Remodel!!

As I said in my last update, our volunteers work hard every year and save the Center many thousands of dollars.  This year one of the projects was to remodel the entry of the Mahler Building.  It is where all of our guests are welcomed, the Center Director's offices are there, and GIAL (Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics) has offices and classrooms.  I wish I had before pictures to show you the tile floor (that buckled up under the heat of the sun last year), the pink walls, and the couches and chairs that you sat 'in' and not 'on.'  They aren't quite done with it yet, but I wanted to show the progress...  It is looking AMAZING!  The new flooring was laid by WAs, the wooden cabinets that will hold all of the different Bible translations where made by our WA Volunteers, the Welcome Desk was re-done, walls painted (I don't think he was a WA). See the picture below...

Great job guys!!!

Winter Update from Dallas - Wycliffe Associates

Paula's Winter Update 2013-2014 View this email in your browser

Winter in Dallas! Hello! This Winter has kept us pretty busy with lots of volunteers and lots of projects around the International Linguistics Center (ILC).  In October we had the bi-annual Bible Translation Conference with over 350 people from all over the world attending, and many volunteers here to help especially for the conference. I spend most of November on the road in west Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming on a Partnership Development trip and Thanksgiving with my family. In December we were preparing for the MANY volunteers that I knew would be headed for Dallas after Christmas, and I went to Kansas City, MO to be with my family for Christmas. January and February were very full months!  We are working on several construction and remodel projects around the ILC.  The pictures in the sidebar are just a few of the projects our volunteers are working on.  Besides those projects, our volunteers have been busy working in the Boutique/Sewing Room, IT, Dining Hall, Child Care, Medical Clinic, Archives, Mail Room, and various Administrative positions around the ILC. Along with the work, we have had a lot of fun with game nights, potlucks/dinners, an outing to the Ft Worth Mint, and a couple of Volunteer Appreciation Dinners.  One was homemade lasagna and the other Spring Creek BBQ.  I'll be honest....it's not as good as Kansas City BBQ, but it'll do... We are looking forward to our 3rd Annual Pig Roast in the RV Park on March 21st. On February 7th we had our Annual WA Auction which raised $19,000!! $10,000 (which has been matched to make the total $20,000) will fund the renovation and construction of two housing units for additional staff that support 7 + Bible translation projects, training in translation, church engagement, Scripture use and missions awareness. $9,000 will fund the purchase and distribution of solar powered MegaVoice players in Tanna Island, Vanuatu.  (These are audio New Testament Bibles in the Pacific Area).  On another note....I am starting to plan my Partnership Development travel for this year.  If you would like to have me come and speak to your church or a small group about WA in Dallas or Internationally, please contact me via email or phone.   Prayer Requests: Safety for volunteers as they travel to and from Dallas, and as they work around the ILC (especially on roofs). For additional volunteers in Dallas and around the world...there are MANY needs that don't get filled every year. For direction as I start planning the rest of this years travel: international and around the US for Partnership Development. Praises: Thank God for a successful Bible Translation Conference.  May the connections made there continue to prosper. Thank God for the volunteers that have come this fiscal year!  The ILC could not survive without them! Thank you all for your continued prayer and financial support.  I cannot do this ministry without each of you! If you would like to become a financial partner click this box... Share Tweet Forward to Friend Paula Oestreich Wycliffe Associates Dallas, Texas Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.  Nehemiah 8:10

Can God Dvu People?

 Why This Question Brought the Hdi People to Tears & Redemption

For the Hdi people of Cameroon, love is a three-letter word. But as Bible translator Lee Bramlett pondered the Hdi word for love, it seemed that something was missing.

Lee and his wife, Tammi, had learned that verbs in Hdi consistently end in one of three vowels. For almost every verb, they could find forms ending in i, a, and u. But when it came to the word for love, they could only find i and a. Why no u?

Lee asked the Hdi translation committee, which included the most influential leaders in the community, “Could you dvi your wife?”

“Yes,” they said. That would mean that the wife had been loved, but the love was gone.

“Could you dva your wife?”

“Yes,” they said. That kind of love depended on the wife’s actions. She would be loved as long as she remained faithful and cared for her husband well.

“Could you dvu your wife?”

