Wycliffe 2018

We are back at Wycliffe for the month of January 2018!

Debbie is participating in WAVE classes and I am helping in the IT department.

Phil is working on maintenance projects and Linda is participating in WAVE and is also the new WA Librarian!

Technology Opportunities for Don

My job at Wycliffe Associates is in the IT department, volunteering as a Help Desk Technician.  I am eager to serve in this way as one of my goals has been to use my job experience to help in a ministry. I am amazed at the need and use of technology in the work that Wycliffe Associates does.   Requests for computer help come each day from people living in different parts of the world.  Using the internet and other tools, the help desk can remotely assist Bible translators and other staff wherever they are located.  Much of the work is preparing laptops and other computers/devices for staff that come to Orlando for meetings and conferences.  After they visit they return with their laptops to their home or mission field. 

One of the things I am enjoying is the opportunity to meet many different people within Wycliffe Assocites.  Everyone seems to have technical troubles and I enjoy meeting them and helping them resolve their problems.  

One other note – It is a great blessing to be able to serve together with other family members and with our “young” Mom.  Although we are all doing different tasks and assignments, we are having a very special time being together - living together, working together and worshiping together.  The day usually starts or includes a chapel or other time to all get together as volunteers, and then we go separate ways to our work assignments.  We share meals together as a family and currently have an opportunity to include a student from Brazil at our evening meals.  As can be seen from earlier posts we will all have many memories of our time at Wycliffe!

Wycliffe Adventures!

My time here at Wycliffe has been so inspiring.  It's made me value God's word so much more than I ever have before.  Recently retired, working and going to church in the same building kept me in a bubble.  It's has been so exciting to see so many committed Christians from different denominations from all over the world volunteering their time to get God's word translated to all languages everywhere.

Cafe

Cafe

They have stressed to us here that no matter how small the job, we are all contributing to the translation process.  I've been working in the stamp department with my mother and part of the time in the cafe with my sister, Linda.  It's great to be here serving with family.  More important than our work, they want us to catch the vision of the work they are doing here.

On our off time we are having a great time playing board games together, pot luck at the activity center, trip to the flea market, walks early in the morning and late at night, tonight we attended a Korean dinner.   We take turns cooking so there have been many trips to the grocery store.  

Korean Dinner

Pot Luck

Mom reading in our room

Discovery Cent

In front of Wycliffe Building

Walking in moonlight

Our friends in apartment below
Atala, Eliane and Delio

Sampling Korean Food

To Be Continued.....

"EnterMission" and My work in the Discovery Cafe

Hi...from Linda at Wycliffe..My work at Wycliffe has been in the Discovery Cafe....This cafe is across from the "Discovery Center".  The Discovery Center is a place that people can come for a tour to learn about Bible Translation around the world.  We are amazed at how God's word is spreading through this ministry and it makes God's word seem even more precious to us, when we realize that there are still so many people groups around the world that do not have the Bible translated in their heart language.  I am working in the cafe with other volunteers - we serve approximately 150-200 people a day.  I have never done this type of work before and I am really enjoying volunteering my time in the cafe.  The patrons that we serve are the Wycliffe employees, and also people from many nations.  Next week we will be serviing a group of missionaries that are coming for a training program called "Equip".  It will be so interesting to hear the stories of how God led them here - and then where they will be serving.


This morning we had a program called "EnterMission".  The focus was on a people group in Panama, the Kuna tribe, that had God's word translated in their language.  It was very moving to see the people get their Bibles for the first time.  They were so thrilled.  How often here in the States do we take the Bible for granted!

Fountain Outside of the Discovery Center
"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters...Isaiah 55:1"

Teaching English at the Orlando Exchange

Hi, I am Deb Ritchey.  I am working in the Orlando Exchange helping teach English.  There are 18 students from 6 different countries participating in the classes.  They are all involved in translation work.  They want to learn English because there is a lot of English literature, and they can learn more and grow closer to God through what they read.  Many of them speak two or three languages besides English.  I have enjoyed spending time with them, becoming their friend and learning about their lives.  On this past Sunday, the students each presented a board about their lives and mission at the church where we meet for the school.  They did an amazing job sharing their story boards in English to anyone who asked about their lives.  Here are photos of some of the students and their presentations.

Arriving to serve at Wycliffe Associates

Six members of our family have travelled to Orlando, Florida at the beginning of January and started to work in different ways to support the work of Bible translation.  Wycliffe Associates was formed in 1967 to bring God’s Word to those still waiting—by involving people in accelerating the work of Bible translation.  One of the great things this trip is being able to serve with our Mom and family from Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia.

We will update this site with pictures about what we are doing but following are some pictures of the Wycliffe Campus:

Our family is sharing a 3 bedroom apartment.  

Wycliffe Apartments

Mom (Arlene Ritchey) and Marilyn White in our living room.

Walking trail around Wycliffe Campus