The Encouraging Word Blog

A New Christmas

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:36:43 GMT

December is the busiest month of the year for most people, and that’s really saying something, because most of us were busy even at the slowest part of the year! Upon already busy lives are piled shopping trips for Christmas, meal plans, travel plans, kids’ or grandkids’ programs, office parties, neighborhood parties, family parties. Amidst all this busy-ness, I want to challenge you to take some time to stop and consider what this season is all about.

Certainly it is about the coming of our Lord in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. God broke into history in person, in the flesh, born of a virgin, so that He could live a perfect life only to take our sin upon Himself and suffer and die to give us His perfection.

Were that the end of the story, that would be a really neat story. We could celebrate year after year that God did that for us back then. But it’s not the end. Jesus is coming back! Angels told the apostles “In the same way you saw Him leave, you shall see Him return” (Acts 1:11).

How can we be sure that Jesus will really come back? Because He’s already come once before! Christmas is not just about something that happened way back then, something we’ll never actually experience ourselves. Christmas points toward Jesus’ second coming, which we will all experience! (see 1 Thess. 4:16-17).

In patience and expectation, we await that joyful day when we will celebrate a new Christmas in person with Jesus forever!

Take some time this Christmas season to focus your mind and thoughts to include that Jesus will come back some day. The joy and good feelings of Christmas cannot begin to compare to the joy that awaits us on that day!

“He that testifies to these things says, ‘Yes I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

God's Heart for the Weak

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 15:48:11 GMT

"Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the Lord, "I will protect them from those who malign them." Psalm 12:5

God's heart and desire for the weak and needy is a key theme in scripture that is prevalant yet ignored by my people. The Lord himself in several places warns that when the weak are taken advantage of, he will himself arise to protect and avenge. Why is this? All I can think of is that each human being is lovingly crafted in his image and it is so contrary to his original plan for creation that one human would lord it over another, that he must act. What does it mean to oppress the weak? Is it active or does it happen passively too? Am I complicit in any type of oppression? Lord I need you to open my eyes, turn my heart, forgive me this sin, and show me how to make it right with my neighbor. Lord, no one can love the weak and the needy like you do. But open my eyes and incline my heart toward them with even a fraction of your love that I may serve you through them and glorify you as they come to know you through Jesus. Amen.

The Third Year

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 06:56:24 GMT

Hi everyone,

Maya said it best when she said, "the third year is beginning so much better than the first." We are beginning our third year here in Botswana, the last leg of our first term in ministry here. We have grown so much and, to be honest, it is SO nice to not be new here anymore.

In the last month we achieved significant milestones: 1)Finalizing a Memo of Understanding between LBT, the Bakgalagari Community and BSB for the operation of the Shekgalagari Bible Translation Project. 2) Obtaining and furnishing an office in the village square of Kang, 3) Interviewing candidates for the position of Project Secretary (this person assists me in the project by helping me learn Shekgalagari, organizing p.r. events, and basic translation duties both oral and written). The worker we have requested for this position works for the Lutheran Church and we are awaiting approval of her secondment to the project by the Church Council at their meeting to be held August 22.

In addition to her household duties, Maya is actively participating in project work as well by entering previously translated material into Paratext, a program that we use for Bible Translation. We have a short term goal to translate the Christmas story of Luke 2, check it with village reviewers and consultants, and make it available in print and audio to the Bakgalagari churches for their use this coming Christmas. We have had contact with people from the Jesus Film Project about dubbing the film into Shekgalagari. This requires a complete translation of the Gospel of Luke, so that is next on our longer term horizon. We have also had contact with a Scripture engagement mission called Gospel Recording Network who records short Bible stories and teachings. They did some work in Kgalagari a number of years back which we are currently checking and they are interested in working with us to produce audio materials for use in Sunday School and basic discipleship courses - so we are evaluating those opportunities as well. Quite a bit coming up all at once, which is exciting and we are thankful for the opportunity to move forward in the next year. Our next big administrative issue with the project is to hire 2-3 people as mother tongue translators. We are committed to working with local church and community leaders to identify and recruit candidates. This, honestly, can be a difficult thing as the opportunity for employment sometimes clouds the need to select qualified men and women of character. Pray that we all walk well together and that the wisdom of God and Christian charity will prevail in this process.

Our kids' teacher, Jayne White, departs the USA for Botswana today. We are excited to have her joining us at this important time. Pray for her travels and her immigration paperwork.

