Ric and Sharon Bruce Last night we went to the beach to celebrate Sharon finishing her Cherokee analysis. It was great to walk along the boardwalk, splash in the waves, and feel free at last. Here are some pictures:
Posts Tagged ‘Sharon’
The Beach… Celebrating
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009DONE, DONE, DONE
Monday, November 9th, 2009
Sharon is done with her paper!
On the road finding internet is always a problem and when we do get it we snatch every precious second of it we can get. I’m in the process of adding pictures to our online albums, checking our email, updating our website, downloading important files and updates for my computer, and managing our contact lists from the churches we’ve visited. The most important thing I’m doing, though, is sending Sharons paper off to the grader’s. Here’s how it came in:
Pages: 115
Hours: 100+
Sharon is SOOO happy to be done. Now we party. We’re going to the beach and then shopping. Wednesday we will go to the aquarium here in town.
Norfolk, Virginia
Sunday, November 8th, 2009We have been in Virginia with my brother Sam and his wife Kari since Thursday. This morning we presented our ministry at South Norfolk Congregational Community Church, the church they attend here. Tuesday is Sam’s 23rd birthday, so we’re very excited to be here for that as well. While here we’re doing what we do on the road: talking to people about our ministry, handing out our prayer cards, spending time with family, and Sharon is stealing as much time as possible to work on her Cherokee write-up which is due TOMORROW!!! She will likely be pulling an all-nighter tonight and then be exhausted in the morning.
This coming Friday we head to central Virginia to visit some very good friends and then will drive on to Tennessee on Friday. Please pray for Sharon as she finishes up her paper and for safety as we travel. Thank-you.
Settling In for the Long Haul
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Sharon sitting down to sort through mounds of Cherokee data.
As Sharon sits behind me she alternately scratches her head, bounces her knees, and bangs some phonetic writing out on the keyboard. Today is her first full day of work after four full days of packing, cleaning, traveling, visiting, and unpacking. Outside the orange leaves on the trees are almost gone and rain is in the forecast for the next three days. In the kitchen is a pot of hot coffee and under Sharon’s feet a small space heater breathes warmly on her feet. Ideal conditions.
Now if only the computer would work right, the data would fit together perfectly, someone would spoon food into her mouth, and the kitchen would clean itself. Then it would be perfect, but that’s probably asking too much isn’t it?
Please pray that Sharon will be able to focus on her studies and finish her analysis of the Cherokee language before we hit the road in a few days!
Back in Michigan
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
Standing at the border of Michigan and Indiana
Have you seen the new sign at Michigan’s borders? We took this picture in front of it while we stopped for a much-needed break on our way back from Oklahoma. Maybe it’s a play on words with two meanings, one indicating that the state is very environmentally friendly and the other making it clear to all crossing the border that Michigan is not two states, but in fact is just one state (despite the fact that a lake separates its two main halves).
We are back in Michigan for a few days while Sharon works on her write-up of Cherokee. It will take a lot of concentration and effort on her part! While she is doing that I will be working on the house we’re living in with my dad and preparing for our next round of travels to Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Arizona.
Indian Tacos
Monday, October 12th, 2009Sharon made some delicious indian tacos on Saturday with her language helper (Bobbie) and some of her friends who are also in the linguistics course. The time Sharon has spent with the Cherokee friends she has met here in Tahlequah has been priceless, but we are ready to move on and be completely done studying. Sharon still has a lot of work to do! Breaks like this one are much-needed and well-deserved.
Powwow
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009Sharon attended a Powwow on Saturday and had a great time watching the dances and seeing the costumes. She was able to try Indian Tacos and even some of the dance moves. Cherokee culture is rich and intricate, so Sharon went to the powwow to learn some important culture that will help her with her analysis of the language and understanding her language helper. I will be posting some video of the event tomorrow.
Tour of the Camp
Friday, September 4th, 2009Here is a really simple video tour of the camp we’re staying at here in Talehquah, Oklahoma. I’ve sped parts of it up, but it’s still a bit long. Make sure you watch the end, when we talk to Sharon about the work she’s doing in linguistics.
Sharon’s Summer
Monday, July 27th, 2009
As I reminisce on the past summers, I can’t believe that I am really in Michigan. Three summers ago I was struggling over rugged rocks on 80 degree inclines up and down mountains miles away from civilization. I spent the past two summers in Alaska standing in a warm bucket of water to keep my feet from freezing as I did my part in an assembly line gutting fish or carefully filleting the brilliant pink meat of King Salmon. I guess I have not had a “normal” summer in a while.
