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Wycliffe Partners with Christian Reformed World Missions Ethnomusicologists Expand Their Focus Transitions for Translations
Building on a long legacy, Filipino believers help provide God’s Word for their country’s language groups.
Foreword Fall 2009 t 7PMVNF 27 t /VNCFS 3 Word Alive, which takes its name from Hebrews 4:12a, is the official publication of Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada. Its mission is to inform, inspire and involve the Christian public as partners in the worldwide Bible translation movement.
Light in Dark Moments
Editor: Dwayne Janke
Dwayne Janke
Designer: Laird Salkeld Senior Staff Writer: Doug Lockhart Staff Writers: Janet Seever, Deborah Crough Staff Photographer: Alan Hood Vice President of Communications: Dave Crough Word Alive is published four times annually by Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada, 4316 10 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6K3. Copyright 2009 by Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada. Permission to reprint articles and other magazine contents may be obtained by written request to the editor. A donation of $12 annually is suggested to cover the cost of printing and mailing the magazine. (Donate online or use the reply form in this issue.) Printed in Canada by McCallum Printing Group, Edmonton. Member: The Canadian Church Press, Evangelical Press Association. For additional copies: media_resources@wycliffe.ca To contact the editor: editor_wam@wycliffe.ca For address updates: circulation@wycliffe.ca Note to readers: References to “SIL� are occasionally made in Word Alive. SIL is a key partner organization, dedicated to training, language development and research, translation and literacy.
Wycliffe Canada Vision Statement: A world where translated Scriptures lead to transformed lives among people of all languages. Translating Scripture, Transforming Lives Together with partners worldwide, we serve indigenous people through language-related ministries, especially Bible translation and literacy. Our goal is to empower local communities to express God’s love in Word and deed—for personal, social and spiritual transformation. Wycliffe personnel currently serve globally in nearly 1,500 language projects for more than a half billion people. However, about 2,400 minority groups still wait for the power of God working through their own languages. Wycliffe invites you to participate in this effort through prayer, service and funding. Canadian Head Office: 4316 10 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6K3. Phone: (403) 250-5411 or toll free 1-800-463-1143, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. mountain time. Fax: (403) 250-2623. Email: info@wycliffe.ca Cover: A farm labourer near Bagabag, on Luzon Island in the Philippines, hauls sheaves of rice for processing. Photograph by Alan Hood.
In Others’ Words “What page, what passage of the inspired books of the Old and New Testaments is not the truest of guides for human life?� ‰4U #FOFEJDU PG /VSTJB " % GPVOEFS PG 8FTUFSO $ISJTUJBO NPOBTUJDJTN JO The Rule of St. Benedict
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n a cool, overcast morning last January, Word Alive writer Doug Lockhart and photographer Alan Hood visited the vast Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. They were on assignment in the Philippines. Across the 62-hectare site on a prominent plateau, gleaming white crosses and Stars of David mark the graves of 17,202 American servicemen and hundreds of their Philippine National comrades. They died in World War II in operations against the Japanese in New Guinea and the Philippines. As Doug surveyed the seemingly endless rows of gravestones, he could scarcely comprehend the magnitude of that staggering, global conflict. “I tried to visualize the mind-numbing carnage that shook the Philippines back then,� he recalls, “and I realized I would never think of its islands again without remembering that dark history.� But Doug’s thoughts turned to another, more hopeful history: nearly six decades of Bible translation carried out by Wycliffe workers and key partner organizations in the Philippines. Where death and destruction once reigned, Doug discovered firsthand that the life-giving gospel of Christ—as revealed through the translated Scriptures—is transforming countless lives for all eternity. Today, as you will see in this issue of Word Alive, Filipino believers are an inte“The Light of the World gral part of the Bible translation movement in their country. They’re helping translate never abandoned this Scripture for dozens of language groups, beautiful nation.� launching literacy programs and planning to reach other language groups in the Philippines still waiting for God’s Word in their mother tongue. “To me,� explains Doug, “it’s a comforting reminder that the Light of the World never abandoned this beautiful nation, even in its darkest moments.� And as Bible translation efforts continue in the Philippines, a related light—God’s Word (Ps. 119:105)—is helping to illuminate the paths of many people in that Asian nation. May it shine ever brighter!
6 Contents
Features "SUJDMFT #Z %PVH -PDLIBSU t 1IPUPHSBQIT CZ "MBO )PPE
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A Long, Uphill Climb How two farm kids from America persevered to become part of God’s blueprint for Bible translation in the Philippines.
18 Finding a Way Forward—Together Philippine partners explore innovative strategies in the push to fulfil Vision 2025.
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23 Vision 2025, Philippine-style 26 From Other Tongue to Mother Tongue Language communities in the Philippines take ownership for Scripture translation, helped by Wycliffe’s partner organizations.
32 Second Chance for a Single Mom Departments 2
Foreword Light In Dark Moments.
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Watchword Christian Reformed World Missions, Wycliffe Canada Establish Formal Partnership.
34 Beyond Words Harvest Gold
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35 Last Word Transitions for Translations. #Z %BWF 0IMTPO
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Watchword
W
ycliffe Bible Translators of Canada Christian (WBTC) and the denominational misReformed sions organization of the Christian Reformed World Church in North America (CRCNA) have Missions, established a formal working relationship. WBTC Director Dave Ohlson (right in photo) Wycliffe and Gary Bekker (left in photo), Director Canada of Christian Reformed World Missions Establish (CRWM), signed the agreement this past May. Wycliffe Canada personnel who are mem'PSNBM bers of the Christian Reformed Church will Partnership be officially recognized by their denomination
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as “partner missionaries.” The new status includes encouragement and assistance for them, both in raising financial support and receiving prayer backing from among CRC churches. The agreement is in effect from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011, when it will be reviewed for possible renewal. “This agreement will get some work done,” said Bekker, “but what we really hope it shows to Christian Reformed people is that their denominational missions agency needs folks like Wycliffe— that you are a fairly specialized ministry. That’s part of the efficiency in the Kingdom of God. “By God’s grace, I hope we can find ways to do even more together—a lot more.” Ohlson said it was gratifying to formalize what has been up to this time a very loose-knit affiliation between the two organizations. “It’s very exciting to see denominations like the CRC, and
its missionary arm, the CRWM, engaging in the worldwide Bible translation movement in a more significant way.” At various times and places, both WBTC and CRWM have worked cooperatively on the field in translating and publishing Scriptures. Dozens of people from CRC ranks have served or are currently serving with Wycliffe. CRWM, established in 1888 by the CRC, helps congregations to fulfil the Great Commission and sends members to serve in more than 25 countries. The CRC includes 300,000 people in just over 1,000 congregations across North America—25 per cent of them in Canada.
Wycliffe Ethnomusicologists Expand into Performing and Visual Arts
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ycliffe field ethnomusicologists are expanding their focus to work with local performing and visual artists so that language groups around the world will receive an even clearer message from God’s Word. Wycliffe ethnomusicologists will still learn cultures’ music styles and work with local Christian musicians to create songs
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with newly translated Scripture. Now they will also help pour the truths of God’s Word into each local culture’s performing and visual arts, says Brian Schrag, ethnomusicology and arts coordinator for SIL International, Wycliffe’s key partner organization. “We are developing training programs, research aids and promotional
resources to bring this vision about.” About two dozen ethnomusicologists from around the world gathered this spring in Dallas, Tex., at a two-week workshop entitled “From Heart Music to Heart Arts.” They met to broaden their focus on the arts and design programs to train others in their regions. So-called “arts specialists” will research the indigenous arts of a language group and encourage creativity in communicating God’s Word, says Schrag. “The arts specialist’s goal will be to spark the emergence of enduring traditions of Scripturebased song composition, drama, dance, storytelling, chanting, visual and other locally thriving arts.” Tapping into local artistic expressions always increases the effectiveness of language work, says Schrag, whether it is language analysis, culture learning, Bible translation, literacy, Scripture use, church life or community development.
