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 On 19th February next year Jen and Warren’s wedding will take place near Johannesburg, South Africa.
We’re delighted that they have at last been able to balance all the differing priorities and set a date. Jen is in South Africa now, staying with Warren’s parents; and of course wedding preparations have been going full steam ahead. The venue will be Leopard’s Lodge at the picturesque Hartebeespoort Dam, northwest of Johannesburg. Much thought has been going into decor, invitation cards, wedding dresses, and a thousand other details!
And of course this means we can now finalise our own plans for the first half of next year. Most of February will be spent in South Africa, as we’ll be taking the opportunity to do some house hunting while we’re there. It has also worked out for me (Steve) to attend annual staff meetings with my new colleagues in Nairobi en route. (Although we will be based in South Africa, Nairobi is the headquarters of our work in Africa.) Johanna is also planning to go out early, to be around for Jen during the final run-up to the wedding; and to meet with the Director of Wycliffe South Africa in connection with her future member care role out there.
Stephen will be joining us a couple of days before the wedding, and a few of Jen’s friends will be coming from the UK, as well as some of her Dutch relatives; but it will mainly be a South African occasion. She and Warren may arrange a second celebration at a later date in Britain.
All very exciting. When we come back, we’ll be spending March, April and May visiting our wonderful partners here in the UK, and we’ll have plenty of pictures to share of the big event down south.
We’d value your prayers for all the practical details, and that God will abundantly bless the young couple as they begin life together, with Him.
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So, what’s the latest news of our two young people, Stephen and Jen? Especially Jen, of course — we know you’re all anxious to hear about wedding plans!
 Well, Stephen is coming out of an extended period during which he was initially unwell, and has been seeking God’s way forward. During this time the Lord has given him a special vision for the church in England. We are delighted that he is now able to apply for the UK job seeker’s allowance while he tries a number of doors. He is looking either for a secular job, or a church internship or other paid Christian work, while he seeks God’s leading as to his own role in seeing that vision realised. Please pray that he will find the right place. At the moment he is helping with basic house maintenance and renovation (gardening, painting, etc.) — something Johanna, our family DIY person, is particularly happy about!
 Jen & Warren celebrate the anniversary of their first 'getting together' in Rwanda last year! And Jen… is missing Warren, of course! He was here until the end of July, but has now returned to South Africa. They had a great time together. But their situation is pretty complex, so… sorry to disappoint, but they do not yet have a definite wedding date! The good news is that they have been able to narrow it down to the first half of next year, and it will definitely take place in South Africa.
Jen did well in her Anthropology degree, and is now looking into working with an international humanitarian organisation specialising in peace building (aka conflict resolution). A hopeful possibility has recently come up in which Warren might also be able to contribute his particular gifts and experience. We’d value your prayers.
In October Jen will go to South Africa to spend time with Warren and his family. We trust that further clarity will come during this time. She’ll get to enjoy Christmas in the sun! The rest of us are working on our envy-management…
Thank you for your support and prayers for our family!
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 Johanna browses houses for sale in Johannesburg Yes, folks, the Pillingers are moving on! After many discussions and meetings, our future plans are clarifying… In case you missed it: in October Steve will start a new job within Wycliffe; and next July, Lord willing, we’ll be moving to South Africa.
In July we met with Steve’s future boss, Paul Kroening. We had a very useful session with him, in which we agreed on the outlines of Steve’s new position as Area Publication Production Co-ordinator for sub-Saharan Africa. (More about what that jaw-breaker involves below!) Paul took a flexible approach, which we appreciated. Both he and I (Steve) are starting out in brand new jobs that haven’t existed before; therefore our job descriptions will evolve gradually as we discover what’s involved.
In line with this, during August I drew up my own preliminary job description. This is for the period from October (when the change of assignment will take place) until July, when we expect to move to South Africa. During this interim period I’ll be finishing off a couple of jobs still outstanding from Typesetting Services UK, which I’ve been managing since 2005. From October this department will close; Wycliffe will no longer offer typesetting services to members here in the UK. As we work towards starting a new translation in every language that needs one by 2025, typesetting of completed translations is increasingly being done locally in the country concerned, or at nearby regional publishing centres. This has given rise to the need for an experienced typesetter to co-ordinate, recruit, train, etc. — and I look forward to taking up this new role.
 The Konkomba Bible (Protestant edition), which Steve typeset in 2008–9 But from October to December I’ll be doing two remaining UK jobs: the Burunge book of Genesis (Tanzania); and the Catholic version of the Konkomba Bible (Ghana). During this time, and extending on into January and February, I’ll also be starting on my new job. At the moment this will involve contacting typesetters and translation teams in Africa, starting to co-ordinate publishing requirements with typesetting capacity, and getting an idea of where new typesetters may be needed. In the long term there will be others aspects to the job as well — more on that in a future post…
The period from March to May we’ve set aside for partnership development — i.e., visiting and reconnecting with all you wonderful folk here in the UK who help to make this possible, and who we hope will be fully ‘with us’ as we move on into this new phase of ministry.
