A Long-Awaited Dedication:
“Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, ‘Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!” (Isaiah 40:3, NLT).
On January 23, people began praying for a shipment of New Testaments that were delayed at a port in eastern Africa. The Tira New Testaments awaited clearance by Customs authorities before they could be delivered to the Scripture dedication site. We are pleased to announce that the books arrived safely in the Tira homeland and the long-awaited dedication of the Tira New Testament took place yesterday 2-18-2009! (Imagine if yesterday was the first time you’d seen God’s Word in your language!)
· Praise God for answering our prayers. Thank Him for giving His Word to the Tira people.
· Pray that God’s presence would be felt in a very real way as the Tira people celebrate the arrival of Scripture in the language that speaks to their hearts.
· Pray that God would continue to work among the Tira as they read Scripture and apply it to their lives.
Thank you for the prayers that continue to go before us, cover us, and enable us through Christ.
We left MN a couple of days later than planned due to Neliana being ill. It however delayed us enough to have clear roads as we passed through IL. There were still several cars in the ditch from two days of icy roads. Praising Him for safety as we go.
Answers & Praise: God provided means of travel (a good van), wonderful host families, safe journeys, an apartment on the Wycliffe campus to stay in, and we are now coming to a close in our time at the Wycliffe headquarters in Orlando. Please pray that in the remaining time here, Steve’s relationship with other team members in this task naturally grows stronger, that the details and design of his assignment will firm up and he will be equipped with what he needs as he sets up in MN to serve. More missionaries in Information Technology are desperately needed. May God move on the hearts of those gifted in this area to move into Kingdom work with their skills. Thank you for enabling us to do this through your prayers and financial support. Pray for daily breakthroughs and progress. Pray for protection of work accomplished.
We will be on our way the end of next week to share at a church in AL. Pray we are encouragers and also set a challenge. We’ll then head over to the Wycliffe Center (International Linguistics Center) in Dallas, meet the IT team there and see the center. Please pray for safety in our travels, how the Lord provides for overnights, and for health. Jason and Lenaya have not felt so good yesterday and today. We pray it all passes before we hit the road again.
Answers & Praise: Your prayers also helped us through whether Glenda should take a separate assignment or not. Wycliffe has affirmed that Glenda remain free to focus on supporting Steve’s assignment and daily needs for the family. Glenda found it a blessing to be with those in the prayer department and recruiting department for materials and encouragement as we continue to share as a family at various churches and schools. Pray for peace and contentment (because I get very excited over the ministry I see and I need to keep my priorities consistent to avoid stretching myself too thin).
Praise/Pray: We remain in awe and full of appreciation as the Holy Spirit moves those to give to our mission. We remain at 85% in monthly support and one time gifts coming in have been covering the balance needed. We learn everyday about trusting God. He will complete our team to 100% or provide in unique ways who knows our need before we need it. Stay in the center of His will. Rest in Him. Someone came to our apartment door and gave us their left over groceries before they left campus and it turned out to be ingredients suiting what we had in our pantry for a meal.
There continues to be concern for Glenda’s parents and their health. Thank you for your prayers for them as well. We cannot tell you what it has meant to hear from some of you over email or even through our forwarded mail while we have traveled. It means so much to know how to pray with you more specifically and to see your names signed or pictures you sent reminds us that you are a team member on this mission too. Together we serve in the body of Christ. We have intentions to write back and also send our thank you’s that are over-due. Will you please forgive us for the delay while we get caught up?
We are not always quick with our camera to get photos. If you’d like to see snap shots of this trip so far just visit our Photo Album at www.TranslateTheWord.org. Our latest Newsletter is also available there that was mailed this week.
In His great love and mercy we serve with you for the sake of those waiting to see God’s Word for the very first time ever,
Steve & Glenda Kvale Family, ALFC Missionaries on loan to Wycliffe Bible Translators
