I think I was in my late 20s the first time I read the Bible cover-to-cover on my own. For as long as I can remember my parents and pastors encouraged me to do so, but my perseverance would always die somewhere in the wilderness of the Old Testament.

Jude, on the other hand, just finished reading through the Bible this week. He started reading on September 24, 2017, when his Aunt Sandy gave him a new Bible in an easy-to-read translation - the NIRV. At the time, Cassidy and I reminded our boys of what a treasure the Bible is. And what a gift to have the Bible in a translation we can read and understand!! This is, after all, the reason we came to Papua New Guinea. We want all people to be able to read, understand, and believe the Word of God. We want this for ourselves, our kids, and the Ndo People.

We told our boys that reading through the Bible is something to celebrate and that we would have a party whenever they finished the journey, regardless of how many years it took. Jude is a fast reader and plowed through the Pentateuch in just a few months (at the age of 5!!). But like his father before him, perseverance was difficult when so many pages were stacked against him. He's had seasons of consistent reading, seasons of no reading, and seasons of dabbling. Meanwhile, Cassidy and I offered encouragement, reminders, and strategies from time to time. It took 4 years for him to make it through the Old Testament. The turn to the New Testament sparked renewed hope as the finish line finally seemed attainable. During our year-long furlough in the states, Jude made the final push through to the end. He read 8 chapters of Revelation (chapters 15-22) on May 28, 2022 to bring his first walk through the Bible to an end.

We celebrated with an ice cream cake and a special gift - a brand new Bible. This time he chose a Bible just like his dad's, a ESV reference Bible. It will not be as easy to read, but hopefully it will help him study the Scriptures and grow in his knowledge of God. We pray that God would use His Word to awaken new life in Jude and bring him into God's family. And we are praying for Oliver as he continues his walk through the Bible. He's in the book of Judges and struggling. Pray for ya boy!