The other day I came across Matthew 19:4-6 which says, “And He answered and said to them, ‘Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate’” These verses have been significant in our lives and our marriage, as we had the phrase, ‘Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate’, engraved onto both of our wedding rings.
Reading those verses made me pause and reflect on all that has happened since we got married a year and a half ago. Perhaps the biggest change in our life has been completing the Wycliffe application process and taking steps towards fulfilling the calling that God has put on our hearts for Bible translation. Back in 2012, when Chris and I first met on InstiGATE: Kenya our passion for Bible translation spurred our first conversation and we haven’t stopped talking since! It has been amazing to see how God brought us together to fulfill his purpose and it is amazing to see how much more I am able to accomplish for God’s kingdom with Chris than I would be able to do without him. We both have our own individual strengths and weaknesses, which we use to help, support and challenge one another. In this busy season of life with work, school, raising support and travelling to churches every weekend we have been able to encourage and help one another by capitalizing on each other’s strengths. I am so thankful that God has given me Chris to share this amazing journey with and even though our journey has only just begun, it already feels like we have been through so much together and I am so excited to see what God has in store for us!
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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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