I hope you're all doing well. I wanted to send a fresh update, especially after the flurry of social-media posts the last couple of weeks highlighting the importance and details of Bible translation.
First, thank you.
Shannon and I have been deeply encouraged by the response to our recent call to consider partnering with us financially. Several of you began giving regularly, and a number of significant one-time gifts have also come in. These have made a real difference — enough for us to feel solid movement toward our goal of being fully funded each month. We are so grateful. Truly.
We're not at 100% yet — there's still a significant gap before we reach a sustainable level — but seeing this momentum has been a huge encouragement. If you've recently joined us, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And if you've been prayerfully considering it, we'd love for you to join our team and help us finish this translation project well.
Translation Progress
If you've seen the latest updates online, you know I've been pushing hard on going back and finalizing some revisions on 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Revelation, and also being sure to update our key terms across the entire NT translation. A longstanding technical issue with our translation software (Paratext) was finally resolved, which required adding a second refurbished computer to handle the load — but now things are running smoothly again. Praise the Lord!
All this behind-the-scenes work is unglamorous, but it is essential. We're getting very close to having these letters ready to print (booklet form) — a huge milestone.
A Serious Prayer Need: Trouble in Mibu
We also need to ask for your prayers for a serious situation in Mibu right now. A young man — loosely connected to the notorious Hetwara gang — has been causing increasing trouble in the community. Recently he attacked one family by destroying their garden, burning their house, and causing further damage.
The Mibu believers feel stuck. They fear retaliation from the gang if they take action, and police involvement is extremely difficult because of both the remoteness and the shortage of police personnel in the region.
Please pray for:
• protection and safety for the community
• true justice
• wisdom for the church leaders
• God to move in the hearts of the right people to bring lasting law and order
This is a heavy burden for them.
Another Tension: Road Project Fallout
We also ask for prayer regarding a second issue. Before leaving, Chris had been spearheading early discussions about a proposed road from the coast up into the mountains. The idea generated excitement in many communities. Now that he's gone, some of those communities are becoming "bel hevi" (upset), frustrated that the project will not be moving forward.
What's especially heartbreaking is that one of the church plants — a group of believers whom the Mibu church has discipled for years — is expressing frustration toward the leaders in Mibu rather than toward the source of the problem. They're struggling to trust. This could easily become a relational wound if the Lord doesn't intervene.
Please pray that:
• both groups would be able to reason together with humility
• the enemy would not gain a foothold
• unity in Christ would prevail
• the gospel itself would shine even brighter through reconciliation
Moving Forward
These situations — combined with the fallout from losing my coworker — make it all the more urgent that I am able to devote as much time as possible to translation and essential lesson development. We're asking the Lord to continue moving hearts to help us reach full support so that I can focus on the ministry.
If you've already joined our team or increased your giving: thank you so much.
If you've been meaning to jump in: now is a genuinely meaningful time to do so.
We love you, are grateful for you, and are continually encouraged knowing we're not walking this journey alone.
In Christ,
Geoff (for the whole family)