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Dear friends,

Happy New Year! This year is starting out to be quite eventful for us. There is a lot going on in our ministry in the next month, and we’d really appreciate your prayers for all the travels and meetings. Here’s a list of next month’s events to help you know how to pray more effectively.

Jan. 15-16: Justin travels to the Wycliffe UK center to meet with Wycliffe leaders there.
Jan. 17-18: Justin at the Wycliffe Germany center for meetings with leaders of Wycliffe organizations from many countries to discuss changes happening in SIL, the main field partner of Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Jan. 23-26: Wycliffe Canada leadership team planning retreat, just outside of Calgary. Justin is leading the strategic planning process. Pray for him as he prepares for this.
Jan. 27-29: Missions Fest Vancouver. Justin will help run the Wycliffe booth.
Feb. 5-11: Terrace, BC. Justin & I will lead a spiritual emphasis week at a Christian school. Our children will be staying in Calgary with friends from school. Please pray for them in our absence.
Feb. 17-19: Race to 2025
Feb. 22-23: Wycliffe Canada leadership team finalizes the Wycliffe Canada strategic plan.
Feb. 24-26: Missions Fest Alberta in Edmonton. Justin will help run the Wycliffe booth.

With Justin traveling a lot in the next month, please pray for God’s wisdom, grace, peace and protection for me and the kids as we “hold down the fort” in his absence.

Thank you for upholding us in your prayers. You are an important part of our ministry!

Grateful for all of you,
Tammy, for Justin too

Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
Tammy cell: 403-918-7327

www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

If you would like to contribute financially to our work ministry, choose one of the following methods.

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

Dear friends,

Attached is our most recent newsletter. If we have your postal address, you most likely already received it in the mail, along with our prayer card/family photo and attached response card. If you did not receive it in the mail, and would like a copy of our prayer card, please send us your postal address and we’ll mail one to you.

Today we received great news. The checking of the East Apurimac Quechua New Testament translation is finished! On December 9th the AIDIA* translators finished checking the last verse of Revelation. On December 20th they finished checking the book introductions, glossary, and other study aids, and sent off the files for layout! Please pray for the remaining steps: choosing maps and pictures, layout, the search for funding, printing, shipping, getting through customs and then the dedication celebration. Many Quechua speakers have been eagerly waiting to receive God’s Word in their own language, and all those final steps can take a lot of time, even without any glitches.

We deeply appreciate your support of our ministry, whether by encouraging, praying or contributing financially. May you experience the joy, peace, and love of Christ as you celebrate the birth of our Saviour.

Merry Christmas!

Justin & Tammy Hettinga
*AIDIA, in Abancay in the department of Apurimac, is one of the interdenominational Quechua organizations in southern Peru that we mentored.

Justin & Tammy

204 Beaconsfield Way NW
Calgary, AB T3K 1X2
Canada
Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
Tammy cell: 403-918-7327

www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

If you would like to contribute financially to our work ministry, choose one of the following methods.

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

Dear friends and family,

During this Thanksgiving season, we have much to be thankful for. And yes, we sort of made up “Thanksgiving season” and define it as the time between Canadian and American Thanksgiving.

· Our house. We are feeling settled and enjoying our new home. Now that we have a more permanent place to live, Calgary’s starting to feel more like home. We are now closer to many Wycliffe colleagues and children’s classmates. The guest bed is set up and we’d love a visit from you!

· Our transition. The start of this school year was so much easier than last year, when everything was new and overwhelming to all of us. We are overjoyed to see our boys thriving and enjoying life here. They like their school, have many friends, love church and youth events, and are passionate about school sports. They both competed in cross-country running and are now on separate volleyball teams. They keep us hopping!

· Our church. We love the rich Biblical teaching we receive and the fellowship/relationships through church. God has provided us with some amazing friends, who have blessed us in so many ways. We are impressed with the youth program and the opportunities provided to enable our boys to further grow and mature in their journey with God.

· Our families. We hosted and celebrated Thanksgiving Day with both sets of our parents, a first for us. We’re thankful for loving, supportive parents. We are also thankful for the reunion of my family (the Sagerts) this past summer. Since we are all missionaries and live far apart, it had been 7 years since we had all been together, and 5 years since we had seen my brother’s family. The picture is of all the Sagert cousins.

· Our rich Christian heritage. In our last email update, we mentioned that Justin’s grandfather passed away in July. In August, just a few weeks later, Justin’s grandma unexpectedly joined him in heaven. Although we will miss them, we’re grateful for the godly example/influence and blessing they were to us.

· Our work. Our Wycliffe Canada roles are a great fit for us and we strongly believe that this is exactly where God wants us at this time. It has been a good year growing in our new roles and we look forward to what God has ahead for us here in Canada.

Thank you so much for standing with us in prayer and support as we engage churches across Canada to deeper involvement with the global Bible translation movement.

Justin & Tammy

204 Beaconsfield Way NW
Calgary, AB T3K 1X2
Canada
Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
Tammy cell: 403-918-7327

Justin_hettinga@wycliffe.ca
Tammy_hettinga@wycliffe.ca

www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

If you would like to contribute financially to our work ministry, choose one of the following methods.

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

Dear friends and family,

In our last email update, we asked you to pray about our housing situation. Thank you for praying. We are very thankful that God has provided a place for us to live, which is not too far from work and school. We are now first-time Canadian home owners, which is exciting and a bit faith stretching at the same time. We’re trusting God to continue to provide for our needs. We take possession of our new home on August 2. We are also thankful for God’s provision of needed furniture to furnish our new home. All the paperwork, packing, and preparations involved with moving have taken a chunk out of our precious summer, but we’re still managing to find some time for vacation with family and friends.

Justin’s grandfather, Len Hettinga, passed away on July 13th at 86 years of age. He was Justin’s hero throughout his life. He was a quiet man, dedicated to his Savior and beautiful wife, a skilled carpenter, a speaker of many languages, he knew the Holy Scriptures intimately, a lover of adventure, and a man who lived out his convictions. He’s finally at home, but we will miss him dearly. Our family drove to Emo, Ontario to attend Grandpa’s life-celebration memorial service and then we stayed for a week’s vacation at the family cabin, along with Justin’s family. The cabin is part of Grandpa’s legacy and has brought the family together year after year. We are grateful for this special time with family. (picture to the right is from 2006)

We also want to thank you for praying for Justin’s trip to El Salvador. It was a productive time developing a comprehensive project plan to engage churches throughout Latin America. There were representatives from countries throughout the region. Justin’s Spanish was polished up again as he led all the meetings.

Even though we are living and working in Calgary, we have continued to help, in little ways, the Peruvian organizations we worked with. One thing we are doing right now is preparing for Race to 2025. This year’s races will raise money for Bible translation, literacy and Scripture use in Eastern Apurimac Quechua. Justin will be racing through the mountains on September 2-4 to raise money for AIDIA (the Quechua organization leading this work). Our goal with this race is to raise $50,000. Please consider sending in a gift to help the translation work continue. Following is the information for giving.

Click HERE to read donation instructions for Canada and the US. Be sure to write Justin Hettinga for ‘race participant’.
http://www.wycliffe.ca/raceto2025/donate.html

Please note our new address:

204 Beaconsfield Way NW
Calgary, AB T3K 1X2
Canada

We deeply appreciate your support of our ministry, whether by encouraging, praying or contributing financially.

Justin & Tammy Hettinga

Our phone numbers remain the same.
Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
Tammy cell: 403-918-7327

Justin_hettinga@wycliffe.ca
Tammy_hettinga@wycliffe.ca

www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

If you would like to contribute financially to our work ministry, choose one of the following methods.

