An Invitation
The Aldor* Project Southeast Asia
* Name changed for security reasons
‘…with the Bible stories, I can understand everything. I can tell them to my friends. I want to tell the stories more.’ Tina*, workshop participant
The people Region: Southeast Asia Language: one majority and a few minority languages
The need The majority of people in this area practise animism or Buddhism, and the few who consider themselves Christians practise traditional rituals. The small number of faithful Christians long for the Church to grow. Literacy levels are also low, so it is essential to share the word of God through oral stories.
The project To break down barriers to faith, teams are working to share life-changing Bible stories through oral storying. To increase the reach of these stories, local people are also being trained to share them, they are being recorded on mobile phones, and storying workshops are being run.
A year ahead of... For Tina, taking part in an oral-storying workshop helped to connect stories she had heard before, but not understood, to her own situation. Through these workshops, people are taught how to craft oral Bible stories and apply them to their own lives. They then go on to share them with their local communities.
Training and supporting local storying facilitators Running workshops on how to craft stories Translating stories into different language groups Sharing stories with local communities.
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The Ceren* Project Asia
* Name changed for security reasons
‘Where many do not care about us and do not see us, you have cared, you have seen.’ Local Ceren leader
The people Region: Asia Population: 1 million+ Language: Ceren*
The need Almost all of the Ceren people follow a different faith and Christians are frequently persecuted. Very few know how to read or write. This situation creates many barriers to coming to faith in Jesus.
The project Due to the closed-off nature of the area to Christians, translation of the Bible has not begun. Instead the focus is on documenting the language, teaching people to read and write, and building trust with members of the community. The hope is that this will provide the stepping stones to hearing the good news of Jesus Christ.
A year ahead of...
The team have been working hard on developing resources to enable young and old Ceren people alike to learn to read and write. These resources have been welcomed with great joy by the local community as people are finally able to see that their language is valued. As trust builds, so too do the bridges to sharing the word of God.
Building on the positive links made with the local community Finding locations for mother-tongue preschools to be established Running language workshops Equipping more local people to teach literacy.
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Director of Partnerships for Africa Africa-wide
‘In spite of the hardship they are going through, the churches in the refugee camps are thriving and more people are coming to know Christ.’ Alemayehu Hailu
The people Role: Director of Partnerships for Africa Region: Africa-wide Language: many different languages across Africa
The need Christ calls us to work together as one body with a shared vision. To ensure all people across Africa can one day have access to the Bible in their own language, it is therefore essential for churches, organisations and communities to partner with one another.
The project To help facilitate partnership, over the last three years Alemayehu Hailu has been working to improve and build new partnerships with churches, organisations, governments and universities across Africa in his role as Director of Partnerships. The hope is that this will lead to more effective Bible translation programmes.
A year ahead of... Even in the most desperate of situations, churches in Africa are growing. Alemayehu saw this first hand on a recent follow-up visit to Eritrean refugee camps in Ethiopia. It was a joy to hear how many more people were coming to know the love of Christ as the local church worked to share Scripture and provide trauma-healing workshops.
Facilitating training for leaders across Africa Seeking God’s wisdom in where to build new partnerships Encouraging and sharing in fellowship with churches Working with international leaders to promote Bible translation.
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The Onirnan* Project Asia
* Name changed for security reasons
‘Students who didn’t attend preschool don’t really start learning until third grade, but the students who did attend your preschools start learning right from the beginning!’ A school principal
The people Region: Asia Population: 50,000+ Language: Onirnan
The need There are currently no Onirnan Christian believers or Scriptures in the Onirnan language. Education levels are also very low, with adult literacy rates at just 10%. Despite school attendance rising, many children do not become literate because lessons are taught in the national language.
The project The need to improve education has been recognised by the local government. As a result, since 2009, teams have been able to begin developing Onirnan language materials. In 2013, this expanded to include providing children’s literacy classes in a preschool setting. As links with the community grow, the door is opening to Bible translation.
A year ahead of... During a recent trip to an Onirnan village, the local school principal enthusiastically shared with a team member her delight at how children were able to access education at an earlier age thanks to the project. Teams are working hard amongst the Onirnan community to provide even more children with the chance to learn in their own language.
Increasing the number of preschool and literacy classes for children Publishing a book and audio version of Onirnan traditional stories and proverbs Continuing grammar research Trialling the printing of Scripture portions.
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Support and Consulting Central African Republic (CAR)
‘We know that there is a long way to go with this work. We hope to see the production of a Ngando dictionary, the JESUS Film and the Bible’ Matthieu and Jetron, Ngando Alphabet Creators
The people Region: Central African Republic (CAR) Population: almost 1.5 million Language: working across 14 languages
The need Civil unrest forced most expatriate staff to leave the country in 2012, so translation work in CAR has been hampered by a lack of consultants and trainers. Several New Testament translations are nearing completion but have been delayed due to a backlog of books needing to be checked by consultants.