'FX 5SBOTMBUJPO Projects Remaining in Ghana
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ork has begun in almost all of the remaining languages needing Bible translation in Ghana, Africa. Of the 79 languages spoken in the nation, only about seven still have a definite need, reports The Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation (GILLBT), a Wycliffe partner organization. GILLBT colleagues view these remaining needs as a great opportunity for the Ghanaian Church to become more motivated and involved to get God’s Word to every people group there and beyond.
Delivering Translated Scriptures Digitally
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he number of languages used on our globe stands at 6,912, according to the updated &UIOPMPHVF database maintained by SIL, Wycliffe’s key partner organization. In the past four years, research reported to and collected by SIL shows that 80 languages have been distinguished from other previously listed ones. During that same time period, an addi-
Twentyfive Years of Bible Translation Celebrated in Africa
tional 80 languages, not associated with any other languages, have been newly recognized. Meanwhile, about 91 languages have become extinct—no longer spoken—in the past four years. They are part of the 421 endangered languages that have joined the rolls of those no longer in daily use since SIL began recording language statistics in 1950. Some or all of the Bible has
been translated into 2,454 languages. Bible translation is underway in 1,998 languages, spoken by 1.2 billion people. Nearly 2,400 languages, representing 200 million, still need Scripture translation, but have no work even started.
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he Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau Branch of SIL International, Wycliffe’s key partner organization, is celebrating 25 years of Bible translation and language work this year. Branch partners, dignitaries Mauritania and government officials joined Atlantic Ocean SIL workers for a special event in Senegal to mark the milestone in Senegal late April. The day included speeches, displays and Mali Gambia demonstrations. So far, Bible translation efforts have resulted in Guinea-Bissau three completed New Testaments and some Old Guinea Testament portions. Projects are underway in more than 20 of the 40-plus languages spoken in these three northwest Africa countries.
elivering translated Scripture in relevant and easily accessible ways in globally diverse situations has always been a challenge for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Kalaam Media Ltd., a newly formed British company, is aiming to meet some of these needs through digital means. Kalaam is working to make translated Scripture and related materials available for use, downloading and distribution through the web, and accessible by cell phones, computers and PDAs, such as Blackberries and iPods, says Durk Meijer, the company’s director. “Mobile technology helps people to pass Scripture from one hand-held device to another,” explains Meijer, “thus making the Word of God easily available in remote and restricted areas, where access is sometimes almost impossible.” Kalaam’s goal is for language communities to have God’s Word in print, audio, and sometimes even as a story using video. This will be done
using websites in their language, looking and feeling natural from their cultural perspective, says Meijer. As appropriate, this can be done in a story-telling format, song, poetry or chant, to encourage people to spread God’s story to others they know. In the past century, God’s Word has been extensively distributed in print form, as well as in audio and visual forms on tape, film, CD and DVD. “The electronic revolution now means Scripture can also be shared digitally on common handheld devices, which are flooding the market,” says Meijer. “Unfortunately, no existing Bible agency or publishing house is digitally delivering Scriptures in minority languages relevant in the cultural context of the people that we’re aiming to serve.” This void prompted some visionaries to establish the U.K.-based Kalaam Media. It is starting a pilot phase in which websites will be developed for three languages.
Word Count
26 Letters in the English alphabet. 12 Letters in the alphabet of the Rotokas language of Papua New Guinea—fewest number of any in the world.
74 Letters in the alphabet of Khmer (Cambodia’s official language)— largest number of any in the world. Source: Pass the Word
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before Dave Ohlson moved to Calgary in 2004 to begin serving as director of Wycliffe Canada, he and his wife Joan (pictured at right) called the Philippines home. For six years, they helped translate the New Testament for a small community in the highlands of Luzon Island. Then from 1982 to 1988, Dave directed the Philippines branch of SIL, a partner organization of Wycliffe, during one of that country’s most turbulent periods— the revolution that ousted former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Back then, the Ohlsons were sometimes invited to dinner parties in Manila or other events where they found themselves mingling with government ministers, ambassadors and Filipino movie stars. At one special event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Magsaysay Foundation—established in honour of former Philippines president Ramon Magsaysay—they were even instructed how to dress appropriately. The guest list included former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, and other notable figures. “Strange things you never think will happen to a couple of farm kids!” Dave says, smiling at the recollection. The Ohlsons attended on behalf of SIL Philippines, which was established in 1953 at the invitation of President Magsaysay on behalf of the Philippines government. Because the foundation had honoured SIL with an award for “international understanding” in 1973, SIL leaders had often been invited to attend social functions hosted by the Magsaysay family. “Joan became quite good friends with the former first lady, President Magsaysay’s wife,” explains Dave, “ . . . and we knew their kids. “At the foundation’s 25th anniversary, we met . . . all these dignitaries,” he recalls with a chuckle, “and I thought, ‘What are we EPJOH here?’ ”
HUMBLE ROOTS What they were doing was building relationships, as ambassadors of Christ called to serve language communities in the Asian island chain. By God’s grace, many of those relationships formed in Manila and throughout the Philippines helped facilitate SIL’s work in language research, translation and literacy. 6
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While walking in Barlig village last January (above), Dave and Joan Ohlson pause to greet a young girl and her mom. In just a few more years, this youngster will have access to the entire Finallig Bible, thanks to translation work done by the Ohlsons and many others over the past four decades. Virgie Coyao (at left with Joan and in inset photo with Dave) is a Barlig resident who helped Dave translate portions of the New 5FTUBNFOU EVSJOH UIF MBUF A T
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What’s more, Dave was instrumental in helping to establish Translators Association of the Philippines (TAP), an indigenous organization dedicated to Bible translation and a key player in strategies for the future. With four children to care for and sometimes overwhelming responsibilities, the Ohlsons persevered to invest more than 30 years of their lives in the Philippines. Along the way, they rejoiced as more and more language groups received God’s Word—and wept with colleagues who suffered through malaria and other diseases, or lost loved ones in horrific accidents. Dave grew up on a farm in Washington state, while Joan was raised on an orange grove in southern California. They met in 1963, when Dave, a former U.S. serviceman who trained as a medic, was stationed at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, Calif. Before they met, Dave called Joan at home one Friday night when he and an air force buddy were looking for dates. “So Joan comes on the phone,� recalls Dave, “but she’s got a horrible cold and she can hardly talk. She says ‘hello’ with a croak and I’m thinking, ‘Isn’t she a petite blonde girl? This sounds like a woman wrestler!’ � Joan turned down Dave’s initial request for a date because she only knew him through an earlier, brief introduction. But soon they were double dating with Dave’s buddy and his girlfriend. In 1964, Joan and Dave were married in San Bernardino.
