Funeral services; traveling to Serbia & Croatia for dedication of Gospel of Luke & 50 Bible stories in 4 Roma languages

L to R: Daniel (13), Matthew (23), Todd, Todd’s mom Geri Price, Timothy (30), Pamala, Stephen (26), Ariela (10) Kirsten (17), Elizabeth (26)

FAMILY UPDATE

The memorial for Todd’s dad, Max Price, was in Oklahoma City on July 30. We’re thankful that my mom was in good health and able to attend, and that all our kids (except Jonathan in California) were able to attend.

The burial for Pam’s dad, Mal Hughes, was in Dallas on August 13. Again, all the kids (except Jonathan in California) were able to make the trip down, and we also had a mini-family reunion with Pam’s mom, Pam’s sisters, and many of our nieces and nephews. Pictured left is the casket and flag at his burial with military honors.

Todd’s mom is doing fine in the nursing home in Oklahoma City (pictured above with Pam) and it has been good to visit her several times. Pam’s mom is preparing to pack up her house in Dallas and move into a small apartment in Kansas City to be closer to us, and to Pam’s sister, Kim.

Speaking of Kim (pictured above with Pam), it has been such a treat to live close to Kim and family and she and Pam have loved having weekly “sister time” together.

In August we celebrated Ariela’s 10th birthday and Matthew’s 23rd (pictured above)!

TRANSLATION PROGRESS

Drum roll, please! We have now completed the Gospel of Luke, and a separate book of 50 Bible stories with pictures in four Roma languages, and have made audio recordings of them as well. Todd has been putting the text, as well as audio files on a special website for Roma Bible translation and on YouTube. We are so excited for this milestone!

From September 5-17, Todd will be in Serbia and Croatia to meet with all the Roma Bible translators and distribute the printed Gospels and Bible story books, and demonstrate to people how they can listen to the audio recordings on their phones. This will be a very full tour visiting about a dozen locations in the two countries, with 1,500 pieces of printed literature.

It is also a highly strategic time as I will introduce the new project coordinator to all the translators and help him make plans for the second phase of the project as we translate more of the New Testament in five Roma languages. I will continue my full-time work on the Bible translations, but move up to the higher level of being one of the consultants who does the final check of the translations.

We completed the consultant check for the Gospel of Luke in the 5th Roma language (Ludari), logging 199 hours on Zoom over a 10-month period, meeting virtually in the US and Croatia. We will continue to translate Luke & the Bible stories in this 5th language, which is due January 2022.

Please pray that all of us traveling from the US, Slovakia and Croatia can cross the borders without problems from COVID, that all the books will be printed on time, and that we can show dozens of Roma how to listen to the Bible on their phones.

Thank you so much for your prayers for us!
Todd & Pamala Price

Prayer needs for Scripture distribution in September

Renata making the audio recording of 50 Bible stories in the Bayash language

I plan to be in Serbia and Croatia September 5-17. The goal of the trip is two-fold:

  1. We have completed the Gospel of Luke and 50 Stories from the Bible (along with a glossary explaining important terms) in four Roma languages. We will print these and distribute them in the four languages in over a dozen churches or villages during this two-week visit.
  2. We will introduce the new project coordinator to the translators and other Christian workers and pastors in the region. He will take over coordination of the translation project as it moves on to the second phase, and I will become one of the translation consultants which will allow me to give my focus to examining and approving the finalized version of other books of the Bible which are translated in these languages.

As often happens with trips of this complexity, we have already run into challenges in the planning stages and I feel a great need for your prayers and the Lord’s intervention. We want this trip to (as my consultant said the other day) to be a success as defined by the Lord. So, with that in mind, please pray for the Lord’s will to be done in the following:

  1. That the printers in Serbia and Croatia can get the books printed in time for the scheduled distribution (starting Sept. 7)
  2. That we will be able to meet with many churches and in many villages, and distribute the books to many interested Roma.
  3. That we can get the audio recordings of Luke and the 50 Bible stories put online and on YouTube in time for the distributions, and that many will listen to God’s Word through that medium.
  4. That the new project coordinator will have much wisdom from God moving forward about how best to set up the translation teams for translation of the rest of the New Testament in our five Roma languages.
  5. That COVID tests and restrictions will not stand in the way of us crossing borders into and out of Serbia, Croatia and the US.

