Crazy Year

2020 may have been a crazy year, but the work among the Loron people continues to move ahead!

We had a wonderful time among the Loron in our Ivory Coast village from January to March of this year. We are so thankful for the things we were able to accomplish during that visit which, unknown to us at the time, helped prepare for the rest of the year, when we could not be there in person.

Despite the problems with Covid, a violently disputed presidential election, and the growing threat of Islamic terrorism in Ivory Coast, we thank the Lord that the work among the Loron people is growing and maturing.

Here’s a brief summary of some of the main events…

Bible Translation The books of Galatians and Ephesians in the Loron language were completed in March, and copies were printed and distributed among the believers. Lord willing, the Bible translation team will travel to Burkina Faso in January, 2021 to do the final check on 2 Corinthians with a Bible translation consultant.

Evangelism Loron evangelists and Bible teachers continue to be engaged in Gospel outreach to unreached areas. Pray especially for the village of Keero where the people are from the Lobi ethnic group, so the message has to be translated into their language.

Literacy During our time in the village earlier on in the year, Marina had another training week with a large group of literacy teachers. They returned to their villages with new or updated teaching courses, and several newly-made blackboards.

Please pray for literacy classes as they continue in 18 locations throughout the region. Marina is developing new books and teaching materials for the literacy course while we are here in NI.

Loron Church Leadership In September, two of our African missionary colleagues travelled many miles to our village to give a group of Loron church leaders some Bible and missionary training. We are so thankful for their involvement and interest in the growth and welfare of the Loron church. We keep in regular contact with the Loron believers by phone, emails, and, with some, by Facebook!

Bible commentaries in the Loron language During our time in Northern Ireland, I have been working on writing commentaries in the Loron language for the books of Galatians and Ephesians. The one for Ephesians has already been printed, and we’re hoping to complete the one on Galatians sometime early in the New Year.

Security We are currently unable to return to our village in Ivory Coast because of the growing threat of violent attacks and kidnapping of foreign citizens by Islamic terrorists. The British and French embassies have placed our village in their Red Zones, and the Ivorian authorities have put the region under military control.

God’s faithfulness Despite the obstacles of a rampant pandemic, political instability, and the threat from extreme jihadists, the Lord’s work continues to go forward in Ivory Coast. Christ is building His church, and nothing is ever going to stop it.