So what is my “ordinary” summer looking like? Well, I have been spending much of my time working at an internship this summer with Trinity Church. I have been mainly working with the Internationals Department which includes being a tutor in a conversational class on Monday nights at Trinity’s “Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages” program. I have worked with people from China, India, Bhutan, etc. It has been a great opportunity to learn more about other cultures and to teach them about who Jesus is and what the Bible is all about.
For the internship, I have also been researching and reading books on short-term mission trips. I and a team of people are working on what short-term trips should be and look like for Trinity next year. This weekend, I will be attending a short-term missions conference in Chicago to further my understanding of short-term mission trips.
Apart from the internship, I have been going to a Bible study at Trinity on Wednesday nights. It has been so encouraging to get to know some amazing women of faith and study God’s Word together. I have also been loving going to New Hope Church on Sundays. It has been fun to be challenged through God’s Word there and to get connected with the people there. The recent New Hope picnic was a blast as well. It was such a fun time of fellowship. Praise God that we can be involved in two wonderful churches!
Ric and I enjoy the opportunities we have to spend quality time with family and friends. At the end of August I will be finishing my Linguistic training by going to Oklahoma to work with Cherokee Indians and analyze their language.
Here are some ways you can pray for me this summer:
1. That I would prioritize and balance life well.
2. That I would continue to make spending time with God in His Word a priority.
3. For wisdom as I work on the short-term missions team at Trinity.
4. For clarity in presenting Christ to Internationals.
Thank you all so much for reading and praying for us. It means so much to me to know that people are wanting to take part in spreading God’s Word to the unreached in Cambodia!
Sharon’s Race
Saturday, June 13th, 2009
Today was a long day. It started at 5:00 AM and I’m just going to bed. It’s good to be back in Missouri after Sharon ran a race this morning in Novi, Michigan called "Flirt with Dirt". She did really well, finishing fourth in her age bracket despite the rain, mud, and hilly trails.
Thank-you to those who prayed for safety during our trip. We arrived here safely for a missionary conference. We will be back in Michigan next week.
Sharon’s Race Video!
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
The video is below. You may have to wait for it to load.
Race Results!
Saturday, May 9th, 2009
On top of her incredible linguistics workload this semester, Sharon has spent hours training for a race. It all paid off as she crossed the finish line of her 10k (6.2 miles) in one hour, three minutes, and fifty seven seconds.
For her full race results, please visit this link and type Sharon Bruce in the appropriate boxes.
Here are some sample pictures:
See all pictures (not yet edited)
Our Purpose
Friday, May 8th, 2009
God has called us to be ambassadors for Christ in Cambodia. That’s our motivation. This one purpose gets us out of bed in the morning, we find. The more we learn about Cambodia and pray for the work God is doing in the country the more excited we grow. Here’s what God has called us to do-
Catch a Glimpse of Our Purpose:
Few people can say they knew exactly what they wanted to do and be when they were in high school. We were both sure of two things six years ago – we were committed to each other and we were committed to Paul’s attitude toward evangelism in Romans 15:20:
" I have been eager to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation."
To us, this verse reveals bit of God’s heart: he wants all people to have equal access to His truth and to the gospel. But they don’t. Inequality still exists, so we’ve dedicated our youth to fixing the situation in one part of the world: Cambodia.
The Specifics:
Our specific ministry location within the country is to be decided, but we have a timeframe of what we will be doing when (this is all subject to change).
- July of 2010 we will move to Cambodia and begin studying the national language, Khmer.
- Fall of 2012 we could be assigned to a local ministry location with a team. This would be in a Cambodian "Hill Tribe".
- Immediately we will begin relationship building, community development, and language and culture study.
- Depending on the length of time it requires for our team to learn the local customs and language, the team may begin training leaders, teaching bible lessons, and translating scriptures in 2015.
- Our purpose is to see a fully independent, functioning church that will continue for years after we’re gone.
That’s the work we’ve been called to do and trained to do, now we are asking God for the financial and prayer support needed to see the task completed. God has called us to represent Him in Cambodia and you can be an important part of seeing that happen! Please visit our ministry page to learn more, send us an email, or give to our ministry!