Friday December 9, 2011
It was cold this afternoon. I put on a pot of coffee and leaned against the counter in the office kitchen, listening to Leonard read 1 Corinthians 6 in Choctaw. After some a few verses he began to talk about the meaning of the verses and how it relates to everyday life. I understand a few words here and there, and he's good enough to provide a sort of English paraphrase. Leonard has been holding a Choctaw language Bible study at the CBTC office on a weekly basis. Tonight I joined the group for the first time. Everyone was a little sleepy after a long week at work but the coffee perked us up a bit.
Leonard talked about the need for Christians to live differently. He encouraged us to live out our faith and be a good example (even if the people around us don't understand why we are trying to live differently). A humble man, Leonard talked to us from his own experiences and testimony. He doesn't want his kids to make the same mistakes. He said that "God doesn’t give us tasks that he doesn’t equip us for." The life experiences he's had have allowed him to related to the people who attend his church.
Working on the Bible translation has given him new perspective on the Gospel. He said that as he's gotten to know the Word he's seen changes in his attitudes and behavior. Working with different Scripture resources, translating, doing community checks and then using it as a resource for preaching has allowed him to make the Bible real and applicable.
As I thought about the interactions of the evening on the way home I thanked God that He's allowed me to be here. I am blessed to be part of this work.
Yakoki Chihowa.
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