Thank you for being there for us and for holding us up in prayer!

Todd

Below are the covers in the four languages. The titles are 50 Stories from the Bible and The Gospel of Luke.

Our daily prayer calendar for August 2021

Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today
(1 Kings 8:28, NASB95)

Click below to download the prayer calendar in a format for printing out:

Price-prayer-letter-for-08-2021-page-2Download

August 1 Pray that all the details will come together for Todd to be able to travel to Croatia & Serbia next month to meet with the translators

August 2 Pray for COVID travel restrictions into Croatia & Serbia to allow easy entry and travel

August 3 Pray for God’s will regarding the possibility of an additional funding source for the Roma Bible translation projects

August 4 Pray for Bible translator, Nedeljko, to be able to receive two kidney transplants as soon as possible

August 5 Pray for our teammate, Joy Hill, as she wraps up her time in Hungary and moves to a new ministry position in Australia

August 6 Pray we can finalize & print copies of Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Chergash language in August & distribute them in September

August 7 Pray we can finalize & print copies of Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Gurbet language in August & distribute them in September

August 8 Today is Ariela’s 10th birthday! Praise God for good friends & for her heart for Jesus.

August 9 Pray we can finalize & print copies of Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Arli language in August & distribute them in September

August 10 Pray Todd’s mom will get approved for Medicare ASAP to cover her nursing home stay

August 11 Pray that the translators can finish recording the audio of 50 Bible stories in the Bayash language

August 12 Today is Matthew’s 23rd birthday! Pray for Jesus’ work in his heart & for him to get full time work in Atlanta

August 13 Pray for a God-glorifying family time & for comfort & eternal perspective, as Pam’s dad’s military burial is today

August 14 Pray for safe travels & safety on the job for Elizabeth & Stephen, & for rich feeding from the Scriptures daily

August 15 Praise God for the very special family & sister time this weekend with Pam’s side of the family

August 16 Pray for God to work in Kirsten’s heart & guide her mind. Praise God she could take summer classes & work

August 17 Pray we can finalize & print copies of Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Bayash language in August & distribute them in September

August 18 Pray our insurance will fully approve an electronic prosthetic arm for Matthew & that it will fit well (first part is due early September)

August 19 Pray for Pam’s mom to have physical & emotional energy as she decides what will be moved to Kansas City & packs it

August 20 Pray for progress for Daniel with his vision therapy (he has an evaluation today) & that he can begin orthodontic treatment soon

August 21 Pray for Joy Hill as she adjusts to life back in Australia, for good housing, good time with family, & good ministry work routine

August 22 Pray the Lord will use us for His glory speaking this morning at Fellowship Bible Church, Oskaloosa, IA

August 23 Pray for wisdom for Pam in home schooling & productivity managing the home

August 24 Pray we can make good progress to finish Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Ludari language by January 2022

August 25 Pray for salvation & spiritual growth for each of our relatives & for translators’ family members

August 26 Pray for time & success reading & taking other training needed for Todd to get credentialed as a Bible translation consultant

August 27 Praise God for all the on-the-ground help from our colleague, Sergej, in Slavonski Brod, Croatia

August 28 Pray for God’s grace in navigating changes in their job descriptions for our Roma Bible translators as we prepare for phase 2

August 29 Pray for strength, wisdom & encouragement for our Slavonski Brod team, Andy, Lim, Sergej & Željka, in Roma ministry

August 30 Pray for continued diligence for Zoki & Stanoja translating Luke in the Ludari language

August 31 Pray that The Word for the World can set up the new infrastructure in Croatia & Serbia to help with our Bible translation projects

Funerals, family & preparation to print Luke and Bible stories

Pam’s mom speaking at the funeral for her husband, Mal Hughes

FAMILY UPDATE

Pam’s dad, Mal Hughes, went to be with the Lord July 6. He had been in a memory care facility in Dallas, TX, for 2.5 years, due to his battle with Alzheimer’s. His funeral was in Denton, TX, July 9, and interment with full military honors will be August 13, at Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery.

