Please Pray for Todd’s Safe Travel

Editor’s Note:  Today is the day Todd is traveling so please be in prayer the rest of the day!

Dear friends,

Just a quick note to let you know I will be traveling back to Jerez this coming Friday and to ask you to please pray for me as I travel.  It's about a 9 hour trip and the biggest question marks are going to be in the morning.  I'll be returning through a different city, Laredo, this time and that will add a couple more hours to the trip.   Barb will be flying out on Thursday to be with her family in Oregon and Kirstie is leaving on Saturday from San Antonio for Minneapolis with her fellow team member, Amanda Flechsig.  They will be preparing for their AFLC youth mission trip to Uganda, returning on Aug. 8th or 9th.  Can't remember which day at the moment.  We are very grateful to Faith Lutheran in El Campo, TX for adopting Kirstie into their youth group for the trip to the FLY youth convention.  Kirstie had a wonderful trip and was very grateful to God for the opportunity to go to the convention.

And just a note for prayer about our chuch in Jerez.  There is a possibility that we will have a piece of land donated to us to build a church building on.  We'd appreciate your prayers for all of us as a church as we look to the Lord of the Church in this.  Thanks so much.

In Christ,

Todd Schierkolk

Pillman Family in Ecuador

Psalm 37:23a declares, “The steps of a good man are
ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way.”

We had been working a great deal on the visa paperwork during the month of June and were disappointed when we were denied the missionary visa. We take comfort in knowing that God is directing our steps. Because our current visa expired the end of June, we had to take a quick trip to Peru and reenter Ecuador under a 90 day tourist visa. We are pressing on now for a different visa under our newly born daughter who is Ecuadorian. We are praying that all the paperwork will be accepted by the officials!

The home school kids will be taking vacation over the months of July and August, and Justo will be using the extra time to work on preparing for the classes he will be teaching at the Bible school starting in September.  We are excited to see how God will bless this new work and are privileged to be a part of it. The church will also be having a couple of special events in the next two months: a food festival in July and then the annual church family camp the first week in August.  We will be attending both of these events.

We praise the Lord that Tricia has been recovering well from the delivery and that Hannah is healthy. Nathanael dotes on his little sister and has accepted her quite easily. We have the challenge of trying to keep him from smothering her with hugs and kisses. Our growing family keeps us busy!

Editor’s note:  You can read the entire newsletter here.

Catching up: News from Jonni Sliver

I have been back in the States for two months now, all of my documents are in the hands of the Brazilian Consulate (I hope! They have surprised me with re-quests for a couple of new documents) and now I get to wait patiently for my visa .

While I am waiting I have had wonderful opportunities to visit wonderful, scattered segments of the AFLC family. From WMF spring rallies, to Sunday School and mid-week Bible studies I have been so blessed by the amazing heart of our churches!

But just because I am in the States does not mean you are off the hook! Your prayers are more important than ever. We have a lot of new children who need God’s healing and our house mothers are needing the strength and grace that comes from the prayers of their brothers and sisters!

The last months have continued busy in the Miriam Home. When I left, the end of March, there were only seven children in the Home, with in three weeks we were up to 16, then to 22! We are now back to 11 children, and only three are children who were there when I left. Let me introduce you to the new-est members of the Miriam Home. The demographics in the home are pretty low right now—we only have three children over five! The three “oldest” children (those who have been with us for more than three months) are Emily, Nicholas and Vitor, all two years old.

Editor’s Note: To read the rest of Jonni’s newsletter and catch up more on what children are in the Miriam Home right now, you can go here.

Wagner Update-Summer 2013

While training in Ghana and Sierra Leone, we learned that it wasn’t uncommon for people to translate God’s Word on the fly. Josh writes:

I sat on a bench in a small village church near Makeni, where I plan to move my family in October. Vibrant Themne singing surrounded me while I enthusiastically joined the clapping. One day I will understand, then speak, and eventually even sing. When it came to the liturgy reading from Isaiah I couldn’t understand that either. I did notice that the speaker’s words sounded slow and hesitant. I wondered if he had only recently learned to read his language. Being so overwhelmed by the moment I forgot that there isn’t even a Themne Old Testament. That’s why we’re going there! When I zoomed in with my video camera I saw “NIV” on the cover. I later realized that he was actually reading English and translating on the fly into Themne so the congregation could understand.  What an encouragement to see already, that the Themne will use the Bible in their heart language when it is finally available!

Editor’s note:  To read the rest of the Wagner’s newsletter, including a wonderful storytime section and update from Elijah, please go here.

Let the Scripts and Computers Be Friends

Editor’s note:  The following is part of the Kvale’s newest updates.  You can find the entire newsletter here.

by Ling Lam

Currently, many non-Roman scripts still cannot be processed by computers, and have to depend on hand-written transcriptions for cultural heritage. In order to facilitate Bible translation and distribute God’s Word widely, IT personnel are making use of their knowledge, experience and interest by participating in the Non-Roman Script Initiative (NRSI). NRSI helps language communities use their own scripts to know the world and to know God. More about NRSI.

Our daughters, Neli & Lenaya, have 10th and 8th grade behind them. :)  On to rock picking season and more!

Thank you for your prayers and condolences during this season of grief and celebration with the Home-going of Glenda’s mom.  She suffered a sudden stroke on Monday of last week and entered the eternal presence of our Lord Jesus on Thursday, July 27^th.

Our prayer letters were submitted, printed, and mailed in early June and we are just now getting this out to our email partners in prayer including this turn of events.  It has been a joy and challenge caring for mom over the last two years and we have learned so much.  Perspective on many things now in this new season of adjusting will only help us seek God more and hear His voice with more certainty.  His mercies are new every morning and His peace surpasses all understanding.

We are trusting God to guide and provide as we give attention to details after her passing and see what His will is for our family outside of the usual ministry schedule and involvements.  Steve is filling in for a few pastors with sermons this summer and continues his full-time ministry hours with Wycliffe Bible Translators from our home in Balaton, MN. Steve and daughters are blessed to be at FLY right now and we pray as the Lord moves in the hearts of young and older alike during this encouraging week of ministry.

We gather for Eleanor Aaberg’s (mom’s) funeral with her pastor, Rev. Todd Klemme, at Minnewaska Free Lutheran Church of Starbuck, MN, on Friday, July 12^th at 1 PM.  Thanks for your continued prayers and love that surround us.  His peace reigns.

Steve & Glenda Kvale Family, AFLC Missionaries on Loan, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Wycliffe USA, IT Support