Scribe copying Scripture in Greek

The Septuagint is the oldest existing translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek. We were blessed with a gift of not just the text of the Greek Septuagint, but an audio recording of it as well, complete with permission to share it. It was translated starting in the 3rd century B. C. It was in use in Jesus’ time, and quoted from by the Apostles. It is still in use, today. And now, people who speak Greek can listen to it. The voice recording was done by Apostolos Vavylis of the Orthodox Media Network. In the tradition of the scribes of old, before copyright law was enacted anywhere, they place no restriction on copying and sharing of the Bible. Their primary goal is for people to read and listen to the Holy Bible. May God bless them!

Bible translation continues, now, at a greatly accelerated rate. Now we have 4,007 languages (out of 7,396) with at least some Scripture translated. Translation work has been started in many more languages, so than number keeps growing. God is calling more people to work on Bible translation. Creative ideas for using technology to improve Bible translation speed and quality are also helping.

Thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement. With your partnership, we are able to keep distributing more Scripture to more people in their own languages.

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• All of our Bible web sites are up and running!
• More than 626 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,538 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!

Please pray for:

• Building more robustness into the new Bible server setup so that Bibles can be reliably accessed any time
• Healing and health for our family
• Bible study software development
• More Bible web site updates
• Wisdom concerning printed Bible projects
• Implementation of a better way to post audio Scriptures
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be translated and released to freely go to more people in more languages

How can we pray for you, today?

Does spiritual warfare affect tech? I’m pretty sure it does. Last Friday night (the 13th of February 2026), Lori and I just got home from church, and I was getting ready to relax. Then I discovered that our main web server was offline. This single computer hosts all of our Bible distribution web sites, our missionary web site, a Bible translation software web site, our missionary web site, and the Papua New Guinea Christian Radio Network web site. It was not an easy fix, so I shifted all of the web site traffic to the hot standby server. In the morning, I discovered that server was also offline, and down hard, like the other one. So, I thought that I would just allocate a new cloud server and restore it from a backup on a different computer. Then I discovered that (1) the backup process had failed for the last several attempts, so I didn’t have an easy backup to restore from, and (2) due to some server software upgrades that were incompatible with the remote control software that I was using, the newly allocated server also didn’t work. I’ll spare you the technical details, but it was a “perfect storm” of bad things happening. I still had the contents of what was supposed to be on all of those web sites, so I tried something different that I hadn’t ever done before. I set up a computer in my office to host all of the web sites, connecting them to the Internet with a brand new fiber optic connection. I worked through the weekend. By 5:00 AM Monday, I had the four most important Bible web sites running again. By Thursday, I finished getting all of the rest of the sites up and running, and got some of the separate services like the contact forms, automatic updates of Bible sites, and the the metrics page working again.

That seemed like a lot of work to make it look like nothing happened. But something did happen. With God’s help, I built the web server back better, with better hardware, a more stable software setup, and no loss of data. More than that, I felt God’s peace as I worked with Him to restore the Bible web sites. Thank you to all who pray.

AI image of what my last week felt like.

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• All of our Bible web sites are up and running again!
• More than 625 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,538 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!

Please pray for:

• Building more robustness into the new Bible server setup
• Healing and health for our family
• Bible study software development
• More Bible web site updates
• Wisdom concerning printed Bible projects
• Implementation of a better way to post audio Scriptures
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be translated and released to freely go to more people in more languages

How can we pray for you, today?