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

Dear family and friends,

I think spring has truly arrived in Calgary! The trees on our street have recently sprung to life, flashing bright green leaves; the daffodils and tulips in our backyard are in full bloom. What a glorious sight to behold after only seeing the color white for the majority of the school year. Although, many Calgarians have told us that it often snows on the May long weekend, so maybe I’m speaking too soon. J
Needless to say, after experiencing a long prairie winter (my first one in almost 20 years), I want to relish every nice spring and summer day and never take them for granted.

Our next month will be full of travel. Following is our itinerary.

May 21: Justin heads to B.C.
May 22: Justin will be sharing at our home church, SouthSide Church, in Chilliwack, B.C. (9:00 and 11:00 services).
May 22-27: Justin will be helping at Wycliffe’s Leadership Development Initiative at Trinity Western University/Canada Institute of Linguistics in Langley, B.C.
May 28: We drive as a family from Calgary, Alta. to Saskatoon, Sask. Justin’s parents will host a small group meeting where we will give an update of our ministry. If you are in Saskatoon and would like to attend, let us know.
May 29: Justin will be preaching at Avalon Alliance Church in Saskatoon. Please come on out if you are in the area. (10:30 service)
June 13-16, El Salvador: Justin will help facilitate some meetings of leaders from around Latin America who lead the mobilization of Latin American churches for Bible translation. Their goal will be to come up with the beginnings of an area-wide plan to engage Latin American churches for Bible translation.

We’d appreciate your prayers for us during these events.

We deeply appreciate your support of our ministry, whether by encouraging, praying or contributing financially.

Serving together,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga
1208 Renfrew Dr. NE
Calgary, AB T2E 5J5
Canada
Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
Tammy cell: 403-918-7327

Justin_hettinga@wycliffe.ca
Tammy_hettinga@wycliffe.ca

www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

If you would like to contribute financially to our work ministry, choose one of the following methods.

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

Dear friends and family,

We hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend, full of remembering and celebrating the life we have because of the death and resurrection of our Saviour. Since Easter is celebrated very differently in Latin America, we enjoyed partaking in Easter celebrations in our home culture after 12 years of being away for that occasion.

During the long weekend we reveled in the spring temperatures and snatched the opportunity to do several outdoor activities together as a family. We’re learning that the weather here changes quickly. It snowed again today. Although spring has attempted to emerge on a few occasions, we’re still waiting for its true arrival.

Figure 1. Selling copies of the newly published Gospels in Apurimac Quechua at the first showing of the Jesus video.

Thank you to those who prayed for the mobilization team planning retreat, which took place in Nova Scotia at the end of March. The team experienced unity and excitement as they developed a plan to engage and mobilize Canadian churches to help provide the life-changing Word of God for the more than 2,000 language groups that still do not have a single verse of the Bible. Now the team is busy putting the finishing touches on their annual plans. Please pray for the mobilization team as they now work on implementing these plans.

Although Justin has a great team to work with, the Mobilization Department is still short staffed. As the head of this department, Justin is very busy trying to fill many gaps. Please pray that more people can be found to fill key positions.

On May 5-6 we’ll be attending The Gathering, a Wycliffe Canada retreat/conference. Pray that we will be refreshed and feel God’s touch and nurture so that we can keep moving forward with what He wants us to do.

On May 7 Wycliffe Canada is hosting an event in Calgary called Unbound. It is a conference, open to the public, exploring how the biblical story dynamically intersects with cultural stories. It includes lunch, parking and a free copy of Wycliffe's Eye to Eye - Heart to Heart book. To register, go to http://www.wycliffe.ca/unbound/ ($30 per person, Students $15, Couples $45). For more information, phone Melanie at 403-250-5411, ext 291, or email unboundconference@wycliffe.ca.

My parents are coming from B.C. to attend those two events and to spend a few days with us. We are looking forward to their visit and are delighted to be able to celebrate Mother’s Day with them.

An update from Peru:
Campus Crusade offered to send a team of three skilled technicians to help AIDIA* dub the Jesus video into East Apurímac Quechua. AIDIA’s director recruited Quechua speakers who could read well and with expression – some from distant areas, some from their own staff people, plus children from a local Christian orphanage. How exciting for East Apurimac Quechuas to see and hear Jesus speaking East Apurímac Quechua! In one rural church, people who saw the video exclaimed: “This is really easy to understand!” People are deeply moved when they view the crucifixion and see what Jesus suffered for our sakes. Pray that the video will continue to touch hearts as it is shown in many rural areas in the coming months.

We deeply appreciate your support of our ministry, whether by encouraging, praying or contributing financially.

Serving together,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga
1208 Renfrew Dr. NE
Calgary, AB T2E 5J5
Canada
Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
Tammy cell: 403-918-7327

Justin_hettinga@wycliffe.ca
Tammy_hettinga@wycliffe.ca

www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

If you would like to contribute financially to our work ministry, choose one of the following methods.

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

 

Dear friends and family,

March 20th marked the first official day of spring. Whoever came up with that date does not live in Calgary. There are no such signs of spring here. In fact, as I write this, it is still snowing outside. Sigh. The novelty of the first snowfall has long worn off. Although our transition to Calgary has gone amazingly well, the biggest adjustment and the hardest part, at least for me, has been the long, cold winter. Will I ever get used to this weather? Come spring, come!

On Monday Justin will be flying to Nova Scotia for a 5-day mobilization team planning retreat. He will be teaching Results Based Management, as well as planning together with the mobilization team. Following are ways in which you can pray.

· Justin is busying this week updating and contextualizing the Results Based Management manual, teaching materials and activities. Pray for wisdom as he plans and gets ready for this workshop and that he can complete what is necessary prior to the retreat.
· Pray for the mobilization team as they meet together in Nova Scotia next week. Pray specifically for:

• Safety in travels (the team will be coming from different parts of Canada)
• Wisdom
• Creativity
• Effectiveness
• Productivity
• Good planning
• Team unity

Please take note of our new email addresses below.

We deeply appreciate your support of our ministry, whether by encouraging, praying or contributing financially.

Serving together,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga
1208 Renfrew Dr. NE
Calgary, AB T2E 5J5
Canada
Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
Tammy cell: 403-918-7327

Justin_hettinga@wycliffe.ca - NEW
Tammy_hettinga@wycliffe.ca - NEW

www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

If you would like to contribute financially to our work ministry, choose one of the following methods.

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

 

Dear friends and family,

Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We enjoyed being with Justin’s family, which was the first time we’d been together for Christmas in 12 years. It was special for our children to be with their cousins for Christmas. Now that we’re living in Canada, one of the benefits is being able to get together with family more often. And to our delight, we had our first white Christmas in 12 years. Although the majority of our immediate family fought the cold/flu bug over the holidays, we still managed to enjoy some outdoor winter activities.

We have entered a new stage of parenting since now we are officially parents of a teenager. Caleb turned 13 on December 17th and invited 8 friends, from church and school, for a sleep-over party. It brought much joy to our hearts to see him having fun with so many friends after such a short time of living in a new city. Considering all the changes our kids faced upon arriving in Canada, the transition for them has gone so much smoother than we had anticipated. We are delighted that they are enjoying new friends, school, church, and other activities they’re involved in. We give God the glory.