Everyone laughed. “Of course not!” they said. “If you said that, you would have to keep loving your wife no matter what she did, even if she never got you water, never made you meals. Even if she committed adultery, you would be compelled to just keep on loving her. No, we would never say dvu. It just doesn’t exist.”

Lee sat quietly for a while, thinking about John 3:16, and then he dropped the proverbial bomb: “Could God dvu people?”

The room grew quiet—complete silence for three or four minutes. Then tears started to trickle down the weathered faces of these elderly men.

Finally they responded: “Do you know what this would mean? This would mean that God kept loving us over and over, millennia after millennia, while all that time we rejected His great love. He is compelled to love us, even though we have sinned more than any people.”

Through your partnership with Wycliffe Associates, the New Testament in Hdi is now typeset and ready to be printed. Soon all the Hdi people will discover the true extent of God’s love as they read passages like, “Husbands, dvu your wives, just as Christ dvu-d the church.”

Update Jan - April 2013

Hello Family & Friends!

Another “volunteer season” has come and gone in Dallas.  We are always sad to see them go...they become like family after a while.  We had several new couples & individuals this year, and a few have had to “retire” due to health  issues.  We had many projects around the International Linguistics Center (ILC) this year.  As usual, we had many volunteers working with our Buildings & Grounds Dept, Woodshop, Boutique, Sewing, Upholstery, Dining Hall, Global Publishing Services, Archives, Hospitality, Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics, and other various Administrative jobs.  They started building the ILC in the 70’s, so as you may have guessed, 30 years later our volunteers do A LOT of maintenance, updates, and  remodels.  We had several this year.  Below are pictures of a few of them.  I wish I had “before” pictures so you could see the HUGE difference.

Prayer Requests:

~ Pray for wisdom as I plan the rest of the year, including travel for Partnership Development this summer in AR, IN, OH, MN, WI, NE, MO, KS, and then CO in November.

~ Pray for additional prayer & financial partners.  I am currently short about $1,000 per month.

~ Pray for open doors to raise awareness about WA & Bible translation.

~ Pray for complete healing with my back and neck issues.

~ We praise the Lord for a good volunteer season!

~ We praise the Lord that every season we are identifying more areas that volunteers can serve, thus accelerating Bible Translation.

Thank you all for your continued prayer and financial support. 

I cannot do this ministry without each of you!

To contribute financially or become a monthly partner,

please see the Partnership tab at the top.

Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures!!

Hello and Merry Christmas to you all from Dallas, Texas!

I just wanted to let you know what one of our supported WA Staff in Dallas has been up to.  John, Gwen and their 7 children moved to Dallas just over two years ago...and have added one more to their clan since moving, making it 8 cute kiddies!  John is the Associate Center Director of Facilities Maintenance at the ILC, and Gwen homeschools the kids, and is also a writer.  She writes homeschool articles for a blog and also has a family blog that she updates, among other things. 

When they arrived in Dallas, she started interviewing the missionaries that have served around the world that have "retired" in Dallas, specifically those living in the Cowan Apts (Wycliffe "retirement" apts).  She has written a book of their missionary stories.  There are 21 short stories (chapters), and it is family friendly.  The book is called Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures.

Seed Sowers is available for purchase on amazon.com for $12.55.  Right now the Kindle version is $3.99.  Below is the link to both the book and the Kindle version if you are interested in getting for yourself or as a Christmas gift.  Sorry I didn't get this sent out sooner!  If you are in the Dallas area, you can also get them from John or Gwen and will save a couple of bucks.  I am getting copies for my nephews and a few other family members as Christmas presents.  What a great way for people, especially children, to learn about missions work around the world!!

http://www.amazon.com/SeedSowers

If you would like to know more about their beautiful "little" family, I have attached the web address to their blog:  www.toliverstotexas.com/.

If you would like to know more about the book, Gwen has a website with more details, and it is http://seedsowersthebook.com/

So now that I have pumped you full of ALL kinds of information, I will let you go.  :~)

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, and I look forward to seeing some of you after the new year!

Paula

Portuguese Aug/Sept 2012 Update - Português agosto / setembro 2012 Atualização

Antes de continuar .... Este foi traduzido pelo Google Translate. Se algo está errado ou ofensivo, por favor me avise para que eu possa ter certeza de que é alterada imediatamente!

