Download The Beans'talk January/February 2022 with photos

An unexpected Christmas season

We’ve had an unusual holiday season! A friend from Peru arrived the week before Christmas, and unknowingly brought Covid with her. Then, Christmas Eve, the residence where Mom Bean lives called to say that she had tested positive. They asked us to collect her and bring her home for ten days. I felt like I was running a clinic, caring for three patients since Mark soon came down with Covid, too.

Hurray for the body of Christ! Friends in our community group were a huge help. We enjoyed the meals they dropped off, groceries, games and even a baby monitor to care for mom. Most encouraging was their checking in on us each day to see how we were doing. God graciously kept me healthy until it was time for mom to go back to her residence. Then I crashed for three days.

Lots of training coming up

In addition to his regular work, Mark is preparing for three different opportunities to teach.

1 Peruvian Bible Society webinar

The Peruvian Bible Society hosts webinars somewhat regularly. February 4th Mark will teach one aimed for Spanish-speaking pastors and church leaders. He will talk about how all translations make adjustments to fit the target language. He’ll illustrate by showing how their favorite Spanish version of the Bible made the same sorts of translation adjustments that had to be made in the Quechua translations.

2 Training future consultants

February 21–25, there will be a week-long online training for Latino translation consultants-in-training. Mark will have all Tuesday morning to talk about the breadth of evangelical positions on a few doctrinal issues. This is important for consultants to know so that a translation team doesn’t unwittingly skew verses to support just one view.

3 Getting the Bibles out!

Early March, Quechua partners in Peru will host a one-day training to encourage and equip colporteurs. These are men and women who would help get Quechua Bibles, hymnbooks, and Bible studies out to big and little towns and villages around the mountains. Mark has prepared a booklet with a matching smartphone app for encouraging at home reading groups. He’ll be giving presentations remotely to the group when they meet.

Explore Wycliffe Live

Wycliffe regularly hosts an hour-long online event designed for interested people to hear from Wycliffe missionaries and ask questions. It’s called Explore Wycliffe Live. We’ve been asked to be the missionaries in the hot seat, answering questions from the host as well as from the audience. We’re scheduled for the evening of March 8th. Since your next Beans’Talk won’t come out until the week after that, we’re letting you know now so you can pray for that, too. We need to be on our toes that evening and sensitive to how God would have us answer.

It’s that time again

Last August Mark’s oncologist said it was time for another lymphoma treatment—a regimen of chemo for four to six months. But it’s been postponed a couple of times: first due to shingles, then due to the high incidence of Covid in our area. Mark sees his doctor again in a week. Because Mark is still getting over Covid himself, it’s possible that the treatment will end up being postponed again. Or maybe not. Pray with us that the timing will be best for all that is going on.

Praise and Prayer Requests

* Praise for being able to provide a place for our Peruvian friend to isolate and recover from Covid. Praise for the body of Christ providing practical help and encouragement.

* Praise for the ministries of the Peruvian Bible Society, SIL translation consultants and Peruvian organizations all working to help train more people to use and understand God’s word. Praise for the opportunities to come alongside. Pray that Mark’s teaching will be clear, helpful and encouraging.

* Praise, too, for the opportunity to encourage and answer questions for those looking into a possible future with Wycliffe. Pray that the Spirit of God speaks to and encourages others through us.

* Pray for God’s perfect timing for Mark’s next lymphoma treatment. It has now been four and a half years since his last one. We’re thankful for the good health he enjoys.

We thank God for the privilege of serving him and for his goodness to us!

Mark & Patti Bean