We received thrilling news on Christmas Eve. The first shipment of Scripture in East Apurimac Quechua (a volume of Matthew, Luke and John) arrived at the AIDIA office on December 23rd, just in time to distribute it for Christmas. (AIDIA is the interdenominational Quechua organization we mentored in Abancay, in the department of Apurimac, Peru). It was an exciting moment for the AIDIA translation team, pastors and other workers at the AIDIA office! They were especially grateful to the Lord for answering prayer and removing the obstacles that for so long had blocked the publication. They immediately started buying as many books as they could to take to their congregations. What a wonderful Christmas gift for the East Apurimac Quechuas to be able to read and hear the Christmas story for the first time in their mother tongue. The entire New Testament is in first draft and they hope to have the New Testament manuscript ready for layout by the end of September.

Thank you to those of you who have recently joined our team as financial supporters, and to those of you who have increased your monthly financial support. We are extremely grateful. To date we are receiving 85 percent of our required ministry budget (which includes what we live off of). We still need to raise another 15 percent. If you are already a regular financial supporter, and would like to increase your monthly donation, please call the Wycliffe office to let them know. In Canada, call 1-800-463-1143 and in the US call 1-800-Wycliffe. And if you don’t regularly support our ministry, we would love to have you join our team. See the information below on how to give.

Praise & Prayer:

• Praise God for a wonderful Christmas celebration with extended family.
• Praise God for Caleb’s milestone birthday and for the blessing he’s been to us.
• Praise God that our re-entry to Canadian culture and adjusting to a new way of life after 10 years in Peru has gone well.
• Praise God for a new church family we’ve been able to plug into and for new friends for our whole family.
• Praise God for the new East Apurimac Quechua Scripture publication.
• Praise God for new financial supporters of our ministry.
  
  
• Pray that East Apurimac Quechuas will learn to read, use and apply the newly translated Scriptures to their lives and that as a result, many lives will be transformed.
• Pray for Justin in his new role as Vice-President of Mobilization for Wycliffe Canada, as he leads Wycliffe’s efforts to engage hundreds more Canadians in the Bible translation movement.
• After homeschooling our boys for the last 7 years, my role is very different this year, now that our children are attending a traditional school. Pray that I can maintain a healthy balance with work and being a mother/homemaker. (I am Justin’s administrative assistant).
• Pray that God will grant both Justin and me wisdom as we raise our boys in a culture that is new to them and that we’ve been out of touch with for the last decade.
• Pray that our support level will increase to at least the minimum needed to live in Calgary. Pray for new supporters and that several faithful supporters will increase their regular donations.

Serving together,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga
1208 Renfrew Dr. NE
Calgary, AB T2E 5J5
Canada
Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
Tammy cell: 403-918-7327

www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

If you would like to contribute financially to our work ministry, choose one of the following methods.

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

 

Dear praying friends,

“The harvest is great yet the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Mt 9:37-38. We are very excited that we get to be a part of what God is doing to send out more workers to HIS fields. And we are grateful that you are also playing a part in it through your partnership with us.

Thank you to those of you who financially supported and/or prayed for Justin as he spoke at and raced in Race to 2025: Congo in September. A lot of college-age people got a taste of missions and Bible translation during the two weekends. Some of them are now in the process of joining Wycliffe. Plus, $57,000 was raised for Scripture based trauma healing programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Very exciting! Note: The top and bottom pictures are from the race.

We enjoyed our trip to Chilliwack, B.C. at the end of October. It was great to visit and speak at our home church and connect with many of you.

In November Justin travelled to Toronto to meet/connect with some of his teammates from the mobilization department who are working in that area and to attend a conference about the church and mission. Tomorrow he’ll be flying to New Brunswick to meet/connect with more of his teammates from the east coast. December 12-16 he’ll be flying to England to participate in meetings regarding the reinvention of SIL* and its implications for Wycliffe Canada. Please pray for safety in travel, good connections/team bonding, and daily wisdom as he leads Wycliffe’s efforts to send out more workers from Canada to the unreached and Bibleless peoples of the world.

At the end of November we were thrilled to have a visit from my mom and a friend from Holland.

On Saturday, while learning how to snowboard for the first time, Caleb fell and fractured his arm. Caleb had basketball tryouts at school last week and was ecstatic when he found out that he made the grade 7/8 basketball team. With his arm now in a cast for the next six weeks, he is quite disappointed, to say the least. Thankfully his coach is being flexible and is willing to let him stay on the team. Caleb will participate and help out as he is able until he has full recovery of his arm. Please pray for Caleb and for a quick and full recovery of his arm.

We received some sad news last week. Fredi, the director of ATEK**, and his wife Judith are grieving the sudden and unexpected loss of one of their three-year-old twins due to an aggressive virus. This is very difficult for them. Please pray for their family.

Thank you to those of you who have recently joined our team as financial supporters, and to those of you who have increased your monthly financial support. We are extremely grateful. However, some regular supporters have also stopped supporting us. At this point we are still lacking $867 per month to cover our minimal ministry budget (which includes what we live off of). If you are already a regular financial supporter, and would like to increase your monthly donation, please call the Wycliffe office to let them know. In Canada, call 1-800-463-1143 and in the US call 1-800-Wycliffe. And if you don’t regularly support our ministry, this is your chance. See the information below on how to give.

This is our first Christmas season in Canada in 11 years and we’re enjoying many Christmas cultural events/activities that we haven’t had the chance to partake in for many years. We took the opportunity to make Christmas cookies and decorate the Christmas tree (first real Christmas tree for our boys) when my mom was visiting. We look forward to celebrating Christmas this year with Justin’s side of the family, at his brother’s in Canmore, Alta. We hope it stays white for Christmas. Our boys delight in playing in the snow, which is a novelty for them.

Amidst all the decorations and festivities of the Christmas season, we focus on the real meaning of Christmas, which is the coming of Christ to our world. We want to thank each of you for standing with us so that we can mobilize Canadians to get involved in the Bible translation movement so the Bibleless peoples of the world can know about that amazing gift.

In the Grip of a Merciful God,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga
Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

*SIL is the major field partner of Wycliffe Bible Translators. www.sil.org
**ATEK is the interdenominational Quechua organization we mentored in Cusco. www.atekperu.org

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

 

Dear family and friends,

It has been longer than normal since we have written an email update. Transitioning from Peru to a new city in Canada (Calgary) has been a huge transition for our family and it has taken us awhile to get our bearings and figure out how to function in this new land. However, we are now feeling settled and we’re in a routine of a new way of life. We have found a church to call home, we are plugged into a small group, Caleb is attending youth group and loving it, and God has already provided us with some great friends. God is good and we give Him praise.

August 30th was a monumental day for our family. Justin started work at the Wycliffe Canada office and our boys entered a traditional classroom for the very first time. They are in middle school at Heritage Christian Academy. Although they felt prepared academically, the biggest adjustment was learning how to function in a middle school setting. Using a locker, switching classes, organizing their lockers and binders, figuring out where to go and what to take to each class, etc. was all new to them and a bit overwhelming at first. However, after a week or so they got the hang of it and are now enjoying the school experience, especially the social aspect of it. PE, Structural Design and Drama are some of their favorite classes. Caleb (grade 7) loves to play floor hockey and basketball with classmates during his lunch hour and he’s on the grade 7/8 volleyball team. Jesse (grade 6) is in beginner band and is learning how to play the clarinet. We’re excited about the new opportunities available to them. Considering that our children have had to adjust to a new country, new culture, and new school setting all at the same time, they are doing amazingly well. They were very excited to see their first snowfall last week.