Lastly, we have had difficulties with pictures and getting them uploaded. I am still having trouble getting them to our website, but did manage to load some to facebook. You can see them, even if you don't have facebook, by clicking on this link.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

Kagiso le wena (peace with you)
Rich for Maya & The Crew

--
The Rudowske Family
Lutheran Bible Translators
www.rudowskes.com
Correspondence:
PO Box 286
Kang, Botswana
Contributions:
PO Box 2050
Aurora IL 60507-2050

MK Creativity

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:22:51 GMT

I have to say that my children are some of the most creative people I know. Today they used the styrofoam packing trays from the vegetables we bought, along with various pencils, paper, nails, lego people etc. to make pirate ships and then sailed them in the bathtub (and raced them, and bombed each other with bottle caps and so forth). I regret that both of our cameras are on the fritz right now so I can't share any pictures or video - a situation I hope to remedy soon.

Then tonight at dinner the 3 boys decided to play a word association game with each one saying a word and the next saying (supposedly) what came to his mind first. It got to be pretty funny, but the funniest was this sequence:

Chris: Fish legs; Matt: Strange, Josh: Involuntary!

Josh: What's involuntary mean? Me: when you do something that you didn't have control over. Josh: Like my eyes? (moving them quickly back and forth)

Yes, creativity is essential when you're an MK.

Evil is not Equal to God's Power

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:21:40 GMT

"And they begged him not to command them to go into the abyss" Luke 8:31

God is NOT struggling in an epic battle against evil. We (mankind, beginning with Adam) chose evil and God has chosen in his goodness and wisdom to let it remain. But make no mistake, God is not fighting with an equally powerful foe like the force in Star Wars with a yin and yang of good and evil. He is working only to show his love to humanity. We might say, "If he loves us, why not just eliminate evil?" But that is taking our small ideas of good and right and applying them to God. Who are we, the created, to question the creator? (Job 40-41, Romans 9:20). So these demons in Luke 8 know that God in the person of Jesus has power over them and they are begging for their lives. He grants them their request and they enter a herd of pigs. Is God merciful then, even to evil spirits? That is more than the Scripture intends to tell us, but an intriguing thought nonetheless. What I do know is this: I need not fear any force of evil arrayed against me for in Christ I am more powerful. That is, Christ is more powerful and even if he will not protect me I will not fear (Daniel 3:16-18). Second, I am called to act our of mercy and love first and foremost. It is essential. It is the way of Jesus. Lord, grant me to be both powerful and merciful that I may glorify you in every way. Through Jesus name I pray. Amen.

The Father's Up Front Decision

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:08:37 GMT

"And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma he said in his heart, ' I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done." Genesis 8:21

It is against God's normal mode of operation to destroy. It is an alien work to him (Isaiah 28:21). He prefers to be in the business of forgiving and relenting, even though he knows the inclination of our hearts. This makes his graciousness abound even more, to know that he has decided ahead of time to be merciful even when he knows that his mercy will be ignored, exploited, and disregarded. In light of this mercy, I may be thankful and merciful. I too can expect to be ignored and disregarded by my children and by the people whom I work among. But I, by the power of God given me through Jesus, can decide ahead of time to be loving, merciful, and gracious - to do a work of creating and building up instead of tearing down and wiping out. Lord, turn my heart to be merciful and away from the evil inclinations that it tends toward. Also give me grace to be like Jesus, to bless when cursed and to pray when wronged. I want to join you in creative and redemptive work according to your will. Amen.

Scripture Engagement

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:26:49 GMT

One of the reasons I became a pastor was that I felt that God had significantly interacted with me through His word and I wanted to help other people to be equipped and able to interact with God through the Scriptures and prayer as well. One of the tools I do that is scripture journaling - a practice I learned many years ago and was sharpened by a speaker I heard at a conference when I was on staff at Emmanuel Lutheran in Kettering Ohio. The practice is called S.O.A.P. and I have taught it in several different places (and countries!) since then and have engaged in it myself. I wanted to briefly share it with you and from time to time, the blog entries will be my writing on engaging the scriptures based around this method. What I do is read a selection of scripture asking the Lord to show me a verse or section to focus on. I copy that verse or section into my journal along with the reference. That is the 'S' part for 'Scripture' Then comes 'O' - observe. From the verse I observe what God is teaching about Himself, Jesus, or some other reality concerning God's interaction with humanity, Creation, or behaviors, ideas, or beliefs expressed. Then comes 'A' - apply. I write about how what I observed applies to me, what change in thought, word, or deed is called for, what do I need to reaffirm, remind myself of, realign, or refocus on? Then comes 'P' for pray. I write a prayer to God based on my interaction with His word, a sort of reply to what I have been hearing.

