He is the King of Glory!

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Happy Birthday Jesus!
I had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with my family and saying goodbye to them for some months. I'm staying with my sister Mary and her family in Ohio before I head down to Dallas on the 4th and 5th.During the roadtrip to Ohio, my sister Esther and I had a good discussion about God and how He graciously reveals Himself to us in so many different ways. The Lord displays His faithfulness to each of us, and we notice it in many different ways. She sees His might and faithfulness most through creation, and I through people.

This is what Yahweh (the LORD) said to Moses while on the mountain, "Yahweh, Yahweh, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."

Thanks to His son Jesus, whose birth we just celebrated, our sins ARE forgiven. YES!!!

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My car made it fine to Ohio with a broken headgasket; and she's still running, but I still have over 1,000 miles to drive. Please pray for protection on the road for me and for my friend Kevin who's driving down with me.My last post was about lonliness and finding comfort in Christ. This is a lesson I am still learning along with several others. I am still going through a rough patch, but God's faithfulness is magnified during these bumps. I am encouraged by Psalm 24.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.(Selah)
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory. (Selah)

Here are some pictures of the kids!!!

This is a project that I did with my nanny kids. I love it!

I went camping with several good friends from Bible school! It was pretty cold. :)

Home again!

Last week, I was sitting on my bed thinking about what I should say at the church I was visiting the next morning. I have been speaking every Sunday for about a month about my role with LBT and LBT's role in Bible translation work, but what I say is modified every week as I think about what the Lord might have for me to say. As I listened, this song came to me..."Teach me, Lord, to have faith in what you're bringing me will change my life and bring you glory! There on the storm, I am learning to let go of the will that I so long to control. There may I be in your arms eternally. I thank you, Lord; you are the calmer of the storm."This is the chorus for Downhere's song, "Calmer of the Storm". What an encouragement! It is so comforting to know that no matter what we go through the Lord is with us...always!I'M HOME AGAIN (for a couple months)! Many of you have been praying for me and the family I was nannying for (See previous updates). Jen has made unbelievable progress, and she is almost completely off the IVs!!! Praise the Lord. I am desperately going to miss the four little boys I have come to love so dearly, and my dear kindred spirit who has been a mentor and friend, Jen. But... what a blessing it is to be home early! Now I can spend much needed time with LBT paperwork, reports, and my Hermeneutics directed study.

Tiny faith, gi-normous grace!

Well, the Lord has been teaching me quite a bit about my weaknesses and some of the many things that I have yet to learn.I have had bronchitis for about a week, so between coughing fits and exhaustion, I have been doing quite a bit of thinking. Many of you know the dream I have of going overseas to meet an exciting group of people, to learn an exciting language, and to tell people about OUR Savior. Well, this excitement is still there, but reality is beginning to kick in as time continues to tick. As I've been meeting pastors and speaking to groups, I am learning more about this call than I had before. I am ashamed to admit that doubt and feelings of fear have crept up over the last couple weeks. I am beginning to embrace this time the Lord has given me for training. The unknown of Nigeria is beginning to challenge my courage with thoughts of..."How long will it take to communicate with people?" "Will the language be difficult?""Will I be lonely?" "Will I make a friend to spill my concerns to?" "Will the Lord supply ALL my needs?" "Will I have the courage to talk about my Lord?""Will people listen?""Will the job seem monotonous?""Will there be fruit?""Will God be glorified?"My faith is tiny, and God's grace is gi-normous!"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for you brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." -I Peter 1:22-24

Only 429!!!

First! How can I pray for you? Please update me.Thank you, thank you, thank you! The encouragement I have received is incredible, and I am especially thankful for those who have offered to help me with the family I'm caring for (see past posts). We need it. I am so grateful for all of you who are praying for me, and I am so excited that I have a chance to share my heart with you.Recently as I have be reading the Word and feeling its overwhelming power, I have been thinking about those who don't have it (surprise, surprise). Do you know that there are 6,912 languages in the world, and only 429 languages have complete Bibles? That's about 6%. Does this shock you or what? I've been learning about translation for 3-4 years now and this fact feels like a boulder being thrown on me. What can I do? Pray.Only 429! http://www.wycliffe.org/About/Statistics.aspxA little over 1,000 languages have only the New Testament, and nearly 2,000 translations are in progress. Why is it that only 429 languages have the Bible translated, and we have over 50 complete modern English translations? Huh?!I am praising the Lord for these 429 complete translations (though many are already outdated because of language changes). BUT!!! I am grieved that there are so few in comparison to the thousands left. Whew! I have also been burdened with the need for Old Testament translations. It's the majority of Scripture, its translation need is downplayed, and the need is enormous! Please pray.Please pray for...-The 196 MILLION people who don't have ANY Scripture at all. NONE!-The incredibly overwhelming translation needs.-Continual guidance with what project I am to work with in Nigeria. There are over 500 languages there and 135 million people!-Opportunities for me to speak in churches. Scheduling has been difficult.-The family I'm living with and caring for, my health, and wisdom with care and discipline.-My focus on the Lord. It's hard.****I just sent out my first prayer letter with LBT so if you didn't receive it and would like to please contact me at rlee@lbt.org(If you do not want to receive updates feel free to leave the group.)

Assigments...