Justin is on a big learning curve, learning his upcoming role as Vice-President for Mobilization for Wycliffe Canada. This is a job that is all about relationships and leading a team of mobilizers that are spread out from coast to coast. So, a big chunk of his time is focused on getting to know people. It is a job that will require a lot of travel so we are already faced with setting appropriate boundaries that will make sure family life remains a priority, but this is nothing new since in Peru he also travelled a lot. He needs your prayers as he leads Wycliffe’s efforts to engage hundreds more Canadians in the Bible translation movement.

My life has taken a new twist as well. In addition to figuring out how to maintain a household in a new culture and land, this is the first year (since our children started school) that I’m not teaching our children. Although part of me misses it, I’m also enjoying a break from it and the opportunity to get involved in other things. I still want to be involved in our children’s education, so I’ve volunteered to help out in their classrooms and on field trips. I’m enjoying the weekly “Moms Who Pray” group at the school, which meets to study the book of James and pray for the students and staff. I am also working alongside Justin, supporting him in his role/ministry as his administrative assistant, hosting people in our home, and in other practical ways.

Although we’re now working in Canada, we do not receive a regular salary. We are relying on God to provide for our financial needs through the gifts of churches and individuals like you, just like when we were in Peru. So, we only receive what comes in for us, minus some expenses. Wycliffe sets a minimum ministry budget for us, which varies according to location. Our new budget for Calgary is higher than our Peru budget and we are currently lacking about $825 a month. If each of our regular supporters increased their monthly support to us by $10, we would receive 100 per cent of our monthly required budget. We encourage you to consider and pray about helping us out in this way. If you are not a regular supporter, we would love for you to join our team.

Justin & I will be in Chilliwack from October 24-31 so that we can connect with many of you. You are invited to SouthSide Place (#7 – 7355 Vedder Rd., located in the parking lot behind 7-Eleven) on Tuesday, October 26th or Friday, October 29th at 7:00 pm for an evening of stories and interaction about our 10 years of ministry among the Quechua people of southern Peru, as well as informing you about our new role with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Canada. We hope that you can make it to one of these two events. We will also be speaking briefly at SouthSide Church (9:00 and 11:00 services) on October 31. If you would like to get together with us at another time, let us know. We’ll be staying at my parent’s house. Their phone number is 604-393-7558. Or you can call our cell numbers: 403-918-7372 or 403-918-7327. For those of you in Chilliwack, we hope we can see you and we look forward to connecting with you.

As always, and now more than ever, we are grateful for your prayers for us, and your generous gifts that keep us in the work of Bible translation.

Serving together,

Justin, Tammy, Caleb & Jesse Hettinga
Home: 403-879-5466
Justin cell: 403-918-7372
www.Twitter.com/cuscocanuck

If you would like to contribute financially to our work ministry, choose one of the following methods and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.

1. Send a cheque to either address and include a separate note designating it for the support of the work of Justin and Tammy Hettinga.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316-10 St. NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 6K3

Or
Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

2. Online contributions can be made through:
In Canada:
http://www.wycliffe.ca/involved/giving_main.html
In the USA, go to the following link and scroll to the bottom and following the bottom instructions since we will not be on the USA list.
http://www.wycliffe.org/Donate/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

3. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by Visa or MasterCard by calling:
In the USA: 1-800-Wycliffe
In Canada: 1-800-463-1143

 

Dear friends and family,

How is your summer going? We have been settling into our place in Calgary. School starts in 2 weeks for Caleb and Jesse and this will be the biggest change that our family goes through.

In September I will be involved in an exciting initiative. We (Wycliffe) will be hosting two back-to-back summer events this year called Race to 2025: Congo. It’s an adventure fundraising race like never before! Not only will I be racing in each race, but I will also be the guest speaker, doing my best to motivate young people to greater involvement with Bible translation. My two different four member teams will compete in a weekend of outdoor adventure sports (including extreme hiking, intense mountain biking, river canoeing and rappelling) all in search of a hidden mountain tribe to learn a language never before written down. Race to 2025 is a simulation of real-life adventures that Bible translators may face as they serve on the field to bring the Word of God to people who don’t yet have it in their own language. Here is a link to watch a video about it.
http://www.wycliffe.ca/raceto2025/home.html

In order to participate in this exciting adventure, my team must raise a minimum of $2,600 ($650 per racer, per race. I will be doing both races). This is where your involvement in the global Bible translation movement comes into play! Funds raised through Race to 2025: Congo will bring trauma healing and reconciliation to victims of war, famine, and genocide in Congo (DRC), African nationals will be trained to translate God’s Word of hope for their own people and a new generation of young Canadians will be empowered to join their African brothers and sisters in their struggle for justice and hope. Our target fundraising goal over the two weekends is $50,000. Click on the following link to watch a video about this project.
http://www.youtube.com/user/WycliffeUSA#p/u/1/ZLt5MhAPe3U

There are approximately 2,251 people groups who still don’t have any access to the Bible in their own language. Wycliffe’s vision is that by the year 2025, together with partners worldwide, a Bible translation will be started for the remaining languages that need it. Most of these languages are in Africa and Asia.

I have committed to raising at least $1300, and I will be truly happy if I could raise more. I feel honoured to be a part of this wonderful project. I ask you to join me in supporting the cause of Bible translation and other language related ministries. Whatever you can give will help. Please complete the attached form and mail it directly to Wycliffe Bible Translators Canada. (Your contribution of $25 or more is tax-deductible). Or simply go to the following link where you can easily and quickly donate online. Please note that if you give online you must put the following into the details comments box: Race to 2025: Congo, Justin Hettinga
http://www.wycliffe.ca/raceto2025/donate.html

Thank you in advance for your support.

Until all have heard,

Justin Hettinga
Home: 403-879-5466
Cell: 403-918-7372
www.hettinga.ca

Dear family & friends,

Greetings from Calgary, Alberta! After spending a couple of weeks in Chilliwack with my parents and visiting friends, we arrived at our new home in Calgary on July 9. We’re very grateful for the semi-furnished parsonage that Renfrew Baptist Church is allowing us to rent for a very minimal fee. It is a huge blessing. The last 2 ½ weeks we’ve been busy unpacking suitcases from Peru and boxes from storage, finding/purchasing needed household items, and doing other countless errands and tasks related to moving. Although we don’t know many people in Calgary, those we do know have given us a warm welcome and have extended a helping hand. We marvel at God’s faithfulness and how He is providing for us in so many ways.

Our children have already attended a week-long Christian boys’ camp (a first for them), which was a highlight. Now they’re spending a week with their grandparents in Saskatoon while we continue to get settled. Tomorrow we’ll be joining them in Saskatoon and then we’ll be taking a much needed week’s vacation at a family cabin in NW Ontario, along with Justin’s parents. We will be sharing at Emo CRC on August 8th before heading back to Calgary.

We’ll write more at another time but for now we wanted to send you our new contact information. Please make note of our new address and phone numbers:

1208 Renfrew Dr. NE
Calgary, AB T2E 5J5
Canada
403-879-5466
403-918-7372 (Justin’s cell)
403-918-7327 (Tammy’s cell)

Until next time,
Justin & Tammy

Dear praying friends and family,

Well, the count down is on….only 2 more days until we fly out of Cusco. We are in the midst of trying to sell/dispose of almost all of our household belongings, packing, and saying good-bye to friends we’ve made over the last 10 years. On Thursday we said good-bye to Fraser, our faithful Labrador retriever for the last 8 ½ years.

Our departure marks the end of the South Peru Project, and marks the beginning of a new era for ATEK* and AIDIA*. Last Friday, ATEK organized an "End of the South Peru Project" celebration. During the celebration we reflected on all that God has done in ATEK and among the Quechuas these last 10 years as our team and ATEK have partnered together to bring the Word to the Cusco Quechuas. It was a time to remember the battles fought, the victories won, the lessons learned and the vision planted. It was a time of celebrating the harvest of lives changed by the Word of God. Praise God for these past 10 years and all that God has done in South Peru. Pray for God's continued guidance for ATEK and AIDIA as they move forward into the future on their own.

