Around our Thanksgiving table, it was encouraging to hear our boys share what they have been thankful for this year. They all mentioned the schools they’ve been attending, the friends they’ve made, and the sports teams they’ve been on. We told them that there have been many people praying for them in each of these things, so thank you for being a part of their lives through your prayers!

LUKE completed his soccer season and learned a lot from a skilled coach. He then tried out and made his school’s basketball team. He also tried out for the All-City and All-Region bands and made 1^st chair trumpet in the City band and 10^th chair in the Regional one. Having success in these things has given him a boost in this still “new” environment.

(Luke with the ball)

JOEY completed his club soccer season and just made his school’s varsity soccer team. All he really wanted to do on our furlough was play soccer, so it’s been encouraging to see how God has provided both opportunities and funds for him to do that.

(Joey’s club soccer team – the Texas Spurs. Joey is back row second from the left)

GRANT was able to come home from school and join us for Thanksgiving. It was so nice to see him again. It is good to see the ways he is maturing, and how God is helping him adjust and find some good friends at John Brown University.

I told everyone at Thanksgiving that I’m thankful that God has brought me through these past six months! Life was busy and stressful with end of the school year activities, packing up, traveling for two months, and getting settled here in the States. Although we’re “settled”, I am realizing that coming back to the U.S. after being gone for five years has its difficulties and challenges. I’m thankful that God is with me in the midst of it all.

JOHN has been busy at the translation desk, completing the check of a number of books for the Fataleka translation, taking time off every now and then to run to Starbucks with me or watch a movie :).

COMING UP:

We are entering a full but fun month of December, with a week-long visit from my wonderful in-laws, and then a lot  of other extended family coming at Christmas.

PRAYER:

• Thankful that John was able to finish his check of a number of books for the Fataleka NT
• Thankful for the boys’ good adjustment to life in the U.S.
• My foot is still not any better so I would appreciate your continued prayers
• That we would remember that God is with us and for us as we continue to live and serve here in America this year

A few years ago I consultant checked a number of books for the Kandawo New Testament project in Papua New Guinea. At the time I remember Mack Graham, the translation advisor, telling me that even though he had worked with the Kandawo people for nearly thirty years there had never been much interest in the translation. He wondered if there would even be any demand for a printed version of the New Testament. Then about a year ago, as they were nearing completion of the New Testament, Mack decided they would do audio recordings of the translation to see if people would be interested in those. Just last week we heard the following report:

Mack was talking to people about the audio recordings and one Kandawo woman told him:

“We were starving and we didn’t know it. Now this AudiBible satisfies our hunger and tastes sweet…You have to understand how very much this has completely changed me and my situation! This has changed everything for me.”

 

(The Kandawo woman and her mother)

The woman’s mother also shared her thoughts about the Audibible:

“Before I got the Audibible I felt like a pig that was tied to a stick. But now I feel like I’ve been freed. I’m only a rotted old woman and I was going to church every week and I always wondered during the Bible reading. We thought that it was some language from some far away people. But now this machine has brought it close to me. We were ignorant pigs and dogs, but now we are changed. I take it to bed with me and leave it playing on my chest while I fall asleep. I had no idea how Jesus died but I am amazed at Jesus. And this revelation makes me cry. It’s been revolutionary in my life!”

Given that people showed little interest in the translation for so many years, it is a great encouragement to hear how they are being impacted through hearing the Scriptures in their own language.

Speaking of audio recordings, we heard recently that the recording of over half the New Testament in the Bughotu language (the translation we completed in 2009) was just finished and will be available soon on both small audio players and SD cards for cell phones. It is great to know that the Bughotu people, especially those who don’t know how to read, will be able to access the Scriptures in this format.

(Edward Goha, our friend who helped with the Bughotu recording, holding an SD card)

It took us quite a while, but I think we are finally settled – AND THAT FEELS GOOD!

Joey and Luke have adjusted to their routines of school and homework. They are enjoying playing on their soccer teams and making new friends. Luke is also in band at his school and has been performing at football games. Although they would both rather be in Papua New Guinea, they are doing alright and we are thankful for that. Thank you for praying for them.

