Keeping Up With the Andersons

Why Bible Translation? Part 1

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2010-09-06T05:42:32Z

We're taking steps in the direction of Bible translation. This will involve a long term commitment - one more year of study in Melbourne, then moving overseas, and a few years of language and culture learning before we even get into actually doing translation. Also the people group we go to may require the invention of a written script and the learning of literacy before they can make much use of the translation. All in all, this decision could prove to be quite costly for us. So why do it? There are plenty of ways in which we can be using our gifts to serve God that are not so costly, why not choose one of those?

One reason we want to do Bible translation is that we believe all people have a right to God's Word. The whole of the world and every person living on it belongs to God, but too many of us don't even know this. God has chosen to communicate His message to all of us by the Bible:

"...but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son [Jesus], whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world" (Hebrews 1:1)

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. " (Luke 24:27)

The Bible witnesses to Jesus, and Jesus is the way that God has shown Himself to the world, the only way to a right relationship with God and the only person by whom our sins can be forgiven. Not only do all people have a right to be able to hear this message from God, but they have a need for it.

English-speaking people can pick up a Bible at any time from their local library or church and read God's message about Jesus, but, for many people groups, this is not an option. That is one reason why we're heading toward doing Bible translation - anybody should be able to pick up God's word and hear God speaking to them.
More reasons to follow.

Thinking about 2011

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2010-08-16T05:58:54Z

I have been thinking about 2011. My dear friends here in Sydney have come up with many reasons for us to stay in Sydney. And I love them. And want to stay. I really enjoy their company, the opportunities to share life at a deeper level and I love my family, mother's group, bookclub, college, church, my Ashfield friends, old friends. I've always lived in Sydney.

So, why are we probably not living in Sydney in 2011?
It's clear it is not because we want to get away from you all.

But it is clear to us that the world is bigger than Sydney. And it all belongs to God. Psalm 8 in the Bible picks up on this. It describes the far end of the galaxy and wonders that God cares for insy winsy people. And even gives them responsibility to care for this tiny planet. I love the beginning and ending (they repeat each other) "LORD, our Lord, your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth". LORD (with the capitals) is a way English Bibles try to capture God's special name (it sounds like Yahweh in Hebrew). It's the name of the creator and carer of the world. He isn't just a distant God who is to be found behind all the religious deities of the world. He is powerful but really loving. Of course then, his name is the most wonderful in all the earth. So that was a long way of saying that lots of people know that in Sydney - and even those who don't can find out. They can read the Bible, meet people who know this God, come to church. But I keep hearing of people who have no opportunity to know and thank the God who made them. They might be thanking another god with another name, or maybe they don't know who to thank, or thank themselves. And they have no Bible in their language, or friends who know this God. Or they want to thank him but don't know much about him. That's why we want to move out of Sydney, and out of the English speaking world. And the most beautiful name in the world is even more beautiful than sunny days, good friends and family. Because he's the source of all beauty.

What's the plan at the moment?
Toby's hoping to help people hear and read the Bible in their own language. I'm hoping to chat with and love people lots. Which people? Don't know the specifics, but as Caleb's story book says: "People are just like you, wherever they are, all over the world". ie. Other people who just live differently but need to hear about their beautiful saviour.
So, we're hoping to do more study in 2011. What?!? More study! Yep - more study. Praise God we enjoy studying (mostly!). Linguistics (not a particular language, but how to learn and pull apart language). If that's what works out best we'll be enjoying Melbourne (where the college is) next year and we'll keep you up to date with plans beyond that.

Love you all heaps
MG

Sunny Days

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2010-08-16T05:49:14Z

Hi. It's MG here!
Sunny days give me an opportunity to be extra thankful. There's something about the vitamins and endorphins that can't help everyone feeling good. So here's a list of things I'm thankful for today. See if you can add to it.
a) God - thanks for sun to dry my washing
b) thanks God that we can play outside
c) isn't it good that when we rang our friend Jane she spontaneously invited us to a music time at summer hill
d) thanks God for lunch in the sun with grammy (toby's mum).
e) praise God for thongs. They are the best shoes ever! And it's warm enough to wear them.
f) we're thanking God he always provides everything we need - and it's so peaceful when we can trust him and not worry
g) I'm thanking God for hats and tissues and nappies and teddy bears and books to read and yummy toast.
What variety and beauty.

