The Bean Family
Recent Blogposts
-
Beans'Talk May 2019
Tears of joy
Our Quechua colleagues are doing a lot of leg work getting ready for the arrival of the Bibles being printed right now. They take public transportation out to different towns and villages to talk to local pastors and congregations. Then they invite the pastors to a meeting to plan as a group for the dedication of their Bible this summer.
Wilmer wrote that when he spoke in the church at Yanas, at first an older woman, and then the pastor, broke out in tears—crying with joy at the news that the Bible was finally in their own language! Wilmer wrote that their emotion caused him to tear up, too.
-
Beans'Talk April 2019
Download the April Beans'Talk in a printable form here.
Jesus spoke about shepherds saying “The sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” Then he added: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep and they know me.” John 10:3b,14 (NLT)
Good shepherds
Quechua speakers can relate to the verses above. They shepherd their sheep daily. What is different is that instead of leading their sheep as described in the Gospel of John, Quechua speakers drive them from behind as seen in the photo.
But many practices are the same. They watch over and care for their sheep. They even give their sheep names. They say their sheep only respond to the voice of their shepherd. They ignore anyone else calling their name. So, when we translated John 10 (see above), they said, “That’s how it is for us, too!” Oh, don’t you wish we could be so attuned to our Good Shepherd’s voice that we would pay attention only to him!
Answers to your prayers
Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! Psalm 27:7 (NLT)
That’s exactly what he’s done! Here are just a few examples of his recent mercy in answering your prayers. First of all, we asked you to pray for different churches to come up with dedication dates. We now have some dates!
-
Beans'Talk March 2019
Download the March Beans'talk with photos here!
Desire for the Word
Above is a picture of Hermenegildo (pronounced like air-many-HILL-doe). Every few months he would walk several miles to our house and ask if we had finished the Bible yet. Year after year we always had to say, “not yet.” To keep him encouraged, we would print out a copy of the latest book we had been working on. Here he is reading some fresh-from-the-printer Scripture.
Psalm 1 talks about the man who “delights in the law of the Lord.” Hermenegildo is one of them.
Hurray! Bibles are off to the printers!
On January 31st we learned that the first three Quechua Bibles had finally been sent to South Korea where they are in the process of being printed. Two Bibles are for Quechua speakers in part of the “state” of Huanuco and the third is for Quechua speakers in part of the “state” of Ancash. Like last month’s announcement that all the funds have made it in, this is another big deal. Meanwhile, the other Bibles are still in process.
One dedication date set!
Our Quechua partners in Ancash are going full steam ahead planning for the arrival of the Huaylas Quechua Bible. They’ve set August 10th as the day to celebrate and dedicate their new Bible. Pray for them as they visit villages, talk to pastors, speak in churches, spread the word by radio, and put up posters to let people know what’s happening. They not only want people to save the date, come to the dedication, and be prepared to purchase a Bible, but they are also coordinating who will do what to make the celebration happen.
-
Beans'Talk February 2019
Download the February 2019 Beans'Talk with photos here.
SHOUT from the mountaintops!
God has done in it! Though YOU—many, many, many of you—he has provided all the funding needed to print these Bibles.
Teamwork in action
This has truly been an example of teamwork; the body of Christ working together.
*Our personal partners outdid themselves, quite a few giving multiple times. THANK YOU!
*Numerous Wycliffe colleagues also gave. THANK YOU!
*Some of them let their partners know of the need. Funds came in from all parts of the country, and outside of the country as well. THANK YOU!
*The maintenance crew employed at Wycliffe’s headquarters in Orlando has been praying for this need and also gave to help. THANK YOU!
*Family members helped and also raised awareness of the need, bringing others in. THANK YOU!
*Churches literally from coast to coast (California to Florida and many places in between) took up special offerings to help publish these Bibles. THANK YOU!
*There were a number of anonymous gifts given by whoever you are. THANK YOU!
-
Beans'Talk January 2019
Babies
Who doesn’t love interacting with a baby? Our youngest grandson is in the area over Christmas and he brings smiles to all faces. Babies are so non-threatening. It reminds us of our first year living in a Quechua village. We were scary, but baby Emily was an attention grabber. People weren’t afraid of the helpless little blond baby.
