From Marsha Relyea Miles--Pioneer Bible Translators

August 2008

Dear family and friends,

Five Aruamu men were intensely focused, working with me in Madang, Papua New Guinea on checking the book of Daniel. At one coffee break time as we neared the end of the book, the Aruamus were chatting about the book. One of them, named Petchie, said, “I really like this book.” I asked, “Why, Petchie? What do you like about the book of Daniel?”

He said, “I like a lot of things about the book of Daniel. I like the Lion Story. And I really like knowing about the times when God takes care of people and protects people, like when he protected the 3 Jewish men when the King threw them in the big fire.”

Then Siria said, “I like story about the King’s big feast when a hand just appeared and started writing up on the wall of the house with a message from God.”

Then Simon said, “I like reading about all of Daniel’s dreams and visions.”

Then Steven Dazim said, “When I read Daniel, I keep thinking like this: our God is the God who will truly do what he says he will do. This makes me want to shout and lift up his name!”

Praise the Lord with us that our team to complete the exegetical checking of the books of Daniel and Esther in July. How wonderful that these important Biblical books will be available to the Aruamus in the future!

I was part of a Pioneer Bible Translators team participating in the World Convention in Nashville earlier this month. I had the opportunity to present 2 workshops on Bible translation ministry. We praise the Lord for good times spent connecting with many other folks from around the world from Church of Christ, Christian Church, and Disciples of Christ backgrounds.

Thank you so much for your prayers and partnership this last month. At this point Nathan and I are back in Dallas. Nathan is preparing to lead a seminar for the United Bible Society in Stuttgart, Germany in September. Bobby is starting his senior year at Duncanville High School. Brigette is starting her senior year at Ozark Christian College. Heather and Philip are in their second year of Medical College.

I am working with my PBT teammates preparing for Fall missions events. One major event coming soon is PBT’s Fall Banquet and Rally, to be held at Valley View Christian Church on October 30, 2008. If you live in the Dallas area, I hope you will attend! If not, please cover this event in prayer. The theme for the evening will be “Loving the Least!” Speakers will be Greg Pruett and Max Lucado. It will be “an evening devoted to the Bible-less peoples of the world!”

Blessings,

Marsha Miles

(for Nathan and our whole clan)

(To donate to this ministry, checks may be made out to Pioneer Bible Translators, P.O. Box 420335, Atlanta, GA 30342-0335)

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The newsletter for Marsha Relyea Miles.
A communication from Pioneer Bible Translators, Inc. Phone: 972-708-7460

Mid-India update

MID-INDIA CHRISTIAN MISSION
August 6, 2008

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for your prayers for the building situation. Many of you have responded by email and we want you all to know where we presently stand. The matter has gone before the High Court. equivalent to your State Supreme Court and they have issued a stay on the orders that local government officials have issued to seize the building. We will be pleading our case at the court. It may take weeks, months or even a few years before any decision is made. The process can be slow in civil matters in India. Local officials have altered most of the title records in their favor so we are doing our best to get some documentation to prove otherwise. I do not know how successful we will be in producing everything that the court may require since much of this will not be in our hands. I am reassured at least that things are no longer in the hands of local politicians and are now in court. This is an election year in India as well as for our state so we are hopeful that our government will change and the new one will be more tolerant towards Christianity. We have employed the best available attorneys and they are positive they will get us some favorable judgment.

Since the imminent threat has passed and we are waiting to be scheduled for hearing our case, we have taken the opportunity to come to the United States for a brief trip. We will be in Illinois for a few weeks and in Georgia for a limited time, to mainly meet with our Board of Directors. Thank you again for your prayers for the situation and for the Lord's work in India. He is faithful.

In His Service,

Vivert and Neelam Lall

Phil Smith is one of the missionaries that will be speaking to us at the conference. Phil forwarded to us today an email from the Director of the prison ministry in South Africa. Read and think about Matt. 25:36 "... I was in prison and y0u came to visit me".

From Phil:
I thought that you might appreciate receiving a recent report about the Prison Ministry in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Below is a monthly update that the Director, Richard Gallant, sent to me yesterday. It talks about the work of the prison ministry, growth, challenges, and prayer requests. THANK YOU for your continual and faithful support of the prison ministry in South Africa!