On Monday our family traveled to Abancay, 4 hours away, where AIDIA also put on a special event for us before our departure. We feel honoured and blessed by both of these organizations. We feel privileged to have been able to play a part in helping these 2 organizations and join in on what God has been doing through them. They will always have a special place in our hearts and we will miss them.

So, we leave with mixed emotions of celebrating the completion of the South Peru Project, excited about what God has in store for us in the future, yet sad to say good-bye to many cherished people and places. We’d appreciate your prayers for us during these last 2 busy, emotion-filled days. We’d also appreciate your prayers as we transition to our new life in Calgary, having to set up house all over again, find a church, make new friends, re-enter a culture we haven’t lived in for 10 years, etc. Please also pray that all of our travels will go smoothly.

We will be staying with my parents, Larry & Carol Sagert, in Chilliwack, BC for 2 ½ weeks. We look forward to seeing friends and connecting with our home church before moving to Calgary on July 8th. We look forward to seeing many of you this summer and fall. Thank you for your partnership with us during our 10 years in Cusco through your prayers, financial support, and words of encouragement. We hope you will continue to partner with us in our future ministry of recruitment and mobilization for Wycliffe Canada.

Serving together,

Justin, Tammy, Caleb & Jesse Hettinga

Hello friends and family,

Yesterday I, Justin, returned from another trip to Abancay (4 hours away). It was good to see the progress AIDIA* is making on remodelling and expanding their new facilities. At the beginning of the year they took possession of a house they bought that they are converting into a translation and training center. There is now a constant flow of work teams coming from the US and Canada to help with the construction/renovations. The road is in terrible shape after the flooding almost a month ago, but it is passable.

With regards to all the natural disasters in Latin America over the past couple of months, we thought we should let you know a couple of things. First, the earthquake in Chile occurred a very long distance away. We never felt anything here. I think we are about 3000 kilometres from the epicentre, which was a few hundred kilometres south of Santiago. We have friends in the heart of the devastation and we have heard that they are alright, although they have lost a lot. These friends are leaders of LETRA, the organization in Chile that promotes Bible Translation in the same way Wycliffe does in Canada and the US.

The rains in Cusco have continued and this past weekend we saw more flooding and a lot of landslides that wiped out small villages. Please continue to pray for the Quechua people that have been displaced and have lost everything.

This past weekend we went with our church to spend a day in one of the tent cities set up a little ways outside of Cusco. The town of Huacarpay has been nearly destroyed due to flooding and so most of the townspeople are living in tents on the mountainside above the town. We made sandwiches and hot chocolate. We did all sorts of activities with the kids. I will let the following pictures speak for themselves.

This month of March is a very busy one for us with me traveling a lot. Most of the trips are short 2-3 day trips, but at the end of the month I will take a 4-day trip. Pray that we will use our remaining time in Peru wisely and strategically and that we will finish well what we believe God has set out for us to do. We know that we cannot do it in our own strength. We need God’s strength and power each day if we are to truly do what God has called us to do.

We also know that each of you is an integral part of what we do here. We appreciate your prayers, your support and your encouragement.

Following the King of Kings,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga

Dear friends,

I just want to drop you a note and fill you in on the latest. The last few days ATEK* and its staff have been going out each day to some of the most severely affected areas and helping out in whatever way they can. Yesterday I went out with them. We hiked to some hard to reach areas and brought in food. We also delivered a major amount of heavy plastic for making shelters and drinking water to a local church. The church is distributing it to those in greatest need. I trust that some of my pictures from yesterday will speak louder than anything I can say.

Fredi, the director of ATEK, surveying damage in the town of Lucre. Somehow this section of the road survived. The rocks in the picture came from the river which is on the other side of the road. The guys behind Fredi are catching tiny fish that got stranded. Anyone for minnow soup?

A river came roaring right through this neighbourhood destroying virtually everything in its path. I can't imagine loosing everything like these people have. We gave out plates of food here and further up the valley. It seemed like nothing in comparison to the need.

We also helped a local pastor build up a wall of sand bags to protect his house. The houses on both sides of his had fallen down, yet his remained standing even though a couple of feet of water was flowing right through it! The water had receded some but at any moment it could rain hard again and his house could be destroyed. In fact as I write this it is raining quite hard. My back isn't used to shovelling sand for hours. We were working right on the main highway. During the heaviest rains the whole highway was under water.

Thank you for your prayers. Our water came back on minutes after I wrote that last email. We also got a phone call from someone who wants to buy our house immediately, even with a possession date in June. We are now heavy into red tape and paper work trying to make it happen. So your prayers are working. :)

The highway to Abancay (about 4 hours away) is damaged much worse than we originally thought. We thought there was just a simple short walk to cross the area where the road was washed out but now we have learned that it is an 8 hour hike. Contacts we have near the washed out sections run a small missionary hospital and they have been treating a couple of people with broken limbs who fell trying to make the crossing. Our colleagues who have been stranded here in Cusco just left today to fly back to Lima and then will take a flight to a city about 6 hours from Abancay.

So needless to say, we are all still in need of your prayers. Each of us has our part to play. So thank you for your part on the team.

In His Merciful Grip,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga

Friends and family,

State of Emergency in Cusco

I want to give you all an update on the state of emergency in Cusco. The past few days have seen extremely heavy rains and a lot of flooding and landslides in our Cusco area. We are fine but thousands of people have lost their homes and many more thousands have lost their crops. Many key bridges and roads have been swept away. There have been a number of deaths due to the flooding. Early yesterday morning our city water system was overwhelmed by mud which has led to a total shut down of the system. But at least it is raining and we are collecting rain water. J Please pray for those who have been devastated by the flooding.

Pictures from www.rpp.com.pe The first shot is from Calca, in the Sacred Valley and the second is of one of several washouts along the Cusco to Abancay highway. I regularly drive this highway. David and Heidi Coombs and their son, who live in Abancay, are staying with us right now until they can get to Abancay. Dave is a translation consultant for the Bible translation project in Abancay.

Just Got Home
On a totally different note, we arrived back in Cusco on Sunday after being gone for more than 2 weeks. Last week we had a good annual retreat with our SIL/Wycliffe colleagues from around Peru. We enjoyed being with everyone again and sharing about what God has been doing in our corner of Peru. We also were challenged through some great Biblical preaching from Pastor Alastair Begg, from Cleveland, Ohio (originally from Scotland). Caleb and Jesse had a blast in the kids' program, which was led by a family from Squamish, BC. My parents, Fred and Janie, were able to be there with us and they bravely helped out by looking after the preschoolers/toddlers. They were in Peru for 5 ½ weeks and we enjoyed our visit with them. Some highlights were that they were able to be here for Caleb's 12th birthday (first time for them to celebrate a birthday with either of our kids), Christmas (it had been 12 years since we were together for Christmas), and to bring in the New Year.

Coming up Next…
January 31:  The first work team will be arriving to help work on AIDIA's offices. They will be focusing on renovations. There will be about 1 team a month coming throughout the year to help AIDIA. They need to travel on the washed out road pictured above. Yikes!
February 6:  Sergio Fuerte, the executive director of AIDIA, will be getting married in Abancay. We are looking forward to celebrating with him. I spend a lot of time coaching and mentoring Sergio in leadership/management.
February 8:  AIDIA will put on a dedication ceremony to dedicate their new offices to the Lord. It will be a fun time of celebrating the goodness and provision of God.
February 15-19:  Results Based Management workshop in Cusco with all of the ATEK and AIDIA staff.

