Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

The Rev. Mr. McCracken was bornin New Castle, December 27, 1929. Heattended schools in Nebraska and Kansas, graduating from Topeka high schoolin 1946. After spending one year in theprinting trade, he entered Geneva college, graduating in 1951. In the fall of1951, he entered the Reformed Presbyterian Theological seminary in Pittsburgh. His graduation from the seminary was in May.In June of 1953, the Rev. Mr. McCracken was married to Miss FrancesGilchrist of Greeley, Col. The McCrackensare at home at 502 Second avenue,Eastvale, the new parsonage of theEastvale congregation which was startedunder construction last summer and hasbeen completed by members of the congregation and community.THANKS AND FAREWELLBefore I leave the United States toreturn to my country, Latakia, Syria, Iwould like to send a word of thanks andfarewell to all of my brethren andsisters in Christ in our beloved Covenanter Churchthose whom I visited andthose whom I could not visit by meansof the COVENANTER WITNESS.I repeat my thanks to the ForeignMission Board for making this visit possible. Though it was tiring, yet it hasbeen very precious and useful to me.I thank my brethren, the ministers,who helped me in my journeys and whoentertained me in their homes and endeavored to make me feel at home.I thank my brethren and sisters, members of the churches, who welcomed me,received me as their brother, gave meopportunities for rest, and accepted mymessages to them with interest and encouragement. I trust that this visit, withall the exchange of thoughts and explanations, has greatly strengthened therelationship between the Church inAmerica and the work in the Latakiafield, and has created new, wide understanding.say farewell in body, but in heart,I hope that this relationship will continue and become stronger and stronger,so that we all feel our work is one workand our purpose is one purpose whereverwe may be.I hope that we shall meet every day,you and we, before the Throne of Grace,where we receive new power and gracefrom our Master Jesus Christ, and werenew our fellowship with one another.Please receive my thanks and my sincerebrotherly wishes.I also send a greetingof love andChristian regard to the churches whichI could not visit, hoping that they willconsider mymessage to the churcheswhich I visited as if it is for them. I176thought and Christian brotherly fellowship you will stay with me always, andI trust that we, too, stay with you.Please pray for Mrs. Hutcheson andMiss McClurkin and the Fattal sistersand myself, that the Lord will keep usfrom dangers of travel by sea and air,and will take us in safety to our homesand work. Farewell to everyone.Your brother in Christ,Khalil AwadTEARING DOWN THE TOWER OFBABELA modern Tower of Babel can be foundtoday in neighboringSouth Americancountries where several forms of theQuechua language are spoken. These dialects vary sogreatly that it has been necessary to have Scripture translations ineach one. For Peru, three new Quechuaversions have been printed this year bythe American Bible Society.The Gospel of John in Ayacucho isthe first complete Bible book in thelanguage. Kenneth Case,a missionary,and Florencio Segura, an Indian evangelist and pastor, are working to completethe translation of the entire New Testament. A possible 500,000 use the language, of whom 15% are literate.Speakers of Huanuco Quechua, usedin East Central Peru, now have 1,000copies of the Gospel of Luke. The translation by Abraham de Ita is a revision ofan earlier version. A Quechua Indian, deIta now in his late thirties, attended theChristian and Missionary Alliance trainingschool. At a time when no missionaries were available to direct the workof Bible translation, Senor de Ita undertook the task. Dr. Eugene Nida, Translation Secretary of the American BibleSociety has said, "I was amazed at hisremarkable understanding of the Scriptures,.and his appreciation of how totranslate them. He is a very energetictask."fellow and very devoted to hisA near neighbor of Senor de Ita isanother Bible translator, Candelaria Camargo, who lives just across a mountain ridge from him. Because of themountains, however, their Quechua dialects have developed into almost distinctlanguages. Consequently Senor de Itaand Candelaria find it easier to conversein Spanish."Candelaria Camargo is not what onewould call a Bible translator," writesDr. Nida in his book, GOD'S WORDIN MAN'S LANGUAGE, "but she istypical of the scores of native Christianworkers who wish to put the Scripturesinto written form in their own mothertongue."Candelaria is a Quechua Indianfrom the valley of Junin. Through herlabors, with the help of her brothersand James Lauriault, a missionary, theGospel of Luke has been translated andprinted, the first publication in JuninQuechua.Since 1820 the American Bible Society has never refused to respond to therequest of anychaplain or responsibleofficer for Scripture volumes. Manytimes, as during the Civil War years andthe years of the two World Wars, the distribution has exceeded a million volumesannually.At more than one recruit-training station, when each man is offered a Bibleby his chaplain, he is also asked if hewould like to have two copies of theAmerican Bible Society's list of dailyBible readings, one for himself and theother to send to his family, so the homefolks can join him in reading the samepassages of Scripture each day.LEAGUE OF COVENANTERINTERCESSORSThe work of the Editor of the "Covenanter Witness" does not allow completevacations. Let us pray that strength maybe given for taxing duties, wisdom forthe many decisions, and ever fresh vision from the Spirit of God of the constant value of the paper and the idealsfor which it is called to stand.With September already here, let uspray for the grace of timely and regularcontributions to the Budget set up tocover the needs of the work of thechurch,that the tithes and offeringsthrough these months shall make possible the reaching of the goal later; andthat our people in ever larger proportion shall find the joy of God's blessingfrom heaven's opened windows.Let us thank God for the devotion ofour young people to the work of theLord in the Covenanter Church; andseek His blessing on them as college andseminary open for the training of youngpeople who are seeking to live for theLord.For seventeen months, the Board ofChurch Erection has been seeking a buyer for the building of the Boston congregation which voted to disorganize. Wehave had some offers but so far therehas always been some hindrance to getting a contract. The money tied up inthat building could now be very wellused elsewhere. Your prayers are requested.COVENANTER WITNESS