CHANGING PLANS Following their initial linguistic training, the Ohlsons arrived in Manila in 1974 with their daughters Ruth, 7, Barbara, 5 and 18-month-old Amy in tow. Dave and Joan thought they would be spending the first few months there studying Tagalog, the national language spoken in the Philippines, before being assigned to a language project. Instead, Dave was asked by administrators to do language survey to help determine the need for linguistic and translation work throughout the country. Dave agreed and shortly thereafter, the family moved to the SIL Centre in Bagabag, situated nearly 300 km north of Manila. The Ohlsons joined other colleagues who had established the centre a few years earlier. In that first year, Dave had to leave his family frequently to do language survey. On one of his first survey trips, he visited Barlig, a small town in Luzon’s Mountain Province where just a few generations ago, headhunting was still practised. Today, the peaceful mountain community of some 2,500 residents is home to three churches, schools, a hospital and hard-working families who tend the spectacular rice terraces that surround their homes. On that first visit, it struck Dave that Barlig might be a good place for his family to settle into the work they had come to do. “I was very taken with the place in one sense,� says Dave, “but at the same time, we wanted to go where God wanted us to go.�
Philippines At a Glance OďŹƒcial Name: 3FQVCMJD PG UIF 1IJMJQQJOFT Location: 4PVUIFBTUFSO "TJB TMJHIUMZ OPSUI PG UIF FRVBUPS BOE TFQBSBUFE GSPN NBJOMBOE "TJB CZ UIF 4PVUI $IJOB 4FB $BQJUBM $JUZ PG .BOJMBo NJMMJPO QPQ Geography: TR LN TNBMMFS UIBO /FXGPVOEMBOE 5IF BSDIJQFMBHP DPOTJTUT PG JTMBOET BO FTUJNBUFE BSF JOIBCJUFE 5IF JTMBOET BSF DMVTUFSFE JO UISFF NBJO BSFBT
7JTBZBT -V[PO BOE .JOEBOBP XJUI PG UIF UPUBM MBOE NBTT DPOUBJOFE XJUIJO UIF MBUUFS UXP .PSF UIBO NPVOUBJOT XJUI OBSSPX UP FYUFOTJWF DPBTUBM MPXMBOET Climate: 5SPQJDBM NBSJOF OPSUIFBTU NPOTPPO /PW "QSJM BOE TPVUIXFTU NPOTPPO .BZ 0DU
Government: 'FEFSBM SFQVCMJD XJUI DPOHSFTT EFNPDSBDZ IBT QSPWJODFT Economy: " NJYFE BHSJDVMUVSBM BOE JOEVTUSJBM FDPOPNZ
Religion: 3PNBO $BUIPMJD 1SPUFTUBOUT .VTMJN BOE B TNBMM QPQVMBUJPO PG #VEEIJTUT #BIĂˆ Ă“ )JOEVT 4JLIT BOJNJTUT BOE UIPTF XJUI OP SFMJHJPO 5IJT QMVSBMJUZ PG GBJUIT DSFBUFT BO PQFOOFTT UP EJTDVTT SFMJHJPO PS PUIFS GBJUI CBTFE JEFBT Languages: 0ĂłDJBM MBOHVBHFT 'JMJQJOP &OHMJTI 0OMZ NBKPS EJBMFDUT VTFE JO XJEFS DPNNVOJDBUJPO PGUFO MFBWJOH NJOPSJUZ MBOHVBHF TQFBLFST NBSHJOBMJ[FE BOE GFFMJOH JOGFSJPS
Bible translation status: #JCMF /5 BWBJMBCMF JO MBOHVBHFT UISPVHI XPSL CZ 4*- 8ZDMJòF T LFZ QBSUOFS PSHBOJ[BUJPO t #JCMF USBOTMBUJPO JO QSPHSFTT CZ 4*- BOE PUIFST t &TUJNBUFE Peoples: .PTU PG UIF QPQVMBUJPO JT DPNQPTFE PG WBSJPVT UPUBM SFNBJOJOH #JCMF FUIOP MJOHVJTUJD HSPVQT 'SPN OPSUI UP TPVUI UIF NPTU USBOTMBUJPO OFFE o OVNFSPVT BSF UIF *MPDBOP UIF 1BOHBTJOBO UIF ,BQBNQBOHBO MBOHVBHFT UIF 5BHBMPH UIF #JDPMBOP BOE UIF 7JTBZBO 5IFSF BSF USJCBM QFPQMFT JO TPNF PG UIF NPSF JOBDDFTTJCMF NPVOUBJO BSFBT Literacy Rate: PG BEVMU QPQVMBUJPO Manila ZFBST BOE PMEFS Population: NJMMJPO UJNFT UIBU PG $BOBEB
Sources: The World Factbook; Operation World (21st Century Edition); Ethnologue, SIL Philippines, Misc.
For more than a year, Dave continued to travel throughout the Philippines on trips of two to three weeks in duration. In the meantime, he and Joan were praying about where they should begin a language project—and Barlig kept coming to mind.
CHALLENGING CONDITIONS When the Ohlsons finally moved to Barlig in November 1975, the assignment came with a price: their two older girls, Ruth and Barbara, had to stay behind in Bagabag to attend school. Over the next six years, all three girls—and their brother Tim, born in 1976—lived for periods of time at Bagabag with friends of the family. Ruth also lived for a time at Faith Academy in Manila, but all of the children spent summer vacations and other holidays with their parents. “I think that was the hardest part of moving to Barlig,” says Joan. “Amy was the one we took with us, because she was the littlest. “We weren’t separated for long periods of time—but that was still kind of hard.” While they endured plenty of hardships during their six years in Barlig, the Ohlsons seldom mention them. They lived in a plain house with few amenities and almost daily had to climb up and down steep, often-slippery slopes that led to an elementary school, a health clinic and a small store. Dave began his work in Barlig by studying the local language. Eventually he was able to translate a medical book and a few other materials. Not long into the project, a young believer in the village, Virginia (Virgie) Coyao, began helping with translation of the New Testament. Virgie, like many of her neighbours in Mountain Province, had learned English as a child because Americans had estab-
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lished schools in the Philippines following the SpanishAmerican War at the end of the 19th century. Besides English, Tagalog and Ilocano (a trade language) are also spoken in the region. However, earlier language survey had determined that the people of Barlig, who speak a dialect of Eastern Bontoc called Finallig, needed a mother tongue translation of the New Testament.
JUGGLING WORK AND FAMILY Over the next five years, Dave and Virgie worked together to translate the books of Mark and Acts, and rough drafts of the remaining New Testament books. During that time, Dave juggled his work in the language project with responsibilities as the regional area director for SIL. In that role, he again travelled extensively to visit 36 translation teams working in the region— many of them in hard-to-reach locations. The translation teams communicated by radio and tried to keep tabs on one another, but most of them experienced plenty of anxious moments. On one occasion, the Ohlson’s one-year-old son Tim grew gravely ill and began convulsing. Dave and Joan left their daughter Amy with Virgie and drove Tim to a mission hospital at the famous Banaue rice terraces. After doctors treated Tim, Joan travelled with him by bus to the SIL centre in Bagabag, while Dave headed back to Barlig in their Land Cruiser. Just minutes from home, on a narrow, winding road, he had to swerve suddenly to avoid a pick-up truck filled with young people. His truck sailed over the edge of a steep cliff and thundered downhill some 12 metres before crashing into a tree. Miraculously, Dave escaped with just a few bruises and managed to climb up the hill, get help and eventually retrieve his battered truck.
“I was very taken with the place in one sense, but at the same time, we wanted to go where God wanted us to go.”
(At left, in middle) Joan helps usher in the New Year during a lively celebration in Barlig. Many of the town’s residents —including a local policeman (above)—participated in dances, songs and skits held outside the municipal hospital and police station.
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In Barlig, Joan helps a woman wash a basketful of camotes (kah-MOH-tehs), or sweet potatoes, in preparation for the evening meal. Such chores were part of Joan’s daily life during the six years she, Dave and their children lived in the community.