Your turn:
Please comment by adding what you're thankful for today...

Bible Translation

nospam@example.com (Toby and Mary-Grace Anderson) — 2010-08-09T12:48:11Z

It's a very exciting time for us. We've decided to bite the bullet and apply to Wycliffe to be Bible Translators. This is something we've been thinking and praying about for a long time. Another option for us has been to focus on my IT skills and use them for ministry in some way - something that I would love, but we've seen that Bible translation is more strategic, since I also have ability in that, and there are much less people who are both willing and able to commit to doing it. Also there are so many language groups in the world that do not have the scriptures available to them, even groups that have an existing church. It is vitally important to place the Bible into the hands of people who need it. God's Word is extremely powerful and can accomplish lots. We're excited to be able to contribute to unleashing it.

Mocha Playgroup

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2010-02-26T02:02:17Z

Hello again cyberspace

I have just had a wonderful morning. I think Fridays are my favourite morning in the week (after Sundays and maybe Mondays. Tuesdays are pretty good too.Oh, I like them all!)

Anyway, Fridays are great because Caleb and I get to go to playgroup at our church. It's so much fun. We play, eat, sing, play, watch mums make crafts (it's the pre-cursor to parents doing children's homework!). And the highlight for me is seeing lots of great friends. Neighbours, friends from mothers' group, people I always see at the shops. Friends from church. And we're all together and all enjoying life together. And helping each other.

I also get excited when my friends grow to love my church. Them (and their children) see church as somewhere they want to be. In fact, a friend says that she walks past the church most days and her daughter always wants to go inside, because she likes church. And I know it's the people and the love of Christian people that they love. Because our church isn't the most child-friendly in design, the temperature inside is not always pleasant, and the toilets are not nearby. But we have a ball

And these friends are slowly and surely coming to church and the womens fellowship (bible study) group. It's so cool to watch God at work. And I know it's him. Because I don't push, my friends are genuinely interested. And why wouldn't you be? The people are nice, we have food, and we actually talk about and care about the details of life. We pray to a God who answers prayer, and we talk about all those things that you mean to talk about in life but never do - the deep questions from within our very selves. Is there any meaning to life? Does God care? Is death really the end? The deep questions that God answers in the Bible, and in the very fabric of our lives.

Oh, I wish I could freeze time and be at playgroup forever. Praise God for his kindness to us.

Lots to do

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2010-02-25T04:27:23Z

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with the amount of work I've got to do at college right now. I have lots of contact hours this semester and all the readings and translation I'm supposed to do each week don't fit into my remaining hours. On top of that I have lots of assignments (see "upcoming" section of the side bar) and many of them are due around the same time.

Pray that God will reduce my anxiety, and that I will be able to prioritise my time well. I'm aiming to not let the urgent things displace the important things, such as time with my family and with God.

Already God is answering my prayers in this, as I'm feeling less anxious now that the main ideas for my Deuteronomy sermon are taking shape in my head. MG is being a big help for me, even though she's just coming out of a week of sickness. She's helped find resurces for my Genesis assignment and single-handedly put together our next newsletter.

For those who are less busy right now, here's something to ponder: Compare Deuteronomy 28 with John 9:1-3 and Luke 13:1-9. What do you think?

National Training Event

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2009-12-15T02:22:26Z

Every December hundreds of evangelical students from all across Australia gather in Canberra for the AFES National Training Event (NTE) Where they spend 5 days in God's word learning how to nut it out, how to live it out, and how to proclaim it out. After this intense event the students disperse in teams of about 10 all across Australia (not necessarily where they came from) and proclaim God's word in 5-day missions based in churches.

In the first half MG, Caleb and I were in Canberra teaching a small group (12) of students how to understand a passage from Micah in depth - seeing what it would have meant to the original hearers, and what it means for us under Christ. We were very impressed by our group's ability to understand the passage well. The each had written decent talks on it by the end of the week.