Joey and his friend, Jonas, an exchange student from Germany

Luke playing trumpet on the 3rd row, far left

Grant was able to come home for the weekend recently (along with Abssie, his PNG friend and roommate). We had fun catching up and thankfully they seem to be adjusting well to college life. Besides being busy with studies, Grant is on an ultimate frisbee club team and Abssie is playing rugby. Thank you for praying for their transition.

Abssie and Grant after watching Joey’s soccer game

After installing four ceiling fans and a garbage disposal in this house, John started to work on the Fataleka translation. He has checked Revelation, Philemon, and James and has a few more books to check before the end of November. On the side, he’s been running and playing golf and tennis.

John installing one of four fans – what a talented guy!

I am enjoying a little reprieve from some of the stresses of life overseas, like not having to make every meal from scratch. It’s such a nice break! I’m also spending a lot of time with my dear sister, catching up on on the years we’ve been apart.

the JOY of easy meals!

Beth and I enjoying lunch out together

PRAYER:

-We’re so thankful that God has helped us through another move and that so many people have been praying for us.

-I hurt my foot back in May while running. Please pray that it would heal completely so that I can get back to exercising. I really miss running.

-Pray that the boys would remember each day how much God loves them and that we would have wisdom as we parent them.

-Pray that John will be able to finish his checking for Fataleka by the end of November because that is when Jeffrey Iro, the Fataleka translator, will be back in Honiara to work.

Every September I normally make a trip to Solomon Islands to work with the Fataleka translation team. But because we were still getting settled here in Texas I decided not to make the trip this year. The Fataleka team still met together for two weeks, though, to read through and edit some of the books that Jeffrey Iro had drafted. My brother-in-law, Pat Andrews (who had gone to help another team), was able to give the Fataleka team some help as well. Pat also asked them to write reports on the impact of the trial edition of nine epistles that we had completed in March. It was encouraging to read their reports and here are a couple excerpts:

Saltathiel Ulufia (above): “I have read so many things that are becoming clear for the first time. Having read these books in the Fataleka language they were very clear and understandable and will be very useful to all our Fataleka speaking people.”

Joseph Gofi (above): “When I as a catechist prepare for Sunday services, I now turn to the Fataleka translation of the gospels and epistles when preparing my sermon for Sundays and some people even commented that my sermons have improved a lot and are clearer.”

Jeffrey Iro (above) has continued to translate and he has now drafted five books that are awaiting my attention. Now that we are settled here in TX, I have begun editing Revelation and I hope to catch up with Jeffrey by the end of this year. We are planning to print about 1,000 copies of a trial edition in early 2015 so that more of the Fataleka people will have a chance to read some translated books before the New Testament is completely finished. We would appreciate your prayers for good progress so that we can meet the deadline for getting this trial edition ready.

 

 

In these last 5 weeks in Arlington, in spite of the discomfort of adjusting and settling in, there have be some good things along the way.

The highlight for Joey and Luke has been their community soccer teams. They love playing. Food (ice cream, cereal, lunch meat, chips, to name a few) has also been high on their list.

John is also enjoying all the good food available here in America and getting back into running again (2 offsetting enjoyments!).

I (Brena) am loving bagels and cream cheese for breakfast (and the fact I don’t have to make them) and our comfortable house which is so close to stores, the library, and the freeway.

And we’ve all treasured the times we’ve had with 3 sets of family members that live nearby.

God is good to give us these simple things to bless us along the way.

We value and need your prayers. Transition is never fun, but thankfully it gets better over time. Thank you for being a part of our lives.

Joey as a Texas Spur

Luke plays on the Fusion team

Sorry, Folks. Pretty new to this web business. Hopefully this time it’ll work!

Anyways, here’s what’s been happening the last few months. Please pray for us as we continue to adjust to living in America this year. Thanks!

Bruner Sept2014

 

Hello, Friends. We have decided to open a website and do most of our correspondence with you this way. You can subscribe and get these posts through your email (please do!!) AND they will also show up in Facebook. Hope this is a good way of connecting with you.

We just arrived in Arlington, TX, after 2 months on the road visiting family and friends. Please pray for us as we continue to settle in and make this adjustment.