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were the only ones that could do it, but it was kind of the death of a dream. . . . “That was hard, just to set it aside. We felt that was why we came, to do Bible translation.” Life in Manila required some huge adjustments for the whole family. For Joan, it meant learning to relate to different strata of Philippine society. “Switching my mind frame from interacting with the people in the village, to the very prominent, upper class people in Manila that we would host and be with . . . it took me a while to realize God had a purpose in all of that.” STRATEGIC MOVE Looking back, the Ohlsons can see that one of God’s purposes In 1982, some six years into their language project, Dave agreed to let his name stand for the position of Philippine field director of SIL. was to have them engage with Filipino church leaders, businessmen and others who shared the vision for serving language “Lo and behold, I ended up getting elected . . . which was the furthest thing from my mind,” Dave says. “I remember standing communities, including Bible translation. In 1983, shortly after up and telling the group, ‘You don’t know what you’ve done. This becoming director of SIL Philippines, Dave helped form the Translators Association of the Philippines (TAP)—which grew was not supposed to happen!’ ” His election meant that he and his family would have to leave out of an earlier coalition of Filipino believers, the Translators Committee of the Philippines. their language project and move to Manila. Today, TAP oversees a staff of 73 Filipino members working By the time the Ohlsons were ready to move, other personnel had stepped in to continue the translation work in Barlig. But it in 17 language projects and is one of several indigenous groups working to determine the future of Bible translation in the was still hard to leave the people they had grown to love. Philippines. “It was a low point for me,” Joan says. “Not that we felt we
For Joan, Dave’s frequent absences were a time to lean on the Lord, and on Filipino friends like Virgie. “I told the Lord when I first went up there that He’d have to give me some special friends,” says Joan, “and He did. He was so faithful.” Those friends helped Joan cope when their daughters Ruth and Barbara both contracted malaria at different times, or other trials threatened to overwhelm. Many of the villagers became “uncles and aunties” to the Ohlsons’ four children.
“I told the Lord when I first went up there that He’d have to give me some special friends, and He did. He was so faithful.”
The Ohlsons reminisce with Thomas Matib (above, far right), an elder in the local Baptist church, and his pastor, Dexter Cafay (second from right). Matib serves on the Old Testament translation committee and also helped oversee a revision of the Finallig New Testament. At a midweek prayer meeting in the small church (right), Cafay preaches from the book of Romans. Those involved in translating the Finallig Old Testament hope its projected DPNQMFUJPO JO BOE FOTVJOH publication will encourage Barlig’s residents to read the full Bible in their mother tongue.
Shortly after dawn on a weekday morning, a van loaded with commuters departs from Barlig on its daily run to surrounding communities. Life in the rice-producing UPXO PG TPNF SFTJEFOUT DBSSJFT PO NVDI BT JU IBT GPS DFOUVSJFT XIFSFBT UIF bustling city of Manila (below) boasts modern “advances” like mega-malls, skyscrapers, and a thriving film and television industry.
“Probably the most satisfying thing we did in the Philippines,” says Dave, “was to work together with Filipino colleagues to help them establish an organization like TAP.”
REVOLUTION While the Ohlsons’ move to Manila also reunited them with their children, it brought some new challenges—including the need for constant vigilance. Civil unrest, which had escalated in 1983 after the assassination of Philippine statesman Benigno Aquino, exploded in 1986 following a disputed election that resulted in another victory for Ferdinand Marcos. Filipinos reacted by pouring into the streets by the thousands, in a protest that became known as the People Power Revolution. At various times throughout those restless years between 1983 and 1986, expatriates had to be especially cautious. “Joan and I actually developed a plan in Manila,” Dave recalls. “We never went to work the same way two days in a row, because there were death squads in Manila that were killing prominent people . . . so you just didn’t know.” Furthermore, Dave’s name was purportedly on the “hit list.” “Those were very tense days,” adds Dave. The uncertainty of those years underscored the wisdom of forming an indigenous organization such as TAP, that could carry on the work, even if expatriate translators were forced to pull out.
(Above) Dave chats with Doralyn Challoy and Romeo Lamaton, part of a five-member team that’s translating the Finallig Old Testament. They’re among a new wave of mother tongue translators who are moving Bible translation forward in the Philippines. Later, in Manila, (below) the Ohlsons visit their favourite ice-cream shop, where in days gone by they would gather with SIL colleagues to enjoy a tasty banana split or other frozen treat.
MORE FILIPINO INVOLVEMENT From the earliest years of translation efforts in the Philippines, Filipinos—like Virgie Coyao in Barlig—had served as co-translators and contributed to Bible translation in a variety of ways. But there were also many other Filipinos eager to see God’s Word available for their people—including some of the high-ranking officials that pushed Dave and Joan out of their “comfort zones” in Manila’s social circuit. “We had some wonderful opportunities to meet some very prominent officials that loved the Lord. . . . ” says Joan, for whom the once-daunting task of relating to Manila’s elite became a source of joy. “I began to see the compassion they had . . . and that they wanted to be a part of serving language communities and seeing God’s Word translated into the mother tongues of the people in the Philippines.” “Some of that goes back to the foresight and vision of the people who first came to the Philippines with SIL,” adds Dave, “to establish those kinds of relationships with the government for the ultimate benefit of language communities. “Dr. Carlos Romulo, who was a general during WWII and was kind of the Filipino counterpart of General Douglas MacArthur, was actually the head of our first advisory committee. “Out of that grew engagement with all kinds of people; former vice presidents, ministers of education . . . people like Sedfrey Ordoñez, who ended up being an ambassador to the United Nations and Manny Pelaez, who ended up as the ambassador to the United States.”
“Those were very tense days.”
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FULL CIRCLE While the Ohlsons have been privileged to befriend many prominent Filipinos, they still hold a special place in their hearts for the people of Barlig. After Dave and Joan left the scenic mountain community in 1982, their dear friend and colleague Virgie continued to help consult on some early drafts. Later, a new team of mother tongue translators was assembled. They, along with expatriate personnel—including Wycliffe Canada members Rundell and Judi Maree—completed work on the New Testament translation. In 2004, the Ohlsons were among several translators honoured in Barlig as the community dedicated the Finallig New Testament. The colourful ceremony helped unite local believers as they celebrated the arrival of God’s Word in their heart language (see Word Alive, Spring 2005). The Finallig New Testament publication was a source of pride for the community. Following the dedication event in 2004, the local Catholic church purchased 900 copies. Individuals purchased 300 more and New Testaments are awarded to high school graduates to this day. In January of this year, Dave and Joan visited Barlig again. While there, the Ohlsons were encouraged to meet a group of well-trained, mother tongue translators in Barlig who are taking on the challenge of translating the Old Testament into their language. Dave and Joan share the translators’ hopes that on completion, the Old Testament translation will find greater acceptance and stimulate its readers to explore the New Testament.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
While examining a friend’s photo album in Barlig, Joan and Dave enjoy some old photos of their family. When the Ohlsons first BSSJWFE JO UIFZ IBE UP MFBWF their daughters Ruth (beside Dave in inset photo) and Barbara (centre, front row) with friends in Bagabag so they could attend school. They brought their youngest daughter Amy (far right) to Barlig and their son Tim was born almost a year after they settled in the village.
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Dave finishes his term of office at Wycliffe Canada this December. What lies ahead for the Ohlsons? Dave and Joan aren’t sure, but they’ve always been careful to listen to God before making the next move. In the past, the Lord has used some hallway conversations and unexpected phone calls to direct their lives—and often move them halfway around the world. “I used to say, ‘Never talk to anyone in the hallway,’ ” says Dave with a grin. While they were living in the United States in the late ’80s, leading a Wycliffe U.S. orientation course for new candidates, one such conversation resulted in a new assignment for the Ohlsons: launching a field training course in the Philippines for new translation personnel assigned to serve in Asia. That ministry kept them busy for six years, until Dave received a nighttime phone call from another friend and Wycliffe leader. That discussion led to Dave’s next assignment as the Asia-Pacific Area director for Wycliffe. What God has in store for Joan and him now is yet to be revealed. But who knows: God may just tap Dave on the shoulder, through another hallway conversation or a midnight phone call.
