Friday, June 12, 2009

Email Update

(for facebook friends - see this and my other notes in bigger print - on my blog - www.elizabethstories.blogspot.com )
Dear Friends and Family!!!
Short Version:
1) Thank you to those of you who helped me during the past few weeks…see your names below!!!
2) “It sounds like One Story!” - Final Listen-Through – the teams, as well as someone who has never heard the Stories, were all here last week checking every last word of their stories!! (picture)
3) “This is just the beginning!” - SFG’s – Story Fellowship Groups – ‘officially’ starting this month!!
4) Final Recordings…On July 1, we will start the final recordings of the Stories we’ve worked so hard on the past year.
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1) A special thank you to those of you who helped type up Stories over the past several weeks!!!! You have helped these projects finish well, and on time!! Not to mention you have contributed to getting His Word into 6 languages, 3 of which have no scripture at all, and the others will now be made available in oral form so the majority of the population can engage with scripture! I can’t thank you enough!!! And besides these names, there were at least 20 more who offered to help!! (Please forgive me if I forgot anyone!!!)

Roberta Watts
Sarah Kornegay
Kristin Palmer
Jill Brown
Wendy Bonnett
Chelsea
Susan Tome
Kathy Martin
Sara Eddy
Elizabeth Reynen
Matthew Jenkins
Sue Smith
Mark Ham
Phil Dosa
Marsha Leauby
Anne Rodgers
Jan Keen
Priya
Craig Kornegay
Chris Gurley
Bonnie Lewis
Nancy Livermore
Kathy Pierce
Prabha
Trisha Kesar
Pryanka
Jane Wilson
Prerna

2) “It sounds like One Story!”
It is always exciting to hear feedback like this during a “final listen-through” of all of the stories from Creation to Acts, by someone who hasn’t heard them before. During these “final-listen-throughs,” last week, I asked the teams to bring someone from their village who had heard only a few of the stories thus far, or none at all. They could also help us check the accuracy of the language/key terms, and the flow of the stories, as well as give the teams an opportunity to share the Whole Story with someone who has never heard!
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It was a really busy week- I have to say the busiest week of my life! But, the results were satisfying!! Those who came, and hadn’t heard the Stories before, were intrigued by hearing so many stories chronologically, all about the One who has made it possible for them to 1) be a part of His KINGDOM, or 2) gain LIFE through Him, or 3) have a RELATIONSHIP with Him, or 4) be DELIVERED from bondage, or 5) be LOVED unconditionally, (depending on the REDEMPTIVE THEME of the specific story set the team chose for their people group).
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Five of the Six teams have completed their Stories to the point of being approved by myself, and their other consultants. The stories are biblically accurate and culturally relevant. They are told in a way that is easy to remember, and in a language that speaks to the heart of the people.
(Note: The 6th team is currently still working on their stories, but should finish up soon).
(Picture- Blizzard and Mighty teams checking some of their stories- Manny from Agape team on right)

3) “Now, I realize something…the work is just beginning!!!”
On Saturday, Manny, Sam and another one of the story-crafters from “Blizzard” team and I had long discussion about using the Stories in small groups in various villages. We have of course talked about this all along, but now that the stories are really ready to start using in small groups in the villages, the excitement is building. Sam explained, “I thought that once we were finished making the stories, that our work would slow down, but I realize that our work is really just beginning!” Keep all of the teams in mind as this month they will give a hard push towards starting small groups in their villages.

4) Final Recordings…
On July 1, the final recordings of the 6 languages that now have God’s Word in the form of Oral B Stories will start. In the midst of that, the President of Wycliffe B Translators will also be visiting, and we will have the graduation ceremony for these men who have worked so hard on the Stories over the past year. It will be a busy time and of course hot - (probably 100+ degrees everyday, as it has been for the past few weeks already!!).

P&P
Praise for finishing up most of the grunt work of the projects here- and thanks to many of you for your prayers and help!
Praise for surviving the heat and the bugs over the past few months!
Prayer for a quick trip home- in time for a reunion with my mom’s side of the family (100+ people!).
Prayer for the teams especially this month as they begin forming small groups and sharing His Stories with those who have never heard.
Prayer for final recordings to start July 1.
Prayer for what God may have planned for me, after these projects finish.

Thank you,
Till All have heard,

~ Elizabeth

1 comment:

Paul W. said...

Hi Liz -
I saw your comment on Leah's page and that reminded me to stop by and say hi. I'm in London, waiting for a flight to Freetown, Sierra Leone. We leave in a couple hours. I'll be there for two weeks. We're [Dale and I] are doing a storying training for ??? pastors/church planters/JESUS Film workers. ??? because the original plan was 30-40, we got an email last week indicating it may be 45-50, and then another Friday saying it could be 50-100+. Seems like an announcement was made to a huge gathering of pastors/church planters about the training. We'll find out how many show up tomorrow. Had a bit of excitement here at Heathrow; 1 of 4 bags showed up, just the one we were bringing for our Korean co-worker who's already in country. Thankfully ours showed up about an hour later when the next flight came in. TaeSoo went up to a village in the North where there are a few UUPGs; it's a Muslim area. He asked the village chief for permission to do a church plant and received it! Sweet!
Hope you're doing well. Glad to hear that you're on the home stretch and the projects have had an Eph 3:20-21 moment. I enjoyed looking through your pictures. Hugs from the Wests.

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