We’re thankful that we are in the States and able to attend the services and be together as a family. Now that her husband has passed away, Pam’s mom, Barbie Hughes (pictured above), will be relocating to Kansas City in December to be closer to Pam and her sister, Kim. Please pray for the process of moving her from Cross Roads, TX, to Belton, MO, and the process of downsizing and setting up a small apartment.

Todd’s dad passed away February 11, and his memorial will be held in Oklahoma City at Spring Creek Baptist Church on July 30. Please continue to pray for Todd’s mom, Geri, as she adjusts to life without her husband, Max. We’re grateful that her transition to the nursing home in Oklahoma City has gone well, and that we are in the States so we can visit her.

Daniel and Ariela each enjoyed a week at West Central Christian Service Camp in Missouri. They had fun with friends and cousins, enjoyed outdoor activities and had good Bible teaching. Ariela also had a week of day camp on the topic of Ruth and loyalty, ending in a fun tea party for the girls and their mothers (pictured above), provided by one of her Sunday school teachers.

TRANSLATION PROGRESS

We are approaching our deadline at the end of August for finishing the Gospel of Luke and 50 Bible stories in 4 of the 5 Roma languages (Arli, Bayash, Chergash and Gurbet). Below are the early mockups of the covers in each of the languages. The title is 50 Stories from the Bible and The Gospel of Luke. They will each have about 185 pages and will include 50 stories from Creation to the Return of Christ, giving the overarching storyline of the Bible, the entire Gospel of Luke and a glossary of significant biblical words, which are unfamiliar to the average Roma.

To get the texts ready to print, we have been working on checking spelling, punctuation, consistency in the use of key biblical terms, headings and footnote phraseology, and formatting. Please pray that we can get these printed (anywhere from 100 copies to 700 copies, depending on the language need) and that I will be able to travel to Croatia and Serbia in September for these to be distributed.

For the 5th language, Ludari, we continue to work on Luke, with the goal of finishing it and the 50 Bible stories by the end of January 2022.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support which makes this Bible translation ministry possible. We couldn’t do it without you!
Todd & Pamala Price (Matthew, Kirsten, Daniel & Ariela)

Thinking about Christmas … in July

Manger with hay and swaddling clothes in old stable

LOST (AND FOUND) IN TRANSLATION

I’ve been thinking a lot about Christmas lately. Recently we have been translating Luke chapters 1-2 in the Ludari Roma language and therefore have been studying a lot about the birth of John the Baptist, and of the Lord Jesus.

We all know the story and are aware that Jesus was placed in a manger after he was born. However, when we came to those verses (2:7, 12, 16) in the Ludari translation, we hit a snag. The translator first used a Croatian word that means “hut”. We pointed out that that was incorrect and suggested another Croatian word. That other word means “manger”, but is rarely used in Croatian and is often misunderstood. When we asked the translators to explain in their own words what it means, they gave a description of an open-sided, covered barn or stable. We explained to them that that was not correct either since the term in Greek is for a feed trough for animals.

My Croatian colleague mentioned that when he was doing research on how the Ludari tell stories in their language, he noticed that the storyteller used a Ludari word (not Croatian) for a wooden food trough. It turns out that many Ludari Roma, generations back, used to specialize in woodwork and often made items from wood, including feed troughs.

We discussed this with the translators and their response was that it would be very strange to put a baby in a food trough. And yes, we explained, that was exactly the point. The King of the Universe, the newborn Messiah, of all people, deserved glory and honor at his birth, but ironically, he was placed in the most humble place imaginable–in a trough for feeding livestock.

We put the Ludari word for wooden food trough in the text in Luke and are excited to have not just an accurate translation and one that is recognized in the Ludari culture, but one that has the shock value to communicate the humility and condescension of our Blessed Savior. So, as always, thank you for praying for wisdom for all of us as we continue to translate the Bible into these Roma languages.

Praying with the translation team before editing the translation of Luke 1-2 in Ludari

FAMILY UPDATE

Now for some pictures that are more appropriate for July: We enjoyed celebrating the 4th of July earlier this month. Pam, Ariela and Daniel, in keeping with our tradition, made a Jello desert and cheesecake to celebrate.

