Several years ago when our own children were in school, there were a number of MK’s studying here from other mission organizations. We always found it to be a blessing and an encouragement to work with these children and their missionary families. Now, once again we have been blessed by the work of brothers and sisters of like precious faith.
SIL, known as Wycliff Bible Translators in the USA, is soon closing their school and offices in western Brazil and moving much closer to where we are located. Beginning in the August 2008 term, a good number of them will be sending their children to our school and some of their school staff is now going to become a part of our staff. The transition has already been in the works for a number of months and is going well and according to schedule. Sometime ago a para-organization to Wycliffe Bible Translators known as Wycliffe Associates was scheduled to go to the SIL center and build a playground for the children attending school there. When this re-location was decided upon, the associates were asked if they would be willing to build the playground instead at our MK school where now both NTM and SIL children will be attending school. How blessed were we to have this team agree to come.
The Wycliffe associates had hoped to have a team of fourteen volunteers, but when they actually came, only five were able to make the trip. Roger and Velma Brownson came from Bozeman, Montana; Dave and Marty Jones came from McHenry, Illinois and Kathleen Menke came from Elk Grove, California. None of them had known each other before this trip, though all have made more than one such trip with Wycliffe Associates. The “playground construction crew” as we called them, provided not only their physical labor, but also finances, tools and materials needed for the project. They brought a lot of “hardware” with them and then also purchased materials here. Those were three very busy and productive weeks of work and fellowship with a precious crew of folks.
When we first knew they were coming in January, we kind of held our breath in wonder as that is the height of the rainy season. I guess we all wondered how many days they would be rained out. Their goal was to have the playground completely finished before they left. We watched in amazement as God so efficiently took care of the weather. They had beautiful sunny days for work and often cool, soothing rain at night. Or there were also rainy mornings when the men worked in the shop at welding projects, but the sun burned the clouds and rain away by noon and offered a great afternoon for working. All praise and honor to Him! Even the day of the dedication dawned a rainy Sunday morning! We all went to church expecting it would have to be an indoor dedication service. By three in the afternoon, however, God blessed this culminating event with warm sunshine. As Roger finished the prayer of dedication just a whisper of rain fell to remind us of God’s care over these three weeks’ time.
We have been blessed by these hearts, hands, and helpers who have joined with us in the great task of world evangelization in this creative and much appreciated way. The happy children’s voices from the playground are welcome notes of praise to our God. Thank you, Lord for such a special gift to all the MK’s who will study here. Thank you, Lord for our new friends, Roger and Velma, Dave and Marty, and Kathleen who gave of their time, efforts, and finances to be a part of this project and a part of our lives. We have been blessed by their lives.
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live (and work) together in unity! …For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” Psalm 133: 1 and 3 (parenthesis added mine)
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