CHANGE IN THE AIR!

There’s something we want to share with you…

We’re standing on the brink of a new phase in our lives and ministry. When you read what follows, you may understand why communications from us have been a little sparse in recent months. It’s only now that we’ve felt the time is ripe to share this.

Since 2000 I have been typesetting Scripture at our UK headquarters, mainly for West African and some East African languages. But the work of Wycliffe in Africa is changing. In the light of Vision 2025, Wycliffe has been focusing on assisting national Wycliffe organisations to develop themselves. More work is being done by Africans. There are now eleven Wycliffe member organisations on the African continent.

Steve typesetting in Nairobi (2006)

This means that the structure of Wycliffe in Africa is changing and expanding, and new roles and structures are being created to deal with fresh challenges. There is an increasing need for experienced people to take on co-ordinating and supporting roles. One such role currently being planned is to co-ordinate typesetting and publishing across sub-Saharan Africa (including reading materials, Scripture, academic articles, funding, training, etc.).

The Cameroon typesetting team, whom Steve helped train in 2008

I was approached in December by Alan Conner, head of our international publishing department, with a view to taking up such a position later this year or early next. My response was that I would be delighted to have the opportunity; it would be an extension of the occasional work I have already been doing along these lines (see pictures).

All of this is still in the planning stage, and it may be several more months before an actual job description has rolled off the press. When everything has been worked out we expect an official invitation to return to Africa and take up this new role.

The Johannesburg skyline

Yes, you read that correctly: Africa, here we come! We’ll need to live in or near a major city with an international airport and reasonable internet access. We’ve been thinking of Johannesburg, South Africa, for various reasons: such as the fact that Steve is still a South African citizen; and that Jen and Warren are likely to be based there.

We are very excited about this prospect. We’d be grateful for your prayers that God will work out the details. This move raises all sorts of questions, such as Johanna’s future role, selling or letting our house in Thame, and many others. There’ll be more to come on these matters—watch this space! Sometimes our minds boggle when we try and grasp it all, but we do have a sense that this is His new direction for us.

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