Olá! Como você sabe, eu fui ao Brasil em julho para cerca de 3 semanas para trabalhar no Centro de Treinamento AMMI para preparar e servir em CONPLEI (a Conferência Nacional de Pastores Evangélicos Indígenas e Líderes-é assim que se traduziria em Inglês). Foi uma viagem fabulosa! Não há espaço suficiente em sua carta a informá-lo sobre todas as coisas que me impactou ...

Tudo começou com um rápido namoro de 45 horas no Rio de Janeiro, onde eu vi muitos dos locais turísticos e onde meu amigo trabalhava no ministério para os 40 anos, ela era um missionário lá. Meu site favorito era, é claro, "Cristo Redentor" pé da estátua de Jesus 130.

Então eu estava indo para a Chapada dos Guimarães para se encontrar com dois grupos de igrejas e do resto da equipe WA para se preparar para a conferência. Trabalho manual foi o nome do jogo, uma vez que chegou lá, e para os primeiros dias de escavação e pintura parecia ser a minha sorte. Nós também montou tendas para estandes, pendurado fio elétrico (sim, eles me deixar trabalhar com eletricidade-assustador pensamento, hein?), Servido comida, pegou o lixo, e uma variedade de tarefas variadas. Foi um trabalho difícil, mas eu realmente gostei. Uma vez que a conferência começou o trabalho abrandou um pouco, então nós servidas refeições, limpa, e fez outros trabalhos pequenos que vieram em nosso caminho. À noite fomos capazes participar da conferência e foi traduzido para o Inglês. Uma das minhas coisas favoritas estava assistindo e participando da dança. Foi incrível ver tantas tribos que literalmente usados ​​para estar em guerra e matar uns aos outros fazer danças tribais juntos como um testemunho de como o Evangelho de Jesus Cristo mudou suas vidas e agora eles são irmãos e irmãs em Cristo!

Enquanto eu estava na Ammi I se hospedaram no dormitório da menina. Honestamente, o pensamento não me emocionar muito. Ele provavelmente teria uma cama dura, duchas frias, e um grupo de meninas que falam Português e eu não ... Eu estava certo ...

E eu estava errado ... Deus tinha fornecido. A imagem à direita é minha amiga Lucia. Ela é brasileira, mas fala Inglês perfeito. Ela estava ao meu lado no dormitório e um dom de Deus, de muitas formas! Além de ser um grande tradutor para mim e me ensinando um pouco de Português (e algumas das meninas um pouco de inglês), ela foi um mentor para as meninas no dormitório, tem as meninas juntos todas as noites para rezar (e me incluiu), e todos encorajou ela conheceu. Ela não é um estudante, mas foi durante o verão para um estágio. Ela agora está de volta na Holanda recebendo seu M-Div. com a esperança de voltar ao Brasil para ter aulas de Linguística e começar a trabalhar como tradutor da Bíblia para uma das línguas indígenas ainda a ser traduzidos.

Eu poderia dizer muitas histórias sobre as meninas no dormitório que passei aqueles par de semanas com. Eles são todos incrível de maneiras diferentes, e tocou a minha vida de maneiras diferentes ...

Geane é um dos meus amigos e AMMI um estudante que mora no dormitório. Ela é Tukano tribo na Amazônia. Há muito poucos cristãos em sua tribo e sua família enfrentou perseguição por causa disso. Uma noite, tivemos uma longa conversa. Eu acho que ela estava no lugar onde você sabe que você foi ensinada toda a sua vida, mas agora você está aprendendo a Bíblia e ver a Deus e as pessoas de forma diferente. Ela estava sendo esticada de forma significativa, e eu poderia dizer que foi difícil para ela. Nós conversamos sobre lutando com sua fé, guerra espiritual, e nós conversamos sobre as coisas que ela foi dito quando ela estava crescendo. Ela foi informada povos indígenas são o tipo mais baixo de pessoas e que os brancos são o egoísta e mesquinho. Uma das últimas coisas que ela me pediu que a noite era: "Como você pode vir aqui e pegar o nosso lixo, e ser feliz?" Falar sobre o sentimento humilde.. Eu respondi a sua pergunta, mas não sem lágrimas ... No dia seguinte, antes de ir para a pausa de inverno, ela disse, "Eu nunca pensei que eu gostaria de um americano, mas eu vou sentir sua falta." Mais uma vez, as lágrimas ...