I commend this practice to you. It can be difficult on some days, but it is amazing if you just give yourself a little time in the morning or evening - perhaps the time that you use to watch the news or read the newspaper and apply yourself to this practice you will be amazed. No single sitting will seem terribly significant, but over the long haul, these small daily deposits will draw you closer to God, give you more insight into the scriptures and allow them to become the guide in your life that the Lord intended them to be. Blessings to you as you seek to engage the Lord through His word, that word that testifies to the Word made flesh, in whom we have reconciliation with the Lord and with each other.

Prayer for Botswana

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:17:40 GMT

Just a short entry asking you for prayer for the nation of Botswana. Since April 18 government workers have been on strike seeking better pay. Demonstrations have been peaceful which we are thankful for, but I have overheard some negative things directed towards white people (which could include expatriates and also the minority population of Botswana citizens) in some of the speakers' comments at the local group demonstrating in our village. We pray that demonstrations will remain peaceful and that race issues, which are not typically part of the political landscape here, will not become a problem.

In addition, there has been an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in cattle in South Africa which has led to a shortage of imported dairy items and a resulting price increase. Additionally, an outbreak has been discovered in NE Botswana and so movement and slaughter of cattle in the country has been frozen for perhaps the next month. This creates a difficulty for some of the citizens who depend on the sale and slaughter of their cattle for income to meet periodic needs for food, school tuition, etc. The government is acting with the best interest of the nation at heart, but it is still difficult.

This combination of difficulties could spark instability in other African nations, but Botswana has historically been stable, peaceful, and orderly. We thank God for that and ask for his continued blessing on this nation and for his guidance through this difficult time.

Update and Holy Week Greetings

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:33:43 GMT

Dear friends,

Greetings in the name of Jesus! As Lent culminates in Holy Week, the remembrance of the Passion of Christ, and the event that altered the course of history, the resurrection of Jesus - we are reminded of the privilege of serving in the ministry of Bible translation, translating the word, so that people may know the Word made flesh.

Our family continues working in the sometimes exhilarating and sometimes frustrating period of project setup and language and culture learning. The project is in a holding pattern of sorts at the moment while details on a memo of understanding are worked out between Lutheran Bible Translators, the Bible Society of Botswana, and the Advisory Committee (AC) of the Shekgalagari Bible Translation Project. Until those details are worked out I am unable to hire any staff which is frustrating at times but has opened up other opportunities for work and for that I am thankful. I think that my frustration results from a desire to have things my way instead of being flexible and accepting the situation as the Lord's gift to me to do some other things. Here are some things we have been able to do:

We revised and reprinted a 'Shekgalagari - Setswana - English Picture Dictionary' and a songbook of translated hymns called 'A He Epele' (let us sing) and have begun selling them at a modest price. This is part of the AC's strategy to raise local funds for the project and also assess the willingness and ability of the local villages to purchase print media items. We are also selling copies of Shekgalagari Grammar (published by a Mokgalagari professor at University of Botswana) and the Setswana BIble, which is the Bible most people use here for the time being.
I got to help teach translation principles at a one day workshop attended by representatives of 6 different minority language communities in Botswana. The task of that group was translation of a UN human rights document into their respective languages, but it gave the opportunity to share about Bible translation as well and make some connections for possible future projects in Botswana.
I have continued to learn Botswana's national language Setswana. I am able to read and write it very proficiently now, but hearing it (the people speak SO fast) and being able to encode a message into it orally on the spot are still challenges. I need to get out more and practice, or as my language helper has repeatedly said, "O tshwanetse go bua le motswana ga ke re?" (You should go speak with a local, shouldn't you?) All the work done in Setswana is an investment in Shekgalagari as there is a great deal of vocabulary overlap (or at least similar sounding words) and grammatical structure. In addition, it is helpful in my role as LBT's business manager in Botswana to have some grasp of Setswana in traveling around the country.
In looking through some archives from LBT's work in Botswana I have come across some recordings that were done to help teach the gospel in the Shekgalagari language. I have been able to contact the ministry that did the work to find out more about the message contained therein, how to distribute it, and a possibility of working together on some projects in the future to meet the needs of this very oral culture with recorded and maybe even broadcast media in the Shekgalagari language.

Our family took a much needed vacation the first week of April to a game farm about 50km away from Kang. It is owned by friends who allowed us to stay for free which was a huge blessing. The children got to help out on the farm, play games, ride horses and the like. Chris did a little hunting with owners' son and some of the farm workers. I got to read and rest. I slept a lot to be honest. It was nice to be out of the village and the constant cross-cultural struggle. There was no internet, no phone, no worries.

