, days, weeks, months and years to get God’s love letter into the P language and into the hands of the people! It truly is good news from a far away land!

Now just the other day, we were able to do a voice call with our coworkers and catch up on more of the news from the country there. Jack told us that it felt like they were living on the edge of a very high precipice, and that things there can suddenly change drastically from one day to the next. Grocery stores in their supply town have empty shelves. Instead of finding food, there are only rows of soda pop and cheap plastic dishes. Food and medical purchases as well as some of the required legal work must be done thru black market channels at inflated prices. The reports are that things are very bad but still continue to worsen. The whole country continues to spiral downward. Let’s continue to pray!

Teachers

Here below you see a picture of one of the many monoligual P pastors who continue to teach the Scriptures. (they will just hang their hammock up in the middle of a village and just share the Word with people seated all around them) Thanks so much for your continued prayers for them. With the country as it is, they continue to suffer many hardships, but PTL that clear teaching continues among these dear monolingual brethren.

Prayer Requests:

—Please pray the following for the P believers:
1. that they will have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God
2. that they will be strengthened in their new being
3. that Christ will be totally at home in their hearts, being the captain of their lives
4. that they will know the width and depth and height and length of God’s love for them
5. that they will realize what is the mighty power that is at work within them
6. that they will think on those things that are lovely, excellent, and worthy of praise
7. that they will know what their hope is in Christ, and what Christ’s inheritance is in the saints

  • Pray for our national coworkers that they will be encouraged, have much wisdom, and push on with diligence and a sense of urgency. Pray that God will meet their every need in this context where most everything is no longer available
  • Pray much for Jack that he will really move ahead in the language. He has the gift of teaching but still lacks in the language to be able to clearly communicate….so thanks much for your prayers for him
  • Thanks in advance for your prayers for the people of Pretty Water. Pray that they really move ahead in their reading, and that they would continue to focus on the Scriptures in their own language. Pray too that the marvelous Gospel of grace would become clear to them as the move thru the Word.
  • Please continue to pray regarding a national family living close to one of the P villages that continues to be involved in theft, extortion, rape, and other preposterous things. They have manipulated and abused the P people for years and it only seems to be getting worse. Would you please pray that these people would either come to Christ, or fall into their own nets and traps that they set for others. Thanks so much!!
  • Please continue to pray for our Host Country. Things are increasingly difficult and there is much pain and tragedy. However we praise God that even in this bizarre context, God continues to build his church. Why, even in the last few months several people from a totally different Language Group in our host country have come to faith and have been added to the body of Christ!! So yes, thanks so much for praying for the work in this country.
  • Thanks for your ongoing prayers for Teresa and I as we work on behalf of the P brothers and sisters. I continue to work on the Bible curriculum and Teresa is doing the formatting. Your prayers for sharp minds, strong backs, and much wisdom is so needed!
  • Thanks for your many prayers regarding my eyes. I just saw the cornea specialist and he is very pleased on how the eye looks….and I am very pleased at being able to see so much better. And PTL that my other eye continues to do well, and even improve at times. So the only surgery that I have planned is for cataracts for they are the cause of some problems now. So thanks so much for your ongoing prayers. They are much appreciated!!
  • Please pray for wisdom on our part when to make the next trip to visit with the P pastors and connect with our team

And Thanks Again…..

….for your partnership with us, for your prayers, for your encouragement, for your notes, 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!

Desiring to always be strong in His strength,

Merrill and Teresa

Cachicamo Teaching

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The Armadillo

“Let’s not be teaching the true God’s Words like an armadillo!!”

This beloved little animal is all over the place where our dear friends live and make up part of their diet. They are usually easy to get and are quite tasty! The people are always delighted when they come across one as it means there will be something in the pot for their one meal a day. They find them in their holes or running across the plains. They will often shoot them with their bow and arrows, but also try to grab them if they can. However, they aren’t always easy to catch because they run helter-skelter all over the place.

One day as I was meeting with some of the Bible teachers, one of them launched and began saying something like this: “The Words of the true God are truly of great value. And we must be careful to teach these words with correctness. We can’t be teaching them like an armadillo runs, but rather in a very straight and true manner”.

And ever since that time, that has been a common phrase among the teachers in reminding one another to prepare for the teaching and to be on topic, not teaching helter-skelter like the armadillo runs, but rather “straight and true as an arrow flies”.

Bible Curriculum

Since finished the P. Translation Project, we have reset our sights on developing Bible lessons for our dear brethren. While we were living among them, we completed lessons from Genesis to the Ascension of Christ, as well as lessons on Acts, Romans, Ephesians, I Timothy and Titus. However, they are wanting lessons on Thessalonians and the other NT books. So we have our work cut out for us for the next number of years.

And as we develop this curriculum, we are always keeping in mind the challenge of our brethren; to teach in such a way that the words are “straight and true”, and not “helter-skelter like an armadillo!”

Check Out These Important People Below:

Our Dear Coworkers

Since 1988, we have had the joy of working with these brothers and sisters from our Host Country. They have been a great blessing to the work and it’s great to see their love for the Lord and for the P. people. Yes, so glad to have them on board in this ministry. However, things are getting ever more challenging for them as they seek to carry on with life and ministry in a land that is so broken and fractured at almost every level. Please be praying for them.

