Pioneer Bible Translators – June 2017 Prayer Partner Letter – a North African Focus
The Prayer Partner Letter is a publication of Pioneer Bible Translators
June 2017
Steve and Emily* serve with Pioneer Bible Translators in North Africa. He is a Bible translator while she serves in facilitating care and encouragement for her fellow teammates (both nationals and missionaries from other countries). Because the horrors of war continue to rage in the country where they serve, they have had to evacuate to a neighboring country where they are continuing to work on the translation of Scripture with a national co-translator who has evacuated from his home country to continue his work with them. Emily has been receiving training in trauma healing so she can better minister to the emotional and spiritual needs of those traumatized by war and other difficulties. In a recent newsletter Emily wrote about an experience she had with their national co-translator and his struggle with anger and grief.
As we sat at our dining room table made of tree trunks and ate a hot lunch of lentils and rice, our co-translator Silas* stopped and looked off far away. Then from his mouth came slow despairing tales of what life is like now: the theft, the lack of food, the lack of education, having to leave what progress they have made for themselves to run into the bush, and not being able to meet social requirements because of dangerous roads. At the end of the tales of woe came angry accusations toward a certain tribe. In Silas’ mind all the trouble that he and his people were facing was because of this one tribe. It was true some people from this tribe have been the direct cause of awful acts towards his close friends and family. However, in his mind it was the whole tribe that was in error. His sadness and grief wove into the anger towards those who were causing harm.
Some of the stories Silas told were our stories as well. They were our friends and his family is dear to us. Even yet, I felt a deep urge to tell him why he is wrong for thinking this way and to “fix” his way of thinking. However, part of what I am learning is how to understand those who are grieving. I am learning to hear these bits of anger and to help people process through them. My friend Silas is grieving, part of that is anger, part of that is sadness, and it is normal. As he works through the grief, it should lead to the light of truth and joy again. However, if he is not able to process what has happened and think through it, he can get stuck in a stage of grief and it can tear him apart.
God made us in such wonderful ways. He has given us emotions that are beautiful and help us. Part of what I am learning is that trauma doesn’t have to break us. It is part of our story and sometimes we need help to work through it. This is definitely true for missionaries. In our region there are few people trained to listen and help people process the hard situations they have been through. God has called us to live in this hard context for His work, but He is also giving us the help that we need. The training that I am getting will help missionaries to thrive on the field instead of burning out and going home. It will also equip us to better serve the people we have come to show Christ to for the first time. These people and those who love them have been through so much. We look forward to seeing how the Great Physician touches people’s hearts and draws them close to Him in North Africa.
*pseudonyms for security purposes
Pray for the Christians in North Africa who have suffered deeply during this time of war to find the emotional and spiritual healing they need to bring glory to God and blessing to all those with whom they interact.
Pray for the non-Christians of North Africa to be open and receptive to the good news of Jesus and the inner healing He brings.
Thank God for the faithful perseverance of Steve and Emily to continue their ministry under difficult conditions.
Pray that God will keep them and their young children safe and healthy.
Thank you for your prayers, Gerald & Ruth Denny Coordinators of Prayer Ministries Pioneer Bible Translators
As we sat at our dining room table made of tree trunks and ate a hot lunch of lentils and rice, our co-translator Silas* stopped and looked off far away. Then from his mouth came slow despairing tales of what life is like now: the theft, the lack of food, the lack of education, having to leave what progress they have made for themselves to run into the bush, and not being able to meet social requirements because of dangerous roads. At the end of the tales of woe came angry accusations toward a certain tribe. In Silas’ mind all the trouble that he and his people were facing was because of this one tribe. It was true some people from this tribe have been the direct cause of awful acts towards his close friends and family. However, in his mind it was the whole tribe that was in error. His sadness and grief wove into the anger towards those who were causing harm. 