Praise n' Prayer

• Praise God for the good SIL retreat that we attended last week.
• Pray for those whose lives have been devastated by the current (still happening as I write) flooding.
• Pray that the work team arriving on the 31st will be able to travel to Abancay.
• Pray for wisdom during our final 5 months in Peru. Pray that I will be able to train and equip the leaders of ATEK and AIDIA to the place where I will no longer be needed. Pray that we will keep our focus and attention on finishing well.

Note: We plan to return to Canada this summer to work in the Wycliffe Canada office, in Calgary, for 2 years. I have been asked to be the VP for Mobilization and Recruiting.

• Pray that we will be able to sell our house in Cusco, sooner rather than later.

Thank you for your participation with us in bringing hope and salvation to Quechua people of southern Peru.

Justin & Tammy Hettinga

Dear praying friends,

You may remember that last February our team had a concentrated month of prayer for ATEK* which led up to a 2-day retreat that focused on team building. The results of the retreat have been very encouraging, but we all knew the real impact wouldn't be known for months. So, we have been reflecting on the many ways that God has answered our prayers for ATEK. Here are a few examples:

• There is a small, but committed group of workers who meet together each Monday to fast and pray for ATEK's ministries and each other. The prayer time, which early on focused on the internal relationships in the organization, now primarily focuses on the challenges in their ministries in the villages. Rarely do internal problems get mentioned.
• Members of ATEK have deepened their friendships, appreciating members for who they are. They often cook together over the lunch hour!
• Before the retreat, one member's family said he should quit working at ATEK. They no longer say that and have even commented that ATEK is a good place for him to be working.
• The office is a pleasant place to visit. The workload continues to be heavy, but members take things in stride and help each other out.
• Recently, one member commented that the changes she has seen are so palpable that she now feels she can trust the leadership with her personal problems.

We recognize that prayer has been crucial in the changes we have seen and we thank those who have prayed with us for ATEK before and after the retreat.

Monday and Tuesday (October 26 & 27) we will be having another retreat with the members of ATEK. We were remiss to not write at the beginning of the month asking for you to be involved in a special prayer focus for this retreat. The truth is perhaps we felt the storm had blown over and the level of prayer involvement was no longer as urgent.  However, that is a grave misunderstanding on our part, for prayer continues to be the source of effectiveness whether in the midst of trials or successes. So we apologize for not writing sooner to invite you into this ministry of prayer.
As our team has talked and prayed about this retreat, we feel we need to focus on personal health and balance in ministry. Avoiding burn-out and maintaining spiritual vitality are essential for the longevity of any ministry. We hope this retreat will help ATEK evaluate how they are doing and take strides to maintain balance. ATEK is very passionate about helping the Quechua church, and they are struggling to put limits on their ministry. Most opportunities are viewed as open doors they must walk through, rather than being selective in the things they choose to do. Our desire is that ATEK might begin to find their corner in the vast sea of need which surrounds them, recognizing they cannot do it all and figuring out what activities they need to prioritize.

I am sure many of us have struggled with the same issues in our lives. Priorities, balance and limitations have to find their way into our decision making or we will have nothing more to give. So would you commit to praying with us daily from now to the end of the month for ATEK? Please also pray for our team, that God will give us wisdom as we prepare for the retreat. Pray that hearts will be soft to hear what God wants to say and that this retreat will result in deepening maturity in ministry.

Partnering together,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga

Hello everyone,

Today is another packing day in the Hettinga household. I am not sure why I ever unpack my suitcase these days. Caleb and Jesse are going to stay with missionary friends for a week while Tammy and I go to Panama. So what is in Panama?

 

We will be participating in a SIL Leadership Development program called "L3 Portal" (Lifelong Learning for Leaders). Through this course, we hope to gain a better understanding of what our development needs are as we consider our leadership potential within the Bible translation movement. We are looking forward to developing a personal growth plan for our lives and learning how we can better use our strengths for the glory of God. Pray that through this process, we will have clear direction from God regarding our future (after our project is completed and we leave Cusco in the summer of 2010). We definitely plan to continue with Wycliffe. However, we have not made a decision as to what or where our next assignment will be. We seem to be struggling between two very different options at this point. At least we are not battling in the sense that Tammy wants one thing and I another. We are both unsure. Please pray for us.

After a week in Panama, Tammy will return to Cusco and I will remain in Lima to lead another "Results Based Management" (RBM) workshop. This time I will be teaching it to 5 organizations: the Peruvian Bible Society, the Peruvian Bible League, as well as 3 other Peruvian organizations involved in promoting Bible translation and/or training Peruvian missionaries to work in Bible translation. Pray for me as I lead the workshop as well as train several new RBM teachers. This will be the biggest workshop I have ever led.

 

Race to 2025 Inda: Update

Thank you to those who prayed for me and the Race to 2025. Also, thanks to those who stepped in and donated to the Bible translation project in India. Many of you prayed for the times that I would be speaking and teaching. All of this went very well. The evaluations I received from the racers were very positive and I do believe that I had an impact on them even if people were falling asleep as I spoke (each day was quite long). The linguistic section and the village also were a success. Everyone had a great time learning about and experiencing Punjabi culture and language. And of course, their food was amazing. The actual race was a lot of fun. We raced under perfectly clear blue skies with temperatures that reached up to 25 C. Perfect. We mountain biked, we hiked a lot, we rock climbed, rappelled, canoed. We had challenges such as comparing Genesis 1 in English with Genesis 1 in Farsi (a language from Iran) and having to discover what the Farsi words for God, light, day, etc. were. We had a fire building challenge (which my team won). We also had to memorize, as a team, a passage of scripture in Hawaiian Pigeon.

Each team had to do a linguistic survey of Punjabi, including completing a list of 60 words. They had to try to transcribe the Punjabi words all the while not using any English. In this picture it looks like they are trying to get the word for "ear", or is it "hear"? It was a lot of fun for everyone involved, including the 30+ people that came from a Punjabi church in Calgary.

Each team was given a team name. My team was called "Tikam". Each name was a pseudonym for a Bibleless people group in India. Along with the name, each team member was given a team jersey with the team name on the back.

The fundraising goal for the race was to raise $30,000 for a "cluster" translation project in northern India. However, we raised $50,000 instead. Praise God!

We were quite the international crew with 12 co-ed teams of 4, including teams that came from Germany, the US and it appears that there must have also been an Aussie (see flag). And of course, Peru.

The frigid waters of the North Saskatchewan just below the Columbia Icefield. We spent a couple of hours paddling through the front range of the Canadian Rockies. Amazing! That's me and my team up ahead givin' it all we had.

Thanks again for your support and your prayers. We appreciate you standing behind us over the years so we can ensure that the Quechua people are experiencing major life change as they encounter their Creator through His written Word.

Until all have heard,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga

 

Dear friends and family,

I hope you are all doing well. We are in the midst of a busy time of year which involves a lot of traveling on my part. At the moment I am in the middle of an eight day trip. Please pray for Tammy and the boys as they hold down the fort. I will be home on Saturday. A lot of exciting things have been happening and will be happening in the next couple of months, but let me fill you in on one major event.