Over the last 5 days there was a team from NTE at our church. They got involved in a lot of creative ways to bring Christ to the local area, including a free car-wash. We helped with an Aussie Christmas Dinner on Sunday, particularly aimed at internationals. MG cooked heaps of delicious food and everyone had a great time. There were some Chinese and Nepalese people there and everyone heard a presentation about why we celebrate the birth of Jesus as we do.

Thank God for the NTE conference and all that the 1300 students learnt on it. Also Thank God for the many short missions that happened across Australia. Pray that the local church members will carry on the momentum of the missions toward Christmas and that Jesus will be recognised as lord by many more people this year, and thus God will be glorified.

Crunch time - exams are coming...

nospam@example.com (Toby and Mary-Grace Anderson) — 2009-06-15T12:26:35Z

My only exam is in a week. I'm looking forward to it (gasp!). Well, exams are a great way of making you work hard and consolidate info, so studying for an exam can be quite an enjoyable process. But often my only study time is 9pm at night (like now...) and I so am not up for reading and thinking...so here's my secret. Multi-tasking...yes - I do it...and it's been successful so far. Here's an insight into how I studied today: Firstly, Caleb had a nap - so up came the commentary. Then we went for a walk, I sang Old MacDonald had a farm (always end up wondering what sounds a chook makes) and read my commentary whilst pushing him to Salvos - I was looking for a "trolley with bricks" (that's what Toby calls it - us Aussies would say a "cart with blocks") for Caleb to push around because he's trying to pull himself up on EVERYTHING!. Then later on he played happily for 10 mins whilst I read. Then we went shopping...well, that was the plan. We drove the 5 min to the shops, he fell asleep on the way - and since he was tired and had been pretty grumpy I let him be...and pulled out my commentary (and some pen and paper). 1 & 1/2 hr later I left the shops, having never gotten out of the car since he hadn't woken up, and the Westfield Parking ticket only gives you 2 hrs free. But I'd got some good work done. Yay! Don't stress - I got some milk on the way home at an unusual corner store (I always how they make money...hmmm). And here I am procrastinating tonight. So, that's probably 2 -3 hrs work done today. And time to digest it whilst washing, playing, chatting with a friend, exercising and calming a teething child. I'm not trying to be a supermum, just enjoying the time I have to reflect on Deuteronomy, and loving it. Enjoy the opportunities that your situation in life affords. And you're welcome to go for a walk with me and Caleb anytime...I promise I won't read - I'll talk with you. And hopefully I won't walk into any poles...

90,000 kids

nospam@example.com (Toby and Mary-Grace Anderson) — 2009-05-23T10:44:44Z

You might be wondering what this event is that keeps popping up...some friends at our bible college sat down and brainstormed about how to care for families in Australia, particularly with such a high abortion rate. We decided to pray. We know that God is in control, he made us, he knows us, he cares for us. What a good decision. So once a month we pray for Australia, our families, our governments etc. Why 90,000 kids? Because that is the recorded amount of abortions each year in Australia. Many lives terminated. What sadness. So, please come join me on the lawn at SMBC at lunch. Or you could pray right now. Pray for the parents and children of Australia. Pray for support for overwhelmed women who find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy. Pray for a change of opinion in our country. Also pray for those who want children but can't have them. All these who suffer (usually in silence). I hope my little boy can bring delight to not just my heart but to many who need healing...everyone's hurting in some way. Every time I go to the shops someone cuddles him or plays with him. People who have lost children, who have just had a patient die, people who hurt. Next time you meet a stranger think about how you can be of comfort to them, how you can sit a while on a bench with them. My biggest comfort to them is the comfort of the new creation, where Jesus has brought death to an end. Please pray for me to be of comfort to people, as the Holy Spirit gives me power to speak words of life.

