Download the September 2017 Beans'talk with photos here. 

That’s a STACK of pages!

This is a copy of one Quechua Bible. It weighs in at 1,984 pages, which is actually less pages than my English Bible. It’s probably what your Bible would look like, too, if you were to print it out yourself with regular paper. It looks pretty daunting, don’t you think? Four of the six Bibles have their preliminary layout done and the other two are in process.

Moving down the checklist

Once we have the inital layout in hand, the next step is for them to be "proofed" and signed off by a native speaker. If the above stack of pages looks daunting to us, we imagine that it will also be daunting to our Quechua co-workers. Be in prayer for each of them as they tackle this important job.

Where to read for hours on end?

Without a quiet private spot to work, where does one sit down to read? For the mothertongue translators there are just too many interruptions and contingencies at home. In February, the men told us that even if they had a quiet spot they thought that trying to keep up their concentration for so long would be difficult. They’d like to work together to keep each other awake and on task.

Logistics

In the department/state of Huanuco, Walter and Shatu represent two of the Bibles. They each have a home or place to stay in the city and and there is an office they can go to to work. Internet is available there in order for them to check in with Mark with their observations. They plan to encourage each other. For the other four Bibles, the guys are way more spread out. Only one of them has access to an office and Internet.

Back to Peru

So, mid-September we’re headed back to Peru for three weeks to help some of the men get started working on their proofs. While they are reading on their own, Mark will also continue reading through his stack of pages. We imagine that towards the end of each day, the men will tell of any problems they have found in order for Mark to record them. After these three weeks we'll have a better idea of how long it may take to finish going through the proofs for the entire Bible.

Praises and Prayer Requests

* Praise - In anticipation of moving to our own house the first of September, friends gave us a housewarming shower. In addition to obvious practical gifts, people offered furniture that they no longer need. It has been such a beautiful example of the body of Christ working together. We’ve been the most blessed recipients of their kindness. (Check out our new address below!)

* Praise that just this past week Mark finished working with speakers that were still tweaking their Bible. He’s turned over all the files to Kathy, the layout specialist. Pray for Kathy to be able to prepare the last two sets of proofs by the time we get to Peru.

* Pray for the Quechua team to be energized at the prospect of proofreading their respective Bibles. Pray that they get off to a good start and are encouraged personally as they read through God’s Word.

* Praise that Mark completed the treatment series for his lymphoma without any more serious complications. He’s having a tough time fighting an ear infection with his defensse system down. A follow-up appointment September 8th will let us know how successful the treatment was.

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There’s so much to be thankful for!

We thank God for you, too.

Mark and Patti Bean