It’s not easy to say “no”

My department has fled the campus entirely for three days this week to be together for a workshop. Since we IT staff have such a big impact on day to day operations in Wycliffe, we let people know well in advance that we wouldn’t be available. I’m not entirely sure how folks reacted to that, but I know that some people would have been a little worried.

Despite the notice, there were some people I had to tell personally that I couldn’t help them. That hurt. I’m the type of person who really wants to fix the things I can — and I especially like doing it when it benefits someone else.

But I had to tell one woman over the phone that I couldn’t possibly fix her email problem myself until Monday. I referred her to my colleagues in North Carolina, who I’m certain can also help her. Another woman — who is visiting the campus — has what is probably a hardware problem with her laptop. However, I didn’t have enough time with it this week to come up with a diagnosis. She and her husband work from Washington, D.C., so I had to tell them to contact Dell Technical Support directly when they return home this weekend.

I have no idea what part of Wycliffe’s larger ministry of Bible translation will be affected by these delays in computer support, but the experience has certainly reinforced my desire to serve God by helping my Wycliffe co-workers.

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David Liddle

I grew up in Media, Pennsylvania, close to Philadelphia. I graduated from The Citadel in 1994. In 1995, I joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and have served in Africa, the United States, and Germany. Katherine and I were married in November 1998.

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