The project The aims of this project are to reduce the backlog of translations needing to be checked, to improve the quality of translation and to train more people to become consultants. This is being achieved through running workshops to equip translation teams with new skills, such as discourse analysis and Scripture app development, as well as helping to cover the cost of consultants travelling to the country to check translations and give advice.
A year ahead of... The Ngando community were calling for Bible translation, but their language had never been written down. Last year two Ngando speakers, Matthieu and Jetron, took the first step in laying the linguistic groundwork for translating the Bible. With the help of a consultant, they recorded 1,700 words in order to distinguish all the different sounds of the language and create a Ngando alphabet for the very first time!
Building work with five new languages where Bible translation projects could begin Creating a solid linguistic base for emerging translation projects Facilitating more workshops to support local translation teams.
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The Truly Fruitful Project Ethiopia
‘Now their eyes have been opened, they can’t wait to share it with others. We praise God for what he is doing in Gamo churches and church leaders.’ Gamo workshop
The people Region: Ethiopia Population: 20,000 Language: 85+ languages
The need Amazing progress has been made, with 63 Ethiopian languages now having access to at least some Scripture. However, pastors and evangelists have been trained to approach Scripture in a language that is not their own. In order to be ‘Truly Fruitful’ in reaching their communities, there is a need to equip church leaders to read, preach and teach the Bible in their own languages.
The project The aim of the project is to increase the use and impact of translated Scriptures in churches throughout Ethiopia by increasing the skills and confidence of church leaders. Pastors and evangelists are invited to workshops twice a year to learn how to read, understand and teach Scripture in their own languages.
A year ahead of... Gamo is one of the 85+ languages of Ethiopia. The Gamo Bible was dedicated five years ago, but little was done with it. This all changed after 30 church leaders gathered together to participate in a Truly Fruitful workshop. All the church leaders committed afresh to studying the Bible in Gamo. Over 1,600 Gamo Bibles were purchased, and these have been put to great use in the different communities through preaching, Bible study groups and training others.
Providing workshops for speakers of three different languages Following up via phone or email in between sessions to encourage people as they progress Increasing the use of local languages and translated Scriptures in churches Supporting churches as they teach their congregations to use these materials.
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Translation Degree Programme Coordinator Cameroon
‘We have refused to shut down and are determined to keep the light of the gospel burning here.’ Wilfred Fon, Translation Degree Coordinator
The people Region: Northwest Cameroon Language: 41 represented across the seminary
The need To ensure Bible translation can continue, it is vital to train local staff. In Cameroon there are many language communities still in need of Scripture in their own language.
The project For over 10 years, students from different language groups have studied for a BA in Bible Translation at the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary. Through this they are equipped with the skills to lead Bible translation and literacy projects. This is led by local academic Wilfred Fon, who this projects supports.
A year ahead of...
In the face of growing instability in the region, seminary staff have been determined to keep courses running. Over 41 language groups are represented at the seminary, and seven students are currently working hard to complete their studies in Bible translation. These men and women will become lights in their communities.
Sending out graduates to serve their own language groups in translation Equipping students to lead Bible translation programmes and share Scripture with others Running spiritual retreats each semester for staff Building capacity by training local people to run courses.
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Wycliffe Training Scholarships Togo
‘The second session of i-DELTA is the year of deliverance! We saw chains broken and falling off; our eyes lit up for God, and our love for his word increased.’ Rosine, Scripture engagement student
The people Region: Togo Population: 7.6 million Language: 40 different languages
The need In order to meet the Bible translation needs of the 40 different languages in Togo, Wycliffe Togo is keen to increase its capacity. Local churches have been identifying staff and volunteers who are committed to serving in this area. Training these new recruits is of vital importance.
The project This project funds the training of Wycliffe Togo staff members on the i-DELTA programme taught in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This three-year programme combines two months of residential lectures per year with distance-learning modules taught throughout the year, and covers Bible translation, literacy and Scripture use.
A year ahead of... Rosine felt challenged to support the work of Bible translation after hearing someone from Wycliffe Togo speak. Years later she felt God calling her to help the language groups in her country to access God’s word. Her husband Jérémie shared her calling and together they trained on the i-DELTA programme. They will use their passion and skills to help with Bible translation in Togo.
Training Wycliffe Togo staff members in Bible translation and Scripture use Partnering with language communities and churches to develop more ministries related to Bible translation Increasing the capacity of translation teams.
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