Speaking of celebrating, even though we are saddened by the deaths of Todd’s father and Pam’s father, we celebrate their lives and have so many fond memories. In celebration of Pam’s dad’s life, Pam’s sister Kim (pictured below) bought Casey’s coffee and donuts for them. That is “quintessential Dad” for them since their dad, Mal Hughes, loved coffee, loved donuts, and loved spending time with his daughters. It was an appropriate celebration for Pam and her sister, remembering the things that brought them and their dad such joy.

Here are few updated prayer requests:

  1. Please pray for Pam’s mom, Barbie Hughes, as she prepares to move from Dallas to Kansas City. Pray for the logistics of downsizing and making this major move to a small apartment.
  2. We have gotten preliminary approval from our insurance for Matthew’s prosthetic! He met with the prosthetists who cast a mold earlier this week. It should be ready in about six weeks! Pray that it will be a success.
  3. We’re thankful that we have been able to speak and give our missions presentation at First Family Church in Albia, Iowa, and at Zion Church in Freeport, Illinois recently, and plan to speak next month at Fellowship Bible Church in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Pray that we will be able to speak at various churches, and let us know if you would be interested in having us come speak to your church or group.
  4. Pray as we will be traveling this weekend to Todd’s dad’s memorial in Oklahoma City, July 30, and to Pam’s dad’s military burial in Dallas, August 13.
  5. Pray we can finalize all the corrections for the publishing of the Gospel of Luke and 50 Bible stories in 4 Roma languages (Arli, Bayash, Chergash and Gurbet) in August and get them printed, and that we can successfully plan for Todd to visit Croatia and Serbia in September, to meet with the Roma translators and to help them distribute these books to Roma who speak these languages.

Thank you for praying!

Todd

Malcolm Alvin Hughes (3/15/1933-7/6/2021)

Malcolm Alvin Hughes was ushered into the presence of Jesus at 7:52 a.m. on July 6, 2021, at the age of 88.

A devoted follower of Jesus, he was a loving husband to Barbara Hughes for 57 years, and they had four daughters, 35 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Malcolm was born in Los Angeles, CA, on March 15, 1933, to Benjamin F. and Amy M. Hughes, and had one older brother, Eldon Hughes, who preceded him in death.

For 29 years, he served as postmaster in several Iowa communities (Holmes, Thor, Hedrick, and Albia).

Mal grew up on an almond and tomato orchard in Los Angeles. He attended Beverly Hills High School, where he played brass and ran track, excelling in the sprint and earning a scholarship. He attended Arizona State University, Westmont College, and Pasadena Christian College. He served in the honor guard in Tokyo in 1954-1955. He subsequently worked at Librascope in the early days of computers. Additionally, he served as a night supervisor at a boys’ correctional facility, and also as a machinist.

Along with his wife, he served two and a half years in Bolivia with Wycliffe Bible Translators, using his mechanical abilities in a support role.

His volunteer service through the years included serving as an elder at Fellowship Bible Church in Oskaloosa, Iowa, serving in the Gideons, and in the Lion’s Club and Rotary Club in Albia, Iowa. In earlier years he served in a care center ministry, lead Boys’ Brigade, served with The Navigators, and for a summer in Maui, Hawaii, helped build a church. His hobbies included farming, building and remodeling, car mechanics, traveling, and singing.

His character was marked by servanthood, graciousness, and generosity in every realm of his life, rooted in his faithful love for Jesus Christ as his redeemer.
He leaves behind his wife, Barbara Joan Stroup Hughes, daughters Ruth (and husband Barry Nelson), Valori Morrison-Liu (preceded in death by husband Bruce Morrison), Pamala (and husband Todd Price), and Kim (and husband Dan Sharp).

His grandchildren are Naomi (married to Ben Sahlstrom, with four children), 
Josiah Nelson, Caleb Nelson (and wife Miranda), Anna (married to Luke Sahlstrom), Noah Nelson (and wife Clara), Grace Nelson, Isaiah Nelson, Lydia Nelson, and Hope Nelson; Hannah Morrison, Victoria Morrison, Esther (and husband Jake Wheeler, with two children), Loice Morrison, Mary Morrison, Charity Morrison, Melody Liu, Priscilla Liu, Ethan Liu, Gloria Liu, and Jathan Liu; Timothy Price, Jonathan Price, Elizabeth (and husband Stephen Sell), Matthew Price, Kirsten Price, Daniel Price, and  Ariela Price; Ana (and husband Tedd Williamson), Joy Sharp, Mark Sharp, Joel Sharp, Ben Sharp, Titus Sharp, Sara Sharp, and Micah Sharp.

