The Weekly Wrap-Up: March 25-29, 2019

What up, my people?!

Wow, that was awfully enthusiastic for me. I should check... Nope, no fever. It's just Friday.

Pretty sure.

It's been one of those weeks. The kind of week where you're not really sure what day it really is. There were a lot of Tuesdays and Thursdays. But aside from that, it's been a decent haul.

So, let's break it down.

First, we need to talk about the OMS 5K in June. It's a fun thing we do every year to raise money for Bridge to Reading, which is our literacy program. I'm a firm believer that people should be able to read whatever they want. So, if you can run/walk with us (I walk. Slowly.), you should totally come to Greenwood on June 29 at 8 am. If you find that too early or too far away, you can support my slow walking and help people learn how to read by clicking anywhere in this sentence. And then giving money. Because just clicking the link doesn't do anything but take you to the fundraising page.

Right.

It's the end of March. That means the first quarter is over. If you recall, we set ourselves some goals for Q1. And we've actually done okay on finishing those, despite being down a production person and having a new production lead (me). So, we now have new goals for Q2.

Which might beg the question, how exactly do we set goals for a translation project?

A lot actually has to do with what stage the project is in. Or if there is a training event coming up in that language. Or the velocity of the translator. So, in the first example, we had a project that was in the final proofing stage. It's not a language that is in popular demand, but we have a translator that does steady work. Because it's so close to being done, we set it as a goal to finish it this next quarter. Next example, we have training events coming up in Korea and Japan. For Korean, we already have the first three groups done (what we call our MVP or minimum viable product - what we absolutely have to have for the program to function). But we still need two more groups in Japanese. So that's another goal. Finally, our Romanian translator is like lightning. And we kinda want to see if we can finish this project completely in less than a year. So it also goes on the goal list. (Also, T-money, if you're reading this, that's your first project for training purposes. No pressure.)

There are other things on the goal list. But it serves as a little goalpost for us to make sure we're doing the stuff that needs to get done in a timely manner.

In that vein, I actually did some catch up work this week. We had a couple of projects that needed to be reviewed so they could go out for proofing. I prefer putting as much as possible in the translators' hands. So I did a group of Haitian Creole and a group of Indonesian. Which are two really weird languages to do back to back. But I did learn that in Haitian Creole, there is a book of the Bible called Women. I kept seeing Scripture references like Women 8:28 and Women 11. There is no book of Men. (Any guesses on the English analog to the book of Women? Leave it in the comments.)

Now, I'm working on republishing Hindi. Yes, I said republishing. It's a long story. But we've actually changed a few things since the last time, and I've been able to fix a few mistakes we've found. (Shocking, I know.) That will probably be done next week.

And that's about it, I think. No photos this week. I'll try to do better next time. 

The Weekly Wrap-Up: March 18-22, 2019

I am amazing.

Increíble.

Also, my humility knows no bounds.

I don't care.

Spanish is done.

Once more for the people in the back.

SPANISH IS DONE!!!!!!!

I never have to touch another Spanish booklet. (Until we start Castilian. But I'm just going to bask in this little victory, so don't bother me with trifles.)

And yes, it took me most of the week to do. There are 81 files that had to be produced. Five times. It takes a while.

But it's done!

Part of the delay was training this week. Though I only had to go part of Wednesday and Thursday. And Monday, actually. It was a smaller group this week, but I think that's okay. It gives a more hands on learning environment. Though we are already pretty interactive. Fortunately, I just had to provide assistance with the app learning and then I got to help Sarah in the kitchen. My knife skills are legendary.

So what do I do with these odd hours on a Friday afternoon when my big project is done and I don't want to start something new and equally big?

File maintenance.

I know. Scintillating stuff.

Seriously, though, I may have a 1TB hard drive at work, but it fills up fast, especially with InDesign files. So I try to make a little time to compress the files we're no longer actively working in. We might still need them in the future, so we can't just delete them. But we want them to take as little space as possible. Plus, it makes my computer run faster if there are fewer files. I probably got rid of more than 1,000 files in just two languages.

I just wish there was an easier way to do it.

Oh well. I get the job done.

But that should give you a good idea of just how many files we create during this process. It's probably more than we actually need, but they do come in handy on occasion.

And that's about it. You're very lucky to get this, actually. I shut down my computer once already before posting. I only did that because I'm on the phone with my dad, and he's very distracting. I think I'm done now.

Adios. 

The Weekly Wrap-Up: March 11-15, 2019

Guys, if I don't get Spanish published next week, I'm going to give you permission to stare at me disapprovingly. Unless I get asked to do more with training than I normally do. Then all I'll allow is one raised eyebrow.