“I used to say, ‘Never talk to anyone in the hallway.’ �
%BWF QMBOUFE UIJT BDBDJB USFF JO in front of the house they built at SIL’s administrative centre in Bagabag. Its firm roots, healthy leaves and spreading branches mirror the fruit produced by the Ohlsons’ heartfelt investment in the people of the Philippines, during a ministry that TQBOOFE NPSF UIBO ZFBST
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Throughout the Philippines, locals utilize motorized “tricycles” like this one to transport everything from people to food and building supplies. If Filipinos need to transport something, they find a way—and that same “can do” attitude is fuelling the activities of Bible translation.
Philippine partners explore innovative strategies in the push to fulfil Vision 2025.
Finding a Way Forward—
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ohn Chesnut wants to set the record straight: there’s still plenty of work to do in the Philippines At least, the work of facilitating language development and Bible translation for this Asian country of 96 million inhabitants. Chesnut, who directs the Philippines branch of SIL—Wycliffe’s main partner organization dedicated to training, translation, literacy and language research—says after 56 years of service, the work is not yet finished. “For years we have felt like the work is nearly done,� says Chesnut, “but . . . SIL’s role is changing, moving from leading projects, to partnering and facilitating.� Just how translation efforts must change to adapt to new realities in the country was the focus of a strategy session, held last January, that brought together key Bible translation partners in the Philippines. Together, they continued to explore three interrelated topics: how to partner more efficiently to complete Bible translation for remaining languages that need it; how to better engage with the Philippine Church in that work; and how to help (Above, right) John Chesnut, director of SIL in the Philippines, shows Dave 0IMTPO B DPQZ PG UIF $BMBNJBO 5BHCBOXB /FX 5FTUBNFOU /FBSMZ ZFBST mobilize more Filipinos to serve overseas in Bible translation.
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Together
Rich Legacy In addressing these questions, Chesnut joins leaders from the Translators Association of the Philippines (TAP) and Sa Bawat 8JLB (see “Vision 2025, Philippine-style,� pg. 23). Another key partner is expected to be the recently formed Wycliffe Philippines, led by Dr. Romerlito Macalinao. His orientation to Bible translation needs in the Philippines has so far included a trip to Dallas, Tex., where he met with leaders of the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics (GIAL). Macalinao and GIAL officials discussed how they could work together to equip more Filipinos for the work of Bible translation. The former pastor and seminary professor officially began his post at WBT Philippines on June 1. Wycliffe Philippines and Sa Bawat Wika (Tagalog for “In Every Language�) are relatively new “players.� TAP, however, has been involved in Bible translation since 1983. And SIL’s involvement spans more than half a century. Since SIL’s work began in the Philippines in 1953, translation teams have helped complete New Testaments or entire Bibles for 57 language groups. The organization has also assisted other groups engaged in Bible translation, such as New Tribes Mission and TAP. SIL has also made a considerable contribution to language description and analysis. Last year, SIL dedicated an impressive research library and archives of more than 3,500 titles that include dictionaries, reading primers, traditional stories and a wide variety of unpublished works such as linguistic analyses of various languages. With such a legacy, it’s easy to understand how some could conclude that language work in the Philippines is all but done. However, there’s still a need for workers who believe God is calling them to further Bible translation in the Philippines.
“ We are moving from being the leader of projects, to being more of a partner and facilitator.�
in the making, the hard-won translation is part of a growing catalogue that JODMVEFT 4DSJQUVSF JO MBOHVBHFT NPSF UIBO academic publications, BVEJP BOE WJEFP SFDPSEJOHT BOE QIPUPHSBQIJD JNBHFT
“They would be part of a multicultural team, which will involve Filipinos,� Chesnut says, “ . . . so we really are looking for people that are willing to come and to work in multicultural community.� One major “hole� needing to be filled is in the area of Scripture use, which entails encouraging language communities to read and study their translated Scriptures. Newcomers could be involved in that work, adds Chesnut. Meanwhile, work continues in 21 New Testament translation projects; personnel are also involved in 30 other languages, assisting with Old Testament translation or revision of existing New Testament translations. What’s more, an ongoing joint TAP and SIL language survey endeavour indicates that Bible translation may still be needed for up to 20 more language communities.
Changing Times, Changing Needs A number of factors are driving the Philippine translation partners to re-examine the way they do business. Probably the main driving force is 7JTJPO , introduced by Wycliffe leaders in 1999. It’s a vision for the whole Church to see Bible translation underway, in every language that needs it, by 2025. Coupled with that is the Last Languages Initiative, a related strategy to accelerate Bible translation for the nearly 2,400 languages still needing translation (see “Good News for the Last Languages,� Word Alive, Spring 2009). Then there’s the recognition that the Philippines has changed significantly over the past five decades. The country is home to some 171 languages, but Filipino, which is based on Tagalog, is the national language. English, also widely spoken, is the medium of instruction in higher education. This multilingual environment creates some daunting challenges in determining just 8PSE "MJWF t 'BMM t wycliffe.ca
(Above) At a strategy meeting held last January in Manila, some key players in the Philippine Bible translation movement ask for God’s guidance as they begin their session. They believe increased involvement by the Philippine Church is crucial to furthering the ministries of Bible translation in the Philippines and throughout Asia.
(Left) The lure of higher wages draws thousands of Filipinos to seek employment overseas. Leaders of the Philippine Bible translation movement believe that Christians among these hard-working, welleducated and adaptable emigrants are well positioned to make a significant contribution to the work of Bible translation worldwide.
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how many language groups really still need Scripture translation. In terms of education, Filipinos now have greater access to higher learning. As a result, many Christians in the country are well positioned to contribute to Bible translation as linguists, translators, consultants and support personnel, through TAP and other organizations like the Northern Philippines Mother Tongue Translators Association (see “From Other Tongue to Mother Tongue,� pg. 26.) Add to the mix a Church that has matured over the years, and an adaptability and resiliency that enables Filipinos to blend in with almost any culture around the world, and you have some huge potential—and challenges—facing the Bible translation movement in the Philippines.