He is survived by Susie Hughes Sellai and Bill Hughes.

Visitation will be Friday, July 9, 2021, 4-5 pm, with funeral at 5 pm at DeBerry Funeral Home, 2025 W. University Dr., Denton, TX 76201.

Burial with full military honors will be Friday, August 13, 2021, 1:30-1:45 pm at Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75211, with a memorial remembrance time following at a location TBD.

Pam’s dad, Malcolm Hughes

From Pamala: Yesterday morning, around 8 a.m., July 6, 2021, my daddy, Malcolm Hughes, went home to be with Jesus. Hospitalized just the night before, he was taken to the hospital from his memory care center and diagnosed with a UTI. I’m so thankful Mom could visit him, along with one of my very helpful nieces there in Texas, though we had no idea if he would pass, and so quickly! After living with Alzheimer’s these past 10 years, he finally is relieved from that in Heaven!

Dad’s life was a story of graciousness, diligence, generosity, and servanthood as he lived out his vibrant faith in God in every dimension of his life. I always felt very loved by him, whether getting a donut in our town of Albia, Iowa, or being treated to a hotel with a pool on a family trip, or hosting him on a visit in Bosnia during our years there! He never lost his ability to sing to the Lord through these latter years, and I can imagine him singing now in Heaven with other loved ones who also know our Savior!! I love you, Daddy!!

Our daily prayer calendar for July 2021

“…and after that God was moved by prayer for the land.”
(2 Sam. 21:14 NASB95)

Click below to download the prayer list formatted as a calendar for printing:

Price-prayer-letter-for-07-2021-page-2Download

July 1 Pray for God’s will regarding the possibility of an additional funding source for the Roma Bible translation projects

July 2 Pray for Bible translator, Nedeljko, to be able to receive two kidney transplants as soon as possible

July 3 Pray for Jonathan, for God’s work & provision in his life as he plans to begin graduate school in math

July 4 Pray that many in the USA will turn to Jesus & submit to Him as their King. (Happy Independence Day!)

July 5 Pray we can finalize & print copies of Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Arli language by August & distribute them in September

July 6 Pray Todd’s mom will get approved for Medicare ASAP to cover her nursing home stay

July 7 Pray that the translators can finish recording the audio of 50 Bible stories in the Bayash language

July 8 Praise for Pam’s mom’s good health at 90, living on her own, close to Pam’s sister in Dallas

July 9 Pray we can finalize & print copies of Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Chergash language by August & distribute them in September

July 10 Pray for refreshment & spiritual growth for Elizabeth during time with friends; pray for safety on the job for her & Stephen

July 11 Pray for a great week growing spiritually for Daniel at Bible camp this week

July 12 Pray for perseverance for Kirsten with Bible college summer classes, & for a tender heart spiritually

July 13 Pray we can make good progress to finish Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Ludari language by January 2022

July 14 Pray our insurance will approve an electronic prosthetic arm for Matthew & that he can be fitted with it soon

July 15 Praise God we will be able to see Pam’s dad, Mal, in person in August at his memory care center near in Dallas

July 16 Pray we can finalize & print copies of Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Gurbet language by August & distribute them in September

July 17 Pray for colleague, Joy Hill, as she manages administrative ministry in Budapest & plans for her trip to Australia

July 18 Pray for a great week growing spiritually for Ariela at Bible camp this week

July 19 Pray for wisdom for Pamala for home school planning & home management

July 20 Pray we can finalize & print copies of Luke & 50 Bible stories in the Bayash language by August & distribute them in September

July 21 Pray for the Ludari Bible translators with no air conditioning to be able to concentrate in the summer heat, or for cooler temperatures

July 22 Pray for time & success reading & taking other training needed for Todd to get credentialed as a Bible translation consultant

July 23 Pray for Timothy to get in a line of work in which he will thrive, for spiritual growth & for good friends & fellowship