Justin is Racing for India

On September 12-13 I will be in an adventure race to help raise funds for a five-language Bible translation project in India. The Race to 2025: India is an adventure race with eternal impact. It will be held near Nordegg, Alberta (on the edge of the Canadian Rockies). For two days 12 co-ed teams of 4 will race through the mountains on mountain bikes, in canoes, up and down rock cliffs, as well as be confronted by other surprise challenges including a linguistic survey in a mock northern Indian village with native speakers of an Indian language. All of these adventures are to help promote Bible translation, raise money for a cluster translation project in India, and encourage Canadian youth and adults to increase their participation in the global Bible translation movement.

I have been asked to be the guest speaker for the event. Each evening the racers will gather and I will be able to tell stories of life in Peru and encourage them to consider increased involvement with Wycliffe. I will also teach them some very basic linguistic skills in order to give them a taste of the challenge of translating the Bible. This alone is a big challenge for me. However, as most of you know, I love a good adventure so I couldn't resist the opportunity to also enter the race when I recently heard that one team was lacking a member. Opinions are split in our household on whether or not that was a wise decision.

In preparation for the event I need to first, prepare talks, second, raise $650 and third, get my body in better shape. Of course, we have ways in which you can help out. Together we can have an impact not only on these five Bibleless people groups in India, but also have an impact on Canadian youth through challenging them to give their lives to the service of Bibleless peoples.

First off, you can pray.

• Pray that I will do a good job of challenging all the racers to greater involvement and commitment to the work of Bible translation around the world.
• Pray that I will raise the minimum $650. All of this will go towards the translation project. The race costs are separate.

Second, you can give. Each racer is responsible to raise a minimum of $650 which will go towards the Indian translation project.

Send a cheque to Wycliffe Bible Translators and add a note saying that it is for "Justin Hettinga: Race to 2025"
Send to:
Wycliffe Bible Translators
4316 10 St NE
Calgary AB T2E 6K3

Any gift of $25 or more will be given a tax-deductible receipt. It will also be very helpful if you could drop me a note if you plan on sending in a gift. This will help me track where I am at in my fundraising.

For Wycliffe members only: You can do a transfer to Wycliffe Canada, 11010, Race to 2025, Justin Hettinga. At least, I have been told that you can do this!

Other matters:

In a later email update I will let you know about some of the other exciting things going on right now in Peru. However, for now this is probably enough.

We really appreciate your support of the work of Bible translation and Scripture use. You are an important part of our team. Let us know how you are doing and how we can pray for you as well.

In the Sovereign Hands of God,

Justin and Tammy Hettinga

Hello friends and family,

Greetings from wintry Cusco. I am not sure how much you have heard about Peru in the past couple of months. There has been a fair amount of civil unrest throughout the country.
We have begun to expect 'paro' (strike) days almost every other week. On those days, all roads and transportation get shut down. It is sort of like a 'snow' day in other parts of
the world, at least for school kids.

Pray for peace to fill Peru and that people on all sides will act out of wisdom and respect for one another.

Team Update

We thought that we should update you on the team that we are leading in Cusco/southern Peru. For those who remember past team pictures you will notice that the team has changed. I will introduce each person from left to right. On the far left are Dave and Heidi Coombs. They are translation consultants for the AIDIA* translation team. I spend a lot of time in their home since they host me when I travel to Abancay (4 hours away) to visit with them and AIDIA. I try to do that trip twice a month. Next, in the back, is Ben Zimmer. Ben is from Beachcorner Church in Stony Plain, Alberta, which is just outside of Edmonton. He has come for two years to work with ATEK*. We have adopted him into our team. It is nice to have another Canuck around. If I ever want to know hockey news I just ask Ben. Next are Peter and Bonnie Rohrer. They are here serving with Wycliffe Associates and have come down as ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers to help ATEK staff learn some English so they can better relate to visiting teams and funders. Peter is a recently retired accountant and so he advises ATEK on a lot of financial matters. They are a very international couple. Bonnie is Korean, Peter is Swiss and they met in Chicago. Next is us :) Then in the back is Sandy Wisner. Sandy is our "site volunteer coordinator". She is here with Wycliffe Associates and she coordinates all of the foreign teams and individuals that come down to help ATEK. The past year many teams have come down to help ATEK build their training center. Were it not for Sandy I would have been doing all of the coordinating. Next is Carletta Roche. She is the only one that has been on the team with us from the beginning. Carletta has turned into an expert in training indigenous writers to write and publish. We love leading this fun team. It has to be the easiest team on earth to lead. Thanks guys!

Note: This is our immediate team, the people that we directly supervisor. However, our team is really a whole lot bigger. There are many Quechuas who we consider to be "on the team", particularly the two organizations with whom we primarily work, ATEK and AIDIA.

JAWCA

In June I traveled to Huánuco, in the central mountains of Peru. JAWCA is another Quechua organization that is focused on training its own people to use the Bible in the local language. They are in the midst of a major transition so I have become an administration/management/governance coach/advisor/consultant to them. They are stepping up to the plate to continue reaching their people with the Scriptures as the local Wycliffe/SIL staff pull out. Pray for Pablo, their new director, as he leads the organization into major change. Pray that they will be ready to manage a major multi-language project by October 1.

When I visited them I only ended up with 3 days in town because of the strikes. During our time together we discussed many things like restructuring the organization, project accounting and budgeting, board governance, policy development, strategic planning, etc. I would have included a picture of this but these items are not the most conducive to exciting pictures!

AIDIA Translation and Training Center

This past month AIDIA was able to purchase a house which they will use as a translation and training center. The house was definitely an incredible gift from God. It is just what they need and it offers plenty of opportunity for future expansion. Join with us thanking our great God for this amazing blessing. AIDIA will move its offices into the new location in January when the current renters leave.

Pucallpa

The last week of this month we, as a whole family, will be going to Pucallpa. The boys will be on a brief 3 week summer vacation before they need to hop back into their studies. Pucallpa is where Tammy spent her junior and senior high school years. Tammy is looking forward to returning to her old stomping grounds and showing the boys where Mom spent a significant amount of her growing up years. I will be working while the rest of the family enjoys the jungle. I will be leading a Results Based Management (RBM)** workshop to several organizations. Pray that the participants of the workshop will learn well the fundamentals of RBM. Pray that I will also be able to train 3 other RBM trainers who will be helping me teach. I really need to develop other trainers to take over these types of workshops.

Financial Support Update

We would like to thank all of you who regularly support what we are doing. And we also want to thank those of you who in recent months have increased your monthly giving. A couple of months ago we reported to you that we were receiving 84% of our required monthly budget. Now that has increased to 90%. So yes, we do need more people to join the team or see more people increasing their commitments. Could this be you?

Prayer Summary

• Pray for peace to fill Peru and that people on all sides of the current conflicts would act out of wisdom and respect for one another.
• Thank God for our team. We love leading it. Pray that we will lead with hearts of service.
• Pray for Pablo, JAWCA's new director, as he leads the organization into major change. Pray that he will be ready to manage a major multi-language project by October 1.
• Thank God for the amazing provision of a house that will serve as a translation and training center for AIDIA.
• Pray that the participants of the workshop in Pucallpa will learn well the fundamentals of RBM. Pray that I will also be able to train 3 other RBM trainers who will be helping me teach. I really need to develop other trainers to take over these types of workshops.
• Thank God for the faithful team that we have supporting us. Please pray that God will raise up new people to join our team in the area of financial support. Also pray that some current supporters will be led to increase their commitments.

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your contribution to the team effort of reaching the Quechua people with the hope and salvation of Jesus Christ.

