Collins Family January 2019 Prayer Requests

1. After a challenging year, eleven CILTA students graduated from their linguistic classes and are geared up to commence or continue cross-cultural ministry as Bible translators and literacy workers. We had a delightful graduation ceremony with University officials faculty, local pastors, mission partners and students from seven nations. Pray that our now “former students” would get off on the right foot with learning new languages and cultures.

2. Wes will be in rural Peru for most of February helping to train 14 indigenous church leaders in linguistic skills for Bible translation. The course is faintly similar to CILTA, but CILTA is aimed at Latino missionaries working cross-culturally, whereas the February program is aimed at native language translators translating the Scriptures into their own mother tongues. Pray for effective preparation time for Wes and his teaching assistant, as well as for the students.

Collins Family November 2018 Prayer Requests

Wes will be in Peru mid-November to mid-December to teach an intensive linguistics course at CILTA, a linguistics missionary training program aimed at equipping native Spanish speakers for cross cultural ministry. He will be teaching at the tail end of the school year. Pray for students to finish well.

Collins Family October 2018 Prayer Requests

Greetings from North Carolina.

Here are a few prayer requests:

1. Wes is finishing up work on a linguistics booklet for his CILTA classes that begin in early November. Pray that it is helpful to students, both now and into the future.

2. Pray for Mam Old Testament translation, led by Francisco and Byron. Progress has been good and the Word gets out in books, printed and preached Scripture and on the radio. May it prosper in people’s lives as well.

Collins Family May 2018 Prayer Requests

1. CILTA student in Lima, Peru are finishing their first quarter of courses aimed at giving them training for linguistic and cultural aspects of cross-cultural ministry. Pray that the training will be helpful and encouraging. Classes will run until mid-December. Pray for their motivation and that God would bless their studies.

2. Our indigenous colleague, Byron, continues to promote Mam Scripture, literacy classes and Christian radio programs and commentary throughout the Mam speaking regions of Guatemala. Pray that God would protect him from opposition and discouragement. He is a dear brother and tireless worker.

Collins Family April 2018 Update

Dear and good friends,

Greetings from Lima, Peru. Happiest Easter to you all. He is risen.

I’m teaching a course in Phonology here at CILTA. Nancy isn’t with me this trip.

Just to catch you up a bit. I have eight students and a teaching assistant from Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico, from south to north.

Collins Family April 2018 Prayer Requests

1. Pray for CILTA’s class of 8 native Spanish-speaking missionary candidates, training in linguistics for effective cross-cultural ministry. Pray for Wes as he teaches a course in Phonology, the study and comparison of language systems around the world. Also pray for a great relationship with his students and for friendship and discipleship that go beyond the classroom.

2. Pray that our students maintain healthy relationships among each other. The training is pretty intense, and there are stressful issues related to studies, finances, future ministry and other unknowns. Students really appreciate your prayers.

Thanks,

Wes

Collins Family March 2018 Prayer Requests

1. CILTA powers up on March 19 with students and staff from eight countries. Wes is teaching Phonology, a course needed in order to help develop alphabets for languages not yet written. Pray that the students adapt well to life in Lima for the next 9 months. They will be among new acquaintances, new studies and new challenges. May God give them strength and trust in Him.

2. Pray that the Latin American Church would stand behind their young people headed into cross-cultural ministry. Many of these churches don’t have much history of supporting missions. There are loads of issues to consider—educating missionary children, learning other languages well, staying healthy, maintaining contact with their sending churches, continued studies, learning helpful technology and on and on. Many partnerships exist to help get new people to the field and active in ministry.

Collins Family February 2018 Prayer Requests

1. Pray for CILTA students preparing to start class in March. They have details to tend to regarding studying outside of their home countries (passports and visas), leaving jobs and family, nailing down their finances, and taking a few introductory courses to get ready for a year in Lima studying linguistics with the goal of serving Christ cross-culturally. Pray for them in the midst of these concerns.

2. We’re very grateful to God for His faithfulness to our three adult children (and their children). May they continue to consider Him in all of life's decisions.

Collins 2017 in Retrospect

Dear friends,

Greetings to all. Here is our year-in-review update.

Blessings to all.

Wes, and for Nancy

Collins Family January 2018 Prayer Requests

1. Wycliffe is putting together a series of talks for Wes and Nancy to present the work of Bible translation to college students. Pray that young people would consider getting involved in translation through going, supporting and praying.

2. CILTA students will converge on Lima, Peru in mid-March. Pray for them even now as they work out details to be gone from home for a year of linguistics training aimed at learning to engage minority languages and cultures.