June 2014 Beans'talk

Download the June 2014 Beans'talk with photos here.

A visit with two pastors

Earlier this month two Quechua pastors came to visit from their villages. During the conversation, Mark asked about the “Proclaimers”— players distributed by Faith Comes by Hearing that have the recorded Quechua New Testament on them.

One man had received one and used it regularly as part of each service. The other pastor, Efraín, didn’t know what we were talking about. While we don’t have a Proclaimer, we do have the same recording on a flash drive along with a recording of the entire hymnbook in Quechua. So, Mark pulled one out and demonstrated it for him. It was an Ah-ha! moment for him. He told us this story:

May 2014 Beans'talk

Download the PDF of the May 2014 Beans'talk here.

Why was Paul in the basket?

This past workshop a funny example came up illustrating again differences between the Quechua spoken among the five groups we are translating for.

Quechua sometimes requires an explicitly stated reason or purpose. You can’t leave it unsaid. So, in Acts 9:25 when Paul is in a large basket and lowered down, the Quechua adds one word that means “in order to escape.”

April 2014 Beans' Talk

Download the April 2014 Beans' Talk here.

A new school year begins

March marks the beginning of a new school year here in Peru. The seasons come and go while we continue to check chapter after chapter in the process of finishing up these five Quechua Bibles.

Mark dedicated part of the month to working on a series of spelling and grammar books for Quechua speakers in all five language areas to learn how to write. It turns out that this is not a task for the timid! This is due not only to the variety in the Quechua, but also to two different schools of thought. 

Bean Family March 2014 Prayer Requests

Praise the Lord for the good progress made during this past workshop, where their goals were met for both the Old Testament and New Testament groups.

Pray for them as they have been asked to give a presentation on March 8th at the Wycliffe USA board meetings to be held in Lima, Peru. Pray that they can encourage and inspire the others in the work they do for Bible translation. They are looking forward to the weekend away.

Beans' Talk March 2014

Download the Beans'Talk March 2014 with photos here. 

This weekend we had planned to go to a church anniversary in a town off the beaten track, but we aren't so sure now. We just learned that a bridge on the way is washed out, and after walking across the river via a log or a plank, we probably wouldn't find any vehicles which would take us. It is rainy season, which means this could be a cold, wet, muddy trip.

Usually, when we find ourselves in adverse circumstances, we consider them an adventure. But when you know ahead of time that this sort of an adventure awaits, it is harder to get up and go. If people were expecting Mark to be there, we would at least try. But in this case, they aren't expecting us. Is this when you can say in English, "How about a rain check?"

Bean Family February 2014 Prayer Request

Download the February 2014 Beans'Talk with photos here.

We just returned yesterday from our annual conference/retreat with colleagues. That was a great break. Now, we're counting down to the next translation workshop which starts a week from today.

This Beans'talk features a new prayer card photo. We've attached the photo file as well in case you want to print out the real thing.

Thank you for praying with us and for us,

Mark & Patti Bean

The Bean Family January 2014 Prayer Requests

Praise God for those who help with their work.  The Seed Company pays the full-time salaries of the three men who work with them in Huanuco in translation.  This agency also provides a stipend and pays for travel, food and lodging for those who are part-time helpers.  They are also thankful for Larry and Sandy Rockwell with Mission to the World, as they provide lodging and meeting space for some of their workshops away from Huanuco

Praise the Lord with them for the strength and encouragement He gives each new day. Pray for the annual retreat with their colleagues that is scheduled for January 13 through 17. Pray for refreshment, renewal and mutual encouragement for all who attend.

Beans' Talk January 2014

Download the January 2014 Beans' Talk with photos here.

Two gifts to mention

The work we do couldn’t be done without outside support. Some of you have financially supported us for years. But, what about the ten men working with us who represent the five Quechua languages we’re translating for? Who covers their expenses?

#1 - The Seed Company picks up the tab. They cover the full-time salary of the three men who’ve worked with us every day in Huanuco as well as a stipend for those who help in translation part time. The Seed Company also covers other expenses the guys incur, like their transportation to and from workshops, food consumed during workshops, and lodging when we have to pay for it. The Seed Company gets all their funds from the donations of generous people. We haven’t publicly (in a Beans’talk) thanked The Seed Company for a long time. Thank you, Seed Company!

Bean's Talk December 2013

Download the December 2013 Beans' Talk here.

More traveling adventures

When we ask for prayer for traveling mercies, we really mean it. “Traveling adventures” could be a subtitle to our lives. I wish we’d had our camera handy traveling to this work-shop. What would we show you?

Photo #1: a long line of cars paralyzed at a dead stop on the narrow mountain road.

Photo #2: the two of us pulling very heavy suitcases full of equipment and books, gingerly walking a narrow strip between a steep drop-off on one side and freshly poured asphalt on the other (the reason for the closed road.) After a good half hour’s work, someone rescued us when we reached part of the road that didn’t have asphalt poured yet.

Bean's Talk November 2013

Download the PDF of the November 2013 Beans Talk with photos here.

Everyday translation problems

Every day Mark tells me about interesting and seemingly unsolvable translation problems. One morning I realized I should plan ahead and start a Beans’talk, so I asked him what he was working on. Answer: revising 2 Corinthians chapter 9.

In that chapter Paul encourages the believers to be generous in their collection for Christians in Jerusalem. He concludes in verse 15 by giving thank to God for his gift to us:

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!