Mothers' Day

nospam@example.com (Toby and Mary-Grace Anderson) — 2009-05-10T07:16:39Z

Well, our first Mothers' Day proper...Caleb is 6 months already. I've enjoyed reading all the stuff today's paper publishes about mothers. The inconsistencies always strike me - one page talking about trying to improve our stat of 49% of mums with youngest child under 6 in the workforce to at least match other developed countries (59%) by introducing paid maternity leave (which I wouldn't be eligible for!). The next page talked about middle class people working long hours to provide for their children and their children being the unhappiest and depressed group in Australia. Whilst I think work can be satisfying and necessary to pay the bills (in fact, a number of mums in my mothers group are working part-time or plan to return to work - because they enjoy it, or need to pay the bills, or because their husbands are now unemployed due to the economic situation), it is really strategic that parents have energy and time for their children, not just giving them the leftover 'grumpy' energy. The love of a childcare worker can never replace the time and love of a parent, or even better, a community of family and friends. My childcare worker friends would agree with me, even though they love their kids so much.

How do I make my time with Caleb fun and enjoyable, and even intellectually stimulating!? I see him as a little person who needs to know and grow...I try to see the world from his perspective. I have made myself a mini expert on all things to do with children's development...it's like rediscovering my childhood - thinking about how things work, lots of time to think about how to explain the world to a child, how to help him know God, how to meet with people and encourage them as we walk down the street and go to mothers group. And lots of cuddles. And I read to him, not just kids books but whatever I'm reading...at the moment I'm enjoying a book on God the warrior whilst reading Joshua...feel free to ask me about it.

And music - I always wanted to be a professional singer, and now I have an appreciative audience for all my musical blunders...in fact he plonks the piano and sings along with me....and he's trying to plonk the computer keyboard at the moment too. Whilst dancing to the music.

Kids are fun. Praise God for them. I'm happy to share mine with you. Come join me for some fun.

P.S. I love my working mum friends...and I will probably join your ranks at some point, but my priorities place my family before my work...so when I have the need to - I will be praying for a job with good balance...but til then I enjoy my busy 7-day job with my family, the opportunities it gives me to meet with people, help them, be helped by them, and look forward to my spare-time hobby of study and sleep

Toby's away

nospam@example.com (Toby and Mary-Grace Anderson) — 2009-04-02T09:17:16Z

Hi friends.
I was reading a sydney anglican website whilst eating my spag bol tonight and it was talking about the benefits of blogging...well, I benefit from blogs of others, hearing their thoughts, and reflections on life, and seeing what they're up to. That's part of the appeal of facebook. So, I officially declare our dormant blog re-opened!

Toby's away, and sent me an email...he's on an overseas visit to Beijing with others from our college. Something he said was fascinating...
"So far Beijing seems a nice city. Quite similar to Sydney." I think: Sydney and Beijing - diff language and culture, diff size, diff food, diff weather, diff government, diff attitude toward Christians....but maybe some of those differences aren't really differences, and the others don't really matter. The world is a small place. I remember when a Viet guy in one of my bible groups at uni said that Sydney was more like Hanoi than he expected...and he thinks it was because of American tv. I think it's more than that...
What are the similarities?
1) People are people everywhere. Despite language and culture and experiences, people are really similar...we all long to be loved and accepted. We all long to make a difference. We all long to be heard. We all long to achieve and succeed. We all long to be young forever. We all want freedom. And I can't help thinking that God, our creator meets those longings. Maybe in different ways to what we expected.
2) Food. This sounds silly but living in Ashfield, we can get most of the Chinese foods that Toby's enjoying...just down the road - and def all under $10. Come join us sometime. "I had delicious Seafood Congee for lunch at a really nice Chinese food court"
3) something I think's cool is that there are believers in Jesus everywhere...even if they're hidden from view (as many of my aussie asian friends say when they return home). But I think it's cool that there's so many in China that the goverenment doesn't stop them meeting together anymore, they can't when there's way more Christians than ppl in the communist party.

Let me know other thoughts you have about similarities, small or big, superfiicial or profound - I'm interested.

Other funny things toby said:
"had a 2 hour language class with the people who teach the 'workers' here. It was fun." ha ha - he'll be better equipped to speak with our neighbours now - so many within 100 m of our unit who don't speak english, but only mandarin. Well, at least he can say hi in a vaguely kosher way. That sounds so imperialist...we have bought a teach yourself mandarin cd, and keen to learn...and we have heaps of friends who speak it. It's a much richer language than english - and that's even after they simplified it!

