July 2007

Mortensen Family

Memo from the Mortensens

Translating God's Word for the Northern Embera People of Panama and Colombia
October 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

Danny

This has been a big year for us! Definitely the biggest family event was Danny’s graduation from high school. We were happy to have our entire family together for that occasion, including both sets of grandparents.

Graduation

Danny has now started his life at Lamar University, taking 18 units, working out at the awesome gym, making friends and getting involved in a church and several Bible studies.

KIrsten

Kirsten is in her senior year at the University of Michigan, finishing her double major in linguistics and Spanish as well as working 2 jobs and singing soprano in the Women’s Glee Club. She is pursuing several options for life after graduation.

Laura

Laura is now in middle school, adjusting to the new schedule and activities, including being a vocalist in the middle school worship band and performing as the evil stepmother in a musical of Cinderella.

We are happy to announce that the team and partner check of Acts is finished. In this stage of the translation Chaz and Doug meet with some Embera speakers and together they make sure they are in agreement on the meaning, wording, spelling and so forth. Cornelio, Abundio and his wife Elvira joined them for that. Finishing Acts is a big accomplishment because it is the third longest book in the New Testament. They will now prepare a back-translation in Spanish for the consultant, who will search for any omissions or errors in the meaning of the text.

At long last, the final revision committee for the Northern Embera Scripture translation is starting work this coming week. Start-up had been delayed for a few months while Doug had surgery on his leg. Doug is back and doing well. Please pray for Doug, Cornelio, Abundio, Felipe, Plinio, Elvira (not the one mentioned above) as they get started and into a working rhythm. Chaz will be working with them about every other week. On the "off" weeks he will work on Bible book introductions, deal with the consultants and publishers, update the Embera-Spanish dictionary and see Helga and Laura!

This month Chaz will be traveling to Dallas for a training conference for Bible translation consultants. They will be discussing how differing understandings of certain biblical terms can affect translations. They will also see how some new software for translators works. He plans to visit some relatives and friends as well.

We appreciate your interest in our work and your faithful support in giving and prayers. In these days of financial crisis we know that is a sacrifice for many of you to send us financial support and we thank you for your faithfulness. Please drop us a line to let us know how you are doing as well.

Chaz and Helga, Kirsten, Danny, Laura

#PTY-7982
P.O. Box 025207
Miami, FL 33102-5207
011-507-317-0308
chaz_mortensen@sil.org
helga_mortensen@sil.org
www.chmort.com
Kirsten: 200 Observatory St., #198 Mosher-Jordan Hall, Ann Arbor MI 48109-2035, kirsaram@umich.edu or kirsaram@gmail.com
Danny: Lamar University, P.O. Box 10212, Beaumont TX 77710-0212, really_weird750@hotmail.com or djmortensen@my.lamar.edu

Address for all financial contributions:

Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862-8200
www.wycliffe.org

Please send mail (no packages) to:

Chaz & Helga Mortensen
#PTY-7982
P.O. Box 025207
Miami, FL 33102-5207

Email addresses:

chaz_mortensen@sil.org
helga_mortensen@sil.org

Telephone:

011-507-317-0308 or 011-507-6483-9288 (Chaz' cell)
011-507-6687-2541 (Helga's cell)