Not scary
(thanks to Phillip Yancey in Meet the Bible, p. 405) Ever noticed in the Bible how often an angel has to start by saying “Don’t be afraid”? It is a scary thing to meet the supernatural face to face.
So, what did God do when he came to earth? He appeared in the least threatening way possible. What could be less scary than a baby? A newborn baby, at that.
-
Beans'Talk December 2018
Download the December 2019 Beans'Talk with photos.
Looking back
Our road trip came to an end yesterday. How good to finally reconnect with partners in Wisconsin and Illinois. It had been too long!
While on the road I needed to look back through some old reports. In doing so, I found some early reactions to the Old Testament from the Quechua translators themselves. Here are two views of God—both true.
A God who judges
Wilmer commented early on that he had always wondered why God seemed so quick to judge people in the Old Testament. But while translating, he understood that God held people accountable for their choices and actions. Judgment was due to people’s own rebellion, not God’s whim.
His observation touches on a Quechua cultural presupposition that God surely wouldn’t judge an individual for his actions because, after all, the person is just living the way God made him. Wilmer realized more sharply that indeed God does hold people responsible.
-
Missions Night Audio Now Online!
Would you like to know more about Mark & Patti Bean and their ministry in Peru with Wycliffe Bible Translators?
Mark & Patti's presentation given at the Missions Night Dinner on October 26 at Parkside Church is now available!
-
Beans'talk November 2018
Download the November 2018 Beans'talk with photos.
Fresh bread
There are not many things that smell as good as freshly baked bread. One of the treats of living in a Peruvian town is hot, fresh bread twice a day. The picture above is at the baker’s just a block from where we held translation workshops in Huaraz. We would stand right where this shot was taken and either get fresh bread from the table where it is placed after taking it from the oven or wait for the next batch to come out. Talk about fresh!
A treat in the village
In contrast to town, for those who live out in a village, fresh bread is a special treat. It is something that appears just for festive occasions—like for the anniversary of the village. Another occasion for bread is All Saints’ Day on November 1st when families prepare a special meal for the deceased. Often there is just one lone, large mud oven in a village that is heated with firewood to make bread for everyone. In Quechua, the bread in the village is called “thrown bread” because of the way a handful of dough is thrown onto a metal sheet that’s been hammered flat from a large, empty tin of oil. They place the metal sheets with the lumps of dough in the oven and out comes warm, chewy, wholesome bread. Mmm! We miss that bread!
-
Event
Missions Night Dinner with Mark & Patti Bean
Location: The Venue at Parkside Church
Start Time: Fri 26, Oct. 2018, 9:30 p.m.
End Time: Fri 19, Oct. 2018, 11:30 p.m.
Join us on October 26 at 6:30 pm for dinner, followed by a presentation from Parkside missionaries, Mark & Patti Bean. Mark and Patti serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators and are in the process of having six Bibles printed in Quechua dialects of central Peru.
Cost is $10.00 per person. Register online below or pick up a registration form from any info center. A registration table will also be outside the Venue on Sunday morning, Oct. 21.
-
Beans'talk October 2018
Download the October 2018 Beans'Talk with photos here.
Spelling bees, anyone?
The Quechua Bibles that are waiting to be printed use a slightly different spelling system than the previously published New Testaments. So, our Quechua co-workers have made it a point to get out and help prepare people by organizing reading and writing practice. A number of churches in the Huánuco area have hosted series of classes. Men and women, young and old, on white boards, blackboards and pieces of paper practice away. Everywhere the big question is: When will our Bibles arrive?
What an example!
In another part of the mountains, Quechua co-workers challenged a group of pastors to pray for God to provide the funds needed to publish their Quechua Bible. The next day pastor Mauricio and his wife gave a donation of $300. To put this in context, this is roughly equivalent to a month’s pay for someone who earns a regular salary, which pastor Mauricio does not. Instead, he and his wife had frugally saved up from their sales of extra farm produce. We aren’t the only ones re-telling Mauricio’s story. You may have already heard it. It gives a clue to how much it means to our Quechua friends that they have a complete copy of God's Word!