I'm off to Brisbane tomorrow...that's my adventure whilst Toby's away...and it'll be nice to have company and hang out with some good friends from uni days. Caleb's getting on a plane at 4 1/2 months, I think my first trip was age 11! he scored! Should be heaps of fun.

Caleb

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2008-11-18T02:17:13Z

Full Name: Caleb Toby Anderson

DOB: 2008-11-13 3:28amWeight: 3.53 Kg

Height: 50cm

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Debatable, possibly strawberry blond

Distinguishing Features:

Extreme cuteness
Strong legs
Strong arms
Strong suck
Ability to feed continuously with only short breaks
Ability to sleep for up to 6 hours even while being cuddled by friends and relatives

A growing family

End of Semester

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2008-10-21T07:32:16Z

We recently had a holiday in Jervis Bay. It was great fun, and we got to see the bottle-nosed dolphins that live in the bay. Here are some photos we took.

Us at Jervis Bay

Dolphin at Jervis Bay

After our holiday we had a training weekend for our Scripture Union mission on location in Tarcutta. Each section's plans for January started taking shape, which is very exciting.

Now we are into the second week of a 4-week block of lecture time, with an essay due this Friday. Next week we need to get stuck into studying for our exams which will start on the Tuesday of the following week (we requested to do our exams two weeks before our fellow students because our baby is due in the college exam week). We won't bother trying to go to lectures in the week we are doing exams.

It's a busy time of year for everyone at SMBC; This afternoon I had to study in the dinning hall because all the desks in the library were taken up (FYI there are 62 desks in the library), and for us this busyness is compressed by 2 weeks. Our last exam is on 7 Nov. After that we only need to be concerned with our baby. It's very exciting. Many of our friends have just had babies, and they're very cute. It's a bit scary too, but I 'm definitely looking forward to it. We've rearranged our house so what was the study is now a nursery and the living room ~~doubles~~ triples as a study and dining room - which actually works out pretty well!

Pray that we'll get all our college work done in the next few weeks and that we get through exams. Pray for MG's final month of pregnancy and for the birth.

Essays

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2008-10-07T04:10:25Z

I'm working on two essays this week. The first which is half done is a response to Hebrews as if I was an original recipient. The second which I'm yet to start is What is the rationale for the ruling against mixed marriages in Ezra-Nehemiah?. I don't really like writing essays because it's hard work, but once I get into it I actually like it because I learn so much from researching and I end up knowing a lot more about the topic, and I really love learning stuff.

The last essay I wrote was about how chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation (The letters to the 7 churches) fit in with the rest of the book. Here's my conclusion:

The whole book of Revelation provides a big picture of what God is doing, into which the present afflictions of the church can be placed. Chapters 2 and 3 contains the messages of the glorious Lord Jesus as He addresses specific churches directly and indicating He knows their situation, their strengths and their weaknesses. It is exhortation to continue under pressure with the rest of the book as motivation to do so: The upcoming judgment of the world and victory of Christ. As their current situations are placed alongside God's grand plan for the world, these messages also allow the hearers to see that their suffering as part of something much bigger. Finally it provides them with hope, through the promises to those who overcome, as they see into the future a new Jerusalem where there is no more pain, and so they can push on toward that goal.

Misc stuff

nospam@example.com (Toby Anderson) — 2008-09-09T02:49:52Z

This week is a research week which means there are no lectures and we have time to catch up with reading and assignments. MG and I are working on New Testament assignments. Mine is abut how chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation (the letters to the 7 churches) relate to the rest of Revelation and MG's is a similar question on chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians.

This week SMBC is also hosting a conference about teaching Acts, which means two things for us:

We're allowed to come to a talk from Acts each morning, which is useful for getting us out of bed.

We get really nice morning tea.

People using laptops in the library

I've noticed that the use of laptop computers has been on the increase at SMBC. I just had a look around the library and 45 out 59 students working here at the moment are using laptops.
As you might have guessed, I'm procrastinating from doing my essay. Gotta go, it's time for lunch.