A few years ago Tiffany Doran invited me to a dinner with Chuck and Janice Walton, who are former missionaries in the Philippines. They spent many years involved in Bible translation for people groups with no copies of the scriptures in their languages. Recently Chuck orbited back into my path here at church, and I had lunch with him Friday. He and Janice continue to do those dinner nights at their home, and I asked Tiffany, who regularly attends them, to write a little about what they’re like, and to invite you all out. The next one happens this Saturday night. If you think you may be called to foreign missions at all, or just aren’t sure what the next step of your life might be and want to talk over God’s leading, I recommend checking this out. Here’s Tiffany:
For the last four years I’ve had the privilege of attending Chuck and Janice’s “Supper Nights” in Newtown. Chuck and Janice Walton were Wycliffe Bible Translators in the Philippines for many years and translated two New Testaments for Bibleless people groups. Now they live in Newtown and work as recruiters for Wycliffe. Their heart and ministry is to encourage those who have sensed a call from the Lord to missions work in that period of waiting between their call and their actual going to the field (which they’ve told me on average is around 10 years). Also they have a heart to make people aware of the Bibleless peoples groups around the world (“today about 340 million people do not have any Scripture in their language” –wycliffe.org) and the different ways we can be a part of bringing them the Word of God in their mother tongue- whether it’s through prayer, supporting other missionaries, or going ourselves (which doesn’t necessarily mean being a Bible translator–there are airplane mechanics who are Wycliffe missionaries!).
Anyway, Chuck and Janice have these nights not to guilt you into being a Wycliffe missionary, and not to push you to foreign missions work at all. What I have gleaned from these nights is that they want to create an environment for those who have a heart for missions to come together and eat, pray, discuss different aspects of missions and what’s going on in the world, answer questions, and discuss ways to be missionaries wherever we’re called- whether it’s Langhorne, PA or Cameroon, West Africa.
So if that is you, I would encourage you contact Chuck and Janice and let them know ASAP if you can attend (because Janice makes amazing wonderful food–usually some awesome ethnic dish–but she wants to make sure she has enough for everyone!).