From Marsha Miles--email received May 4, 2009

April/May 2009

 

Dear friends,

 

Over the last year, in working with our Papua New Guinea Aruamu Old Testament translation project, I have come to love the book of Esther -- the story of how God used his servant Esther to save a whole people group.  He hand picked her, and brought her into strategic relationships at the right moment in history, in the midst of darkness and desperation, so that His plan would be fulfilled. She was chosen for "such a time as this!"

 

I have good news. Our Aruamu team has now completed the book of Esther. Over the last year we have moved it through all of the stages of careful translation checking. This last month Nathan typeset it for us (using the translation publishing software which his United Bible Societies team has developed.) We emailed the files to our PBT colleagues over in Madang, and just yesterday I received word from Lori Witham in Madang that Esther is now printed and bound and ready for distribution this coming summer.

 

This summer we are planning to be working with the Aruamus in Papua New Guinea again. Our team consists of Bobby Joe and Sue Ellen Wrenn from the Cornerstone Christian Church in Dallas, Sylvia Smith from the Morning Star Church in Memphis, Sabra Knape from First Christian Church in Tyler, TX, and myself.  Part of our team will leave on June 18, and we are coming and going in phases between then and August 3.  Collectively, we are planning to serve the Aruamus in many ways. We will work with Aruamu Literacy folks to put around 700 Big Books together and distribute them to all village schools, teach the first phase of the SALT (Scripture Application and Leadership Training) course for Aruamus; hold a Women's Day event--  with the Bible study focusing on the newly published Book of Esther, with concurrent children's sessions, hold an Interdenominational Crusade - July 1-4 in the evenings, and work with the Aruamus on Bible distribution.

 

For the last 3 weeks of our time, Sabra and I will be working with the Aruamu translation team to exegetically check a significant portion of the book of Genesis, which the Aruamu team has been drafting over the last year. We have been preparing for this trip for many months. Please pray for us as we complete our preparations, so as to maximize every moment of our time during this time in PNG.

 

Thank you for your prayers this last month, especially for Nathan and the UBS translation software team, as they have been "sprinting the last 100 yards" on Paratext 7.  Their list of open issues needing resolved is now in the single digits, and they hope to freeze the program early next week.  The plan is to release it in early June at a training meeting of Bible Society translation consultants and computer personnel in Bangkok. If there is an ONE component I could point to that speeds progress of Bible translation around the world, I would have to say it is this Paratext software. Don’t stop praying!

 

As I have "camped out" in Esther during this year, I have often thought how we all together are involved in saving whole people groups at this cricial point in history. I think that one day in heaven, as we stand in worship before God with people from every tribe and tongue and nation, that we will look back and know that, indeed, God brought us into partnership with him in his Kingdom "for such a time as this!"  Thank you SO much for partnering with us in Bible translation.

 

Blessings,

Marsha Miles

(for Nathan and our whole clan)

 

P.S. We have tidbits of family news to share! Bobby graduates from Duncanville high school on June 5.  He is a delightful, servant-hearted, responsible guy, who really loves Jesus. This last year he has been doing an internship at Grace Community Church under Tim Wright, our associate minister. Bobby plans to attend Ozark Christian College and to serve in ministry. (We recently learned that he has received a Presidential scholarship at OCC.)

 

Brigette graduates from Ozark Christian College on May 16, with a Bachelor in Christian Ministry (emphasis in Church Planting and minor in TESOL.) She and plans to serve as a missionary in Japan with Mustard Seed Global Fellowship. She will be raising support for her ministry in the Summer and Fall and leaving for Japan in January 2010.

 

April's husband Adam Thornton Airman was recently awarded Airman of the Quarter for the Wing, for the entire Grand Forks Air Force base, where he serves.  He will soon be deployed again to the Middle East.  Please pray for April is pregnant with their fourth son and is due to deliver in August, while Adam is overseas. 

 

Heather was just awarded the John P. McGovern Student Award in Oslerian Medicine, which includes a scholarship which will pay for a good chunk of her tuition for year 3 and 4 of med school. Heather and Philip would appreciate your prayers as they study for Step 1 of their med school licensing exam on June 12.  Right after that they start their Med School third year rotations at various hospitals.