30

In the year leading up to yesterday, my thirtieth birthday, I spent random segments of time trying to figure out what I should get in order in my life before closing out my twenties, and what kinds of goals and ambitions I should set out for my thirties. I do not have a big list to show for my efforts. But I can see what God has done in me over the last ten years, and how faithful He's been, so I am excited to see what His grace will accomplish in my life in time yet to come.

Looking back over three decades God has given to me has made me so grateful for His goodness to me, and for the family and friends He has put in my life (some since the very beginning, and many new people along the way)--who have made these thirty years so wonderful.

My birthday itself was very nice. John wrote me a birthday card all by himself (with Adam telling him which letters to write), Adam had a nice fish meal made for our lunch, and Esther Zubot made me an amazing cake topped with chocolate frosting and (real!) M&Ms. Sam did sneak a few off the cake ahead of time, but I still let him help me blow out my candles.

In the evening after our kiddos were all in bed, Neil and Esther brought over their nifty new portable cinema (consists of a tiny projector and large white painted board for projecting a movie onto) and we watched a movie together. It's convenient that our homes are so close together that whether we sit in our living room or the Zubots, we can pretty much hear if one of the kids wakes up at either house.

Good Poem!

God Answers

by John Piper

Is there a word to help us feel
the weight of Adam's fall?
All.

How heavy will this burden weigh,
(Spare not!) on those who fell?
Hell.

O Lord, so great this forfeiture!
Was there sufficient reason?
Treason.

Then whence could any traitor hope
before your burning face?
Grace.

But surely that will cost beyond
our wage. How is it priced?
Christ.

Entirely paid? By him? O God,
and is that gift for me?
Free.

I would receive this gift, O Lord!
How soon would you allow?
Now.

 

first visit from a short-term missions team!

This past week, we had a short but full visit from a short-term mission team, who came from an organization whose goal is to support and excelerate the work of Bible translation worldwide.

As it ended up, the three guys on the mission team all ended up sleeping at our house (we found out after they arrived that there was no room for them in the guest house on the center here!) It was really fun visiting with Max, who came from our partner organization in Bangui, and Reuben and Mark, who came all the way from the United States (Florida and Georgia, respectively).

The guys came all this way to bring some helpful equipment for the Gbaya translators, and to install a satellite internet system (powered by solar battery) so they can send and receive work-related emails. To use the satellite internet, they simply take the machine outside, direct it towards the correct spot in the sky to receive the satellite signal, and then they can send and receive emails.

Another exciting provision that the team brought with them was two compact laptops with large attachable screens for the translators. Using these computers, Anatole and Alexis will be able to use very helpful translation resources and input their translation into the computer instead of doing it all with just pen and paper.

They also installed some lights. The solar panel will provide power for charging computers and for the lights over the translation desk.

Gbaya Word of the Day #1

(This is Adam)

Each language has its points were it is alive and other parts were it is mundane.

Gbaya is very rich language as it has many interesting words that English has nothing on.  This is why we are going to try to start an ongoing series of posts on a cool Gbaya word of the Day.

 

Today’s word is dugbulu-dugbulu (pronounce the “u”s like the two “o”s in the word ‘boot’)

 

This word, while also very fun to pronounce has an even more interesting meaning.

The sole meaning of this word is “the movement of fat from side-to-side of the belly or rear-end of a person while walking”

What a great specific meaning.  I mean, we’ve all seen that haven’t we?  But Gbaya has a word to represent that reality…cool, huh?

Sometimes used as an adjective, sometimes an adverb, or sometimes just saying that someone is fat.

 

An example sentence is “Woo! Zok gasa bhoko engi! Wene dugbulu-dugbulu!”

Translation : “Hey, look at that big woman over there, she’s dugbulu-dugbulu (real fat)!” 

Cultural note: women being on the little more hefty side is an attractive thing here in Central Africa.  This person is probably commenting on how good looking she is.

 

Discovered this word from when we were translating in 1 Samuel 2:29 where Eli and his two sons literally in the Hebrew “fattened themselves” on the stolen sacrificial meat that should have been offered up on the altar.  The Gbaya translator Anatole suggested that and is currently mulling over whether or not this word will work with translating the concept “of fattening oneself”.  He hasn’t decided yet.

 

Will this word be in the Gbaya Bible someday?  Only time will tell…