Seriously, though, I'm so close. I've reviewed 10 groups, I've put NVI into the last two groups, and I'm close enough to taste it. (No idea what it tastes like. Slightly chemicalish? Little bit of cardboard?) The last two groups have some of the longest booklets in them, but theoretically, it's totally possible. And then I can finish the rest of the Q1 goals that I've been ignoring.

Yeah.

That's about it. I did promise you the radio link, so have at it. Also, did you know that it's really hard to say Jesus legibly on the radio?

Oh, I did get distracted by a visitor this week. But really, could you blame me?

The Weekly Wrap-Up: March 4-8, 2019

Honestly, I feel like the most noteworthy bits of my week happened out of the office. But I'll let you judge for yourselves.

So, unlike last week, when I claimed there was no variety and then proceeded to disprove my hypothesis (well spotted, Lori), this week was actually entirely devoted to Spanish. All 12 groups of RVR have now been published, so I'm feeling the pressure to get NVI out. I'm trying to get it all checked and reviewed so that I can publish in one big batch. It makes sense in my head, but I keep questioning if I should publish as I go. But then I'm switching my brain between two very different tasks, and I don't generally like to do that. Thoughts?

I suppose this week we have talked a little bit about the word we picked for the year. Have I talked about that on here? I don't remember. It was in my newsletter. Anyway, we came up with a 'God word' for ECC for 2019. Apparently, this is a thing people do. I don't have a problem with it, per se. But no one has convinced me that it's a valid interpretation of exegesis.

Whatever.

Point is, we have a word for ECC. The word is 'balance.' So instead of picking something and talking about it for a week and then never mentioning it again (not that we ever do this), we wanted to make it something that carried some weight. So we've been chatting about what we can do to help people find more balance in their lives or even just define what that means. Fortunately, most of my contribution to this has been limited to nodding at ideas and proofing what other people are writing about it. But now I have to come up with a measurable goal for what I want to accomplish this year when it comes to balance.

As for my out of the office adventures, I was dog sitting this week. This is Lexi:

     


Lexi is an elkhound and still a bit of a puppy. She has no sense of personal space and likes to wake me up at odd hours of the night. Subsequently, I was quite tired Wednesday and Thursday. I actually went home early on Thursday and took a nap. My face was banging repeatedly against a wall, and that is not a good look for me.

That's about it, really. Oh! Totally forgot. I recorded a new radio ad this morning! It was a lot of fun, because we initially recorded it with one mindset and imagined setting, and then after we had recorded our lines, we started thinking about another concept using the same lines. So we re-recorded it with that in mind. I think the second concept will be much more fun, so when that is done, I will put a link somewhere on here. I got to be the skeptic AND the truth-bringer, so that was nice.

That's really it for me. I'm gonna go sleep for a while. Adios!

The Weekly Wrap-Up: February 25 - March 1, 2019

Has this seemed like a long week to anyone else? I don't really know why. It was just interminably lengthy. Perhaps because February itself seemed to drag on. Maybe I just got bogged down in Spanish booklets and missed the lack of variety.

That's probably it.

Yes, lots of the Spanish. And the last group of Hakha Chin. And two groups of French. (My argument above is not holding water.) But mostly Spanish. I'm starting to publish NVI. Can't really say when it will be done. But it needs to be soon. My list of projects is growing a little too quickly. But Romanian training got pushed back! So that's helpful.

Lots of people out sick this week, too. I'm pleased that they stay away while ill, but this building is a ghost town. 'Tis the season, I suppose.

We had a really good chapel on Wednesday. The new(ish) President of CONIM (our Brazil denominational partners) spoke about how we are all nails in support of God's larger structure. I found a lot of meaning in what he said. I may ruminate on it further here.

And that's about it. I'm all alone in my hallway right now, and I have a dog waiting for me to stop working so I can spoil it rotten. (Not my dog, stop freaking out.)

See you next week!

The Weekly Wrap-Up: February 18-22, 2019

You can tell I'm feeling better about life because I've been doing more blogging! Although, if I keep reading/watching the news like I have been, that good feeling may not last too long.

But whatever, you're here to hear what I've been up to this week.

The answer? Spanish. So much Spanish. I was able to format four new groups of files, but I'm still making my way through all of them to make sure all of the text is visible as NVI tends to be longer than RVR. Sometimes, this means whole pages are thrown off. I'll go through them again before publishing, but this is kind of a rush job. A lot of people are waiting on these booklets.

I appreciated our prayer hour this week. Shirley put up all of the active or retired missionaries prayer cards so we could pray for our guys. I think we often pray for projects or regions, but we rarely take the time to pray for our own folks, which is a shame.

