Pioneer Bible Translators – Nov 2016 Prayer Partner Letter – “Blessed Are The Flexible”

The Prayer Partner Letter is a publication of Pioneer Bible Translators

November 2016

Dustin and Sarah were interns with Pioneer Bible Translators this past summer in North Africa. As they explain below, their internship was cut short. They’ve entitled their article Blessed Are The Flexible, For They Shall Not Be Broken! They wrote it on July 21, 2016, just after they left the country where they had been interning.

We started this journey realizing that any and all circumstances revolving around our internship were out of our control. Trusting in the Lord and His provision has stretched us more than we could have foreseen. We have been so greatly blessed by what we have experienced, and by the amazing people we have encountered. Sadly, due to conflict in the country we were in and logistical circumstances, we have left and are now awaiting our departure back to the states from a more stable location. We experienced something so special while there that words alone will never be able to explain; a large part of our hearts will remain in this place.

We now know what the word resilient means because we have seen it first hand in the lives of the refugees we have lived with for these past weeks. These incredibly strong and resilient people have shown us a new side of humanity as we lived with them. We truly cannot wait to see if God brings us back to this part of the world to work long-term.

As the situation around us continued to evolve into more of a severe condition, one local man compared the state of security to the weather. It is common in North Africa to compare the chaos of the place to the weather, as though it is so unfortunately commonplace. If things are quiet, the “weather is good,” and if things aren’t so quiet, the “weather is bad.” As we heard bombs in the distance as well as watched the capital of this nation deconstruct, the man simply said: “It’s only the weather, it will soon change.” Blessed are the flexible…

Through this entire process we would ask ourselves if we could live life like this and do ministry in this context. The answer was always a resounding yes from us both. In this part of the world it seems as though you take anything you thought was normal and throw it aside. You must be flexible enough to find a new normal here. This area demands that you live life on its terms and not your own. We will never again take for granted a shower, electricity, clean drinking water, and a bed that isn’t kept warm by the many bugs. Living life in a context that is constantly threatened with violence is not easy, but by God’s grace it is possible, and we were able to fellowship with many who are doing it, and doing it well. With chaos happening around us, whether through conflict between people in the refugee camps or the capital blowing up, it’s crazy to think about how peaceful it was where we were and that we were still able to go on with life normally. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be broken.

As so much time, energy, and prayers were spent in preparing our hearts and minds for this journey, we find ourselves now doing the same thing over again. As we are days away from our departure, we are focusing on getting our hearts ready for our return to the States. We will be expected to hit the ground running when we return and we pray for God’s wisdom as it begins.

Pray for peace in North Africa so Dustin and Sarah will be able to reenter the country they left and serve there long-term.

Pray for the seven Pioneer Bible Translators’ missionaries who continue to live in North Africa, periodically leaving the country when violence escalates and returning when it deescalates.

Pray that these seven missionaries will continue to be flexible without being broken.

Pray for God to raise up more missionaries to go to North Africa to bring Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to these people so desperately in need of His healing presence in their lives.