January 2011 Newletter

What’s Going on in Dallas, TX?

Volunteer Season is in full swing at the International Linguistics Center (ILC) in Dallas!  We have had more than 60 seasonal volunteers arrive, with many more to come over the next month.  The volunteers are serving everywhere on the Center, from administrative offices, libraries, editing, Museum of Cultures, finance offices, IT, dining hall, childcare, health clinic, Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics offices, buildings and grounds dept, boutique and sewing room.  (The Boutique is where missionaries can shop for just about anything for free.  It is all donated clothes, kitchen items, books, homeschooling materials, and much more.  The sewing room works on all kinds of projects, for Dallas and worldwide).

We had a church group from Geneva, Nebraska here last week for the second year, and will have another group from Scottsbluff, Nebraska in a couple of weeks.  It is a great way to serve within the United States, but also get a worldview of missions.  There are always missionaries from all over the world staying at the Center for furlough or training, plus we have retirement apartments on the center for missionaries that spent a good portion of their lives on the field.  If you want to hear some testimonies about God’s provision, head over there, they are more than happy to share their story with you.

One of the biggest projects going on in Dallas this winter is the “ground source” project.  You may be wondering “what in the world is that?”  I did...  Let me briefly explain...  A few years ago they put 230 wells in a “well field” across from the building I work in (in the picture below).  The point of the ground source is for enclosed water to mix with the air and heat or cool the buildings.  This has saved 40% on the utilities in the buildings it is connected to.  You can connect several buildings into the same ground source, therefore, they are digging trenches across the campus to the Activity Center/Childcare, Guest House and Guest Apartments.  (Where heating and cooling systems need replacement).  This may not sound like such a big project, but when you count the fact that they have to cross two streets and 16 buried utility lines, it becomes a big project. 

 

Prayer Requests:

1. Financial Support - It is critical that my financial support increase significantly this month (January).

2. Please pray for the volunteers traveling to Dallas, giving their time and resources to support Bible Translation with their gifts and talents.

3. For the team that leads the WA volunteers year-around, but especially during “volunteer season.”  There are many projects and many people to match them with.  Their names are: Randy (the boss), George, John, Janice, Dana, and me.

Praises:

1. The volunteers are coming in and enjoying their work.  God is placing each one where they can be used by the Lord to support Bible Translation.

2. Experiencing Bible Translation up-close and personal; seeing first hand what the Lord is doing through Bible Translation; and being a part of it everyday.

3. I went back to Kansas City for Christmas and had a great time with family and friends, as well as safe travel.

Quote for the day...

Letter sent to my Friends, WA's and Partners from My Boss about Me

January 5, 2011

Dear Friends of Paula

,

I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season. My name is Randy Roddy, and I am Paula Oestreich’s supervisor with Wycliffe Associates (WA) here in Dallas. In May of 2009, Paula felt the Lord’s call and moved here from Missouri to fill the critical Site Volunteer Coordinator position. Since day one, Paula has been a real blessing to all the volunteers who serve here as well as to all of the missionaries serving with the various Wycliffe partner organizations on this campus, including many who come and go from all over the world.

My purpose for writing to you is to inform you about Paula’s critical financial need. Paula’s position requires her to raise support in order to continue serving with WA. Most missionaries who raise support are required to raise their support before going to the field. However, Paula’s position needed to be filled urgently, so she began her assignment quickly, with WA contributing to her salary for a two year period while she raised support. The WA contribution has been decreasing during this two year period and is now at only one-third of her total salary.

Paula’s total monthly support need is $3,000 per month. Her current pledged monthly support is only $750, so she is short by $2,250 per month. WA has informed her that if she has not significantly increased her support by February 1^st, she will have to resign her position. 

As you can see, Paula is at a critical financial crossroads.  She has become a valuable member of the Wycliffe Associates family of God-serving people who generously use their talents and skills in many ways to support and advance the work of Bible translation worldwide. However, the current economic conditions have made it difficult for Paula to reach her full level of support to enable her to continue in this ministry beyond February 1, 2011.

Please prayerfully consider how you can assist her in the significant work that she is doing here in support of Bible Translation work all over the world. One-time gifts will be appreciated, but what Paula really needs is ongoing monthly support. Because she has so much to offer, my hope is that she will be fully supported as soon as possible. If you, or other individuals or groups that you know of, can help Paula reach her support goal, please fill out and return the enclosed response card. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you!

Sincerely,

 Randy

Randy Roddy

Wycliffe Associates Dallas Program Manager

972-708-7400 Ext. 2820

Randy_roddy@wycliffe.org

Dallas Volunteers

Good morning! This is the Dallas crowd this morning. It is filling up the Travis Bldg pretty well. Total in devotions is 80, with more to come later this week and not all of the volunteers go to devotions every day. Just thought I'd share. :-)

Hope you're having a great week, like I am!

The Tboli People - A letter sent to my partners in December

December 20, 2010

Before Bible translators went to live among the Tboli of the Philippines, the Tboli believed in another life after death.  They believed this life was connected to eternity by a bridge, and on this bridge was an evil spirit.  The evil spirit was there to try to push people off the bridge into the abyss.  The only way to overcome this spirit was to have light, and the way to get light was to be burned.  So, parents would take bits of cotton dipped in kerosene, light them, and place them on the arms of their small children to burn them and produce scars.  The more scars you had, the brighter your light was, and the more possible it was for you to make it across the bridge to the next life successfully. This practice continued while the translators worked on the translation and finally the people read in the book of John where Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”

If you were to visit the Tboli today you would see children playing happily, unscarred. If you were to ask the Tboli why they no longer scar their children they would answer you, “Jesus is our light. Jesus bears the scars.  Jesus will get us safely across the bridge.”

It is because of testimonies like this, that I consider it a privilege to serve as the Wycliffe Associates Site Volunteer Coordinator in Dallas, Texas.  People often ask what I do in my assignment at the International Linguistics Center.  It is my responsibility to process and mobilize several hundred volunteers who come through Dallas each year, and it is my joy to watch as the volunteers see first-hand how their service in Dallas effects missions in over 80 countries!  It is my responsibility to make sure there is good communication between Wycliffe Associates and our ministry partners on the Center (SIL, Wycliffe USA, Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics, The Seed Company, and Pioneer Bible Translators). 

It is because of this worldwide impact I have on Bible translation that I want to continue serving in Dallas and abroad, and watch as God works in the lives of the millions that are receiving His word through Bible Translation.

As 2010 comes to an end, would you consider giving a special gift for my ministry so that I can continue this important work in Dallas?  As many of you know I started Wycliffe Associates with a transitional salary, but my support has not kept up with the transition and I am experiencing a large shortfall.  Several of you have joined my team and started to support me monthly or sent in one time gifts and I am very grateful for each of you.  However, I am currently over $2,000 dollars short per month and will not be able to continue serving if the funds don’t come in.  Please pray with me that God will supply this need.  If you are able to help, please make your check payable to “Wycliffe Associates,” put fund code M08730 on the memo, and mail it back with the response card.  If you would prefer to give online, please go to http://wycliffeassociates/links/donatenow and follow the instructions.   (Type “Paula” or “Oestreich” in the search box).

Thank you for partnering with me to bring the message of hope to the world through Bible translation.

In His Service, 

Paula 

He Giveth More Grace, Song Lyrics

1. He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
2. He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
   To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
   To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.
3. When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
   When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
   When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
   Our Father's full giving is only begun.
4. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
   Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
   Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
   The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
5. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
   His power no boundary known unto men;
   For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
   He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.