March-April 2025 Beans'Talk

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We wrote the previous Beans’Talk from Peru where Mark was involved in a translation workshop. The subsequent workshop is taking place right now and Mark “attends” from his computer in Ohio.

On the big screen

The Oscars came and went. We don’t follow them. But here’s Mark’s version of being on the big screen. This is what he looks like for those who are in Peru. Being on a screen (actually, just a wall) is not the same as being there in person, but at least it’s something. The new equipment is making it much easier to participate from a distance.

The pot is having trouble

It was day one of the workshop and time to start. Mark checked in with the team of men in Peru, eager to see how the new equipment would work. Unlike many of their latino-countrymen, Quechua speakers often start meetings, even church services, ahead of time. But, here they were all still sitting around the breakfast table laughing and having a great time. It turns out they were still waiting for their breakfast: a hearty soup and piles of potatoes. The holdup? “The pot is having trouble coming to a boil!” What a nice way to avoid embarassing anyone, or casting blame!

Rather than feel stressed about the delay, our friends were enjoying catching up with each other. A late breakfast was the pot’s problem, not theirs. We’re glad they are getting along and forming a team. Subsequent mornings they started on time or early.

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Mark & Patti March 2025 Prayer Requests

March 3 through the 22nd Mark will be working with the group representing 4 related Quechua languages. They hope to adapt Genesis 22 through 32 with God's help. This time, Mark will be in Ohio while they gather in Huanuco, Peru.

We took equipment down in January to help facilitate working from a distance. Pray that the technology all works to keep both sides clearly communicating with each other. Pray for each of the men involved to grow in their ability to read (and write) their own language. This is a first for most of them, and so important!

January-February 2025 Beans'Talk

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The Lord is going to what?

It was sort of a last minute decision to leave for Peru on January 2nd. On the way, my phone dinged with a message: Tomorrow the Lord will come to install the shower …

This was just one of the humorous results that an automatic translator produced. If you know Spanish, you can understand where this one came from (“el señor” can mean “the Lord” or just “the man”).

We enjoy funny translation examples, but we sure don’t want to find any in the work we do!

Back in Peru

The new translation project is meeting together for the second time. Mark will usually work with them virtually from Ohio, but we came in person this time to meet them and to be known. Plus, Mark wants to iron out some technical glitches that will make long-distance consulting easier.

A new place to stay

We’re staying in a little Airbnb just down the hill from where the translation workshop is being held in JAWCA’s office (our Quechua partners). This location is very convenient. The tricky part isn’t walking uphill, though some days the mud is pretty slippery. The real trick is trying to safely cross a major road with no stop light or designated crosswalks.

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Mark & Patti January 2025 Prayer Requests

Pray: January 6 through 25th representatives from four related Quechua languages will meet for the second time. They hope, with lots of help from Mark, to adapt Genesis chapters 3-21 together. They will also be coming back (hopefully) with feedback from the first two chapters of Genesis that they took back to their respective villages.

This time, Mark will be there in person to work with them and Patti will accompany him. Mark will take down equipment to help resolve some technical issues that made communicating from Ohio difficult the first time. Pray especially for protection for Mark's body from colds, gut issues, or worse since his body still doesn't have the resources to defend itself well. Pray for Mark as he continues to work out the differences between the languages and figures out rules to input into the computer program so that better drafts can be made. les to input into the computer program so that better drafts can be made.

Praise: Our grandson Jeremiah has been declared cancer free from mixed-phenotype acute leukemia. He still deals with graft vs host disease after his transplant last year, and his immune system is still quite compromised. But, we're happy to share that things are looking up!

November-December 2024 Beans'Talk

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The opposite of slowing down

For several years now, there have been conversations about starting another Bible translation project for four Quechua languages in the central Peruvian Andes. It would include two languages with New Testaments and two others that don’t have any Scripture at all.

Nothing appeared to come of these conversations. The deadline had passed for new projects to start this fiscal year, so we thought that once again nothing was going to happen.

Then, the first week of November word came that indeed a project had been approved for these four Quechua languages. In fact, they will begin working together November 18th.

Two of our Quechua colleagues who worked with Mark to translate Bibles into their own Quechua will lead and administer this project. Mark, working from the States, will have a key role to play.

What’s involved?

Although this is wonderful news, it is a huge undertaking, with the goal of finishing four complete Bibles in twelve years. Mark will use computer programs to generate rough drafts for each team. To do this, he must learn the intricacies that distinguish each of these Quechua languages from one other. Then he must write rules so the computer will know how to adapt from the source text* to each target text. That’s a time-consuming process that will be refined chapter by chapter as he sees the changes that each team makes. In addition, he will make a detailed check of the participants’ work to ensure that their final product is a faithful translation. [*Note: The source text will be one of the Quechua Bibles that Mark and the team finished in 2019.]

Mark recently checked and approved the last NT book for the Sihuas Quechua team. They are now preparing the NT for publication. So, that’s off his plate.

He continues to be in the thick of daily checking OT books for the Panao Quechua team. Keeping up with them keeps him busy. They plan to finish their translation work in 2032. Now, adding this new project, Mark will have his work cut out for him for many years to come!