Planning Together
Boi Awid (above, far right), director of the Translators Association of the Philippines, “talks shop� with leaders of the Philippine Bible Society 1#4 'PVOEFE JO 1#4 IBT USBOTMBUFE UIF 4DSJQUVSFT GPS FJHIU NBKPS 1IJMJQQJOF MBOHVBHFT BOE EJTUSJCVUFT VQ UP NJMMJPO 4DSJQUVSF SFMBUFE publications annually. General Secretary Nora Lucero (second from left) believes the availability of Scripture in mother tongue languages is crucial to her country’s future. “We pray that the Bible can really change us as a nation . . . and it can be seen in the way we behave and act as a people.�
While the “partnership� buzzword seems overused in business, education and church circles, the Philippine Bible translation partners believe that working together truly provides the best way forward. But even the way they partner is being reevaluated. For example, as SIL and TAP discuss how best to help finish Bible translation for the estimated 10 to 20 language groups still needing it, they’re hopeful that the people who speak those languages will take ownership for Bible translation. “In all of those cases,� says Chesnut, “we’re hoping TAP, SIL and other partners can work together to help facilitate the language communities’ efforts to do their own translation.� “We’ll be working hand-in-hand to provide mother tongue training, consulting—those types of things,� adds Chesnut. “More and more, SIL and TAP are saying, ‘We’re working together . . . on joint initiatives and strategies and we’re going to assist these language communities jointly as well.’� TAP director Justino “Boi� Awid currently oversees more than 70 Filipino members serving in 17 language projects that range from Bible translation to literacy and language-based development. One TAP project in Luzon’s Bicol region marks a first for the 26-year-old organization. In the past, TAP personnel first had to locate on site, then spend months or years learning and analyzing the language before translation could begin; in Bicol TAP is focusing instead on training and resourcing mother tongue translators as they translate the New Testament for two language groups (see “From Other Tongue to Mother Tongue,� pg. 26.) Wycliffe Canada director Dave Ohlson says this approach is a major change of strategy for TAP. “We’re seeing more and more sophistication in the minority groups across the Philippines,� says Ohlson, who once served as director of Wycliffe’s Asia-Pacific Area. “Language communities are much better equipped today to do translation. “So TAP, as a facilitator, is likely going to see projects completed a lot quicker.� “Also one of our strategies now is to work
“ We’ll be working hand-inhand to provide mother tongue training, consulting— those types of things.�
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Rudy Barlaan (far left), a Filipino SIL member, responds to a presentation about the changing role of SIL in the Philippines during a staff meeting at the organization’s administrative centre in Bagabag. The future of language development in the country is being shaped largely by Vision XIJDI TFFLT UP BDDFMFSBUF UIF pace of Bible translation and involve the whole Church more effectively.
with Bible societies,” adds Awid. “Starting two years ago, we entered into a formal relationship with the Philippine Bible Society (PBS). “I think the work is being done faster with PBS acting as translation consultants also.”
At Home and Abroad While TAP is committed to finishing Scripture translation in the Philippines, it has also begun to look beyond its borders. Two of its members have served in Indonesia, while two others have laboured in other Southeast Asian countries. “Previously we were only focusing on local language projects,” says Awid, “but now our eyes are set on overseas as well, because of 7JTJPO . “I believe Filipinos can contribute to its fulfilment,” he adds. “We are multicultural and . . . we are also multilingual. Millions of Filipinos are already scattered around the globe. Many of them have become Christians and in the process, they have become part of the missions force as well.” Clearly, TAP and SIL are on the same page as they look to the future. But they’re not trusting solely in boardroom discussions and strategic plans to find their way forward. At the January planning meeting, John Chesnut—a former pastor—led those assembled in a morning devotional from Mark’s Gospel. In chapter six, Jesus miraculously feeds 5,000 curious Israelites who have assembled in the wilderness to hear Him teach. “God often begins with the limited resources we have,” Chesnut reminded the team. “We have to let God be God as we do our planning—putting it all in His hands.”
“ Language communities are much better equipped today to do translation.”
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Philippine-style
T
he director of Sa Bawat Wika 2025 (SBW), Dr. Lloyd Estrada, succinctly describes the organization he directs: “It’s Vision 2025, with a Philippine flavour.” In other words, Sa Bawat Wika (Tagalog for “In Every Language”) is fully behind Wycliffe’s vision to see Bible translation started, in every language that needs it, by 2025. But Estrada stresses that SBW must be viewed as something more than another Wycliffe program in the Philippines. “At this point it is the flagship initiative of Wycliffe here in the Philippines,” he explains. “But we want it to become a movement whereby the churches are the ones propelling it.” SBW’s director says there are approximately 70,000 Christian churches in the Philippines. “A vast majority of those churches do not know anything about Bible translation . . . so we are raising up advocates for this work.” His strategy is to share the vision with denominational heads, mission leaders, church bishops and other prominent Christians. He’s well equipped to do so, with nearly two decades of pastoral experience throughout the Philippines. Estrada also serves as a board vice-chairman for the Philippine Missions Association, which aims to mobilize the global Filipino Church in evangelizing the nations, including unreached people groups in the Philippines.
Speaking Their Language When he talks to pastors about Bible translation, Estrada says he speaks their language. “A pastor always wants to know, is this related to evangelism? Discipleship? Church planting? Will this help my church grow? “When I go either in one-on-one meetings or large group meetings, I always show the connection between Bible translation and these things, and so they hear the message in their own language, if you could call it that.” However, Estrada faces two main challenges in raising awareness about the need for Bible translation. First, he believes that the Philippine Church has yet to embrace the idea of cross-cultural missions. “For the majority of churches in the Philippines, starting a Former pastor Dr. Lloyd Estrada (left), director of Sa Bawat Wika CFMJFWFT UIF 1IJMJQQJOF Church can play a key role in finishing the Bible translation task. His role is to help raise awareness about the need for Scripture translation among the country’s estimated $ISJTUJBO DIVSDIFT MJLF UIF small Assembly of God (AOG) congregation near Iriga City (above).
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‘No wonder the Christians here in the island of Palawan are not reaching their potential spiritually, because we are not discipling them in the Scriptures in their own languages!’ ” similar church—a church that’s like yours, but in another location—is missions.” Second, the lack of financial resources hinders many churches from doing missions. “In Palawan for example (an island province of the Philippines), the average church size is less than 50. Most of the pastors there are bi-vocational—they also teach in a school or they drive a [motorized taxi] tricycle or they own a business, because their churches are too small and too poor to support their own pastor. . . .”
Responding by Faith Regardless of such challenges, Filipino believers—including church leaders like Pastor Israel Santos in Puerto Princessa City—are responding to Vision 2025 by faith. “He stood up in a gathering of ministers,” Estrada recalls, “and said, ‘No wonder the Christians here in the island of Palawan are not reaching their potential spiritually, because we are not discipling them in the Scriptures in their own languages!’ ” That’s where SBW comes in, with its corresponding vision to encourage Scripture use among Filipino believers through Bible distribution, the JESUS film and other vernacular media. Santos is now an advocate for Bible translation on Palawan. He and other pastors are talking about raising up 60 language workers from that area and taking responsibility for their financial support. To do so, the churches are banding together to find solutions. “Right now, they are talking about corporate farming . . . and we are already in touch with the department of agriculture and other experts from the governor’s office. “Most likely, we will start a cooperative among the churches 8PSE "MJWF t 'BMM t wycliffe.ca
The lack of financial resources hinders many churches from doing missions. For many smaller congregations in the Philippines, like Iriga’s AOG church (right), a lack of financial resources often restricts their vision for missions, with a resulting focus on service to their own communities.
At Manila’s Greenhills Christian Fellowship (left), visiting Toronto pastor Dr. Narry Santos preaches on a Sunday morning. Greenhills has planted more than a dozen satellite churches in the Philippines and two in Ontario. Its mission outreach includes financial support for Bible translation projects in the Philippines, administered by TAP.
“ The Lord is really leading us so clearly here. In fact, we’re not even thinking so hard about strategies.”
and then we will purchase property and plant rubber trees. The pastors agree that all the income generated from this farm will be for the support of the cross-cultural missionaries.”