Here are some specific requests on their behalf:

—just this morning, one of our coworkers had a car accident. We don’t know details, but it sounds like they survived all right even though their vehicle was damaged badly. Without the vehicle, they won’t be able to get to where the P. people are, or to get their supplies. Thanks so much for praying for God to be hugely glorified in all this.
—for wisdom, encouragement, and a sense of urgency as these three families push to see the P. churches grow in the Lord, as well as to keep on target with literacy, gardening, health, and evangelism
—pray for a P. believer whom we call Weeto. Pray that he will be straight on the Gospel and not pay attention to those hounding him to embrace a salvation of works once again. He is a key fellow in the community of Pretty Water, and it would be so great to see him living in and enjoying the TRUTH!!
—pray that our coworker’s children would continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. Most of them are seeking to leave the country for further studies and employment, as these are increasingly hard to get where they are. And four of them desire to prepare for some aspect of Missions!! Pray that God will open doors for these precious young people, and that He will be hugely glorified both in and thru their lives.

And here below is the gang of eight!!


More Praise and Prayer Items

—Praise the Lord that my new eye continues to improve and that so far there is no rejection of the new part!! This is indeed an exciting ride and I praise God for His blessing, and for your prayers….and for the joy of clear sight!! The surgeon says the next eye probably won’t be done until possibly next Fall sometime. We’ll see!
—We are waiting to see what works out regarding a trip down to encourage our dear P. brethren. At this point things are looking very tenuous. Thanks for your prayers regarding this matter.
—we are pleased to report that our coworkers were finally able to get out to where the P. people are living. They were thrilled to see them encouraged, hanging in there, teaching the Word, and living in TRUTH! Thanks so much for your continued prayers for these different village churches.
—Would appreciate prayers too for our son Josh and his family serving our Lord in Asia Pacific. His wife Josie has been sick for a long time and they can’t seem to get to the bottom of it. And their youngest daughter Katrina has been having stomach aches for months and months, and they can’t figure out what is going on there either. They have been to numerous doctors and so are seeking the Lord’s direction in the matter. Thanks so much for praying for them. It is much appreciated!
—Thanks for your ongoing prayers for all those P. who have the gift of teaching and shepherding. Pray that God will continue to show Himself strong on their behalf, and that they would be faithful in preparing and proclaiming the TRUTH!!I

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!!

Back from Host Country April 2016

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The P People get their Bible!!

How thankful we are that the whole shipment of Bibles arrived nicely in our Host Country. Our great Lord-Owner-Boss did a lot of great miracles and it was such a blessing that he opened all the doors needed!! So yeah, what a thrill to receive the boxes, open them up, and see the Scriptures for the dear P people. They have received many different portions of the Scriptures down through the years but now they were receiving the finished product for the first time!! How we praise God that He so wonderfully went before us down through the years and opened one “Red Sea” after another for us in order to carry on and finish the project. All Praise and Glory be to our great God who commanded us to go!!

How Things Went

We were down there in our beloved Host Country for about 7 weeks. During this time we weren’t able to get out to the different villages but God made it possible for us to connect with several of the pastors and their wives out in town…..and it was to them that we handed over the Scriptures. We had many times of celebration, teaching and worship. And on top of this, we also got together with many of our believing friends at one of our main supporting churches. That was one long celebration as well, and included not only four different P pastors sharing from the Word, but also a grand fiesta with beef, a whole pig, and so much more!! Yes, it truly was a day of celebration for God’s bigness and greatness!!

We thank God for our Great Team!!

Since the beginning days of the work, there has always been a team working together to get the Gospel message to this People Group and to see New Testament churches established among them. Some of those beloved folks have left long ago but some of us continue to work together, all having different gifts that God beautifully blends together for His glory. We just want to thank the Lord for the great bunch of people that He has brought together to see so many different aspects of the work move forward.

And of course you all are a HUGE part of the team too as you pray and partner with us. Thanks so much for working with us to see God hugely praised and honored in and through this very special Ethnic Group!!

Some Sad News from across the Water

While we were still in SA, we suddenly got word that my dear dad had been promoted to Glory! Even on the morning of his passing, mom and he had had a special time of prayer and worship together…..but his body was worn out and at almost 95 years of age he entered Heaven’s gates! So we quickly changed our tickets and left early. How thankful we are for dad!! How we appreciate his love of the Scriptures, his sense of pilgrimage on this planet, his example of investing in eternity, and his continual encouragement to us to finish the task that God had given us to do. Yes, a dear soldier of the cross for sure! We will miss him….but praise the Lord for the huge HOPE that we have in Christ, of celebrating together in the New Heaven and Earth!! Would appreciate your prayers for my mom as she journeys on without her best friend..

Praise and Prayer

—praise the Lord for a great time with the people, and for the safe arrival of the Books, and for their distribution
—praise the Lord for the completion of the Translation Project!!
—praise God for His great sufficiency in everything, and for Him going before us and being our Chief Strategist at every turn
—pray for the Word of God to go forward with power and might, and that it wouldn’t return void, but would rather accomplish the things that the Lord purposes
—pray that the bilingual community accept the Scriptures too, even though they have been done primarily with the lingo of the monolinguals
—pray for God to do the “above and beyond” stuff in the lives of the bilinguals. Right now another new class is starting up in the Tree of the Food Village
—pray for our Host Country, that God would intervene, and that His Name would be highly glorified in spite of all the chaos and turmoil
—pray for us as we catch up on small projects, and then move on to more Curriculum Development for the P pastors, as they are wanting more teaching helps
—Jodi, our daughter, and her husband Brent, are missionaries in another host country, and expecting their first baby. There is the Zika virus there. Thanks for praying for their safety.