East Meets West FELL OWSHIP VIEWS


by MARILYNN LESTER Ron and Donna Schumacher were honored at


Community Bible Church, Omaha, Nebraska, on September 5, 2021, for 44 years of faithful service (1976-2020) with Wycliffe Bible Translators in the Philippines with the Agu- san Monobo people.


Ron is originally from


Blufton, Ohio; Donna is originally from Los Angeles, California. Little did they know what God had in store for them when they both enrolled in Grace Bible Institute (later known as Grace Univer- sity) in Omaha. After graduation and marriage they were accepted with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Their assignment was the Philippines, to the Agu- san Monobo people. They spent the next 25 years developing an alphabet, writing primers to teach reading, creating songs of worship in the native language, and translating the Bible for the Aguasan Monobo people. The New Testament was completed and God’s Word is blessing the people today.


As they showed great leadership skills, Wycliffe


asked them to coordinate and run workshops and translation checks for other translators in the Phil- ippines. Over the next 19 years, they contributed to 20 different language translations by checking the translations and advising translators and consultants. They developed a translation handbook which is used today as a guide for other translators with SIL Philip- pines, a faith-based nonprofit organization committed


to serving language communities worldwide.


While in the Philippines, they raised three boys who love the Lord. The three boys have given them 14 grandchildren. One grandchild was diag- nosed with cancer, went through treatments, and went home to be with her Jesus while Ron and Don- na were on the field trying to juggle their heart’s desires to be at home and on the field. They were able to make it back to the states occasionally to be with family.


In the end, East beats


Ron and Donna Schumacher, le, receive plaque from Marilynn and Doyle Lester


West. Ron and Donna are making their home in Ohio to be close to family. They will continue to do some translation consult- ing from home from time to time. They have found a good church and have become involved there.


They are thankful for encouragement received


from FEBC throughout the years. Ron and Donna leave behind a great legacy in the


Philippines. They have truly lived out their favorite verse: “The things you have heard me say in the pres- ence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2 niv).


May God be praised. Marilynn and Doyle Lester served on the FEBC


Commission on Global Partnerships from 2010-2019, and rejoined the commission in 2020 for a new tenure.


FELLOWSHIPFORWARD.ORG 5


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