Transformed by the Word: Celebrating the language of friendship
By Lyn Wake | Wycliffe Today October 2019
Wycliffe Australia has a vision ‘to see disciples of Jesus growing through the Scriptures available in a language that speaks to their hearts’, just as John described in his vision of heaven:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9 NIV)
Every nation! Every tribe! Every diverse people group! Every one of those languages represented, all worshipping Jesus in unity before God’s throne forever. While our minds cannot yet perceive what that wonderful fellowship will look like, we can begin to build and celebrate ‘forever friendships’ right now!
The willingness to learn from and honour each other as equals, does not come naturally— it is only made possible through the transformational gift of God’s Word speaking to us in our own languages.
God offers us friendship with him, and with each other, through his son, Jesus. As we are transformed by the Word, we engage with each other on a whole new level of Jesus-centred friendship.
How can you begin to build and celebrate forever friendships with those who will be gathered around the throne of God with you?
Be transformed by the Word by reading John 15:1-17 and Revelation 7
Going MAD in the Outback
Wycliffe Today October 2019
MAD OZ was an opportunity to explore what God is doing in some of the Aboriginal communities of Central Australia with a bunch of ‘new’ friends experiencing it with me. I was blessed to see God working in and through me, as well as my fellow travelers. I came away with a better understanding and greater appreciation for the ministries that go on out there, as well as the greater work that God does inside of us when we allow Him to stretch us. It truly was a MAD experience! – Gary
It was a real privilege to go on a MAD OZ trip after hearing about them for many years. Being the cook was a stretching experience for me but everyone was so helpful. Dave Wake was a fantastic leader. Getting to know Wycliffe member, Lyn Street, was also a real highlight. Together with her late husband, Chester, Lyn made connections with the people in Wadeye and translated Scripture and language resources into the Murrinhpatha language. I also loved getting to know the team, hearing their testimonies and watching them grow as they learned and practised Bible Storytelling and engaged with the Aboriginal people. I learned a lot about Aboriginal culture and enjoyed spending time in the four communities we visited. – Robyn
It has been so encouraging to see Indigenous communities and meeting people who have a real faith. Yet my heart breaks that there is still such a need for discipleship, leadership and Bible resources to be available in Aboriginal languages. I have been so encouraged by the sacrifice and hard work of the translators who have been working in these communities to make this happen. – Sarah
I had the opportunity to learn about the work of Wycliffe and Bible translation. It was a pleasure to experience how Aboriginal people do community and interact with those who share God’s Word and the love of our Lord Jesus. I loved all the teaching we received, especially learning about Bible engagement and Bible Storytelling. I found this to be a great tool for sharing the Word of God with all ages and audiences in any setting. – Mandy
MAD is an amazing cross-cultural experience with Aboriginal communities from Central and Coastal Australia. I love the way that everyone on the team gets to use their gifts for the encouragement of others. It makes a big impact on my life every time I lead the trip and shows me the value of Bible translation in others’ lives. – Dave
Really heavy on my heart after my MAD experience is that we have so many English translations of the Bible while so many Indigenous communities do not have anything in their language. Some languages have translated books and there is now a Kriol Bible but this does not speak to everyone. What can I do to help with translation? – Tracy
Many Aboriginal people we met are open to the gospel but they are in need of effective discipleship in order to grow stronger in their faith. God’s Word, access to it in our own languages and having an understanding of it is essential to growing in discipleship and knowing Christ. – April
God uses ordinary, broken people to do his work. We will not be perfect and we will make mistakes, but he chooses to use us anyway. – Adele
Thanks for your patience...