Support the Rowbory Family

David, Julie, Rebekah and Elizabeth are working in Jos, northern Nigeria, with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

We couldn't have got through the 2+ years of training and preparation in Nairobi, Kenya, without the dedicated support of many friends and family members. We're really grateful for that genuine Christian partnership at such a crucial time. Now we're looking forward to putting the training into practice, helping the pioneering Bible translators of Nigeria do as good a job as possible. And as we hope to support translators in Nigeria, we in turn will be depending on the prayers and practical support of others.

We left Glasgow in February 2011 after supporters pledged over 90% of what we needed. We do still need to raise a bit more financial support to keep going long term with cost of living rising in Nigeria, but mainly we appreciate your prayer for us and interest in our service.

How could you support us?

1. Pledge to pray for us

• Wycliffe Bible Translators and our main sending church need to know that we have a good team of people who will particularly pray for us, at least for the next 2-3 years.
  • Can you email us if you feel you can commit to that?
  • Perhaps you could choose a day of the week or month and commit to praying on that particular day. Let us know, and that'll encourage us too.
• For our part we'll send regular updates at least monthly from November 2010 to let you know what we're aware of God doing in our work, to help inform your prayer partnership with us.
• For now, we'd value prayer for:
  • God to help us present the importance of and need for mother-tongue scriptures to friends around the UK in October and November.
  • God to put it on the hearts of more people to partner with us.
  • Peace in Nigeria, after some unrest earlier this year and imminent elections.
  • God's help in getting everything ready to leave!

2. Pledge financial support

• If you've been supporting us for the last few years then you'll know that Wycliffe Bible Translators don't pay a salary, but each member from the Director down to the newest recruit relies for income on God's provision through friends (and relatives).
  • While we're all for working with our hands to earn our keep (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12) the truth is that it's particularly hard to do that and have sufficient time to dedicate ourselves to something like Bible translation.
  • Paul's ministry was really helped along by fellow Christians giving him financial support (Acts 18). So if you're able to give regularly to support us, that will let us devote ourselves properly to supporting Bible translation.
• Please email us or Rebekah Wake if you'd like more information about supporting us financially. It's not difficult, but we do need to give particular details so that you can be sure gifts don't get lost along the way.
  • UK taxpayers who supply their address can ask for Gift Aid to be reclaimed so that gifts given to Wycliffe Bible Translators (a UK charity) to make the work we do possible are bumped up to their pre-tax value.
  • A commitment to regular gifts (perhaps through a standing order) makes our budgetting much easier, but if you'd like to give to support our setup costs or some other one-off thing, that's going to be helpful too.
  • Financial situations change all the time, so please if you've been supporting us and then face a time of hardship don't feel bad about stopping financial support. It would just be handy to know a little in advance.
  • Rebekah Wake can ensure gifts are kept anonymous if you would like that, but speaking personally, we do also like to know who we're in partnership with.
  • You can give directly through Wycliffe Bible Translators by Credit Card or Direct Debit, one-off or regularly.

3. Other things

• Perhaps if you're a partner in prayer you could also be an advocate for us:
  • Share prayer news and some of the highs, lows and daily grind of Bible translation and cross-cultural life with others at church, in the family or elsewhere.
• Particularly for friends in Glasgow, there are a host of practical things that we are likely to need help with.
• For example, some people have been a tremendous help with
  • Storing some of our UK-based belongings (winter clothes, vast quantities of books, etc.) that we don't need or can't really take to Nigeria.
  • Looking after our Glasgow flat, finding and liasing with tenants.
• Finally, maybe you should come and join the Bible translation team in Nigeria or elsewhere in the world. There's only 3000-odd languages still without a word of scripture.

Getting in touch

Email us both at rowbory@gmail.com or david-julie_rowbory@wycliffe.org. Email individually: david@rowbory.co.uk or julie@rowbory.co.uk

When in UK call Julie on 07732491303 or in Nigeria call Julie on +2347060901579 or David on +2347031154657.