Village Outreach
Our outreach to the unbelievers around us and in the nearby villages has been underway for about a month now. The attendance dropped off at one point but after a talk with the village leaders it has picked up again. There are about 40 people coming daily for teaching Monday through Thursday mornings. What’s really exciting this time is that our Simbari teachers who we’ve been training for several years now are doing most of the teaching. Also now that we’re using our revised lessons and scripture portions that are no longer in draft form, the message is coming out especially clear.
No Room For Our Kids
We’ve been mentioning staff shortages at the mission school for quite some time. Those shortages always cause hardships in one way or another and now they are taking their toll in a new way. Because of the shortage of dorm parents only the 11th and 12th graders will be able to be out at the mission school next year. This is a huge disappointment to us. Simon has been attending for 2 years now and has been doing so well. Rachel was planning on starting at the school this year. Now both of them will be homeschooling again and Esther will be out there by herself. When we need personnel at the school we can’t just go out and hire them. But instead we have to rely on people volunteering because of their heart for serving God in tribal missions. There is a shortage of people like this and all we can do is pray. Now that Shari will be homeschooling 3 kids again it will affect how much time she can spend on her part of the translation work. Also the isolation and tribal culture here make it a less than ideal place to raise teenagers. So again your prayers would be appreciated as we work through these changes and for the extra finances needed. To meet mission requirements Simon’s high school courses will need official transcripts so we need to get him enrolled and have curriculum sent over here for both him and Rachel.
Translation Goals
David is finishing the preliminary draft of the last few chapters of Acts. Soon we’ll begin working through all the procedures with our translation helpers. David will also be able to start drafting up lessons for the teaching of Acts. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as we work through the book of Acts and that we’d make good progress. We’d like to finish Acts and the lessons to go with them and still have enough time to revise our “OT for New Believers” course and translate an epistle or two before our furlough in a year. This fall we’ll be attending a special translation workshop that will focus on translating epistles.
Home Assignment Plans
Many of you have been asking when you’ll be seeing us. Lord willing, we’re planning home assignment a year from now when Esther graduates from high school. Can you believe that Esther is a high school senior now! By the way, today is her 17th birthday.
By His Grace,
David & Shari Ogg
(Esther, Simon, Rachel & Jason too)