What did you get for Christmas last year?
Off the top of your head, can you even remember? I can’t. Probably because it’s gotten holes in it or it’s out of style or broken or run out. It may have been wonderful, but chances are it didn’t last that long.
Don’t we always want to buy gifts that will last. The gifts that keeps on giving, right? (And that’s not the cheese-of-the-month club.)
And not only do we want to give gifts that last but we want to invest in things that will give us a good return. An investment where the benefits are lasting. For a while we were told that a house was the best investment we could make, right? Well we’ve owned 4 of them and let me tell you, they aren’t that great of an investment.
But can I tell you what is? Investing in things eternal. That is, buying gifts that truly keep on giving. That last not only through next year but into eternity. Pretty good deal, yes? Want to know what it is?
The gift of the God’s Word translated into someone’s own language for the very first time.
Our dear friends, Brendan & Naomi Yoder, are linguists and Bible translators with Wycliffe. They have traveled through Indonesia doing mission work and Bible translation so that God’s Word can be make available to those who have never heard the gospel. It is unthinkable to us, who have dozens of Bibles that we never read, but millions of people still have never heard the gospel and still do not have God’s Word in their own language. It’s tragic.
Brendan is a trained linguist, and he and his wife Naomi will, Lord willing, be moving to Papua (other side of Papua New Guinea) to work at a school, mentoring Natives as Bible-translators so that they can go into the hundreds of tribes (700 languages/dialects in Papua alone) and translate the Bible and share the gospel message with those who have never heard. This is phenomenal work and absolutely part of the Greatest Commission the world has ever received.
Will you join them? They are schedule to leave in January, but must raise $300 in monthly support and $8,000 in a lump sum that will be used for their airline tickets, language school, and a motorbike. This is a steal of a deal, people. Brendan and Naomi are two of the most frugal, modest, humble, God-fearing and God-honoring people I have ever met. Truly. It would be an incredible investment to partner with them in this exciting project of bringing God’s Word to those who have never heard.
They must receive the rest of their needed funds by Christmas in order to leave on schedule. Would you please consider directing some of your Christmas spending toward this opportunity? Perhaps ask parents or spouses to redirect their giving to you to this instead? No pressure, no obligation, but I’d be honored if you’d simply pray and ask God if this is something He’d have you do. This is something that you and I cannot do (unless you happen to be a trained linguist?? I know I’m not!) but we can partner with them through our resources.
How do you go about it? Simply visit Brendon and Naomi’s partner page. It’s easy-peasy. If you have any questions or concerns, or want more information, please contact me via the contact form, or visit their blog at http://brendonnaomi.wordpress.com/. Thank you so much!
{Bless you for your generosity, and thank you so much for reading.}