Rachel with her dog, Kilo

Before Lori and I had any children, Lori said that she knew that we would have three sons. We do. Their names are Nate, Ben, and Evan. We are blessed to have them in our family! I felt content with them, but then Lori had a godly vision of us adopting a little Asian girl. I initially shrugged it off, but after a few years, while we were living in Papua New Guinea, she found out about the Philippines Intercountry Adoption Board, and asked me to pray about it. I said I would. I did. And I listened for the Lord’s response. He let me know that I should fill out the application and then just keep doing what I knew to do, one step at a time. Mercifully, I had no idea how costly or how many steps or how many years the adoption and citizenship process would take. I had no idea how much our spiritual enemy would try to interfere. For example, one time arsonists burned down a government office in PNG, along with all of our adoption paperwork. I had backups of that paperwork, but it slowed things down. It took a few years before we got her and about 6 years after we got her to finish the process. Some of you labored in prayer with us during the process, and some helped us raise the funds to cover the costs. God worked miracles. All of the administrative “labor pains” were worth it. The love and nurturing of our daughter along with our sons was and continues to be rewarding. Rachel is a great blessing to our family. She is sweet, talented, loving, kind, and a joy to have around. This February 9th, we celebrate her 21st birthday!

Lori, Rachel, and Michael when Rachel was 5 years old

Rachel holding “Meow,” a gift from her brothers

Nate, Rachel, Evan, Lori, Michael, Naomi, Francis, and Evan

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• Our family, including Rachel!
• Everyone who prays for us, encourages us, and partners with us!
• More than 620 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,536 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!
• YouVersion reports that in 2025, Bibles that we provided to them reached 5,156,057 people in 240 nations and territories through their apps and web site.

Please pray for:

• Bible study software development
• More Bible web site updates
• Wisdom concerning printed Bible projects
• Implementation of a better way to post audio Scriptures
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be translated and released to freely go to more people in more languages

It could be today, or it could be years from now that Jesus comes again. Regardless, I want to please Jesus with doing His work in His way whenever He comes. Keeping this in mind helps me keep focused on what is truly important. Our greatest treasure truly is in our relationship with Father God. We have the great privilege of sharing that treasure with more people in more languages faster than ever before. Bible translation is accelerating. We have more options for Bible distribution than ever before. Global networks and advances in technology make it possible to give massive numbers of people access to the Holy Bible in their own language. It is an exciting time to be alive and working with God to reach the people He loves! I love the freedom to fully embrace the calling God has given me to spread His Word world-wide!

Thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement!

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• A quick but love-filled visit with Evan and Kaylee on the mainland, including safe travel there and back
• More than 612 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,536 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!

Please pray for:

• New free Bible study software under development
• Wisdom concerning printed Bible projects
• Implementation of a better way to post audio Scriptures
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be translated and released to freely go to more people in more languages

How can we pray for you, today?

When I look at all that God has done through us, I am amazed. Honestly, there have been times when I felt overburdened. Those must have been the times that I got distracted by burdens that weren’t from the Lord. Now I am getting better at hearing from the Lord what to work on and what not to work on. May God help us all to stay focused on what pleases Him the most!

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• A Bible in Serbian, using the Cyrillic alphabet that we just posted online
• A new audio recording of the Greek Septuagint to post online
• More than 605 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,536 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!
• Lori and I get to visit Evan and Kaylee this month.

Please pray for:

• God’s wisdom in balancing time spent on competing ministry time demands
• Us to figure out and implement better ways to post audio Scriptures
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be released to go to more people in more languages

How can we pray for you, today?

Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven…” See Matthew 5-7.

What will 2026 bring? There is a lot that I don’t know, but I know this for sure: I trust God to lead us through it and bless us in the process! Knowing God personally and loving Him is the greatest blessing I know of. The best instructions for anyone seeking God are in the Holy Bible. Sure, the Holy Spirit reveals himself to people through nature, dreams, and all sorts of ways, and that is awesome! But still, the blessing and wisdom that the Holy Spirit provides to us through the written Word that He inspired gives us a great advantage when we read and do it.

But what about those who don’t yet know this? I want to be part of making the Holy Bible available to as many of the 7,159 living languages in this world as I possibly can. We have 1,249 of those languages distributed on eBible.org, now. There is clearly more work to do. Bible translation agencies are ramping up their work, trying to at least start Bible translation work in all of the remaining languages that need a Bible as soon as possible. God is moving to give good ideas to people that will accelerate Bible translation and publication work. I thank God that He lets us be part of this great work. I thank God for everyone who prays for us and who supports our ministry. May God bless you!