From: Richard Gallant
Sent: 06 August 2008 05:25 AM
To: Phil Smith
Subject: monthly report

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. The prison ministry is still continuing in the region. We went through a very rough time losing people that played an anchor role in the Eastern Cape. To have lost the writer of the T.E.E material was a personal setback to me. We hope tat God will raise another Ron Butler to complete the task he performed. We also lost Chaplain Sixaba a person we hoped that he would play a major role in the Eastern Cape since he would have been stationed at East London

ACTIVITIES
The last two month have seen me trying to get more co - workers to the programme. Brother Beja promised to assist me as from September. We have just finished our book and will be writing the final exam on the 15 August at Mdantsane.

At East London we have started with Freedom in God’s faith Community. The women prison want also the programme but it will only started in 2009.

Stuterheim doing well under the faithful leadership of Mpayipheli. We have a total of 25 students. We will write our final exam on the 14 August. We will introduce the new book Christian Life.

The work in Grahamstown are doing fine and I hope to visit them the first week in September. St. Albans are still continuing under the capable hands of Norman Erasmus. They will start the last book of the year on the 28 August.

Kirkwood is doing fine under the leadership of Maxwell. He invited me to come with him as soon as I will have some time. Graaff Reinet has a group of 15 Students that will be there for at least two years. They will do the book Talking with God.

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT
The leadership of the Eastern Cape churches has promised their support to the programme but up to now no-one has done anything about it. Hope to speak to them at our workshop the 13 September.

OTHER MATTERS
The youth day activity of the Stutterheim Centre went well and to take the inmates out in the community is something that they really enjoy. Due to circumstances beyond my control their visit to the Mlungisi church was canceled, we are looking for a suitable date.

PRAYER REQUEST
Please be praying for our churches that they will support the ministry in the Eastern Cape
Pray for the supporting churches abroad for their continual support of the programme.
Pray for the volunteers brothers Mpayipheli and Nethi , their continued support is of importance to our programme in Grahamstown & Stutterheim
Pray for me and my family so that we can keep on doing the work that we do.

Thank you for your support

Yours in Christ Jesus

Richard M Gallant
EASTERN CAPE PRISON MINISTRY

Mission team prepares the food













Pam Trantham told us about the Ukraine as we prepared










Pam Trantham in front of her and Ray's display wearing a traditional Ukrainian outfit

Pioneer's Bible Update: Married to My Bible

July 2008
Dear friends and family,

David, a young Aruamu man from Niapak village showed me his New Testament, which was marked up and smudged, and said, "It's like I'm married to my Bible; I read it all the time. I am HUNGRY for God."

It was such a blessing to be out in the Aruamu area. Nathan and I, together with Sue Ellen and Bobby Wrenn (sent by Cornerstone Christian Church in Dallas, TX) had a very full time in the village. We have deeply appreciated your prayers and encouragement.

This was the first time I was able to see many of my Aruamu friends since the New Testament dedication, so many happy reunions and visits were had. It was wonderful to be able to introduce Nathan to the Aruamus -- his 10,000 new in-laws!

It was also wonderful to me to see Aruamus USING the Word, and being faithful in their walk with the Lord.

Our main focus of our time here has been Scripture-in-Use. The Aruamus held Evening Crusade Meetings and they asked me to speak for those. They were attended by around 400 people. Bobby Joe held Leadership Training classes for church leaders, with a focus on how to study the Bible. Sue Ellen held a Women's Workshop, which focused on Chronological Bible Storying, using Bible Story Scarves which had pictures of many Bible Stories. Each woman went home with her own scarf, so she can continue telling stories in her own circle of influence. Nathan led two guitar classes, both beginning and intermediate. I led two Literacy Classes.

I was able to meet together with the entire Aruamu Literacy Committee and Translation Team for a day, to plan and strategize. The men divided up into teams and went, with Bobby Joe driving the 4 wheel drive truck, to each of the 39 Aruamu churches to drop of a case of New Testaments, which they are responsible to sell. Also they arranged for teams of Aruamu Literacy Committee teachers to lead 3 different Scripture-in-Use workshops in August. The Aruamu translators are continuing to work on the Old Testament.

Nathan was able to spend daily time on going around the village to learning more Melanesian Pidgin. Before we left, the Aruamus had a feast to say good-bye and we'll see you next year, when we hold the 2009 Scripture-In-Use Meetings.

