Greetings Fellow Uspanteco Team Members!

We trust that this update finds you well and enjoying the peace that can only come from our loving LORD.

2004 In Fractions

If we hurry we can get this January update published before the last midnight in January. One-twelfth of 2004 is history. Was it not just a few days ago that we celebrated the new year? We will be out of Guatemala for at least three-twelfths of 2004 and in the States. 

As we look to our LORD for His will for the McMillen ministries to the Uspantecos we will be visiting as many new churches and groups as possible in the fall of this year (September-November) to see if more people are interested in joining the Uspanteco Team.

In today's portion of Scripture in my One Year Bible in Matthew 21:21 Jesus tells his disciples: "Truly if you have faith, and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more." Then He told them that they could even get the Mount of Olives to jump into the sea! With our 2004 budget under Lutheran Bible Translators there is a financial mountain that has to jump in our direction.

 At the 3/365th part of this year we received a note from José Ajcot, one of our co-translators, with the news that as of January 1st he had resigned. He had done this once before after the New Testament dedication. We do not know exactly if he needs a 'sabbatical' from the pressures of translation and radio broadcasting or if he wants to permanently remove himself from the team. But then again this may be the best timing for him to take a break seeing as how much time we will be away from Guatemala this year.

 It has been said: "By dwelling on the past one can lose out on the future". With that thought in mind we are looking forward in the not-too-distant future tackling a new Uspanteco video dubbing project so that we can share with as many Uspantecos as possible, God's plan of salvation for all of us. There is a video, God's Story, that explains very clearly how, from the beginning of time, God has had a plan for the salvation of all those created in His image. This 80 minute video uses the chronological Bible storytelling technique. This technique has proved especially effective in reaching people who cannot read the written Word. One co-worker of another missionary who has dubbed the sound track into another Mayan language said: "If a person sees this video and does not now accept Jesus as his Savior, he will never do so."

 The other eight-twelfths of the year, besides preparation for radio programs and continuing Old Testament translation, Margie will be overseeing the translation of the Good News Script which uses the same chronological Bible storytelling technique but in a picture booklet form. The picture booklet will have a companion audio cassette so that the person who looks at the pictures in the booklet can listen at the same time.

Venancio Chitop, the Hosanna "Faith Comes by Hearing" promoter, has over 100 homes he visits weekly and leaves an audio portion of the New Testament. At every home he also broaches various topics like: "If you think that God does not love you, then let us see what the New Testament says." For this topic he takes out his Uspanteco New Testament and reads from Romans 3:10-12. To see photos of Venancio visiting a new contact, go to our website and click on New Listener. Also on our website are photos of Guatemala's new president and the new mayor here in Uspantán. Click on The Rabbit Wins.

Personal Note: Please pray for Stan's Mom who is losing strength at an accelerated pace. She is on a feeding tube and cannot lift her hands to her face. Also please pray for a healthy and safe delivery of our 15th grandchild in April.