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Mark & Patti November 2024 Prayer Requests

* There may soon be funding to start an Old Testament translation project for four additional Quechuan languages. Pray for Mark as he sets up computer paths with dictionaries and rules to adapt from the published Old Testament to the languages in this new project. This is a lot of work! His colleagues in Peru, who will be administering the project, would like him to have some materials ready for their first workshop, which may happen this month.

* Praise God for his mercies, especially in relation to their daughter’s improving health situation. Patti was able to spend five weeks with Emily and her family babysitting and doing the myriad chores that keep a home running. While Emily still can’t lift baby Addie, she is able to move about and do much more than before. With the intermittent help of church friends, she and Blake trust that they will be able to continue forward.

Thank you for your continued prayers!
Mark & Patti

Mark & Patti October 2024 Prayer Requests

* Mark will be checking the books of 1 & 2 Timothy and Philemon for the Sihuas Quechua team. These are their last three books to complete for the New Testament. He will also be working on the book of Joshua for the Panao Quechua team.

* Patti hopes to be back in Ohio sometime after the middle of the month. She’s helping daughter Emily and family in Australia. Pray that friends from church will continue to support the family when Patti leaves.

Mark & Patti September-October 2024 Beans'talk

Download a printable version of the September-October 2024 Beans'Talk with photos: Microsoft Word - Beans'talk 09-10 2024 .docx (parksidechurch.com)

Mission accomplished

Thanks for praying! Our trip to Peru last month went well. Diana and Eliset, two translation-consultants-in-training from Venezuela, got lots of practice as they checked the books of Numbers, Deuteronomy and Ruth. Mark oversaw the checking process and all our goals were met.

The church matures

Both Sundays in Peru Mark spoke at Spanish missions conferences in the city; one for a group of churches on one side of the river and the other for a similar group on the other side of the river. We were so impressed with the excitement about missions, the preparation put into skits and the presentations about needs in the world.

From Peru to the world

Most striking each Sunday was the emphasis on other nations needing the gospel, particularly the need for God’s word in the language that people speak. People beamed with pride when a video clip was shown from a young couple that their denomination supports in Indonesia. The wife is from the “state” of Huanuco!

All those shown below are taking classes about missions. Most won’t ever travel far, but they want to be prepared to reach out to others and join the task. There is still a lot of need to teach the Bible out in Quechua speaking areas.

Already traveling again

After 7 weeks in the hospital and rehab with a broken back, our daughter Emily made it home to her family. While she is pleased with the progress she’s making, she’s limited in what she can do to care for her family.

The other grandma has been on hand to help for a long time. Now, it’s my turn to help. I’m writing this before taking off for Australia, but I should be there by the time you read this. Depending on a number of circumstances, Mark may or may not be joining me after a few weeks. Thankfully his work is totally portable.

Praise and Prayer Requests

• Praise for the great translation progress while in Peru.

• Praise for Emily’s good attitude in the face of limitations.

• Praise that grandson Jeremiah, who missed over a year of school due to leukemia, just began attending school in person once a week.

• Little Adeline is in the blue hat in the photo above. Her August check showed slight deterioration in the function of her only kidney. More tests are scheduled for November.

• Continue to pray for Emily, Jeremiah and Adeline’s health.

• Pray for energy, health and patience as I help care for Emily and her family. Pray for wisdom about Mark joining me in Australia or not.

Thank you for your partnership with us. Our adventures continue and God faithfully sees us through each day.

Mark & Patti

Mark & Patti September 2024 Prayer Requests

*Early the second week of September Patti hopes to catch a flight to Australia to help daughter Emily's family. Emily continues to recover from multiple fractures of her spine. In addition to praying for Emily's continued recovery, pray for Patti to have extra energy, strength, patience and love as she cares for two preschoolers, a baby, the home and meals.

*The third week of September Mark's regular checking work will be set aside as he participates in another on-line training for new translation consultants from Latin American countries. He will continue working from Ohio for that. Then, by the end of the month, he'll decide whether or not to travel to Australia and work from there.

Mark & Patti July-August 2024 Beans'talk

Download a printable copy of the August 2024 Beans'Talk.

A language tidbit

One interesting feature about the Quechua language family is how efficiently it uses its word roots. Instead of coming up with new words for different verbs, one often adds suffixes to create new words. Take the suffix -tsi for example, which means to cause or to allow (or -chi or -si in neighboring varieties.) So, if you have the verb root wanu- (to die), what do you think wanutsi means? English needs another verb: to kill.

Your turn to figure some out!

So, let’s say you’re learning a Quechua language. How would you translate the following verbs once the -tsi suffix is added to them? (See answers on page 2.)

Root     Meaning                 Add -tsi     New meaning

yacha-  to learn                  yachatsi

rika-     to see                    rikatsi

tantiya- to understand         tantiyatsi

reqi-     to know (someone)  reqitsi

kawa-   to live                     kawatsi

punu-   to sleep                   punutsi

puri-     to walk                    puritsi

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