Keith in Curacao--Hearing the Word

"John" reads really well.

He hears really poorly. 
So poorly that he could not hear comments from the proof-listeners or directions from Keith without taking off his headphones. 

If he takes off his headphones, his mic has to be readjusted all over again. 

So one of the proof-listeners moved into the recording booth with him to explain things at a level he could hear.



As you can imagine, this is not an optimal arrangement. Meanwhile, Keith got out a playback mic which he had never had to use before. Now everyone is back sitting where they usually do.
Except when taking a break, of course!

 

Keith in Curacao--Meet "Paul"

"Jesus" and "Paul" have the most lines in a recording of the New Testament. We had begun recording "Jesus" without knowing who would play "Paul." This became a chief prayer point for a whole week.

Dennis came as a proof-listener for "Jesus" that entire week. This was especially interesting since "Jesus" is Dennis' son-in-law. They worked together well, though.

During the course of that week, several more men came to audition. None of them were right for the part of "Paul," though. Either they did not have enough time or enough skill or a "Paul" sort of voice. Folks at the Bible Society had been saying that Dennis could do it. After the last audition, they asked him to consider it.

Dennis is well-known to the folks at the Bible Society. Several of his Christian novels are even for sale in the bookstore here. Dennis had originally planned to spend the summer writing his next one. But he was quite willing to consider "Paul." In fact, he was beaming when he came out of his conference with the Bible Society folks. Then he immediately went somewhere private to share the good news with his wife by phone.

Shortly after Dennis became a Christian, he ended up in the hospital for an extended period of time. He used the opportunity to read through the entire Bible! In the years since then, he has read the Bible through at least another 17 times. He has preached, spoken, and studied. Now he writes novels to illustrate spiritual truths. And today he read through the first two chapters of Romans. We thank God for "Paul."

Keith in Curacao--Many Gifts; Same Spirit

Mary, yesterday, willing but not smiling

Faith Comes By Hearing trains recording teams in pairs. Keith and a friend of ours were trained together as one such team. They each learned how to operate both computers--meaning all of the technical aspects of the recording. 

Ellen on left

After two recording projects, however, our friend’s life took a different turn. Our daughter Ellen worked with Keith during one recording and decided that this was not her life’s work, either. Since that time, Keith has trained someone local on each project to do the second computer.

Wavy lines on Keith's computer; local on other computer

Doing the basics of that aspect of the recording is not difficult to do. Even I, who has trouble manipulating a cell phone, have been doing it. I look over at what Keith is doing, though, with the wavy lines and the cut-and-paste of sound files, and shake my head.

Mary in Moldova, willing AND smiling

I could learn it, but it would be an exercise in frustration for both the teacher and the learner. There are reasons not all are called to be prophets, not all are called to teach, not all are called to do technical things . . . though some of the non-technical are happy to go to Moldova . . . 

Keith in Curacao--How to Create a Studio

1. Order Bibles printed in South Korea. Keep the modular packing crates that they arrive in.

2. Clear out building behind the Bible Society office and bookstore. Building is far from traffic and other noises.

3. Assemble modular packing crate pieces into recording booth.

4. Build small table in booth; cut window.
5. Insulate walls of studio building and walls of recording booth with curtains.
6. Lay carpet on floor; use carpet scraps to further insulate booth.

7. Add padded "ceiling," held up with webbing of string.










8. Move tables and chairs into studio building

a) for recording team

and

b) for proof-listeners.

9. Begin recording!

Keith in Curacao

Keith arrived on the Caribbean Island of Curacao earlier this week.                (Note how open this part of the airport is. It's hot here, but the wind is always blowing. This space--with its wide overhang--remains remarkably livable.)

He is working with the Bible Society.

Their sign is written in Papiamentu, one of the official languages here.

Keith will be recording the New Testament in Papiamentu with the Bible Society in partnership with Faith Comes By Hearing. 

Papito Elisa, from the Bible Society, watches as Keith explains part of the recording program.

Recording is scheduled to begin on Monday; auditions are currently taking place. We are praying for the right voices for the right parts from all of the church traditions on the island.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Illustration by RoyAnn Carey
from O Drom coloring book

One never knows, really, what is going to happen next. One minute my daughter and I were biking back from the store. The next moment, I was lying on the pavement with a little boy leaning over me, asking if I was okay. I was not. He and his bike seemed unscathed by the collision.  I ended up with a hairline fracture in my right arm. 

I’ve been resting a lot more than usual and asking other family members to put the toothpaste on my toothbrush. They are happy to help.
A friend was happy to drive me to the grocery store. And once Keith got back from his research trip to Curacao, he was happy to pamper me. Its been an excellent opportunity to practice relaxing and asking for help. In God's economy, nothing is wasted, not even an unexpected fall.

Mary VanRheenen

View from Vulcanesti

There's a lot of beauty in the Roma village of Vulcanesti. Our friends there are warm and hospitable. The women love to plant flowers near their houses. Musicians and singers fill the church with original Christian song.
There's also the usual muck and mud of made by human choices and global imperfection.  Last Saturday, a father of four was unloading supplies for his eldest daughter's wedding. A carload of young men drove up, shots were fired, the father died. The dead man's family wanted to take revenge. The local authorities did not appear to be bringing justice.The pastor asked for prayer.

Instead of picking up guns themselves, the people of Vulcanesti organized a protest. Yesterday over 100 people marched through the streets of the capital city to the general prosecutor's office. Officials there met with community leaders for over two hours.
Let us continue to pray. Amazing things happen when people do.

(Second photo from local news, Chanel 2, print and video report).