Download the December 2017 Beans'talk with photos here.

Every year there are SO many things to be thankful for. This year is no exception. Here are some highlights along with a brand new praise.

Guidance and provision

We thank God for his leading us to establish our home base here in Ohio near Mom Bean. He confirmed that to us in many ways including positive feedback from many of you. Shortly after, another confirmation was learning that Mark needs to be close to medical care.

We thank God for a home of our own with a garage, a big deal in ice & snow country. Daily we pinch ourselves, marveling at how God provided and how he used so many of his people to fill our home with all we need and more to make it liveable.

Family

We thank God for Jessica, the newest Mrs. Bean. We thank God that all of our four children now have godly spouses to journey through this adventure called life.

We thank God that all of our children and grandchildren were together for Eric and Jessica's wedding the end of July. We’ll get to see most of them again in early December.

Progress on the translation front

We thank God for the Quechua men who continue to labor with us in translation as well as those who work to prepare Quechua speakers for the arrival of the whole Bible. We thank God for the preparation of the first set of proofs for each of the six Bibles by our colleague in Michigan.

We thank God that we’ve been able to travel to Peru to work with the team as well as meet them via Internet. Currently we are working our way through the proofs. After breakfast Mark says: I’m off to Huaraz. See you later! and then he heads down to the basement. When he’s finished with them (or their Internet cuts out) he comes up for a quick break and then says: Okay, I’m off to Huanuco, now.

Better health

We thank God that the cancer treatment (for follicular lymphoma) over the summer had positive results. Mark just had a follow-up PET scan this month and, except for one arm, the lesions in his bones have resolved. The enlarged lymph nodes have returned to regular size.

YouTube second

Keep your eyes opened! Don't blink! You have to watch carefully to catch Mark in Wycliffe’s two-and-a-half minute video The Great Message. The last person shown in the video is Juan Julio, at work with us on the North Conchucos Quechua translation. To find the You- Tube video online, type: The Great Message: Wycliffe Bible Translators. It was made last year for the 75th anniversary of Wycliffe.

Praises and Prayer Requests

* Praise God for the steady progress the Quechua team members have made in working their way through the proofs of their respective Bibles. There are six different Bibles in process. Four of the Bibles have 46% checked and two of them have 42% checked. Pray for the men involved as they take December off to attend to family, field work, the end of school year, church work, etc.

* Praise God that Quechua partners are promoting literacy in churches. Pray for God's word to take root in the hearts and lives of Quechua speakers. May they be better prepared to read the Bible when it comes out in their language.

* Praise God for the opportunity to begin to meet new neighbors as we are here in Ohio. Pray that we might be salt and light in our neighborhood and our home a place of encouragement for others.

We thank God for you, too!

Mark & Patti