Well now that we have been living in Dar es Salaam for two weeks (wow!), I feel as though I can at least begin to speak with some authority about our experiences here thus far. In our latest newsletter update I described our experience thus far in Tanzania as “surreal”, which I think is the only word I could think of to describe it. For years we have been studying, planning, preparing and fundraising just so that we could be where we are right now. Sometimes we have to stop and look around and remind ourselves that we are finally here, in a sense we’ve finally “made it” and in another sense, we are just beginning! One notable thing that I couldn’t talk about our experiences in Tanzania thus far without mentioning is the way that God has been taking care of us. There were quite a number of things that happened in our first week that were quite surprising or different than we had expected, but God has managed to resolve all of the issues that came up in ways better than we could have anticipated. We are so thankful for this and so grateful to finally be here! Now enjoy some photos from our first weeks in Tanzania! The picture above is of the office where we are doing our orientation and language learning in Dar es Salaam. This picture is of everyone who is participating in orientation and language learning with us. This one is of Chris' first time to the Indian ocean.
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AuthorChristopher and Lauren Merke have joined Wycliffe to help fulfill the goal of seeing the scriptures translated into every language of the world! Christopher and Lauren live and work in Mbeya, Tanzania doing linguistic, language survey and vernacular media work. As a linguist, it will be Lauren’s responsibility to analyze and evaluate the linguistic and cultural data that is collected by language survey workers. Her role is very important because it speeds up the Bible translation process and makes translators for effective, ensuring the Good News of Jesus Christ reaches people as quickly as possible. Christopher will be fulfilling two roles as a language surveyor and as a vernacular media technician. As a language surveyor, Christopher travels to remote villages in order to gather linguistic and cultural data about various people groups and language groups. This is critical information, as it lays the foundation for Bible translation work through seeking answers to critical questions in the first stages of the Bible translation process. As a vernacular media technician, Christopher’s role will be to help translate various materials, such as the Jesus film and Christian radio programs, into other languages in Tanzania to ensure that the Gospel reaches as many people as possible. Christopher and Lauren are thrilled to be able to use the gifts that God has given them and would like for you to prayerfully consider partnering with them in this journey! Archives
September 2016
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