July 24 Pray for safe & refreshing trip to Freeport, Illinois

July 25 Pray for the Lord to use us powerfully as we speak at Zion Church in Freeport, IL this morning

July 26 For us & our family & the Bible translators & their families to each follow Jesus wholeheartedly every day

July 27 Pray that The Word for the World can set up the new infrastructure in Croatia & Serbia to help with our Bible translation projects

July 28 Pray for emotional strength & encouragement for Todd’s sister & mom with Dad’s memorial service on Friday

July 29 Pray for safe travel as we go to Oklahoma City as a family for Todd’s dad’s memorial service

July 30 Today is the memorial for Todd’s dad, Max Price, at Spring Creek Baptist Church, Oklahoma City

July 31 Praise God for quality orthodontic work easily accessible here in the States; pray it will be successful for Daniel’s needs

The Prices Write (July 2021)

FAMILY UPDATE

We enjoyed a relaxing Father’s Day at home, with the kids coming by to visit (L-R: Timothy 30, Daniel 13, Kirsten 17, me, Elizabeth Sell 25, Ariela 9, Stephen Sell 25, Matthew 22, [Jonathan 29 in San Francisco]). This was my first Father’s Day since my dad passed away so it was bittersweet in that sense.

Pamala and her mom, Barbie Hughes, at our home in KC

Pam’s mom, Barbie Hughes, was able to visit us and family here in Kansas City for several days. It was nice to catch up with her, and then I drove her back home to Dallas.

Todd visiting his mom, Geri Price, at her nursing home

Then I was able to visit my mom in Oklahoma City on the way back home. She is adjusting well to living in the nursing home there. We are thankful that we can be in the States at this time to be with our aging parents.

Checking Luke chapter 14 via Zoom with translators in Croatia meeting with Bible translation consultant in the US

TRANSLATION PROGRESS

We are getting closer to the end of phase one of our Bible translation project, which means finishing the Gospel of Luke and 50 illustrated Bible stories. There is still a lot of work to do in the five languages. Please pray that we can finish four of the languages in August and be able to print and distribute Luke and the book of illustrated Bible stories in September.

Lord willing, in September I will travel to Croatia and Serbia to distribute these books and Scriptures with the Roma translators in their various towns. On this trip, I also plan to introduce the Roma translators to Pierre van Vuuren. Pierre is a Bible translator with The Word for the World, and he and his team have almost completed the entire Bible in a related Roma language spoken in Slovakia. For phase two of the project, which will include more of the New Testament, Pierre and The Word for the World have agreed to take over my role as project coordinator for the five Roma languages. My role will move to that of Bible translation consultant which means I can focus on the final exegetical check of the translations, while a team from The Word for the World steps in to handle all the other parts of the translation process including training the translators, drafting, editing, testing, printing and distributing the translations. This will significantly speed up the process of translation so we can finish it in a timely manner.

Enjoying the nice weather, doing Bible translation on our front porch while Matthew works

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers & financial support!


Todd & Pamala (Matthew, Kirsten, Daniel & Ariela) Price

Answer to prayer

Last evening’s reading

Wanna hear a cool answer to prayer?

Each month, Pam and I write out a prayer calendar with a request (or praise item) for each day. In order to get the calendar to the printer in time to be mailed out, we have to write the whole calendar early, and decide in advance which request to put for each day.

Well, today I looked at yesterday’s prayer request, and it was, “Pray for time and success reading and taking other training needed for Todd to get credentialed as a Bible translation consultant.” Then it dawned on me what had happened yesterday. Normally, my evenings are full with family responsibilities and activities, but yesterday Pam and the kids were gone all evening to visit a relative who was in town. So this freed up some time in the evening and I had decided to do some extra reading on Bible translation theory, and style and discourse in the Greek New Testament. It wasn’t until this afternoon that I saw how that had been a direct answer to prayer for that day, one I hadn’t even thought about consciously.

Thank you all for praying for the requests on our prayer calendar. God does answer. Today I came across this encouraging verse, “…and after that God was moved by prayer for the land” (2 Sam. 21:14 NASB95). Yes, God is moved by our prayers and he answers.