Você nunca sabe como o Senhor vai usar algo tão simples como a coleta do lixo para mudar a opinião de alguém do mundo.

Por favor, orem para o povo Tukano, eles, e muitos outros, necessitam de nossas orações, e conhecer a Cristo.

Você pode conferir outras fotos / vídeos que eu postei sobre minha viagem ao olhar para postagens anteriores do blog e um pequeno vídeo de alguns cantando na cozinha. :-)

August/September 2012 - BRAZIL Update

Hello!  As you know, I went to Brazil in July for about 3 weeks to work at the AMMI Training Center to prepare for and serve at CONPLEI (a Conference for National Indigenous Evangelical Pastors and Leaders—that’s how we would translate it in English).   It was a FABULOUS trip!!  There is not enough room in this letter to tell you about all of the things that impacted me…

It started with a whirlwind 45 hours in Rio de Janeiro where I saw many of the tourist sites and where my friend worked in the ministry for the 40 years she was a missionary there.  My favorite site was, of course, “Cristo Redentor” the 130 foot statue of Jesus.

Then I was off to Chapada dos Guimaraes to meet with two church groups and the rest of the  WA team to prepare for the conference.  Manual labor was the name of the game once we got there, and for the first few days digging and painting seemed to be my lot.  We also set up tents for booths, hung electrical wire (yes, they let me work with electricity—scary thought, eh?), served food, picked up trash, and a variety of miscellaneous tasks.  It was hard work, but I really enjoyed it.  Once the conference started the work slowed down a bit, so we served meals, cleaned, and did other little jobs that came our way.  In the evenings we were able attend the conference and it was translated into English.  One of my favorite things was watching and participating in the dancing.  It was amazing to watch so many tribes that literally used to be at war and kill each other do tribal dances TOGETHER as a testimony of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ changed their lives and now they are brothers & sisters in Christ!!

While I was at Ammi I stayed in the girl’s dorm.  Honestly, the thought didn’t thrill me that much.  It probably would have a hard bed, cold showers, and a bunch of girls that speak Portuguese—and I do not…  I was right…

And I was wrong…God had provided.  The picture to the right is my friend Lucia.  She is Brazilian but speaks perfect English.  She was next to me in the dorm and a gift from God in so many ways!  Besides being a great translator for me and teaching me some Portuguese (and some of the girls some English), she was a mentor to the girls in the dorm, got the girls together every night to pray (and included me), and encouraged everyone she met.  She is not a student but was there during the summer for an internship.  She is now back in Holland getting her M-Div. with the hopes of coming back to Brazil to take Linguistics classes and start working as a Bible translator for one of the indigenous languages yet to be translated.

I could tell you many stories about the girls in the dorm that I spent those couple of weeks with.  They are all amazing in different ways, and touched my life in different ways…

Geane is one of the AMMI students that live in the dorm.  She is from the Tukano tribe in the Amazon.  There are very few Christians in her tribe and her family faces persecution because of it.  One night we had a very long talk.  I think she was at that place where you know what you have been taught your whole life, but now you are learning the Bible and seeing God and people differently.  She was being stretched significantly, and I could tell it was hard on her.  We talked about struggling with your faith, spiritual warfare, and we talked about the things she was taught by her tribe and the world.  Indigenous people are taught that they are the lowest type of people and that white people are mean and no-good.  One of the last things she asked me that night was, “How can you come here and pick up our trash, and be happy?”  Talk about being humbled.  I answered her question, but not without tears… The next day, before she left for the winter break, she said, “I never thought I would like an American, but I am going to miss you.”  Again, tears...

You never know how the Lord is going to use something as simple as picking up trash to change someone’s view of the world. 

Please pray for the Tukano people, they, and many others, need our prayers, and to know Christ.

You can check out other pictures/video I posted about my trip by looking at previous blog postings or clicking  here, here, here, and a short video of some singing in the kitchen here.  :-)