In Christ Alone,

Justin & Tammy Hettinga

*ATEK and AIDIA are the interdenominational Quechua organizations we are mentoring in Cusco and Abancay.
**Results Based Management is a project planning and management model that focuses on results, rather than activities. It begins with the desired end in mind and then asks the question, "What do you need to do to reach the desired end?"

Hello friends and family,

As I write you today, it is raining pretty hard. Now that it's April, this may be one of the last good rains we have until October or November. So right now in Cusco everything is green. If you come and visit us in August, everything will be brown and dusty. Our seasons here are defined by wet or dry more than by cold or hot.

We want to write you and give you an update on our lives and what God is doing here in Peru. As many of you know, just over a year ago we began a building project for ATEK*. We are happy to let you know that the main building has its walls and roof. Right now there are people working on plastering and others are pulling electrical wires, etc. So things are progressing. Praise God. Yesterday ATEK even had a class in one of the rooms. Today I had a meeting (see picture) in one of the rooms, even though nothing yet has any windows, doors or lights. But it is dry, and the lack of windows and doors seems to take care of the lack of lights, at least during daylight hours. It is exciting to see the vision of ATEK's Quechua training center taking shape. Did you know that ATEK now has about 20 staff members and well over 100 volunteers in rural areas? God is doing many great things through their various ministries. Check them out: www.atekperu.org

Family Adventures
On the family side of things, we recently were able to escape and take some vacation. We went camping, hiking and fishing in the Chilean Patagonia. We saw some spectacular sights and we created many fun family memories. The kids' highlight was hiking among tens of thousands of wild penguins on an island in the Strait of Magellan. My (Justin's) highlight was hiking among the mountains and glaciers of Torres del Paine National Park. Tammy's was finding campgrounds with hot showers! We spent nearly three weeks in our little tent.  Three weeks without email and a cell phone was just what the doctor ordered!

We came home to hundreds of emails and are now back in the thick of things. I have been busy helping ATEK and AIDIA develop their plans and budgets for the next fiscal year. Yesterday we were able to send them off. Soon we will be in the thick of reporting.
 
God's Word in South American Sign Languages
In two weeks I head off to Paraguay to lead a workshop on Results Based Management with four LETRA organizations. LETRA stands for Latinos in (en) Translation and Literacy (alfabetización). The four LETRA organizations are from Chile,Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. They are similar to Wycliffe Bible Translators in that they send out missionaries to work in Bible translation and literacy. It is exciting to see God at work among the Latin American church, and I feel very privileged to be able to serve in this way. During the workshop each organization will develop a plan to translate the Bible into the sign languages in their respective countries. Please pray for this workshop. Pray that the leaders of each organization will learn the principles that I will be teaching. Pray that this workshop will be an important step toward giving the deaf communities of southern South America God's Word in a language that truly speaks to their hearts. Pray that I will be granted a visa without any hassles. I have several days of layover scheduled in Lima in order to go to the Paraguayan embassy and get a visa.

Immediately upon my return to Lima I will be in AC (Advisory Committee to the SIL administration) meetings for a couple of days. All in all I will be gone from home for two weeks (Apr. 22 to May 6), so please pray for Tammy and the boys while I am away.

Financial Update
When we were in Canada last summer, we were able to visit many of you, and at that time we were receiving about 100% of our ministry budget. Our budget is made up of various ministry type expenses (travel, computers, etc. which are about 40% of the budget) as well as our basic salary. Shortly after we returned to Peru, two large regular donors stopped supporting us. This, coupled with the plummeting Canadian dollar, has caused our support level to drop to about 80%. If you already regularly support us, thank you! If not, we ask that you consider becoming a financial partner with us in bringing God's Word to those who have yet received it in their own heart language.

Prayer
We know that many of you regularly pray for us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We feel that we are often in the middle of a fierce battle and that your prayers play an important part in our advancing.

1. Thank God for the results of the ATEK team building retreat that took place at the end of February. It was an incredible time of growing together as a team and of beginning to re-establish trust between team members. The last afternoon of the retreat we spent 4 hours in a group reconciliation session. Praise God for what He is doing in the lives of ATEK workers!
2. Thank God that we were able to unplug from our responsibilities and activities and take some time to unwind and create some fun family memories during our vacation in March. It was long overdue.
3. Thank God that we had a great week with Tammy's parents, who were recently visiting us. We celebrated Easter early with them and had a special time together.
4. We will be travelling tomorrow to Abancay (4 hours away), where other team members work, for a team retreat. John & Kathy Wile, with Barnabas International (who are like pastors to missionaries), will be leading the retreat. Pray that we will have some great team bonding times, as well as be spiritually and physically refreshed.
5. Pray for the upcoming workshop that I will be leading in Paraguay. Pray that the participants capture the principles. Pray that they develop well laid out plans to put God's Word into the sign languages of the 'southern cone' (Chile,Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay). Pray that I get a visa without any hassle. Pray that Tammy and the boys do well without Dad for the 2 weeks I am gone (April 22-May6).
6. Pray that God will raise up several financial partners and that we will receive what we need to work and live.
7. Pray for continued wisdom as I daily advise ATEK and AIDIA and other indigenous organizations.
8. Pray for patience, energy and creativity for Tammy as she manages the household on top of homeschooling Caleb and Jesse.
   
   Our team sends out weekly praise and prayer requests via email to those who want to pray for us and our ministries. If you would like to receive these, please let us know.
   
   Once again, thank you. Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for supporting us through your prayers, your giving, your emails and so much more. We wish you could come and see with your own eyes how much change has been happening among the Quechua communities that have grasped onto the Word of God in their language. "Aslan is on the move!"
   
   "Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love." Eph. 6:25

In the service of the King,

Justin and Tammy Hettinga

*ATEK is the interdenominational Quechua organization we are mentoring in Cusco.

"For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms…Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere." Ephesians 6:12 & 18, NLT

The Bible makes it clear that we live in a war zone. Satan is out to tear us down and destroy us and our ministry. In a place like Cusco, where occult activity is celebrated by both locals and tourists, it is not surprising to find that the battle rages. Most days the battle subtly clothes itself in everyday life—a bad day here, a misunderstanding there, a wrong attitude or an unkind word. But the day comes when the accumulation of these "ordinary" occurrences converge and we find ourselves scratching our heads and wondering if there isn't more to the situation than meets the eye. Could this be a spiritual attack?

If you have kept up at all on what is going on in South Peru, you will know that since its formation, ATEK* has aggressively taken on the vision of strengthening the Quechua family through Bible-based trainings and God has blessed their efforts in undeniable ways. However, the unending need of the Quechua church, the continual travel to hard-to reach communities and the untiring pace of ATEK's workers seems to be taking its toll. The demand on the men and women in ATEK is high and in recent months we have been noticing increased discord and tension on the team. It seems Satan is taking advantage of this tired army of passionate Kingdom builders.

We feel it is time to take a breather and sit down together with ATEK staff to refocus, talk and learn from each other about how to work together better. So February 26-27 the SIL team will be leading a teambuilding retreat for ATEK staff.

We recognize that there are many factors which play into the current situation, but as a team we strongly believe that one of the major factors is spiritual warfare. Satan is not pleased with the spiritual advances ATEK is making into his territory and he is pulling out all stops to impede further progress. So we want to dedicate this month to praying for this retreat and the members of ATEK. And here is where you come in. We would like to form a team of prayer warriors who would join us in this venture, praying for ATEK's workers and for us, as we prepare and lead the retreat. If you are interested in being part of this one-month, special-focus prayer team, please let us know and we will send further information which will guide you as you pray.

In the service of the King,

Justin and Tammy Hettinga

*ATEK is the interdenominational Quechua organization we are mentoring in Cusco.

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