Now that I am approved as a missionary by LBT, the craziness begins. This fall semester is wild, and I'm so grateful for your prayers and all the encouragement I have received. THANK YOU! I'm beginning to contact people about speaking in churches and groups. This is a long and difficult process--filling my schedule September through December with speaking engagements. Please pray that the Lord will guide me to the right churches and to people who will be receptive and willing to listen.I have moved an hour north from where I was to help a dear friend who's expecting. She and her husband already have four boys, and she's having many complications with the pregnancy. I've become a live-in nanny (probably through December). The kids are extremely cute, but they are definitely a handful. Pray that I have patience with them, and pray that the Lord gives me wisdom regarding discipline and daily instruction.On top of these two practically full time jobs, I will also be taking a directed study in Hermeneutics. My plans have changed quite a bit this past week or so, but I have peace in the Lord's faithfulness and control. I am learning so much. Thank you again for you prayers, love, and encouragement. Please keep me updated on your life.

Nanny time!

There are some big changes!As most of you know, I have been living with my parent for the past year which has been an incredible blessing. This may change very soon. A married couple, Micah and Jennifer are very dear friends of mine who I've known for many years, and they have come to a very challenging point in their life. I feel like the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to help. I grew up with Micah in Bangladesh and I consider his family as my own... our families are extremely close.The situation:They live about an hour north of where I live now. Micah and Jennifer are expecting their 5th child. Pregnancies have always been tough for Jen and this one is the worst so far. She has a blood condition which causes the baby's blood to clot. For that reason she must be on a blood thinner. This time that treatment caused internal bleeding within the uterus so had to be discontinued. This places a higher risk on the baby. Jen is feeling absolutely terrible physically. She is unable to eat or drink properly, and the 4 boys they already have are a handful. She normally homeschools, and Micah works full time. Their world has turned inside out, and they are desperately in need of help and prayer.PLEASE PRAY!Despite my assignment to do partnership development (prayer and financial support raising for my upcoming ministry overseas) this fall from LBT, I have been given permission to ALSO help Micah and Jen. The situation is still being discussed, but I may live with them until December while I am doing traveling and speaking on weekends throughout Minnesota (Micah works full time during the week). This will make my schedule completely full, but I trust the Lord's provision. I don't know what all they need, but with 4 little redheaded boys, hospital runs, cooking, cleaning, possibly homeschooling/school runs, I'm sure I'll keep my weekdays full. On top of this, I have to speak on weekends and hopefully some weekdays at churches about LBT and Bible translation.AGAIN, Please pray for Micah and Jen, the baby, the boys, me, and this situation. Please email me at ruthlee86@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments. The Lord's blessings on you.

The Weekend

I only have 4 hours of weekend left! What happened? I feel like I'm always desperately trying to find more time in my day, but this weekend was fabulous. I went to Bemidji to visit a couple friends last night and drove back today after a relaxing afternoon at a coffee shop.

The Lord blessed me this weekend with Exodus 33: Moses and the Glory of God. This is a conversation that Moses and the LORD had just after He commanded Moses and the Israelites to leave Sinai.

Moses: See, you say to me, "Bring up this people," but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, "I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight." Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.

YHWH: My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

Moses: If you presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people from every other people on the face of the earth?

YHWH: This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.

Moses: Please show me your glory.

YHWH: I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name "YHWH." And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But, you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live. Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.

Wow! So Moses struggled with doubt and uncertainty to, huh? "Who will you send with me?" is Moses' question and the LORD's answer is "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Wow wow wow wow wow! This seems to be a 'why are you doubting me? take heart!' kind of statement. I needed this reminder and the LORD is gracious for giving it to me. Praise HIM! To God be the glory!

HAPPY 28th ANNIVERSARY DADDY & MOMMY!

Why is English becoming universal?

Take the 'gh' from 'cough'
add the 'o' from 'women'
add the 't' from 'nation'
add the silent 'ugh' from 'dough'
and you get GHOTUGH
reading FISH!

If you want to know why I love OTHER languages so much, this is one reason...

Recovering Sounds from Orthography
Brush up Your English

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others my stumble but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, bough and through.
Well done! An now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.

Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead -- it's said like bed, not bead.
For goodness' sake, don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat:
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.

A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's dose and rose and lose-
Just look them up -- and goose and choose,
and cork and work and card and ward,
and font and front and word and sword,
and do and go and thwart and cart.
Come, come, I've hardly made a start.

A dreadful language? Man alive,
I'd mastered it when I was five!

(T.S. Watt (1954) in The Guardian. Cited with permission in Taylor, Insup and M. Martin Taylor. 1983. The Psychology of Reading. New York: Academic Press. p. 99)

Back at SIL again

A little less than a year ago while at SIL, I created this blog. I began it with the following quote:


"Surrender is not the surrender of the external life, but of the will; when that is done, all is done. There are very few crises in life; the great crisis is the surrender of the will." -Oswald Chambers


I'm still working at this lifelong battle of surrender. I am back to updating, and I hope to let you know all about my happenings of the summer. :) I'm enjoying myself here at linguistic boot camp. It's very difficult though, and I have classes from 8-5 (with a couple breaks). All I do is study, play some volleyball, and have conversations full of words like bilabial fricatives, phonologically similar segments, cannibalism, etc. More to come. Homework is screaming my name... until next time...

All together again.

Here's the latest!!! We had such a wonderful Christmas full of love, joy, laughter, and surprises!