Download the Collins September 2017 Update with photos here.

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Lima, Peru. Nancy isn’t with me this trip. She and her sisters have been helping her mom, who just went through cancer surgery. She’s doing well. She starts 28 days of chemo on the 18th. She’s 89 and pretty spry.

I’m teaching a course called Discourse Analysis, which is a new course for us here at CILTA. In linguistics, discourse studies have to do with how to create and understand well formed arguments, stories, sermons, discussions, and any other conglomeration of words meant to communicate with others, be they listeners or readers—or even signers.

In Bible translation, this is complicated by the presence of at least three languages and their subsequent rules for good discourse. First there is our own language and the way we put things together in ordered fashion. Then there is the discourse structure of the original—either Greek or Hebrew. Then there is the “receiving culture,” those who receive and read the discourse. If you are interested in pursuing this, look at chapters 13 and 17 of Acts, where the Apostle Paul takes local culture and discourse and argument structure into consideration as he writes to two different audiences, Hebrew and Greek.

I have six students in my Discourse course and there are 11 more studying literacy skills and programs. We also have faculty and teaching assistants from throughout the Americas. It’s a nice international group.

Isaac and Elizabeth report that JoJo is doing well. Here she is at four months. The report is that she is a great baby. She apparently goes out of her way to make life easier for her parents. We visited them a few months ago.

She sleeps in in the morning, something I’ve never heard of before. She’s been doing that almost from the get-go.

All in all it has been a wonderful post-birth for the family and we’re grateful for God’s hand in the mix.

I wrote to my brothers, Fran and Miller, last week on the occasion of what would have been our mother’s 97th birthday. For those of you that knew her, she has left a legacy of faith, lovingkindness and art for the family. She was incredibly patient and is missed by all who knew her. Our two daughters both draw, and Isaac, too. And now we see that Jacob, the older twin (by 15 minutes), is also very skilled in art. So Mom’s legacy—and probably some of her genes—live on.

Class goes well. Since CILTA opened its doors in 2003 we’ve had over 200 students, the majority of whom are involved in cross-cultural ministry in different parts of the world. One of these students is Anita, here saying good-bye to her niece and nephew pending her leaving for Southeast Asia. She is from Venezuela, a country full of suffering and turmoil. When she was a little girl she was badly burned, but God has forged in her an incredible mind and a beautiful person.

Each of our students has a story and we are honored to get a peek into their lives as they study with us. Our prayer is that what they learn at CILTA will enable them to tell their story—and God’s story—in other languages and among other cultures around the world.

How God parlays difficulty into blessing is His signature style. It’s a privilege to be involved with so many students these many years.

For those of you who pray and give, thanks much. Pray also for our students and the people they will befriend and help in future ministry.

Blessings to each of you.

Wes, and for Nancy