Delight on God’s Face Estrada is encouraged by such developments, hoping they will result in the mobilization of more Filipinos like one couple he knows who are preparing to work in Southeast Asia. “They have a passion for using vernacular media and they have experience and skills in that field. “We are helping them prepare for their assignment in Southeast Asia,” he adds, “but I’m telling them they don’t have to join Wycliffe. We are working with their church denomination . . . so we can agree on the sending requirements. “So even if they don’t join Wycliffe, this is already part of the accomplishment of 4B #BXBU 8JLB —and we’re happy about that.” Estrada sees clear evidence of God’s hand on this ministry. “The Lord is really leading us so clearly here. In fact, we’re not even thinking so hard about strategies because right now, we are just tapping into my network of friends. “We are asking people to own the vision and we talk about Revelation 7:9, when every nation, tribe, people and language are all gathered in heaven, worshipping the Lord.” Estrada is eager to see the delight on God’s face. “He will say to the Filipino Church, ‘. . . Arise, well done, my good and faithful servants—you have done well in bringing people from all nations into my heaven.’ ”
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Language communities in the Philippines take ownership for Scripture translation, helped by Wycliffe’s partner organizations. 8PSE "MJWF t 'BMM t wycliffe.ca
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hen Wycliffe Canada Director Dave Ohlson and his wife Joan travelled to the Philippines this past January, the town of Barlig was a much-anticipated part of their itinerary. Surrounded by lush green rice terraces for much of the year, the town is where they lived from 1975 to 1982 while helping translate the Finallig New Testament (see “A Long, Uphill Climb,” pg. 6). In January, the Ohlsons met a group of Barlig residents who are now translating the Old Testament into their language—and Dave was impressed. “Looking back,” he muses, “I wish we’d employed some of the techniques used in translation now, because there were plenty of sophisticated people in Barlig who probably could have contributed greatly . . . we would have got a lot further, a lot quicker.” A team member, Meriam Challiis, studied Hebrew at the Alliance Graduate School in Manila (see “Second Chance for a Single Mom,” pg. 32). That’s just one example of how today’s mother tongue translators (MTTs) are being equipped to accelerate the pace of Bible translation, in the Philippines and around the world.
Head Start
The work of modern global Bible translation has seen some big changes since its beginnings in 1934. For much of this 75-year history, “other tongue” translators—expatriates and foreigners like the Ohlsons—were assigned to a language project, where they began by studying the local language. Typically, the transla-
Mother tongue translators Veronica Pinos-an (above, left) and Doralyn Matinac Challoy represent a growing force in the work of Bible translation worldwide. The two women, who are part of a well-trained team working on the Finallig Old Testament, possess a huge advantage over expatriate translators: an intimate understanding of their own culture and language. The team’s progress and aims are reflected on a chart inside their office (right), provided for them by the Barlig Scripture Society. The team is one of nine homegrown translation groups serving under the banner of the Northern Philippines Mother Tongue Translators Association.
“Looking back, I wish we’d employed some of the techniques used in translation now…we would have got a lot further, a lot quicker.” 8PSE "MJWF t 'BMM t wycliffe.ca
In the city of Iriga, Emy Ballenas (above, right), a longtime member of the Translators Association of the Philippines (TAP), talks with Amor Borromeo about details of the Rinconada New Testament translation. Ballenas oversees the mother tongue translator’s work, which is aided by the software program, Paratext (seen on computer monitor). It and related tools developed by the United Bible Societies allow translators to input, edit and check their translations against published translations rendered in several versions of Scripture.
tors would then look for a local person—like the Ohlson’s helper, Virgie Coyao—to assist them in translating Scripture. Using that method, it could take decades to complete a translation of the New Testament or full Bible. Today, more and more Filipinos are responding to the challenge of Bible translation. With training from AGS and other fine schools, they’re translating the Scriptures in their mother tongue. That mother tongue advantage often gives them a significant “head start” in translation. “What I would do differently now,” says Ohlson about his six years of New Testament translation in Barlig, “would be to work harder from day one to establish a translation committee or society . . . and engage in training, possibly sending them off for advanced training and then working alongside these wellqualified local people. “This can’t be done in every context, but it could have been done in Barlig. Back then, we believed it was our responsibility to do the work ourselves, in order to assure quality control. “But we’ve learned over the years that translation quality can be maintained when we don’t do the work ourselves.”
Diverse Groups
The Old Testament translation team in Barlig is comprised of five members: four women and one man. Most are Catholics, while one is Pentecostal. Three of the women—Meriam, Veronica Pinos-an and Doralyn Challoy—were part of finishing the New Testament under the direction of Wycliffe Canada members Rundell and Judi Maree. Prior to that, none of the MTTs had any previous experience in Bible translation. And for most, there wasn’t necessarily a strong sense of God’s leading when they heard that the Barlig Scripture Society planned to hire translators. After graduating from college, Doralyn looked for work as a teacher, but no opportunities opened up for her. She then applied to become a domestic worker overseas, but nothing came of that either. 8PSE "MJWF t 'BMM t wycliffe.ca
“We’ve learned over the years that translation quality can be maintained when we don’t do the work ourselves.”
Translators Association of the Philippines (TAP) director Boi Awid (at right, in blue shirt) joins in prayers for a young Rinconada-speaking family dedicating their child to God at the AOG church near Iriga. TAP trains and supervises the young mother tongue translators whose work will result in a New Testament translation for Rinconada speakers in Luzon Island’s Bicol region.
She decided to apply for a job in Bible translation, even though she didn’t fully understand what that meant. To her surprise, she was hired—and her subsequent daily exposure to God’s Word led to a spiritual awakening. “After some time, I was convinced that God had led me. It was through my translation work in this office that I was able to know more about Him,” she says with tears in her eyes. Work on the Old Testament translation began in 2004. So far, the team has completed draft translations of about 20 Old Testament books and aims to complete the remaining 19 books by 2010. A dictionary of biblical terms is also in the works, with a completion deadline of 2013. The team’s work is supervised by a board of trustees elected by the Scripture society and funded by one Japanese donor and a few Japanese churches. The Barlig Scripture Society is one of nine member societies that make up the Northern Philippines Mother Tongue Translators Association (NPMTTA). Wycliffe personnel assisted in the association’s formation and continue to provide training and resources for its members. The association is anticipating some growth, having received inquiries from eight language communities in southern Luzon Island who are interested in translating the Scriptures. The NPMTTA has come a long way since its formation in 2000; 11 mother tongue translators have earned master’s degrees to aid them in Bible translation, another has earned a master
“After some time, I was convinced that God had led me. It was through my translation work in this office that I was able to know more about Him.”
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of divinity degree and yet another is working on her PhD thesis at a university in Singapore. The organization is now even considering how it can contribute to Bible translation in other countries. Recently, for example, two NPMTTA members went to southern Asia to teach a course that equipped mother tongue speakers of local languages there to share God’s Word in their own languages.
Desire for God’s Word
Elsewhere in the country, the Translators Association of the Philippines (TAP) oversees two language projects being done by MTTs. In Bicol, one of 17 administrative regions in the Philippines, TAP responded to churches in the city of Iriga who asked for help to translate Scripture into two local languages, Buhi’nen and Rinconada. TAP members worked with the churches to identify promising candidates and begin training them to translate the New Testament. The two language projects mark a new chapter in TAP’s 26-year history. Previously, TAP translators first had to learn another Filipino language and then solicit the aid of mother tongue speakers when translating Scripture. But in Bicol, welltrained MTTs are taking the More On The Web: #PUI UIS #VIJ OFO BOE lead, with TAP members 3JODPOBEB MBOHVBHF QSPKFDUT SFDFJWF ĂśOBODJBM serving in an advisory role. BTTJTUBODF GSPN 8ZDMJòF $BOBEB T QSPKFDU Nilo Borromeo, an MTT GVOEJOH QBSUOFS (MPCBM 1BSUOFS-JOL -FBSO in the Rinconada language, is NPSF BU XXX HMPCBMQBSUOFSMJOL DB studying at Alliance Graduate School in Manila, so he will be elp in the project. The 28-year-old student says he never expected to be involved in Bible translation. “My inclination, especially in the church, is evangelism. But
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As boats filled with people and cargo ply the shores of Lake Buhi in Bicol (below), local children clamour to have their picture taken. The New Testament is being translated into their language, Buhi’nen, thanks to the efforts of local church leaders, mother tongue translators and their TAP advisers.
after I attended the seminars conducted by TAP in our city, I saw that Bible translation is really evangelism.” As he prepares for his role in the project, he hangs on to a vision for his people. “What is in my mind is, that through these translations, people will be moved by the Word of God . . . that people will come to the Lord and have a true transformation begin in their hearts.” Like many other MTTs serving in the Philippines, Nilo will be an asset to the translation team because of the solid academic training he’s receiving. But more to the point, he loves God’s Word and wants to share it with his people—in the language they know best.
