Death, illness slow Bible translators
While the Semandang Bible translation project is progressing well, there have been some major setbacks recently.
Lebas, a co-worker and friend of missionary Darcy Bergland, went to be with the Lord on Sept. 27. She became ill and died within a very short time. Lebas spent 18 years working with Darcy. Many Semandangs will be in Heaven because of her life and ministry in the translation project, her literacy ministry and the Kid’s Club, as well as her testimony of the Lord’s graciousness.
“She was so totally committed to giving her life for the Lord to use in any way,” wrote Darcy. “The Semandang translation project is where it is at today due in a big way to her. Right now I am feeling a huge loss and cannot imagine continuing this ministry without her.”
Lebas and her husband Yopi had a 3-year-old daughter, Grace. Pray for Yopi and the other family members as they learn to trust the Lord in this time of grief. Oke, Labas’ sister, has also been helping Darcy on the translation project. While Oke and Darcy continue on with the translation project they are missing the help and companionship Labas supplied.
“On top of that I spent two nights in the local hospital here after an accident on my motorcycle. …. After arriving back home my immune system was down temporarily and I promptly came down with dengue fever,” Darcy wrote.
“My major prayer request right now is for my strength to come back and be able to work full time on translation. We have a big translation check scheduled for February 2013, and we plan to check almost 1,400 verses. Pray that we will be ready for that check by the end of November.”