Today begins the second week of Look2012, an annual conference hosted by Wycliffe Global Alliance and SIL in Chiang Mai, Thailand. These hot and humid days have been filled with a flurry of activity. I’m so grateful that The Seed Company strategic leadership team is with me. Before arriving we felt an urging, a Spirit-led call, to approach Look2012 with a heart-posture of humility and service. Over the past few days, we have responded to that call and God has met us here in Chiang Mai.
Before breaking into focus groups, we meet for morning devotions, one of which, delivered by the newly appointed director of Wycliffe Hungary, has really stuck with me. After reading Genesis 12:1-3 and John 3:16-17, we shared what we believed God was saying to us personally through His Word. The director noted that God did not ask Abraham to do anything He was not willing to do himself. When God asked Abraham to move from Ur to serve His purposes, He too moved from heaven to Earth, even the same place on Earth, for the very same reason. What a God!
After devotions, the chairman of the board of Wycliffe Thailand greeted us with a warm welcome to his country, and with interactive language learning. Pointing to the logo, Look2012, he noted that the word “look” in Thai means to get up! He saw the branding as symbolic for us needing to get up, move and get going with urgency to serve the Bibleless peoples of the Earth. He had everyone getting up to their feet with each shout of the word Look.
Vision 2025 was declared at Wycliffe’s international conference in 1999, so on this date in 2012 we are very close to the half-way point to the goal, chronologically. This is an important time to stop, look, and listen to the Lord. And then … get up!
One of my personal highlights occurred during a partnership lunch meeting with the leadership of Deaf Opportunity OutReach. They are a prime example of what happens when believers get up. We partner with DOOR to create Scripture translations in Sign Languages in countries from Africa to India. These precious people are really the least, last and lost. No one has provided Scripture for them in their language — ever. And what an honor to have a small part in accelerating the translation, evangelism and church planting for entire nations of Deaf people. Right now, we are completing two to three years of work translating and recording onto video the set of 32 Bible stories for two Deaf people groups.
This trip, jet-lag and all, has certainly been worth the effort. I am so happy that we had the opportunity to LOOK — to get up! I feel a kinship to Abraham. God called us here and he met us here. What a God indeed!
The Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession ….” — Genesis 13:14-15 (NLT)
