After a lot of Prayer and Conversation...

For the past year and a half or so we have been up front about our state of finances. I can promise you our financial income is not something we enjoy talking about, especially when they are low. Prior to returning to Canada the amount of financial support we have received from you our supporters has always been sufficient. Even when $1 Cdn went from buying 8 of the local currency in Asia to only buying 6 of it, and even though we started out with one child when we first left and had three children by the time we returned home. Barring exception circumstances our income was sufficient.

We faced challenges though upon returning to Canada. Namely Canada is more expensive than Asia. Also Oshawa is more expensive than Windsor. To stay involved with Wycliffe Bible Translators Canada, which we felt was the right decision upon returning to Canada, we knew we needed to be in the GTA. We have been unable to make up our shortfall in financial support. As we began to realize that our income would not be sufficient we knew we could not continue on as we were, something had to change.

If you have followed us for the past few years you know that one of the greatest needs our family was looking for in returning to Canada was stability. A post I wrote a few months back was entitled "I think we've turned the corner". That had to do with finding our feet, fitting in, feeling stable. I promise you, more change was not high on my list nor was it at the bottom 😔 It wasn't on any list I may have had. But change has come anyway.

Essentially we found we had two options before us: I could return to the health care field or find a way into the counselling field though I am not licensed, or Jeff find a job. The member care adviser role is typically done by someone who raises their own support and I really enjoy what I do. Jeff's education, training, and work experience is in Bible translation, which he also loves. How do we fit into the Canadian workplace?

Now, over and over again we have seen God work in weird ways. Way back in 2007, in Asia, we were given a choice to move to one of two cities. Our personal choice was neither. In the back of our minds we had a plan that seemed to fit our skills, gifts, and the purpose of our being in China. Our leadership stuck with their original options. That is how we ended up in the city we spent most of our time in. What you may not know is that only a few months after we moved to that city, the town we had wanted to move saw all it's foreigners given 24-48 hours to pack up and leave. There were escalating tensions, unrest, self-immolations and the like. It was years before they were allowed back to gather any left over belongings. Various circumstances came together to direct out path different from what we envisioned.

We seem to have walked through a similar situation. Reasons to return to Canada, reasons to move to the GTA, insufficient financial support. A different path than what we envisioned. After much prayer and conversation with family, friends, and supervisors, Jeff has resigned his position with Wycliffe Bible Translators and accepted a job with the Canadian Bible Society (CBS).

In his job he will continue in Bible translation the difference is that he will be focusing on languages in Canada (and also Alaska). Members of our First Nations, Inuit...are approaching both CBS and Wycliffe for help with translating the Bible into their own languages.

What about me? I will continue as a member care adviser for Wycliffe Bible Translators Canada. I will still need your financial support so that our missionaries can remain on the field. The income I receive from you, our supporters, combined with Jeff's income at CBS will take us back to a sufficient level of income. Thank you for supporting me in this way, you are making a difference.

We are thankful for the 15+ years Jeff has been able to give to Wycliffe, and we are also excited for what the future brings with CBS. If you have known us since we've been married you know that shortly after being married we lived in Attawapiskat, a Cree-speaking First Nations reservation in northern Ontario. At the time we inquired about Bible Translation projects up there but we were told there was no need: they had Bible portions they were happy with. We are not entirely surprised to feel like we have come full circle in this, with Jeff being involved with indigenous Canadians again.

Again, we want to express our  thankfulness for your prayers and financial support. If you have any questions, please do get in touch with either of us.
brandie.green@wycliffe.ca
jeffgreen76@gmail.com