MICHEALS’ MEMOIRS
2022 - Progress In Bible Translation Work
November 2022 Update
Dear Friends and Family, We have much to be thankful for. We thank the Lord for the blessings of salvation, a wonderful church to attend and serve at, time with family and friends and a home that survived two hurricanes. This time of year we are also thankful for our partners who stand with us in our work with Wycliffe Bible Translators by their prayers, encouragement and finances. We couldn’t do our work without them! One of the main things we are thankful for is the Word of God in our language. Many years ago, we felt so thankful for that gift that we decided to devote our lives to helping others receive God’s Word in their own language. We still feel that way and so we ask that you join us and pray for the day when every language has access to all of God’s Word.
Above is our 2022 report on the number of the world’s 7,151 languages that have all or parts of God’s Word. As you can see when you compare the numbers in the 2015 report below, today we have 170 more languages communities that now have a complete Bible! Since 2015, 284 more languages now have a completed New Testament and a further 657 languages have at least some portion of God’s Word!
2015 – Progress In Bible Translation Work
Progress is being made on Bible translation projects, but much work still remains. We are happy to report that each year the number of languages still needing Bible translation work to be started drops and the number of languages with some or all of God’s Word increases. Perhaps we might see in our lifetime the start of the last language in the world!
2022 – Bible Translation Needs Today
It is remarkable to see the progress that is being made. When we started with Wycliffe back in 1985, there were 3,500 Bibleless language communities. Since then, look what has been done!!! To God alone be the glory!!!
New Approaches As we noted last November, work continues to look different. As it was last year with COVID-19, work continues to happen more and more by ZOOM or other electronic means. However, other new approaches are being used in connecting with churches on the ground in countries where translation work is being done. Eighty years ago, when Wycliffe started its work, many of these countries where Wycliffe was doing translation work had no church. Wycliffe people had to do everything! Today, many of these countries now have large numbers of churches, strong committed Christian pastors and lay leaders with increasing numbers of committed believers, who are living like the Reformers of the 16th century with the motto, “Scripture alone!” As they lead the way more and more in the years to come, the work Wycliffe is involved in will look differently. Please pray for not only open doors for these new ways, but that people in the USA and other traditional sending countries will continue to fill the many openings in our partner agencies like SIL and JAARS still have open!
Scripture Celebration The video below is the Scripture celebration at the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, North Carolina. JAARS is our technology center and where we also train our pilots and aviation mechanics so Bible translation work can happen!!!!
Prayer and Praises Prayer - Chuck Chuck is learning his new work as a Resource Coordinator and increasing the number of families and singles he is responsible for extending staff care. Pray he can continue to stay well connected to the larger numbers of staff assigned to him. Pray too for all the new things he has to learn in that new job and how to relate to people serving all over the world. Pray for continued financial support in the year ahead!
Prayer - Barb Barb is now the only one who is processing interns and volunteers with Wycliffe. Pray for wisdom as she handles the work load and deals with many issues that others used to take care of. Pray too that Barb can keep track of all the changes that continue to happen with the Internship and Volunteer program and the changing face of translation work overseas. Pray that plans can be worked out to see our children and grandchildren in Germany next year. We want to stay connected to them while they serve with Wycliffe there.
FOR SUPPORTING US FINANCIALLY NOW Wycliffe Bible Translators P. O. Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 Mark on separate sheet mark: “Preference for the Wycliffe ministry of Chuck & Barb Micheals, Account # 221879.”
Online Giving:
www.wycliffe.org/partner/cbmicheals Click for The
FOR PRAYER SUPPORT / OUR HOME ADDRESS
Video
Chuck & Barb Micheals 5167 Poinsetta Ave, Winter Park, Florida 32792 (321) 278-2225 (Chuck) (321) 695-0281 (Barb) Email: Chuck_Micheals@wycliffe.org Barb_Micheals@wycliffe.org Web: www.issuu.com/wycliffe-cbmicheals www.cbmicheals.ning.com