On the last day of vacation, Katherine fell from one of the horses and broke her collarbone, resulting in an unplanned trip to the capital city so it could be looked at by an orthopaedic doctor. She is so tough, she rode about 500km with it just bandaged in place and then had to spend two nights sleeping with it that way before we could get a proper x-ray and get it set better. She did not cry, did not complain, and focused instead on what movie we could see while in the city and what kind of restaurants we might hit. The collarbone is set as best can be without surgery and her arm is in a sling to hold it still. Even though she fell on her left side it is the right side that broke and, as she is left-handed, she is able to still work on her schoolwork. We go back on May 11 to visit the doctor and see how things are progressing. We ask for prayer that the bone is lined up and healing properly and that there will be no surgery required.

We found out upon our return from vacation that Maya's grandmother had died. Maya's stepfather died right before we went on vacation, so the double loss was surprising. These are the times when we are reminded that we join with generations of other missionaries who have been away from home when things like this happen and it is hard, but it is part of the calling. We ask for prayers for Maya's mother, sisters, and the extended family for Grandma Homer too.

Lastly we ask for your continued prayer for our family. No matter how much we've adjusted to life here, it is still hard in many ways. For example, I spent almost all day yesterday fixing a pump that gives our home adequate water pressure to operate things like the water storage tank, shower, hot water heater, and wash machine. Mechanical stuff is far outside my gifting and skill set, but is part of life here. Those things tend to upset the balance of the day sacrificing school time, project work, and the like. It is easy to become frustrated about that, but, well, you saw my thought about that above already. We appreciate prayer for strength, patience, wisdom, and above all hearts that lead with mercy and love in all our interactions, both within our family and with the community around us.

The season of Easter reminds us that God has reconciled all things to Himself and is in the business of redeeming our weaknesses and failures for his glory. The message of Easter is that we can have hope in all circumstances. We can give thanks in all circumstances. We can acknowledge our weakness and brokenness in all circumstances because all things are made new in Christ. May that message of hope, the turning point of all human history, pervade all you think, say, and do - may it pervade the way you see the world, your workplace, your home, ANY relationship that God has placed you in.

Christ is Risen!

Peace to you,

Rich & Maya for the Crew

Sometimes Things Don't Work Out

rmrudowske@lbt.org — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:29:22 GMT

One of the hard parts of being in ministry is that things happen, things don't work the way you hope they will, things fall apart and we realize that the brokenness of humanity is still very much a part of all that we try to do.

A case in point is the continuing story of my friend Jacob. I wrote about Jacob on this blog a few months back. At the time he was working for us, and in his spare time he was taking a recorded version of the Setswana Bible (Proclaimer) out into the bush and reaching groups of people who are usually not reachable with the word of God.

Unfortunately, things fall apart sometimes. In January, Jacob told us he no longer wanted to work for us, he didn't like being tied down to one job. (This is common around here). We have had to fire workers before, but this was the first one to quit and it was a surprise. He kept the Proclaimer and continued to meet with his listening groups until the end of February. A couple of weeks ago, since I had not heard from Jacob lately I sent him a text and asked him to stop by the office when he had the chance to report on how things were going. A few days later his wife showed up with the Proclaimer saying that Jacob had not been going out with it for about three weeks and that he was very depressed and drinking all the time.

Because of Bible Society rules, I had to take back the Proclaimer, which I did heavy heartedly. How would the folks in the bush continue to hear? But I had to submit to 'the governing authorities' (Romans 13:1ff) and trust that God would make a way to continue to reach his people. I have left repeated messages with Jacob but have not had a reply at all.

We have prayed for Jacob, sent a relative/pastor to find him and have tried to find him ourselves without success. But we rest in the promises of God and know that Jacob has heard a great deal of the New Testament several times. We have to trust that God will work through those seeds that have been planted.

Today when cooking lunch, I saw Jacob walk by. He stopped and waved and gave me his winning smile. It looked like he was taking his daughter to the bus stop in the village and that he needed to hit a deadline, because he kept going. Here's hoping I can catch him next time and we can talk through some things. The Lord is in the business of redeeming things, but the reality is that sometimes things don't work out. Our job in either case is to trust him, to act with love and mercy, and to do what is right.

Please join me in praying for Jacob, his wife, and their six children - as well as all the people in the listening groups who currently are not hearing the Word of God. Thanks.