Missions Committee Minutes

Feb 10, 2015

 

Present: Carol Goss, Alex Burr, Collette Walz, Kathleen Marlowe, Jean O’Neill, Blaine Goss

After opening with prayer, we reviewed the expense report for January 2015, and the designated funds report.  We reviewed the financial reports to help new committee members learn about the work of missions in our church. One item of concern was the budget line for the Priscilla School in Mexico.  We have difficulty sending them monthly support money due to problems with the church in Mexico.  Blaine will follow-up with this matter. 

In order to increase our familiarity with two of our missionaries, we reviewed and discussed recent materials sent from them. Joel and Barbara Trudell, missionaries in Nairobi send monthly updates of their activities and prayer concerns. The Trudells are affiliated with SIL International, a worldwide association concerned with literacy and Biblical translations. SIL professionals, such as Joel and Barbara, work with local communities, help with translations, and give formal presentations around the world at international SIL conferences.

Donna Evans is another literacy advocate and Bible translator. She is affiliated with Wycliffe Bible Translators, and she is stationed in Indonesia and the Philippines.  She assembles local citizens and trains them to do Bible translations. Many of her helpers are not Christians.  She also helps to develop reference materials for national translators who are translating other materials into the local languages. One of her biggest projects is developing a dictionary in Ledo (a dominant language).  She is also producing translated Scriptures in audio formats that should become digital in the near future.

In both of the above ministries, we learn how helping others with specific needs can lead to the spread of gospel in the world.

Jean O’Neill closed the meeting in prayer.