There is a week and half left in the SIL course. Some of you will remember that Wycliffe Bible Translators hold summer training courses in language learning and analysis, translation principles, cross-cultural issues, literacy, etc. There are three sets of courses that take three summers to complete. These are held on various university campuses throughout North America, the closest one for us being the University of Oregon. This is the third and last course set. Martha spends the mornings teaching David and Ruth, who we hope, will pick up enough not to feel overwhelmed by the changes involved in the move. Spanish study will continue for all in Guatemala, and being September, home-schooling will resume for David, Ruth, and their teacher-mom.
When we are back in Cubulco, contacts will need to be renewed and language helpers looked for. We hope to contact all the churches in the area, introduce the translation project to them, and get them involved in consultation, so that they will feel a part of the project. This will be a great aid in the translation's acceptance. After the rainy season Gary plans to spend one week a month in a mountain aldea (geographically spread-out mountain village) to immerse himself in the language and gather data for further analysis and computer filing on return to 'the pueblo' (town of Cubulco).
We thank you for your cards, letters and notes and we value your prayers for us. Please pray especially for safety, that the children will adjust well, that we all will be well accepted again, and that serious progress will be made in Achi language learning.