I like being on my own when we do these things, so Sarah was kind enough to snap a photo of me doing just that. 

Finally, I can't let you go without seeing how amazing we all are at coordinating our outfits without actually telling anyone about it ahead of time. 

Phil's Ears

We have devotions and prayer every Monday morning in each department. It's a time to fellowship with one another, check in on everyone's work load and personal lives, and set the tone for the week ahead. It looks different in each department, but by and large, I think everyone appreciates having this time. It's certainly different from what happens in other offices.

This week's devotional time has stuck with me quite a bit, so in true Hollopeter fashion, I've decided to beat it to death in a blog post.

Our reading this week comes from Acts 8:26-40, and because I'm a nice person, I'm going to copy/paste the Scripture here instead of making you find it. And I'm even going to switch my BibleGateway back to English so you don't have to read it in Spanish.



Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.



There is a lot to unpack here, but I'll try to hit some highlights.

We tend to use the I Am Second questions when doing Bible study. If you haven't done it, I'd recommend it. It actually helps you look at a passage more critically. So the five questions are:

What did you like about this passage?
What did you not like or what was confusing?
What does this passage tell us about people?
What does this passage tell us about God?
How do we apply these lessons in our own lives?

One of the first things I noted is that this is a complete story. By which I mean, it's a self-contained story. Yes, there's a lot going on around it, but you don't really have to know a lot of other stuff to understand what's happening in this story. (I think you get more out of it when you do research into the background - for example, a eunuch can't enter the temple, yet he still felt a need to go to Jerusalem to worship. That's fascinating to me.) There's a premise, a conflict, and a resolution. And maybe I'm wrong, but this tells me that there's a lesson contained in this story that isn't necessarily contingent on other stories or the larger story. 

But what is it? You'd be tempted to take it as a lesson of ministry - go away from home, find people who are hungry for truth, give them answers, then leave to reach more people. And I'm not saying any of that is necessarily wrong. But it's not the only example of how to minister to people. It's not consistent with the story as a whole if you take it as the end all, be all. (Which is why you still have to read the self-contained stories in the context of the larger story.) 

So what is the lesson? I posited the theory that the lesson is actually on listening and responding appropriately. It actually happens a lot in the story. The Spirit tells Philip to take the road to Gaza. Philip listens to what the angel says, and he goes. He doesn't argue that he had something else in mind for the day. He doesn't say it isn't part of his strategy. He just goes. 

Then the Spirit tells him to go over to a certain chariot. Philip listens, and he goes. He doesn't say, "Uh, you told me to go to Gaza, so that's where I'm going." He doesn't question the supposed change in plan. (Because it isn't. The Spirit told Philip to take the road that goes to Gaza - not necessarily to go to Gaza. How many times do we interpret a message from the Lord as more than what was meant? But I digress.) 

Philip overhears the Ethiopian reading from Scripture. He doesn't assume the man doesn't know what he's reading. He doesn't force his company on the man. He asks a question (possibly a closed question, but one that could lead to further dialogue either way) and then listens to the response. When the man says he could use some help, he extends the invitation to Philip. Philip listens to his question, and he starts from that question. He doesn't bring the history of his sending organization into it, or the philosophy of the founder. He uses that question as a bridge to the ultimate truth of Jesus. 

At some point, they must have talked about baptism, because when the eunuch brings it up, Philip is cool with it. He doesn't insist the man go to seminary or quit his job or become a member of the Jerusalem church. He listens to the man's heart and baptizes him.

I don't know how the next part happened. Whether the Spirit literally made Philip disappear, or the Spirit told Philip it was time to leave. Regardless, Philip goes. He doesn't insist on follow-up or discipleship training. He doesn't check in six months later to make sure the Ethiopian is doing things the 'right' way. I got a little personal on this one, because I questioned our adherence to one of our most talked-about principles of training - MAWL. Despite being unfortunately named, I actually think it's a good idea. We Model a new application, we Assist those we train, we Watch them train others, and then we Leave. Supposedly. Because sometimes, I feel like we Linger. Are they really doing it correctly? It looks different from when we showed them. Maybe we need to stay in charge, just in case. Which is how you get the white savior complex in a lot of missionary movements. Of course things are going to look different! It's a different culture! If the message is good, then how it gets out is not as important. 

What do you think? Is listening (and responding appropriately) a good lesson to get out of this? What else did you like? What was confusing? What did you learn about people? What did you learn about God? And how are you going to apply those lessons in your own lives?

I, for one, hope to learn how to listen more thoughtfully. But not just listen. I want to be better at responding to spiritual promptings.

It's a terrifying thing.