And, finally, in June we’ll be preparing for our move to South Africa (early July, DV).
That’s the theory! What we can’t yet factor in, is Jen and Warren’s wedding in South Africa. They expect that this will happen in the first half of next year, but are not yet able to set a date. (It’s a complex situation!)
Meanwhile… Watch this space!
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As you may know, this year I started as a partnership development consultant with Wycliffe. I come alongside members whose income is low, and help them build up their support team. Those who work for Christian organisations such as Wycliffe have noticed that patterns of giving and receiving have changed significantly in recent years. There seem to be a number of reasons for these changes. Many churches—traditionally important donors to missions—are heavily committed to local outreach initiatives, and have had to reduce their giving to mission activities overseas. And many individuals feel overwhelmed by the ongoing solicitation for all kinds of funds. Traditionally, Christian giving and receiving was something done ‘in secret’ (Matt. 6:3–4). But now, many people like to talk more openly about money. There has also been an economic decline; and sometimes the financial needs of missionaries are not understood. For these and other reasons some Christian workers, including Wycliffe members, have seen their income drop significantly.
But Christians still desire to give and, as a result of the changes, it’s more and more the case that givers like to have a personal relationship with the person receiving. This is a very positive development. Jesus Himself was supported by a group of women (see Luke 8:3). It is my aim to help colleagues deal with these new realities of giving and receiving. To encourage them to keep on trusting God  and discuss ways to find the new God-given supporters they need, in order to do the work to which He has called them. So that, together with our supporters, we all help to provide Scripture in every language that needs one!
To this end, I mostly meet individually with colleagues to talk through their specific situations. In June I led a seminar on partnership development at the start of our yearly Wycliffe conference. Over forty questions and issues were raised by those who attended—too many to deal with adequately in the meeting. I am now looking for effective ways to respond to the needs my colleagues have in regard to partnership development.
One way forward may be to hold occasional workshops for those near enough to the Wycliffe Centre to attend. In anticipation of this I attended a one-week course at the Wycliffe Centre called “Learning that Lasts”. I do still remember what we learned  , and hope to put it into practice when the time comes.
Apart from possibly holding workshops/seminars, I will be relating to colleagues working at the Wycliffe Centre to develop a plan of what I can do most effectively during our remaining time here in the UK. I hope to set up something of value to leave behind. So far what I have done has been very warmly received and seems to address a real need. For example, one couple were struggling to find enough financial supporters. The wife was close to resigning to take a paid job, even though they both felt her calling was to stay in Wycliffe. As we discussed the changing patterns of giving and receiving, they adjusted their approach; and although it took time, eventually they had enough supporters. Now she looks radiantly happy in a new Wycliffe assignment.
Meanwhile, please pray there will be someone to replace me. Ideally I’d like to train someone to take over before we go to South Africa (mid-2011).
Thank you for your partnership with us as the Lord leads me into this new area of ministry!
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Howdy, folks! Well, I’m back from Dallas, I’ve taken my cowboy hat off, and it’s business as usual again!
I had a useful time over there, despite the heat (over 100°F at times — 38°C), and a thunderstorm that left us without power for several hours one morning! (Thought that only happened in Africa…?) I also learned a lot about the latest versions of our typesetting programs, and was able to get an upgrade which I’ll be practising on over here.
My two teachers, Darrel Eppler (on the left in the photos) and Randy Hasty, have many years of experience between them, and are involved in training new typesetters for service in our various publishing centres around the world. However it was good that I was able to share a few things with them out of my own experience, which they had not been aware of before. So, it was a two-way process.
Thank you for your prayers during this time!
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 Yes, in a couple of weeks’ time I (Steve) will be travelling to Wycliffe’s International Linguistics Centre in Dallas, USA, to do some ‘recurrency training’ on the latest computer programs and publishing procedures at our Global Publishing Services HQ.
This is part of the preparation needed for the new role I expect to take up soon, co-ordinating the production of Bibles, New Testaments and other publications across sub-Saharan Africa. Here in the UK I’ve been using software dating back to 2006 — which, as we all know, is mediaeval in computer terms. In future I’ll be working with typesetters using more up-do-date programs, and it’ll help if I have some familiarity with them!