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• We just got some really good news of Bible distribution from a creative access country (but can’t share details publicly for safety reasons). God knows, and we thank Him for it!
• More than 600 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,535 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!

Please pray for:

• God’s wisdom in balancing time spent on competing ministry time demands
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be released to go to more people in more languages

How can we pray for you, today?

May God bless you!

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.—Matthew 2:10-11 (WEB) 

Jesus Himself was the first Christmas gift. Another example of giving associated with his birth was the very expensive gifts given by wise men from the East. You can search the Scriptures and find much more about giving. I like to receive gifts, but it really is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35) We really love giving the gift of God’s Word in the languages that people understand the best. To do that, we rely on the generosity of our partners. So when you support our ministry, you also participate in giving God’s Word to people all over the world (in 240 countries). Thank you for giving so that we can give even more of the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world!

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• Provision for all that God has called us to do.
• Health and healing for Michael and our family.
• More than 595 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,535 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!

Please pray for:

• God’s wisdom in balancing time spent on competing ministry time demands
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be released to go to more people in more languages

How can we pray for you, today?

The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. —John 1:14 WEB

Christmas is many things to many people, but I like to focus on celebrating this most amazing fact: God came to live among us as our Savior. God gave the best gift ever to us: Himself. Now you are helping us give a great gift to the world: the greatest news ever in the Holy Bible in many languages, distributed digitally for free! Thank you for partnering with us in sharing God’s gift of good tidings of great joy to all people!

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• Jesus Christ is the best gift ever!
• More than 590 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,535 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!

Please pray for:

• Complete healing and recovery for Michael
• God’s wisdom in balancing time spent on competing ministry time demands
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be released to go to more people in more languages

How can we pray for you, today?

We are happy to be serving the Lord! Photo by Rachel.

In Papua New Guinea, in the Tok Pisin language, age is normally given as the number of Christmases someone has celebrated. Lori and I are happy to be celebrating another Christmas together! For us, Christmas is about celebrating the Son of God becoming a baby and growing up as one of us. This was an important part of God’s great plan of redemption. There are several minority languages where the only Scripture I have to publish for them is the Christmas account from Luke 2. It is important enough that the Bible translators thought that was the best place to start, and I believe that this small start is worth distributing online. Clearly, the world needs Good News. I choose to keep giving all of my worries to God in prayer, not worry any more, and just follow His leading. Jesus takes care of me. He is my Savior, Healer, and Provider. This news is too good to keep to myself! It is truly good news of great joy for all people!

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• Life and healing!
• More than 585 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,535 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!

Please pray for:

• Complete healing and recovery for Michael
• God’s wisdom in balancing time spent on competing ministry time demands
• The Digital Bible Library software team as they work on some necessary improvements
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be released to go to more people in more languages

How can we pray for you, today?

Wouldn’t you rather look at these Papua New Guinean cultural dancers from the Western Highlands Province than a picture of me in the hospital again? I thought so.

Last newsletter, I talked about getting 3 new cardiac stents on the 20th of November, and how thankful I was that my heart was working better. I was feeling reasonably good, until I wasn’t. Sunday night, the 23rd of November, I started having heart pain and cold sweats. I took my nitroglycerin and Lori drove me to the hospital Emergency Room. They found elevated levels of troponin in my blood, indicating heart muscle damage. Monday morning, another stent (#6) was inserted into another cardiac artery that was about 90% blocked. I thank God that things weren’t worse, and that I’m alive and recovering nicely.

Leaving the hospital behind, we are starting the season of Advent this Sunday. We get to celebrate Jesus Christ coming to give light to a dark world! May the God of hope fill you with Joy and Peace.

Please Keep Praying

Thank God for:

• Life and healing!
• More than 582 Million Scripture deliveries in 1,535 Bible translations from eBible.org and associated sites!

Please pray for:

• Complete healing and recovery for Michael
• God’s wisdom in balancing time spent on competing ministry time demands
• The Digital Bible Library software team as they work on some necessary improvements
• Our ministry volunteers
• More Scriptures to be released to go to more people in more languages

How can we pray for you, today?