“What is in my mind is, that through these translations, . . . people will come to the Lord and have a true transformation begin in their hearts.”
Romeo Lamaton works on a portion of the Finallig Old Testament translation. The team is a mix of Protestants and Catholics, each of whom feels called by God to provide mother tongue Scriptures for their people.
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eriam Challiis says there was no handwriting in the sky, no voices from heaven or other signs of divine guidance that led her to become a Bible translator nine years ago. “It was basically because I wanted a job.” The shy, soft-spoken 34-year-old student and mother tongue translator graduated last April from the Alliance Graduate School (AGS) in Manila, Philippines. At AGS, her studies included two years of Hebrew—a vital course for her role in translating the Old Testament into Finallig. It is the mother tongue spoken by Meriam and some 6,000 Filipinos in the town of Barlig and a few surrounding communities in Luzon’s Mountain Province. The former sales clerk from Barlig first heard about the job from her sister, who heard it announced during a church service. “Before that,” explains Meriam, “I was a saleslady at the co-operative there, St. Michael’s. But then I stopped when I gave birth to my daughter, because I was a single mother. “I stopped to look after her,” she adds, in a quieter voice that seems to signal that such memories may be too personal—and painful—to share with a stranger. Then, her voice grows stronger as she recalls how she became a Bible translator. “When my sister told me they are hiring translators, I just tried to apply.” The Finallig Scripture Society hired Meriam in April 2000, to help finish the New Testament translation. By the time it was
¹* MFBSOFE UP MPWF NZ XPSL "OE * XBOUFE UP MFBSO NPSF ² (Left) On a weekday afternoon in Manila, student and mother tongue translator Meriam Challiis walks home from school to her nearby apartment. The single mom from Barlig has endured a long separation from her daughter Shantal, so she can better equip herself for her role in Bible translation through her studies at the Alliance Graduate School (below).
publicly dedicated in 2004, the mother tongue translators were already gearing up to translate the Old Testament. Over time, Meriam’s work in Bible translation became much more than a job. “I learned to love my work,� she says. “And I wanted to learn more.� That desire led her to apply to AGS—where she failed the English proficiency exam four times before she was finally accepted in 2006. Although her English is understandable now, it’s clear she still struggles to express herself in the language of higher education in the Philippines. But she presses on, adding a simple comment about the Hebrew classes she attended at AGS. “It’s very hard.� When reminded that she earned top marks in her class, she giggles, protesting, “There are only three of us!� While attending classes in Manila, Meriam lived within walking distance of the graduate school. She only saw her daughter Shantal, now nine years old and living with Meriam’s parents in Barlig, every three or four months. It was a big sacrifice for the young mom, as was her investment in three years of seminary training—but one she felt she needed to make for the sake of Bible translation. “I want to learn more and I want to be effective . . . I want to finish this Old Testament. “I don’t want to waste all these years. . . .� At the mention of wasted years, Meriam’s eyes fill with tears and her head drops, as haltingly she murmurs a few more details about the ill-fated love affair that left her pregnant and disgraced some 10 years earlier. For several minutes, Meriam weeps openly, then apologizes for her emotional breakdown. As the interview with her comes to an end, much is left unspoken, unresolved. But from the few words she did express, Meriam seems grateful to God for his forgiveness—and for the opportunity to serve Him in the life-changing ministry of Bible translation.
Beyond Words Harvest Gold Photograph by Alan Hood
At harvest time, a Filipina woman winnows rice stalks that have fallen near a threshing machine in a field near Bagabag, a city north of Manila. Her strenuous labour serves to cleanse the rice by separating it from chaff and other impure elements. Even as she works, a growing army of her countrymen are preparing for a harvest of eternal significance through their work in Bible translation, as they prepare the “good seed” of God’s Word.
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Last Word Transitions for Translations By Dave Ohlson
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t seemed appropriate when Word Alive editor Dwayne Janke asked me if I would write this column. Very likely this will be my last opportunity to do so, as I finish up my time as the CEO of Wycliffe Canada in December. It’s been a wonderful and enriching experience for my wife Joan and I, one we will treasure, as we seek what God has next for us as we approach our 40th year as members of Wycliffe. I am pleased to be handing the reins to incoming interim director Don Hekman. He will lead Wycliffe Canada forward in its quest to make the greatest contribution possible on the part of the Canadian Church to the worldwide Bible translation movement. A major aspect of that movement is Wycliffe’s 7JTJPO : seeing all peoples having access to God’s precious Word in the language that speaks to their hearts best— their own—by the year 2025. Joan and I are now in that position sometimes referred to as transition (passing from one condiKey changes are taking tion, form, stage, activity, place, etc., to another). place in the Church to Transitions are much more a part of our lives in today’s provide the peoples rapidly changing world of the world access to than they were in the time of our fathers and grandThe Word—God’s love fathers. But as believers we must letter to humanity. look at things from a perspective beyond the personal. So, how do transitions figure into God’s bigger plan for the building of His Kingdom, the body of Christ, in these times? I would like to outline five key transitions that are taking place in the Church, specifically in relation to providing the peoples of the world access to The Word, God’s love letter to humanity—the Bible. 1. "O VONJTUBLBCMF TFOTF PG VSHFODZ on the part of God and His Church to see that all peoples have the Scriptures. This is borne out of God’s deep affection for humanity and His desire that individuals from every tribe, MBOHVBHF, people and nation on earth (Rev 5:9) enter into an
eternal relationship with Him. The translation of the Bible into new languages has accelerated over the past 10 years at a pace never previously experienced by the Church. 2. " HSPXJOH TFOTF PG QBSUOFSTIJQ in the worldwide Church to give all people access to the Scriptures in their heart languages. The church of the Global South, which comprises 91 per cent of all new Christians, is deeply committed to partner with the Church of the West to see this happen. The Missio Dei (mission of God) is truly being worked out and demonstrated as a cooperative effort on the part of the whole Church. 3. " TQJSJU PG DPPQFSBUJPO within the Church to equip and build up each part so that the whole has the capacity, under God’s power and guidance, to accomplish everything that God has created it to do. It is no longer the exclusive role of the Western Church to build capacity into other segments of the Church, but rather a mutual responsibility of all. 4. "O FČFDUJWFOFTT BOE BO FďDJFODZ taking place in the Church that we have not seen before. There is an openness to embrace new and creative ways of ministering, as well as new attitudes and a willingness to experiment with new ideas and strategies in training, partnering and emerging technologies. Scriptures are being made available to people in a host of media that best fits them. 5. " HSPXJOH CPEZ PG FWJEFODF UIBU BMM QFPQMFT— the nations (UB FUIOF) of Matthew 28:19—are CVJMEJOH TVTUBJOBCJMJUZ within themselves to support a growing and reproducing Church. Bible translation is one of the key components in this new phenomenon. Mine is not the last word on transitions taking place in the Church. Fortunately, that is the exclusive domain of The Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will continue to build and change His Church in the 21st century and beyond, for His eternal purposes. To that, our last word should always be the same: Amen! Dave Ohlson is executive director of Wycliffe Canada.
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