 Don’t worry, they’re statues! Steve admiring the famous ‘Cattle Drive’ in Dallas (2000) I’ll be in Dallas from 20th June to 4th July; and in addition to new typesetting software I’ll be looking at a variety of different procedures for getting draft copies of Bible translations printed locally for checking in the community. I.e., not the expensive, high-end programs needed for the final Bible or NT, but simple down-to-earth methods of producing a reasonably good printout for local use. And my recent work preparing the Burunge booklets (Acts, James and Revelation) has shown the need for in-service training when teams first prepare for typesetting. I look forward to discussing this and related issues with experienced colleagues.
Johanna and I would both appreciate your prayers in the run-up to my departure on the 20th. This is a very busy time for both of us: for me, getting the Burunge project finished before I leave; and for Johanna, first, presenting her vision for partnership development at our Wycliffe annual conference (9th–11th June); and then attending a course on ‘Learning that Lasts’ which will provide a useful background for her ministry (13th–18th). She will be staying at the Wycliffe Centre near High Wycombe for both of these events, so the rest of the family will be coping as best we can!
But we are grateful to God for the new avenues of service He has opened up for us.
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 On 4th April 2010 the Konkomba people of Ghana celebrated the dedication of the second edition of the Konkomba Bible (about 1 million speakers). A whole truckload arrived! This was the first complete Bible that Steve typeset: he completed it early in 2009, working with British Wycliffe member Mary Steele. (For more details, see our November–December 2008 newsletter.)
A Konkomba Catholic priest has now asked Steve if he can also typeset a Catholic edition: they are basing this on the existing version but will be adding the deuterocanonical sections (known to Protestants as the Apocrypha). Steve expects to work on this in the autumn.
As a result of Bible Translation and literacy work, written and linguistic materials in the language are now well established. The language is used on the local radio, and the work in Konkomba is contributing towards local development. An official request has now been made to to the Ghanaian government to use the Konkomba language in schools.
This is the beauty of translating what our great and loving God is saying into the language that people actually use. It affects not only individual lives, but also the local community. It gives people the tools they need to improve their lives by improving their relationship with God, each other and their environment—all within their local culture.
Have a look here for more images.
Dame Mary Steele is a veteran translator, who has said she will “die in harness”. Several years ago she was recognised in the Queen’s Honours List for her lifelong service to Bible translation and literacy in Africa. At the age of 80 her eyes are still bright and her heart still longs to bring God’s Word to people who have never had it before in their own heart-language.
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 Jen’s fiancé Warren arrived from South Africa this morning for a two-month visit — we were all delighted to see him, but none more so than Jen!
He’ll be house-sitting and boarding with friends in and near Thame during this period. He and Jen will have plenty of time to be together, and to discuss future plans. They may even have decided on a wedding date by the time he leaves at the end of July!
Last week Jen finished her third year Anthropology course at Goldsmiths College, University of London. For several years she has been planning towards a career in conflict resolution.
We’d value your prayers that the Lord will bless Warren’s time over here, and especially that He will lead him and Jen as they think about how their different lives and (prospective) careers can be combined. They have some difficult decisions to make. But we believe God has brought them together, and that He will set before them an open door into the life He has prepared for them.
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Welcome to the story of everything – The Bible –
in an hour – brought to life on stage by Saltmine Theatre Company.
Journey with us through tragedy and tears, music and mirth, serpents and salvation!
Towards the end of the evening, a representative from Wycliffe Bible Translators will share an inspiring glimpse into how the Bible is being brought to life today in Nigeria, where Nigerians are receiving God’s word for the first time in their own language. Opportunity will be given to sponsor the translation of a scripture verse.
The show will be running from 11th May until 25th June in 27 venues around England and Wales. We can highly recommend it!
It will be showing in Thame, Coventry and Chelmsford. To check other venues, and to book a ticket, see www.eden2eternity.org.
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 Here we go again! Computer problems rear their ugly heads once more. Not one, but three of my external hard drives (office and home) gave up on me last week. These are where I make daily and weekly backups, to protect my work if the computers break down. It’s rather gutting if the backup drives themselves break down!
The bad news is that one of them — an expensive 2-terabyte drive — is a write-off. The good news is that our IT department has been able to fix one of the others; and the third has not lost all the data, though some of it is corrupted. More good news is that the department will pay for a new backup system for my work computer. This system has two identical disks, with software that copies the backups to each of them — so if one fails, you still have the other. We’re thinking of a similar solution, if possible, for our home computers…
Anyway, we would be very grateful for your continued prayers that the Lord will protect the valuable data I work with — His Word in the heart-language of many who have never had it before.
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On 19th February next year Jen and Warren’s wedding will take place near Johannesburg, South Africa.
Much thought has been going into decor, invitation cards, wedding dresses, and a thousand other details!