Blessings,
Marsha (Relyea) Miles(for Nathan and our whole clan)

Cornerstone Mission's Conference: September 6-10

Seeing Missions Through our Father's Eyes
September 6 - 10 2008

Here is a schedule for our conference:

Saturday, September 6

Seeing the World through our Father's Eyes with Gianni Bruno. Following the service in the fellowship hall: Refreshments & Gianni Bruno speaking on Italy for Christ

Sunday, September 7

In both services: Seeing the World through our Father's Eyes - Gianni Bruno.

Following each service, you can browse our Mission Fair outside to learn about the other missions we support.

Monday, September 8

From 6:00 - 6:45 pm: Join us in the fellowship hall for a box dinner while listening to Phil Smith speaking on South Africa Prison Ministry. Then stay to hear Phil speak on Seeing America through our Father's Eyes. Nursery will be provided.

Tuesday, September 9

Sponsored by YOUTH! At 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall join us for dinner, while Roger Neidrich speaks on Battleline Ministries. At 7:00 pm, Roger will share about Seeing Deltona through our Father's Eyes. Again nursery will be provided.

Wednesday, September 10

6:00 pm Fellowship Hall - Box dinner will be provided while Harvey Bacus speaks on the Jordon Library

7:00 pm: Seeing Ourselves through our Father's Eyes - Harvey Bacus. In His Kids, Roger Neidrich will be sharing with the Elementary age children.

Come and learn to see missions through our Father's eyes!

Prison Ministry in Africa

For years, Cornerstone has supported Phil Smith in South Africa. Now that Phil and his family have returned to the United States, he continues to help with a prison ministry back in South Africa. Here is his latest update:

Dear Prayer Partners, Family, Friends, and Supporters,

All reports from Richard Gallant, the Director of the Eastern Cape prison ministry, have been very positive. The prison ministry continues to flourish and is moving ahead strong in South Africa. . . .

It is with mixed emotions that I report to you that our long time friend, co-worker, and mentor in the faith and prison ministry, Dr. Ron Butler, passed away in Capetown on May 14 to be with our Lord after a long struggle with cancer. A funeral was held in Capetown and a memorial was held in Lincoln, Illinois.

Ron had a passionate heart for the prison ministry in South Africa. From his years of experience in former Zaire and with TEE, he guided us to establish the Christian Faith and Life Skills program with Hope Prison Ministry in the Western and Eastern Cape regions of South Africa.

Not only did he teach and train others by his example, but he also led in writing the materials, overseeing the translation work, and setting up the print shop at Pollsmoor prison. He had a vision to see all correctional services using the Life Skills program in South Africa! He will truly be missed by all! What a faithful servant and friend of God that remained diligent in Christ's service till the very end of his life on earth.

I also received sad news this week that Brother Sakiwo Sixaba was killed in a car accident this past week in the Eastern Cape. Sakiwo had served alongside me in the prison ministry at Middeldrift for several years while he was working on his Masters in prison ministry. He had recently moved back to the Eastern Cape to work as the Chaplain in Correctional Services in the King William's Town region and was promoting the Life Skills program in the Department. He was also the minister at Dimbaza church in that area. He leaves behind a young wife. Please keep her in your prayers.

I want to thank you for your continual support of our family and the ministry over the past 16 years in South Africa. You have been so faithful and generous throughout the years! Thank you for helping us for an additional 6 months this year as we transitioned back into the States and into a new role as missions pastor at Countryside Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas. God had been faithful to provide such loving, caring and supportive friends of the ministry for so many years!

THANK YOU FOR ALSO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE PRISON MINISTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA UNTIL THE END OF 2011! We continue to need $400 each month to fulfill our commitment in the Eastern Cape until 2011. Each month, your support that is sent to Countryside is wired to Hope Prison Ministry in Capetown and then distributed to the Eastern Cape branch of the prison ministry.

I plan to travel to South Africa in December 2009 to participate in the last year of the CIY partnership in developing a national youth conference; I will also spend some additional days before that trip surveying the prison ministry work that is under the direction of Hope Prison Ministry. Richard Gallant is directing the Eastern Cape, and Jonathan Clayton is directing the Western Cape region of the Life Skills program. Thank you for helping to sustain the prison ministry in South Africa as it grows to become an indigenous program!!

Phil and his family will be at Cornerstone on September 6-10. Come to learn more about this amazing ministry.