Please pray for a meeting in February where SIL leaders will be gathering to consider how they might restructure 'language program services' (including training, consulting, publishing, software and scripts) to better serve language communities around the world. Pray for the leaders to emerge with greater appreciation for the roles that each one plays and with a common vision.
There are over 600,000 Morisyen speakers in Mauritius. As a result of the successful release of the Morisyen New Testament in February 2011, Mauritian church leaders have requested that translators make the Psalms available. This would encourage daily Bible reading and provide better understanding of the New and Old Testaments. Project personnel hope to finish this book in one year, and plans include publishing the Psalms in print as well as in MP3 and CD audio versions. Pray that the Lord will provide ample time to the reviewers as they balance reviewing the Psalms with their many other responsibilities. Pray that the community testing will continue well, revealing ways to communicate the Scripture as clearly as possible.
Please pray for an important global gathering 20-24 February called the International and Area Language Programs Consultation. Pray that as a result of the meetings all the participants will better understand current trends and challenges and have fresh ideas on how to be more effective in language development and Bible translation. Pray for safe travels for SIL and Wycliffe organization staff coming to Dallas from Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Latin America and the Pacific.
Participants of the Multilingual Education Global Leadership meeting in Madrid, Spain ask everyone to join them in praise and prayer: "Praise the Lord with us. Our sessions went very well, with productive discussions of issues and agreement on some practical actions to carry us forward together. Please pray that we will all be able to follow-up effectively on what was accomplished there."
Global Publishing Services has been without a Production director for two years. People in that department request prayer: "We desperately need someone who can lead our production staff into the new digital and cell-phone publishing age in order to put the translated Word into many different formats being used around the world today."
A Media and Distribution Consultation is being planned for a venue in Europe, 18-23 March. Visual arts innovators, digital media specialists, and orality specialists from Europe, Asia and Africa will meet to discuss how to harness the power of audio and visual media in order to help people in every language group engage with God’s Word. Ask God to help the steering committee as they plan the program and also to guide all those preparing presentations and papers. Pray that new insights, solutions to problems, sharing of resources and solid partnerships will result from this consultation.
"Preparing Leaders for Prayer Days and Short Retreats" will be held at the White Oak Conference Center near Winnsboro, South Carolina, October 3-12. Kate Ring will be the lead facilitator, and Evelyn Davis will coordinate. Participants will experience a number of prayer and reflection topics, as well as work in a small group with a staff member, learning how to lead the topics for others. Please pray that people who need this refreshment, training and encouragement will commit to come. Funds are available for partial scholarships. For more details, contact kate_ring@tsco.org.